Postecoglou now knows who’s really responsible as he slams Tottenham players
Tottenham Hotspur’s manager couldn’t hide his frustration after his team’s disappointing first-half performance, which ultimately led them to become the first Premier League side this season to fall to Ipswich Town.
Ange Postecoglou delivered a strong critique of his squad, calling out their “passive” play, which left them facing an uphill battle that they couldn’t overcome.
The team went into halftime down 2-0, and unlike previous home matches against West Ham and Aston Villa, they couldn’t claw their way back, ultimately succumbing to the newly promoted Ipswich and dropping to 10th place in the league.
Reflecting on the game, Postecoglou didn’t mince words. He expressed his dissatisfaction with how the team opened the match, attributing their early struggles to a lack of intensity and drive.
“We didn’t start the game well at all,” he said. “It was all sort of passive. I felt we didn’t get the tempo or the intensity right, and then we gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb.”
While Tottenham managed to push back in the second half, gaining some momentum and creating a few chances, it wasn’t enough to reverse the situation they’d put themselves in from the start.
According to Postecoglou, “We were in the ascendancy and had opportunities, but we didn’t do enough with them, and we should never have been in that position.”
Postecoglou took personal responsibility for the team’s inconsistency, admitting that as the manager, it falls on him to address the gaps in the team’s approach and ensure more reliable performances.
“If we’re inconsistent, that’s down to me,” he stated. “The inconsistency we’re having this year ultimately comes down to me and my approach. It’s something I need to try and fix to help the players.”
Beyond Tottenham’s lackluster play, fans voiced frustration over what they viewed as time-wasting tactics employed by Ipswich.
There were instances where Ipswich players appeared to go down with injuries at critical moments, allowing their teammates a chance to regroup and receive instructions from the sidelines.
Postecoglou echoed these sentiments, acknowledging that these interruptions seemed strategically timed. “It seems to be the direction the Premier League is going,” he observed. “It’s pretty strategic now.
You can almost set your clock to the 20-minute mark when a player goes down, and the rest of the team takes the opportunity to come over and get instructions from the coach.”
After the game, team captain Heung-min Son also shared his disappointment, offering a heartfelt apology to the fans for the poor showing. He acknowledged the team’s defensive lapse in conceding the first goal, which he described as “very sloppy” and preventable. “It’s very disappointing,” he said.
“We conceded a very sloppy goal that shouldn’t happen. It’s more than disappointing.” Son emphasized the need for the team to remain composed and make smarter choices in similar situations in future games.
“Sometimes, you have to be calm and find a better solution if someone is in a better position,” he noted, adding, “We have to be better in those kinds of situations. It’s very painful.”
Overall, Tottenham’s defeat highlighted the issues that have plagued their season so far, from inconsistent performances to defensive vulnerabilities and an inability to maintain control of the game.
Postecoglou and his team will need to address these challenges and find a path to more reliable and effective play if they hope to turn their season around.
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