Ange Postecoglou says he is confident Tottenham's players still have faith in his flamboyant attacking philosophy despite a six-goal deficit that left them wallowing in mid-table.
Spurs were beaten 6-3 at home by Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday, a demoralizing result that leaves them 16 points off the top and eight points behind the top four.
“I still feel the players and I see that they still really believe in what we do,” Postecoglou said. 'It's difficult because it's a tough day for the fans, the players and for all the people who work so hard at the club.
“From my perspective, I take responsibility for that because I am the one who is charting this course for us. It's all hopefully for a greater purpose.
“My ultimate responsibility is to try to bring success to the club. But you understand that in the meantime it is not nice to see the players doing everything they can to get a result.
“But given the situation we are in, there are limits to what they can do. So you feel, I certainly feel that responsibility. But no matter how disappointed they are, they are still determined to keep going.”
Postecoglou has railed against critics who claim his style is too open and backtracked in interviews after the Liverpool defeat, claiming he was tired of answering the same questions about whether it might be better to change his style.
“I wasn't angry,” Postecoglou said Tuesday. “You've just had a big defeat and I take responsibility for that because I see the effect that has on everyone involved in the football club, so that weighs heavily on you. But I don't think many managers go into job interviews having been beaten and feel a bit happy about it.
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, I get tired of the same questions and the same way of answering. I just think it's almost like people want to poke the bear to see if I respond. And obviously, after a loss, it's much easier for people to get a response out of me.”
Tottenham have lost five of their last 11 in all competitions and won just three, but those victories were high-scoring victories: 4-0 against Manchester City, 5-0 against Southampton and 4-3 in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester . United.
“I don't think there's any doubt that we can challenge most teams in the league,” Postecoglou said. 'Liverpool were too good for us. They are a very good team. They are in good shape, very stable and all their players are healthy.
“So they're probably in the best position they've ever been in and, to be fair, we're not. And a combination of that, and we just weren't near the level we needed to be to try to compete with the best team in the league. So you accept that. It doesn't feel good, but you accept where you are. And the goal is to bridge that gap.”
Tottenham's next match is at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. Rodrigo Bentancur is available after serving a seven-match suspension.
Comments