Exclusive: Former Tottenham star claims Postecoglou ‘pressure’ is mounting as ‘honeymoon period ends’

Ange Postecoglou’s honeymoon period as Tottenham manager has come to an end and the pressure on him to achieve success could soon increase.

This is the verdict of the former Tottenham and Arsenal winger David Bentley, who admits he fears Spurs could be eliminated from the battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.

Bookmakers have slashed their odds on Postecoglou becoming the first English top-flight manager to lose his job this season after Spurs took just four points from their opening three games.

They missed a number of chances in the opening game of the season at Leicester and dropped two points in a 1-1 draw. with a defeat against Newcastle in the final round of Premier League games, dampening pre-season optimism among Spurs fans.

Now Bentley predicts Spurs boss Postecoglou could start to feel the heat for the first time since his arrival at the club if he loses the north London derby against Arsenal on Sunday.

“You’re going to find yourself under pressure at a club like Tottenham if you’re losing games,” Bentley said. Football365 with William Hill.

“Ange was welcomed to the football club because what came before him with (Jose) Mourinho and (Antonio) Conte was not what the fans wanted to see.

“There was negativity both in the style of football and among the fans in general and I think Ange fixed both of those elements.

“After that, it’s all about the results, and if they’re against you, the pressure won’t be long in coming.

“I like Ange and what he has done at the club. He has changed the energy among the fans for the better, but that only goes so far. You have to win games or the pressure builds up. That’s football.

“The honeymoon period of last season is over, so they need to try and get to the next level.

“That means finishing in the top four and trying to win a trophy because, as we know, Tottenham haven’t won anything for a long time and their fans are tired of hearing about it.

“You look at Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool and they are really strong. You would expect them to be in the top four and then you see Spurs fighting with Chelsea and Man United.

“Even though they have their problems, Chelsea and United have a great squad and if they get it right, Spurs could struggle to finish fourth.”

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Bentley, who spent five years at Tottenham after starting his career at Arsenal, believes the 1-1 draw with Leicester on the opening weekend of the season highlighted the failings of Pochettino’s side.

“I watched the Leicester game and it was a big worry for me,” Bentley said. “You can take a lot from that game and say it summed up Tottenham.

“In the first half, they were moving the ball around and crushing Leicester, they couldn’t get close to them.

“The players were attentive and expressive, James Maddison was dominating and you would think there was only one winner.

“Then you look at the second half and they could have lost the game. That’s Tottenham. That’s the side Ange has to work on.

Arsenal secured a 3-2 away win against Tottenham last April, soaking up the pressure and hitting their north London rivals with some solid blows.

Now, Bentley believes Gunners boss Mikel Arteta could look to replicate that approach this weekend, as he added: “Tottenham have to go after them and their big players need to have a big influence.

“They also need to engage their fans and use that home advantage. If they allow Arsenal to dictate the game then Spurs will come out second.

“That’s what happened in this game last year. Arsenal put pressure on their goalkeeper and everything they tried worked. They absorbed what Tottenham threw at them and hit them hard on the counter and were 3-0 up in no time.

“So they need to impose themselves on the game and, who knows, run over Arsenal. It’s easier said than done.”