Ange Postecoglou became a media darling after his appointment at Tottenham Hotspur.. Postecoglou’s laid back nature, charm and Australian accent seemed to disarm journalists, but the wheels have fallen off for Spurs this season and his nice-guy reputation has been tainted.. Tottenham are 14th in the Premier League, they lost in the Carabao Cup semi-final and are out of the FA Cup. Postecoglou has become difficult in the media. The 59-year-old is dealing with an injury crisis, but the refusal to tweak his tactical approach hasn’t helped the situation.. It has become fashionable for modern managers to be wedded to systems and Postecoglou has stood by his tactical principles, regardless of whether that’s the best way to get a result.. There is admiration for steadfastly persisting with tactics, although Postecoglou’s stubbornness could eventually cost him his job because Spurs shouldn’t be in the bottom half.. Manchester United are just two points above Tottenham and Amorim knows know Postecoglou is feeling this season. Amorim can’t get a consistent tune out of his team and he is another manager who has stuck by his principles, despite not having the players to make the system a success.. There have been glimpses of Amorim’s philosophy being effective, but results have continued to be poor and some have questioned whether the 3-4-3 system is the right choice for this season.. Amorim inherited a struggling side that was built for Erik ten Hag and he has been operating with square pegs in round holes. The players haven’t looked comfortable in his system and a report emerged this week claiming some have also questioned whether the formation is the best way forward.. The reaction to that has been interesting. Most supporters have been outraged, but those conversations among professional footballers are normal and it would be more shocking if they weren’t taking place, given the prospect of relegation has been broached this season.. Amorim says United need to ‘survive’.. That doesn’t mean Amorim should bow down to ‘player power’ or completely change his formation. The league campaign is essentially a write off and it makes sense to accept pain now for long-term gain, but Amorim can’t be stubborn and must be willing to make tweaks.. Although Postecoglou and Amorim are both wedded to their styles of play, the similarities should stop there and Amorim needs to prove he’s not a stubborn coach in the coming weeks.. When Tottenham lost to Chelsea at home last season, they received two red cards and still nonsensically played a high line, which was inevitably bypassed. Postecoglou refused to adapt out of stubbornness and probably trotted out his “it’s just who we are, mate” line after the defeat.. There’s no reason to think Amorim would have done the same in that situation, but his willingness to make little changes will become clear this weekend when United visit Tottenham.. For example, it felt like a no-brainer to start Partrick Dorgu at left-wing back against Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round last week, yet Amorim continued with Diogo Dalot.. The Portuguese has struggled on the left all season and has been crying out to be relocated to his preferred side. Amorim defended his decision to start Dorgu on the right, explaining he played there for Lecce, but United would have been better balanced if their wing backs had swapped sides. It would be a tad concerning to see the 20-year-old line up in that role on Sunday afternoon.. Amorim could make another small change by picking a settled starting team, given he has become synonymous with rotation. Having a settled XI would help performance levels. United are struggling and minor changes within Amorim’s system would be welcomed.
