Ange Postecoglou: We must continue to believe in way we play

Ange Postecoglou has cited the early part of Manchester City's journey under Pep Guardiola as a reason why he has total conviction in his ideas at Tottenham.

Spurs have hit their first real rough patch under the Australian with three straight defeats coupled with a list of absentees which has reached double figures.

Postecoglou remains determined to stick with his attacking approach and could again line up with no recognised centre-back or defensive midfielder at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

While many would adopt a more pragmatic style against City, the Tottenham boss will double down on his philosophy and believes the best clubs stick to the plan when faced with hurdles.

"I’m sure the players are thinking 'is this really going to work against Man City?’ And those are justifiable questions that they need to ask," Postecoglou explained.

"My role is to show them that this is still the way forward for us as a group. If we’re ever going to bridge that gap to being a successful side, we have to believe in the football we want to play.

"Even though the last few results haven’t been great, I don’t think the players have felt like they struggled out there.

"They still felt there were parts of the game when we were dominant, so they can see when we’re on it and we’re doing things right, even with so many absences, we’re still a very good football team. I don’t feel like it’s at a point where I’m losing people.

"There are plenty of coaches that coach very differently to me, but they’re at that club for four or five years and they have that success. That’s what I’m talking about with a plan.

"It’s not about just playing one way or having a clear identity. Having a plan means getting the right people involved in the club who you believe