Tottenham recently confirmed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as Antonio Conte’s permanent successor, with the Australian tactician tasked to transform the club’s fortunes after an underwhelming 2022-23 campaign.
Spurs finished eighth in the table, which means they will have no European football for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign. Postecoglou faces a tough rebuilding job of what has become a disgruntled and disjointed group of players. For the north London club to challenge for a top-four finish next year, they must improve on certain areas on and off the pitch.
That said, here are three chief areas Tottenham should improve on next term.
- Defensive structure
This Spurs team needs to improve in a number of areas, starting with defending. They had the worst defensive record among the top 14 teams, conceding 63 goals. The defensive structure was all over the place more often than not, with senior defenders horribly underperforming.
Ange Postecoglou is expected to move away from the 3-5-2/3-4-3 Conte implemented and revert to his preferred 4-3-3 system. So, securing the right players to fit into his system is of huge importance. A stable and flexible defensive structure will provide the perfect base for the newly-hired Australian to build his squad next season.
- Change the squad’s mentality and fighting spirit
Antonio Conte thought he could do what no other manager has done at Tottenham—change the culture of the squad and instil a winning mentality—but he was so wrong in the end. The Italian tactician, like many others before him, left Spurs without a trophy.
Spurs’ long wait to win silverware again extended into a 16th year after they went trophyless last term. For starters, if Spurs are to become a successful and entertaining team that challenges for trophies, Ange Postecoglou—after winning the domestic treble with Celtic earlier this year—must change the squad’s mentality and bring some fighting spirit.
Setbacks are bound to happen in the Australian’s first season, but how the group reacts to those and rises to different challenges will go a long way in determining whether Postecoglou will succeed at the Tottenham Hotspur Way or not.
- Reduce the goalscoring burden off Harry Kane’s shoulders
Scoring 30 Premier League goals in an average Spurs team is no meant feat, and Harry Kane once again showed why he’s such a valuable asset to the club. While the north Londoners’ first and biggest order of business to settle is keeping hold of their talismanic striker Kane amidst interest from Man United and Real Madrid, they need to find players who can reduce the goalscoring burden off his shoulders.
Son Heung-min endured a poor 2022-23 season where he could only manage 10 league goals, so Postecoglou will need to put an arm around the South Korean star’s shoulders and help him get back his lost confidence while signing a quality striker to contribute heavily to Spurs’ productivity is an absolute must.
