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Carlo Ancelotti, the esteemed manager of Real Madrid, has attributed the team’s recent slump to a lack of cohesion and unity among the players, rather than singling out individual players like Vinícius Júnior for their disappointing performances. Vinícius has faced intense scrutiny from fans and pundits alike, particularly after being whistled by some supporters during …

When Ange Postecoglou took the reins at Tottenham Hotspur, he arrived with a solid résumé built through success in less prestigious footballing arenas. His most notable achievements came with Celtic in Scotland, where he played an exciting brand of football and racked up silverware. However, Postecoglou had yet to be tested in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and questions lingered over whether his tactics could translate at the highest level of club football.Despite those doubts, Postecoglou quickly won over many supporters and pundits alike in north London, thanks to his bold and expressive style of play. Spurs fans, long-starved of free-flowing, attacking football, found new hope in his aggressive and fearless approach. His debut season began with a flurry of promise. Tottenham went unbeaten in their first 10 Premier League matches, an impressive run that actually earned them two more points than Arsenal achieved during the same period in their legendary Invincibles season. It seemed like the dawn of a new era at Tottenham.However, as quickly as things rose, they began to unravel. The very recklessness that made Postecoglou’s football so enjoyable to watch soon became its Achilles’ heel. Opposing teams began to pick apart Spurs’ vulnerabilities — particularly their high defensive line and lack of structure in transitions — and results began to suffer.Now, well into his second season in charge, Postecoglou finds himself in troubled waters. Tottenham have plummeted to 15th place in the Premier League standings, sitting just two points above the relegation zone. Their most recent setback — a 4-2 defeat against Wolves — marked their 17th league loss of the season, and fans are starting to voice concerns about the direction the club is heading under the Australian’s leadership.Adding fuel to the fire are resurfaced comments about Postecoglou’s training methods and tactical philosophy. Eric Dier, a long-serving Tottenham defender who departed in January of Postecoglou’s first season, initially joined Bayern Munich on loan before making the move permanent. In a candid interview with Gary Neville, Dier was asked about the tactical depth of Postecoglou’s coaching. Neville, impressed by Spurs’ distinctive playing style, posed whether the Aussie was the most tactically advanced coach Dier had worked under.Dier’s response was surprisingly blunt — and revealing. He suggested that tactical detail wasn’t a major focus under Postecoglou. In an era where elite managers often obsess over every inch of the pitch, from pressing patterns to set-piece routines, it was a shocking admission. Postecoglou’s refusal to hire a set-piece coach only reinforced the idea that he places complete trust in his philosophy and instinct rather than the granular tactical work that has become standard practice at elite clubs.Such conviction might be admirable in theory, but with Tottenham’s form in freefall and fan frustration growing, it’s now being seen as a potential blind spot. As results continue to worsen, the pressure is mounting on Postecoglou to adapt. There’s growing sentiment that his unwillingness to embrace certain tactical conventions — particularly defensive solidity and structured planning — is costing Spurs dearly.With his job reportedly hanging in the balance, Postecoglou might need to reassess his approach. The charisma and daring football that once endeared him to the Spurs faithful are no longer enough on their own. Perhaps, in a league as competitive as the Premier League, even the most visionary managers must learn to balance ambition with pragmatism. And for Postecoglou, embracing more traditional methods might just be the key to turning Tottenham’s season around — and salvaging his tenure in north London.

Ange Postecoglou has endured yet another bitter blow in the Premier League, as his Tottenham Hotspur side slumped to their 17th defeat in just 32 top-flight matches this season. The Australian manager, once hailed for bringing attacking flair and a fresh identity to North London, now finds himself under mounting pressure with his job hanging by a thread.Spurs traveled to Molineux on Sunday to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in what many dubbed a must-win game. The stakes were high — Wolves, who had just nine points when Gary O’Neil was dismissed in December, were poised to close the gap to just two points with a win. Unfortunately for Tottenham, their defensive vulnerabilities and lack of intensity once again came back to haunt them as they fell to a 4-2 defeat. The result pushed them further down the table and intensified concerns over the club’s direction.If Tottenham fail to secure the Europa League title this season, it could go down as one of the most disappointing and forgettable campaigns in the club’s modern history. They only managed a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt at home, meaning the German side holds a slight edge heading into the return leg at the Deutsche Bank Park. A loss in Frankfurt could bring Spurs’ season to a premature and anticlimactic end, devoid of any silverware or meaningful progress.Such a scenario could spell the end for Postecoglou, whose initial promise has faded with the team’s continued inconsistency. There’s already growing speculation that Spurs may look to make a change before the season concludes — and one name that continues to surface is Thiago Motta.Motta has earned widespread acclaim for his recent managerial work, particularly with Bologna, where he guided the Serie A side to an impressive fifth-place finish. His tactical acumen and progressive football style saw him labeled a “genius” during his rise. That success earned him a move to Juventus in the summer, but despite losing just seven of his 42 games in charge, he only managed 18 wins and was ultimately dismissed in March.Still, Motta’s credentials remain impressive. He’s a four-time Serie A Coach of the Month winner and brings valuable European experience from this season’s Champions League campaign. These qualities have reportedly put him high on Tottenham’s managerial shortlist — with some sources suggesting he’s now their second choice behind Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.Iraola has performed miracles at Bournemouth, steering them from relegation favorites to a comfortable top-half team in just 18 months. His side plays an eye-catching, high-tempo style of football, and he’s overseen some astute signings like Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez. But despite his success, luring him away mid-season could be tricky.That’s where Motta has the edge. Currently without a club, he would require no compensation package and would likely leap at the opportunity to manage a Premier League giant. His availability makes him an attractive and low-risk option for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who may be tempted to act swiftly if results don’t improve.Sunday’s 4-2 defeat could have been even more damning. Had West Ham managed to beat Liverpool in the concurrent 2pm fixture, Spurs would’ve slumped as low as 16th in the table. Remarkably, Tottenham are not even mathematically safe from relegation yet — a staggering fall from grace for a club that began the season with such high hopes. Ipswich Town’s draw with Chelsea and Spurs’ own loss to Wolves means that, however unlikely, the newly-promoted Tractor Boys can still technically catch Postecoglou’s team in the closing weeks.For a club with ambitions of returning to the Champions League and competing for silverware, the current trajectory is unsustainable. And unless there’s a dramatic turnaround in both performances and results, Tottenham may be forced to pull the plug on the Postecoglou project — and look toward a new era under Thiago Motta.