Ange Postecoglou has hit back at Tottenham’s critics and says he retains full belief in his players despite their poor form.
Spurs were hammered 4-0 at Liverpool last night in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final with the Merseysiders cruising through 4-1 on aggregate.
Afterwards, Sky pundits Jamie Redknapp and Jamie Carragher got stuck into Postecoglou and his team who sit 14th in the Premier League.
Former Spurs midfielder Redknapp said: “I cannot remember a team in my lifetime going down with less than a fight as they did today.” Carragher added: “When do Tottenham ever win a big game and win against the odds and surprise?
“Whenever they go in to big games, you never think they are going to win.”
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Villa next for struggling Spurs
Next up for Tottenham is another tough assignment – an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa on Sunday evening.
“We got back at 2am, so what’s more important is they rest up” 🛏️
Ange Postecoglou on the quick 48-hour turn around from defeat yesterday in the Carabao Cup to playing in the FA Cup against Villa 💬 pic.twitter.com/3J4cY5bYnF
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 7, 2025
Postecoglou said: “There’s plenty about them [the players]. I get the pile on at the moment, it’s really easy for people to stick the boot in and question the players but that’s not something I do.
“We were disappointed last night didn’t go the way we wanted and we didn’t perform at the levels – but that doesn’t define this group of players in my eyes.
“We’ll go out there on Sunday and put out more of a performance that reflects where we’re at. I have a great deal of belief in these players and what they’re going through and how they’re dealing with it.”
No players back for Villa clash
Postecoglou’s mitigation is a crippling injury list that has stunted their progress this season.
The Australian says the Villa game will come too soon for the walking wounded but hopes to have more players available when Manchester United visit North London next weekend.
“We’re still hopeful we’ll get two or three back for the Man Utd game, we’ve got two full weeks of training and we should get the majority of these players back with a bit of luck, providing we don’t lose anyone else. I knew this would be a challenging week in terms of personnel,” he said.
Richarlison blow
Brazil forward Richarlison will be missing at Villa Park after limping off at Anfield with what appeared to be a calf injury.
“It’s disappointing for him, he was emotional, he’s worked really hard to get back, it’s another setback we and him have got to deal with,” said Postecoglou.
