From injury hell to ending trophy drought, why Tottenham...

FAIR to say Tottenham fans are conflicted about Ange Postecoglou right now. Alarmed by the team’s slide down the league and last week’s exit from the cups, some are beginning to question whether he is the right man for the job. Most understand that his crippling crock crisis has decimated his season, and many feel it is only fair to judge him properly when he has his key men back. Numbers crunched by SunSport have shown Spurs have had it far worse with injuries this term than any English club competing in Europe.

Image Credit: The Sun [Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou reacts on the touchline.]

Though others feel it is not enough to explain away the awful league form and have serious reservations about how open the team can be, particularly in midfield. Ultimately, the only person’s opinion that really matters is that of the man who does the hiring and firing - chairman Daniel Levy. The supremo, who turned 63 on Saturday, has never had a problem dismissing bosses before, having axed 12 permanent managers previously in his 25-year tenure.

Image Credit: The Sun [Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, at a soccer match.]

Yet he has resisted the urge to make a change this season despite Spurs plummeting to 14th and exiting the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Levy himself is believed to have sympathy for the severity of the injury situation, with ELEVEN first-team players sidelined against Aston Villa on Sunday. It is a big factor as to why Postecoglou is still in a job and expected to remain so going into Manchester United at home on Sunday.

Image Credit: The Sun [Richarlison of Tottenham Hotspur receiving medical attention on the field.]

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. But there is a good argument to be had to believe Spurs will likely keep faith with Postecoglou for the remainder of the campaign at the very least - barring an absolute disaster. Beyond the hierarchy’s understanding regarding injuries, there is the fact that the club are still in the Europa League, which, when they have their stars back, they have a genuine chance of winning.

Image Credit: The Sun [Illustration of a ranked list showing the number of injuries and absences for English clubs competing in Europe.]

That would not only provide them a route back into the Champions League but also end their 17-year trophy drought. Victory last weekend at Brentford has allayed any fears of being sucked into a relegation fight. The gap to the drop zone is ten points and given the big-hitters are returning, it is fair to expect the dire league form only to improve from here. Crucially, Postecoglou is believed still to have the players behind him.

Image Credit: The Sun [Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur manager, speaks with Dejan Kulusevski.]

Star player Dejan Kulusevski was emphatic in his response as to why the 59-year-old was still the right man for Spurs when speaking to the media a fortnight ago. The Swede replied: “Because we had games when we showed perfect football. “Football that not many teams can play in the world. We played beautiful games against United, against City 4-0 so I think he is the right man. “We play for him. We want to win for him and to be honest we have similar ideas.

Image Credit: The Sun [Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur chairman, at a Premier League match.]

“I am very positive as a guy and I always want to play that football he wants. “I have to fight for him because I believe in that football too. Yes, I think he’s the right man.”. As difficult as the last ten days have been, victories over Elfsborg and Brentford proved Postecoglou can still get results even with his absentee list being in double figures. Making a change before the end of the season would likely result in the embarrassing scenario of a caretaker having to be put in charge again.

That potentially could be Ryan Mason for a third time, after short stints following Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s exits. That is because to lure a permanent successor, such as Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth or Kieran McKenna from Ipswich, two bosses understood to be appreciated by the Spurs’ higher-ups, mid-season is viewed as very difficult to pull off. There would also be the factor of having to pay off yet another manager, with Postecoglou contracted until 2027 and believed to be on £6million a year.

Levy in particular has found himself to be Public Enemy No1 in recent weeks with fans relentlessly calling for him to go during the Villa game. The heat is already mainly on him but it would be on him and him alone if he axes yet another manager. All of this is not to say that Postecoglou is bullet-proof between now and the end of the season, by any stretch. Lose the players or see his relationship with Levy break down and it would likely be terminal for the Aussie.

While the pressure to deliver will crank up when his players return and absentees can no longer be an excuse, as legitimate a one as it has been these past few months. But there has been a desire from the Spurs’ hierarchy to give Postecoglou time - perhaps more time than his predecessors - to prove he is the man for the task. So for the Spurs fans who have had enough already and are calling for change before the season is out, Levy’s uncharacteristic resolve so far would suggest they should not bank on it happening.