Only A Return To Spursiness Would Be A Crisis For Ange

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When does a blip become a crisis?
It’s a question every football fan asks many times, and has as much to do with his club’s fallibility as his own nervous system.
Nor is it entirely due, that much, to position in the pecking order.
So-called lesser clubs can muddle along without burdening their fans with lofty expectations whereas at Manchester United, a crisis is only ever ‘three games away’ according to Roy Keane.
And so we come to Spurs.
Back in the pre-Postecoglou days of Spursiness, they would be prime candidates to turn a minor hiccup into a full-blown slump.
But the arrival of the 58-year-old Australian has had a remarkable galvanising effect.
He’s not only shown that they can play without Harry Kane but also made them a lot less Spursy.
Now, however, he faces his ultimate test.
The Lillywhites have just lost three games in a row and next up are away to Manchester City.
Barring the shock of the season, three defeats will become four.
Crisis? In the traditional sense, nah. And the words ‘Ange Out’ are yet to appear in tandem in this corner of north London.
But an injury crisis, if severe and prolonged, can turn a hiccup into a slump all on its own.
And Spurs have an injury crisis of epic proportions.
At the last count, no less than 11 players were out of action including several that made them surprise table toppers less than a month ago.
And this week, a player who had just come back after missing most of the year, was crocked for another three months.
The forgotten man is Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Betancur, who, it was hoped, would fill the gap left by playmaker James Maddison, another long-term casualty.
It’s not just raining at Tottenham, it’s the monsoon season. A good thing, then, that the sun shone on them back in the autumn.
That opening 10-game run of eight wins and two draws seems like another season now, and it’s hard to see them regaining that form with so many absentees.
Besides Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Cristiano Romero and Micky Van der Ven were all key to the success of what became known affectionately as ‘Ange Ball.’
None have played since and only Bissouma is likely to feature at the Etihad as he will have served his suspension.
But it will still be a makeshift side that takes on the Treble winners in their own fortress.
City don’t lose many in front of their own fans and when they looked like doing so for 45 uncharacteristically wayward minutes in midweek, they simply flicked a switch and normal service resumed.
Three second half goals were enough to turn a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 win over RB Leipzig.
If there had been a glimmer of hope for Spurs at half-time, the ruthless way it was snuffed out reminded them of the reality they’ll be facing.
Erling Haaland delivered once again and is looking ominous – especially as Spurs will be missing their two main centrebacks, Romero through suspension and Van der Ven through injury.
The combativeness of Romero and the pace of Van de Ven might have restricted the Norwegian but their replacements are not in the same class.
The Argentine-Dutch duo also provided a solid platform on which Maddison could work his artistry. The loss of all three has been devastating.
A left field replacement for the Englishman could be Bryan Gil. He’s a bit light weight and didn’t get a look-in under Antonio Conte.
But the Spaniard showed quick feet and an eye for an opening in his only game this season at Villa.
With two of Spurs’ best and available players being Son Heung-min on the left and unsung Swede Dejan Kulusevski on the right, Gil may be found a place to operate inside.
And the Korean, denied a hattrick by three narrow but correct offside rulings last weekend, will be out to exploit any repeat of the weaknesses City’s defence displayed in the Champions League.
Both Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were guilty of shocking defending and Spurs have the forwards to capitalise.
The likelihood here is that despite all the handicaps, Postecoglou will still try to attack.
That would be suicide for most teams if City are in the mood, but even in the dire straits the Aussie finds himself, he is not about to renounce what he calls his ‘religion’ – attacking football.
If it’s not too hard to imagine Spurs scoring at City, what is unlikely is them keeping out the champions.
Pep Guardiola’s men just possess too many options in an attack of all talents.
Four defeats in a row would be a reality check for Spurs but not enough to seriously dent confidence in their much-admired new manager.
He has enough credit in the bank to withstand such a barren run, but, of course, not forever.
With two more tough opponents in West Ham and Newcastle to face before the fixtures get easier, he could do with stopping the rot sooner rather than later.
How he handles this blip – and especially how he copes against Pep Guardiola – will be his ultimate test as a manager.
A tweak in tactics at half past midnight on Monday morning might be prudent and would not mean he was jettisoning his beliefs: just a bit of rope a dope to hit City on the counter.
Nope, a gallant defeat would not be the end of the world or the end of Ange Ball – as long as it wasn’t a return to Spursiness.
That would be a crisis. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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