NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 477
Submitted by Norman Giller

The knives are out for Ange Postecoglou after the 4-2 defeat at Anfield, with many keyboard warriors calling for his head as the season goes into its final furlong. I would advise Ange not to read any social media on this Bank Holiday Monday, unless he wants to find out how few friends he has approaching the end of his first year as Tottenham's head coach.

There is the poison of pessimism hanging around the Tottenham camp after four consecutive defeats. I have not written a line like that since the days when then manager Ossie Ardiles had the nightmare of seven successive losses in the winter of 1994.

The online criticism of the affable Greek-Aussie reached a crescendo when the scoreline at Anfield hit its nadir at 4-0 and before a mini-recovery by a Spurs team clinging by its fingernails to fifth place in the Premier League.

But I found a Postecoglou supporter in Steve Perryman, the skipper who collected back-to-back FA Cups back in the 1980s (have I told you he and I are compiling the definitive Bill Nicholson biography, out in September? Thought I might have done).

Steve and his team-mates who captured the Uefa Cup 40 years ago celebrated their anniversary with a lunch at the state-of-art Tottenham training camp, where they were greeted by Ange.

'We were all knocked out by him," Steve reported. 'What an impressive guy. We all agreed we would have run through walls for him. He knew all our backgrounds and the club history. He has targets at Tottenham but needs time to meet them. Supporters must be patient and they will be rewarded. He is really exciting and inspiring. The team is in great hands. Our wonderful manager Keith Burkinshaw agreed that Ange is the right man to lead Tottenham to silverware. You should have seen the fuss Postecoglou made of 'The General'. He was respectful and in awe of all that Keith achieved when in charge. Yes, in Ange we trust.'

That's a picture above of Ange and Keith. There are those of us who recall when a group of Spurs supporters hung banners at White Hart Lane that read, 'GET RID OF THE BURK.' So, he appreciates what it is like to have the fans turning against him, the same veteran 'supporters' who now tell you he was one of the greatest of all Tottenham managers. Keith was won over by Ange at their emotional meeting and made it clear that he supports the embattled boss.

Those of us who are not one eyed will accept that the 4-2 scoreline at Anfield flattered Tottenham, and that fifth place is now under threat. My Spurs Odyssey team-mate Declan Mulcahy gives his verdict on the Spurs defeat HERE and tells some harsh truths about the Spurs performance.

It was worrying to see goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario having to step in to separate what threatened to develop into an ill-tempered spat between team-mates Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal as they came off at the half-time interval. At least their anger showed they cared but they should save those sorts of disagreements for the privacy of the dressing-room. One thing's for sure, Royal is as out of place at left-back as a Tory in the West Midlands and he did more ball watching than a Wimbledon spectator.

It's going to take some freak results for Spurs to overtake Aston Villa for that fourth place. We should not hold our breath. Three games to go...

Burnley (h) May 11 3.00
Man City (h) May 14 8.00
Sheffield Utd (a) May 19 4.00

Roll on the 2024-25 season, with Ange unveiling a new-look squad.

COYS!

Week 34 of season nine of the Spurs Odyssey Quiz League challenge, and the final question before the dreaded tiebreaker...

Which Tooting-born striker won 13 England caps, started his career with Ipswich and who was the Tottenham manager who sold him to Sunderland?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 34. Deadline: midnight this Friday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in the previous eight seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake - two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. After this closing week of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. That's when I become as popular as Sol Campbell in an Arsenal shirt. Don't miss the shoot-out next week!

This year's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2024, plus three signed Tottenham-themed books. We have retired the omniscient David Guthrie after his three victories.

Question No 33:

Which former PSG player competed in the 2016 Olympics, has been capped 50 times and which Spurs squad number does he wear?

Answer: Gio Lo Celso/18

See you back here on Monday for the tiebreak. Good luck!. COYS

Follow @spursodyssey