Soccer

Ange Postecoglou on thin ice at Tottenham but Levy still hoping for turnaround

Manager to stay on for Hoffenheim and Leicester games

Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
David Hytner
Mon Jan 20 2025 - 15:42

Daniel Levy intends to give Ange Postecoglou the opportunity to revive Tottenham’s fortunes, with the under-pressure manager set to remain in charge for this week’s matches against Hoffenheim in the Europa League and Leicester in the Premier League, although the situation is precarious.

Levy would normally be expected to sack a manager who has presided over a league run of five points from 10 matches, as Postecoglou has done to leave the club languishing in 15th place. The 3-2 defeat at Everton on Sunday was the latest low, with Spurs 3-0 down at half-time to a team that had scored 15 goals in 20 previous league matches this season. Their rally towards the end did not obscure the faultlines.

Daniel Levy intends to give Ange Postecoglou the opportunity to revive Tottenham’s fortunes, with the under-pressure manager set to remain in charge for this week’s matches against Hoffenheim in the Europa League and Leicester in the Premier League, although the situation is precarious.

Levy would normally be expected to sack a manager who has presided over a league run of five points from 10 matches, as Postecoglou has done to leave the club languishing in 15th place. The 3-2 defeat at Everton on Sunday was the latest low, with Spurs 3-0 down at half-time to a team that had scored 15 goals in 20 previous league matches this season. Their rally towards the end did not obscure the faultlines.

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No chairman wants to make a managerial change in the middle of the season, especially when there is no obvious replacement available. Postecoglou has been able to guide his team to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, in which they hold a 1-0 lead against Liverpool going into the second leg at Anfield on 6 February.

Spurs are ninth in the Europa League table, well set to qualify for the knockout phase. If they finish in the top eight they will advance straight to the last 16. Hoffenheim are enduring a terrible season: fourth from bottom of the Bundesliga, 26th in the Europa League. Spurs finish their group campaign with a home tie against Elfsborg on Thursday week. Remarkably, they are still the favourites to win the competition with many bookmakers. The Europa League winners qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Spurs’ only league win of the dismal current sequence came at bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Yet Levy knows that when Postecoglou’s team click with all of the main players available, they are capable of thrilling football and results. It was only two months ago they won 4-0 at Manchester City. The Carabao Cup first-leg win over Liverpool came the Wednesday before last. – Guardian