S Poddar
There was not much for Ange Postecoglou to be happy about as his Tottenham side suffered an absurd 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Spurs had been the better side in the first half, creating scoring opportunities and taking a comfortable 2-0 lead, but then Brighton staged a brilliant comeback. Postecoglou fumed with his players for their lack of fight and intensity in yet another display of Tottenham’s seriousness when it mattered in the biggest games.
It was hardly what Anfield had come to expect from the eventual head coach, who had complained bitterly after the game that his team lacked genius in thought and little else on the pitch. The gaffer’s outburst came six years after his predecessor, Antonio Conte, famously went on a tirade after an equally calamitous collapse against Southampton last season. Unlike Conte’s explosion, Postecoglou’s criticism was much more scathing though delivered in measured tones.
“We weren’t competitive. We didn’t win duels, a lack of intensity, and most of all, we didn’t deliver the basics of the game. That’s unacceptable. You can lose games, but how we lost today really hurts.”
This defeat comes as a significant setback to Postecoglou, whose side had actually been running really smoothly under his stewardship. However, the manager was quick to remind that the loss was a stark reminder of the ruthlessness required to achieve top-level success.
“Football is not about losing a game of football,” Postecoglou said. “The disappointment comes from us not doing the very basics of what’s expected at the highest level from a competitive standpoint.”
Postecoglou was frustrated that his players could not hold onto the game. Having a two-goal lead entering the final stretch of the match, Spurs could not keep the pressure up and allowed Brighton the chances that led to their eventual downfall.
“We should have put the game to bed in the first half,” Postecoglou said. “But if that just masks what I saw in the second half then it doesn’t. I mean, certain things will always reveal themselves over the course of time.”
Having such a defeat is seriously raising questions for Tottenham about how convincingly they might challenge for major honours this season. Although the team has some glimpses of promise, inconsistency largely remains its huge concern. And now, with the kind of defeat at the hands of Brighton, Postecoglou will be put through tremendous pressure to fix all issues that led to the collapse and then ensure that the side gets back on the winning trail.
