Nottingham's Anthony Elanga slots a perfect shot past Frasier Forster after a blazing counterattack | Clive Mason/GettyImages
Tottenham didn't appear as if they came to play in the first half. Typically Tottenham comes out blazing in most matches, flying to dead balls and not letting the other team keep possession for very long. However, during today's first half, Tottenham seemed content just keeping possession and absorbing attacks from their opponent. This didn't appear to be a change in manager Ange Postecoglou's strategy, as the team maintained their high defensive line and a handful of players did play with the urgency Spurs' fans have grown accustomed to this season.
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Spurs condemned to yet another defeat away in the Midlands
This lack of effort I believe stems from the teams inability to string together wins this season. The highs of this season have been incredible, It was only 11 days ago that this same squad blasted Southampton 5-0, a game that saw their opponents fire their manager a mere few hours following the conclusion of the match.
With that being said, the lows have been the pure opposite, and a 6-3 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, a game which Tottenham was never truly in a position to win, seems to have shaken the squads confidence.
Combine that with a game against an opposition that is flying high on a run of games they would've never expected to have this season, under a manager whose past history with Tottenham would lead his squad to play harder against them than anyone else, and you get a game like this.
Radu Dragusin attempts to defend Nottingham midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White | BEN STANSALL/GettyImages
The transfer window can not come fast enough. This team is in desperate need of reinforcements for their defense. Today they lined up with a patchwork back four that saw Archie Gray, a player who was a midfielder before he came to Spurs, lined up at centre back, Djed Spence, a promising young player, lined up at right back, Destiny Udogie, the teams only full-time defensive starter in the opening lineup today, at left back. Finally Radu Dragusin, a backup centerback, lined up next to Gray in the middle.
This was a plan that was forced on Ange Postecoglou due to injuries and fitness. Micky Van De Ven and Cristian Romero are both still out due to injury, and Pedro Porro has had a seemingly minor injury that has been nagging him in recent weeks. That injury kept Porro on the substitutes bench until the final minutes of todays match. Tottenham has to invest in their back four this transfer window if they want to turn this season around.
The fact is that Tottenham's depth on the back line wasn't strong coming into the season, and now that the entire starting back four has dealt with injuries this season, inconsistency has become the calling card of the Spurs' defense. Radu Dragusin, a player who does have promise as a centerback, is not built for the current system Spurs want to run.
The Romanian defender is built as the type of defender that thrives in a counter attacking system, one that absorbs pressure and then thrives off of long balls from their back four. Dragusin delivers deep passes over the top incredibly well, but his lack of pace has caused Tottenham problems all year, and It was a high-speed counter attack that led to the goal that defeated the Spurs today.
Finding some pacy central defenders who can step in for either Romero or Van De Ven should be goal number one for the club in January.
Tottenham Manager Ange Postecoglou on the sidelines during the match | Harry Murphy - Danehouse/GettyImages
I'm going to say something that I don't believe most Spurs fans will agree with, but booting Ange Postecoglou will not solve the problem that Spurs are having. This squad has bought in to the system the Australian manager has installed, and if the team can get healthy and find some consistency, history shows that his team can go on runs. Postecoglou was unbeaten in his first 11 premier league matches as Spurs' manager, and that run was not a fluke.
This squad, when healthy, is built to thrive in the system Ange brings, but the lack of health has exposed the fatal flaw in the squad, which is the depth. Tottenham fans can point back to multiple points over the previous decade where the club has decided not to dig deep into their wallets and spend money investing in a team, and even one of the Spurs' own players has pointed this out this season.
Cristian Romero, in an interview with Telemundo Deportes following Tottenhams 3-4 defeat against Chelsea on December 8th, said this when asked about Tottenham's lack of investment in their squad, "The truth is I would say no comment but... Manchester City competes every year, you see how Liverpool strengthens its squad, Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn't do well, strengthens again, and now they're seeing results."
Spurs fans have been critical of Chairman Daniel Levy for years, and the truth is that until the club learns you have to spend to win, they will continue to lose. You can fire every manager that you bring in, but until you learn to invest in the players you put on the field, no manager is going to be able to achieve the goals the club's fans want them to.
Spurs next game will come against 18th placed Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 29th, a game that might give the Spurs a chance to head into the January window with a victory.
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