THE FATAL FLAW IN ANGE’S TACTICS WHICH EXPOSED SPURS AGAINST LEICESTER
BEFORE THE SEASON
After a brilliant first season, Ange Postecoglou’s side looked to get off a perfect start to the Premier League campaign, with a trip to Leicester City. Spurs began the previous campaign with eight wins out of 10, which put them top but in an injury-scared season, the club would ultimately miss out on Champions League football and finish fifth place.
The attacking style of Postecoglou became synonymous with the club due to their offensive flair and defensive capabilities. This entertaining philosophy was epitomised by his side’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea as they continued to attack despite having two red cards. This style has led to Spurs becoming a great side to watch compared to Mauricio Pochettino’s time as manager.
As a result, a blend of young and experienced players have joined the side in their bid to finish in the Champions League positions. Attacking options such as Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke and Lucas Bergvall have all arrived, whilst Archie Gray has joined from Leeds to add versatility.
THE MATCH
In the match against Leicester City, the offensive style was at the forefront as Spurs created many chances but with little reward. New signing Dominic Solanke missed a few chances but showed bright sparks through his pressing and positioning. James Maddison looked back to his best whilst the attacking fullbacks of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie became a handful for Leicester’s backline with their creative runs, which led to the first goal as Porro found the net from a Maddison cross due to his inverted run into the box.
Pedro Porro scores our first goal of the new @premierleague campaign 👊 pic.twitter.com/dFjiwzIQ59
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 19, 2024
The North- London-based side looked dominant in the first half as Leicester did well to keep the score-line at 1-0. The Foxes failed to get a foothold in the game as suggested by the stats with 10 shots, 323 Passes, 12 tackles and 25 recoveries. The beginning of the second half would see a similar outcome before Steve Cooper’s side began to counter-attack with quality, whilst being strong defensively in their low block.
Cooper’s side began to find space with the opposition full-backs constantly out of position, leaving opportunities for the home side. The momentum would then start to shift before Jamie Vardy equalized with a header. A key part of the goal is Cristian Romero’s positioning left the 37-year-old open at the back-post where he headed it home.
This would continue as Vardy would be part through on goal again from a Facundo Buonanotte through ball, the Englishmen had a vast amount of space on the right channel as Porro pushed up, however, his finish would be denied by Vicario. The space around the Spurs backline and midfield continued but chances for Leicester wouldn’t be taken leaving the result at 1-1.
CONCLUSION
Therefore, this leads to the question of if Ange Postecoglou’s tactics are flawed. The first-half clearly showed the quality of his system and players, but with just one goal, a comeback was always on. In addition, chances would come for a Leicester side that lacks the talent and pace of other clubs therefore, the high line and attacking full-backs could prove to be an issue as teams are able to counter-attack with pace and find the open space.
As a result, Spurs may need to adapt their system or coaching to prevent the opportunities provided as the clash at the King Power should of been an easy three points. With the race for top four looking as competitive as ever as Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Manchester United all picked up points, will Postecoglou’s side improve ahead of their next outing at home to Everton.
