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Pressure mounts on Ange Postecoglou to improve Tottenham results fast

Safe, for now: Ange Postecoglou (Getty Images)
Safe, for now: Ange Postecoglou (Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou continues to have the full support of the Tottenham hierarchy but is under immediate pressure to improve results.

Spurs’ miserable run of results, the latest being Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Everton, has seen them slump to 15th in the table after a run of one win in the 10 league games and left them with just five points from a possible 30.

Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, has previously not hesitated to sack managers when form goes south but the club is committed to a rebuilding project under Postecoglou and believes the 59-year-old is still capable of changing their fortunes.

Crucially, the club acknowledges that Spurs' dramatic injury crisis has been a huge factor in results, with Postecoglou missing 10 senior players at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou tactical tweak failed on Sunday (Getty Images)
Ange Postecoglou tactical tweak failed on Sunday (Getty Images)

The Australian has repeatedly called for reinforcements in this month's transfer window and the club is working on bringing in new players before the end of January.

Spurs, though, are facing another crunch period of their season over the next few weeks, with Postecoglou's position precarious, even considering the factors outside his control.

Spurs will take a 1-0 lead to Anfield for the Carabao Cup semi-final decider against Liverpool on February 6, followed four days later by an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa.

Before then, Postecoglou's side face Hoffenheim away and Elfsborg at home in the Europa League over the next two midweeks, as well as Premier League games at home to Leicester and away at Brentford.

I have the responsibility to try and get us through this ... I'm just determined to get us out of this

Ange Postecoglou

While the cups feel key to Spurs' hopes of turning around the season, they could genuinely be dragged into a relegation battle if they continue to drop points in the league and need points in Europe to avoid a hugely unwanted play-off for the knockouts.

Speaking at Goodison Park, where Spurs trailed 3-0 at the interval before a second-half rally, Postecoglou brushed aside questions about his future and reiterated that he has a responsibility to arrest his side's slide down the table.

"This is not about me, but what is about me right now is I have the responsibility of the group of players I do have, to try and get us through this, and that's what I've got to focus on," he said.

"For me to focus on anything else is abstaining myself from the responsibility I have. I'm just determined to get us out of this. The club's doing its best to...more about helping the players than helping me because they're the ones we're asking some massive jobs of 18-year-olds.

"We had a 17-year-old out there trying to win games of football for us. And others who are just playing week on week, so, you know it's more about getting the players help rather than me help."