The most important lesson for Tottenham to learn from 4-0 humiliation vs. Newcastle

Tottenham have been impressive throughout the 2023/24 season and are in the thick of the race for a Champions League place, with only Aston Villa truly in their way in fourth place.

However, Spurs suffered a major letdown on Saturday in an important test against one of last season’s top-four teams, Newcastle United.

The Magpies had a disappointing start to the 2023/24 campaign but are roaring back into European contention, and smart money would bet on them finishing above Manchester United.

By destroying Tottenham 4-0 at St. James’s Park, Newcastle have indeed made the statement that they are capable of rising and maybe even challenging for the Champions League, too, by the end of the season.

Tottenham had a meltdown against Newcastle

As for Tottenham, this was the definition of a humbling and infuriating result. Ange Postecoglou railed against his team for not being anywhere near good enough and for failing to do what they needed to do in order to impose themselves on the game.

Tottenham suffered a major defensive meltdown. Micky van de Ven was exceptional last weekend and became the weak link in this one. Anthony Gordon had an absolute field day, while Eddie Howe seemed to have the exact antidote to whatever Postecoglou prescribed his Tottenham side.

There are a lot of ways to react to a display as awful as this one, including writing them off the Champions League places entirely. And maybe Spurs will ultimately fall short, but this isn’t the first time they’ve had a woeful performance in a big match.

Think back to when they lost 4-2 to Brighton or, worse yet, when they lost 4-1 to a mid-table Chelsea. Results like these happen to a young side that is in their first season under a new manager with a new direction.

Tottenham can’t rely on Postecoglou having the ‘hot hand’

That’s not to excuse Tottenham’s lousy performance, because that kind of display is indeed unacceptable at this level. But these kinds of inexplicably poor performances beneath the talent level of a top-four contender will happen when that surging top-four contender is still growing.

Postecoglou, as ESPN analyst Don Hutchinson pointed out, often reverts to the same tactical system that works against most teams but can get exposed by a great manager coaching a better team.

Opponents are figuring out what Postecoglou does. The hot start is bound to cool as teams adjust. Staying on top is more difficult, and other great Premier League coaches like Mikel Arteta have shown how it is possible to make those adjustments with new players, position changes, or new ideas.

Results like these can forge a future Premier League champion

Tottenham have new faces, too. That’s not just the summer signings who have transformed the team like James Maddison and van de Ven, but it is also the winter additions in Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin who have yet to show anywhere near their full capabilities.

Spurs can look at this awful result in so many different ways, but instead of scapegoating individuals like van de Ven or proclaiming disaster, the best course for Tottenham and Postecoglou is take stock of the tactics, look further at how players interrelate, and use these teachable moments as unforgettable experiences that forge more resiliency and an understanding in a mental sense of what it feels like to be on the receiving end of these horrible road results.

Along the course of building a champion, a young team has to struggle and learn. These are the moments and results that look awful now, but in a matter of years, if all goes well, Tottenham can look back at these struggles as the ones that forged a true Premier League title contender.