Arsenal old boy Cesc Fabregas believes Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur are playing a dangerous game due to their current style of play.
The Lilywhites are 5th in the Premier League table and are chasing a potential return to the UEFA Champions League this season.
Postecoglou, who arrived from Celtic in the summer, has seen wholesale changes in north London which included the departure of club-record signing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in August.
Fabregas, who won two English top-flight titles with Chelsea from 2014-2017, believes the way Spurs operate under the former Australia head coach is often dangerous.
"It is brave and you need to trust your players a lot," said Fabregas. "But for me you are not under control because you are basically reacting, you are not proactive.You are reacting to their movements, you are reacting to whatever the striker wants to do.
"If he comes deep, I come with him. If he goes attacking the space, I go with him. I'm not a big fan of this because as I said, you are not in control of the situation. He's dictating the play for you.
"I like to dictate my play and I like to take the defence. If the ball is covered, then I can press. If the ball is uncovered then my defenders need to drop a little bit."
Currently serving as assistant coach with Serie B side Como, the 36-year-old enjoyed a glittering career in England, usually with Spurs' nearest rivals in Chelsea and Arsenal.
His comments may come as a shock to some but the 2010 World Cup winner did single out one Tottenham player in particular for special praise along the way.
"Straight away you could feel he's got the confidence," Fabregas said of England midfielder James Maddison.
"He's got the personality to demand the ball, to make things happen and to create situations. He's good at dribbling, he is good at assisting and he can score goals. So he's a really complete player in my opinion.
"He has a good understanding with Son and the strikers and for me he's a fantastic player to have. And as a coach I'm sure that you need to adapt to the strengths of your players and the better quality they have, the easier it is. And definitely he is one of them you would always want in your team."
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