You could have heard a pin drop on Tottenham’s return flight from Merseyside on Sunday evening.
Unsurprising, really, given what had transpired at Everton a few hours earlier. The 3-2 scoreline did not reflect what was a chastening afternoon for Spurs’ forlorn players.
Their first-half capitulation goes straight into the club’s hall of shame alongside the ignominy of falling 5-0 behind after 21 minutes at Newcastle in April 2023.
Tottenham have won once in 10 Premier League matches — at bottom club Southampton, who are on course to become one of the worst teams in the division’s history in terms of points won.
Yet the sense emanating from Spurs since the loss to Everton — their fifth defeat in six league games — is that under-pressure boss Ange Postecoglou will continue to be backed.
However, while the Australian is very likely to remain in charge for Sunday’s visit of Leicester, there is an acknowledgement that results require sharp improvement.
There are no indications that defeat by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s relegation strugglers would signal the end for Postecoglou — but the scrutiny would intensify if they don’t win.
For now, though, Tottenham are giving Postecoglou time. There are plenty of reasons why, with the club’s horrific injury record being one of the main factors.
As Mail Sport revealed on Saturday, Dominic Solanke, the club’s record £65million signing, has a knee injury that could rule him out for weeks. Brennan Johnson, the club’s top scorer, will miss around four weeks with a calf injury.
There are nine other players absent through injury and the club accept Postecoglou has been dealt a brutal hand. There is a feeling that he should be judged when he has more of his squad available — particularly in defence, having been without first-choice centre backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for a long period.
Tottenham’s recruitment team are working to strengthen the squad. But that is easier said than done. The transfer market evolves on a daily basis and conditions for deals are constantly changing.
For example, Tottenham’s desire to sign a forward has been complicated by the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. The Gunners, who were not expecting to enter the market for a new attacker, are now seeking one. That causes difficulties for Tottenham and clubs in a similar position.
Spurs should accept their share of blame for that. Get your business done decisively and you are less likely to be caught cold.
While getting rid of Postecoglou would appease some fans, it would present Daniel Levy with an even greater problem, with no clear candidate to replace him mid-season.
Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth is one of the best managers in England, but why would he jump ship when his team are flying well above Spurs in the table?
Kieran McKenna at Ipswich has links to Tottenham, having coached in the academy and played for the club at junior level. But would he leave Portman Road in the middle of a relegation fight? Mail Sport also understands extracting McKenna from his contract would command a sizeable compensation fee.
Spurs sporting director Johan Lange, who led the pursuit of the club’s only January signing so far — goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky — is believed to admire Brentford boss Thomas Frank. Frank deserves a crack at a bigger club, but you wonder how Spurs fans would view the appointment.
Fulham’s Marco Silva would also be a contender, while the club’s evolving data-led recruitment team would identify more candidates from abroad.
Yet joining a team in the lower reaches of the table and one gripped by an injury crisis is hardly the most enticing of proposals. There is no viable ‘no-brainer’ appointment.
Furthermore Romero, the club’s vice-captain, is set to be a target for Spanish clubs in the summer and is believed to be open to leaving. Captain Son Heung-min will turn 33 before the start of next season.
Son is key for Postecoglou, while his value off the pitch in the lucrative Asian market is priceless — though the arrival of the forward’s countryman Yang Min-hyeok this month has big earning potential in the Far East.
But having lost Harry Kane and with Son in the twilight of his career, it would be understandable for a new manager to have concerns about the forward line. So, with so much upheaval, it seems logical for Tottenham to lean towards sticking with Postecoglou for now.
There is also a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool on the horizon, a tie they lead 1-0. Reaching Wembley would give Spurs a shot at a trophy they crave. Losing at Anfield, however, would put even more focus on Postecoglou’s future.
As ever in football, how the players view Postecoglou differs depending on who you talk to. Some still swear by their boss. Others are less convinced.
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.
Staying in a hotel the day before games, regardless of location and kick-off time, has also caused consternation — though it’s reasonable for the club not to want to take long journeys on matchdays to ensure calm before kick-off.
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 recognised 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.
If Postecoglou is to be sacked, he will at least have stuck to his principles. There’s a lot to be said for that.
Indeed, the manager is well liked at Spurs but that jovial manner from his opening months in the job has waned, understandably given the course of their season. ‘Tetchy’ was the word one insider used.
The other side of the argument is that Postecoglou is a bad loser — perhaps that’s the sort of person you want in charge of your club.
But this is a Tottenham squad low on confidence and positivity. Postecoglou must raise them or he will have to face the consequences.
