Ever since Ange Postecoglou arrived in north London, it’s been clear that his emphasis lies on attacking football that easy on the eye and overwhelming.
Tottenham Hotspur are an enigma – at their best, they are capable of giving top teams a hiding, but at their worst, are susceptible to the most ignominious of results or stuck on the wrong side of a basketball scoreline.
Scour through social media and you’ll find rival supporters peddling false claims of Spurs whinging about their injury issues, but there is substantial truth in Postecoglou’s indignation on that front.
Tottenham’s season has been decimated by fitness blow after fitness blow after fitness blow. Oh, he’ll die on his tactical hill to be sure, but the Australian gaffer’s electric start to life down in N17 last season bespeaks his and Tottenham’s potential.
1
Liverpool
1st
56
2
Arsenal
2nd
49
=3
Man City
4th
48
=3
Tottenham
14th
48
5
Chelsea
5th
47
In fairness, Spurs were drained of colour and inspiration as Liverpool picked them apart in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday, but Arne Slot’s side are probably the best team in the world right now, steamrolling through the season.
Naturally, Tottenham didn’t reach the end of the match without another cruel injury blow.
Richarlison added to the injury list
Ever since Postecoglou arrived, Tottenham have wanted to attack. This has been both a blessing and a curse. Son Heung-min is one of the finest forwards of his generation, but aged 32, he has struggled to match the desired intensity this term and has floundered with the cogs crashing around him.
It doesn’t help that his teammates keep getting picked off, with Richarlison unable to complete the Merseyside clash after pulling up with an issue as he was withdrawn before the break.
Postecoglou resignedly said that it was “another one to add to the list” after the fixture, with Richarlison set to return to the medical room only a month after returning from a hamstring problem that had ruled him out for two months.
Mathys Tel arrived on loan last week to add relief, but Spurs need Dominic Solanke to return from the infirmary if their attacking fluency is to be restored.
Spurs have struck gold on Dominic Solanke
Last month, Tottenham’s injury crisis deepened when Solanke pulled up with a knee injury that will take six weeks to recover from. He’s unlikely to return before the end of February.
Solanke is Tottenham’s club-record signing, brought in from Bournemouth last summer in a deal rising to £65m. Richarlison was the previous number one.
The belated Harry Kane replacement, 27, has posted 11 goals and 6 assists across 29 matches in all competitions this season. This is a decent return, built on the excellent campaign that convinced Daniel Levy to pay the big bucks, with Solanke notching 19 top-flight goals for the Cherries last year.
Solanke isn’t the most relentless of goalscorers, only averaging 2.59 shots per Premier League match this season, as per FBref, which puts him in the bottom 45% of strikers in the division.
He suffered from similar defects in his early days at the Vitality Stadium, with former teammate Junior Stanislas highlighting the many other areas that make him a top forward: “His quality was evident in training. His hold-up play, skills and willingness to run in behind – he was someone you always wanted on your team. He brought so much more than goals.”
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Spurs held off from signing a direct Kane successor last season, but Solanke is now proven as a well-thought-out option, bringing his own take on the No 9 role and not expected to bring the obscene strike record of his predecessor.
Moreover, five of his seven Premier League goals this season have come against teams in the top half of the table, with the other two bagged against Brentford and Manchester United (he also put two past the Red Devils as Spurs advanced to the Carabao Cup semis).
He’s a big-game player and a facilitator for teammates such as Son to find more space in the danger areas and wreak the kind of havoc that Postecoglou’s system, at full throttle, provides.
Described as a “pressing monster”, the England international will be a major player over the coming years and will be one of the biggest driving forces as Spurs push to escape from the rut that they are currently bogged in.
Before long, Spurs’ new striker might be worth more than the legendary Kane, whose £54m release clause at Bayern Munich becomes active during the 2026 January transfer window.
Kane, who turns 32 this summer, has scored 72 goals from 73 matches since joining Bayern from Tottenham in 2023, adding 28 assists. The Three Lions captain’s teammate, Jamal Musiala, has described him as “an incredible player, one of the best in the world”.
Certain fans might be tempted to voice hopes of Kane re-joining next summer when his release clause becomes active, but in Solanke, Tottenham have a most industrious and energetic option.
Simply, £54m would be too heavy a price for a player whose 33rd year would be encroaching. Tottenham have endured plenty of misery in the transfer market over the past few years, but in Solanke, they have a striker capable of offering a multi-faceted approach over the coming years.
Re-signing Kane for such a sum would set Levy back, and the fact that Solanke will soon be worth more than his predecessor bears testament to his importance in Ange’s side
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