The mood at Tottenham Hotspur has changed dramatically within a year.
At the start of his tenure last season, new manager Ange Postecoglou started his reign by going on a 10-game unbeaten run built around his progressive style of play after the troubled spells of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
Twelve months on, discontent is bubbling to the surface in north London as sections of the fan base increasingly lose patience with the Australian.
Just one win in the first four league games, including a 1-0 defeat to rivals Arsenal, has seen Postecoglou receive criticism from some supporters before Saturday’s home game against Brentford (15:00 BST).
In midweek there were boos at the manager’s decision to substitute teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall in a fortunate 2-1 win at Coventry City in the Carabao Cup amid an increasingly negative conversation around the club on social media.
Real change unsettles people – Postecoglou
At Friday’s news conference, Postecoglou joked ironically about having a cake made for him when asked about becoming the first manager to last a full 38-game season at Spurs since Mauricio Pochettino in the 2018-19 campaign.
“It [the negativity] doesn’t seep into my environment. The fans are free to feel how they want to feel and it doesn’t impact me or what we are trying to achieve.
“If you’re swimming against the tide, that’s alright, that makes you stronger. I think a big part of it [is change], when there is real change it unsettles people and they want comfort and security, but I came in here to try to do something that hasn’t been done for a while.
“You can’t just think me walking in will change things, you’ve got to change things and it can be unsettling but it is necessary for us to achieve what we want to.”
Top of some metrics – but not the important one
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After picking up 26 points from his first 10 games, the most accrued by a new manager in their first 10 games in Premier League history, Postecoglou’s Tottenham have won just 44 points in the 32 fixtures since then.
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He lost seven of his 11 league games from 13 April up to 20 September.
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During that run, only Wolves have suffered more league defeats, with eight.
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Their four points from four games to start this season is their lowest since 2015-16 (3). Spurs have not lost three of their opening five games since 2008-09 under Juande Ramos.
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Since the beginning of last season, Spurs (26) have conceded more Premier League goals from set-pieces than any other team.
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However, Tottenham have forced the most high turnovers in the Premier League this season (47) and have the best pressing metric in the league – as their opponents manage just 6.2 passes on average before Spurs win the ball back.
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They have also enjoyed the most possession (67.8%) and allowed their opponents to complete just 795 passes so far, 301 fewer than any other side.
Signs connection to fans is dwindling
After Wednesday’s match at Coventry, Postecoglou’s response was “I don’t make substitutions by poll” in response to a question about the reaction to Bergvall’s withdrawal.
After a period when fans warmed to Postecoglou’s frank and funny responses in media duties, recent exchanges with journalists have been more fractious.
In May, the 59-year-old could not comprehend the thought of a Spurs fan hoping to lose to Manchester City because denying their opponents a win could have handed Arsenal the title.
He said “100 per cent of Spurs fans” wanted his team to win and he would “never understand” those who did not.
During the 2-0 defeat which followed, some supporters in the ground appeared happy to see their team lose amid a strange atmosphere. Postecoglou called it “the worst experience” of his 26-year management career.
He also had to defend last week’s talk of “always” winning trophies in his second season, saying it was “fact” and not “me boasting”.
Tottenham fans’ views on Postecoglou
On Thursday, BBC Sport askedTottenham fans for their views on the situation:
Edward: It was a win [against Coventry]. Now give Ange a break and let him get on with his job in peace. He is only in his second season in charge, so he has got to be given plenty of time. Mikel Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for years and only now is he really reaping his rewards. Ange is the best manager we have had since Mauricio Pochettino. Let Ange develop and deliver our results!
Charlie: This season is already looking like a copy of last season. We look like an absolute mess. We were flattered at Everton but we are getting found out now. Ange seems out of his depth and, from his comments about winning things in his second season, I can only think he knows he is not going to last until May.
The mitigating factors
Postecoglou inherited a team built by four managers in four years as the club struggled for stability following Pochettino’s sacking in 2019.
Harry Kane’s contract was running down and the striker was expected to leave, eventually joining Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to £100m.
No alternative was signed and his deputy Richarlison suffered an injury hit season.
Despite the signing of Dominic Solanke for £65m this summer, Spurs have been significantly outspent by rivals such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City on transfers over a 10-year period, according to a recent CIES Football Observatory report.
BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Chris Sutton – who admired Postecoglou’s work at his former club Celtic – said: “Postecoglou has been in for just over a season – so to think he took them from eighth to fifth is an improvement, while selling Harry Kane.
“We are [only] four games in and some of the nonsense I have heard after the game has been ridiculous.”
Postecoglou is focused on what he believes is right – whether it is popular with sections of the supporters or not.
His direct and open communication is refreshing but his single-minded belief frustrates some supporters, who wonder if he lacks the ability to change when his ideas are not working.
Yet, there has to be some appreciation that Postecoglou is a manager making decisions that are designed to be of long-term benefit, including making eight changes in the Carabao Cup to give minutes to the wider squad and young players despite risking defeat at Coventry.
Is Postecoglou focus a red herring?
It could also be argued anger towards Postecoglou is part of a wider frustration with the leadership of chairman Daniel Levy.
Postecoglou’s run at the beginning of last season took pressure off the ownership before last season’s fan forum, which is a rare chance to hear from Levy, but sentiment has since nose-dived before the same event on Monday for the 2024-25 season.
The hiring and firing of managers, a mixed transfer record and rising ticket prices are all part of the picture for match-going fans.
Levy’s choice to bring in the former Celtic boss Postecoglou was with a long-term rebuild in mind around young players, similar to the project embarked upon at Arsenal under Arteta, which took three years to win over the majority of the fan base.