What Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham clear-out might look like (2024)

Even at the lowest point of his Tottenham tenure, Ange Postecoglou might have felt a small sense of vindication.

There is no question that this run of four league defeats — Spurs’ worst for 20 years — is putting some pressure on Postecoglou with elements of the fanbase. The credit he generated with the brilliant start to the season is being spent fast. Even though Spurs will likely still finish the league campaign with a position many would have taken in August — in fifth and with a mid-60s points total — the way this spring has gone will leave plenty of legitimate questions at Postecoglou’s door over the summer.

The one thing that Postecoglou can always point to is that he has consistently been clear that this season would be tough — even in that thrilling start, he believed there was plenty of work to be done on the team. In his mind, the gap between where they are now and where they want to be cannot be bridged by simply improving their set pieces. For Postecoglou, the players are not yet at the point where they fully believe in his ideas and quite a few of them will have to be sold over the summer.

Watching the first hour at Anfield on Sunday, you might well say that for the most part, the team looked just as poor as they did at St James’ Park or Stamford Bridge in recent weeks. They had no presence in attack, failing to keep the ball in the opposition half or create any real opportunities, and they were disastrously open at the back, allowing Liverpool a big chance on goal every time they went forward. This was about more than just free kicks and corners, too — Spurs were getting sliced up in open play.

You could pin this on Postecoglou and say that the team has taken a worrying downturn in the last few months, that he seemingly keeps picking the wrong starting XI, requiring drastic second-half substitutions. You could say that the red flags of ‘Angeball’, the space they allow opponents to attack, are getting worse. To an extent, you would be right.

But you could also look at this and argue in the other direction: that this proves that Tottenham’s transitional process is still nowhere near done, and that if it is to work then Postecoglou needs to be backed this summer to continue his major surgery to the squad.

Postecoglou could not have been clearer in his press conference on Friday morning, just hours after the defeat at Stamford Bridge, about what he needs this summer. He spoke with his trademark candour about the need to get rid of players in the window, even good ones, to make sure everyone is on board with his style. “I’ve got to change this squad, I have to,” he said. “I’ve got to build a squad I think can play our football. For that to happen, there have to be exits.

“I can’t just keep everyone here and keep bringing in players. So sometimes you let people go who you think, ‘He’s a good player’ but how am I going to change if I don’t do that?”

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What was surprising about Spurs on Sunday, given what the manager said on Friday, was how many of the players looked remarkably unworried about the prospect of getting told at the end of the season that their agent should find them a new club. Instead, the players looked — not for the first time — as if they were more concerned with whether they should go to Miami or Ibiza when they get back from their post-season trip to Australia.

It was impossible not to wonder how many of these players will be a part of Postecoglou’s plans for next season. Of those who started, Guglielmo Vicario certainly will, as well as Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, who have had good seasons. Pape Matar Sarr has tailed off recently but can still be proud of his breakthrough year. It is a similar story for Brennan Johnson. Son Heung-min, too, obviously. But beyond them?

Midfield is a big problem — Postecoglou rotates every week but fails to find a combination that can control the game. Yves Bissouma has struggled after a good start and does not look like the sort of No 6 Spurs need. Rodrigo Bentancur has not yet fully recovered from a series of injuries. James Maddison has been a shadow of himself since his ankle problem. Although the club are not looking to sell Bissouma or Bentancur, there is a school of thought that they should be more ruthless with their outgoings and cash in on players before their value diminishes too much.

Spurs are not the same team without Richarlison as the No 9, because he is the only player they have who can hold the ball up but he is one of their most marketable assets. There is serious interest from Saudi Arabian clubs in a deal that would see Tottenham make their money back. Dejan Kulusevski is one of Spurs’ most talented players but it remains unclear whether Postecoglou sees him as a right-winger or a No 8 — neither position has brought out the best in him this season.

So it might be that Spurs have to find buyers for half a dozen players this summer, and not just the obvious candidates like Emerson Royal either. As Postecoglou said, sometimes good players have to be sold.

Whatever you think about Postecoglou — and this has still been a good season despite the wobble — there is little point in him being the manager if he is not going to be backed to develop a squad in his image. That means radical change this summer, selling first-teamers, and replacing them with true believers. If some of these players want to stay on board for next season, they need to start showing it.

(Top photos: Getty Images)