Are Spurs willing to invest what it takes to win trophies?

Criticism of the manager for the club's struggles misses the point-whatever he says, he's not been given a squad ready to push for the biggest honours

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Much of the post-mortem of Tottenham's collapse against M Chelsea has focused on familiar themes: Ange Postecoglou is too stubborn, his side is too open and his players too inconsistent.

Postecoglou is not blameless for a run of one win in seven matches but, as Daniel Levy's 12th permanent manager begins to wobble precariously, we should be past the point of wondering about the root cause of the club's problems on the pitch.

Spurs' vice-captain Cristian Romero, who leapt to Postecoglou's defence after the match, appeared to point the finger at the board. "It's always the same: first, the players, then the coaching staff changes, and it's always the same people responsible," Romero told Argentine TV, after calling for Spurs to match the spending of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Levy, the chairman, did not pick or coach Sunday's team nor did he give away two careless penalties, but he remains the key figure in a hierarchy that has created the conditions for what is increasingly another frustrating campaign.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Postecoglou has been nothing but positive about Spurs' transfer business, owning every decision.