Gary Neville hopes Tottenham will give Ange Postecoglou time to transform the club in the coming years.
The North Londoners were beaten for the fourth consecutive time in the Premier League by Liverpool on Sunday but have had a better season than many expected.
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Spurs lost all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane in the summer and changed their manager again, moving away from the direction of big names like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte and investing in a project manager.
Postecoglou had previously returned Celtic to the top of the Scottish Premiership and seemed ready to make the step up to England’s top flight.
He had an instant impact in the capital, going unbeaten in his first 10 league games before several key injuries derailed Tottenham’s momentum.
In 2024, they have not been at their best and have conceded 13 goals in their last four matches.
They are also at risk of missing out on the Europa League if they do not win two of their last three matches against Burnley, Manchester City and Burnley.
“He’s brought highs this season”
Gary Neville believes Spurs should invest in Ange Postecoglou after he’s brought confidence to the club’s style this season ⚪ pic.twitter.com/CZNLhSBwQU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 5, 2024
But Neville – who worked under one of the greatest managers of all time in Sir Alex Ferguson – says he can see the direction Postecoglou is trying to go in at Spurs and urges fans to give him time to mould his team.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “I don’t know whether there’s a little bit of fatigue or a little bit of a disconnect at the end.
“The manager looks – and I say this in a respectful manner – like he has a little less faith in them during this period than he did at the start of the season.
“When Spurs play the way they play under Ange Postecoglou, it’s high tempo or nothing, when it looks really bad. There’s no in-between.
“The last four years have really been a drain at Spurs – sometimes you’ve watched them and thought you know what you’re going to get, but it isn’t Spurs.
“Spurs have got a style, character and personality as a football club – an arrogance in the way they play – and he brings all those things.
“They should invest in that. I know they finished fourth and second at times in the last seven or eight years but the fans should be really happy with how they’re finishing fifth.
“Sometimes for a football fan, it’s how you finish fifth, it’s how you lose because you know you’re going to have good times. He has brought highs this season.”
“Give the man a chance!”
Roy Keane believes Ange Postecoglou has had a decent first season 💪 pic.twitter.com/QZAoVxwdTz
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 5, 2024
Compared to other managers in the division, Postecoglou’s start has not been bad at all.
He has already amassed 60 points, 10 more than Arteta managed in his first season at Arsenal.
Likewise, Jurgen Klopp only tallied 58 points with Liverpool during his first campaign.
So the signs are there that Spurs are headed in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to be done in the transfer market and on the pitch if they are to challenge their North London rivals at the top of the table next season.
