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Ange Postecoglou admitted Tottenham were as low as they have been during his time in charge and that he did not know if he would be given the time to salvage the season.

A crushing home defeat by relegation-threatened Leicester extended a dismal run of form for his depleted Spurs team to just five points from their last 11 games in the Premier League.

They are 15th, but alive in three cups with key players back soon from injuries. He insisted the campaign could still be transformed into a success and that the players were behind him.

But when asked if he expected to be given time to turn it around, Posteocglou said: 'Who knows, I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say no.

'When you are the manager of a football club you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that. I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.

'I can even see in training when the guys coming back are going to give everybody a lift. There is a fantastic opportunity this season to really make an impact, and I know we can. But in terms of the question, is there anything I can say about that that is going to change anything that I need to do tomorrow morning? Nothing.'

Postecoglou’s squad has been ravaged by injuries through a congested winter schedule. James Maddison was absent against Leicester, Richarlison was forced off with a problem and Pape Matar Sarr played despite injury.

Daniel Levy, conscious of the circumstances, has resisted any urge to sack another manager. Fans booed Postecoglou’s decision to take off Richarlison early in the second half but they turned their anger mostly on Levy during the 2-1 defeat.

'Certainly, something I wanted to try and do when I took this role was to unify the club and create an environment here where we are all focused on the one thing,' said Postecoglou. 'Obviously it hasn’t worked out that way.

'It’s understandable, the fans are not happy with our current situation. It is a difficult one to navigate because we need them right now, especially at home to create an atmosphere. It wasn’t that long ago we played Liverpool here and it was a great night.'

That was the first leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final. Tottenham lead 1-0 with the second leg at Anfield on Thursday week. Before then are a Europa League tie at home to Elfsborg and a tricky trip across London to Brentford on Sunday.

Postecoglou said: 'I have felt all along that the players are still very committed to what we’re doing. That’s important to me, because I firmly believe in it, and I really believe that this is as low as we’ve been so far this year but I still think that in these last three months we can do something really special and these players believe that. Right now it’s very hard to visualise that.

'It doesn’t really come into my consciousness about trying to convince people. I have been around long enough to know that some will just judge on where we are at at the moment and rightly so in some respects. It’s not good enough.

'If people want to put context to that they can, if not so be it. From my point of view, I’m still very much stuck on the fact that the players are just giving everything they can. They did on Thursday night, they did today.'

Richarlison headed home the opener for Spurs in the 33rd minute

Goals from James Vardy and Bilal El Khannous staged an impressive comeback

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With every tiny glimmer of hope, be it progress in one of the cups or someone returning from injury there comes a result in the Premier League to deepen the gloom for Ange Postecoglou.

Last time, a miserable defeat at Everton against a team who had forgotten how to score. Now this. Beaten at home by a team who had forgotten how to win. Or even draw.

After the win at Hoffenheim, hope destroyed once again and the home crowd turning on chairman Daniel Levy with strong boos at the final whistle, choruses of protest songs building through the second half and a banner held up at the end as the stadium emptied demanding change.

From the Spurs angle there is no way to sugar coat it. This result was simply awful even in the context all the injuries and unavailable players. Despite low energy tanks and depleted confidence. The young players are giving their all but it is not amounting to points.

Postecoglou’s team may be in all cup competitions, well placed in Europe and one up at halfway in a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool but they have five points from the last 11 league games.

They have not won at home in the Premier League since November 3 against Aston Villa. In the time since, they have been beaten by Ipswich, been held by Wolves and leaked six against Liverpool.

Now this. Leicester arrived in N17 pointless in seven. They stood one defeat from a club record in the Premier League, set in 2001 and which ended with a win against Spurs.

The goals came from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss.

The visitors clung on from here. It was far from pretty. They team wasted time terribly, but they resisted all Spurs could throw at them and they won for the first time since the start of December.

It had promised to be different when Richarlison opened the scoring in an error-strewn first half, drifting behind Wout Faes and holding James Justin at bay as he twisted to head in a cross from Pedro Porro.

It was his second goal in two Premier League games having missed most of the season to date through injury.

Before then, Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk had produced saves to keep his team in it.

First with a strong save to beat away a fierce strike by Porro and then an exceptional save to deny Heung-min Son, who thought he had found the bottom corner.

Son, after scoring twice at Hoffenheim on Thursday, carried a little of his old menace, and drew another fine save from Stolarczyk with a curling left footer tipped onto the bar, just before Richarlison’s opener.

Once behind, Leicester summoned a decent response. Pushing forward with purpose to force corners, with two efforts from distance deflected wide.

The one from El Khannouss had Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky worried as it looped up over him and caught the roof of the net.

But Tottenham crumbled after the interval.

Vardy levelled inside a minute after a series of defensive mistakes featuring Rodrigo Bentancur who missed a tackle, Porro who had vacated his post and Ben Davies and Kinsky who both dived to intercept a low cross by Bobby de Cordova-Reid and both failed.

Jubilant Vardy converted from centimetres, his 10th goal in 18 Premier League games against Tottenham.

The goal rocked the home team and they conceded again very quickly. Again, the defending left much to be desired in the same areas of the pitch.

Bentancur was muscled off the ball by De Cordova Reid who rolled a short pass to El Khannouss.

Tottenham’s defenders sat back and invited the Morocco international to take aim from distance, which he did and found the bottom corner, beyond the dive of Kinsky.

The mood soured. Some Tottenham fans returned late to their seats from the half time interval to find the game on its head and the hardcore in the South Stand turning their attention on Levy, who was present in the directors’ box.

They booed the decision to replace Richarlison, although Postecoglou later said he had been feeling a groin strain and should have come off at half time.

Pape Matar Sarr should not have started, according to the Spurs boss, but insisted on playing through injury.

Tottenham were better going forward after the changes but still so vulnerable at the back.

Dejan Kulusevski found himself clean through onto a long ball from Kinsky only to be denied by keeper Stolarczyk and Porro, so awful defensively, made an impression in attack.

First striking the bar from a free kick deflected off Vardy, then wriggling through a crowd of blue shirts and slicing wide when teammates were better placed and then crossing for Radu Dragusin to head over.

Nerves frayed around the stadium as the minutes ticked down and frustrations heightened as Leicester blatantly played for time. Seven minutes added time did not seem to compensate but the visitors hung on to climb out of bottom three as Tottenham plunge back into the gloom.

Jamie Vardy hilariously mocked Tottenham fans after he netted the equaliser for the Foxes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The English striker always causes Spurs problems and he did it once again pouncing on a mistake from the Tottenham keeper in the second minute of the second half.

It now takes Vardy's goal tally against the North London side in the league to nine, and marks his second this season.

Vardy added further insult to the home crowd through his celebration by mocking their trophy cabinet or lack of one.

Racing towards the home fans, Vardy pointed to the Premier League badge on his sleeve making a number one with his hand before gesturing a zero to the onlooking Spurs fans.

The cheeky celebration caused the stadium to erupt, with the home crowd exploding in anger by the insult, in turn solidifying the English striker's position as one of the top wind-up merchants in the game.

The celebration of course alluded to the 2015-16 season which saw the Foxes lift the coveted trophy during their fairytale run under Claudio Ranieri.

Vardy's goal ended up being the catalyst for Ruud van Nistlerooy's side who staged a 2-1 comeback against the Lily Whites.

Just three minutes following his close range finish, the Foxes found the back of the net once more through Bilal El Khannouss' outside of the box shot.

With the victory today, Leicester now find themselves one point and one position above the relegation zone.

Marking the first time they have been out of the drop zone since before Christmas.

Spurs have been dealing with several injuries and have been dealt another blow

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Tottenham have been dealt yet another injury blow as a key star was ruled out of their clash with Leicester.

The club have been dealing with a plethora of injury issues this season, often fielding a patched-up side with it, at times, feeling like players have been dropping from the squad like flies.

First-choice centre back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky Van De Ven have been missing for a number of weeks, with first-choice striker Dominic Solanke also going down in recent days.

Elsewhere, the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson are also out.

Stars such as Ben Davies and Richarlison have recently returned to action, and it had looked like the tide was somewhat turning, only for yet another first-team player to be ruled out of Sunday's clash.

James Maddison was a surprise omission from the squad to face the Foxes, and Ange Postecoglou explained why he was not involved.

'He [Maddison] is still a bit sore from the other night,' the Australian told Sky Sports before kick-off. 'It took a fair bit out of him and he was not 100 per cent, so he misses out.'

Asked if the injury was serious, Postecoglou said: 'No we hope not. He should be alright for next week.'

It is reported that Maddison did travel to the stadium with his team-mates, but wasn't passed fit to be included.

His absence came just a matter of days after he shone in Spurs' Europa League win over Hoffenheim on Thursday, where he scored the opening goal of the 3-2 win.

Also absent was full back Djed Spence, who failed a late fitness test, though Pape Matar Sarr passed his late test and lined up in midfield alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall.

Postecoglou has signed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky this month and says the club have been working hard to find further reinforcements.

Speaking last week, he said: 'It is tricky as all clubs are finding. I guess traditionally it ramps up in that final week so we're approaching there for all clubs.

'It's even trickier in January because once you try to acquire a player, the club wants to replace that player. So there's all sorts of logistics involved.

'It's not frustration. It would be frustration and disappointment if the club weren't working hard, but they are. It's an easy word to say but I know how hard the club have been working behind the scenes to get something done, but it's not easy.'

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A key figure this week exposed Tottenham and Levy's institutional cowardice

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Strange club, Tottenham, but a win is a win and on Thursday they had two. A double, if you fancy triggering older fans with other memories of the term.

We can return to the merits of scratching past Hoffenheim in Europe, but first let’s rewind to a few hours earlier, before their slog against the 15th-ranked team in Germany. That takes us to the morning and the publication of Deloitte’s Money League report, showing how the bean counters at our various clubs are getting on.

Now, those are happier league tables for Spurs, because they have beans stacked as high as the eye can see. Big beans for big boys, and by revenue they are the ninth biggest boy in the footballing world. Fifth biggest in the Premier League.

It’s all there in the bars of a chart – Tottenham’s earnings for the 2023-24 season amounted to £519.5million, not factoring in their transfer dealings, and that is a roaring trade. For accounts drawn one year on from their last appearance in the Champions League, in 22-23, the numbers are sublime, actually.

So, happy shareholders, happy life; the flick, the trick, the graphs that make Daniel Levy tick.

The peculiarities of his reign are no secret by now, not after 24 years, but they are always worth a re-examination when fresh numbers come in, as they did on Thursday. I’m thinking specifically about the wages as a percentage of turnover, which sounds dry. And it is. But it’s the metric that tells us if a club is willing to live a little or too much.

In Tottenham’s case, the spend on wages in 2024 was 42 per cent of revenue, so around £218m, and the figure requires some context through comparison. That being both a comparison to their own behaviours, showing this to be Spurs’s lowest commitment by percentage in the past five seasons, and a comparison to their competition.

Going in order of the revenues with which Deloitte ranked the nine British clubs in the world’s top 20, Manchester City spent 57 per cent of their £706.8m turnover on wages (£403.4m), and they might be seen as our standard bearer, pending the outcome of deeper enquiries.

Next up is Manchester United, who operated at 56 per cent (£364m on wages), pursued by Arsenal at 53 per cent (£320m) and Liverpool at 63 per cent (£380m). Then it was Spurs, followed by Chelsea (72 per cent, £331.7m), Newcastle (68 per cent, £213m), West Ham (58 per cent, £157m), and Aston Villa (96 per cent, £251m).

We might look at one of the two outliers in that sample, which is Villa, who gambled 90 per cent or more of their turnover on wages in three of the past five seasons. It contributed to a place in the Champions League, so they are probably cool with their lot, but the fact Douglas Luiz now plays for Juventus tells of their proximity to cliff edge. Just as United demonstrated that £364m can be easily wasted.

Those figures highlight an inexactness in the art, but they also offer a guideline for where the richer clubs draw their lines. How they quantify ambition. And when we look at it that way, Levy’s beans suddenly don’t appear very big at all.

They are the beans of a man who has committed upwards of 47 per cent on wages just once in the past five seasons. They are the beans of a man who isn’t even remotely close to the middle ground between extreme caution and recklessness. The beans of an executive who could sign three high-tier players on £250,000 a week, £39m a year combined, and still be within 50 per cent of turnover. Levy should be embarrassed by those beans. They are the beans of institutional cowardice.

And isn’t that horribly out of place at a club that markets itself on daring and doing?

It’s a club that appointed a cavalier in Ange Postecoglou, but left him relying on five teenagers to see out the game against Hoffenheim on Thursday. A club that went into the tie four players short of a full bench, with a cast of exhausted men on the pitch, and is yet to sign a senior outfielder in the January market.

I admire Postecoglou, I find him exciting and different, which isn’t the same as believing there is vast wisdom in his method.

There is also a question to be asked about the sense in appointing a manager with a high-intensity style, with all the burnout issues we have gone on to see, when you aren’t prepared to supply him with a squad able to satisfy demands.

But Postecoglou has big beans and we can all agree on that. He is striving, being bold, and his exasperation is growing by the week. On Friday, ahead of Sunday’s game of dire need against Leicester, he said Tottenham would be ‘playing with fire’ if reinforcements don’t arrive in the next week.

But is Levy even listening? Does he pay any notice to those social media posts flagging that his previous three managers sat first in Italy, second in Turkey and third in the Premier League going into this weekend? Were they all solely the problem? Was Antonio Conte a mile off-beam with his moaning?

If we are to give Levy his due, beyond the magnificence of the stadium, it is that he has splashed plenty on transfers in the past few seasons and he has kept the club safe from the PSR buzzards.

But wages, not fees, are the key to landing the best players and to date only Levy’s salary, which has fluctuated between £3.5m and 6.5m of late, would rank as best in class for the division.

Going above his ceiling of £200,000 a week to change Tottenham’s narrative? Good luck to Postecoglou if he is privately nudging in that direction, even if these latest figures prove, yet again, the club is operating a mile within itself.

And that’s a shambles, really. A stain. A contradiction of what Levy says in public about feeling the same heartbeat as Tottenham’s fans. They are words he has used since day one, as contained in his very first set of programme notes, in March 2001.

I dug them out this week, and he talks about being a supporter on the West Stand at White Hart Lane, of wearing rosettes and idolising Gazza and Lineker. That kind of tone.

But there’s also a bit on spending, as it happened, and naturally that is what catches the eye now.

‘Sir Alan (Sugar) faced the same challenges we do now balancing the needs of shareholders, who want profit, with those of the fans, who want success on the pitch,’ he wrote. ‘Sometimes, the two do not go together. It is a balancing act.’

With each set of accounts, it becomes clearer that only one side of the line ever mattered. Postecoglou should pour himself a double.

Ratcliffe burns bridges on the water

In the latest instalment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s adventures in sport, he has had a total breakdown in his relationship with Sir Ben Ainslie and decided he can win the America’s Cup without him.

That being Ainslie, four-time Olympic champion, winner of the 2013 Cup for the US, and a man who recently delivered a British yacht to the final for the first time since 1964.

There’s a lot to be said for confidence and even more for those who recognise when the other guy in the room is smarter in their field.

So good luck to Manchester United as those rocks get closer, but at least they have Captain Jim at the helm.

Sweeney digs his heels in

Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union chief executive, refused to apologise this week for accepting a £358,000 bonus and £1.1million salary at a time of record losses and redundancies at Twickenham.

With that much brass in his neck, he would surely be of more use on the pitch than off it.

Postecoglou has urged the Spurs board to be active in the transfer market

His struggling side face a deep injury crisis, with 12 players currently sidelined

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou believes the club are ‘playing with fire’ if they do not bring in any players during the January transfer window.

Spurs’ injury list is increasing by the week but there do not appear to be any signings in sight.

Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke headline the list of key players missing at a crucial part of the season. Timo Werner and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario also remain unavailable.

Midfielder Pape Sarr is the latest to suffer an injury setback and defender Cristian Romero will remain on the sidelines for tomorrow’s home clash with Leicester, despite having returned to training.

Asked if there is money for Spurs to spend, Postecoglou said: ‘Don’t ask those questions, it’s not something I’m involved in. My discussions with Johan (Lange, technical director) and the club have been about trying to get some help for the players and then I’ll let them do their jobs.

‘There’s not a lot more depth that I can give to it because, within the context of that, I’ve still got to manage this team and get them ready.’

Spurs earned a morale-boosting win in the Europa League at Hoffenheim on Thursday to put them on course for a spot in the last 16, before jetting back to their north London training ground. ‘We got back at 2am,’ Postecoglou explained, before outlining the transfer structure within which he is working.

‘I’m not out there trying to find opportunities for the club. That’s not my role at this time. There isn’t the time to do it. But I have daily communication with Johan and he’s trying everything he can to get the help we need.

‘I don’t think I’m stating anything other than the obvious and for me to come in here and say something else would be disingenuous. This playing group needs help, there’s no doubt about that.

‘We’re playing with fire by not bringing anyone in but the flip side is that the club are doing everything in their power to try and change that situation.’

Spurs’ wins over Hoffenheim, Tamworth, Liverpool and Manchester United in the cups have masked a dreadful run of form in the Premier League. They have won just once in 10 league games since beating Manchester City 4-0 in November, losing seven, and have dropped to 15th.

Despite his ever-growing injury list, Postecoglou remains optimistic for the remainder of Spurs’ season.

‘We need to get results in the league because where we are is unacceptable,’ he added.

‘But there’s still plenty to play for. It’s exciting and I think the fans all sense that as well. They want us to get through this period so we can tackle that exciting part of the season in the best shape possible.’

Ange Postecoglou has been handed an injury boost with two players back fit

Tottenham travel to Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday night

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Tottenham vice captain Cristian Romero has provided Ange Postecoglou with a timely boost after he took part in training ahead of Thursday's trip to Hoffenheim.

Romero has only played once over the last two months due to toe and groin issues respectively during a spell where Spurs have repeatedly been without key personnel.

A 3-2 loss at Everton on Sunday increased the external noise around Postecoglou's position and while it is understood he retains the support of the club board, the sight of Romero being able to train on Wednesday morning will lift spirits amongst a depleted squad.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was also involved in training alongside centre-back Radu Dragusin, who was forced off at Everton.

Bentancur suffered a sickening head injury during a 1-0 win over Liverpool on January 8 and was ruled out of action for a minimum of 12 days due to concussion protocols.

While the Uruguayan looks set to feature in Germany after he returned to training and Romero may be in contention, Postecoglou has limited other options.

January recruit Antonin Kinsky, the reinvigorated Djed Spence, Sergio Reguilon and 18-year-old South Korea attacker Yang Min-hyeok cannot play on Thursday as they are not registered in the club's league phase squad for the Europa League.

With Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke definitely ruled out, Postecoglou will be without at least 12 first-team options for a crucial fixture.

Spurs are ninth in the Europa League ahead of Thursday's penultimate league phase match, but a victory at Hoffenheim would boost their chances of a top-eight finish, which would send them through to the last 16 and avoid an extra two-legged knock-out tie in February.

The name of Malachi Hardy has become a familiar sight on Tottenham’s teamsheet during a time of emergency in central defence.

Still only 16 and born a fortnight after the last time Spurs won a major trophy, he has found his progress accelerated by injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.

He has been on the bench to savour the hostility of Ibrox in the Europa League against Rangers, the thrilling win in a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, the incredible 4-0 victory at Manchester City and in the north London derby defeat at Arsenal.

He was among six teenagers named among the subs at Everton and is likely to be required to make up the numbers again as Ange Postecoglou gathers as many fit players as possible for a trip to Germany to take on Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday.

Hardy, however, is not there by accident. He has impressed Postecoglou and his staff with his natural ability and temperament while training regularly with the first team and has been in the matchday squad on eight occasions across the last two months, including for some of the biggest matches of the season.

Tottenham will hope the experience serves him well because Hardy has been identified as one of the gems emerging from within the academy as technical director Johan Lange tries to shift the club’s focus towards the recruitment and development of young talent.

Born in Watford, Hardy joined the club at the age of eight and, having moved back from central midfield, is rated among the best central defenders in Europe from his year group.

Right-footed, he is composed in possession, passes the ball well and is aggressive in the challenge. At 6ft 3in tall, he has an imposing stature with aerial strength and excellent recovery speed, and an ability to read and understand the game despite his tender age. All qualities perfectly suited to modern fashions and Postecoglou’s style of football.

His leadership ability has been noted, too, as the captain of England’s Under 17s.

There is of course much work to do if he is to transform this into a career at the top. Centre halves usually mature a little more slowly than forward players. They have a craft to acquire and the Premier League is an unforgiving learning environment.

Managers want a solid defensive base and are reluctant to throw young players into the heart of the defence for 10 minutes at the end of a game, whereas they will be less concerned about sending on a talented young forward.

So, there remains lots to negotiate for a first-year scholar who cannot sign professional terms until he is 17 in March, but Hardy’s rapid progress this season has convinced the coaching staff at Tottenham that he could provide emergency cover while they sent 19-year-old Alfie Dorrington out on loan to Aberdeen to gather experience.

And that he might benefit from being closer to the first team and picking up tips from senior centre halves.

'I want to learn from those players and how they play' said Hardy, in a short interview in the matchday programme in December. 'I like how they’re so calm on the ball but also aggressive with their defending.'

Tottenham under Lange have made a conscious decision to invest in youth. Just look at the ages of players signed this season - 18, 18, 16, 20, 18, 21 and 27-year-old Dominic Solanke. It is one of the reasons the club continue to show patience and resist any urge to sack Postecoglou, whose teamsheet of 20 players at Everton contained eight teenagers in all.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, both 18, started. Between them they have made 51 appearances this season with a dozen Premier League starts. Mikey Moore, 17, came on as a substitute in the second half to make his 10th appearance of the season.

It all adds up to a remarkable shift from last season, when Postecoglou entrusted just five minutes - remarkably spread across six appearances - of Premier League action to teenagers, placing Spurs firmly at the bottom of the 20 clubs. This season, by virtue of that cultural shift and of course the injury crisis, Spurs sit second with 1,532 minutes given to those 20 and under.

Postecoglou likes having young minds to mould and has a style that demands fresh legs and open, impressionable minds to embrace it. A club that struggled to bring through young players under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, who both prefer veterans, now ranks sixth among the 98 teams in Europe's top five leagues for minutes given to teenagers in all competitions this season.

Gray, Bergvall and Moore are the shining stars and would have been involved regardless of the injury crisis which has taken hold on the club, but there are others making their way through too.

Yang Min-hyeok, an 18-year-old winger signed from Gangwon in South Korea, arrived in December and is being integrated. Will Lankshear, a 19-year-old centre forward, has played in the Europa League and Postecoglou has mentioned his desire to see him go out on loan.

Luka Vuskovic, a 17-year-old central defender who will join Spurs from Hajduk Split in the summer, has excelled on loan at Westerlo in Belgium this season. Damola Ajayi, a 19-year-old forward, and Callum Olusesi, a 17-year-old midfielder, were on the bench at Everton.

Hardy is the youngest of them all. His progress has been accelerated but that is because he is held in such high esteem. He is firmly identified as another of the young players who can save Spurs millions in the transfer market in years to come.

You could have heard a pin drop on Tottenham’s return flight from Merseyside on Sunday evening.

Unsurprising, really, given what had transpired at Everton a few hours earlier. The 3-2 scoreline did not reflect what was a chastening afternoon for Spurs’ forlorn players.

Their first-half capitulation goes straight into the club’s hall of shame alongside the ignominy of falling 5-0 behind after 21 minutes at Newcastle in April 2023.

Tottenham have won once in 10 Premier League matches — at bottom club Southampton, who are on course to become one of the worst teams in the division’s history in terms of points won.

Yet the sense emanating from Spurs since the loss to Everton — their fifth defeat in six league games — is that under-pressure boss Ange Postecoglou will continue to be backed.

However, while the Australian is very likely to remain in charge for Sunday’s visit of Leicester, there is an acknowledgement that results require sharp improvement.

There are no indications that defeat by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s relegation strugglers would signal the end for Postecoglou — but the scrutiny would intensify if they don’t win.

For now, though, Tottenham are giving Postecoglou time. There are plenty of reasons why, with the club’s horrific injury record being one of the main factors.

As Mail Sport revealed on Saturday, Dominic Solanke, the club’s record £65million signing, has a knee injury that could rule him out for weeks. Brennan Johnson, the club’s top scorer, will miss around four weeks with a calf injury.

There are nine other players absent through injury and the club accept Postecoglou has been dealt a brutal hand. There is a feeling that he should be judged when he has more of his squad available — particularly in defence, having been without first-choice centre backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for a long period.

Tottenham’s recruitment team are working to strengthen the squad. But that is easier said than done. The transfer market evolves on a daily basis and conditions for deals are constantly changing.

For example, Tottenham’s desire to sign a forward has been complicated by the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. The Gunners, who were not expecting to enter the market for a new attacker, are now seeking one. That causes difficulties for Tottenham and clubs in a similar position.

Spurs should accept their share of blame for that. Get your business done decisively and you are less likely to be caught cold.

While getting rid of Postecoglou would appease some fans, it would present Daniel Levy with an even greater problem, with no clear candidate to replace him mid-season.

Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth is one of the best managers in England, but why would he jump ship when his team are flying well above Spurs in the table?

Kieran McKenna at Ipswich has links to Tottenham, having coached in the academy and played for the club at junior level. But would he leave Portman Road in the middle of a relegation fight? Mail Sport also understands extracting McKenna from his contract would command a sizeable compensation fee.

Spurs sporting director Johan Lange, who led the pursuit of the club’s only January signing so far — goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky — is believed to admire Brentford boss Thomas Frank. Frank deserves a crack at a bigger club, but you wonder how Spurs fans would view the appointment.

Fulham’s Marco Silva would also be a contender, while the club’s evolving data-led recruitment team would identify more candidates from abroad.

Yet joining a team in the lower reaches of the table and one gripped by an injury crisis is hardly the most enticing of proposals. There is no viable ‘no-brainer’ appointment.

Furthermore Romero, the club’s vice-captain, is set to be a target for Spanish clubs in the summer and is believed to be open to leaving. Captain Son Heung-min will turn 33 before the start of next season.

Son is key for Postecoglou, while his value off the pitch in the lucrative Asian market is priceless — though the arrival of the forward’s countryman Yang Min-hyeok this month has big earning potential in the Far East.

But having lost Harry Kane and with Son in the twilight of his career, it would be understandable for a new manager to have concerns about the forward line. So, with so much upheaval, it seems logical for Tottenham to lean towards sticking with Postecoglou for now.

There is also a Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool on the horizon, a tie they lead 1-0. Reaching Wembley would give Spurs a shot at a trophy they crave. Losing at Anfield, however, would put even more focus on Postecoglou’s future.

As ever in football, how the players view Postecoglou differs depending on who you talk to. Some still swear by their boss. Others are less convinced.

Certain players have privately complained about the demands of training and the schedule. The club’s injury list does not ease some players’ concerns that their output needs reducing.

Staying in a hotel the day before games, regardless of location and kick-off time, has also caused consternation — though it’s reasonable for the club not to want to take long journeys on matchdays to ensure calm before kick-off.

The team’s expansive, attacking approach — or, more pertinently, Postecoglou’s apparent refusal to adapt it — is also noted as a factor behind the team’s struggles.

One source close to the Spurs team, however, believes he has recognised a watering down of the gung-ho tactics that many pundits cite as Tottenham’s biggest flaw.

There was shock within the squad when Postecoglou dropped captain Son and James Maddison earlier this month, too. Both are big characters and such decisions often have consequences, particularly when results don’t improve.

Yet it was a risk Postecoglou believed was worth taking in the hope of doubling-down on his authority and shaking off the malaise.

If Postecoglou is to be sacked, he will at least have stuck to his principles. There’s a lot to be said for that.

Indeed, the manager is well liked at Spurs but that jovial manner from his opening months in the job has waned, understandably given the course of their season. ‘Tetchy’ was the word one insider used.

The other side of the argument is that Postecoglou is a bad loser — perhaps that’s the sort of person you want in charge of your club.

But this is a Tottenham squad low on confidence and positivity. Postecoglou must raise them or he will have to face the consequences.