A year has passed, and irrespective of a 4-1 home loss to Chelsea, Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs are still managing to bring smiles to the faces of their supporters as they leave the field.

This Sunday, Tottenham is set to host the Blues again. Should the result not favor the North London team, there could be rising concerns for the Australian coach regarding fan reactions.

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In the last 13 months, there has been a remarkable transformation.

Supporters have transitioned from joyfully singing a tailored version of Postecoglou’s name to a rendition of Robbie Williams‘ classic ‘Angels’, changing the lyrics to “I’m loving Big Ange instead.” Now, many fans express their disenchantment with the 59-year-old due to his inconsistent tactics, with some even advocating for his removal.

Just 13 days ago, Spurs celebrated one of their finest Premier League victories with a magnificent 4-0 win against Manchester City, yet now they are facing a troubling situation.

This significant victory at the Etihad only amplified the fans’ frustrations, as it highlighted the team’s capabilities—something they have struggled to replicate against teams like Crystal Palace, Ipswich, and most recently, Bournemouth.

Andoni Iraola’s Cherries convincingly outperformed Spurs, and without their strikers’ poor finishing, the result could have easily been 3-0 or 4-0 instead of just 1-0.

What has led to this downturn in Postecoglou’s Spurs’ fortunes?

Some believe it all started with that fateful match against Chelsea back in November.

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Initially, during his tenure, Spurs were soaring, remaining unbeaten in their first ten league matches.

Things were progressing well enough that Postecoglou garnered several manager-of-the-month accolades during the first three months of the season.

Ange Postecoglou ‘determined to get it right’ after Tottenham’s loss to Bournemouth

But disaster struck against the Blues.

Spurs finished the match with just nine players, as Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were both sent off, and more critically, they lost James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to long-term injuries.

Despite these setbacks, Postecoglou remained committed to his attacking style and high defensive line, leading to a near-equalizing attempt by Son Heung-min, who narrowly missed, allowing Nicolas Jackson to complete his hat-trick.

The post-match reactions were unforgettable, with fans lauding their brave squad and their fearless manager who chose to press the opposition despite being down a man.

However, since that event, enthusiasm has notably waned due to the inconsistent performances from Postecoglou’s side.

Post Chelsea, their league record reads 17 wins, six draws, and 18 defeats.

A disappointing conclusion to the previous season meant they fell short of Champions League qualification.

This season, supporters have been particularly irritated by mediocre performances at Selhurst Park, the second half against Brighton, and at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday evening.

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Following the Bournemouth match, Postecoglou had a tense exchange with some frustrated fans.

At a press conference in Enfield a little over 12 hours later, he acknowledged the fans’ frustrations.

He stressed that the focus should be on rallying behind the team rather than on him individually.

He stated: “They’re not behind me, they’re behind the club. I’m indifferent to who’s behind me.

“You have to recognize that those who made the trip to Bournemouth are committed supporters.

“They weren’t happy with what they saw, and they felt the need to express their opinions, which I’ve noted, and now we move on.”

Injuries have been a major issue for Postecoglou’s side over the past year.

In particular, Maddison and Van de Ven were injured during the 4-1 loss against Chelsea last season, which drastically affected their momentum.

Presently, he is without his preferred center-back pairing of Romero and Van de Ven, his top goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and is low on attacking options with Richarlison and Wilson Odobert both unavailable.

Additionally, Ben Davies suffered a hamstring injury during the Bournemouth game.
Beyond the £65 million acquisition of Dominic Solanke—the highest fee a Premier League club paid this summer—Spurs have leaned more towards youth in the last transfer window.

The decisions we’ve made regarding signing young players are the right choices for our current situation and will lead to positive outcomes

Ange Postecoglou

Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, the 19-year-old Odobert, and 18-year-old Yang Min-Hyeok, who is set to join next month, are all part of this new approach.

In contrast, veteran players like Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and Giovani Lo Celso were let go.

The injury to Odobert is especially harmful, as Spurs are in dire need of more attacking options.

Nonetheless, the youth-focused strategy has led some fans to feel the club is overly focused on long-term growth at the expense of immediate success.

Despite this, Postecoglou defended the transfer policy, stating: “It was indeed the right move, and I take accountability for these signings because I believe they’re necessary for this club.

“I’ve consistently stated that my decisions stem from my desire to stay here long enough to see this through.

“If I were overly concerned about my position, I would have fought hard to keep Harry Kane from leaving, but that wouldn’t have benefited the club as he was in the last year of his contract. That’s not my agenda.

“The decisions we made regarding young player acquisitions are indeed the right choices for this club at this moment, and they will pay off in due time.”

That may be true for the future, yet doubts about Postecoglou’s tenure could arise well before he has the chance to see the results.

His Spurs have shown they can compete with the top teams, as evidenced by past performances, making a win against Enzo Maresca’s current Chelsea team plausible.

However, if they face defeat, the former Celtic manager may find himself in a crisis, especially with a demanding away match against Rangers in Glasgow approaching shortly thereafter.

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