January can be the crucial month in the lifespan of a Tottenham manager. During Daniel Levy’s 24 years as chairman, there was once Harry Redknapp, warning of “bare bones” through Kevin Bond’s 4x4 window. The very public breakdown of Levy’s relations with Antonio Conte in 2023 came not long after the Italian failed to get what he wanted in the January sales. Tension boiled, too, with José Mourinho during the same month’s window.
Ange Postecoglou keeps his personal view of the ownership and the club’s executive class to himself. When the end comes for a Spurs manager it usually follows behind-the-scenes issues with Levy becoming headlines and Postecoglou continues to pride himself on not looking for excuses or relying on short-term solutions. As he resumed media duties after a six-day new-year rest where he said “the main driver was recovery”, the Australian betrayed little pressure following Spurs’ deeply unsatisfactory Christmas period, starting with a 6-3 home destruction by Liverpool, falling into Nottingham Forest’s traps in losing 1-0 on Boxing Day and then conceding a late equaliser to Wolves.
The lack of numbers Redknapp regularly complained of are in plain sight in January 2025. Destiny Udogie’s hamstring problem and six-week absence continued the decimation of Postecoglou’s defence and the manager admitted: “A bit of an illness bug running through the squad as well, so a few were missing training, but that’s all right, we’ll be ok.”
Against Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime, Archie Gray, a midfielder to the manor born, and Radu Dragusin will continue their unlikely central defensive partnership, Djed Spence, previously a forgotten man, lining up in place of Udogie at left-back. New blood will not be the immediate cure offered for Tottenham’s ills, though Postecoglou expressed belief the recruitment department, including the recently appointed chief scout, Rob Mackenzie, who once identified Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min as future Tottenham players, can deliver, even though January is rarely where the biggest, game-changing deals are made.
Postecoglou appreciates the difficulties of January business. “It’s not a matter of pushing but I think the club are working hard to try and sort of get some help for the playing group and it’s no secret, we need to bolster our numbers up a little bit. January is not an easy month,” he said.
“We understand it’s not an easy time to bring people in particularly quickly. At the same time we still want to make sure we do what we think is the best thing for us rather than sort of just, you know, panic and bring people in who aren’t going to be a suitable fit. They are not having new year parties, they are out there working trying to improve our situation and they’ll continue to do so.”
Thus far, the only new player who could be available is Yang Min-hyeok, the Korean teenager whose arrival has increased the number of south-east Asian visitors waiting for autographs and selfies outside the Hotspur Park training ground. It may be some time until he lines up alongside Son. “We are just trying to get him settled early and give him the chance to settle in,” said Postecoglou of the 18-year-old. “No real plan, we will just take it as it goes with him and see how he settles in”. Yang spent the last two weeks of December living at the club lodge, and was able to take in the 4-3 Carabao Cup win over Manchester United that leaves a semi-final with Liverpool looming on Wednesday.
Before that, Newcastle, an opponent whose own rise and then associated further complications have often mirrored Tottenham’s. Not playing European football and the return of key players allowed Eddie Howe’s team to look the division’s freshest over the Christmas glut. They are in fifth – where Tottenham finished last season – having begun last month in 12th, a place behind where Spurs kick-off 2025.
Newcastle’s comparative fall from grace last season, when they lost four league matches during December 2023, was noted by Postecoglou, who empathised with Howe at the time. “I actually specifically mentioned Newcastle and how they have a ridiculous amount of injuries and it’s no wonder their form is suffering, but that’s a boring tale, mate,” he said. “People will be outside with pitchforks and looking for heads, so let’s not take that narrative.”
Prickliness will never be far away where Postecoglou is concerned, including when asked to review his personal 2024. “I know right now people don’t recognise it as anything but we finished fifth last year,” he reminded. “We finished eighth the year before and people keep forgetting that. I didn’t pick up a club that finished third or fifth.”