Fair? From Henry Winter on Twitter
It’s hard to make a proper judgement call on Ange Postecoglou until the triangle of Vicario-Romero-Van de Ven is restored. Imagine Arsenal without Raya-Saliba-Gabriel. Postecoglou has flaws, set-pieces, risky high line at times and not realising that stubbornness is different from single-mindedness. His players’ lack of fight in the North London Derby (Bergvall, Spence and Gray honourable exceptions) reflects poorly on his team-talks as well as their character. It’s the Derby - commitment is the starting point. The captain, Son, scored but he’s not the force he was. It’s a mentality thing as much as ability with Spurs. And injuries. The squad depth isn’t there.
Postecoglou is hardly the only manager trying to cope with an injury crisis. Andoni Iraola has 8 players out at Bournemouth, still doing well (8th in PL),still getting a balanced, organised, very competitive XI out, but then he's a better manager (tactically, in-game management etc) than Postecoglou (and will go to a CL club one day). There still has to be sympathy for Postecoglou as most of his absentees in one area. Imagine a team of: Vicario; Porro/Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur/Maddison (depending on opponent then Maddison as a 10),Gray; Kulusevski, Solanke, Moore. That’s decent. European qualification strength. Good age balance.
Spurs have some good players (also Johnson, Bissouma, Sarr, Richarlison when fit, Kinsky when he learns about intensity of English football). But the squad needs strengthening. 13th is poor. The lack of intensity in the Derby was poor. It’s now about getting that defence fit, and Postecoglou getting more out of them. #NLD #THFC #ARSTOT
