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Tottenham are at crossroads and need to decide if they will stick or twist.
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Tottenham Hotspur are currently 10th in the Premier League table. For a traditional ‘big six’ club, tenth position after 11 games would usually put any coach under fire, but Ange Postecoglou always seems relaxed - well, until you see his interviews.
The Australian is so focused on implementing his brand of attacking football that he seems less concerned with the results needed to make Spurs a top-four contender. Despite having scored 23 goals, currently the most in the league, Spurs are not competing among the title chasers, nor are they currently even occupying a Europa Conference League qualification spot.
The problem isn’t even the defence, which has conceded 13 goals, equal to second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Chelsea. The issue lies in knowing how to win games that are there for the taking - a ruthless quality Postecoglou seems to lack. He approaches every team the same, expecting them to go toe-to-toe with Spurs, only to be surprised by teams who understand their strengths and set up defensively to capitalise on Spurs’ mistakes.
It’s no surprise that Spurs were able to humble Aston Villa and West Ham United, teams that consider themselves peers, with 4-1 wins, but then drew against struggling Leicester City and lost to Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.
Postecoglou should recognise that struggling teams don’t mind conceding possession. They’ll allow you to attack, hoping you’ll over-commit and make mistakes that they can exploit.
If the Spurs boss insists on doggedly sticking to his principles and playing the same way against all teams, then he needs ruthless, clinical forwards who can score early and force these defensive teams to open up. You can’t play like a Hansi Flick side without burying teams early in the game. If Postecoglou wants to stick to his style, he’ll need to invest in more reliable attacking options. Injuries to Son, the team’s most efficient forward, have meant he’s struggling to hit top form. Brennan Johnson is good but not clinical enough, and Dominic Solanke can score but generally needs several chances to finally convert.
Postecoglou needs to go shopping for one or two assassin-like forwards who can get get the job done at the first time of asking. He might not get the financial backing to overhaul the entire forward line this winter, but at least one new signing is essential. You can’t have an ultra-attacking team and be content with a centre forward who has scored just four goals after 11 weeks of league play.
Victor Gyokeres would be an ideal purchase, but convincing him to choose Spurs over a potential move to Manchester United under his former Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim will be challenging. Spurs should also try for Victor Osimhen, who will have something to prove after Chelsea’s lukewarm pursuit of him. Napoli have a clause in his loan deal to Galatasaray that allows them to recall him and sell.
Osimhen has already shown Spurs how ruthless he can be, scoring twice against Fraser Forster in their Europa League defeat at Istanbul. Chelsea’s flirtation with him, only to leave his future hanging in the balance at the last minute, could serve as extra motivation for Osimhen to prove himself in the Premier League.