Europa League: Can Postecoglou’s spurs avoid another late-season collapse?
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Tottenham Hotspur's Midseason Collapse: Is This a Now Thing Or a Past Thing?
Mid-season collapses have become Tottenham Hotspur's trademark over the past years. This is not something that started now, but has been an ongoing trend since the early 2000's although it is hard to point exactly when this started. Fans have already given it a name and call it the "Spursy moment."
They start strong and appear as a team that could either challenge for the league title or finish the season with a silverware, but in the end, it's just not enough for the fans who are sick of the same old song and dance.
To better understand the situation, we have made a table beginning with Pochettino's era, also known as the "Golden Age Without Gold" up until Ange Postecoglou's ongoing season. This way, we will get to know their finishes and achievements.
Tottenham Hotspur's Managers & Results:
| Managers | Season | Mid-Season Collapse | Final League Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | 2015-16 | Lost the title race in the crucial stages | 3rd place |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 2016-17 | No major collapse | 2nd place |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 2017-18 | Dropped important points during the February and March stretch | 3rd place |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 2018-19 | Managed one win in six games from February to April | 4th place |
| Mauricio Pochettino / Jose Mourinho | 2019-20 | Poor early run; sacked in November | 6th place |
| Jose Mourinho | 2020-21 | Suffered five losses between February and March | 7th place |
| Nuno / Antonio Conte | 2021-22 | Inconsistent in February | 4th place |
| Antonio Conte | 2022-23 | Failed to win a single game in March | 8th place |
| Ange Postecoglou | 2023-24 | Plagued with injuries + a poor run between November and December | 5th place |
| Ange Postecoglou | 2024-25 | Topped the table in the opening ten games; dropped to the bottom five in the crucial stages | Ongoing |
Ange Postecoglou's Appointment: Rebuilding or Destroying?
Ange Postecoglou's appointment as Tottenham Hotspur manager meant that Tottenham's recurring late-season woes were about to become a thing of the past. The Australian coach was appointed on a four-year deal and started working officially on July 1, 2023.
His impact was evident from the get-go as the team had adopted a new style of play: an attacking mentality. To bolster his squad, he has made some notable signings over the past two years.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou bought in seven players, and one thing that is very much common about these signings is that they are suited to his system of aggressive football.
Below is the list of players signed under Postecoglou.
In his first transfer window, he bought in players like:
- James Maddison
- Micky van de Ven
- Guglielmo Vicario
- Destiny Udogie
- Brennan Johnson
January 2024 signings include:
- Timo Werner
- Radu Dragusin
Last season, he led the club to a fifth place finish. What was more disappointing and frustrating was that they blew up their chances of securing a UEFA Champions League spot. In fact, they started off the English Premier League 2023-24 campaign with a ten-game unbeaten run and topped the table.
The injuries came piling up, and they started losing games in the crucial periods. That meant a mid-season collapse and more frustration among the Tottenham hopefuls.
In the ongoing 2024-25 season, you would hope they would be in contention for a top-four finish. To burst your bubbles, they are in the bottom five. The good news is that they won't be relegated, and their realistic finish is to opt for the 13th spot. This is their worst season in 30 years. Despite this, they are in the Europa League semi-final, and we suggest heading over to the Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham Hotspur preview for detailed stats.
Unfortunately, head Ange Postecoglou is the scapegoat in all of this, but in all honesty, one can not do much without the necessary tools needed to execute the job. In particular, there are nine players in the injury room, and four of those are regular starters in the starting lineup.
Is the Europa League a Golden Opportunity or a Dangerous Distraction?
Tottenham Hotspur have been at the top of their game in European competition, particularly in the Europa League . They are in the Europa League semi-final.
The bookmakers had more faith in them at the beginning to dominate this competition despite their domestic campaign struggles, putting them ahead of Manchester United and the eliminated AS Roma.
Tottenham Hotspur have not clinched a major trophy since winning the EFL Cup in 2008 under Juande Ramos' stewardship.
How did they get to the Europa League semi-final?
- League phase: finished in fourth place with 17 points (two points behind the top two).
- Round of 16: they defeated Netherlands AZ Alkmaar 3-2 on aggregate.
- Quarter-finals: they defeated 2022 Champions Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on aggregate.
- Semi-finals (ongoing): won 3-1 in the first leg and currently have a two-goal advantage over Bodo/Glimt from the first leg.
Winning the Europa League can be considered a dream come true for Tottenham Hotspur and fans alike. Not only do they end a 1 1⁄2 decade of a trophy drought, but a free pass in next season's UEFA Champions League.
However, it all comes down to whether they can get the job done on Thursday at Aspmyra Stadion against Bodo/Glimt in the second leg.
Final Verdict
Tottenham Hotspur can forget about bettering their results in the English Premier League because whatever finish they achieve at the end of the day, the 2024-25 season will always be considered their worst campaign in three decades. Winning the Europa League is the most important thing right now and pouring all their energy into this competition will not yield great results for now, but in the future too.
