Ange Postecoglou on the brink amid Tottenham downfall

Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is perilously close to being relieved of his duties amid Spurs’ worst domestic campaign in over a decade.

Appointed in the summer of 2023 and initially perceived as the face of a revolution, Postecoglou defied numerous setbacks in his first season in North London to steer Spurs to a commendable fifth-place finish.

Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich days before Tottenham’s first season under the 59-year-old kicked off, casting doubt on the club’s lofty ambitions in the Premier League.

Yet, they finished a whisker off the top four, outperforming all doomsayers’ predictions despite failing to replace arguably the club’s best-ever player for a year.

Postecoglou might have hit the ceiling in his first year in charge, and spirits were at an all-time high in the post-Mauricio Pochettino era heading into his second season in the dugout.

However, everything has come crashing down this term, with Tottenham sinking to new lows, sliding to 15th in the Premier League table despite boasting the division’s scoring record.

Dreadful run

Fans using ExpressVPN, Tottenham’s very own digital privacy partner, to follow Spurs in live action via online streaming platforms watched in disbelief as relegation-threatened Everton humbled Postecoglou’s side 3-2 at Goodison Park last weekend.

It was Tottenham’s 12th top-flight defeat this season and eighth across their last ten league outings, highlighting the gravity of the situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Postecoglou is running out of excuses, while chairman Daniel Levy and his associates are about to run out of patience with their underperforming manager.

Spurs’ fall off a cliff demands immediate actions, and the former Celtic boss will likely pay the price for an epic downfall unless he turns his team’s fortunes around this week.

Tottenham are no longer part of Premier League top-four conversations.

However, they could soon find themselves dragged into a relegation battle if Postecoglou fails to halt their downward spiral, starting against Leicester City next weekend.

Suitable profile

With Spurs sleepwalking into a relegation battle, the walls are closing in on Postecoglou.

His time could soon be up, and Tottenham can’t waste time finding a suitable replacement. Unfortunately, market opportunities are at a premium.

Given the circumstances, Levy may want to appoint a ‘wartime’ manager, especially after going down the ‘serial winner’ route with Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho yielded infamous results.

The Lilywhites could’ve tried to lure Graham Potter, but that ship has sailed after West Ham United beat them to the punch to replace Julen Lopetegui.

Everton’s appointment of David Moyes could be the recipe Levy may want to copy-paste, as Spurs need someone experienced and well-versed in navigating Premier League challenges.

Former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic was among the potential candidates to succeed Postecoglou, but hiring him would be a gamble Tottenham can’t afford to take right now.

Divided opinions

Though Express Sport lists five potential players Tottenham could sign to salvage their manager’s career in London, the idea of dismissal remains prevalent.

Bookmakers consider Postecoglou the frontrunner to be the next Premier League manager sacked, with Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso emerging as the club’s top targets to fill the vacancy in the dugout.

However, Spurs can’t realistically hope to sign either this winter.

As such, appointing a short-term replacement could be the only viable scenario should Levy show the Aussie tactician the door.

Postecoglou is a polarising figure. Despite his eye-pleasing style, he has proved unwilling to give up his all-out-attack approach, even though Spurs can’t defend and concede at will.

Perhaps Sean Dyche could be a temporary solution.

Recently fired by Everton, Dyche is a master of defensive football and could at least shore up Spurs’ gaps at the back, laying the foundation for a new permanent boss.