Struggling Spurs: Tottenham drop to fifteenth in PL table amid injury crisis

Spurs accumulated their twelfth loss of the Premier League season following a 3-2 defeat at Goodison Park, being outplayed and conceding three goals to Everton who have only managed 15 goals in their previous twenty games. Calvert-Lewin twisted past both Archie Gray and Ben Davies before opening the scoring for Everton, a goal which marks his first since September.

The reason for their sloppy performances lies in a leaky defence.

Such poor performances against struggling sides have become a theme this season for the Lilywhites, handing Ipswich and Crystal Palace their first wins of the season. A loss to the Toffees pushes them to fifteenth in the table, a figure at which fans can only wince, having previously aspired and even expected to secure European football for next season.

After having only managed 24 points from 22 games, Spurs are closer to the relegation zone than reaching the top ten. Paradoxically, the second most prolific attack in the league, second only to league leaders Liverpool, remain languishing in the bottom half of the table. With an attack firing on all cylinders, the reason for their sloppy performances lies in a leaky defence.

Such disarray and lack of consistency in lineup selection boils down to constant injury problems

At Goodison Park, the team lined up with a back five of whom only Pedro Porro remains from their first game of the season. Ben Davies made it only his fifth appearance of the season, and alongside him, Archie Gray continues to play in an unfamiliar position, conventionally a midfielder. Such disarray and lack of consistency in lineup selection boils down to constant injury problems. The injuries of first-team defenders, Micky Van De Ven, Christian Romero and Destiny Udogie, represent only a synecdoche of the issues which Spurs have suffered this season. Star goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, has been out since the comfortable 4-0 win at the Etihad with a fractured ankle; such wins are a reminder of what the team can do with a fully fit squad, and a fully fit Vicario.

Not only have the side had injury problems in their defence, but have suffered further injuries to Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur and Fraser Forster. With a list that seems endless, the team has been stripped to bare bones, and it’s no surprise to see them struggling the way they are. But for Ange Postecoglou, injury crisis has not prevented speculation over his position at the club.

Does a painfully long injury list excuse Postecoglou of blame when he has notably, failed to get the best out of key players?

Postecoglou originally took over the team on 6th June 2023, following a period of unstable management from interim coach, Christian Stellini, and later, Ryan Mason. Such instability lingered throughout the 2022/23 season, with Spurs failing to achieve any form of European football, and the end of the season marked by the departure of captain, Harry Kane. Ange took the Lilywhites to 5th place in his first season, securing Europa League qualification, simultaneously restoring the faith of many fans with high-tempo, entertaining football. This success serves as a depiction of the capabilities of Postecoglou with a fully fit side to work with. Yet, does a painfully long injury list excuse Postecoglou of blame when he has notably, failed to get the best out of key players who are fit, such as James Maddison and Heung-min Son?

It’s also questionable that so many of Tottenham’s injuries have been non-contact, causing speculation around whether Ange’s style is a contributing factor of such an injury crisis. He’s been known to risk fatigued players, and considering the limited squad depth available to him, rotation has also been lacking. Such discussion has led to the speculation of Postecoglou’s job, with names like Iraola and Terzic winding round the rumour mill.

Despite struggling in the league, Spurs hold a 1-0 lead over Liverpool as they head into the second leg of the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, and are still in the FA Cup, with their next game in the fourth round where the squad will travel to Villa Park. The team will hope to pick up the pieces of their season, but is Ange Postecoglou the right man to do that?