Spurs should persevere with attacking approach say Ardiles, King

BENGALURU : Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou should not rein in the high-risk high-reward apporach that proved so successful in the first few weeks of the Premier League season despite recent defeats, former players Ossie Ardiles and Ledley King said.

Spurs, unbeaten in their first 10 league games under the Australian, making him the first coach to win the first three Manager of the Month awards available to him, have slipped from top spot to fifth on 26 points after three straight defeats.

Postecoglou has implemented an exciting brand of football and stuck by it resolutely, playing a high line during the 4-1 home defeat by Chelsea even after going down to nine men.

Pundits have urged Tottenham to play more cautiously with a string of injuries having decimated the squad and games against Manchester City and Newcastle United coming up, but Ardiles said it would not make sense for Postecoglou to change his ways now.

"Ange is going to persevere with his philosophy of football and I believe that is absolutely crucial," 71-year-old Ardiles, who played for Spurs from 1978-88, famously winning the FA Cup, and managed them from 1993-94, told Reuters on Tuesday.

In the 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, Son Heung-min had three goals disallowed for offside, while Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro hit the post.

"The approach that we had against Aston Villa, it was absolutely brilliant. We were there to win the game and this is what Tottenham always represents and this season is going to carry on being like that," added Ardiles.

Former Spurs captain King highlighted the opportunities the team created in all three of their league losses, saying: "We played well in two of the defeats. I don't think the manager needs to change