After beating Brentford 2-0 away from home in the Premier League, which provided reason for optimism at Tottenham Hotspur, Ange Postecoglou’s side have now bowed out of two cup competitions with a whimper.
Tottenham were first beaten 4-0 at Anfield in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, a trip that was simply beyond the players available to Postecoglou.
Then, Spurs had an equally tough visit to Villa Park, a match which they lost 2-1 on Sunday evening, a scoreline that could have been a lot worse.
It’s all pretty doom and gloom in N17 for a side who are currently 14th in the Premier League and now relying on continental success to save their season.
Of course, the context to all this misery is the injury crisis that currently exists in north London, one that should improve very soon.
Tottenham continuing to back Ange Postecoglou but Europa League is crucial
That being said, The Telegraph have now provided an update on how Postecoglou’s future is being seen at the club.
The report states that there ‘remains a belief’ that the club can come out of this period stronger if they stick together – continuing to back Posecoglou and his plans.
However, support for Postecoglou is now being tested by recent results, which has put a real emphasis on winning the Europa League.
Spurs have now qualified for the last-16 stage of the competition, which is crucial to the club for two reasons.
Not only does it represent a possible trophy win for a club who are seriously craving silverware, but it’s also a direct route to qualify for the Champions League next season for the competition’s winner.
The Telegraph report that this season’s Europa League campaign will be crucial to Postecoglou’s long-term prospects in N17, a manager who is being supported but also closely watched.
Postecoglou has questions to answer
Following defeat to Villa, former Tottenham player Jamie O’Hara called for Postecoglou to be sacked, a quite reactionary conclusion.
But given all the questions that understandably exist from outside of the club, it is fair to call for Postecoglou to go, in addition to Daniel Levy.
Spurs haven’t been good enough, injury crisis or not, and much more pragmatism could have been shown considering the circumstances.
A complicated situation, but one that will be easier to draw conclusions from once Postecoglou has his best players available again.
Spurs now have one game a week for the foreseeable future, a period in which results and players need to recover fast.