Chadder View: Tottenham supporters must think long-term with Ange Postecoglou
Matthew Chadder is a lifelong Tottenham fan who grew up just down the road from his beloved club in North London. He’s now putting his passion for Spurs into words with a daily fan view for Tottenham News…
I am sure many Tottenham fans watched on as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 and were left thinking, ‘What does this mean for us?’
In truth, at this moment in time, it means very little. Spurs are in a top-four race this season, or perhaps a top-five one considering the new UEFA Champions League format. They do not have the resources for a title race, not yet at least.
What I have realised as a Spurs supporter in recent weeks is that it is almost time to go back to square one, a time to hit the reset button.
When Mauricio Pochettino arrived in north London, no one was expecting him to take us on a title charge. Yes, I do understand we have moved on as a club since then and many would like to think our ambitions are higher than they were in 2014, but to be honest, the last few years have undone a lot of that hard work.
Having managers such as Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte at the helm left us fans expecting competitive pursuits of trophies, and rightly so considering the CVs of these illustrious managers. However, in reality, the reigns of these ‘win now’ coaches actually set the club back a few years.
Luckily for Daniel Levy, he has struck gold with Ange Postecoglou, just like he did with Pochettino, and the Australian certainly can take us on an organic rise, he will just need time and patience to build that path.
After a few short months in England, he has already built a team which is playing a clear and distinct style of football and there is no doubt his talent as a coach is there for everyone to see. Unfortunately, what is also there to see is the bareness of Spurs’ squad.
Creating expectations that we will compete for the league this season just puts unnecessary pressure on our brilliant manager, and when he doesn’t win the league, he will be seen as falling short of fans’ ‘expectations’ which are just unrealistic, to begin with.
Before the season started I thought a push for UEFA Europa League football would be ideal, so the way we are playing now certainly brings me a lot of joy and confidence for the future, and I do feel that a return to Europe’s elite is possible this season.
However, even if we fall short of that, I will not place any blame on Postecoglou’s doorstep. We are at the start of a project, and as long as he gets the backing he deserves, I truly believe we are capable of winning our first Premier League title under Postecolgou.
Therefore, it is time to take a step back, stop looking at the results of those around us, and just focus on the exciting project we are about to embark on.
Patience is a virtue, and with Postecoglou in charge, I truly believe the rewards could be greater than ever.
In other Tottenham news, a BBC pundit has been left impressed by the recent performances of a Spurs star who is turning his career around.