When Ange Postecoglou and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario were asked about their recent 0-1 loss to Crystal Palace, both emphasized a common theme, Tottenham did not play aggressively enough to win.
A year ago, the "Roosters" topped the Premier League rankings after winning 8/10 of their first matches under the leadership of new captain Ange Postecoglou. All of his decisions have brought positive results. However, the current situation has changed a lot. The North London team can beat strong opponents like Man United but then lose to Brighton or Crystal Palace.
Even in the 4-1 win over West Ham, Spurs were in trouble in the first half when Postecoglou described the match as a boxing match. To cope, the Australian replaced James Maddison with Pape Matar Sarr, a stronger player.
It is worth noting that these inconsistent performances are not a new problem. This situation did not only appear when Postecoglou first arrived, but has now become a major problem that has hindered Tottenham's development this season.
Tottenham have lost four of their nine games this season. This is not good enough for a team with ambitions of being in the Top 4 or dreaming of winning a title. Spurs' victories often come when they take an early lead. In contrast, in tense and challenging matches, Postecoglou's side were completely deadlocked.
In fact, the Tottenham captain wants to bring beautiful football to every match. After the match against Brighton, Postecoglou stressed that he did not want to be "pledged" just for equalizing in the last minute while the whole team did not play well.
In football, the better team sometimes loses due to bad luck. Champions sometimes need this or abandon familiar playing styles to win. Even Man City and Arsenal have had a few victories with a minimal difference against weaker opponents this season.
Tottenham under Postecoglou has changed a lot when always taking the initiative to control the ball and attack with dedication. However, this is still a young team, which leads to players often losing their cool and making many unnecessary mistakes.
A typical example is Dejan Kulusevski in the match against Crystal Palace when the Swedish midfielder was cautioned for arguing with the referee. Although he has been one of Tottenham's best players this season, Postecoglou decided to take off the field to avoid the risk of receiving more cards. This shows that the "Roosters" are not yet fully mature in their playing style and there are many things to improve.
After an impressive debut season, expectations for Tottenham under Postecoglou are increasing. There have been positive signs in the past few months, but recent mixed results are a reminder that progress does not always go smoothly.
To truly reach the next level, Tottenham need to learn how to win even if they can't play the beautiful football that Postecoglou wants.
