Harry Kane has been part of the transition, and whilst it all seems to be going well without the England captain, will it last?

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Harry Kane (L) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates with team mates after scoring the team first goal of the game from the penalty spo during the pre-season friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Shakhtar Donetsk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 06, 2023 in England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

It is difficult to forecast due to all the changes under Postecoglou still being raw, but we can at least attempt to predict whether Spurs will feel the effects of Kane’s absence.

Prior to the season a lot of pundits and fans expected Spurs to struggle without their talisman, especially as the striker scored 43% of the club’s league goals last term.

Four games in though and Tottenham have a variety of goal scorers including Emerson Royal, Pape Matar Sarr and Cristian Romero, the latter putting a 20-yard strike in the back of the net in the latest fixture.

The chances are being converted from all over the pitch in a variety of methods and so it does look as though without Kane, many players have felt a confidence boost to step up and provide for the team, as the sole output and focus has now gone.

From the perspective of the opposition, how to neutralise Kane would’ve been the centre of their pre-match plans, but now the range of attacking threat has broadened, it does seem teams are still trying to adapt in how they take on Tottenham.

Taking on this Spurs team though is no easy feat due to the versatility of Postecoglou’s tactical deployment, which has been rather one-dimensional in previous seasons.

For example, Postecoglou appropriately shifted the team and style against Burnley compared to when they played Manchester United, with the former using a swift counter-attacking set-up and the latter being a possession-based, high-pressing style.

Both results ended with the Lilywhites taking three points, and the team performance was outstanding.

Will Spurs miss the clutch goals from Harry Kane?

Every season though there are always tight games or lacklustre performances, and there is no doubt Postecoglou will have a phase where some results don’t always go to plan.

Typically in those moments when the whole team disappoints though, out of nowhere would come Kane to save the day.

Spurs don’t have that clinical striker anymore, and it is yet to be seen whether the dying need for a goal out of nowhere will be needed.

Despite that though, unlike the previous coaches at Tottenham, Spurs’ current set-up is something we haven’t been able to say for the white side of north London in years… it’s sustainable.

There is youth combined with an attacking style of football that is easy to buy into, and a manager with enough self-belief to back himself and enforce his philosophy on the squad.

On top of this, the fans themselves have been absolutely starved of enjoyable football and so the majority of the club’s supporters have fallen in love with the Australian manager.

(Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)

As a result, it’s hard to believe that Spurs will just suddenly drop off due to the delayed effects of Kane’s departure, as the project and vision to progress without the forward is there and has proved successful so far.

Postecoglou has a track record of playing without a striker like Kane, as he found the majority of his success at Celtic using a forward who was able to press, and be a metaphorical sacrificial lamb so the wider players and midfielders find more space.

His style of play is the perfect match for a new era, and further slims the chance that Spurs could suffer without Kane later in the season.

The primary reason Tottenham will suffer or drop below expectation this year is the lack of squad depth, especially in the defensive department where an injury to Micky Van de Ven or Cristian Romero could be worrying.

Spurs should look to continue strengthening in the January window though where squad depth for the final stages of the season could prove crucial.

But based on Kane’s absence, Tottenham should continue to march on and progress into a well-rounded side without the striker.

A huge test awaits in the next few fixtures where Spurs face Arsenal and Liverpool, which may hint as to where Spurs are really at under their new coach.

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A back five with minimal pressing and low block defending in a counter-attacking philosophy has been the style of football Spurs fans have endured under two of Europe’s most high-profile managers, plus Nuno Espírito Santo.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 30: Newly appointed Tottenham Hotspur Manager, Ange Postecoglou looks on during Day Three of the LV= Insurance Ashes 2nd Test match between England and Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground on June 30, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Chairman Daniel Levy promised a return to the Spurs DNA, branded by the man himself as “free-flowing, attacking and entertaining”, in May 2021 (Standard) and finally ahead of the 2023/24 season he looks to have delivered.

How Ange Postecoglou sets his teams up to attack

To fully analyse how Postecoglou will reshape the Tottenham squad, it is helpful to look at what he did at Celtic.

Winning the Scottish Premiership in the past two seasons, Postecoglou employed a back-four system with attacking, press-intensive football in a 4-3-3 formation.

Contrasting to Antonio Conte who demanded high-profile signings, Postecoglou likes to blend developing talent with more mature players, and should form a much healthier relationship with the fans and players.

Last season you would see Celtic so high up the pitch to try and suffocate opposition, and as a result they absolutely dominated teams.

For perspective, they had an average of 73% of possession across the entire of last season (FBRef), which even by the standards of how much Rangers and Celtic dominate the league, that is simply levels above.

Celtic would typically employ two inverted full-backs, who cut inside the pitch whilst the two wingers will stay as high and wide as possible to prevent the opposition to be too compact in the final third.

The space then that opens up, in theory, is exploited by two attacking eights who will link up with the centre forward.

To allow possession to be recirculated whilst the two attacking midfielders are high up, two ball-playing centre-backs will push up to create a triangle with the more defensive midfielder, the six.

As a result, you end up seeing a Celtic team that will have most, if not every single outfield player in the opposition half.

Now it sounds like a defensive calamity with the whole team so high up, however, this is where Postecoglou’s suffocating press switches on and where the inverted full-backs occupy the half space to force a turnover if possession is lost.

Now, the Premier League is much tougher and Spurs will not likely look identical to this, but the fundamental ideas of attacking, press-intensive football is there and has been part of Postecoglou’s identity everywhere he has gone.

When thinking of that style of play though, Tottenham’s squad is not really built for it.

Can Postecoglou reshape Udogie and Porro into full-backs? Maybe.

Is Harry Kane ready to be a high-energy, pressing striker? Probably not.

Do Tottenham have any strong ball-playing centre-backs besides Cristian Romero? Not really.

Are there any attacking eights at the club? Yes, Tottenham finally signed James Maddison.

Spurs do have a couple more attacking-minded midfielders but depends on whether Giovani Lo Celso or Tanguy Ndombele are re-embedded.

The latter isn’t likely as the role is intense and Ndombele has always lacked that energy for a pressing system.

All the questions above though Spurs should aim to fix through promoting youth and in the transfer market.

For example, Tottenham do have youngster Djed Spence, who played as a full-back at Nottingham Forest so it could be possible he gets a chance.

The full-back issue is most interesting though, with Postecoglou likely thinking about how he can use someone like Pedro Porro who is an out-and-out wing-back.

Destiny Udogie can be a bit temperamental defensively too, but is arguably more suited to an inverted full-back role over Porro based on his time at Udinese cutting inwards and finding himself in the penalty area.

With regards to centre-backs Spurs have been linked with 24 year old Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen who could be a young, clever, upgrade on Eric Dier and fit the description of a Postecoglou defender.

Another exciting link is Wolfsburg’s pacey centre-back, Micky Van de Ven, who has been linked with Liverpool to be Virgil Van Dijk’s understudy and more recently Tottenham.

The player can also play left-back too.

These players aren’t high profile but appear to be some of Europe’s bargain talent and do fit the description of what Postecoglou likes in his players.

Harry Kane is also linked with a move away from the club, which could significantly change up Tottenham’s transfer targets assuming a large sum of money comes into Levy’s hands, and would likely result in the club searching the market for a young, high energy forward capable of pressing.

If the England captain does stay though, it is possible Postecoglou uses a false nine system and allow the attacking eights and wingers to lead the press in stages, so Kane can occupy half-spaces.

The Australian coach did this at Melbourne Victory so it remains yet to be seen if he will bring this style back.

This does have the benefit of tactical flexibility though as Richarlison fits the bill as a pressing centre forward, so it isn’t all doom and gloom if Kane does leave.

However the summer plays out, Spurs fans can look forward to a fresh brand of football which should add some much-needed spark to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

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However, over the next five fixtures, the Italian coach has a chance to revitalise Spurs’ season in a way that could kickstart his tenure in north London and may hint at what changes the club could go through soon.

After the international break, Spurs welcome a struggling Leeds side for Conte’s first home game as a lilywhite coach.

With a full stadium rocking for Conte’s arrival and a couple weeks to work with tactics, systems and players, Spurs should come out victorious.

Leeds haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last five matches and with a Spurs side struggling for goals despite heaps of talent up front, Tottenham fans may get to finally see Harry Kane and Heung Min Son really get going this season.

As a result, Tottenham should win 2-0.

Next up for Conte will be a difficult trip to Burnley for a Sunday afternoon kick-off, facing a side picking up form by comfortably beating Brentford 3-1 and impressively sharing a point with title contenders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Any victory will be well earned and the players will have to work incredibly hard to break the physical Burnley defence.

Last time these two met it was a tight 1-0 victory in the Carabao Cup but with Conte’s high wingbacks overloading Burnley’s back line Spurs should create the gaps to penetrate and come away with a 2-1 win and three points.

That’s two wins and a draw in a stable start for Conte who will face arguably his biggest challenge shortly after in a midweek game under the lights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Brentford.

Brentford have faced up to the challenges of the Premier League with great spirit putting in impressive performances and becoming a frustrating team to play against, especially when they throw everything at you.

Whilst Brentford have dropped in form, Tottenham have significantly struggled this season on the defence and with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney hungry for goals it is likely Spurs could concede.

Brentford could come into this game with form too as they face a struggling Newcastle side and Everton at home.

After a fast-paced game which plenty of chances at either end, Spurs and Brentford walk away with a point apiece in a 2-2 draw.

With the fixtures flying in with force, Tottenham then welcome Norwich City, which is an uncertain prospect.

Whilst they’ve been significantly poor this term, the canaries have sacked Daniel Farke and are looking for their next appointment, a manager who could spark some life into a side with better quality than its currently showcasing.

Despite this, Spurs’ quality should overpower the side and the basis of Conte’s tactics should be more established in the side by then giving the Lilywhites 3 goals and 3 points.

With Kane and Son firing and our wingbacks flying, Spurs travel to the Amex Stadium, a place we’ve struggled in recent years.

With Brighton currently on an unusual string of draws, five out of the last six, it’s a difficult fixture to predict and Spurs will definitely need to up their game if they want to travel back with three points.

Feeling some fatigue after the tight run of games combined with the Europa Conference League, Conte’s side will pick up just the point at the Amex.

Maybe this is too hopeful for us to go unbeaten but the Italian will be aware of the importance momentum can have over the festive period and will be really pushing to grind results out of his squad during this run of games.

Total points tally from next five games: 11 out of 15

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