Forbes

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.

It’s often said that the Premier League table starts to take shape after ten games. That’s not the case this season.

With eleven matches played heading into the November international break, there’s only one point separating Chelsea in third from Aston Villa in ninth.

Over the past five seasons, that gap after eleven games has been an average of 6.4 points.

Further down the table, Manchester United, whose miserable start to the season led to head coach Eric Ten Hag losing his job, are only four points behind Chelsea. Incoming boss Ruben Amorim certainly won’t be writing off this season just yet!

That gap in previous seasons was around ten points.

With almost nothing separating the sides between third and 13th, other factors could be more useful in analyzing where in the table a team might be at Christmas, let alone at the end of the season.

Based on Opta’s statistics for the first ten games, out of the teams from third to 13th, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion had the toughest fixtures. Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Manchester City had the easiest first ten fixtures.

Given that the next run of fixtures will be roughly opposite as the teams who’ve had easier games will have the hard games coming up, it is likely that Newcastle will rise up the table at the expense of Forest, while Chelsea could emerge as Liverpool’s main title contender if the Blues keep up their early season form.

Expected goals is often criticized as games are won and lost by actual goals, but when the league table is as close as it is, xG does have a role to play in looking at who is overperforming or underperforming.

The current table based on expected goals has Fulham in second place behind Liverpool. Fulham’s strong performance is down to having a solid backline, which has the second-best expected goals against. Currently seventh in the league, Fulham’s xG suggests it could be a season to remember at Craven Cottage, especially if Fulham’s strikers can start converting their chances.

Nottingham Forest’s high position in the table might be partly down to an extremely kind run of fixtures at the start of the season, but the types of goals scored and conceded is positive reading for the Tricky Trees. Forest’s weakness last season was set pieces – the Reds scored just 7 goals and conceded 22 from set plays, but has already managed five set piece goals so far this season, conceding just two. Forest had the most goals from counterattacks last season but has just one counterattack goal this campaign. Expect this number to increase as Forest uses counterattacking tactics against the league’s stronger teams over the coming weeks.

Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is often seen as a weak link in the team, but based on expected goals, the Blues’ defense would have conceded at least four more goals than it actually has this season, so perhaps Sanchez deserves more credit than he’s been getting. Head coach Enzo Maresca will have to cut down on the number and quality of chances conceded for Chelsea to maintain its strong start to the season.

Spurs are fourth based on the xG table, often coming out on the wrong side of close games this season. Ange Postecoglou’s side has had the second-most shots per game this season, and has conceded the second fewest shots per game, so there is hope for the North London side, although a tough run of fixtures means it’ll be hard for Tottenham to gain much ground before Christmas.

Manchester United’s revival appears to have already started. With a new head coach coming in, it would be meaningless to make predictions based on United’s current statistics, but should United get good results against Ipswich Town and Everton in the next two Premier League games, then the league table will look a lot more positive for the Red side of Manchester.

Dejan Kulusevski shone as brightly as any player on the pitch as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester City to send the English champions crashing out of the Carabao Cup. It was a statement result and performance by the North London side and helped prove Ange Postecoglou is still pointing Spurs in the right direction.

Kulusevski assisted both of Tottenham’s two goals and was a creative force through the centre of the pitch. This has been a common sight at various points this season with the Swedish international back in favour having been a peripheral figure earlier in his Spurs career. Now, Tottenham need Kulusevski for his unique skillset.

Last season, Postecoglou favoured Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr as a pairing in central midfield. This gave Tottenham structure and defensive fibre, but sometimes limited what it could do in a creative and attacking sense. This is what presumably led Postecoglou to look for different solutions in the middle of the pitch.

This season, Postecoglou has shifted into a midfield three with Kulusevski part of the trio. Previously, the 24-year-old has been viewed as a wide player or someone to be deployed in behind a central striker. Now, Kulusevski has responsibilities on both sides of the ball. He is growing with almost every match he is playing this season.

Some criticism came Kulusevski’s way after his underwhelming performance in Tottenham’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace. The 1-0 loss was yet another momentum-halting moment in Spurs’ stop-start season and many supporters pointed the figure at Kulusevski.

Against City just a few days later, though, he was outstanding. Alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Sarr in the midfield trio, Kulusevski was an effective valve as Tottenham moved from defence into attack with ease throughout the match. Manchester City couldn’t get a grip of him. Kulusevski is learning lessons game-to-game.

“I think Deki is growing but I think that’s kind of where we are as a group,” said Postecoglou. “A lot of them are growing and growing through experiences. I think for Deki at the weekend was another growth period because he got hurt pretty early and wasn’t happy with it. In many respects, he lost a bit of his composure after that and that’s another growth for him.”

Postecoglou is right to point out that Tottenham as a whole is in a development phase at this moment in time. The Australian has instilled a set of principles that he hopes will allow Spurs to continue to build for the future and Kulusevski is a player responding well to the guidance of his manager.

One of the most remarkable features of matchdays at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is how many fans travel to North London for one player.

From the hospitality suites to the nosebleed seats, supporters who travel from overseas to watch Spurs overwhelmingly do so for Heung Min Son.

Wearing cardboard Son face masks and jerseys with his name on the back, the South Korean contingent has become a permanent fixture over the past decade, cheering whenever the forward gets the ball.

Son, the greatest South Korean soccer player ever, was the first star from Asia to win the Premier League Golden Boot and play in the UEFA Champions League final.

Named Asian Football Confederation international player of the year a record four times, not even the trailblazing Park Ji-Sung comes close to the stardom the Tottenham Hotspur striker has achieved.

On the field, his performances for Spurs have been so consistently brilliant that we almost take for granted how good a player he is and how incredibly down-to-earth he is.

Back in South Korea, Son has rightly earned the status of a national hero and wears the lofty honor with admirable modesty.

As former team-mate and friend Moussa Sissoko told the BBC when Son reached 100 goals in the Premier League: "He always finds it easy to laugh and talk with people.

"He tries to motivate everyone. When the dressing room is sad for some reason, he's always there to make you smile again.

"Sometimes you come in after training, or after a game, when you've had a bad moment, and to have someone like him is very important. Sonny is this type of player. If you ask anyone, they'll tell you the same. He's a top man, a top player, a top human being."

He's also incredibly loyal, remaining with Tottenham Hotspur through good and bad moments.

Even when his close pal and foil on the field, Harry Kane, pushed for a move away, Son stayed in a manner that may have been to his detriment when he looks back on his career.

As former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood once said, "No one ever questions his loyalty to Tottenham; no one ever does because he is a humble boy. Long may it continue."

While it is easy to appreciate his dedication as a player, it is harder to quantify his value as an asset to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, a new report by the sports blockchain, Chiliz, revealed the extent Spurs owe Son for putting the club amongst the elite of overseas fanbases.

Son Powered Spurs

Spurs had the sixth-most fans globally, ahead of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, according to the 'The Global Fan' report, which surveyed 8,000 soccer fans across the UK, USA, Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Japan, Italy, and Turkey.

Unsurprisingly, Tottenham Hotspur's high standing came from the scale of its Son-inspired fandom in South Korea, where a whopping 42% cited the North London side as their favorite team.

Commenting on the research, the club's chief revenue officer, Ryan Norys, said the club had been leaning into the popularity in Asia.

"Regardless of location, it is of paramount importance to us that all fans feel they are part of the Spurs family," he said.

"One region that has truly become a hotbed for our support is South Korea. We're immensely proud of our strong following there, which has grown significantly in recent years.

"Our aim is to build a long-lasting and meaningful relationship with our South Korean supporters to ensure we keep them connected to our club for years and generations to come.

"We have actively engaged with our fans in the region, making multiple trips for preseason tours. These visits have been essential in not just strengthening our fan base but in laying the foundations of a solid support network.

"But it's never just about playing matches - we know fans desire more than that. We've had a clear focus on interacting with the fans, understanding how they connect with football, and tailoring our approach to deepen that connection."

Playing matches is essential, though. As Tottenham Hotspur has visited Asia every summer a preseason tour has been possible with travel restrictions for the past five years.

But what's so interesting about Tottenham Hotspurs' success is that it demonstrates the power of the individual player to win a fanbase.

Although it plays in the most popular league on the planet and has challenged at the top of the division for spells in Son's tenure, nobody would describe it as a particularly glorious period in the club's history. As rival fans relish pointing out, a trophy has yet to arrive at the club in close to 15 years.

An explanation of sorts can be found in the regional differences the Global Fan report uncovered.

Chiliz found that in Asia respondents to the survey cited individual players as a primary reason to support their overseas team, with 58% of South Koreans and half of Japan's fan base stating that's why they'd picked their club.

This trend was demonstrated in Brighton and Hove Albion being ranked the 8th most popular side in Japan, ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea, possibly because it possesses exciting local talent, Karou Mitoma.

The question for Tottenham Hotspur is whether it can maintain this level of support amongst Koreans when Son leaves or retires.

A decade spent in North London has established strong ties with supporters in Asia. Still, it remains to be seen if that will translate into families encouraging their children to follow the club on the other side of the world.

Norys and the rest of the Spurs hierarchy will hope that is the case, but the truth is, we don't know.

Regardless of how long-lasting Tottenham Hotspur's popularity in South Korea is, one thing is abundantly clear: the club would not be in the top ten rankings for any global fan survey were it not for the steadfast loyalty of their continental superstar Son.

There’s no doubt Ange Postecoglou has made Tottenham Hotspur a more entertaining team to watch. The Australian arrived in North London not long after the end of the Antonio Conte era at Spurs with supporters keen to see their side play a dynamic, attack-minded brand of soccer. This is something Postecoglou has achieved.

However, there are growing questions over his ability to deliver the sort of tangible success Tottenham wants. Spurs doesn’t just want to be entertaining - it wants to win titles and trophies. It wants to compete for silverware at the top of English and European soccer, and this is where Postecoglou’s approach is still to be proven.

In essence, Postecoglou wants his teams to take risks. He adopts a high defensive line to facilitate the counter-pressing of the players further forward and takes his chances that this will result on high-percentage opportunities to find the back of the net. Tottenham fans have seen this over the last two seasons.

In some matches, though, that high defensive line has been exposed. There is space in behind for opposition attackers to exploit and this has given Spurs a soft underbelly. Many believe it will be difficult for them to challenge for the biggest prizes until this weakness has been shored up, either through a change of approach or a change of personnel.

Cristian Romero has allowed mistakes to creep into his game. The Argentina international was at fault for Brighton’s winner before the international break, losing Danny Welbeck as he attacked a cross into the box, and this sort of thing has become the norm for the central defender. Postecoglou must find a way to get better out of him.

Set pieces have also been a weakness for Tottenham. Guglielmo Vicario has been targeted for his lack of physicality from corner kicks, but many argue Postecoglou and his coaching staff should be doing a better job of organising his team when defending their own box. Spurs is simply too weak at the back.

Nonetheless, Tottenham has embarked on a long-term project with Postecoglou in charge and the team is still on an upward trajectory in a broad sense. Spurs’ performances this season have been better than the results the team has registered. In many ways, Tottenham should be higher than ninth in the Premier League table. It remains the case, though, that Postecoglou still has a point to prove.