Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur chairman, proudly exclaimed these words at the fan forum hosted by the club in September 2023. This came off the back of some scintillating performances under new boss, Ange Postecoglou. It has been a season of varying emotions for fans of the North London club. Unbeaten in their first ten games, the Lilywhites now find themselves winless in their last five matches, which includes four losses.
With results taking a nosedive, does this constitute a crisis for Tottenham?
Winless in the Last 5 Games: Are Tottenham Hotspur in Crisis?
1 Point from 15 Is Relegation Form
It seems like aeons ago that Spurs were flying high and if the club captain had timed his run a fraction better, he would have put his team 2-0 up against Chelsea and would have essentially sealed the game before twenty minutes. Sadly, this isn’t the timeline we live in and the reality of what occurred in that game is ultimately why they find themselves in this position.
That fateful game saw both Mickey Van de Ven and James Maddison pick up injuries, which would keep them out of action until January 2024. Before this, both of these summer signings were in top form and performing at the highest level. It also saw vice-captain Cristian Romero get sent off and subsequently serve a three-match suspension for a follow-through on Argentine teammate and Chelsea midfielder, Enzo Fernandez.
Read More: Tottenham Hotspur’s Season-Defining Run-In
Since that home loss to Chelsea, Tottenham have lost to Wolves, Aston Villa, and most recently, West Ham. Their sole point since that day has come from a gritty draw at the Etihad Stadium against champions Manchester City.
History Makers, but for the Wrong Reasons
With the latest setback against the Irons, Tottenham Hotspur have become the first team in Premier League history to go ahead in five consecutive matches yet fail to win any. Although all four results prior to December 7’s defeat to West Ham could be chalked up to mitigating circumstances, the loss to the Hammers felt different, and in truth, it was a match that the home team should have won.
Read More: Dejan Kulusevski: Born to Play for Ange Postecoglou
In his post-match press conference, Ange Postecoglou was visibly angry as he said that his team “lacked conviction on both ends of the pitch.”. It was the first time in his short tenure that the Aussie manager has seemed this annoyed about a performance, placing the blame nowhere except on his own team.
Tottenham also broke another unwanted record earlier this season when they lost a home match, which Postecoglou had never previously done in Europe.
Results Are Detrimental, but No, It Should Not Be Considered a Crisis
In the modern age, it’s easy to get carried away with fleeting feelings or results. Whether that is believing that a team that just finished 8th in the league and lost their greatest-ever goal scorer could win the league or that the same club is in freefall due to losses against good teams who have been on point on the day.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. Tottenham Hotspur are quite obviously a team in transition, with a manager who is still yet to make the squad his own. He is dealing with the pressures of competing in the Premier League with a squad filled with players bought under differing regimes of a club that has been without a real identity for around four years.
While opposing fans might sing “We’ve got our Tottenham back” mockingly, this run of results should just remind Spurs fans that we have a long way to go until we truly have our Tottenham back. However, there is no man that fans would trust more to bring the club back to its glory than Postecoglou.
