Ange Postecoglou has questioned Tottenham’s mentality around Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City by claiming the club’s foundations are “fairly fragile.”
City moved to the brink of a fourth consecutive Premier League title through a second-half brace from Erling Haaland on a night when some Spurs fans openly taunted Arsenal as the result leaves their north London rivals facing the prospect of finishing in second place.
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Postecoglou dismissed the prospect of some Tottenham supporters wanting their own team to lose just to deny the Gunners a first title since 2004, especially given victory for Spurs would have kept their own hopes of Champions League football alive.
But after losing to City in a subdued atmosphere, Postecoglou shunned the opportunity to focus on the positives after a largely productive first season in charge.
“I think the last 48 hours has revealed to me that the foundations are fairly fragile,” he said. “That’s just what I think. I just think the last 48 hours have revealed a fair bit to me. That’s alright. It just means I’ve got to go back to the drawing board with some things.”
Pushed on whether he was referring to inside or outside the club, Postecoglou replied: “Outside, inside, everywhere. It’s been an interesting exercise. It’s just my observations.
“I’m not going to tell you [if it is the players], because it’s for me. I’m the one who’s got to do it. You can make your own assessments of what’s happened. I understand. I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in your endeavour to become a winning team, but that’s OK. That’s why I’m here.”
Postecoglou was then asked whether he was referring to an undue focus on the rivalry with Arsenal, and he said: “I’m just not interested, mate. Maybe I’m out of step, but I just don’t care, I just want to win. I want to be successful at this football club, it’s why I was brought in.
“So, what other people, how they want to feel, and what their priorities are, are of zero interest to me. I know what’s important to build a winning team, that’s what I need to concentrate on.
“I already know what I want to do, it’s just I’ve got to make some adjustments to how I do it.”
Postceoglou admitted the atmosphere inside the stadium was unusual, adding that it definitely has an effect on the players.
“It is what it is. I can’t dictate what people do,” Postecoglou said. “They’re allowed to express themselves any way they want. But yeah, when we’ve got late winners in games it’s because the crowd’s helped us.”
