Ange Postecoglou once again insisted he would not change his attacking approach at Tottenham despite another heavy defeat.
Spurs were beaten 6-3 by the Reds, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah both scoring twice, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also got on the scoresheet for Liverpool.
James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scored for Spurs but an eighth defeat of the Premier League season leaves them 11th in the table at Christmas.
Spurs have conceded 31 goals in the league in 2024, the most goals they have conceded in a single calendar year since 2007 when they conceded 34.
Postecoglou has come under pressure this season, with pundits and fans alike questioning his playing style, which the Australian has stuck to despite the chaotic results.
“I think I've been very patient over the last 18 months, answering the same questions over and over again,” he said at his press conference.
“If people want me to change my approach, that won't change. We do it for a reason. We do it because we think it will help us be successful.
“If people don't understand the circumstances we're in right now, the challenges we have from a team perspective, which are as obvious as you want to make them. I get the sense that people think I should just flip a switch and change and somehow that will miraculously make us a better team.
“It is what it is. I'm just going to keep going and stay focused on trying to build this team into the team we want it to be. In the meantime, we're going to accept that there will be challenges along the way.”
3.6 – Tottenham's Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou have seen an average of 3.6 goals scored per game. Among those in charge of more than 50 games in the league, this is the highest number of goals per game for any manager. Pleasure. pic.twitter.com/VX1VZInKQ6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 22, 2024
In Tottenham's Premier League matches under Postecoglou, an average of 3.6 goals were scored per match. Among those in charge of more than 50 games in the league, this is the highest number of goals per game for any manager.
Also in 2024, they conceded the opening goal in 14 different home games in the Premier League; the joint-highest ever by a team within a calendar year in the competition (also Crystal Palace in 2017, Ipswich Town and Spurs in 1994).
They are currently without first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and defenders Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie through injury, which coincided with the team conceding 15 goals in their last six games in all competitions.
Asked if there were any other factors causing the lack of clean sheets in recent weeks, Postecoglou told BBC Sport: “You know what? I'm just going to stop answering these questions.
“If people can't see the obvious, I'm not going to point it out. Look, make of it what you will. Yes, we're conceding goals.
“If you ignore the fact that we are missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back, and that doesn't coincide with what we are doing… then I don't know what to say anymore.” .
“I think people make up their own minds in their own way. They think what I'm doing is right, or it's not, and that's fine.”
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