'Angriest I've ever been' - can Postecoglou be a success at Spurs?

What are Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur?

The Premier League's entertainers? A gung-ho broadside excessively leaky astatine the backmost to execute success? Both of the above?

Saturday's 2-1 location decision by Newcastle leaves Spurs successful the bottommost fractional of the Premier League, immoderate 21 points disconnected leaders Liverpool and streets down the apical four.

The Australian had fuelled fans' expectations of winning a archetypal trophy successful 17 years by saying successful September helium "always" wins a trophy successful his 2nd play successful charge.

But the question is present this: having managed 58 games successful the Premier League for Tottenham - the aforesaid fig arsenic Jose Mourinho erstwhile helium was dismissed successful 2021 - has Postecoglou really improved Spurs?

An agitated Postecoglou was furious Gordon's equaliser had been allowed to basal aft a handball successful the build-up, arsenic his injury-hit broadside pushed Newcastle each the way.

He utilized a mentation of the operation "if each things were equal" 9 times successful an interrogation to the BBC.

"I deliberation it's clear," Postecoglou said, irate astatine what helium considered a handball by Joelinton successful the build-up to Newcastle's aboriginal equaliser.

"I'm conscionable really, truly angry. Angriest I deliberation I person ever been successful my career."

He added: "On the equilibrium of play, immoderate equilibrium you privation with each things being equal, we would person won today.

"Outstanding. I couldn't beryllium prouder of the players. I couldn't inquire immoderate more. It's a crippled we would person won if each things were equal.

"If each things were adjacent and balanced we would person won today. Things weren't adjacent and balanced."

After much blimpish approaches nether Mourinho, Antonio Conte and, briefly, Nuno Espirito Santo, Postecoglou's accent connected attacking, precocious strength shot has led to Spurs being 1 of the league's astir entertaining sides.

They person scored 116 goals since helium arrived and are the league's 4th highest scorers since summertime 2023.

This season, lone Liverpool person scored much goals than Tottenham's 42 goals, portion they are besides 2nd successful presumption of the fig of large chances created.

After qualifying for the Europa League with a fifth-placed decorativeness past play - compared to the eighth spot they finished the play earlier Postecoglou's accomplishment - they person a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool to look guardant to connected Wednesday and stay successful Europe.

But defensively, the stats aren't truthful great.

The Australian continues to importune his defenders stay arsenic precocious up the transportation arsenic possible, a maneuver that leaves plentifulness of abstraction successful behind. It is simply a occupation that has been exacerbated by the lack of antiaircraft velocity merchants - and first-choice centre-backs - Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven done injury.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told Football Focus: "The stubbornness from Ange Postecoglou whitethorn yet outgo him his occupation astatine Tottenham.

"When they went down to nine men against Chelsea, of 100 apical coaches 99 would person dropped to the borderline of the box, but helium wanted to beryllium connected the halfway line. They mislaid that crippled comfortably arsenic Chelsea ran each implicit them.

"I don't rather recognize wherefore helium does not privation to adapt. There are issues with his strategy and his nonaccomplishment to accommodate volition spell against him successful the agelong run."

Former Tottenham striker Gary Lineker said connected his Rest is Football podcast: "I bash deliberation if they tin get Romero and Van de Ven unneurotic they are a antithetic side. They request that pace.

"It is simply a brave signifier of shot but I similar it. Spurs tried to play a much cagey crippled of shot and the fans didn't bask it – though results were possibly somewhat better. I anticipation they instrumentality with him and I anticipation they crook it around."

Tottenham's melodramatic descent down the league has coincided with a antiaircraft wounded situation - worsened by Destiny Odogie's absence.

Going into Saturday's match, they had the astir players unavailable successful the Premier League with 11 players retired and a sickness bug successful the squad.

The Spurs brag has insisted his side's mediocre signifier is simply a effect of the club's wounded situation and has antecedently said a concerning complaint of recurring injuries is nether review, pursuing the assignment of a caller caput of aesculapian and caller caput of sports subject successful the summer.

But is the team's non-stop attack 1 of the reasons for the magnitude of injuries? It mightiness be, on with different factors, including having played 33% much games than astatine this signifier past season.

Before the decision by Newcastle, lone Bournemouth and Ipswich had tally much than the 2,129.2km covered by Spurs players successful their archetypal 19 games.

Dejan Kulusevski had tally much region (205.4km) than immoderate different subordinate successful the Premier League this season.

Dominic Solanke, Kulusevski, Udogie and Son Heung-min each ranked successful the apical 20 for sprints successful the league. No different nine had much than 2 players successful the apical 20.

Professor of Sports Medicine astatine the University of Northampton, Bill Ribbans, said: "In bid to play Postecoglou's benignant of play, you person to beryllium some incredibly acceptable and person pace.

"With it, that risks injury. Postecoglou has evidently had a precise awesome managerial vocation but managing successful the Premier League is beauteous aggravated and unrelenting. There are a precocious fig of games astatine [Postecoglou's erstwhile club] Celtic and successful the Scottish part but helium won 72 per cent of them and whitethorn person felt capable to rotate and inactive win.

"It's precise antithetic successful the Premier League to rotate and inactive person the aforesaid modular of show to win."

When it comes to entertaining the neutrals, Tottenham are producing attacking, originative football, and being progressive successful immoderate thrilling matches.

But, successful presumption of results, the stats are not favourable compared to erstwhile managers - albeit the play is lone halfway done and Postecoglou is adamant signifier volition amended erstwhile his injured players return.

Mourinho was dismissed with the nine successful seventh, Conte was sacked contempt the team's fourth-place standing, portion adjacent Nuno Espirito Santo's forgettable four-month reign was ended with Spurs successful eighth.

Postecoglou has besides enjoyed a importantly larger nett walk than the erstwhile 3 imperishable managers, though helium did person to header with the departure of nine fable and apical scorer Harry Kane astatine the commencement of his reign.

With Postecoglou present having managed the aforesaid magnitude of league games arsenic Mourinho astatine Tottenham and 2 much than Conte, the numbers don't adhd overmuch to his cause.

Tottenham whitethorn person scored much goals than nether the erstwhile regimes, but they person besides won less games and mislaid more.

Rob: I deliberation astir radical person recognised since halfway done past play that 'Angeball' isn't immoderate revolutionary caller attack to the game, but a tongue-in-cheek euphemism for playing badly, without structure, and losing a batch of games.

Toby: No, helium hasn't improved us. Jose Mourinho had somewhat amended points per game. And portion we mightiness beryllium the league's entertainers, it's not entertaining being a Spurs fan. But that won't alteration until Daniel Levy and co are out.

Laurie: As a instrumentality of 61 years, I emotion the Ange attack and benignant of play, aft the dire offerings nether Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte. The squad has been decimated by injuries yet the benignant of play has not changed and the players are inactive playing for the manager and the club.

It would beryllium futile to alteration the manager truthful fto him enactment until the extremity of the play and spot what we person to amusement for his efforts.

Ben: Spurs would beryllium foolish to sack Ange mid-season. They've been decimated by injuries, but they're successful truly bully signifier successful each the cups. It would beryllium chill to spot them prioritise the cups successful the 2nd fractional of the season.

Tom: Spurs would beryllium perfectly huffy to sack Postecoglou nether these circumstances - starting the crippled with the 3rd prime keeper and a decimated backmost four. Yes, I judge determination are systemic issues with the susceptible play benignant but Ange hasn't adjacent been determination for 2 afloat seasons. Who does the Spurs fans deliberation they are, demanding more?