Newcastle United, according to Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, “show what can go wrong.”
ANGE POSTECOGLOU believes Tottenham should learn a lesson from Newcastle United about what happens when a team lacks the depth in its roster to handle Champions League games.
Spurs, who went ahead of Aston Villa in the fight for fourth place last weekend, will return to Europe’s top tournament tomorrow afternoon when they visit St James’ Park.
Although Newcastle managed to qualify for the Champions League and finished 11 points ahead of Tottenham in the previous year, Eddie Howe’s Saudi Arabia-backed team has not been able to turn that success into a sustained spell of supremacy.
The eighth-place Magpies have suffered greatly from injuries as a result of having to compete on four fronts, and Postecoglou has frequently used them as an example of why a top-four finish is not always a sign of long-term success.
“There is definitely a cautionary tale there that getting into Champions League also means greater demands,” thought Postecoglou.
There are demands on the players and the team, and you need to be prepared for them or it might negatively impact every aspect of your season.
“This year has been difficult for Newcastle since last year they made great progress and won the Champions League as a result. However, for some reason, this year has been extremely difficult for them on both sides.
Spurs haven’t visited St. James’ Park since their crushing 6-1 loss there in the previous season, which turned out to be the lowest point of an unimpressive year.
Postecoglou considered the significance of the 4-1 victory over Newcastle in December, but he did not feel the need to rewatch that match.
Spurs had lost four of their previous five games going into that game, and they had a long list of absences.
Postecoglou said, “I think it was important in the context of the results.”
“It definitely effects the trajectory of your season, so you don’t want to go through an extended period of not winning.
“I felt that we were still doing very well before then; for whatever reason, we were clearly not crossing the line.
“I thought we played really well that day,” We played quite aggressively, and I felt that we were most successful that day when we played in the front third. The outcome was satisfactory, particularly at home.
“It was significant from a results perspective, but not more so than any other game in terms of performance.”
Richarlison (knee) will not play for Spurs tomorrow, but the Brazil attacker should be ready for the derby against Arsenal later this month.
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