At the start of the season everything seemed to be going in the right direction for Tottenham, with newly appointed Ange Postecoglou guiding his team to eight wins in ten games as they enjoyed an unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.
There was talk that Tottenham could win their first league title since 1961, but those discussions are now a distant memory, with Postecoglou’s side currently in the midst of a poor run of form as the season nears its end.
Although still mathematically possible, securing Champions League qualification looks like a difficult task for Tottenham, who have lost their last three games, including defeats against rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.
Confidence appears to have weakened at Tottenham in recent games and Postecoglou will be keen to ensure the problems are not repeated next season.
Mail Sport assesses why Tottenham have struggled lately.
After an excellent start to the season, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham are now struggling
Set-piece fights
Defending set pieces has proven to be a big problem for Postecoglou’s side, especially since December, and they have conceded 22 goals in such situations in the Premier League this season.
Postecoglou has stated that the issue does not particularly concern him: “I am not interested.” Never have been. No way.
‘This is not the first time I have been asked about set pieces in my career as a coach. “There is an underlying reason for this that I feel very, very comfortable with.”
Tottenham were again vulnerable from set pieces in their 2-0 loss to Chelsea and there are few signs of the situation improving any time soon. Trevoh Chalobah put Chelsea ahead with a header from a free kick before Nicolas Jackson made it 2-0 by finding the net after Cole Palmer’s free kick hit the crossbar.
Now that teams are fully aware that this is an area of vulnerability for Tottenham, they will look to exploit it as much as possible.
Too often, the positioning of players on set pieces has been ineffective and has given the opposition space to run. It’s an alarming situation that needs to be addressed, but it doesn’t look like things are going to change anytime soon.
Tottenham’s difficulties in defending set pieces have contributed to their woeful form.
Lack of quality depth.
There are certainly some talented players in the Tottenham squad, but there are also questions about the depth of the squad.
Although Son Heung-min has contributed 16 Premier League goals and Richarlison has scored ten, no other Tottenham player has reached double figures this season, and there remains a feeling that one of the reasons Spurs are struggling is not being able to replace Harry Kane.
Kane has continued to score regularly in the Bundesliga this season, netting 35 goals for Bayern Munich, and his presence would undoubtedly have improved this Tottenham team noticeably.
Some of Tottenham’s options from the bench are not convincing. Against Chelsea, for example, Bryan Gil came on as a substitute, but the winger appears to have no long-term future at the club.
The injury to Destiny Udogie, who put in excellent performances earlier in the campaign, has hit Tottenham hard, especially with Ben Davies, the club’s other main left-back option, also sidelined.
Not bringing in an important replacement for Harry Kane has not helped Tottenham’s cause
No plan B from Postecoglou
When Tottenham were crushing teams with Postecoglou’s attacking style of play, there was no need for the manager to consider altering his approach.
Now, however, Postecoglou remains committed to his style of play, even if it is no longer backed by results.
Despite the difficulties Tottenham are going through and how vulnerable their defense has been at times, Postecoglou has remained firm in his conviction that he will not alter his principles.
However, some adaptability is needed as clubs are now familiar with Tottenham’s style of play and know how to exploit their weaknesses.
Spurs are too open at times and there has also been a lack of cohesion.
Postecoglou needs to ensure his team has greater flexibility by controlling their attacking instincts when necessary.
Postecoglou has insisted that Tottenham continue playing in the same way despite being in trouble
The form of the great players has declined
At this point in the season you need your star players to stand up and be counted, but in many cases that hasn’t been the case for Tottenham.
James Maddison, for example, showed some encouraging signs after joining Tottenham from Leicester, but has neither scored nor assisted in his last seven league games.
Maddison only appeared as a substitute against Chelsea after struggling against Arsenal, and appears to lack his usual conviction regarding his passing.
Dejan Kulusevski, meanwhile, was subdued against Chelsea and has not scored in his last nine league games.
Postecoglou has needed some of his big players to step up, but that often hasn’t been the case at crucial moments.
James Maddison has started the season well but his recent form for Spurs has been worrying.
Lack of leadership and experience.
Another problem for Tottenham is the lack of experience in the squad.
Son and Davies are the only outfield players over 30, while, apart from Son, some of the standout stars have been 21-year-old Udogie and 23-year-old Micky van de Ven.
Bringing a bit more experience to the squad during the summer transfer window could be an important step forward for Tottenham.
A lack of leadership and experience has also been a factor behind Tottenham’s problems.
The lack of leadership in the squad is also a cause for concern, as Tottenham do not have many players capable of getting the team out of difficult situations.
Some of the players on the roster could become leaders, but more experience is needed.