Tottenham had a tough time last season. Under coach Antonio Conte, he aimed to escape without a player, and at the beginning of the season, he seemed to realize this by continuing his unbeaten streak in seven consecutive games. However, the upward trend did not last long. Starting with the defeat against Sporting, it entered a downward trend and ranked eighth in the league, failing to advance to the European competition itself. He was eliminated from all cup competitions, extending his period of absence, and Conte left the team after leaving much controversy without completing his term.
Tottenham entering the summer transfer market like that. In order to rebound in the new season, he started active rebuilding. Players who have supported the team for a long time, including Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, and Harry Winks, have escaped, but they have completed the right reinforcement by recruiting James Madison, Mickey van der Ben, Guglielmo Vicario, Manor Solomon and Brennan Johnson.
The leadership has also changed. The vacant manager’s position was filled by Postecoglou, who achieved a “domestic treble” at Celtic. It was not originally the top target, but it was the “best” coach Tottenham could bring.
Public opinion toward him was half-sentimental. Admitting his achievements at Celtic but having no big league experience was a flaw. In Celtic, he was able to freely carry out tactics thanks to his reign as an “absolute power,” but it was unclear whether it would work in Tottenham.
Since then, the season has opened and “Enzeball” has appeared in the world. The result was a success. Coach Postecoglou gave fans “fun soccer” based on his hot offense and at the same time succeeded in stabilizing the defense, resulting in the result. In the second round of the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) against Fulham, he lost unfortunately by running a rotation, but is ranked second after Manchester City with three wins and one draw in four league matches.
Many players are happy with “ENJE Ball.” “Captain” Son Heung-min praised Postecoglou’s coaching method, and Dejan Kulusevsky also said, “After Postecoglou came, the situation changed rapidly.” I was really surprised,” he said. James Madison also said that the conversation with coach Postecoglou was the reason why he chose to go to Tottenham.
But not all players are happy. Hishalisong remains the ‘worst player’ at Tottenham. Before coming to Tottenham, he was a competitive player in the Premier League (PL). He showed his presence when he moved to Watford in 2017 and played as an ace for Everton for four years. He achieved double-digit attack points in the league for four consecutive seasons. Even in the 2021-22 season, when the team struggled to “remain,” he struggled alone with 10 goals and 5 assists in the league alone.
Tottenham appreciated Hishalisong’s ability. To ease the burden on Kane, Son Heung-min, and Kulusevsky, he pushed to recruit additional strikers and selected Hishalisong as the right person. They brought him in with a large investment of 58 million euros (about 82.9 billion won.
The recruitment was a failure. Hishalisong has completely failed to adapt. He played 35 games, including the 2022-23 Cup tournament, but scored only 3 goals and 4 assists. After losing the competition with Kane, Son Heung-min, and Kulusevsky, he was reduced to a rotation resource. During the season, he was also involved in rumors of discord with Conte over his position.
The situation remained the same this season. Aiming for a “rebound,” he was selected as the main striker in place of Kane’s vacancy. Coach Postecoglou put Hishalisong on the striker who had a gap with Kane leaving. It has been steadily moderated. But it did not live up to expectations. He played in five games, including the Cup tournament, but scored only one goal. The league scoreless record continues. In the last Lee match, Son Heung-min, who came out instead, scored a hat trick, further losing the competition.
Hishali song that couldn’t erase the tag of “eat and run”. Tottenham had a chance to dispose of him this summer. It was approached by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Etihad. Originally aiming to recruit Mohamed Salah, Al-Etihad failed to complete negotiations with Liverpool.
Considered recruiting Hishalisong as Plan B. “There was a conversation between Ritihad and Hishalisong’s representative,” the British media Telegraph said. However, the transfer did not take place. The media explained the reason, saying, “It was too late for the situation to progress.”
Meanwhile, Hishalisong also expressed frustration with his situation. Brazil beat Bolivia 5-1 in the first leg of the 2026 FIFA North-Central America World Cup qualifying round. Many strikers, including Hafinha, Rodrigo, and Neymar, scored.
But Hishalisong remained silent. He started but did not show much performance for 70 minutes. A total of four shots were attempted, and two of them led to effective shots, but no goals were scored. In the end, Hishalisong, who sat on the bench, shed tears as if he were frustrated by the situation surrounding him.
By: 안전놀이터