Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou have nowhere to hide against Crystal Palace
It has been a quiet couple of weeks for Tottenham supporters.
Spurs have just two wins from their last six matches in all competitions, which is not the kind of form you want to be hitting toward the end of the season.
After a fantastic start to life under Ange Postecoglou, and with a light fixture schedule as a result of the absence of European football and an early elimination from the Carabao Cup, Tottenham seemed nailed on to finish in the top four of the Premier League.
However we have faltered in recent weeks, and with Aston Villa showing no signs of slowing down, fourth spot is beginning to look increasingly illusive.
I did not expect us to lose at home against Wolves. In fact, I was very confident that we would win that match and had few nerves going into it.
After our late winner against Brighton, I thought that we would begin to build some momentum in the charge for UEFA Champions League qualification, and I expected us to brush Wolves aside with ease.
However, in typical ‘Spursy’ fashion that was not to be, and suddenly the match with Palace looks like an uphill battle after the appointment of Oliver Glasner and their 3-0 win against Burnley at Selhurst Park on Saturday (24 February).
Nonetheless, there is no more room for excuses and anything less than three points this Saturday would represent a massive failure for Postecoglou and his players.
Spurs must beat Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday
Postecoglou has had his challenges to contend with over the past few months, including injuries to numerous key players and other first-team stars heading out on international duty.
As a result, a dip in form throughout this time was expected and therefore we fans could have little room for complaint.
However, there are now no more excuses. Our team is more or less back to full strength and after two weeks to reflect on what was an incredibly disappointing loss, there needs to be a reaction against Palace.
The Eagles’ new manager bounce cannot be an excuse, injuries and absentees are no longer an excuse.
Spurs find themselves in a position where not qualifying for the Champions League from here on out would be seen as a failure.
Aston Villa will be distracted by the UEFA Europa Conference League and Manchester United cannot put a string of results together.
We need to capitalise on this, and that needs to start with three points against Palace on Saturday.
In other Tottenham news, Harry Kane is open to a shock Spurs return after a development at Bayern Munich.
For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.