Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham last summer and adopted an aggressive tactic, which led to an early cruise. In his first 10 games, he won eight and drew two. However, after losing a number of players to injury and suspension against Chelsea in the 11th round of the 2023/24 English Premier League, he stuck with the attacking tactics and lost the next 11 and 12 rounds. It was a three-match losing streak until the 13th round against Aston Villa.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou is determined to stick with his attacking philosophy. He justified his attacking tactics in a press conference on Thursday, ahead of the 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Man City, by saying that it's a process to get results.

That said, there are some skeptics of the poster child for the philosophy. Especially considering that City have suffered just one defeat in their last 48 official games at home, it is argued that the tactic is even more risky against City.

Ray Parlour, the legendary midfielder who spent 12 years with Arsenal, advised that Tottenham must play defensively against City after appearing on the TalkSPORT podcast.

"Postecoglou's tactics up front are working well, but it's not going to work against City," he said. "He needs to play a game where he bites back on defenders, withstands pressure, and then gives way to a forward like Son Heung-min."

If he doesn't do that, he'll be in for a crushing defeat.

"You can't play 'shut up' against City," said Parlour. It will be 0-3 before you know it because they have the ability to overwhelm you."

Fellow former Tottenham player Jamie O'Hara took the opposite view.

"I don't think Postecoglou is going to change his tactics," he said, "I'd rather not see him play 1-3 and defend to get a point." 

However, he added that he doesn't know if it's the right decision.

"This is not Scotland (where Postecoglou was manager). This is not a league where you play against (Scottish Premiership) St. Mirren or teams that are not very strong, where you can play with 10 men and win with 'gung-ho football' (passion)," O'Hara argued, adding, "When you play Premier League teams, you have to be more flexible and change your tactics."

"Still, Postecoglou is stubbornly pushing his philosophy," O'Hara said, noting that it has been quite successful. According to O'Hara, Spurs have 바카라 been able to win their last three games, from a 1-4 defeat at Chelsea to a 1-2 come-from-behind loss at Aston Villa. "We've been guilty of defending to get points in the past, so I'd rather see us play attacking football where we can get some chances, even if it means losing 1-3 to Man City," O'Hara said.

Tottenham have employed defensive tactics in the past under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, without much success. Conte's defensive style of play, in particular, has been criticized for his lack of understanding of his squad and is widely believed to have hastened his dismissal.