Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult start to the Premier League season has sparked concerns, with former player Darren Fletcher questioning the team’s direction under manager Ange Postecoglou.
Following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby, Spurs find themselves in the bottom half of the table, marking their worst start in nearly a decade.
Speaking on The Premier League Review show, Fletcher expressed confusion over Tottenham’s current path, suggesting that the team may have lost its “desire to win.” While Postecoglou’s possession-based, attacking style has earned praise, Fletcher remains sceptical, describing the situation as “baffling.”
He acknowledged that Postecoglou’s approach offers a refreshing contrast to the more pragmatic tactics of previous managers like Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, but he argued that the team’s results have not met expectations.
Fletcher questioned whether the emphasis on playing entertaining football has come at the expense of the club’s competitive spirit and drive for victory.
He said:
“I find this whole Tottenham situation baffling, really strange. I think I’m in the minority that I kind of look at it through eyes that say ‘I don’t think this is going that well at all’ from a Tottenham perspective.
“Yet people keep telling me they entertain and that’s what they want to do, because they had Conte and Mourinho before and I don’t quite know where the desire to win has gone, if you’re part of that fan base.
“But I look at it at the moment, and it confuses me, rather than gives me answers to questions when I look at the way this is all developing for Tottenham.”
Despite receiving significant backing in the transfer market over the past three windows, Tottenham has struggled to find consistency.
Last season, Postecoglou’s debut saw flashes of promise, as Spurs finished fifth, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification by just two points. However, the underwhelming start to this season has left both fans and pundits perplexed.
As Spurs works to regain form, Postecoglou faces the challenge of balancing attacking football with the need for results, ensuring that the team can climb the table and compete for higher league positions.