Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has been told that he would be making a mistake if he decided to sack Ange Postecoglou and start another rebuild at the north London club.
Since sitting five points clear at the top of the Premier League after 10 games last season, Postecoglou has gone on to lose 19 of the 43 games since as Spurs currently sit down in 11th in the table and are on a run of one win from their last seven outings in all competitions. That one triumph being the remarkable 4-0 rout of Manchester City on their own turf.
Postecoglou has been heavily criticised for sticking to his guns with his stubborn approach of playing the same way, even with the plethora of injuries he has in key positions.
Indeed, the recent poor run of form has sparked speculation that the Australian could get his marching orders, but former Celtic striker Chris Sutton thinks Tottenham and Levy would be making a big mistake if they decide to take that option – especially when the alternatives out there are not that great.
Speaking to spaceportsweden.com, Sutton said: “I always think you have to go back to the start of why Ange Postecoglou was appointed at Tottenham. Of course, we always hear it’s because Spurs want to win trophies, but that hasn’t happened very much over the last 50 years.
“But there’s that added element of Spurs fans being bored to tears watching Mourinho and Conte teams. Nuno Espirito Santo went in very briefly, so they wanted to be entertained. Robbie Williams was writing songs about Ange Postecoglou a season ago.
“Everybody was into it when it was all going swimmingly well, and they have still had moments this season. A couple of weeks ago beating Manchester City 4-0 on their own patch. Their highs are so high. There’s been a fair few lows.”
As for whether Levy should stick with his manager, amidst an awful run of injuries, Sutton added: “I don’t know whether Daniel Levy will make a decision or not, but I really hope that he sticks with Ange Postecoglou, because I think he’s been brilliant, not just for Tottenham, but for the Premier League. What’s the alternative?
“The other thing, I think he’s been slightly unfortunate with injuries. He’s lost Vicario, his two centre-halves. He got criticised for playing Romero and Van de Ven. Maybe he thought this was a really important game, and there’s that rivalry between Tottenham and Chelsea, and he thought that was worth taking a chance and taking the game really seriously.”
Sutton still sees positives for Tottenham
Despite their struggles in recent weeks, Sutton still sees a scenario where Tottenham can enjoy a positive campaign under Postecoglou’s leadership.
He added: “It’s interesting, he’s got Rangers on Thursday in the Europa and that’s certainly going to be a huge game. They’ve then got Southampton and Liverpool. The other thing, he’s still in three cups so there’s loads of ways to look at it.
“When Tottenham went 2-0 up though [against Chelsea], was it a great surprise that Chelsea came back and won the game? I don’t think anybody would have been totally, totally shocked by that and that’s sort where Tottenham are at.
“Could he be more pragmatic? Well, maybe, but he sees it his way. Most people think, well, there needs to be a bit of balance, and I totally understand that. He’s stubborn, he’s had 25-27 years in management and coaching and he has been a huge success. He’s won cups and titles wherever he’s been, and he sees it as the best way for Tottenham.
“There’s so much short-termism in the game now, isn’t there? You have a bad run of games, you’ve pointed out the league table where Tottenham are, but two wins and they’re flying up to fifth. But I do think that he said himself that if he’s mid-table around Christmas, then pressure will build. He’s not daft.
“I like watching his team fly. I think he’s been brilliant for the league.”
