Last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United marked Postecoglou's 58th Premier League game in charge, making him the longest-serving Spurs manager since Mauricio Pochettino. That means the Australian has surpassed predecessors Antonio Conte (56 games) and Jose Mourinho (58 games but with a better record).
However, comparing Postecoglou's performance with Conte or Mourinho shows a significant difference. Mourinho has 95 points from 58 matches (1.64 points/match), Conte has 105 points from 56 matches (1.875 points/match), while Postecoglou has only 90 points after 58 matches (1.55 points/match). These numbers make many fans skeptical about the team's real progress under the 59-year-old captain.
But it’s worth putting these numbers into the context of the reality facing Postecoglou. Mourinho and Conte took over teams that already had veteran stars like Harry Kane and Son Heung-min at their peak. The Australian, on the other hand, has not only lost Kane but has had to rebuild the team from scratch.
In addition, Ange Postecoglou’s strategy was to improve the team’s overall play, introducing an emotional, attacking style of football, rather than focusing solely on short-term results like his two predecessors. This high-intensity style posed major challenges due to a tight fixture list and a lack of squad depth. As a result, a number of key players suffered injuries.
Against Newcastle, Tottenham had to play with a patchwork lineup, including goalkeeper Brandon Austin, full-back Djed Spence at centre-back and Sergio Reguilon returning at left-back. Despite that, Spurs still showed strong fighting spirit.
The second half saw the “Roosters” dominate, especially in ball control and creating chances. If Postecoglou’s team had been a little more calm in the finishing phase, they could have achieved a positive result. Clearly, this was a better performance than expected considering the personnel situation.
One of the important lessons for Tottenham could come from Newcastle. In the 2022-2023 season, the Magpies also faced a serious injury crisis when having to compete in many arenas, leading to a series of poor performances from December to March. However, when the pillars returned, the St. James' Park team revived and won a ticket to the Champions League.
Tottenham can absolutely use Newcastle as a model to overcome the current difficulties. The dismissal of Postecoglou at this time is not only unfair, but also shows a lack of patience in building the team.
Despite their poor Premier League form, Spurs' season is not over. They still have a chance in the League Cup, where they face Liverpool in the semi-final first leg in midweek. Winning the competition could help to make up for the disappointment of the last two campaigns.
In addition, Tottenham is still maintaining its position in the Europa League. With a not too stressful schedule in the coming time, this is an opportunity for Ange Postecoglou to take advantage and rebuild the trust of the fans.
Firing him now will not solve the problem and will only continue Tottenham’s vicious cycle of constant manager changes. The journey back to the status of a title-contending team requires patience and a long-term vision, something Postecoglou deserves from the board and Spurs fans.
