Ange Postecoglou earns Tottenham board transfer backing amid injury updates – Sky Sports pundit
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…
Ange Postecoglou “needs backing and he needs players in January” as injuries have exposed how light the Tottenham squad is, according to Paul Robinson.
With Micky van de Ven and James Maddison both ruled out into the New Year after going off in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, before Richarlison revealed surgery on a pelvic issue to ESPN Brazil on 6 November, the manager’s depleted options have dwindled further [Premier Injuries] as they have fallen off the top of the table.
Robinson believes that Postecoglou has answered all the questions asked of him after an excellent start to life in North London and has earned backing in the transfer window from the board, with help in defence needed above all.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News the Sky Sports pundit said: “It depends how the manager wants to play and how he sees Eric Dier, him and Ben Davies. Ben Davies is not a natural centre-half in a four. He’ll play on the left side of a three which I think he’s very good in that role, I think he plays particularly well there.
“But the manager’s quite clear with his formation and his set up, that’s how they’ve been all year. They lined up again at Wolves with [Pedro] Porro, Dier, Davies, and Emerson Royal played left-back. We were waiting for the team sheet to come out and we didn’t know if Emerson Royal would play centre-half or Ben Davies.
“Yes they are light in that area and it’s something we’ve talked about all season, the squad is not there. For me personally, I think they do need one in January but it’s a test now because of the manager’s relationship with the owner and the hierarchy of the club.
“Do the club get a stopgap? I remember years ago when the club went and got Ryan Nelsen, from Blackburn I think it was at the time, on loan as a stopgap because one of the centre-halves was injured for a certain amount of time.
“I’d like to see that Tottenham have progressed to where they actually go into the market and back the manager. The manager’s answered all the questions that he’s had so now it’s up to the hierarchy of the club to back him this window.
“Yes he’s missing Van de Ven potentially for a long time, Maddison could be back in January, you look at Richarlison, he’s had a pelvic problem that he’s had an operation on. The squad isn’t as deep as the manager would want.
“We know they’re not competing in all competitions, which will help them, but the club took a chance with Ange Postecoglou. It’s worked, it’s been fantastic, the togetherness, the relationship with the fans, the club, the team, everybody at that place has a real feel-good factor.
“Now Ange turns to the board and says, ‘I need some help in January’. That’s when another test for them comes because he needs backing and needs players in January.”
Backing in the transfer market, or lack thereof, contributed to the breakdown in relationship with both Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho so Spurs need to avoid a repeat.
Postecoglou seems a very different character to the two former Chelsea bosses and it is still very early in his reign, but his work so far could be undercut if he can’t strengthen.
Having repaid the faith put in him upon his switch from Celtic, by taking an unbeaten Tottenham side to the top of the Premier League while winning three consecutive manager of the month awards, he deserves support now that his task has been made a great deal more challenging by injury and suspension.
In other Tottenham news, an exit-linked player has been backed to shine at another top club as a European giant lurk.