Ange handed staunch Tottenham defence case - but Daniel Levy fan backlash comes with one major warning
Ange Postecoglou has been handed major backing by Paul Merson who called for Tottenham to 'give him next year as well'.
The former Celtic gaffer is feeling the heat from the stands as Spurs' form continues to fall off a cliff. The North London outfit are going through a major injury crisis at this moment in time - but they find themselves languishing in 15th spot in the English Premier League standings with six defeats in their last seven league outings. They picked up a rare win in the Europa League midweek and they finish their campaign off on Thursday night looking to secure a top eight finish and skip the play-off round.
They also hold the advantage over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final going into the second leg after a 1-0 win at home with that return tie at Anfield on the horizon for Ange and Co. While the pressure may be hitting overdrive with plenty of outside noise, the club have refused to act and Merson has called on them to stick with the manager who he 'feels sorry for'. However, he has warned the 58-year-old that the ONE thing that when it happens it will be game over.
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Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said: "Where would the fans rather be? Sixth in the league and out of every cup or where they are right now but still in every cup? I feel sorry for the manager and I do feel sorry for Tottenham. They need to be careful.
"They need to be careful. You know, for me, they've had Mourinho, they've had Conte, they've had Nuno [Espirito Santo], you know, they've had them managers that the crowd have gone mad. We want the Tottenham way, we want the Tottenham way. They brought this lad in. We've seen what he done last season when he had a fit team and he got flying and then they drifted away. But he entertains.
"He wants to play on the front foot and he can do that when he's got his centre half [Micky] Van de Ven playing because he's the main man. But stick with him. If he goes now, they're going to go with someone who's got to come up and shut shop up, play 10 at the back, play counter attacking football.
"The fans will go mad again. Give him a chance. Give him next year as well. Tottenham are a good team to watch when they've got their players fit, but Van der Ven has to play. They need midfield players. They've got no midfield players. They've got Bentancur but the others haven't been good enough. They don't dominate football matches in the midfield.
"Whoever comes in doesn't dominate. You know, they have a good goalie or a half-decent goalie. Got two good centre-backs or one very good and the other one's better when he's playing with van der Ven.
"They've got a good centre-forward who's just starting to play now. You know, Kulusevski would get in virtually every team in the Premier League. Every team in the Premier League, in my opinion.
"You know, but they need that spine and I've just reeled it off. You know, the goalkeepers come in, they bought in, they needed a goalie. That goalie ain't going to play when the goalkeeper's fit.
"And this is the problem with Tottenham. It's all right going, oh, we'll go out and buy him, buy him, buy him. But none of them will play when all the others are fit.
"And Tottenham haven't got money to give 70 grand a week for people sitting on the bench. I'd be patient. You know, who knows? They're still in all the Cups.
"They've probably got more chance of winning the Europa League because they haven't got Liverpool in the Europa League. You know, so they're still in all the competitions. I just, I would sit tight.
"The only problem is when them Levy banners start coming out, there's only one thing that's going to happen and that's I'm going to take the pressure off me. Off you go, manager."
