Welcome to the latest edition of Trending Up / Trending Down, where Hoddle Headquarters takes a look at what around Tottenham Hotspur is trending up, and what is trending down.
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Things can change a lot in 10 days. They certainly have at Tottenham, where the mood is sour and the outlook is bleaker and bleaker. Spurs have played three games since the latest installment (def Tamworth, lost to Arsenal, lost to Everton). With those three matches done and dusted, let’s look at who is trending up and who is trending down.
Trending Up
Antonin Kinsky: Early days still, but he’s done very well since coming in earlier this month. He made a few good saves against Tamworth to prevent Spurs from experiencing a disastrous result, and kept Spurs in the game against Everton on Sunday.
Trending Down
Heung-min Son: Gosh, what is happening to him? It’s difficult watching him play these days and knowing he isn’t the same player he was a season or two ago. Normally Son would go off on a tear whenever there’s some negative discourse around him, but here we are months later still waiting for something to happen.
Ange Postecoglou: Spurs have lost 12 games this season and only won one league game since December. Injuries are playing their part, of course, but Sunday’s showing was probably the worst for Postecgolou since coming in. The “worst loss” is a moniker you can assign to multiple games across this season. He appears to retain the board’s support, but this weekend’s game against Leicester feels huge.
Daniel Levy and Johan Lange: I’m lumping these two together because I’m not quite sure where the primary credit/blame goes for the transfer business. Credit to Postecoglou for publicly supporting Tottenham’s transfer strategy, and we can be sympathetic to a difficult transfer window in which to do business, but Spus desperately need reinforcements. So far, the transfer dealers have mostly not delivered.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Black Magic Woman, by Santana
And now for your links:
Alasdair Gold’s talking points from Tottenham’s defeat to Everton
The Times ($$): “Tottenham sticking by Ange Postecoglou despite mounting pressure”
David Hytner: “Postecoglou on thin ice at Tottenham but Levy still hoping for turnaround”
Telegrpah: “Tottenham manager: the case for the defence of Ange Postecoglou”
Jack P-B ($$): “Tottenham Hotspur are a club drifing - who is going to take control?”