Under Postecoglou, Spurs have prided themselves on taking the game to opponents but they did not have a single shot on target against a Liverpool side who barely got out of third gear, had only eight touches in their opponents’ box and looked far more like the team whose season might depend on a result.
A midfield three of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr – all hopelessly overrun – was designed to shackle Liverpool rather than create, while starting Dejan Kulusevski, who looked exhausted, in the front three rather than at No8 and Archie Gray over Pedro Porro (who admittedly needed a rest) at right-back were further pointers that Postecoglou wanted his side to prioritise defending over inflicting more damage on their hosts.
Postecoglou has suggested that the free week between Sunday and Manchester United's visit in the Premier League, during which a host of his injured players are slated to return to full training, could be transformative but we cannot keep deferring judgment on Spurs' season.
But Spurs' limp performance felt less about tactics and more about an utter lack of belief or conviction that they could get a result at Anfield, a failing that felt tied in with their set-up and must rest with Postecoglou first and foremost.
It is overblown to suggest the Australian has lost his players or lost his way, but the one big caveat to Spurs' dreadful league form this winter has been the players' obvious determination to keep fighting for the coach and playing their football.
