Tottenham suffered their fourth successive defeat in the Premier League as they were beaten 4-2 by Liverpool at Anfield. Ange Postecoglou’s future is up for debate, with Spurs very likely to miss out on Champions League qualification this season
7:11, UK, Monday 06 May 2024
Gary Neville insisted Tottenham must keep faith with under-fire head coach Ange Postecoglou and back him in the transfer market after Sunday’s 4-2 defeat by Liverpool.
Spurs have now lost four consecutive Premier League games for the first time in 20 years, ending their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League this season.
There was a fight between the players in the heavy loss at Anfield, with Emerson Royal and Christian Romero having to be separated on the way to the tunnel at half-time.
Spurs are now seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with just three games remaining, with their season in danger of collapsing completely after a positive start following Postecoglou’s appointment.
Neville believes the Australian is still the right man for the job, and that his support is needed to improve the squad to implement his style of play more effectively.
“I don’t know if there’s a bit of fatigue or a bit of a disconnect at the end,” he said of Tottenham’s lackluster last season.
“The manager seems – and I say this with respect – as if he has trusted them a little bit less during this period than at the start of the season.
“It’s natural when they’re not doing exactly what he wants them to do.
“When Spurs play the way they play under Ange Postecoglou, it’s pace or nothing, that’s when it looks really bad. There’s no in-between.
“It’s like Liverpool have been for the last seven or eight years. I think when Liverpool are at their best when they’re really electric.
“It’s the same with Spurs and when it’s not there it really stands out more than other teams.
“So I think he’s going to be a little bit annoyed by that in the last couple of weeks and he’s already going to be thinking, ‘Who’s going to get on the bus next season and who’s not?’
“What kind of players is he going to sign at the end of the season? One thing he’s not going to do is give up his values and principles – he’s going to play his way – so he’s going to bring in players like that. Going his own way
“I hope the club will really back him because this is a guy to get behind. The last four years have been really bad at Spurs – sometimes you look at them and think you know what you’re getting. Going to do it, but it’s not Spurs.
Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal clashed at half-time with Spurs 2-0 down, with Guglielmo Vicario separating the pair.
“Spurs have got a style, a character and a personality as a football club – there is arrogance in the way they play – and he brings all of those things.
“They have to invest in that. I know they’ve finished fourth and second at times in the last seven or eight years but the fans should be really happy with how they’re finishing fifth.
“Sometimes for football fans, that’s how you finish fifth, that’s how you lose, because you know you’re going to have a good time. He’s brought highs this season.”
Ken: Give the man a chance
Roy Keane agreed with Neville that Postecoglou should be given more time but insisted he faces a battle to change perceptions of Spurs as soft touch.
“Rightly or wrongly, we’re looking at the last three, four or five games, but if you think back to the start of the season, there were big challenges,” Kane said.
“He was new to the Premier League, there were question marks on his CV, which was unfair. But he’s had a pretty good season.
“It’s only been in the last couple of games where they’ve dropped off. You start analyzing Spurs and Spurs think they’ve always been soft. He’s got to try to change that.
“He’ll look at some positives at the end of the season, but to get to the next level, when you’re fifth or sixth, the next step to compete and go to the Champions League is the hardest step. A Opportunity.”
Redknapp: Market transition won’t be easy
Jamie Redknapp, meanwhile, insists Postecoglou will have to make a strong start next season if he is to stay at the club and has warned that he is unlikely to benefit from the kind of spending power that has led to rivals Arsenal. helped sign Declan Rice last year.
“There have been real positives,” said Redknapp of Postecoglou’s first season. “At the beginning of the year, it was great.
“I remember when they beat Aston Villa 4-0, I thought they were certain to go into the top four. But the next week they lost 3-0 to Fulham, then completely apart. Done.
“If you look at this period of the last few games, they’re 4-0 down at Newcastle, 3-0 at Arsenal, 4-0 down at Liverpool today.
“It’s not sustainable. It’s not good enough and it can’t be at that level because you’ll keep getting chins.
“Next year, what about the players they want to buy?
“You looked at Arsenal last summer. They knew what they needed. They said, ‘Let’s get Declan Rice in and really go right.’ That’s what they do.
“Whereas, with Spurs, that’s never going to happen. It’s always going to be a little more difficult. Ainge will find it difficult.
“I still believe he is a good manager for the club but he has to make sure he gets off to a good start next year.”
Credit : www.skysports.com