Tottenham currently sit in 12th place in the Premier League after 20 matches, with only 24 points.

They’ve scored 42 goals but conceded 30, which is the eighth-highest number of goals conceded in the Premier League.

They average 1.5 goals allowed per match.

This poor form has been quite unexpected, especially after finishing the 2023/24 season in fifth place with 66 points, just one point shy of a UEFA Champions League spot.

It seemed like they could push for a UCL spot at the start of the season, but that now seems almost entirely out of the picture.

So, what’s been going wrong for them this term?

In the tactical analysis, we’ll examine Ange Postecoglou’s tactics, identify what’s contributed to their struggles, and explore the key areas that need fixing.

We will also look into some players they should look to sign to help strengthen their squad in key areas.

Ange Postecoglou Tactical Philosophy

Ange Postecoglou’s tactical approach at Tottenham Hotspur is around maintaining possession with purpose, using inverted full-backs to create midfield overloads while opening wide spaces for attacking transitions.

Offensively, Postecoglou likes his team to exploit spaces and create numerical superiority across the pitch.

He likes his players to be able to adapt to situations quickly but still stay within their overall structure.

His style focuses on quick transitions and high pressing to recover possession swiftly, and he uses a high line in defence.

No matter the scenario, Ange remains committed to his core tactics.

A great example was last season’s match against Chelsea, where Spurs received a red card.

Despite this, they maintained their high defensive line, which was a very risky move.

For a few minutes, it worked, catching Chelsea offside multiple times.

Eventually, the system failed, but the discipline to stick to his philosophy was evident.

Tottenham Hotspur Problems 2024/25

Not all of Tottenham’s issues are tied directly to on-field performance.

While the tactical issues will be explored below, some problems stem from the club’s management and transfer strategy.

Nearly half of the money spent ahead of this season was on Dominic Solanke.

While he hasn’t performed poorly, prioritising a big-money striker was a questionable decision given Spurs’ existing options in Son Heung-min, Richarlison, and Timo Werner, who could all cover the striker role effectively.

Although Richarlison faced heavy criticism last season for not meeting expectations, football requires patience.

With time and consistent opportunities, he could have developed into a reliable option up front.

His first season was quite poor, but he picked things up last year; one more year would have been great for him.

Instead, Tottenham overlooked other positions that needed some attention.

Depth at centre-back remains a bit of an issue, and an additional midfielder capable of playing as a 6 or 8 would have significantly strengthened their squad.

Tottenham Hotspur Tactical Issues 2024/25

One of Tottenham’s major tactical issues this season is their defensive awareness.

At times, it feels like players are caught napping in crucial scenarios, allowing opponents to easily exploit gaps.

In a high-line defensive system, all players need to be awake. 

In the first image above, we see a scenario highlighting Tottenham's defensive lapses.

Two strikers from the opposing team make straightforward runs directly into the box.

There are no tricks, just simple straight-line movement.

Yet, the defence is overly central and fixated on the two Wolves attackers, failing to react or maintain composure.

This exposes a critical issue in Tottenham's structure: their lack of a true defensive midfielder to occupy the space in front of the backline.

A player in this role could shield the defence, intercept runs, or simply assist the centre-backs with their man-marking.

Once again, we see the same issue: the lack of a holding midfielder in the middle leaves them open for the opposing players to have all the time in the world to make a run forward before finally releasing the ball behind the backline for one of the most simple goals, almost like a training goal.

No intensity in the recovery from the Spurs players, just running backwards to their goal with no purpose.

However, a key issue before that image set them up horribly to defend against the counterattack.

It’s the positioning of their inverted full-backs.

The wing-backs are coming into these weird zones of the field, which are right in the middle of the full-back area and the midfielder area.

They aren’t fully in the midfielder zone, but they aren’t fully in the wing-back zone either.

Think of the red oval as the full-back's zone; this is their territory.

The orange oval represents the midfield zone, where the midfielders should be stationed.

They are positioned somewhat in the middle of these two zones.

There isn’t efficiency in that area if both full-backs are symmetrical there.

It’s a half-commitment here, which kills them, and both of the wing-backs in these positions set them up for failure.

The Nottingham Forest player, marked in yellow, is very open, and a simple pass to him destroys their whole setup.

Alternatively, the player making a run into that space does the same.

What could have prevented this is one of the wing-backs tucking fully into midfield, taking the temporary defensive midfielder spot.

Since you're in attack mode, the opposition doesn’t have wingers for you to still be left so wide.

They could have covered that gap if one of them had tucked in more defensively.

This comes down to Postecoglou’s setup.

While the first images focused more on the players being in sleep mode, this is the positioning he's putting them in that leaves them vulnerable.

The first goal they conceded against Liverpool once again shows that players were sleeping.

Two players in that defensive midfielder are role-playing a double pivot, but neither of them makes the run into the backline to form the five-back as the cross is being sent in.

Instead, they are perfectly in sync, covering space where no Liverpool players are.

Now you have two Liverpool players against one Spurs player, both going for the cross.

Liverpool's play peeled off the Spurs player, who was marked in yellow without him noticing, and he scored the header.

Marking those runners has been an issue for them, which we saw in the first example and again here.

Once again, it’s not catching those late runners into the box that costs them.

It’s either noticing the run too late, a lack of communication (which we won’t know from way in the stands), or not being locked in.

Possible Signings 

Having examined some of their key issues, we know what needs fixing: a centre-back for depth and a very solid holding midfielder.

Who would have been their dream signing in that holding midfielder role that would make them 100x better? Amadou Onana.

However, since joining Aston Villa recently, there is almost no chance of that happening, so we’re going to keep the list realistic and financially possible.

However, Amadou Onana would be the perfect fit.

Vitor Reis would have been a great option, but as of this writing, he seems to be heading towards Manchester City.

Richard Ríos - RDM

Richard Ríos is a 24-year-old Colombian who currently plays for Palmeiras.

He can take on either a 6 or 8 role in a hybrid role or both simultaneously.

A relentless player with stamina, energy, and aggression, he will run the pitch like a dog.

His current market value is around 14 million euros, making him a realistic choice for the Spurs management.

Ranking in the 94th percentile for defensive duels, he’s going to go into challenges with no fear.

There's room for improvement in the 67th percentile for aerial duels, along with his win rate percentage.

His role in the build-up play is amazing, as he ranks well in the percentiles for progressive and dangerous passes.

Notice how he ranks in the 91st percentile for goal contributions, 94th for shots per 90, and 89th for dribbles per 90.

While these are not deciding factors for a defensive midfielder, they show how great his overall game is.

Putting him in that defensive midfielder role will greatly improve their structure and aggression in that area.

He also offers much going forward if he needs to take on another role.

Richard Ríos Defensive Territory Map

His Defensive Territory Map shows just how much ground he covers with defensive actions.

He makes many interceptions in the box and on the edge, which is something they lack.

Someone who can intercept those balls being played behind the box.

Richard Ríos Progressive Pass Map

His progressive pass map shows how much he contributes going forward.

He makes many passes into the box, feeding those wide zones that Angé and the Spurs love to exploit.

Dean Huijsen - CB

Although he’ll unlikely stay at Spurs forever, he can give some very solid years.

Dean Huijsen is one of the best young centre-backs in the world and possibly the entirety of English football.

The Spanish youngster made a bizarre move to AFC Bournemouth, but his time there won’t be long as he’s destined for a big move.

Fitting in at Tottenham would be perfect for both the club and his development.

His ranking in the 98th percentile for defensive duels won, the 67th percentile for defensive duels, and the 97th percentile for aerial duels is extraordinary for his young age.

He also ranks highly in progressive passes, putting him in the 88th percentile.

Other attacking metrics aren't the focus; you can also examine those.

Dean Huijsen Defensive Territory Map

He has had limited minutes this season as he’s just fitting into EPL football and an important team like Bournemouth, but you can see how active he is in his defensive actions and interceptions in the box.

Dean Huijsen High Regains Map

His four high regains and 34 counter-pressing recoveries are great, as he can fit into the high line.

This makes him a dynamic and active centre-back who constantly moves in and out of space, looking to win back the ball while also holding his position very well.

Conclusion

Spurs are doing great in attack, with 42 goals in 20 matches, which is amazing.

It’s the SECOND most in the entire EPL, so that’s certainly not an issue.

However, their goals conceded is a big problem.

Their defensive setup going into attack leaves gaps vulnerable for the opposition to take advantage of.

Ange needs to tweak his setup in neutral zones as he looks to move forward.

When the opponent goes for the counter, he needs to be positioned well to shut it down.

Their defence is often sleeping, allowing simple passes behind and easy runs with nobody marking the opponent in behind.

The two players mentioned, Richard Ríos and Dean Huijsen, could be great additions to their squad.

They would massively help them while also financially aligning with their spending in past transfer windows, leaving them two very realistic options.

They can make a late run for a European spot if they can fix their defensive issues.