Forbes

There is a scenario where Tottenham Hotspur supporters’ pain and misery becomes a distant memory.

Perhaps as they relax on the sun loungers on vacation at the season’s end, the tepid, disjointed performances that have seen the club languishing around the relegation zone won’t feel that important.

The problem is Spurs need to win the Europa League for that to happen. Not that this is an impossible event.

There’s a decent chance of success; the North London team is better than semi-final opponent Bodo/Glimt and would fancy its chances against Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao.

But the insipid Premier League displays that have pushed the club to the lower reaches of the table mean there is a scarcity of belief that such an outcome will come to pass.

Fortunately, the man who appears most convinced sits in the Tottenham Hotspur dugout.

Having been interpreted as promising to win a trophy this season, thanks to a comment about consistently delivering silverware in his second campaign, Ange Postecoglou appears to see it as a point of personal pride.

“Our fans have been through a tough time. Hopefully this gives them something to look forward to,” Postecoglou said in the aftermath of his side beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter final.

“I’m the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements, but I’ll leave that there.

“I don’t care; it doesn’t bother me; it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe?

“That’s much more important than what others may make of me.”

In a manner that has become expected in the past few weeks, the Australian coach added a barbed comment about his future.

“So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer.”

The Austrian manager is ireful because he believes he’s been receiving unfair criticism from fans and journalists in the past few months.

However, doubts about Postecoglou have arisen because his team appears less sure of his methods this season.

Last year, there were some moments when Tottenham Hotspur’s bold approach got them into trouble, but you could rarely argue that the team hadn’t bought into the patterns of play.

This year, the same methodology is in place. However, the players don’t move as fast or with the same level of conviction.

As with the first season, it’s arguable that injuries have taken their toll. Postecoglou’s problem is that this excuse is starting to wear thin.

As Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher pointed out, listening to the coach speak can sometimes feel like we’re listening to the same thing on repeat.

“I think like when you listen to managers, you feel like you get the same interview because he’s talking about the same problems, but it’s his job to fix them,” the ex-Liverpool defender said.

“We shouldn’t forget they are in poor form – they lost last week at Wolves 4-2. The worry for me a little bit if I was a Spurs supporter, the manager’s talking about we play good football, we’ve let ourselves down with a couple of mistakes.

Unsurprisingly, Postecoglou refutes any suggestion that his team doesn’t have the same faith.

“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here,” the Australian said.

“And that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back [from injury], that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me.

“Not at any stage have I felt they lost any belief in me or what we’re doing. That is crucial when you’re having a difficult season, but there is also a season of opportunity there.”

Spurs’ plight under Postecoglou is somewhat baffling, but only to the extent that Antonio Conte’s implosion and Jose Mourinho’s vicious self-laceration before him were mysteries.

On paper, the club has so much going in its favor. It has one of the division’s best and most profitable stadiums, a vast global reach, a young squad filled with talented players, and a reputation as one of the Premier League’s biggest teams.

Financially, few compare to Tottenham Hotspur’s astute business acumen, as football finance expert at the University of Liverpool Kieran Maguire pointed out on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast recently.

“They are the most profitable club in the history of the Premier League. By far,” he told the ex-Manchester United star, “Best stadium, lowest wages compared to the money coming in.

“As a business, if I take away my football hat and put on my business hat, it’s absolutely perfect. And also they don’t have to pay any bonuses for winning trophies.”

Some would argue that this profitability hinders the club’s success. But that doesn’t really bear out when you look at the money it has spent in comparison to other teams. The club shows plenty of ambition and, contrary to popular belief, hasn’t been afraid of the transfer market in recent years.

If you look at the managers the club has attracted in the past four years, you will see that they include some of the most sought-after coaches in the game.

But for some reason, things keep souring. As if they are cursed, the men in the dugout at some stage start turning anger inwards, either at the hierarchy or, as has been the case quite often with Ange Postecoglou, supporters.

It’s hard to suggest any concrete reason that explains this. It is intangible; a vibe or culture causing the curse.

Yet you can’t help but feel that if silverware is delivered for the first time in around two decades, it is something that can be changed.

“If people want me to change my approach, it is not going to change.”

Ange Postecoglou, the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, has made it clear he will not compromise the beliefs that have previously brought him success.

The hierarchy at the club must decide if it still believes in Postecoglou.

Spurs’ chairman Daniel Levy faces a familiar crossroads: stick with a head coach or appoint a new man to lead another “new era”?

If Spurs part ways with Postecoglou this summer, it will be searching for a fifth permanent manager in five-and-a-half years. Under Levy’s 24 years leading the club, Spurs has cycled through various managerial styles. José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, proven winners with pragmatic but effective styles, were appointed to deliver the club its first trophy since 2008.

When that failed, Levy pivoted back to a project-focused approach with Postecoglou. The idea was to develop the squad instead of expecting instant success and, importantly, return the attacking philosophy Levy calls part of Spurs’ “DNA”.

Postecoglou joined Spurs in June, 2023, and made an impressive start. But with hugely disappointing results and performances this season, patience, a virtue rarely associated with Levy, is wearing thin.

The decision to keep or sack Postecoglou is one of the biggest calls Levy has had to make. Fans have largely turned on him rather than the Australian coach, intensifying the pressure to make the right choice. Levy deserves a huge amount of credit for the way he has transformed the club, especially off the pitch. But a perceived lack of investment on it, coupled with a lack of silverware, has seen some fans turn on the chairman.

Another managerial change could further alienate supporters who are weary of “new eras” that fail to deliver trophies. Yet sticking with Postecoglou carries its own risks. If Spurs were to start next season poorly, it could be forced into the less-than-ideal scenario of finding a new coach mid-season.

Should Levy decide the time is right for another new head coach, Andoni Iraola would be an attractive appointment. The Spanish tactician has been linked with Spurs thanks to the excellent job he is doing with Bournemouth. He shares similarities with Mauricio Pochettino, whose tenure at Spurs is fondly remembered. Both got opportunities in the Premier League after managing Spanish clubs, and both have proved themselves with smaller English teams.

Appointing Iraola — assuming he would be interested in the job — would still be a significant gamble. He tactics may need to be adjusted for the Spurs squad. And a slow start would pile even more pressure on the players and Levy. The Tottenham Hotspur stadium could quickly become a toxic environment.

The frustration among supporters is understandable. After a promising start last season, when Spurs briefly looked like title challengers, Postecoglou’s team has badly underperformed this campaign. Spurs currently sits 14th in the table and seems unlikely to finish in the top half —potentially its worst season for two decades. It is a far cry from playing in the Champions League, a competition fit for the club’s state-of-the-art stadium and world-class training facilities.

Mitigating factors exist, most notably a brutal injury list that has deprived the team of key players for extended periods. But even with a near full-strength squad, Spurs has lost the attacking verve that defined Postecoglou’s philosophy. Defensively, the team remain fragile and far too easy to play through, a recurring problem that has not been addressed.

One glimmer of hope remains for the season to be a success: the Europa League. Winning it would secure the trophy Spurs so desperately crave and, more importantly from a business perspective, qualification for the lucrative Champions League. Two matches against Eintracht Frankfurt are to come next month, but given Spurs’ current form, few would bet on them going all the way.

If Postecoglou does stay, Spurs must back him in the summer transfer window. Reinforcements are essential for the head coach’s high-intensity style to be effective across a full season. The squad is crying out for a disciplined defensive midfielder capable of breaking up opposition attacks and progressing the ball forward. The forward line also needs reinforcements. Son Heung-min has been a tremendous servant to the club, but at 32, his influence appears to be waning.

Another summer of uncertainty looms for Tottenham Hotspur and Levy’s next move will define the club’s immediate future. If he believes it is worth persevering with Postecoglou’s vision, he must back him. If not, he needs to be as certain as he can be that a new appointment will take the club forward.

Spurs fans are tired of false dawns. If the manager won’t change, the club must decide if it is time, once again, to change the manager.

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Tottenham Hotspur has turned a corner. After an extremely difficult period, Ange Postecoglou’s team has now won its last three Premier League matches in-a-row, the latest coming in the away victory over Ipswich Town on Saturday. At long last, Spurs appear to be heading in the right direction again.

Son Heung-min is a threat in the final third once more, registering two assists at Portman Road. Brennan Johnson found the back of the net twice in the 4-1 win while Djed Spence and Lucas Bergvall caught the eye too. There was also another start for Mathys Tel who started as Tottenham’s centre forward.

Spurs put a lot of effort into signing Tel in January. The youngster has joined the club on loan until the end of the season, but Tottenham has the option to make his transfer a permanent one for a reported fee of €55m. It’s entirely possible that clause will be activated. Tel is an extremely talented player.

However, his best position is not entirely clear. Postecoglou deployed Tel as a centre forward in the win over Ipswich, but the 19-year-old isn’t the strongest at holding up the ball. Instead, he is the sort of attacker who likes to use his pace and directness to drive towards goal. This is when Tel is most dangerous.

Of course, Dominic Solanke will likely reclaim his spot up front once he returns from injury in the coming weeks. The England international has quickly become one of Postecoglou’s most important players after joining from Bournemouth last summer. He is one of the best attacking focal points in the Premier League.

This would leave Tel to scrap for a starting position on the wings along with Son and Johnson. Dejan Kulusevski can also play out wide. There’s no guarantee the French youngster will keep his place in the team, but Tottenham needs options to make Postecoglou’s physically demanding approach work.

It might be too late for Spurs to get anywhere close to the top-end of the Premier League table. This is where they want to be. However, Postecoglou’s side can still build momentum between now and the end of the season. Tottenham can still prove that its current direction and approach is the right one.

Tel might not be an immediate solution to some of the issues Spurs has suffered from this season, but the teenager is someone who could be moulded by Postecoglou should he remain in North London beyond the summer. Whether he’s a centre forward or something else, the potential is there.

Identifying the root of Tottenham Hotspur’s difficulties is as taxing as the troubles themselves. Because while you can point the finger in one direction, defects or disparities lie everywhere.

The facts are well-known. Historically, commercially, and in terms of high-caliber players who have worn the crest, Spurs is a big deal. Then there are the 17 years without a trophy and a slew of vexed coaches unable to make Tottenham great. Aside from a shot at winning the Carabao Cup, this is a particularly arduous season: Spurs is down at 15th in the Premier League.

The Business

From the top, neat finances mask sporting underachievement. Under the ENIC group, fronted by club chairman Daniel Levy, Spurs has become the eighth most valuable soccer team, as per Forbes’ 2024 valuation. And from a business point of view, the optics are good, with a high operating income and low wages-to-turnover ratio, according to Deloitte earlier this month.

A plush 62,850-capacity stadium has boosted income; the entity can generate handsome revenue from matchday tickets, non-soccer sporting events, and concerts. This diverse image and the contract renewal of captain Son Heung-min, who’s multiplied Spurs’ brand value in Asia over the last decade, help make the London-based side attractive to various sponsors and investors. Receiving at least €95 million ($99 million) in pure profit for record goalscorer Harry Kane was a short-term boost.

The Players

So, now what? Spurs has paid up for talent, some like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall representing wise investments for the future despite their fast track into the starting lineup. There are enough dependable options elsewhere: Son’s best days may be gone, but he’s still an asset; Kane’s heir Dominic Solanke is a well-rounded striker; Dejan Kulusevski is a graceful, productive winger; center backs Micky van der Ven and Cristian Romero are powerful; goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky appears an intelligent purchase at €16 million ($16.5 million).

Injuries undermine everything, however. Tottenham has 11 absentees, or 12 if you include recovering midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, making an excellent teamsheet if all were fit. Although not wholly excusing the woeful league form (seven wins since August), it’s thwarted progress considerably. As such, it’s left Spurs under pressure to draft in reinforcements before the window shuts at the close of January.

Transfer outlet Fichajes floats Athletic Club star Nico Williams (Spanish) as one, saying Tottenham and Arsenal are willing to meet his €58 million ($61 million) tag. This is improbable, given Tottenham’s plight, Barcelona’s failed attempts to sign him, and William’s loyalty to Athletic. Even at a premium price, Southampton winger Tyler Dibling is more plausible. Of course, there are more gaps to plug.

The Coach

Away from the directors and player focus, some responsibility falls on coach Ange Postecoglou’s shoulders. The Australian has stubbornly stuck with his expansive offensive philosophy. And despite the frailties and defeats, his squad buys into it, running tirelessly as if part of an Ange soccer cult. Although their loyalty is to his credit, a limited group is not conducive to such a high-risk game—players high up, constantly sprinting back when out of possession, their muscles tensing up.

Postecoglou is not the only coach with dwindling resources this campaign, and leaders must learn to adapt when the going gets tough. All the same, Spurs’ faith in the ex-Celtic boss and his proactive style makes sense; the Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte eras were uninspiring and, more so, ultimately aimless. Tracing back to when he arrived, Postecoglou has shown he can put together a winning streak and is as well-placed as anyone to develop a winning culture.

Perspective is necessary, too. The margins are tight in the fiercely competitive Premier League, with unfancied teams breaking the establishment and the usual suspects having their work cut out to finish high up the standings. And amidst all the letdowns, in a bizarre, roundabout way, Spurs may end up with a memorable season, silverware permitting.

Except, that may be a romantic outlook. Spurs’ problems run beyond the players, starting at the board level and filtering to an exciting but imperfect coach who, in less-than-ideal circumstances, needs to conjure up a change in fortunes.

If Tottenham Hotspur's 3-2 defeat by Everton had an end-of-an-era atmosphere then the energy around the dismal loss at home to Leceister City was funereal.

In recent weeks, Ange Postecoglou's side has developed the bizarre habit of breathing new life into their opponent's struggling seasons.

Everton had not won since September until Spurs showed up on Merseyside, while Leicester City was on a seven-game losing streak. Both beat them.

Against the Foxes, Tottenham Hotspur had taken the lead yet still managed to lose, at home, to one of the division's strugglers.

When the full-time whistle blew, angry home fans directed much of their discontent at long-time chairman Daniel Levy, who, not for the first time, was being accused of a lack of investment.

'24 Years, 16 Managers, 1 Trophy. Time for change.' read a yellow banner unfurlled at full-time about Levy's tenure.

But there was also frustration directed towards Ange Postecoglou, whose recent record of six defeats in the past seven Premier League games is equally poor.

The Australian coach had been rather feisty when facing questions in the aftermath of defeat against Everton, but following the Leceister loss, there was a sense of grim acceptance.

"I have felt all along that the players are still very committed to what we're doing," Postecoglou told the media.

"That's important to me, because I firmly believe in it and I really believe that this is as low as we've been so far this year.

"But I still think in these last three months we can do something really special, and these players believe that.

"Right now, it's very hard to visualize [given] the current circumstances we're in; you just have to look at our absences today. They'll all be back."

Injuries unquestionably placed a severe strain on the threadbare squad, but the form has been so unbelievably poor reporters asked Postecoglou if he'd still be in charge once they recovered.

"Who knows, mate?" the manager replied, "I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say no.

"When you are the manager of a football club, you can be very vulnerable and isolated.

"I don't feel that. I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.

"I can even see in training, when the guys who are coming back come back in, it is going to give everybody a lift.

"As I keep saying to the players, there is a fantastic opportunity this season to really make an impact and I know we can.

"But in terms of your question, is there anything I can say about that that is going to change anything that I need to do tomorrow morning? Nothing."

The Times of London described the performance as Postecoglou's "lowest ebb," which was precisely the same term The Athletic chose when it claimed "Tottenham have hit their lowest ebb under Ange Postecoglou" in May and way back in 2019 by The Guardian to describe Spurs under the guardianship of Mauricio Pochettino.

The repetition of this phrase explains why Spurs fans feel so deflated and tend to direct their frustrations at the boardroom rather than the dugout.

It was telling that Ange Postecoglou, who is positive and unwilling to use a lack of signings as a reason to lower ambitions, broke from that stance ahead of the Leicester City game.

"There's no doubt about that. We're sort of playing with fire by not bringing anyone in," he said before adding diplomatically.

"But the flip side of that is the club is trying to change that situation."

However, when pressed about the club's progress in the market, he said, "There's not a lot more depth I can give.

"I've still got to manage this team and get them ready. I'm not out there trying to find opportunities for the club; that's not my role at this time. There isn't time to do it.

"I have daily communication with Johan [Lange, technical director] in particular and he's trying everything he possibly can to get the help we need.

"I don't think I'm stating anything other than the obvious and for me to come here and say something else would be disingenuous: this playing group needs help.

Even more concerningly, he refused to discuss whether funds were available for him to play with.

"I don't ask those questions. It's not something I'm involved in, it's not something I have exposure to. My discussions with Johan and the club have been about trying to get some help for the players, and I'll let them do their jobs."

As another project at Spurs loses its way, the question is how the hierarchy ends the constant cycle of bust and rebuild.

A seemingly innocuous remark angered Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou after his side's 3-2 defeat by Everton.

Goodison Park has hardly been a place where supporters expect a flurry of goals, from the home side at least; however, when the team from North London rocked up, they looked vulnerable to concede in almost every passage of attacking play.

This wasn't a one-off. Results over the past couple of months have been dire, and a side that fancied itself to challenge for the Champions League when the season began is increasingly looking like mid-table fodder.

There is still the chance of a long-awaited trophy, but given how poorly the side is currently playing, that seems like a vain hope.

Nevertheless, a BBC journalist's suggestion that losing was a "familiar story" for Spurs riled Postecoglou.

"Ange, familiar story. What are your assessments of that performance, please?" he was asked, to which the Australian coach replied, "Familiar story?"

His voice dripping with sarcasm, he added, "Great way to start an interview."

Those who've followed the ex-Celtic boss's career will know he has this edge to his personality.

As boss of the Australian national team, he often clashed with reporters, but the shift in his manner from the start of his spell in North London is still remarkable.

After all, this man won over the media with his warm presence and ambitious talk.

Having been browbeaten by the negativity of previous coaches Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, having a manager who didn't dismiss the idea the team could be title challengers or moan about a lack of talent was refreshing.

The bold front-footed approach was also a reason for hope. Postecoglou's team looked like it had a plan, even if that strategy sometimes went array.

It was an approach that only added to the sense this was something new and exciting.

"In any sport, when I see teams kind of break the traditional mold, that's when people get really uneasy about it - and that's when you know, 'OK, this could be something special,'" he said in August 2023.

"It's not guaranteed to work. It could all fall to pieces and end up in tears. But when you make people uneasy and uncomfortable with what they see it probably means you're breaking new ground and I love that in anything in life.

"That's where the special stuff exists, and that's the kind of space I'm in."

Now, as is always the case with a dogmatic coach who is hit with challenging results, Postecoglou faces calls to abandon his philosophy and adopt a more pragmatic approach.

He'll be criticized for abandoning his beliefs regardless of whether they prove effective, while any loss will always be followed by an epitaph about his stubbornness in the face of clear evidence.

But anyone telling the Australian coach to change faces likely disappointment.

According to sports scientist Anton McElhone, who worked for Postecoglou at Celtic, he won't break from his principles.

"What's really interesting about Ange is everyone that works with him realises this is a very strong manager. And I don't mean this in a critical way, but he's his own guy," he told the BBC.

"He has a Sir Alex Ferguson-type mentality: this is how I do it, this is how I work. He doesn't have a network of staff.

"Every club that he has been to, he does produce. But again, it's never an easy ride. So he will always predict that there is going to be real rough patches in it.

"I think he has the resiliency, understanding and experience to overcome these things. He is a very relentless and persevering manager; very strong mentally. Probably one of the best I've worked with.

"He's not going to worry about the outside noise. He's going to focus on how do we win, how to we play our style, our way of doing it. He will be focused on that in one way only."

The concern for the Australian is that there are now press reports suggesting some players are starting to question his dogmatic approach.

According to the Daily Mail, "how the players view Postecoglou differs depending on who you talk to. Some still swear by their boss. Others are less convinced."

The report claims that "certain players have privately complained about the demands of training and the schedule. The club's injury list does not ease some players' concerns that their output needs reducing.

"The team's expansive, attacking approach — or, more pertinently, Postecoglou's apparent refusal to adapt it — is also noted as a factor behind the team's struggles.'

"One source close to the Spurs team, however, believes he has recognized a watering down of the gung-ho tactics that many pundits cite as Tottenham's biggest flaw.

"There was shock within the squad when Postecoglou dropped captain Son and James Maddison earlier this month, too. Both are big characters, and such decisions often have consequences, particularly when results don't improve.

"Yet it was a risk Postecoglou believed was worth taking in the hope of doubling down on his authority and shaking off the malaise."

Without knowing the identity of the sources in this piece, it is difficult to assess how damning those doubts are.

However, it is never a good sign when the media starts reporting these stories.

At this stage, it doesn't look like the Australian is poised to lose his job and there is the substantial mitigation of a horrendous injury list.

Either way now is the time for Postecoglou to show why he still believes the club can do something special.

Boos rang out from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in response to the performance served up by Ange Postecoglou's side.

In a year of false starts and injury crises, the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers encapsulates Spurs' repeated frustrations in one neat package.

The team started with eight first-team players sidelined and inexperienced full-back Archie Gray filling in at center half. Not that Tottenham Hotspur made it through the 90 minutes unscathed, Destiny Udogie was withdrawn through injury, giving the long-ostracised Sergio Reguilon a game.

When the action got underway, it took just seven minutes for them to fall behind to a Hee-Chan Hwang strike. Showing commitment and willingness, the North Londoners rallied and led the game before half-time. A comeback that would have been easier had Heung-Min Son not missed a 43rd-minute penalty.

In the end, the inability to get a decisive third goal was costly, as, with just three minutes of normal time remaining, Jorgen Strand Larsen rifled in an equalizer to share the points.

Not for the first time this season, a sober Ange Postecoglou stood before the cameras postgame and shouldered the blame.

"It hurts me as I'm responsible," he told broadcasters. "When I see how hard the players are trying, it hurts even more. I wanted them to get rewards for their effort. It hurts immensely. It's my responsibility for where we're at right now.

"I'll keep going mate, we've got work to do in getting some help with these players. Our role is to help them perform to their best. I can see how hard they're trying. If we were at our sharpest we'd have got that third and fourth goal, we were inches away.

"We are lacking the dynamic movement we need. Where does Deki [Kulusevski] get the energy from? Dom [Solanke], Sonny. These guys are fighting energy and aren't as sharp as we can be.

"We're dealing with a fair bit and we're not getting a smooth run at anything in terms of getting players back to allow us to freshen up the team. When we get one back, we lose one."

Injuries Not The Only Issue At Spurs

The injury list might be factual, but it doesn't explain all Spurs' woes this season.

Besides, the Australian coach's side has been brittle even when the first-choice lineup has been available.

Take the North London Derby, when a full-strength Tottenham Hotspur took on a depleted Arsenal. They dominated the game but lost because of a goal from a poorly defended corner or the 1-2 defeat by Ipswich Town, where the Premier League new boys punished Spurs for not being clinical.

Too often, a high-risk plan has been miscalculated, and opponents have punished Postecoglou's men. For example, in the 3-4 home loss to Chelsea, a more controlled performance would have seen them capitalize on running into a two-goal lead rather than capitulating.

Some pundits, like Jamie Carragher, have suggested that Ange Postecoglou's front-foot tactics are to blame for the fragility and dropped points.

"To play in that Tottenham defense, the demands to push as high as they do, they do some stupid things," he told Gary Neville's podcast.

"Overcommitting at a point where you've got no chance of actually winning the ball, it's nonsense. It's impossible to high press for a full football match, you can't do that.

"Some decisions are mind-boggling. I wouldn't like to be a defender in that team.

"They ask so much, they are so high, and there is so much space, so you've always got that threat of being picked off. There are things I like, the quality of football is great, but they don't make good decisions.

"I'm asking them to make better decisions. I love getting Tottenham games, I think they are a joy, you always get a great game and it's important you are entertained.

"But they have got to get players back, and then I hope the pressure doesn't build too much. It's a big four or five weeks for Spurs."

Last season was Postecoglou's first, and given that he was implementing a fairly radical new style of play, there was leeway for his side to make some missteps.

He began the campaign with a sense of positivity not seen at Spurs since Mauricio Pocchettino was manager, and his ambition was a refreshing change from the negativity that emanated from Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho during their spells in the hot seat.

Injuries last year were another major reason Spurs' season was derailed, and there is a question as to whether the intensity of Postecoglou's game may increase the risk of players being sidelined.

Statement wins don’t come much bolder than 4-0 away wins over the Premier League champions. Indeed, Tottenham Hotspur’s thumping of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium was a result that made plenty around English soccer sit up and take note. Even with City struggling so badly right now, Spurs made a profound impact.

James Maddison scored the first two goals in the 4-0 victory, marking his return to the Tottenham lineup after a match on the bench against Ipswich Town. The 28-year-old has faced questions over his future at the North London club recently, but was back to his sparkling best as Spurs dismantled the champions.

There is no doubting Maddison’s ability as a midfield creator. He is inventive with the ball at his feet and carries a goal threat, as demonstrated by the brace he bagged at the Etihad Stadium. Despite this, Maddison has been something of a luxury player for Tottenham in the past. He hasn’t always offered enough defensive fibre for Ange Postecoglou’s system.

Against Manchester City, though, Maddison offered plenty on both sides of the ball. He worked back and stopped the Premier League champions from playing through Tottenham. If Spurs can reintegrate the midfielder it signed from Leicester City for £40m last year, it could take the North London side to the next level.

“[Maddison] was outstanding,” said Postecoglou after the win over Manchester City. “You have to be against City, and Madders was great. He’s gone through a lean spell but I never doubted his ability. I thought the kind of game we were expecting would suit him. I thought we'd need his ability to keep the ball in tight midfield areas. I take it personally on myself if players aren't reaching their level, that’s on me to get him back up there.”

This season has been a peculiar one for Tottenham. While Postecoglou and his players have enjoyed impressive wins over Aston Villa, Manchester City and Manchester United, they have also lost to relegation-threatened Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. Consistency has so far evaded the North London outfit.

If, however, Maddison can give Spurs an extra dimension in the centre of the pitch, there is still time for this season to turn into a successful one. Tottenham could clamber into the top four places in the Premier League table. Saturday’s away win over Manchester City hinted at the team Tottenham could become.

Panting as he sprinted back towards the Manchester City goal, Ilkay Gundogan gestured towards James Maddison.

Unable to keep up with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Gundogan could only watch with anguish as Maddison made it beyond John Stones to guide the ball with his left foot into the bottom corner.

At that stage of the game, Spurs' clinical break felt something of a fluke. It had begun with Radu-Matei Drăgușin's hopeful long ball, which was crafted into a chance by the guile of the exceptional Dejan Kulusevski, who played the inch-perfect pass for Maddison to convert.

However, once the City net rippled, it was as if the Tottenham Hotspur team collectively realized that bypassing their opponent's midfielder was far easier than their minds had let them believe.

White shirts flooded forward in attack after attack, and Gundogan looked every one of his 34 years. Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma repeatedly outmuscled or outpaced him in what became a humiliating 0-4 collapse.

It's unfair to single out the legendary German international as being to blame for Manchester City's current woes. But his floundering presence in the centre of the Etihad pitch is emblematic of the club's struggles.

Gundogan was Pep Guardiola's first signing when he arrived in North West England eight years ago. He is also his most recent addition, having re-signed for the club this summer.

In his defense, when he returned, there was little suggestion he'd be relied upon as Manchester City's first-choice defensive midfielder for most of the season. He reinforced a midfield engine that has had sparse investment in the past five seasons.

The season-ending ACL injury to Rodri has left a gaping hole, which meant that on Saturday evening, Guardiola had to bank on the teenage Rico Lewis, Bernardo Silva, and Gundogan to resist the energetic Spurs midfield.

If City's issues were confined to the area where they were missing Rodri, that would feel manageable.

But as the game reached its conclusion, there was another moment that drove home an equally concerning issue.

Bernardo Silva lost the ball by halfway, and it was played to Timo Werner, who faced down Kyle Walker.

As he had done so many times before with players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, the English right-back offered his opponent the opportunity to race.

Usually, the result is that Walker turns on the afterburners and wins the duel.

But against Spurs, Werner showed the Manchester City captain a clean set of heels as Walker pumped his arms and puffed his cheeks.

And like that, the magic trick for foiling counterattacks Guardiola's team has relied on for years is gone.

The question is, how on earth does the Catalan coach address these cracks in the foundations of his team?

A Man With Solutions

There was no getting around the fact that Tottenham Hotspurs win was historic.

The margin of victory, 0-4, which came after four successive defeats, set new records for both Guardiola and Manchester City.

But when he faced down the media, the Catalan coach remained philosophical when faced with the milestones.

"When you lose 4-0 there is not much to say," Guardiola said post game," in eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop.

"I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again. Now, we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here."

Any observer of Guardiola knows that the coach is likely to become more dogmatic in the face of such adversity.

All his successes have been delivered when he's found a new way to control the game, whether with a false nine or a centre-half playing in midfield.

In his postmortem, it was the lack of control he chose to focus on.

"We are a bit fragile right now, that is obvious," he added "We struggled to score goals and after when they arrived they scored.

"We are playing with a little bit of negativity in our thoughts but this is normal. Football is a sense

of mood.

"We were always a consistent team conceding few chances. Our game was about control.

"This is not a team created to do box-to-box 40 times in a game - we are not good at that. We were always a team who conceded few, but now we concede more. I would like there to just be one reason but there are many."

You wouldn't bet against Guardiola finding a solution to this issue; he has demonstrated that he can craft answers to seemingly impossible questions.

But the stark reality is that his tools on some parts of the pitch have never been more limited.