Ange Postecoglou was left fuming on the sidelines as his Tottenham side coughed up a 1-0 lead to lose at home to struggling Leicester City on Sunday.
Tottenham now sit 15th in the Premier League table, eight points above the relegation zone.
In a season of lows, this was the worst result for injury-ravaged Tottenham but afterwards Postecoglou praised his players for their effort and admitted he knows he will be judged on results.
Richarlison gave Spurs a 1-0 lead at half time but Leicester scored twice in four minutes at the start of the second half with Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss turning the game around for the Foxes, who were on a run of seven-straight defeats before this.
Spurs have now won just one of their last 11 Premier League games, with fans chanting ‘We want Levy out” in reference to chairman Daniel Levy throughout the second half.
Ange Postecoglou reaction to shocking Tottenham defeat
When asked if he will still be in charge when a host of Tottenham’s key players return from injury in the coming weeks, Postecoglou wasn’t exactly defiant.
“Who knows? A fair chunk will say no,” Postecoglou told reporters. “When you are a manager of a football club, you can feel vulnerable and isolated, I don’t feel that. The players are giving everything. I focus on that and try and support the players.”
“It hurts a lot because the players gave everything again,” Postecoglou told our partners in the UK at Sky Sports.
Asked if his work is being unfairly judged due to all of the injuries Tottenham have suffered in recent months, the Australian coach didn’t hide from the negative vibes coming his way.
“I’m a football manager. I get judged on results. That is the way of the world and that is how I will be judged,” Postecoglou said.
“Where we are in the league is nowhere near good enough”
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Postecoglou focused on how the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and others are set to return from injury in the next few weeks, but admitted that their league position is not good enough.
“Ultimately it is about staying strong – we are going to get significant players back in the next two weeks – that’s all this group needs – they just need some help,” Postecoglou said. “Once they get their help I’m sure their fortunes will change. The guys coming back will not be low on confidence and they will drive the group. The guys are trying as hard as they can at the moment – they gave everything again today. Some of them probably shouldn’t be out there, but that’s all you can ask for.
“Once we get a couple of players back it will help them enormously. Everyone needs to acknowledge, the club, supporters, myself that the players are giving everything they can. The reality of football the judging is constant and it is now. Where we are in the league is nowhere near good enough. That’s a reflection on me and my coaching, but as I keep saying I am positive about the future for this group of players.”
Postecoglou reacts to shock loss to Leicester City
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou discusses his side’s 2-1 loss to Leicester City in Matchweek 23.
Postecoglou not turning on his players
Summing up the game, Postecoglou said time and time again that he couldn’t ask for any more from his players.
“We can look at a lot of things. In terms of effort I can’t ask any more from this group. They are just giving everything they possibly can. Things didn’t go our way today. We created some good opportunities but unfortunately things didn’t drop for us. It is a very disappointing defeat, especially at home, but not because the players weren’t trying. And that’s the main thing,” Postecoglou said.
“The players are giving everything they can. I think that is all we can ask for as a football club and me as a manager. If there was more to give and they could find another way of doing things, but they’re trying their hardest. That’s all anyone can ask for.”
Can Spurs expect any new transfers before the window closes?
Asked by the BBC about whether or not Tottenham are closer to signing any new players, this was the response Postecoglou gave: “Not that I’m aware of but the club are working hard to remedy that.”
When asked about their poor home form, Postecoglou also cited the atmosphere inside the stadium and asked for Tottenham’s fans to help their players through this tough spell.
“It all folds in. The supporters are feeling it as well. It is not an atmosphere where it is easy at the moment,” Postecoglou said. “We need to break through that and try and give them something to get behind the team for. It wasn’t that long ago we beat Liverpool here and it was a great night here.”
Spurs player struggling to cope with injuries, amount of defeats?
He was also asked about the goals Tottenham conceded, two in under four minutes at the start of the second half.
“You can analyze that, disappointing goals for us to concede, but again I thought we had enough chances in the game to come out on top,” Postecoglou said.
Are Tottenham’s players struggling mentally with the run of defeats amid so many injuries?
“There’s no doubt there is. When you are in this situation they are trying as hard as they can and sometimes that doesn’t give you the clarity in decision making,” Postecoglou said. “Again, all you can ask for is people to do as much as they can and from my perspective that is what I see. I see a group of players giving everything they can. I know it will turn. We will get some players back. Today we were short. Next couple of weeks some really important players coming back for us who I know will help this group.”
“We’ve been going like this for two months. They’ve put in an enormous effort on Thursday night to get us the result, make sure we’re in Europe and they had to back it up today. There’s at least two or three players who weren’t 100 percent but they gave everything they can.”
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