Former Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown has already ruled the club out of the Premier League title race and believes the ‘pressure is starting to mount’ on manager Ange Postecoglou.
After an initially strong start to life under Postecoglou, Spurs fell away last season and ultimately ended up finishing fifth, despite Champions League qualification long being within their grasp.
The Lilywhites haven’t exactly made the best start to the new campaign, either, taking just four points from three Premier League matches so far.
Up next is a vitally important North London derby clash at home to Arsenal on Sunday as the Premier League returns from the international break.
Is Ange Postecoglou already under pressure at Tottenham?
Spurs certainly have a point to prove after falling to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle last time out, meaning they sit 10th in the table despite attempting the second-most shots in the Premier League (20).
Brown believes the nature of Tottenham’s performances so far have been enough to warrant more time for Postecoglou.
However, the ex-midfielder believes his old club are already out of the title race, with pressure mounting on Postecoglou to improve things quickly and deliver silverware.
“This Spurs side has quality with players that can hurt you but the pressure is starting to mount because of the results at the end of last season,” Brown told BBC‘s The Football News Show when previewing the North London derby.
The 47-year-old, who appeared 64 times for Spurs during his playing days, added: “The start of this season hasn’t really gone as expected and he talks about winning trophies. It certainly won’t be the Premier League so cup competitions will be important.
“I feel like he [Ange Postecoglou] needs a bit more time, I really like his approach but they’re going to be open and at risk of being punished.”