Why Ange Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham is over

It’s hard to believe that just last season, Ange Postecoglou was being hailed as the manager who had finally given Tottenham Hotspur their identity back.

Now, the same fans who once sang his name are booing his decisions and jeering as Spurs limp towards the finish line of a bitterly disappointing season.

Postecoglou’s bold, front-footed approach initially won admirers across the Premier League. But style without substance has finally caught up with him.

Spurs have now lost 16 of their 30 league games this season and sit a dismal 14th in the table. Should they drop points in their next outing — and if West Ham and Wolves pick up results — they could slide as low as 16th.

The Australian can count himself fortunate that this season’s bottom three have been so poor. Were it not for their struggles, Tottenham could easily be staring down the barrel of a relegation scrap.

Tensions reached boiling point during Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea - a result that extended Spurs’ winless run in the league to five games. The frustration from the away end was audible, with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” ringing out after Postecoglou withdrew Lucas Bergvall and sent on Pape Sarr in the 65th minute.

Sarr responded with a brilliant long-range finish just four minutes later, prompting Postecoglou to turn towards the fans and cup his ear in defiance.

But the celebration was short-lived - VAR intervened and ruled out the goal for a foul on Moises Caicedo in the build-up, summing up a night that mirrored Tottenham’s season: chaotic, contentious, and ultimately fruitless.

When asked about the incident after the match, Postecoglou said: "Jeez mate, it's incredible how things get interpreted. We'd just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we'd been through a tough time, and I thought it was a cracking goal.

"I wanted them to get really excited. I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side]. It doesn't bother me. It's not the first time they've booed my substitutions or my decisions. That's fine, they're allowed to do that.

"But we'd just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement. If people want to read into that that somehow I'm trying to make a point about something, like I said, we'd been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there.

"If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them."

Despite Postecoglou’s version of events, it remain a symbolic moment - a manager who once galvanised the fanbase now visibly at odds with it.

The disconnect has grown with each frustrating result. Defensive frailties remain unsolved, the midfield lacks control, and quite simple Tottenham just look lost with no real game plan.

They have looked a shadow of the high-intensity, fearless side that lit up the early months of last season. Even Postecoglou’s typically measured press conferences have taken on a more spiky, defensive tone.

And while Spurs are still in the hunt for a Europa League, it’s scant consolation. For a club that dared to dream of finally ending its trophy drought, Europe’s secondary competition feels like cold comfort.

The idea that a potential Europa League win could paper over the cracks is fanciful. The damage - both on and off the pitch - appears too deep.

Postecoglou's principles are admirable in a way. He arrived with a clear philosophy and refused to compromise. But as results nosedive and pressure mounts, the unrelenting belief in a system that isn’t working has begun to look more like stubbornness than conviction.

With the crowd turning, the football flat, and momentum long gone, Postecoglou’s future looks bleak. Whether he walks or the board makes the call, the feeling is the same - his time at Spurs appears to be all but over.