
If last month’s grim losses against Fulham and Newcastle could be explained away as inevitable off-days for a developing team or a consequence of teething problems in Postecoglou’s high-risk approach, the 2-0 defeat here felt like something different. Postecoglou’s side were not undone by the pitfalls of his football; they did not play his football at all.
On the eve of the game, the Spurs head coach admitted that “a majority” of his squad and staff still did not have “true belief” in his philosophy, and his words came to feel prophetic as his side went through the motions against an injury-ravaged Chelsea.
Spurs twice conceded from set-piece situations again, increasing the pressure on Postecoglou to prioritise a fix, and the Australian has never appeared more frustrated than in a first half spent screaming at his players to “stop passing backwards”, push up the pitch and be more aggressive out of possession.
With the notable exception of Cristian Romero, there was no sign of the high-octane pressing, ambitious passing and fluid, one-touch play which characterised Spurs’ first 10 games under Postecoglou before their campaign hit the rocks with the catastrophic 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea in the reverse fixture. Instead, Spurs were flat, sloppy and predictable.
Esta historia es de la edición May 03, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 03, 2024 de Evening Standard.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

Are you ready for medieval-core?
No one was more surprised than medieval armourer Matthew Finchen.

Worth the wait This is a beautifully written triumph
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's first novel since 2013's Americanah is a winner

Low-budget indie film Anora wins big at the Oscars
“The more Hollywood changes, the more it remains the same,” writes Ty Burr.

Forget the Trump noisepeace could now be possible
There's much to fixate on, but it's best to judge the President on the substance

Is it the final call for the Heathrow villagers?
Life with the residents whose homes could be destroyed if a third runway touches down

The Fat Badger, London's first invite-only pub
A riotously fun boozer that doesn't officially exist? No wonder celebs are secretly flocking here

Marlon James on why Kingston is Jamaica's beating cultural heart
Whether it’s parties, patties or patois, this Caribbean capital is a non-stop celebration, says the Booker Prize-winning author

The London socialite. His aristocrat killer. And a mother's search for justice
The brutal, ketamine-fuelled killing of a public schoolboy shocked the world. In our new true-crime podcast, we tell the real story

“Last year's Festival was brutal, but we're ready to put it right”
The Guinness Village is, to Cheltenham racegoers, something of a field of dreams.

Me, Marrakech and I: How to ace a solo female trip
I first visited Marrakech with my then-boyfriend in 2004, when I spent my days getting lost in the labyrinthine souks and witnessing snake charmers hypnotise cobras. Over 20 years later, I decided to see how it fared for females going it alone.