Hoddle claims Spurs lack ‘X-factor’ star for key Postecoglou tactic underscored by ‘abysmal’ facet

Glenn Hoddle has urged Ange Postecoglou to drop one his key Tottenham tactics as they lack the ‘X-factor player’ to make it viable.

Spurs have now lost seven of their last 11 games under the Australian boss after they fell to a 1-0 defeat in the North London derby on Sunday .

Gabriel Magalhaes scored the only goal of the game from a corner and while Postecoglou’s side huffed and puffed they were ineffective in the final third against stubborn Arsenal defence.

For the first time it seems Postecoglou is under pressure and Spurs legend Hoddle has told the former Celtic boss to reconsider his tactics going forward.

Explaining what went wrong against the Gunners, he said on talkSPORT : “The inverted fullbacks worked last season to a certain degree, but I look at Tottenham now and they’ve got some very good players, but if [Heung-min] Son’s not on fire they haven’t got an X-factor player at the moment.

“I feel like the inverted fullbacks have been sussed out. They can out-possession most teams, probably only Manchester City [have more possession].

“I think Arsenal knew Spurs could out-possession them and they banked in and made it very difficult to break them down.”

“What frustrates me is that unless you’ve got a [Kevin] De Bruyne or David Silva at his very best, people who can unlock a door, it’s very difficult.

“They’re trying to go through the eye of a needle, they’ve got so many men in the centre of the pitch so it’s impossible to get through the centre.

“They need that width, they need to try a different style to open teams up because as soon as teams bank against them [it doesn’t work].

“If they go 1-0 up in games like against Everton [4-0 win] they can counter then and I think they look better when they’re shifting the ball quickly on the counter, but that’s where I feel the next step needs to go, they haven’t got enough quality in the final third even though they get in some wonderful positions, the crossing was abysmal yesterday.”

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Ally McCoist asked whether Hoddle thinks James Maddison can be the guy to unpick opposition defences.

“He’s got the ability,” Hoddle replied. “But if I’m playing No.10 I’m looking around me and I’ve got so many bodies in there there’s no space with the two inverted fullbacks.

“It’s like Piccadilly Circus in the middle of midfield sometimes. These wide men, if they’re going past their fullbacks and getting great crosses or shots in that would be fine, but they’re struggling, they need movement off them, once Spurs go wide there’s not enough movement.

“You see it with City, they make these lovely little blindside runs into the penalty area and they use them and use the space, there’s none of that with Tottenham.”