To Dare Is To Do
In the wake of a disappointing result away at AZ Alkmaar, many of the Spurs’ faithful are calling for Ange Postecoglou’s head. This is predictable; it is also mistaken. Since February 2001, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has overseen the rise and fall of sixteen managers. You heard that right. Some of the notable names include Redknapp, Mourinho, Conte, Espírito Santo, and Pochettino. With such a plethora of managerial changes and none in the chariman’s office, fans are left to wonder whether the gaffer really is to blame. As a fan pub-convo diatribe, I will now argue four reasons why Spurs fans must give Ange more time and, more controversially, why this season was a net-success.
We survived relegation. Now, it is a bit ludicrous to be speaking about Tottenham and relegation in the same sentence but, alas, the Red Devils are right there with them. In a season with many surprises (Nottingham Forest is clinging onto third place!), surviving relegation is an accomplishment. Especially considering our injuries, ensuring that we remain in the top flight of English football is imperative.
We could still possibly win European silverware and, if so, qualify for next season’s Champions League. Despite our poor performance in Holland, we return to our home ground with only a one goal deficit. If we were to make it beyond AZ Alkmaar, we would most likely face Eintracht Frankfurt and Lazio (both winnable fixtures) on our path to the finals. And, of course, if we were to meet the Red Devils in the finals, we would hope that United’s recent run of form would implore us to give it a real go. So, hear me out, we may be out of the FA Cup and League Cup, but silverware is still on the table.
Because of our horrific injury run this season, numerous players have had to step up and perform. Most notable has been Djed Spence, arguably our most in-form player who has become a dynamic inverted fullback for us after previously being loaned out season after season. Who else suffered this same fate before bursting onto the scene? None other than Harry Kane. Elsewhere, the youngsters Archie Gray, Mikey Moore, and Dane Scarlett have all impressed and Lucas Bergvall was even dubbed by Pep Guardiola as “unstoppable.” As Ange chose the youngest Spurs side ever in our encouraging performance against City, Tottenham have youth on their side. Speaking of youth, I’d be remiss to not mention Mathys Tel, the French forward acquired from Bayern Munich on loan with a 45 million pound option to buy. Tel has looked really lively and industrious since filling in for Solanke and has even garnered comparisons to Thierry Henry (to the definite chagrin of the Arsenal faithful). Oh yeah, and Austrian centerback Kevin Danso has been a rock at the heart of our defense.
This season, Ange has again and again reasserted our squad identity and style of play. When we are at full strength with Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie, Madders, and Solanke all fit, we look to be a real threat. Recall our 4-0 win against Everton in August or our 3-0 win at Old Trafford in September. Yes, when we are firing on all cylinders and playing scintillating, attacking football, we are one of the best teams in the top flight. On the flip side, need I remind you of our disastrous December game against Chelsea where, despite only losing by one goal, we lost numerous players to injury and were left in utter disarray. Overall, our next two games against Manchester United and AZ Alkmaar will be crucial to ensuring our stability in the Premier League and success in Europe, respectively.
Come on ye Spurs!
