“If you don’t think you’re going to be in the title race in 12 months’ time, then I don’t know why I’m here.” Ange Postecoglou...

The post Opinion: What must improve if Spurs are to launch a title challenge next season appeared first on The Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

“If you don’t think you’re going to be in the title race in 12 months’ time, then I don’t know why I’m here.” Ange Postecoglou told Standard Sport ahead of the West Ham game. Points-wise, Spurs are not far off, but a lot has to change ahead of next season.

Spurs are only eleven points off the summit of the Premier League, but that is expected to extend before the conclusion in eight games’ time. Plenty stands between those ten points, and some would argue that without the injury crisis, it might have been within reach.

Other clubs have had issues though and have suitably adapted. The well-documented injury issues at Liverpool have motivated rather than hindered them. It cannot be underestimated that while that gap appears small, there is a hefty gap Spurs need to make to challenge their competitors.

Whether that comment from Ange was purely just to display ambition to fans or whether he genuinely believed it, he must realise the uphill battle. You can look at our fellow rivals for an example of that.

It took Mikel Arteta until the fourth year to mount a title challenge, we can have high expectations, but success never arrives with ease. Tottenham Hotspur fans must recognise that more than any.

But progression is possible next season, even if we just gain one place in the table. Spurs have a deeply ingrained, psychologically bad backbone which they must overcome to even win a league cup.

This team has talent and is signing talent constantly. The direction is futuristic in all manners. Now is the time to look at the present term and invest in the next two years rather than ten.

So, what does that involve? What needs to happen in the next few months to give that a good chance of happening? It is never as simple as chucking money at a project.

Here are your answers, Ange.

Hire a set-piece coach

This will almost certainly not happen. Mile Jedinak and Ryan Mason are currently working on set pieces. While as an overview it has not been terrible, it certainly is not fantastic. Gianni Vio, who worked under the Antonio Conte regime and is now at Watford certainly had a better time with it.

That reason is because he is a specialised set-piece coach. Jedinak and Mason are not, but Ange is unlikely to hire from the outside. Compared to our elite competitors, they have one. Spurs seem to have no idea with offensive corners and free kicks and the zonal marking on defending them is shockingly inconsistent.

The club should hire one, because it throws away silly goals and points, such as against West Ham.

Invest in quality

This is the strongest depth-wise Spurs have been since they last challenged near the top of the Premier League. The midfield is strong, the defence is able, but the squad is lacking quality in certain areas.

If you think about the quality other teams in the title race have, Spurs are beaten out in some areas of the pitch. Yves Bissouma, for one. A great player when he has confidence and is in form but is not that assured. The discipline record is also a question.

The team need a press-resistant deep-lying midfielder who has the composure to guide the team through difficult moments. He also has a poor discipline record. Players such as Joao Palhinha or Martin Zubimendi would be credible options.

Spurs also need a winger. Inconsistency in terms of the combination of attackers has meant a lack of fluidity this year. A big-name signing with a good injury record to play in the front three can allow an attack to gel properly. It would increase competition too.

That shortlist should have names such as Nico Williams, Takefusa Kubo, Crysencio Summerville and Matias Soule.

Become more versatile and adaptable

Everyone adores the style of play. It is flagrant, arrogant, and beautiful when in free flow. Unfortunately, not every team will allow you to play in that fashion. Sometimes it benefits being more patient and calculated or defending zones which are unnatural.

The best teams adapt. It is not a major change, just minor tweaks. The top teams are not embarrassed such as Spurs were against Fulham recently. Tottenham have lacked a plan B this season, and that has meant that when a team has tactically trumped Postecoglou, there has been no response.

Finding a way to win whatever the situation or digging out a narrow victory is a natural habit of the elite.

Stop conceding first

Seems pretty simple, but not for this team. It has been the case for too long, even before this season, that late winners have been a reliance. In seven out of the last ten league games where both teams have scored, Tottenham have conceded first in the game.

There are only so many occasions you will get away with this. Asserting dominance and control over the game by scoring first gives you the potential to command the match rather than chase it. This is something Spurs achieved early on in the season but weltered away after the injuries and suspensions.

Set higher standards

This point was left to the end because it bears the most importance. The standards must heighten each season if progression is to happen. But what does that mean?

This includes players turning up on time, applying themselves in training, staying regimented in routine and demanding quality from each other. Now that might already be the case, but there is always cases to improve.

The blatant manner is on-pitch. Mediocrity must not be rewarded, and nobody should be immune to substitution. If someone drops below that standard, they should not be rewarded with starts. On occasion this season that has been the case, even with James Maddison or Heung-Min Son.

Setting the bar higher will instil belief and will allow for great disappointment if it does not run smoothly. Signing top players will encourage this, but it is down to the coach first and foremost.

If we are fair and realistic, the chance of a title challenge next season should be labelled as things that are unlikely to happen. An improvement is unquestionably possible though with the level of unnecessary errors made this season.

Ange Postecoglou will not be truly judged until the third season; this squad is young and is only getting younger. The questions will only be asked if the club goes backwards. The direction, the infrastructure and mentality are aligned, so progression is the name before Spurs challenge for the Premier League.

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