Ange Postecoglou thinks not enough external voices defend Spurs – is he right?

In the wake of Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp did not hold back in his assessment of his former club and their head coach.

“If they weren’t still in Europe, I don’t think he’d still be the manager,” Redknapp said on Sky Sports’ post-match broadcast. “They’ve been that poor. He knows the price of the ticket. You don’t lose 16 games at a club like Tottenham. Yes, they’ve had injuries, but that’s not good enough.

“He’s got to win the (Europa League). If they win the cup, they’re creating history. If they don’t win it, they will be history. It’s all or nothing for Ange Postecoglou. They are capable because they’ve got the players to do it, but they need the spirit.”

That sentiment was echoed by fellow former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara, who said, “There’s no men, there are no leaders, it’s just they’re out there, they’re playing for themselves, and the manager looks lost on the sideline,” in reaction to the result and performance. Incidentally, it was in response to a jibe by Chelsea fan Jason Cundy, his co-host on TalkSport’s The Sports Bar radio show, who made 28 league appearances for Spurs in the 1990s.

Chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” from the travelling support after Postecoglou replaced Lucas Bergvall with Pape Matar Sarr reflect the frustration bubbling around the club, with very little relief for a head coach who is presiding over a historically poor Premier League season.

Still, the 59-year-old suggests he should have more help in calming the hostility.

“I think a lot of it is how the club is viewed externally,” Postecoglou said in his pre-match press conference on Friday. “It seems like every fight, like I said, ends up being an internal fight for this club. There’s never any defending of the club or the club defending itself, it seems to me, which makes it even more difficult. Because whenever the club goes through tough moments, it’s how you react to them.

“(The club could defend itself) by being more vocal. I think you hear enough from me. You probably hear too much from me, to be honest. I think it doesn’t have to be just from people at the club. I hear plenty of people talking and defending other clubs, but it seems like with Tottenham, wherever there’s a sore, there’s a little pile-on to stick a finger in that sore. Then we kind of accept our fate.“

Postecoglou may have a point. Certainly, among the most prominent broadcasters in the United Kingdom, there aren’t many pundits who have played for Spurs or hold friendly sentiments towards the club.

It wouldn’t take long to reel off a list of Manchester United, Arsenal, or Liverpool legends who are frequently featured on British television screens, often reflecting on trophies won and success at those clubs. The Spurs angle, however, is often thrown to ex-players better known for spells elsewhere, such as Redknapp or less recognisable faces.

The issue runs deep. Boyhood fan Roy Keane’s most famous Spurs-related quote was remembering former United manager Alex Ferguson dismissing the club ahead of a match, saying, “Lads, it’s Tottenham.”

Finding those Spurs voices is part of the problem. Many players who enjoyed success at White Hart Lane under Mauricio Pochettino are still playing, and those who have retired, such as Mousa Dembele, are unlikely to become regular pundits on British television. Excluding Gareth Bale, the likes of Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, and Robbie Keane are the most high-profile players of Harry Redknapp’s era who fit the bill. Keane is the head coach of Ferencvaros in Hungary, Defoe is pursuing a career in coaching, and Crouch is more closely associated with Liverpool, with whom he reached the Champions League final.

Still, the central reason ex-Spurs players do not seem to dominate the British media discourse is simple: they did not win enough. Take the Sky Sports Overlap crew, for instance. Keane won 12 major trophies at Old Trafford, Gary Neville lifted 17. Ian Wright won the Premier League. Jamie Carragher won the Champions League. In addition to their skill and experience in front of a camera, they are respected for what they have won as players.

Outside of those three clubs, there’s a general underrepresentation across the league. Newcastle are fortunate that Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s record goalscorer and former England captain, just so happens to be a boyhood fan and club legend. Now Frank Lampard is back in management, the most active Chelsea-affiliated pundit is… Joe Cole? Even four-time defending league champions Manchester City lack comparative representation to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, who dominate the discourse.

Neville and Carragher are Sky Sports’ most prominent pundits (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

It’s not their job to defend the club, either. The strong United cohort, almost entirely comprised of dominant sides under Ferguson, has not shied away from criticising the club, players and managers when results have been poor. Even with Liverpool running away with the league title, Carragher has been forthright with his opinions on how Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have dealt with their contract discussions, prompting criticism from supporters and creating awkward moments with the players on broadcasts. Had Liverpool lost 16 league matches this season, Carragher would inevitably come down hard on Arne Slot, too. It is no surprise, then, that Glenn Hoddle, one of Spurs’ greatest-ever players, is occasionally critical of his former club on commentary.

Rewind to the start of last season and Postecoglou was fast becoming a darling of the British media. His direct and succinct communication style endeared him to Premier League fans, bringing fresh air to how managers interacted with media members. The football was great, too, with fans and pundits praising his attacking philosophy after Antonio Conte and Nuno Espirito Santo.

Crucially, though, Spurs were winning. Now, they are 14th after 30 games, level on points with Everton and West Ham United in 15th and 16th, having lost more than half of their games. Regardless of who is in the studio or the gantry, that form is difficult to defend.

(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

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