The New York Times

In the era of managerial principles, you would be hard pressed to find someone whose philosophies have been scrutinised harder than Ange Postecoglou.

Should he sacrifice his belief system to prioritise results over performances? Should he tone down the all-encompassing, uber-proactive attacking approach and do a bit of defending with a deeper defensive line? He loves being asked about all this stuff, too.

Let’s be honest, it’s not even a debate as to whether he will tone down or double down. If that wasn’t already abundantly clear, then when he suggested after the catastrophic 3-2 defeat at Brighton that he didn’t want to be “falsely rewarded” by making substitutions to try to see out the game, well, there’s your answer.

The principles won’t change but how about the players? Can they adapt to what Postecoglou wants? And if not, why don’t Spurs just buy better ones?

Tottenham’s latest defeat to Nottingham Forest, which left them in the bottom half of the table and a remarkable 11 points behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s third-placed team, showcased contrasting styles between the two teams and two managers, both of which could have been forecast before kick-off.

Forest were incredibly physical, almost to the point of intimidation. They defended deep and in big numbers, they pounced gleefully on loose balls, countered at pace, and were generally vile to play against. These were traits Nuno also perfected in his time at Wolves (and never had time to at Spurs).

Spurs were the complete opposite defensively, leaving gaps for Forest to exploit. At the other end, they attempted to pick locks, having to forge and twist and scythe to create any opening through the red wall with combinations and brisk movement, via 70 per cent possession. With Dejan Kulusevski doubled-up on, it rarely worked. Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson just didn’t have it in them.

This all made the first goal so important… and in turn made the manner in which their soft centre melted to allow Morgan Gibbs-White space and time to venture forward and pick the pass that teed up Anthony Elanga’s winning goal all the more unforgivable. Kulusevski could only dream of such luxuries.

Forest are a team and a club having the time of their lives right now, with a buoyancy you can touch and feel (like the one Postecoglou generated at Spurs 15 months ago). It was no disgrace to lose here, especially given Spurs’ current absentee list, but watching them attempt to pry their way though Forest’s midfield, let alone their defence, you couldn’t help but ask: ‘Is this the best Spurs have got?’

This wasn’t a defeat centred on principles or even tactics. After falling behind, Spurs had 60 minutes to try to score a goal in an attack-vs-defence training drill and they didn’t really generate a great chance, let alone equalise. Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels was not unduly stretched in the second half.

With so many attacking players on the pitch, was that down to the instructions Postecoglou had given them or were the players just not up to it?

Son and Johnson were unable to create much of note, Kulusevski was crowded out and full-backs Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence weren’t too impactful in the final third. The bench couldn’t lift them either, with James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall not making much of a difference to a one-paced midfield, and Timo Werner thrown on in the closing minutes because he was the only attacker to choose from.

Spurs may at some point decide their manager isn’t for them and that they need to go through another cycle of purgatory, but if, as a club, they are short of players good enough to take them to the top end of the table — and short of the squad depth required to cope with the style and amount of football they are playing — then the cycle will only repeat itself.

Pragmatism, idealism, defence-first, attack-first; whatever the approach, the results haven’t consistently improved for some time now. And the only consistency in that time comes from above.

“I think the most important department in the club is the scouting department,” Pep Guardiola said in 2019. “Much more than managers and players. When they choose well, 80 per cent of the job is done.

“When we don’t choose well or they don’t choose the players we need for the way we want to play or the quality they have, you spend a lot of time and energy and sometimes you don’t have enough time, with the number of fixtures, to improve.”

Spending time and energy trying to improve and sometimes you don’t have enough time? Sounds pretty familiar.

Tottenham are paying for mistakes they made in the summer: mistakes like signing just one senior player in Dominic Solanke and spending more than half the budget on three youngsters.

Archie Gray may have showed yet again here why Spurs were so keen to spend big on him as one for the future with an accomplished display out of position at centre-back, but there is no doubt that Spurs needed a back-up goalkeeper, some back-up senior defenders, and another ready-made forward player or two with end product. None of those happened, despite the horrendous injury problems they suffered last season and despite having more fixtures to contend with this season.

“We’re asking a lot of this group of players,” Postecoglou said. “A lot of these guys are playing every three days. It’s only logical they are not going to be at their sharpest but they are trying and that’s all I can ask if them.”

They are trying. And they are playing for Postecoglou but the squad isn’t big enough, and the problems they are having were foreseeable.

With Spence now missing Tottenham’s game against Wolves on Sunday after being booked twice against Forest and Radu Dragusin potentially facing time out having suffered an ankle injury, their problems will be compounded even further.

Spurs have won two league games from eight since early November: both against two of the league’s out-of-form teams in Manchester City and Southampton. They are miles off the top four and hope is dwindling of having a decent season.

In the circle of blame, there is a sizeable portion that can be attributed to Postecoglou but recruitment, at the root of any team’s success, deserves the biggest scrutiny of all.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham - Nuno has the last laugh, Spence sent off

(Top photo: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

To put it bluntly, Spurs got ‘Nunoed’ at the City Ground.

Tottenham’s former manager Nuno Espirito Santo has set up his Nottingham Forest side to be regimented, sit deep, set traps and pounce on the slightest of weak, misplaced or under-hit passes. Then they break with pace and purpose.

And that’s just what happened when Anthony Elanga struck in the first half.

Despite enjoying 70.4 per cent of possession, Spurs were consigned to their ninth Premier League defeat of the season in the mist by the River Trent, and saw Djed Spence sent off for a second yellow-card offence in stoppage time.

Tim Spiers discusses the key talking points…

Beware going behind against Forest…

Ange Postecoglou reiterated in his pre-match interview that Spurs had to be wary of how strong, organised and physical Forest are.

Nuno’s team — as was the case when he was in charge at Wolverhampton Wanderers — are one of the hardest and most horrible to play against in the Premier League.

That makes them difficult opponents when the scores are level, but the last thing you want to do is concede the first goal of the game to them. And yet, there it was after 28 minutes.

Spurs lost possession when a dawdling Spence was crowded out. Morgan Gibbs-White was afforded the time and space Spurs’ attackers could only fantasise about when he ventured forward and picked his pass for Elanga to get half a yard on Destiny Udogie and slot home for 1-0.

Why did Spurs fail to score?

Spurs’ defence has been more wide open than the Grand Canyon lately but scoring goals hadn’t been an issue… until today.

They had scored 15 in their previous four domestic outings but found themselves up against, yes, a stubborn and incredibly committed Forest defence, but also lacked the nous to break them down.

The tone was set when Son Heung-min wasted what turned out to be one of their best chances of the match, shooting too close to Matz Sels during a rare Spurs counter-attack.

Otherwise, they spent most of the match trying to thread a needle, enjoying endless possession with little end result. Forest doubled up on Dejan Kulusevski, leaving Spurs’ main route to goal being from the flanks, via combinations and lock-picking against a wall of red shirts. But other than an outstanding Sels save from Brennan Johnson’s top-corner-bound effort from the right, the Forest goalkeeper wasn’t unduly stretched.

It wasn’t a poor Spurs performance but they lacked the ingenuity or that one special moment to break the deadlock against one of the league’s best defences.

Postecoglou tried to change things from the bench, but Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison didn’t lift Spurs’ one-paced midfield, while Timo Werner was reluctantly sent on for the closing stages and didn’t have much time to contribute.

It reiterated the need for January reinforcements.

No joy for the Forest old boys…

Spence and Johnson were hoping to repeat their Forest vintage of 2021-22 when they lined up together against their old club on Spurs’ right flank.

The pair received a warm welcome from the home fans before kick-off and were watched on by Spence’s parents and Johnson’s father David, himself a former Forest player.

Spence, finally enjoying regular game time at Spurs after two and a half years on the fringes, looked nervous early on when he played a short pass to Rodrigo Bentancur, but soon got into his stride gallivanting down the right and overlapping Johnson, who was targeted for some rough and ready treatment via robust challenges (he gave some back, too).

Johnson (below) also came closest to scoring for Spurs via his excellent first-half effort but otherwise, this wasn’t quite the performance Spurs fans have been hoping for from the 23-year-old winger. His end product has improved this season but his decision-making and intricacy in general play are still below the level required.

Spence had been fine, shutting down Forest’s attack on their left, but his afternoon ended miserably when he was shown a very late second yellow card for fouling Jota Silva to prevent a Forest counter.

He was applauded off by the home fans, although they also sang, “You used to play for a big club,” in his direction. With Spurs now 11 points behind third-placed Forest, Spence had no comeback.

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

“It’s obviously disappointing the defeat, a tight game,” Postecoglou told Amazon Prime. “It was a disappointing goal to concede, but the boys worked hard and we tried to generate as many opportunities as we could considering the context of the game and how Forest play. We just couldn’t get over the top of them.

“We’ve asked a lot of this group of players, they’re playing every three days so it’s logical they’re not going to be at their sharpest. We just needed a goal to break them open.”

Spurs’ injury problems at centre-back could be continuing, too, with Dragusin being substituted in the 87th minute. “Radu hurt his ankle and said he couldn’t continue,” Postecoglou added. “We’ll have to wait and see with him.”

What next for Tottenham?

Sunday, December 29: Wolverhampton Wanderers (home), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET.

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(Top photo: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images))

Pressure has been building around Ange Postecoglou, with inconsistent results being a key frustration among the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase.

Spurs’ manager needed his players to show they have the character to build some momentum, with a Europa League trip to Rangers’ fiery Ibrox stadium being as good of an examination of any player’s quality and commitment.

While the result was disappointing, Thursday evening’s hard-fought 1-1 draw was not catastrophic to their hopes of progressing. However, in Postecoglou’s eyes, one player comprehensively flunked that test of responsibility.

Timo Werner was hauled off at half-time, with his manager particularly scathing about the 28-year-old’s performance.

GO DEEPER

Postecoglou labels Werner performance 'not acceptable' in draw with Rangers

“He wasn’t playing anywhere near the level he should,” Postecoglou said after the game. “When you’ve got 18-year-olds, it’s not acceptable.

“I said that to Timo. He’s a senior international. In the moment we’re in right now, it’s not like we’ve got many options. I need everyone to at least be going out there trying to give the best of themselves. His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.”

Perhaps there were actions Postecoglou was witnessing in Werner’s performance that were not captured in the television coverage — be it his body language, his communication, or his out-of-possession positioning.

Whatever the reason, a lack of consistent game time is likely to be a symptom and a cause of Werner’s lack of cutting edge, with just 15 league starts since the start of last season — completing a total of two games in that period.

So, what exactly was Postecoglou referring to when chastising Werner’s performance in Glasgow? Crucially, was it a fair assessment from Spurs’ manager?

GO DEEPER

The Briefing - Rangers 1 Spurs 1: Werner and Johnson displays, Kulusevski and Solanke reliance

It was not as if Werner was shying away from the action in the first half, with 39 touches being the fourth-most of any Spurs player in the opening 45 minutes.

As The Athletic’s player dashboard shows below, the Germany forward made more progressive carries than anyone on the pitch across the whole game. The issue was, of his 29 passes attempted, just 18 of them were complete — the lowest pass completion of any Spurs player in the first half.

Pacy forwards are not known — or relied upon — for their ball retention. Still, in an aggressive, daunting atmosphere, there were early opportunities to set the tone with good decision-making. Unfortunately for Werner, those opportunities were not taken.

Within seconds of kick-off, Werner found himself in space to receive the ball on the left flank after a simple switch of play. Driving towards Rangers’ captain James Tavernier, there was a chance to lift his head and play a cross towards the penalty spot (black arrow, slide 2). Instead, Werner kept his head down before a loose touch saw Tavernier win the first duel of the game.

That was the theme of the first half, with Werner struggling to push past Tavernier in possession as he repeatedly ran into an attacking cul-de-sac.

There was a similar example after nine minutes. Werner’s head is down — unable to assess his options — with Rangers’ right-back duly stepping in to stifle the attack.

The mitigating factors here are that Tavernier is a strong one-v-one defender and Spurs did not have sufficient support on the left flank during this attack, yet Werner did find himself running into dead ends.

Going the other way, Tavernier had some joy, running beyond Werner on multiple occasions. A weak tackle against right-winger Vaclav Cerny didn’t help either, with Werner lacking the aggression to stifle an opposition attack.

When attacking support did arrive for Werner, he played some positive passes to James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur, who made underlapping runs. His best action also came after getting the better of Tavernier in the penalty area, before driving a low cross to the onrushing Brennan Johnson, whose shot was saved excellently by Jack Butland.

Postecoglou’s biggest frustration must have been Werner’s decision-making as Spurs were building attacks. Forwards are expected to lose possession when looking to create, but there were too many occasions when Werner lost the ball under little pressure.

There were growing frustrations from his team-mates, with the example below showing Yves Bissouma drifting over to the left flank with the ball in an attempt to release Werner. Rangers’ Cerny did a good job of blocking the passing lane, but Werner made little attempt to shuffle along to offer an option for the pass.

The result? A backward pass from Bissouma and a berating comment to Werner for his troubles (slide 4).

Another notable frustration came at the end of the first half when Bentancur found himself in a position to cross from the right. Postecoglou places a lot of focus on back-post chances from his wingers, and being in a position to get on the end of crosses is crucial.

When Bentancur plays the cross, Werner is not even in the frame, never mind the penalty area. As the ball bounces up for Tavernier to clear for a corner, Werner is well behind the play with no chance of receiving from the cross.

The final straw might have come from the most salient example of the evening.

With an opportunity to counter-attack after Fraser Forester claimed the ball, a driven pass from Spurs’ goalkeeper found the path of Werner scurrying over the halfway line. Instead of keeping the move alive, Werner saw the ball run out of play after a first touch that would not have been out of place on a Sunday league pitch at Hackney Marshes.

Such frustration is probably also compounded by Werner’s past displays of talent.

He was highly coveted by Europe’s elite clubs after 28 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig in the 2019-20 season. Following a move to Chelsea, a return to Leipzig, and a subsequent loan to Spurs, he has come nowhere near to replicating that blistering form.

He has not been given a consistent run in the team during much of that period but the increasing evidence suggests his 2019-20 season was more of an exception than the rule when assessing his overall career output.

So, was Postecoglou harsh to single Werner out? A little, especially during a half where mistakes were littered across the team as Spurs failed to exert any consistent dominance.

However, the cold fact is that Werner does not have enough credit in the bank in a Spurs shirt to warrant a justifiable defence for his ongoing struggles.

The most worrying thing is arguably that the comments were not a huge surprise.

(Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt — AMA/Getty Images)

In the end, this could be a valuable point for Spurs, as they fought back from 1-0 down thanks to Dejan Kulusevski’s equaliser. It keeps them steady in the Europa League league phase, only outside the top eight on goal difference. By the time they play again, six weeks from now at Hoffenheim, they should have key players back.

But no one could call this a convincing performance. Spurs were second best for most of the game and they relied on having to bring on players — Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke — who Ange Postecoglou clearly wanted to rest. This was Spurs’ fifth game in a row without a win since the 4-0 win at Manchester City on November 23. They have not played consistently well in any of those five.

Perhaps things are so tough right now that simply for Spurs to escape with a point and no fresh injuries is a big plus. They will be in a good position when they return to European football in January. But now they must climb back up the league table and reach the League Cup semi-finals. Those are the games that will transform the delicately balance mood at Tottenham. For better or worse.

Have Spurs got a strength-in-depth issue?

All the pre-match attention was on how Spurs would cope defensively without their first-choice players. But what was most striking about this game was that it was Spurs’ front line who looked further away from the required level than anyone.

They had Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson out wide, with Son Heung-min up front, the role he last played in the 1-1 draw with Fulham last month. But it left Spurs struggling for a foothold in the game, unable to press like they want to and unable to retain the ball in the Rangers half. They were reliant on playing on the break. On the rare occasions they were able to get the ball to Werner or Johnson in good positions the attack broke down, whether from a heavy touch, a bad decision, or a lack of options in the box.

Werner has looked low on confidence all season and was hooked at half-time for Dejan Kulusevski. In a press conference after the game, Ange Postecoglou labelled his performance as “not acceptable”.

But even Johnson, on recent evidence, looks weighed down by Spurs’ struggles. He came off after an hour. The problem for Postecoglou is that right now there simply is no one else. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are out with long-term hamstring injuries. Mikey Moore is recovering from illness. Whatever depth they had in the squad has evaporated away. And their options are looking very thin.

Is the reliance on Kulusevski and Solanke becoming a problem?

It was a relief for Spurs that they were rescued by Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke. But this also points to their broader problems.

Kulusevski came on at half-time and immediately gave them a presence down the right, able to hold onto the ball and carry it forward. He started to change the game but he needed Solanke to arrive on the hour mark for Spurs to really change the momentum. Suddenly they had a presence in the game and a threat to Rangers’ defence.

Kulusevski equalised after good work by Solanke — Spurs would never have got close to a goal without those two on the pitch.

But the issue for Spurs is obvious. Postecoglou clearly wants to manage the load of those two players given the huge games ahead. Spurs go to Southampton on Sunday evening. Then they host Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-final next Thursday. Then Liverpool visit in the league next Sunday.

Both Solanke and Kulusevski will have to start all three games. Clearly, he wanted to give them both a rest tonight for that reason, but he was not able to give them a whole night off. He will have to hope that they hold up through the hardest run of the season.

Do Spurs’ players owe Postecoglou?

The Spurs players are still behind Postecoglou. That has been apparent for some time and was underlined by Cristian Romero’s emotional interview on Sunday evening after the Chelsea defeat when he reiterated his support for the manager through this difficult spell.

The players respect Postecoglou and are committed to his style of play. That has not always been the case with Spurs managers of the recent past.

They must also know that right now most of the public criticism is directed towards Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy. The players themselves are getting off fairly lightly. After an hour it felt as if the players desperately owed Postecoglou a performance. They had started the game so poorly, second-best from the start and second to everything. And with better Rangers finishing they would have been out of sight before Spurs’ subs were introduced.

But the way Spurs dug in and fought back for a valuable point perhaps does point to reserves of willingness within the squad. Previous Spurs squads have hidden behind the manager in difficult times. It would be a shame if this group were to do the same.

What did Postecoglou say?

“He wasn’t playing anywhere near the level he should,” Postecoglou said in a post-match press conference when asked why he had withdrawn Werner at the break.

“When you’ve got 18-year-olds it’s not acceptable to me,” he said. “I said that to Timo. He’s a senior international, he’s a Germany international. In the moment we’re in right now, it’s not like we’ve got many options. I need everyone to at least be going out there trying to give the best of themselves. His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.”

What next for Tottenham?

Sunday, December 15: Southampton (A), Premier League, 7pm GMT, 2pm ET

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(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

This is the third time these two teams have met in a competitive fixture.

There won’t be many supporters inside Ibrox this evening able to cast their mind back to the other two meetings, though.

They were both played in the second round of the 1962-63 Cup Winners’ Cup — Tottenham won 5-2 at home and 3-2 on the road.

Those two victories came in a successful campaign for Spurs, as they went on to lift the trophy in Rotterdam that year.

How is everyone feeling ahead of kick-off then? Well I’d say there’s a good bit of positivity here from a couple of Tottenham supporters on our Discuss tab above, which is open to all subscribers.

And if you don’t yet subscribe and want to get in touch, then simply ping us an email to: livebloguk@theathletic.com

💬 Jake A: “Sweet baby Johnson to the rescue! Ange is gonna come back with some Celtic luck. Scottish destruction. COYS!”

💬 Tate R: “Already got a mate saying Rangers finish Ange off tonight! I reckon he’ll be sacked by Feb OR here until Xmas 2025, no in-between. Levy isn’t going to spend 400m to make the squad deep enough to nearly sustain Ange ball so I can see why people are asking why we’re continuing with him. He should be backed and see where we are in summer 2026 but I’d hate no tangible improvement over that period.”

The gap in quality between Scottish and English sides in the last couple of decades is perhaps best illustrated by Rangers’ record against teams south of the border.

They are winless in their last six matches against Premier League teams, with their last victory in such a fixture against Leeds United in Champions League qualifying all the way back in 1992.

They’ll certainly be sensing an opportunity to end that run today, though.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is aware of the gulf in quality between these two squads, but is confident his side can bridge the gap on the way to a famous win.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Clement said:

💬 “Everything can be bridged in one night. I had the luck — and it’s not only luck, it’s also a lot of hard work — as a player and as a manager to have several nights where the gap was amazingly big.

“If you then perform and you get the results, those are also the nights you remember all of your life. The moments as a player you remember your team-mates really well. The moments of success, of doing something special.

“So in that way, I hope the players can give themselves and as a team, a special night.”

Hello and welcome again to our live coverage of matchday six from this season’s Europa League — and what a game we have in prospect at Ibrox.

It’s Rangers against Tottenham, Scotland vs England, former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou against Celtic’s nemesis. There’s so much to anticipate ahead of kick-off.

There is loads for you to catch-up on below and we will have plenty more for you from here until kick-off, with our reporters at the game and contributors watching on.

So don’t go anywhere. We’ve got you covered from here.

Asked if the hostile reception he will receive will fire him up tonight, Postecoglou gave a great answer.

"I don't know if it brings out more of me. I mean, I'm like anyone else, I like a bit of love every now and then, mate," he said. "But I do enjoy that. I always kind of reflect and, you know, we've all lived it is that once you experience football in empty stadiums, you realise how meaningless it is.

"I felt through that whole period, that Covid period, it was meaningless. So I would win games, as much as you go it could be hostile tomorrow, but yeah that's what we love about the game. That's what brings it to life.

"Ultimately, it is a game evokes passions and emotions. Sometimes that's not always positive. Like every human being you'd love it to be positive, but it's not gonna happen. You definitely want that as opposed to playing a game in somewhere sterile where you don't have that."

Unsurprisingly, Postecoglou faced a few questions about his relationship with Glasgow coming into today's game.

"I'm looking forward to it. I had a great time up there in the two years I was there [at Celtic]," the Tottenham boss told Sky Sports. "Fair to say, Ibrox can be fairly intense and I'm sure we'll feel that.

"But it's a great stadium to play football in. The atmosphere, European nights. Even when I was there, they did awfully well in Europe - the first year I was there they got to the Europa League final.

"So you know how European nights, irrespective of their league form, they really rise for, so it's a good challenge for us."

Ange Postecoglou will not be well received at all by the home supporters inside Ibrox this evening.

The Australian spent the 2021-22 and 22-23 seasons as manager of Celtic, arch rivals of Rangers.

Postecoglou was very successful too as he earned the Spurs job after winning the Scottish Premiership in both of those seasons, as well as the domestic treble in the second of the two campaigns.

The Rangers fans have been taking great pleasure in watching him struggle at Tottenham in recent weeks...

The 4-3 loss against Chelsea, as galling as it was, was compounded by more injuries. Centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, after returning from injury, were both subbed off.

Brennan Johnson came off early in the second half because he “didn’t feel well”, according to Postecoglou. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is also out for months with a fractured ankle.

Their squad looks thin, and the Rangers match this evening kicks off a run of six games in 18 days across three competitions. So, as The Athletic's Jay Harris outlines below, things will likely get worse before they get better.

Talk about a thriller. Seven goals, two penalties, two potential red-card challenges, a brilliant atmosphere, and all the animosity of a London derby with plenty of history.

Tottenham were beaten 4-3 at home against rivals Chelsea on Sunday, but that scoreline doesn't tell the full story. The hosts raced into a two-goal lead inside 11 minutes after Marc Cucurella slipped twice and gave the ball to Tottenham, who profited ruthlessly.

Jadon Sancho smashed a brilliant long-range shot in off the post, before two silly errors from the home side saw Cole Palmer convert two penalties, the second a cheeky Panenka, either side of an Enzo Fernandez finish.

Home captain Son Heung-min reduced the deficit in the 96th minute after a smart short-corner routine but the hosts could not complete a dramatic comeback, the result helping Chelsea into second and leaving Tottenham in 11th.

After the 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth, Ange Postecoglou described gifting Dean Huijsen a free header from Marcus Tavernier’s inswinging corner as “madness”.

“It is disappointing and not good enough,” he said. “It is not a one-off. We have done that three or four times and paid a price for it.”

What is concerning is that Tottenham keep repeating the same mistakes. As The Athletic argues below, constantly losing in the same manner suggests that something is fundamentally not working.

After Tottenham's last match on the road, a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth, Ange Postecoglou was embroiled in a terse exchange with fans in the away end following the final whistle.

Discussing the incident, he said: “They are disappointed, rightly so. They gave me some direct feedback, which I guess is taken on board. I have no issue with it. I didn’t like what was being said because I’m a human being but you have to cop it.

“I have been around long enough to know that when things don’t go well, you have to understand the frustration and disappointment. They are rightly disappointed tonight because we let a game of football get away from us but that’s okay. I’m okay with all that.”

Wonder what kind of things will be said by the travelling fans if Tottenham lose again tonight...

The FA will investigate after objects were thrown onto the pitch during Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-3 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday.

Objects were thrown multiple times from the South Stand — an area only home fans occupy — during the first half of the match, while Chelsea were attacking that end of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto were among those targeted while they took set pieces or were in action near the goal.

The FA will now review referee Anthony Taylor’s report on the match and investigate.

Chelsea won the game despite being 2-0 down after 11 minutes, thanks to Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski. Two goals from Palmer, as well as one each from Sancho and Fernandez, then had Chelsea 4-2 up before Son Heung-min scored a late consolation for Tottenham.

Both sides return to action on Thursday, with Spurs playing Rangers away in the Europa League and Chelsea facing Astana in Kazakhstan in the Conference League.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Tottenham 3 Chelsea 4: Sancho shines as Spurs crumble and Maresca's side go second in table

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea’s matches are always high intensity, full of drama — and usually have a moment or two of ill-discipline to boot.

On Sunday, the two sides face one another in a major Premier League clash. Chelsea are flying high in the table, while Tottenham have had a tough start to the season — capped off by Ange Postecoglou’s confrontation with fans after a loss to Bournemouth on Thursday.

But what is the mood like at both clubs? How is the season going? Who are the dangermen? And what do our writers predict for the match?

The Athletic sat down our experts Jay Harris and Simon Johnson to have a discussion about Sunday’s game — and where the two sides are at this stage of the season.

What’s the mood like at the club?

Jay Harris: Morale at Tottenham has plummeted less than two weeks after their stunning victory over Manchester City at the Etihad. Thursday night’s dismal 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth means they have lost eight of their last 12 away games. Ange Postecoglou’s confrontation with the fans at the final whistle suggests the cracks are opening in their relationship.

First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out for months with a fractured ankle and the only fit centre-back is Radu Dragusin. This means 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray might have to start alongside him on Sunday. It is a tense situation, possibly the worst time to play a derby.

Simon Johnson: Upbeat and why not? Head coach Enzo Maresca has made an impressive start since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the summer. For the first time since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in May 2022, the fans appear to have been won over. The management structure running the club is starting to see the fruits of its labours and even the uncertainty caused by a divide between the co-owners going public in September has gone quiet.

How has the season gone relative to expectations?

Johnson: Maresca has consistently said he has not been told by the hierarchy that Chelsea have to finish in the top four of the Premier League but qualifying for the Champions League again is clearly a target. Chelsea are ahead of schedule. No one outside of Stamford Bridge would have expected Chelsea to sit in second place only a few months into Maresca’s time at the club. Pundits were describing Chelsea as a mess in August when the ‘bomb squad’ overshadowed proceedings and friendly results had been poor, but now they are being talked about as title contenders.

Harris: Dominic Solanke was the only summer signing who seemed set to improve the starting XI. There was hope that the team would kick on in Postecoglou’s second season but people were sceptical that they still lacked quality. Spurs have produced some great performances, including a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but lost to Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace. They have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup (where they will face Manchester United at home) and should comfortably reach the next round of the Europa League but they sit 10th in the league, level on points with Brentford and Newcastle United. Spurs have seven points fewer than at the same stage last season, even though they had failed to win their previous four matches.

What’s the fan view on the manager?

Harris: It may have been damaged by last night’s incident when Postecoglou watched from a distance as the players applauded the fans and then strode over for a tense exchange with them. Postecoglou revealed they gave him “direct feedback” and said, “Whether there’s doubt, internally or externally, it makes my resolve even stronger to get it right.”

His style of football has a lot of admirers but fans are frustrated there is no backup plan and the defeat to Bournemouth was a perfect illustration of why. They struggled to create chances despite dominating possession and lacked a cutting edge. This time a year ago, the supporters were singing, “I’m loving Big Ange instead” to the tune of Robbie Williams’ Angels but we are a long way from that now.

Johnson: The view has changed in a few months. Many expressed doubts over Maresca’s arrival. His brief time in management at Parma (14 games) and Leicester (one season), plus not having coached a ‘big club’, was held against him. But achieving good results alongside plenty of goals has won them over and significantly his name was sung for the first time during the 5-1 win at Southampton. The away support also chanted, “We’ve got our Chelsea back.” He is a popular man but his approval rating will take a hit if they lose to Tottenham. That is always a big no-no for any Chelsea head coach.

Who has been the standout player?

Johnson: The easy answer is to say Cole Palmer. It has felt like the automatic reply since he joined the club from Manchester City last year. A return of nine goals and six assists from 14 league fixtures is outstanding, but the flair he displays is worth the entrance fee alone. Opponents are trying to target him during matches, whether it be simply man-marking him or, in Lisandro Martinez and Wilfred Ndidi’s case, being guilty of terrible challenges.

Chelsea are doing so well because they have many players in form, making them less dependent on Palmer. Moises Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Cucurella are three key cogs performing at a very high level.

Harris: Dejan Kulusevski has been a revelation playing in an attacking central midfield role this season. He glides past opponents, causes confusion with his dribbling and creates space for his team-mates to exploit. James Maddison used to be Tottenham’s creative spark and most influential player but Kulusevski has taken the crown. Son Heung-min has been a shadow of his former self, though, only scoring three times in 11 top-flight appearances.

What is a realistic aim this season?

Harris: After Tottenham lost to Arsenal in September, Postecoglou corrected Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders by saying he “always wins trophies” in his second season with a club. The 59-year-old has set the bar high but it is difficult to imagine them winning anything. Their Carabao Cup quarter-final against United is in a couple of weeks but they will be without Vicario and potentially Micky van de Ven. Spurs have a young squad but it also contains the captains of Mali, South Korea and Sweden. Romero has won the World Cup with Argentina, too. They should be challenging for the top four.

Johnson: Maresca is right to dismiss their chances of winning the league this season. Chelsea have not been in a title race since they won it in 2017 and lack experience. Their squad is the youngest in the top division (Chelsea have fielded the 14 youngest starting XIs this season), they concede too many chances and Robert Sanchez is not winning over the crowd as the first-choice goalkeeper.

The squad is still strong enough to qualify for the Champions League and it will be a disappointment if they do not win the Conference League. They are clearly the strongest team in Europe’s third-tier competition by some distance.

How does the rivalry feel?

Johnson: It does not matter how well Chelsea are playing, this is the game that their supporters look forward to, and want to win, the most. They did not win the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ in 2016 but the 2-2 draw is still fondly remembered because the result meant Spurs officially lost the league to Leicester City. When the much loved pre-game tune ‘The Liquidator’ is played at Stamford Bridge, you will always hear, ‘We hate Tottenham, Chelsea!’ shouted loudly from the stands. The intensity of this rivalry will never fade.

Harris: There is no love lost between these two sides as Simon has mentioned. In this exact fixture last year, Tottenham actually won a lot of plaudits for committing to an attacking style of play despite having Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off. Chelsea won 4-1 but did not take the lead until the 75th minute. Hindsight means Tottenham’s performance in that game has taken on a different dimension. It is seen as the point where everything started going downhill and inconsistency infected the team. The supporters will be hoping a victory can reignite Postecoglou’s project.

What should Chelsea fear most about the opposition?

Johnson: Tottenham’s ability to turn up for the big games. The manner of their 4-0 victory at champions Manchester City was extraordinary and they defeated top-four rivals Manchester United and Aston Villa convincingly too. Even if Chelsea take the lead, Maresca’s men will have to be wary because Tottenham equalled a Premier League record of coming from behind in eight home games in 2024 to win.

And what about Spurs?

Harris: Chelsea can be lethal on the counter with the speed of Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto. Tottenham’s high defensive line and commitment to pushing players forward leave their centre-backs exposed. Van de Ven can outpace most of the world’s quickest strikers but Dragusin might struggle if he finds himself running back towards goal on too many occasions.

What’s your prediction?

Johnson: With both teams’ attacks being superior to their defences, I can see goals aplenty. I am going for a 2-2 draw and due to the intensity, at least one team will have a man sent off.

Harris: Tottenham have a nasty habit of conceding first at home before producing dramatic comebacks and they cannot afford to give an in-form Chelsea side an easy advantage. Postecoglou’s side have saved their best performances for the big sides this season but I am going for a 2-2 draw. Spurs will look threatening on the counter but Chelsea will take advantage of their patchwork defence.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

There is one big question facing Tottenham in December: Can they can consistently produce their top physical level in a month in which they are playing every Thursday and every Sunday, especially when they are already contending with far too many injuries and absences?

The answer will determine whether they will climb up the table, building on their promising but inconsistent start to the season. It will determine whether they reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, and whether they can take another step towards the last 16 of the Europa League. It will ultimately determine whether people feel the Ange Postecoglou project is heading in the right direction.

On the evidence of Sunday’s game against Fulham, it is going to be tough.

Spurs were nowhere near their best. The visitors were the better team for long spells, and created far more chances. When Tottenham scored through Brennan Johnson, it was against the run of play. Even when Fulham went down to 10 men, Spurs failed to ask them many difficult questions in the final minutes.

This was the first of five consecutive Sunday games for Tottenham, all five coming after a Thursday night fixture. This is the rhythm to which they will have to become accustomed.

Spurs worked hard here on Thursday night in their 2-2 draw against Roma. Postecoglou made four changes for this game, losing Dominic Solanke to illness on Sunday morning and resting Dejan Kulusevski, who has worked harder than anyone else in recent weeks. The other crucial bit of context is that this was one week on from the famous 4-0 win at Manchester City, one of their best ever victories in the Premier League era.

It was easy to think beforehand that all Spurs needed to do on Sunday was replicate what they did against City; to finally show the consistency of application they have lacked all season. If they could just win this game, then they could prove they had broken through that mental block. A new era of relentless winning would be just around the corner.

But maybe that is too simplistic. Maybe it makes more sense not to see this in the context of mentality, of a character-test that Tottenham failed by not simply producing another 4-0 win. Maybe the real question here is of physical resources. Of the players available to Postecoglou and how much potential output they had in their legs.

Because you cannot analyse this Tottenham performance outside the context of who was unavailable. Not just both first-choice centre-backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Not just their first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who fractured an ankle against City and required surgery. Not just Solanke, who is integral to how they attack, but also Richarlison, Solanke’s £50million ($63.7m) understudy. And Wilson Odobert, signed for £25m in the summer but barely involved so far this season. Rodrigo Bentancur, of course, is two games into his seven-game ban, which is not the same as being injured but is also relevant.

Given all of that, it is extremely difficult for Tottenham to just replicate their performance level from the City game at the drop of a hat.

Postecoglou was clearly frustrated in his post-match press conference about how many questions he had been asked about the City game, and Spurs’ failure to replicate that. He pointed out that Spurs had Vicario in goal that day, and that he was able to bring on Timo Werner and Johnson. Here, he had Fraser Forster in goal and both Werner and Johnson had to start.

“Somehow again, it seems with this club that whatever it is that we do well is then used as a millstone to bring us down at every other opportunity,” Postecoglou said, sounding like a man who had been considering that particular line for a while.

One of the many striking things from this game was that, with Johnson and Werner starting, Postecoglou had very little on the bench. Obviously there was Kulusevski, but behind him there were seven players (Brandon Austin, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence, Archie Gray, Will Lankshear, Callum Olusesi and Luca Williams-Barnett) who had never started a single Premier League game between them.

The one other Spurs substitute who had started a Premier League game — Sergio Reguilon — last played for Tottenham in April 2022. Contrast that with Marco Silva, who had far more proven players to turn to among his Fulham replacements. He brought on Harry Wilson and Tom Cairney. They gave Fulham an extra edge, Cairney scored the equaliser, and if he had not been sent off they probably would have won.

Postecoglou could not fault the effort of the players who did feature. Forster came in for his first league start under the Australian and made some good saves. Ben Davies made some crucial interventions. James Maddison tried to run the game and was a threat from dead-ball situations.

“The players have given absolutely everything and that is all you can ask for,” said Postecoglou. “They are working their socks off and digging in as deep as they can to try to keep us progressing.”

The problem is that Spurs are not themselves without their physical edge. They need to be able to out-run teams to impose their football. That was what we saw in their big wins here against City and Aston Villa recently.

But with their injury crisis piling up, and a dauntingly tightly-packed December calendar ahead, there might be more days like this to come — when Spurs do not look themselves, and somehow need to find another way.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Tottenham Hotspur 1 Fulham 1 - Inconsistent Spurs fail to beat 10-man Fulham

(Top photo: Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

In keeping with their inconsistent form this season, Tottenham followed up last week’s stunning victory over Manchester City with a 1-1 draw against a Fulham team which played out the latter part of the second half with 10 men.

Without summer signing Dominic Solanke, who was sent home on the morning of the match because of illness, Spurs initially struggled to puncture Fulham’s defence. A second-half volley from Brennan Johnson put the hosts ahead, but Fulham were soon level as the visitors deservedly scored — Tom Cairney’s fine curling effort left Fraser Forster with no chance in the home goal.

That Tottenham secured a point had much to do with Forster’s fine performance. The goalkeeper — making his first league appearance since May 2023 — was instrumental in ensuring the home team went into the break level at 0-0 and made two fine saves from Issa Diop and Alexander Iwobi at the start of the second half.

With Fulham down to 10 men after Cairney’s red card, Tottenham were unable to make the most of the advantage. Cairney was initially shown a yellow but after referee Darren Bond went to the VAR, the Fulham goalscorer was shown a straight red for his challenge on Dejan Kulusevski.

Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jay Harris break down the action.

How did Tottenham cope without Solanke?

This was always going to be a difficult day for Tottenham after Solanke was too ill to play. That meant Spurs had to turn to Son Heung-min to lead the line inside. It was just the second time this season Son has started as the No 9.

Much of this game was a reminder of how important Solanke is to Tottenham. His ability to hold onto the ball under pressure and link with team-mates is integral to how Spurs want to play. And Son, for all his strengths, cannot do that.

Spurs struggled to keep the ball in Fulham’s half, Son often losing it in the tackle. This made it hard for Spurs to create anything and their best chances came from set pieces or on the break.

One of those breaks early in the second half led to Spurs’ goal, with Johnson volleying in Timo Werner’s cross. But Spurs could never truly be themselves without the reference point of Solanke up front. They will need him back and fit as soon as possible.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

How did Forster perform?

A few things have changed since Forster’s last appearance for Tottenham in the Premier League. Back then, in May 2023, Ryan Mason was interim head coach following Antonio Conte’s dismissal. Five of the players who started that 4-1 victory over Leeds United are no longer at Spurs while the style of play has been completely transformed under Ange Postecoglou.

Forster might have been returning to a familiar competition but he needed to play in a completely different way against Fulham. While Guglielmo Vicario recovers from ankle surgery, Forster will be expected to help Spurs build up attacks. The 36-year-old has played in cup competitions, including Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Roma in the Europa League, but executing that in the Premier League would be a much tougher challenge.

He was comfortable receiving the ball from his defenders on multiple occasions against Fulham but in the 39th minute his pass towards Yves Bissouma was intercepted and led to Raul Jimenez having a shot that was blocked.

Drawing with Fulham was disappointing for Spurs but it would have been worse without Forster. While the rest of the team struggled, he was one of their best players and produced a series of impressive saves.

In the space of two minutes at the start of the second half, he prevented Diop and Iwobi from scoring at close-range. He denied Jimenez several times but there was nothing he could do about Cairney’s powerful drive.

Nevertheless, over the last week, Forster has shown enough to suggest that Spurs should be fine while Vicario is absent.

Jay Harris

Why are Spurs so inconsistent?

After Tottenham’s stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad, the entire fanbase knew that they could only truly start getting excited about this side’s progression again if they beat Fulham.

Spurs have been exceptional at times this season, including in the victories over Manchester United, West Ham United and Aston Villa, but will often follow it up with a sluggish performance. They had an opportunity to break this frustrating habit on Sunday afternoon and prove to everybody that they are heading in the right direction. A victory over Fulham would have put them one point behind fourth-placed Brighton.

Instead, the cycle continued. Club-record signing Solanke was unavailable due to illness and Spurs missed his presence upfront. Son struggles to hold up the ball and press opposition defenders as effectively as his team-mate. Kulusevski was dropped to the bench to manage his workload and without his driving forward runs Tottenham were less threatening.

Postecoglou does not tend to moan about injuries but he was without four of his regular starting XI (Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Solanke and Vicario) while a fifth was on the bench. Maybe the grind of competing in the Europa League, Carabao Cup and the Premier League is taking its toll more than he wants to admit.

The counter argument is that Postecoglou took too long to make substitutions against Fulham. Pedro Porro struggled throughout the second half after an awkward slip but stayed on, while Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall did not come on until the 83rd minute. Kulusevski, their best player this season, came on after Fulham’s equaliser but went up front instead of in central midfield where he has been so influential this season.

Tottenham continue to confuse everybody and there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Jay Harris

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

On why Spurs can’t replicate the performance against Manchester City every week, Postecoglou said: “If you can’t see that even in seven days, we’ve copped a couple of significant blows since then I think it’s too easy to say ‘let’s just play like we did against Man City every game.’ And it somehow again seems with this club that whenever it is that we do well is then used as a millstone to bring us down at every other opportunity.

“From my perspective, it’s really important that we don’t react to any of that and just stay focused, because I just sometimes feel like, especially the players we’ve got at the moment, they’re just really working really hard for this football club to try and progress as to where we want to be. We’re in good shape, we’re still in good shape, we’re still in a decent position in the league. We’re still in the Carabao Cup, we’re in a decent position in Europe, so it’s about us maintaining our focus on continuing to develop.”

On Solanke’s late withdrawal, the manager said: “It doesn’t help… From my perspective the players, the ones who are out there anyways, have given absolutely everything and that is all you can ask for. They are working their socks off and digging in as deep as they can to try to keep us progressing.”

Postecoglou on Forster’s performance: “He was good. We needed him obviously in some big moments, and when you lose your goalkeeper and somebody as significant as Vic (Guglielmo Vicario) for us, I think the key to that is to have somebody experienced who’s not going to be sort of overawed by filling those shoes. Fraser, certainly, he’s done it for a number of years. We see him every day. What you saw out there, we see every day training and he still has a really strong work ethic and we had a couple of big moments which were important for us and again, he will be important moving forward.”

What next for Tottenham?

Thursday, December 5: Bournemouth (A), Premier League, 8.15pm GMT, 3.15pm ET

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(Top image: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario has undergone surgery after sustaining a fracture to his right ankle.

Spurs confirmed in a statement on Monday that Vicario suffered the injury during Saturday’s 4-0 win at Manchester City.

“Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training,” the statement added. Vicario’s recovery is expected to months following his surgery.

The 28-year-old was limping when walking through the mixed zone at the Etihad Stadium following Saturday’s game, but did play the full 90 minutes. He also received treatment on the pitch in the first half of the match following a collision with City winger Savinho, after which the Italian appeared to be holding his right ankle.

Vicario has been a Premier League ever-present for Tottenham since joining from Empoli for a fee of around €20million (£17.2m; $21.9m) last summer, featuring in all 38 matches last season and their 12 so far this term.

He also played in Spurs’ first two Europa League league phase matches this season, with Fraser Forster coming in for the other two. Vicario also started in his side’s Carabao Cup third-round win over Manchester City last month, with Forster having played in the second-win victory against Coventry City.

‘Vicario’s injury could have massive consequences for Spurs’ season’

This is potentially the worst possible injury Tottenham’s squad could have suffered and will have burst the mood after their stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.

Vicario was crucial to that victory with a series of impressive saves. Since he joined Spurs from Italian side Empoli in June 2023, the Italy international’s distribution has been crucial to the way Postecoglou wants his side to build up from the back. Vicario has the composure when under pressure from opposition strikers to wait until the perfect moment before playing a pass to a defender or one of the midfielders.

The problem is Tottenham do not have a quality replacement for him. Forster has made three appearances in all competitions this season but does not have the same confidence when stepping off his line or with the ball at his feet.

Tottenham also have two goalkeepers who have progressed through their academy but Alfie Whiteman, 26, and Brandon Austin, 25, have never made a senior appearance for them. Whiteman’s only previous experience was on loan in Sweden while Austin played five times in the MLS for Orlando City in 2021.

Postecoglou has no choice but to rely on Forster for a busy festive period and might have to adapt his tactics and play slightly deeper because relying on the 36-year-old to sweep up the huge space behind the defence’s high line feels incredibly risky.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Vicario’s injury could have massive consequences for their season.

(Photos: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)