Following the 4-3 loss to Chelsea on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou's tenure at Tottenham is on the rocks.
The club's regular cycle of appointing new managers every 18 months has failed time and time again, so what is the real problem?
Since Enik came in and Daniel Levy took over as chairman from Alan Sugar in 2001, the north London 'franchise' has won just one trophy: the League Cup in 2008 – or as it was known then, the Carling Cup.
Tottenham have come close to reaching the finals several times and have reached the end of the game in the Champions League, but have never gotten over the line no matter who was in charge.
Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, all successful managers in their own right, have been unable to achieve success with their limited squads.
But in Tottenham's final term under their current Australian coach, there has been evidence they can compete.
Full time. pic.twitter.com/zjV2kNjudI
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 8, 2024
The 4-0 win over Manchester City, the win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and the win over Aston Villa were the highs of Postecoglou's era.
However, such heights have been rare to see, and in mid-December 2024, with the club sitting in 11th place, things look as bleak as ever.
Fans have pointed the finger at many different interests: the owner, the chairman, the recruiter, the manager.
The sad reality of the situation at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is that football may no longer be the main concern of the officials.
“ENIC EXIT” movement.
“ENIC Out” and “Profit Before Glory” are two phrases you often see across social media when fans refer to ownership at Tottenham.
Joe Lewis was the leading figure in the sports entertainment group before passing his shares to his children in 2022, with the Lewis Family Trust now owning the majority of the club.
But just as United fans did to the Glazers, the Spurs have increasingly criticized those at the top of the tree in the hope of bringing about change.
🚨🥇| the #Tottenham Locker room behind Angie Postecoglou.
The Spurs squad, including those who have been in and out of the team recently, enjoy Postecoglou's style and coaching methods.@TomAllnutt_ pic.twitter.com/yb0vX0Fmyi
– Tottenham Express (@TheSpursExpress) December 9, 2024
Protests against lack of investment, poor management choices, and skyrocketing ticket prices have been organized in the past, although none of them have ever gained much momentum.
Only a few people were spotted outside the stadium carrying purple and gold sporting flags and banners, but they ultimately failed to attract the attention of the mainstream media and, more importantly, the Lewis family itself.
There has been talk of outside investment in recent months, raising hope among the fanbase that a new era may be on the horizon.
Amanda Staveley, formerly of Newcastle and with numerous connections in the Middle East, has been touted for a significant cash injection into the club, although there has been no official word on whether talks are progressing despite being seen in the stands several times this season.
Tottenham fans' desire to replace owners may have stemmed from jealousy after seeing the success of other clubs in the Premier League.
Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa have all seen their fortunes change for the better following a change in ownership, with the common theme being more investment on the pitch.
🚨🚨| Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodosi, former owners of Newcastle United, are in advanced talks to buy a stake in Tottenham. ⚪💰
(@Mirror Football) pic.twitter.com/OTTVB3UG92
– Objectives of the center. (@centregoals) September 30, 2024
Despite all this, the long-term and short-term management of the club never fell to ENIC or Joe Lewis, but to the man they appointed to the board 24 years ago.
Levy Empire
Daniel Levy has transformed Tottenham, for better or worse.
During its eternal existence, the club has become one of the most recognizable and profitable brands in the world.
He has built one of the best training complexes on the planet, often used by the national teams and the Three Lions themselves during international breaks.
Spurs attract many tourists to the spectacle that is their stadium, whether it is for football or NFL matches, stadium tours, skywalks, concerts or go-karting.
But purists will tell you that's the problem.
You
– Billy (@Billie_T) December 9, 2024
Evidence suggests that these distractions have taken Levy's focus away from winning football trophies and there are arguments for and against this.
In the last 18 months, there has been a focus on reducing Tottenham's wage bill.
Harry Kane, Ivan Perisic, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso are four examples of the club's high earners who left and whose replacements were far less valuable.
Archie Gray, Lukas Bergvall, and Min Hyuk Yang are 18 years old and investing in the future.
Dominic Solanke was the only regular starter named in the summer, and given that Spurs finished fifth last season, it won't be enough to push them into contention for major trophies or even contention on all four fronts.
Since Levy took over as chairman, the Lilywhites have spent £1.5bn on transfers. For additional context, Todd Buhle has shelled out £1bn since buying Chelsea in 2022.
Along the way, Levy has amassed just under £1 billion in player sales through the sale of some of the club's greatest players including Kane, Gareth Bale, Kyle Walker, Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric.
Whenever the club is on the verge of success, it takes two steps back.
The aftermath of the Champions League final saw little or no investment in the team. Jose Mourinho was sacked days before the cup final.
Antonio Conte was very vocal about the broken promises during his time as manager and he left in a blaze of glory – we all remember his dramatic interview after the draw with Southampton.
So it's very easy to see why the vast majority of Tottenham fans have such a big problem with their boss.
“Someone else should be in charge of this football club” 😳@Carra23 Thinks it may be time for Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur to part ways 👀⚪ pic.twitter.com/VXzmiiwv85
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2024
Now critics are starting to weigh in, with Jamie Carragher pointing out that Levy's methods do not pave the way for success when it comes to football.
“They changed a lot of managers,” he said.
“We talk about Daniel Levy a lot. What Daniel Levy has done here in terms of the training ground and this for me is the best stadium in the world.
“And that's the strength of Daniel Levy in terms of a really stable football club. The pitch he delivered. He delivered the training ground.
“Maybe it's time for someone else to come in because they haven't won a title in that period of time, with the coaches they've been under.
“They've never gone out of their way in the transfer market, they've spent good money without outselling other teams, you know. The wage bill is always one of the smallest. You'll never get the best players.
“So this may be the right time for Daniel Levy – who I've been a supporter of because you look at the actual work he does – but now that that work has been done, in terms of the stadium and the training ground, someone else needs to be in charge of this football club. “
Lack of leaders
Aside from the politics off the field, there were always problems on the field.
There is a weak mentality ingrained at the heart of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and this is evident to this day.
Being 2-0 up at home against one of your biggest rivals in Chelsea and then allowing them to score four goals and win the game is an unforgivable crime in the eyes of Spurs fans.
But the truth is that they are all used to it.
Of the last five cup finals, only one match has ended in the trophy being lifted.
“There are no leaders in this Tottenham team!” 😬
The defeat to Chelsea was the 11th time Tottenham had lost in the Premier League after leading by more than two goals… 😳
…four times more than any other team! 🫣@DFletcherSport #BBC Football #TOTCHE #Premier League pic.twitter.com/11C74HghUp
– BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) December 8, 2024
Former captain Hugo Lloris recently spoke of the bizarre moment Levi handed them all the engraved watches following the Champions League final and had the words 'finalists' engraved on the back.
Current defender Cristian Romero has now questioned the club's desire to win in a recent interview.
He said: “The truth is that I will not say any comment, but… Manchester City competes every year, and you see how Liverpool strengthens its team, and Chelsea strengthens its team, and does not perform well, and strengthens its strength again, and now they see results.
“Those are the things to emulate. You have to realize that something is going wrong, and hopefully they will realize that.”
“In the last few years, it's always been the same: first, the players change, then the coaching staff changes, and it's always the same people in charge.
“We hope they realize who are really responsible, and we move forward because it is a beautiful club that, with its structure, can easily compete for the title every year.”
Christian Romero highlights the real problem at Tottenham. 👀 pic.twitter.com/8qt4cMYl7S
– talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) December 10, 2024
Since the departure of Lloris and Kane, Heung-Min Son has taken over the captaincy, with Romero and James Maddison as his deputies.
But again there is a huge lack of combat in the games. Instead of a warrior and a winner at every position, there are only one or two true leaders at Spurs.
If they want to win titles, that has to change.
Is Angelo the solution?
Things haven't been perfect for Postecoglou, and he's not immune from blame either.
The facts are that Tottenham have lost six of their 15 league games this season, handing Ipswich and Crystal Palace their first wins of the season and losing to their biggest rivals at home.
But the injury epidemic that has spread in the white half of north London limits the potential of this side.
Inconsistency is the word that the Australian coach spreads and he has proven that he is capable of coaching his team to a very high level, but not to the extent that the fans would like.
“Ange Postecoglou is not under any pressure currently.” 🗣️
Reporter Michael Bridge discusses Ange Postecoglou's future with Tottenham in 11th place after seven league defeats ⚪ pic.twitter.com/PkKwXDtUIm
– Sky Sports News (SkySportsNews) December 10, 2024
There are problems with its management. Substitutions and stubbornness when it comes to adapting his tactics during matches to win are two issues that have been highlighted, but many fans will also tell you that they haven't enjoyed watching Spurs (at their best) this much in years.
Given his attacking philosophy and the way he deals with the media, Postecoglou has laid the foundations for success during his short tenure so far.
But it needs support, and not just from young prospects.
The January transfer window could be make or break for the former Celtic boss.
If he can attract some top talent to Tottenham and help turn their season around in 2025, there are sure to be more impressive results like against City on the horizon.
But whether he can translate this bizarre big win into continued success and eventually silverware remains largely unknown.
