Ange Postecoglou's future: Why Tottenham and Daniel Levy are sticking with Australia head coach for now | Football News

Tottenham's season is in crisis as pressure mounts on Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs' 3-2 defeat by Everton left them 15th in the Premier League table – closer to the relegation zone than the European places.

The defeat, which left Postecoglou's side 3-0 down at half-time against a side that had previously scored 15 goals in 20 games, was Spurs' 12th defeat of the season and extends a run of one win – against basement club Southampton – in their last 10 games.

Spurs' 10 defeats this term are the most they have suffered after 22 league games in more than a quarter of a century – while they have just nine Premier League wins in the last nine months – losing 24 of their last 50 matches.

So what's next for Postecoglou and Tottenham ahead of a busy end to January, both on and off the pitch? Sky Sports News' Michael Bridge explains all…

Is Postecoglou under a lot of pressure?

My understanding is that he is not under any serious pressure. I think there is pressure because they are 15th in the league. It is unacceptable for them.

But Postecoglou said so himself. He also said, and he is right, that they are still in three cup competitions, but that the league position is not acceptable.

So there is pressure. But as for his job security, I believe he still has the full support of the board.

But the next three or four weeks define Tottenham's season. If Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero come back in the next few weeks, they could qualify for the Europa League final, they could reach the Carabao Cup final, they could beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Then you turn around and say, actually, this could still be a good season.

However, they could lose to Hoffenheim in Europe on Thursday, drop out of the top eight, and then have two more games to qualify for the last stage of the Europa League. They could lose at Anfield in the second leg of the Carabao Cup and could go out at Villa.

If that were to happen, it could be a tough few months until May.

Why is the board giving him this time?

I think there is an acceptance that these injuries seriously derail a side. These are not just unusual injuries, they are serious injuries.

People can blame him for the style of play that led to hamstring injuries. You can't blame Postecoglou on Dominic Solanke kicking the ball in training and his knee cracking.

For the last two or three weeks, Postecoglou told me and my colleagues: The House needs help. And now Dom is hurt.

It's January 20th and there are no new signings from the field. Yes, January is tough, but he really needs help now.

Will Postecoglou get that support in the January transfer market?

I believe it is. They have to bring in the players. January is not easy, but it is achievable. Spurs had a good January window.

For example, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur signed in January and are now Tottenham's two best players. So it can happen.

But European clubs are not so willing to give away their players in January. Now we have European football in January, which has never happened before.

But even so, I still believe Spurs will bring in at least one player, but it has to happen very soon.

Where are the Spurs fans sitting at Postecoglou?

Mixed is probably a fair assessment now after the Everton defeat.

When he joined, I had never known such love. Postecoglou said it himself, the Tottenham Hotspur stadium was like a nightclub. Even Robbie Williams started singing songs about him.

And then they went on a bad run when they had that Chelsea game, that 4-1 loss on Monday Night Football. The season simply derailed after that, and Postecoglou didn't bring it back.

Many fans just think that it's not his fault and that he has no support. They feel that the team is not good enough, they need money, they need better recruiting.

While some fans are upset that he only has one mode of play. Some believe that the injuries are on him, and they are not satisfied with the high line and open midfield.

Some think he's stubborn, and some think it might be time for a change, but who are you going to bring in? We saw that Ruben Amorim is not sure to join the club in the middle of the season with so much work to do.

Daniel Levy sacked Spurs managers mid-season earlier, what would that look like?

I don't know if the fans would accept a transition period like Ryan Mason, like they have the last two times. From the murmurs I hear, I don't think they would accept it.

Postecoglou continues to maintain a good relationship with the Spurs hierarchy. The head of football operations is Scott Munn, who is Australian and Ange supporter.

Postecoglou works well with Johan Lange, Tottenham's technical director. But the next three to four weeks are crucial for Tottenham's season.

If Postecoglou were to be sacked soon, where would that leave Daniel Levy with Spurs fans?

I don't think Daniel Levy personally would want to rush to sack another manager.

But if it did, it would make for a very tense last few months of the season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in terms of atmosphere.

Spurs are currently riddled with injuries, is there an explanation as to why?

There is no doubt that given Tottenham's style of play, that risk exists.

I also think poor recruitment has caught up with the club. I look at the team and I don't see them as a top six team right now.

I think in fairness to Postecoglou, he probably didn't give himself enough credit when they finished fifth in their first season without Harry Kane.

Spurs have spent a couple of seasons playing poorly, winning 1-0 with Kane. They relied on him too much. They didn't have him last season and still had a pretty good season.

This season you've seen numerous injuries, poor performances, and then Heung-Min Son, who had a difficult season, is a year older.

And one of the most disappointing facts is that I don't think, and this is perhaps a collective responsibility, they didn't really plan for additional European games.

Last season, Spurs were not in Europe. They were relegated from the FA Cup. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the second round. So basically they only had about 42 games.

This year they played their 34th game. They have two more European games this month. They have a second leg in the Carabao Cup. They have the FA Cup.