According to Football.London, after Tottenham Hotspur finished bottom of the Premier League table after five rounds, manager Ange Postecoglou's six key decisions are being scrutinized closely.

Tottenham Hotspur are facing problems once again, sitting bottom of the table after five matches despite spending £334 million during this summer transfer window, making them the Premier League's biggest spenders. However, they also recouped £158 million from player sales, resulting in a net spending of £176 million.

It seems unlikely the squad will gel immediately, as new signing Andrew Robertson recently stated on The Overlap podcast that the dressing room still carries scars and psychological burden from fighting against relegation last season. Nevertheless, some of Postecoglou's decisions have genuinely held the team back, even as Tottenham Hotspur show signs of improvement.

The sale of Vušević

Luka Vušević wanted more playing time this season, which is why Tottenham Hotspur reluctantly agreed to let him go. Postecoglou could not guarantee the young Croatian defender significant minutes, and it was clear the club felt he needed to develop certain aspects of his game before playing regularly for Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, that decision looks rather foolish. Last Saturday, Vušević played as a starter against Arsenal and delivered an outstanding performance in Brighton's 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions, helping them secure a clean sheet.

He also recently scored against Leeds United and has become a crucial part of Brighton's defense. Brighton don't invest heavily in new signings often, so when they do, it reflects their high evaluation of a player.

Tottenham Hotspur sold Vušević for £46 million plus a potential £4 million in add-ons, bringing the total deal value to £50 million. The deal also included a 20% sell-on clause and a first-refusal option. From a financial perspective, the transaction may look acceptable, but selling Vušević still appears to be a mistake.

If Vušević embarrasses Tottenham Hotspur over the next few years, the club might eventually come to terms with it, but he is already a highly talented player, and Tottenham Hotspur knew that well.

However, after signing Van Hecke for £52 million, outsiders would reasonably expect the Dutch defender to outperform Vušević, at least in these opening five games of the season. Notably, Van Hecke had only one year remaining on his Brighton contract. Unfortunately, things haven't gone that way. Brighton's replacement center-back appears to have a brighter future.

The claim that the team was "unprepared for the season"

Tours to New Zealand and Australia following the World Cup have never ended well for Tottenham Hotspur. The preseason schedule was already set, and new players traveling across the globe after playing for their national teams couldn't be avoided.

However, this was difficult for these players, and many, including the head coach, have made it abundantly clear that the club's preparation for the new season fell short of ideal.

Yet Postecoglou's public claim after the opening loss to Brentford that he knew the team wasn't ready to compete was a dangerous statement.

When he took the job at the end of last season, he faced a dire situation and didn't want to hear excuses. While he may have had valid reasons, it was his responsibility to have the team prepared. All 19 other Premier League clubs started their seasons within days of each other, all on equal footing from the outset.

It's Postecoglou's job to extract maximum potential from the new signings he wanted. Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes are not responsible for their transfer fees of £100 million and £85 million respectively, but these prices are a heavy burden on their shoulders.

It's still early to judge, but it's fair to say neither has performed well so far this season. For Fernandes, this is somewhat understandable, as this young prospect has already experienced relegation battles in the previous two seasons.

Sandro Tonali, meanwhile, was expected to hit the ground running, so naturally expectations are higher for him. Both suffered minor injuries early in the season and likely need time to link up with the rest of the team before observers see their best form.

However, when you spend £185 million on two midfielders, it's natural to expect them to become the team's heartbeat. This hasn't happened yet, and Postecoglou still seems unsure how to utilize Fernandes, which is concerning.

The Richarlison dispute that could have been avoided

The Richarlison situation spiraled out of control unnecessarily, and it didn't need to reach this point. It was clear Richarlison had doubts about his future during this summer.

Postecoglou previously stated the Brazilian would stay, then later suggested he would leave. After European and Turkish transfer windows closed, Richarlison had the opportunity to join Vasco da Gama, but failed to agree personal terms with the South American club.

Yet with the team currently short of attacking firepower, benching a striker while not letting him play has been extremely messy.

Richarlison's wages are substantial, and when the manager won't play him, having the club continue paying his salary helps no one. Why couldn't this issue have been resolved faster during the summer? Communication should have been far clearer.

It's unfortunate that Richarlison's career at Tottenham Hotspur had to end this way. If the club had clearly announced his sale through proper channels earlier, they could easily have sold him at a satisfactory price.

The sale of Spence

Many predicted this transfer. Unsurprisingly, after winning the World Cup and performing brilliantly, Pedro Porro suffered a muscle injury. It was only a matter of time before the domino effect occurred, but no one expected it this quickly.

Meanwhile, Spence was sold to Inter Milan for approximately £25.6 million, while Tottenham Hotspur used Archie Gray as his replacement. Archie Gray even received the captain's armband this season, which appears to be compensation for the lack of playing time he's received under Postecoglou.

Simply put, Archie Gray is not a right-back. After the World Cup, Spence should have played a significant role this season. His value has never been higher, and he genuinely wants to explore his options and play football consistently. Tottenham Hotspur should have tried to keep him.

Spence can also play left-back and even wing if needed, and he came through the academy. Now that Pedro Porro is injured, he would have certainly been the starting right-back.

Tottenham Hotspur needed to sell players to comply with financial regulations, but Spence is one of the few who could truly endear himself to supporters through his diligent playing style. Postecoglou's decision to sell him rather than view him as a player who could develop the team seems illogical.

The chaos in the goalkeeper position

Postecoglou placed his trust in Antonín Kinský after his exceptional form in the latter stages of last season, making him the new number-one goalkeeper. However, recent matches have highlighted the importance of having a top-tier goalkeeper.

Antonín Kinský made an error in Nicholas Jackson's goal, while on the other hand, Sion Suzuki impressed in goal for Aston Villa. There's nothing wrong with Postecoglou supporting Antonín Kinský, but given the club's massive summer investment, such a decision carries considerable risk.

Goalkeeper, center-back, and striker are the most critical positions on the pitch. Unlike other positions, goalkeeper errors are typically punished immediately.

Antonín Kinský is a development prospect and a long-term investment, but given Tottenham Hotspur's previous issues with Vicario, the club needs to address the goalkeeper position promptly. While the Czech goalkeeper has a bright future, questions remain.

แปลโดย AI

เว็บไซต์ AF เปิดตัวแล้ว! ดูข่าว ความคิดเห็น รายละเอียดแมตช์ และสถิติครบถ้วนบนคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ เยี่ยมชม: www.allfootballapp.com