Tottenham: Daniel Levy must back Ange Postecoglou in January if he is committed to making latest project work

It is never a positive sign for a Tottenham manager when the television cameras seek out Daniel Levy in the directors’ box, as they did during the second half of Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.

Levy, bespectacled and instructable, watched on as impassively as always, betraying nothing of his emotions at Spurs’ latest defeat under Ange Postecoglou.

The chairman is not thought to be considering Postecoglou’s position after a seventh loss in 15 league games, with the club committed to a long-term rebuild under the Australian and the squad still firmly behind their head coach - a point made forcefully by Cristian Romero to Argentine TV after the match.

Things can change quickly - after all, only a fortnight ago Spurs won 4-0 at Manchester City in what felt like a landmark result for Postecoglou - and further defeats to Southampton next Sunday and Manchester United in a Carabao Cup quarter-final may prompt a rethink, especially as some fans are losing faith in the project.

The final whistle against Chelsea was met as much with resignation as anger by the home supporters who stayed in the ground - suggestive of an apathy creeping into the fanbase, which is typically more ominous for a head coach than genuine emotion.

It is still possible, however, to look at the bigger picture with optimism: Spurs are five points from fifth-place, in a solid position in the Europa League and host a wobbling Manchester United on December 19 with a place in a cup semi-final on the line. They also face non-League Tamworth in the FA Cup third round in January.

At their best, as they were in the first 35 minutes against Chelsea, Postecoglou’s Spurs are an exhilarating side, capable of blowing away any opponent; amongst the dispiriting defeats to Brighton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Bournemouth and now Chelsea, there have been encouraging results and glimpses of an outstanding team.

Postecoglou is not beyond blame for their slump but it is increasingly apparent that his squad is not equipped to compete across four fronts this season, particularly given the head coach’s commitment to high-intensity football - which will not change - and the unforgiving nature of the schedule.

There has been a steady drip of injuries to players - exacerbated by anomalous setbacks, including Rodrigo Bentancur’s suspension and Mikey Moore’s illness.

The injuries are unlikely to let up while Spurs continue to compete in Europe, leaving Postecoglou increasingly trapped in a vicious cycle: the more players who are unavailable, the more the head coach has to rely on his diminishing group of fit ones, increasing their chances of breaking down. And so on.

Postecoglou was missing six players against Chelsea, while three were forced off during the game, including Romero and Micky van de Ven, who had just returned from spells on the sidelines.

As Spurs’ faded after the interval, unable to match their searing intensity of the first half, Postecoglou had few compelling options on the bench; Sergio Reguilon is not part of his plans, Djed Spence is not trusted, and Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are just 18.

There are too many callow players in the squad, while most of Postecoglou’s senior stars - namely Romero, Heung-min Son, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Timo Werner - are prone to blowing hot and cold.

Amid the current gloom, it is not so hard to imagine a scenario where Postecoglou's Spurs build some momentum, rhythm and confidence, and the results begin to flow, but that is unlikely to happen while the squad remains stretched between matches every three days.

‘Ange-ball’ cannot work in England without a robust squad, so if Spurs are to be successful playing Postecoglou’s high-octane football, the head coach needs experienced and technically-gifted additions in January, capable of hitting the ground running and immediately raising the level of his group.

Min-hyeok Yang, 18, will join Spurs from Gangwon FC next month but another teenager will not provide the head coach with any short-term answers.

January is a difficult time to buy players but it is not impossible, and there is a precedent for Spurs to follow.

In January 2022, Postecoglou’s predecessor, Antonio Conte, was desperately struggling for consistency with a thin and middling squad but the signings of Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski on deadline day transformed Spurs’ season,

The club cannot simply buy their way out of their current slump, but being ambitious in the winter window would prove their commitment to Postecoglou, and vastly improve his chances of a stronger second half to the campaign.

Backing a manager when results are going south comes with risks, but Postecoglou wants versatile, technical players, capable of pressing - so any progressive coach should be happy to inherit them if his position eventually becomes untenable.

Levy is inherently cautious in the transfer market, leading to practically every one of his previous coaches to eventually bemoan a lacking of backing from the board.

As it stands, Postecoglou could legitimately claim the same after a summer in which Spurs lost several experienced players and the club signed just Dominic Solanke and three teenagers.

Postecoglou does not do half-measures and if the club is really committed to making his project work, Levy and board must take the same approach to backing him, starting in next month’s transfer window.