Ange Postecoglou can ill-afford further slip-ups with Tottenham season hanging in the balance | The Standard
Tottenham Hotspur’s recent results have done little to alleviate the pressure off Ange Postecoglou’s shoulders. The team is winless in its last three matches following a 2-2 draw versus Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, while having to face an uphill battle in Thursday’s Europa League second leg against AZ Alkmaar having lost 1-0 in the first bout away from home.
Spurs, 13th in the Premier League, have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, and it is believed that elimination from the Europa League could lead to Postecoglou’s firing. It remains to be seen if the club will make a seemingly imminent decision on the Australian in the near future or after the season ends in May, though plans to replace him are in flow.
According to TBR Football, the Tottenham board is ‘deeply concerned’ about Postecoglou’s continuity the role, particularly in the aftermath of their defeat to Alkmaar in the Europa League. Consequently, Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Fulham boss Marco Silva and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna have been identified as possible replacements.
Spurs need a proven winner to replace Postecoglou
Given their recent results as well as an embarrassing standing in the Premier League table, it is hard to back Ange Postecoglou’s continuity at Tottenham Hotspur, although it is fair to say that the board has not backed him enough. He has had to navigate through an unprecedented injury crisis by calling up player from the youth ranks until the end of the winter transfer window.
If Postecoglou is fired, some could argue that the board’s failure was blamed on him, just as it panned out with Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho some years ago. That said, the last thing Spurs need is to gamble on a coach with less proven experience at a big club and their board must instead pursue an individual who has a winning pedigree under his belt.
It also goes without saying that a new manager’s appointment is not going to answer all their issues and it will take a reasonable amount of investment in the transfer market to bring the squad up to the quality required to win trophies, which are likely to elude the Lilywhites for the 17th straight year.