Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham honeymoon is over - relationship with fans could turn sour if Arsenal inflict North London Derby blow

The most frustrating element of Tottenham's slow start is that they played very well against both Leicester and Newcastle. Spurs had 71 percent of the ball at the King Power and 15 shots, while they also bossed possession at St James Park and managed 20 attempts at goal to the nine of Newcastle - who scored from two of their three shots on target.

Postecoglou's side don't have any problem creating chances, but they're not converting nearly enough of them. "We needed to kill the game off and we didn't - the game should have been over by then," the Spurs boss said after the Newcastle defeat. "We've not got the results from our performances, but ultimately it's three strong performances."

Another "strong performance" against Arsenal will mean little if Tottenham don't get three points, though. 'Angeball' is still very easy on the eye, but the Australian is no closer to getting rid of the 'Spursy' tag that has stuck for nigh on two decades than any of his predecessors.

There is a weak mentality running through the squad that continues to prevent Tottenham from advancing to the next level. Postecoglou has to find a way to turn this group into winners, which may mean tweaking his style of play, or else he could soon find himself on borrowed time.

To his credit, Postecoglou is trying to change the culture of mediocrity at the club. According to The Athletic, one member of the former Celtic manager's support staff joked that he should have played the reserves when Spurs hosted Manchester City in May, which left him furious.

There was a very mixed reaction from the home fans when Son Heung-min missed a glorious late opportunity to earn Tottenham a point in that game, which would have put Arsenal on the brink of Premier League title glory, and after City eventually ran out 2-0 winners, Postecoglou vented his frustration in front of the media.

"The foundations are really fragile," the Australian said. "The last 48 hours have shown me that. It's inside the club, outside the club. Outside, inside, everywhere. It's been an interesting exercise. It's just my observations."

When pressed on the 'Are you watching Arsenal?' chants that rang around the stadium after Erling Haaland scored the first of his two goals in the 51st minute, Postecoglou added: "I'm not interested, mate. Maybe I'm out of step, but I just don't care, I just want to win. I want to be successful at this football club, it's why I was brought in. So what other people, how they want to feel, and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me. I know what's important to build a winning team - that's what I need to concentrate on."

Postecoglou was spot on with his assessment, but saying he doesn't care about what the fans feel put a target on his back. And while that winning team still eludes him, Postecoglou will be open to fierce vitriol from those who took offence to his harsh honesty.

Indeed, there was a small section of fans calling for Tottenham to sack Postecoglou after the Newcastle loss. That is, of course, a ridiculous suggestion at this early stage of the new campaign, but there was also some constructive criticism that Postecoglou really should be taking on board.

An X user named @GEORGIE_35 said: "What about the defensive side of our game Ange? You can't keep expecting to score three or four to win games, that just won't happen. As good as City are, they don't do it with all their talent. Sometimes you have to dig in and tough it out, not keep throwing men forward to get caught out."

Meanwhile, @PhillyHotspur wrote: "Ange ball is diabolical. One-one game and you're working the high line in the 70th minute? Spurs got what they deserved in the end."

Postecoglou's insistence on playing an ultra-high line has certainly made Tottenham more susceptible to incisive through balls against sides with pacey attackers. It's one of the main reasons Spurs conceded 61 goals in the Premier League last season - just two fewer than City and Arsenal combined.

"It is just who we are mate, it is who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here," Postecoglou famously said after a 4-1 home loss to Chelsea that saw his team play the final 30 minutes with nine men.

It's a reckless defensive approach that stretches first-choice centre-backs Cristian Romero and Mickey van de Ven to their limits. Both men are forced to cover too much space as Postecoglou asks his full-backs to push into central midfield and join in attacks. One of them should join Romero and Van de Ven to form a back three in possession so Spurs are not so open, which is how City and Arsenal usually set up, but Postecoglou is too stubborn to shift away even slightly from his gung-ho philosophy.

Arsenal exploited Spurs' defensive weaknesses the last time they met at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, racing into a three-goal lead before the interval. The hosts had more of the ball throughout and did fight back admirably in the second half, but could have no complaints about the eventual 3-2 defeat because of their naivety.

If they play the same way on Sunday, history could repeat itself, particularly as Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard all head into the game in scintillating form. But there is also a chance that Tottenham could overpower their neighbours this time around, because Mikel Arteta is dealing with a major selection headache in midfield.

Declan Rice is suspended after his controversial red card in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton, Martin Odegaard is set to miss the game due to an ankle injury he picked up on international duty with Norway, and summer signing Mikel Merino won't be available until October after fracturing his shoulder in his first training session with the club.

If Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr can dominate in midfield and release James Maddison and Son in dangerous areas, it could be a long afternoon for the Gunners. That's certainly what Postecoglou will be banking on.

But there is a flip side to the coin. Unlike Spurs, Arteta's team are clinical enough to steal the points without playing well. Tottenham won't get anything if they're as wasteful in front of goal as they were against Leicester and Newcastle.

To that end, Spurs may be boosted by the return of Dominic Solanke, who missed the last two games due to an injury he picked up on his debut against Leicester. Postecoglou said the former Bournemouth striker was "close" to being involved at Newcastle, and the international break should have given him the time he needed to regain full fitness.

If he does start, Solanke will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders, though. He certainly didn't look like a £65 million ($85m) player in his first Tottenham appearance, let alone a long-term replacement for Kane. Solanke headed straight at Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from two great goal-scoring positions, and was ultimately upstaged by a 37-year-old Jamie Vardy.

Solanke hit 19 goals for Bournemouth last term, but the jury is still out on whether he can cut it at a bigger club. The fact that Liverpool offloaded him after just two years and one goal in 27 appearances hasn't been forgotten, with former Reds defender Jamie Carragher among those who believe Spurs have overpaid for his services.

Postecoglou took a huge risk when signing off on the deal, and it's no exaggeration to say his future could depend on whether Solanke sinks or swims. With the wildly erratic Richarlison currently out injured, Tottenham don't have another natural centre-forward to call upon.

Spurs were too reliant on Son's goals in 2023-24, and won't improve on their fifth-placed showing if that remains the case. The South Korean can be deadly in the No.9 role, as he proved again with his brace against Everton, but his best position has always been on the left flank. Son needs someone next to him who can share the burden, and only time will tell if Solanke is up to the task.

Postecoglou may not be universally loved by the fans, but the players are still on his side. "He’s someone who is very thorough in the way he wants to play and his philosophy," Maddison told Optus Sport in the build-up to the game. "The lads have bought into it really well over the last year."

That's despite Postecoglou being reluctant to build close relationships in the dressing room. The Aussie coach admitted to the Daily Mail last year that he's "never had a conversation longer than a minute" with one of his players, but Maddison doesn't see it as a bad thing.

“I don’t mind [the distance] to be fair. I think it can work like that," the England midfielder added. "That’s just his way, but we still have a great relationship, in terms of professionally; he’s still brilliant in the meetings, and he gets the best out of us. His motivational stuff is amazing. He makes you really want to go and play for him, and play well.”

Unfortunately, it won't matter how "brilliant" Postecoglou is behind the scenes if results don't improve quickly. A second successive defeat against Arsenal will put him under real pressure, and there is potential for the atmosphere around the club to turn sour.

Tottenham have to begin showing signs of a real evolution in terms of collective character. Until that happens, Postecoglou can forget about trophies and Champions League football. The Arsenal game isn't make or break, but it will give us a clearer understanding of whether he is the right man to make that leap forward.