Ange Postecoglou faces another lay-off from Premier League games, in what has turned out to be a rather lighter-than-usual schedule for Tottenham, who quickly crashed out of both domestic cups, without, of course, the pressure of European football. Spurs have had injuries, but at the risk of offering cold comfort, so have everyone else.
The next two weeks without football is a great chance for Spurs fans to take some time out and relax with E-Force Demo with its staggering potential to win big. The question is, when will Spurs win big? Another, perhaps a more pressing concern, is when will we even win small? The inability to compete meaningfully has begun to grate.
Postecoglou’s mission statement in context
“Look, you try and win every competition you’re in,” Postecoglou said ahead of the trip to St James’ Park, live on TNT Sports and Discovery+: “…ultimately for me, it’s about trying to make this club champion of the Premier League. I think that’s got to be the ultimate goal. That doesn’t mean you can’t have success in other competitions. I think that helps with growth because if you can gain some sort of success in a cup competition or in Europe, that helps build belief.”
This is all fine and dandy, but it doesn’t sound a million miles away from what Mauricio Pochettino came out with when he spoke of the distraction of winning anything less than the star prize.
“Again we’re going to have the debate whether a trophy will take the club to the next level. I don’t agree with it. It only builds your ego. The most important thing for Tottenham right now is to always be in the top four.”
Is winning a distraction, or is it good habit-forming? Does a presence amongst the top four clubs in the country achieve anything beyond additional revenue streams? Surely, logic dictates that winning creates an environment where a cycle is created whereby teams want to win more.
How does Ange intend to deliver?
Spurs used to be a cup side, and now this has been derided because presumably the money has been seriously devalued. It could be that there’s a pattern emerging.
Postecoglou’s beating at St James’ Park was not in the script, but this is not the first time that Ange Ball has collapsed entirely. Indeed, Ange’s initial games seemed to be very much a work in progress, but the DNA of Ange ball was clear to see. Now that has subsided, despite a modest amount of games, the only conclusion one can arrive at, is that it was all a mirage, nothing more than a new manager bounce.
Hopefully, Ange finds some solace in the remaining games of the season, but should he not, then questions need to be asked, because the improvement some are talking about is nigh on indiscernible – unless losing to Newcastle United by fewer goals this time around is some big indicator.
