Ange Postecoglou must fix these three big problems at Tottenham, including his James Maddison relationship and this Cristian Romero concern

Add as preferred source on Google

Ange Postecoglou is coming under a bit of pressure at Tottenham Hotspur after his team slumped to a shock defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town just before the international break.

Spurs handed Ipswich their first Premier League win since 2002 as they missed the chance to go third in the table and instead remain all the way down in tenth.

There have now been big question marks as to whether the Australian manager is the right man for the Lilywhites with his incredibly attacking tactics starting to frustrate supporters. The way Tottenham play has made them entertaining to watch, however, not always for good reason, as whilst they are great for the most part in attack, their openness in defence often costs them.

So, The Spurs News has taken a look at the three big issues facing Postecoglou as he looks to address the team’s form being so up and down.

Finding a leader in Tottenham’s defence, Romero must step up

One of the first issues Postecoglou must address is finding a leader in his back line. On far too many occasions when the opposing team manages to work the ball into the penalty area, the defence just looks in disarray.

The Spurs News highlighted last week how Tottenham have kept conceding the same type of goal with opposition teams finding a vast amount of room at the back post. This was often happening on the right side of Spurs’ defence, where Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro should have been.

As vice-captain, Romero needs to step up to the mantle and take responsibility for organising the defence, making sure everyone is switched on and doing their roles properly. Right now, there just seems to be a lack of communication in the back line, making it far too easy for their opponents to have great chances in the area.

Tottenham’s poor form after Europa League matches

Another fix Postecoglou must make is addressing the form of his team after Europa League matches, with his squad struggling to cope with the demands of playing Thursday-Sunday.

Tottenham have now lost three of their four matches that have followed a European game with the Lilywhites looking hung over on the weekends. Spurs handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich their only wins of the season after playing in Europe and frankly, there is no excuse for Postecoglou’s team to be losing to these sides.

The Australian manager must look to find a better balance in his rotation and make use of the January transfer window. Tottenham fans are desperate to do well in the Europa League this season so if he is going to rest players for the weekend, the team actually needs to deliver results in the league.

Ange Postecoglou’s broken relationship with James Maddison

The third and final fix the 59-year-old needs to make is repairing his relationship with James Maddison. It’s quite clear for all to see that something has gone on between the pair given the player’s omission from the team.

Now, there is no doubt that Maddison has not been hitting the heights which he did when he first arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but he is still a very talented player and someone who can create chances. The midfielder is ranked 20th this season for chances created (19) despite having played 100 minutes fewer than most other players in the top 20.

Dejan Kulusevski has been superb this season and more than worthy of his place in the team, but when the Swede is not firing and the North London club needs an alternative, Maddison is the obvious candidate to replace him.

Ange took until the 84th minute to bring him on against Ipswich, even though Spurs were crying out for something different. They needed a lock picker and the 27-year-old should have been a player he could call upon – Postecoglou and Maddison must put aside their difference for the sake of the team.