'Not once left'- Danny Murphy pinpoints key flaw in Postecoglou that is holding Tottenham back

With the Europa League final on the horizon, Spurs’ tactical frailties could not have been laid bare at a worse time. Manager Ange Postecoglou now faces the daunting task of shoring up a defence that has been leaking goals while simultaneously preparing for the club’s most important game of the season.

Ange Postecoglou made eight changes to the starting XI that lifted the Europa League trophy against Bodo/Glimt, opting for a heavily rotated Tottenham side against Crystal Palace. However, the decision backfired as Spurs slumped to their 20th league defeat of the season, leaving fans frustrated once again. With just two games remaining before the Europa League final, the team’s lack of cohesion and defensive frailty remains a glaring issue.

Former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy didn’t hold back in his criticism on BBC MOTD, as relayed by TBR Football. Murphy took particular issue with Tottenham’s defensive setup, insisting that the team looked like they had “no defensive plan” whatsoever. He accused Postecoglou of failing to adequately prepare his players in training to deal with Palace’s attacking approach, highlighting a worrying lack of structure and discipline in the backline.

The Former player believes the Spurs defence is in shambles

Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, as relayed by TBR Football, former Spurs midfielder Danny Murphy dissected Tottenham’s defensive struggles in their 2–0 defeat to Crystal Palace, criticising the lack of structure and communication across the backline.

Murphy highlighted how Djed Spence was caught out of position, failing to track Munoz as Destiny Udogie’s replacement, while Mathys Tel reacted too late to cover. He pointed out that Spence followed Sarr into the box without once checking his left side, leaving Munoz completely unmarked, a clear sign of tactical negligence. Ben Davies, too, failed to alert his teammate, exposing a complete breakdown in organisation and communication.

Discussing Palace’s opener, Murphy noted that Spence rashly jumped out of the defensive line while Rodrigo Bentancur—playing out of position at left wing-back, was left chasing Munoz, arguably one of the most dynamic wide threats in the league. Murphy summed it up as a tactical mess: “They were absolutely all over the place.”

This sort of disjointed defending simply won’t hold up against Manchester United in the Europa League final. Players like Bruno Fernandes thrive on space and unpredictability, and Spurs cannot afford to be this open or unprepared if they have any hope of lifting silverware and securing Champions League qualification.

The Spurs Midfielder speaking on BBC, expressed his problems with the defence

“Tottenham, the back four is all over the place, Spence gets caught tucked in occupying Sarr and then Tel’s too late to get back in. But there’s no defensive plan – they’re just off the cuff. Spence is tracking back Mateta here, he doesn’t even see Munoz and Davies isn’t talking to him.”

“Spence has followed Sarr all the way in – he’s not looked once left to see where Munoz is. This is just a tactical thing, they’re outnumbered, they’re not communicating and they’ve not set up a plan in training before the game to stop Palace – even though we know how they’re going to play.”

Murphy’s critique echoes a growing sentiment among the Spurs faithful, that despite their European run, the domestic campaign has been nothing short of a disaster. With 20 league losses and a relegation battle still looming, Postecoglou faces mounting pressure to steady the ship. But with the Europa League final just around the corner, the question remains: can he refocus and rally his squad in time to salvage something from this disastrous season?