Is Angeball fatally flawed? Tottenham insider hits the fear amid Simon Jordan’s voice of reason

Simon Jordan believes Ange Postecoglou has exceeded expectations in his first season as Tottenham boss – but a former Spurs star has rued a familiar tale of woe in North London.

The former Crystal Palace chairman believes Arsenal's re-emergence is a stark reminder of the level which Postecoglou must aspire to if he is to become the man who ends Spurs' 16-year barren run without a trophy. But if the talkSPORT host is cautiously optimistic, that verdict isn't reciprocated by William Gallas, who believes Spurs have been run into the ground in their bid to follow the core principles of Angeball.

Tottenham now trail Aston Villa by seven points with two games in hand in the race for Champions League football. Speaking to Gambling Zone, Gallas said: " It’s always the same thing. If you’re a top club and you don’t qualify for a place in the Champions League, then you have failed. It’s as simple as that. When we spoke about Tottenham at the beginning of the season, Champions League qualification would have been the target."

And the former France international has a particular grump about the demands Postecoglou places on his players. And he believes changes must be made if greater results are to be sought. He added: "Missing out on the Champions League will be a big disappointment for Tottenham. You have to also think about how physically demanding Ange Postecoglou’s tactics are on his group of players. He asks a lot of his players without the ball and that every game must be an energy-sapping experience for them. Pressing as high as Tottenham do isn’t easy over the course of the season, and the Tottenham players look tired.

"You need to be really committed to be able to do this over the course of a season and you need a deeper squad because those physical demands are so high. It’s impossible to play with that intensity for a 38-game season when your squad isn’t deep enough, and that is why Tottenham’s results haven’t been as positive in the second half of the season. The group looks like it is running out of steam. Ange should have adapted his tactics in certain games – there were times when Spurs would have benefitted from a Plan B – because you can’t play such a physically demanding style over an entire season (with such a small group of players).

"It's a little bit like Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds. Everyone loved the style with high intensity pressing, players playing with total commitment, but in the second half of the season the results dried up because the players were so tired. The same thing has happened at Tottenham. The fans might be happy with a fifth-place finish, but there will be some regrets within the Tottenham camp after the way they started the season. They will know that they could have done better if they miss out on the Champions League to Aston Villa."

And outspoken Jordan – an advocate of Postecoglou since his Celtic days – believes the next step for the 58-year-old is hunting down silverware. Speaking in his Daily Mail column, he said: "The feelgood factor he has generated this season, however, will soon be extinguished if he is unable to replace that with a more accomplished, mature approach. The goodwill and magnificent support he has received from fans will pivot at some point into, 'OK, now we need to win'.

"This is the reality for all managers and Postecoglou will be no different. Next season will be important because he walked into a club that was braced for the departure of Harry Kane, out of Europe and with fans feeling a little down in the dumps after the bun fight that was the last knockings of Antonio Conte's reign. Expectations were low and Postecoglou raised the bar. Whatever happens in their final five games, starting at Stamford Bridge, he has exceeded expectations.

"But he will need to raise the bar again and do what north London rivals Arsenal have done under Mikel Arteta, which is improve season on season. Spurs have been good at delivering the eye candy stuff and are now one of the most aesthetically pleasing teams in the Premier League, but Postecoglou needs to move the needle to the point where they are following the progress Arsenal have made. It is not just a question of building a culture, as he has done so far, it is about finance. Last Sunday's derby showed me they are not accomplished enough yet and are unable to overcome adversity. They will need to spend more money to match the ideals of Postecoglou. Chairman Daniel Levy need only look down the road to see what can happen when you back a manager with significant funds."