Tottenham Hotspur’s disappointing collapse against Brighton last week has reignited old conversations about the club’s infamous reputation for failing to see out matches. However, head coach Ange Postecoglou has brushed aside any such labels, focusing instead on how his team can shape their own narrative.
A stumbling start to the season
It’s hard to ignore Tottenham’s poor start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. The 2-3 defeat at the Amex Stadium on October 6 marked the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in 16 years, with many fearing that the ‘Spursy’ tag—a term that refers to Tottenham’s historical tendency to falter at key moments—might be rearing its head again.
This loss came after a remarkable five-game winning run, which had given fans hope that the team was back on track, only for those hopes to be dashed on the South Coast.
Brighton’s late surge mirrored the heart-wrenching 3-3 draw against Southampton in 2023, a game that sparked the eventual departure of then-manager Antonio Conte.
The difference this time around, however, is that Postecoglou’s job remains safe, with most of the questions surrounding how his squad will react after this international break.
Ange Postecoglou’s response to ‘Spursy’
During his press conference, Postecoglou was quick to dismiss the idea that Tottenham are once again slipping into their ‘Spursy’ ways, a narrative that has long haunted the club.
When asked about Tottenham’s habit of losing leads, Postecoglou fired back, offering a bold perspective on how the club must change perceptions.
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He said (football.london): “Mate, it’s irrelevant. Who cares? It doesn’t matter.
“You say it’s 10 times [that Spurs have given away a two-goal lead to lose a game] but it hasn’t been 10 times with me so give me a break. Let me get to 10 and then start putting tags on, but you have to accept that right?
“People will always find easy kind of ways to, if you’ve got a wound, to stick their finger in that wound and if you’re not prepared to accept that when things haven’t gone well, well make sure things go well,”
His words struck a chord, reflecting his unwavering belief that perception will only change with sustained success on the pitch. Postecoglou added: “There is one way to change that. If we want to change the perception of ourselves, it will not come because of, ‘Please don’t call us those names,’ it will come because we’re proving we’re a team that can be relentless in our approach and be successful.”
It’s clear that Postecoglou is determined to build resilience within his squad, encouraging his players to block out the noise and focus on the work ahead. The message is simple: the only way to shake off the ‘Spursy’ tag is through their performances.
A new narrative for Tottenham?
While the Brighton loss stings, especially after Spurs raced to a 2-0 lead, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Tottenham’s failure to close out games is not new, but in this case, it may not be the defining story of the season.
In the five-match winning run before the Brighton game, Spurs scored 13 goals, demonstrating a clear improvement in attacking play. In fact, the attacking stats point to a team on the rise—Tottenham had 25 shots on target in their first four matches of the season but only managed six goals, with four of those coming in a single game against Everton.
As the season progresses, the narrative surrounding Tottenham will continue to evolve, but if Postecoglou can steer his team to consistency, the ‘Spursy’ tag may soon become a relic of the past. The challenge now lies in whether his squad can prove their worth, starting with their next fixture this weekend against West Ham.