Ange Postecoglou may have been managing his last game in charge of Tottenham as they lost 2-1 to Leicester City on Sunday – at least, that’s what one pundit thinks should be the case.
Leicester went into the game on the back of seven defeats in a row, but they came from behind against Tottenham to move just two places behind them in the table.
Spurs remain without a win in the Premier League in 2025 and the pressure is ramping up on Postecoglou. And passionate Spurs pundit Jamie O’Hara believes this could be the nail in the coffin for the manager.
Asked on Sky Sports News if this was the end of Postecoglou’s reign just before full time, O’Hara replied: “Maybe. I mean, this is unacceptable, the performance in the second half has been nowhere near good enough.
“I would love to say it’s been an onslaught and two goals conceded early on and Spurs have come out and tried to win a game, but they haven’t really done anything.
“Leicester keeper’s had nothing to do. No real clear cut chances, terrible performance again.
“I said in the first half, Tottenham weren’t great, they were a bit flat. Richarlison gets on the end of a great cross, but apart from that, they didn’t really do anything.
“Over the course of the 90 minutes, it’s been a really, really bad performance.
“I don’t know how Ange can keep losing games and keep his job.
“At the moment, this is nowhere near good enough and we could be looking at Postecoglou’s last game.”
And although the Australian tactician has blamed injuries for Spurs’ struggles, O’Hara insists he is in an untenable position which has been of his own doing too.
“I’ve never seen a team give the ball away so much in my life, it’s unbelievable,” O’Hara added.
“Lack of ideas, lack of quality, lack of creativity, been a terrible performance. The Leicester goalkeeper can’t believe his luck.
“I’m really starting to believe that Ange might have to go.
“13 games now that Spurs have lost in the Premier League. It’s unacceptable. You can’t lose that many games, I know there’s injuries, I understand that, there’s a bit of a crisis – to lose 13 games as the Tottenham manager is unacceptable.”
Postecoglou ‘inquest’ needed
Once the game was over, O’Hara was firing on all cylinders about what change is needed at Tottenham.
“That is a disgraceful performance, pathetic second half. An inquest needs to be had into what Ange was telling them at half time,” O’Hara argued. “They were 1-0 up. Keep the game tight.
“To come out and play like we did in the second half, it was just desperation after that.
“It was one of the worst performances I’ve seen, again. Another shocking result, another shocking performance.
“I don’t know how Ange can stay in a job. I don’t know what needs to happen and I don’t know what happens at the top with Daniel Levy.
“It’s the 26th of January and we’ve signed one player and he’s a goalkeeper who’s going to end up being no.2 to Vicario when he comes back. Sign some players!”
Postecoglou’s in-game management came under intense scrutiny too, even with the lack of players available.
“You’ve still got good enough players on the pitch to win at home to Leicester today,” O’Hara continued.
“There was a lack of creativity, a lack of drive, a lack of ideas. The substitutions were a bit strange. He took Richarlison off, maybe he looked at the minutes he’s played. You’re fighting for your life, 2-1 down. You have to say, ‘listen, Richarlison, I need you on the pitch for another 10 minutes because I need to get some more attacking players on’.
“Ange Postecoglou is out of his depth. Man-management, in-game management not good enough today. Running out of ideas. He tried to change the tactics against Everton last week, we were 3-0 down at half time. We go 2-1 down to Leicester and I don’t see a change in the way that we play. I don’t see a change in the way we do things. Miles off it, all of them.
“Ange Postecoglou’s in-game management and his tactics after going 2-1 down were non-existent. It’s nowhere near good enough.”
Mourinho, Conte comparisons made
Spurs have sacked some high-profile managers in recent years, including Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte – which makes it even more baffling for O’Hara that Postecoglou hasn’t been relieved of his duties yet.
“You’ve got a manager in Ange Postecoglou who’s so stubborn and won’t change the way he plays, he’s got no plan B, he’s got no plan C. He won’t change the way he wants to play. They’ve run out of ideas,” the former midfielder continued.
“Spurs have run out of ideas because they only know one way to play. He hasn’t got an idea of how to get it done.
“They’re in a relegation fight. I’m telling you now. Teams are picking up underneath them. Every team around them, if you look at it: West Ham sacked their manager, Everton sacked their manager, Man Utd sacked their manager, Wolves sacked their manager.
“You have to be realistic. One win in 11. 13 defeats in the Premier League. Unacceptable. Spurs are in a relegation fight and they need to buck up their ideas, sign some good players quickly and make a decision on what you’re doing with Ange Postecoglou, because at the moment, what he’s giving out isn’t good enough.
“I know there’s injuries, and I know there’s problems, but that is unacceptable. You can’t lose 13 games in the Premier League as the Spurs manager.
“I know you’ve got the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, against Liverpool who are by far the best team in Europe at the moment, and you’re clinging onto hope that we might get to a final, and Ange gives it all, ‘we win a trophy in my second season’.
“Do me a favour. You’re the Spurs manager, you’re 15th in the table, you’ve lost 13 games. That’s not acceptable.
“Any other manager, Harry Redknapp, Juande Ramos, all these managers, Pochettino, Conte, Mourinho, if they were 15th in the table, as Spurs manager, they would be out the door, gone, see you later. Why’s Ange getting a pass? I don’t get it.
“Who cares about attacking football, who cares? You’ve got to be organised.
“We all want to watch entertaining football. You also want to see your team win. You also want to see your team up the table fighting for European spots.”
Have Spurs improved at all?
Postecoglou’s style of play produced a lack of discipline among the Spurs players on the pitch, according to O’Hara.
“Spurs, every time they went forward, they looked like Leicester could score,” he added. “They’ve got no discipline, no desire to defend and keep the ball out of the back of their net, and that for me is a huge problem, and Ange Postecoglou has to put it down to the fact that that is his idea.”
And when he was reminded that Postecoglou claims Spurs have improved under him, a befuddled O’Hara replied: “I don’t know what he means by that, what’s he improved? The ground’s the ground, the training ground’s the training ground, have better players come in? Improvement on what?
“Spurs weren’t great anyway. They were bang average in the first place. They were bad when he came in, they’re worse now.
“Conte got the sack because they wanted to be in the Champions League. Spurs are 15th in the table.”
