Tottenham have lost five of their last six Premier League games and drawn the other.
Ange Postecoglou is feeling the heat in the Tottenham dugout – but his job should be safe for now.
Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Everton was the latest blow in a troubling spell for Spurs, who have slipped down to 15th in the Premier League table. Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye put the Toffees in control, before Archie Gray turned into his own net to round off a miserable first half.
Postecoglou went all-out attack after the break and they got back to within one thanks to late goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison, but Tottenham still left empty-handed and sunk to their fifth defeat in six league games, with their only point on that run coming in a draw at home to relegation-threatened Wolves.
While the performances, results and league position reflect badly on Postecoglou, it is understood that the Spurs board are sympathetic to his situation. The Aussie is working with a threadbare squad – particularly in defence, where injuries have forced him to play 18-year-old Gray at centre-back.
According to football.london, Postecoglou had the ‘full backing’ of the Lilywhites hierarchy even after blowing a lead to lose the north London derby on Wednesday. Instead of putting their effort into finding a replacement, the Tottenham board are reportedly trying to support their manager with the right structures and people to get through a tough period.
And that position is unlikely to have flipped on its head four days later, and after just one more defeat
Postecoglou led Spurs to fifth place in his debut season, but crippling injury problems have prevented him from kicking on in his second campaign.
Centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario have all been huge misses during their long-term absences. The likes of Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert and Ben Davies have also been sidelined for long spells, meaning the manager has not even been able to rest and rotate his players in cup competitions.
Postecoglou has put his neck on the line by pointing out that he always wins things in his second year. Ending a Tottenham silverware drought which stretches back to 2008 would certainly boost his chances of staying on.
The north Londoners will take a one-goal lead into the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool early next month. They are also well-positioned to make the Europa League knockout stage, with two matches in the league phase remaining.
