Is fan impatience undermining Ange Postecoglou's rebuild?

The old adage of "trust the process" is often regarded as one of sports history's greatest memes. The man who coined the phrase into professional sports debate jargon, former National Basketball Association general manager Sam Hinkie, insisted his blatant tanking and trades for future first-round picks in NBA drafts in the early 2010s would lead to brighter days.

Hinkie never got to see the final product of his "Trust the Process" team, but let's just say it didn't work out well for anyone. His Philadelphia 76ers have achieved a great deal, but only one of the many Hinkie-age drafted players is still left on the team. NBA MVP Joel Embiid is one of the best players in basketball, and he likely remains the only bright spot for that toilsome era for Philadelphia's basketball fanbase.

Why have I just spent two paragraphs contextualizing "Trust the Process?" Because Tottenham is now in a position where they have to do that. The rebuild is not done, despite the amount of money that was spent on players and how much Ange Postecoglou was backed in this summer's transfer window.

Take a step back, though, and realize this is clearly something more long-term than the club has endured in a while. Tottenham brought in mainly highly-rated young players, all of them teenagers, and are looking to start fresh again. The league form has been bad, yes, but Spurs aren't getting blown away in the two losses they've racked up. The manager has insisted the team is only missing the goalscoring, they're doing everything else right. It was never going to be easy, and there are still some fresh feelings about the downturn in form at the back end of the last season.

But as Postecoglou insists that he will win a trophy this season, and with performances not justifying that claim, the fans are growing restless. They want to see an improvement, and while the team won last night at Coventry, it wasn't done pretty. It is clear that there is still another level for this team to reach, and they have to find it. Fans are already starting to turn on Ange, with some even begging for Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte days.

One thing that undid Sam Hinkie's time as general manager was the clear lack of progress. The fans grew tired of losing and being laughed at, but eventually, the losing paid off. The Sixers have been consistently one of the best teams in the NBA for the past five years. While they haven't won the NBA championship yet, they continue to get closer to reaching the summit.

Tottenham wants to get there as well, and while a basketball-to-football comparison isn't the most similar, the point is that fans' emotions have dictated a lot of the club's executive decision-making regarding the team. Fans got sick of Mourinho and Conte's stale tactics and constant degradation of the club. Postecoglou isn't slagging off the club, but he is trying to preach patience and remind people the season is young. There is more than enough time to recover, and while the Premier League title might be out of reach now, the team has an opportunity to compete for both English Cups and the Europa League.

Nobody is happy losing, and this start to the season hasn't made anyone feel confident, but as many have mentioned, Mauricio Pochettino's 2015-16 Spurs underwent very similar circumstances, and they almost won the title. It's only September, and remember around the same time last season, the same Spurs team had lost to Fulham on penalties and fell out of the Carabao Cup. Not this time around.

It may not be pretty, but Postecoglou will shape this team to his image, even if it means more bumps in the road. If it truly starts to spiral out of control, another conversation will have to be had, but for now, the ship is starting to right itself. Let the man work, trust the process.