Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
It's hard to believe the reputation that Tottenham Hotspur once had. This is a club with an incredible history that has experienced the heights of victory and triumph. However, the last 16 years have been nothing but disappointment. To find the glory days, you'd need to look back to the double-winning side of 1961 and then revel in the flair of the attacking style of play in the late 1980s. For now though, Tottenham fans are experiencing nothing but disappointment, with recent years being a stark contrast to what has come before.
For those who are looking into sports betting online for the next season, is it a wise choice to place your wagers on Spurs breaking through? The consistent inability to lift any silverware has been a significant frustration for fans for too long, and hopes are dwindling. Yes, there have been moments of sheer brilliance such as the 2019 Champions League Final but, as always, the team fell short when it really mattered.
With the last trophy lifted back in 2008, success is more like a distant memory. The arrival of Ange Postecoglou seemed to bring hope but, after a promising start to the 2023/2024 season, the team fell short yet again. With the new season fast approaching, does Ange Postecoglou have what it takes to end the club's trophy drought at the second time of asking? Let's take a look.
Postecoglou had proven himself as a formidable manager long ago. Prior to signing with Spurs, he'd already garnered an impressive reputation. Having led teams in Australia, Japan, and Scotland, Ange Postecoglou was known for his attacking style of play, as well as for his commitment to developing young talent. No matter where he took charge, it was always worth placing sport bets on his team succeeding.
Postecoglou's reign in Australia quickly captured the attention of clubs around the world. As he led the Brisbane Roar, they took two A-League championships. Before long, Japanese club, Yokohama F. Marinos came knocking and Postecoglou made the move there. Again, he experienced success and he experienced this fast, winning the J1 League in 2019. It started to appear like, no matter what the club, Postecoglou could lead it to success.
After Japan, Postecoglou made the move to Scotland, where he took charge at Celtic. This is a club steeped in history, but one that had been struggling of late. With the arrival of Postecoglou, the club was revitalised, and he led them to back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles. His ability to lead and implement change saw Celtic once again becoming a dominant force in Scottish football.
Next, it was Tottenham and, perhaps, Postecoglou's biggest challenge.
When Postecoglou arrived at the North London club, fans and players alike had a new sense of optimism. His proven track record spoke for itself and there was a real sense of hope. There was suddenly a fresh perspective and a determined manager who wanted to implement a style of play that was high pressing and possession-based.
Looking back on his first season, it's fair to say that this was a rollercoaster. The outstanding start to the season meant that people rushed to place a Stake on the club bringing its drought to an end. The team played to the style that Postecoglou demanded, and suddenly there was a sense of positivity both on and off the pitch. For fans, it was not just the fact that the team was winning, it was the impressive and exciting way that they did it. However, as the season progressed, the story turned to one of inconsistency. It soon became clear that Postecoglou had major challenges to overcome if he wanted to continue with his winning ways.
There's no escaping the fact that the journey to silverware is going to be a challenging one. At the end of his first season, Postecoglou is still determined to be the one that brings the drought to an end. However, before he can do this, there are several areas that need real focus:
To lift any trophies, Postecoglou needs to get the best out of the team that they have. One of the major questions that has arisen is around Postecoglou and whether he managed to tap into the full potential of the team that he had to work with. There's no doubt that he pushed and instilled the attacking style that had been lacking but, despite this, there was just no consistency from one performance to the next.
It's fair to say that the likes of Son Heung-min, Harry Kane (before his transfer), and Dejan Kulusevski all showed glimpses of sheer brilliance during the last season. However, individual brilliance is not enough to lift trophies when the rest of the squad is lacking when it comes to consistent form.
Many have joked that Kane himself is cursed and may well be the cause of the lack of silverware. The lack of a title at his new club, Bayern Munich, and his lacklustre performance at the 2024 World Cup may well suggest that is the case. However, he was Tottenham's top goal scorer. He was a playmaker and a leader. There is no escaping the fact that his departure has had a significant impact on the team. Now is the time for other players to step up and fill the void.
There is another way to look at this issue though. Yes, the team relied heavily on Kane, but was this reliance ever really justified? There are clearly talented players in the Tottenham squad, and it's more than possible that the reliance on Kane hindered the development of others who wanted to step up and take over attacking positions. For now, Postecoglou must build a team that is no longer looking to a sole player to deliver. The team needs to be brought forward and truly be a team where every player has the chance to shine.
While the continual lack of trophies is causing frustration for the fans, it's important to look back and assess Postecoglou's first season in charge. Yes, a title would have been great, but it needs to be remembered that the manager inherited a team that was transitioning. He needed to turn the team into one with an attacking force, even with the loss of the top goal scorer.
There can be no denying that Postecoglou has brought a focus on attacking play. The approach taken has not only allowed the team to score, but it has led to a much more attractive and entertaining style to watch. This is helping to keep fans on side, and perhaps allowing them to remain patient, as they have long wanted a team that played with more flair and creativity.
While there's no trophy for the last season, Postecoglou has worked hard to develop the youth team at Spurs. What makes him such an outstanding manager is his willingness to give young talent real opportunities by bringing them into the first team. His approach to youth development brings fresh talent to the team but, in the longer term, it leads to a sustainable pathway that means that the team can flourish in the future.
Yes, the ultimate measure of success is silverware and there's no escaping that fact. However, what Postecoglou has achieved, at speed, is the laying of foundations that will secure the future of the club.
These actions all point to the fact that Postecoglou is still the right choice for Spurs and there is a need for the club and the fans to bear with him as he progresses.
So, with the team failing yet again to add to its trophy cabinet, who's really to blame for the lack of success during the 2023/2024 season? It's easy to point the finger of blame firmly at Postecoglou, after all, he was brought to Spurs to deliver. However, the real failures require a little more examination.
There are numerous factors that fed into the inconsistent form of Spurs. There were not just defensive frailties to overcome, there were also issues with an inability to convert chances. Despite the high pressing style of play, the latter part of the season saw Tottenham miss far too many chances.
We've seen how Postecoglou is praised for his attacking style of play, but there are many questions around his defensive tactics. The team showed it was truly vulnerable at the back and fell foul of too many set pieces from other teams.
Of course, ultimate responsibility for the lack of a trophy sits with Postecoglou. He now faces the challenge going forward of finding solutions to the weaknesses that have been exposed. However, there's no escaping the reality that the players must also shoulder the blame. They are given the direction and the tactics, but only they can control exactly what happens on the field.
The club has significant financial backing, and in fact has one of the most profitable stadiums in the world, but you have to question how long the owners will continue to throw money at the issue.
With the 2024/2025 season edging ever closer, should Tottenham fans be entering it with a sense of anticipation? Are there good reasons to think that this season could be the one that brings the trophy drought to an end? Or, is a better approach one of not building hope? The answer? No one really knows.
There's no doubt that the season ahead will be a challenging one, but that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a sense of optimism. We have seen how Postecoglou has laid solid foundations at the club, and the expectation of him delivering in his first season may have been too much. He has now had the time to settle in, get to know the players, and fully adapt to the post-Kane era.
When you look at Postecoglou's history, and his major successes, it's clear that he is more than capable. Should the club go through another season with a lack of a trophy, then there will need to be some serious questions asked. This is a manager who delivers and if he can't do this at Spurs then it may well be that there are far deeper issues to resolve.
Something that can be said with certainty is that Spurs will continue to play entertaining football. Should the silverware not come with it, this could well turn out to be Postecoglou's last season in charge. The players now owe it to him to deliver.
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