Ange Postecoglou struck a rare, frustrated pose after Tottenham Hotspur were smacked 3-0 by Fulham on Saturday at Craven Cottage.
The often-understated Australian manager was clearly disappointed by his players’ performance but did his best not to call out his players for what was a performance nowhere near their levels.
[ MORE: Fulham 3-0 Spurs — Recap, video highlights ]
It was the first time Spurs had been shut out in nearly 40 Premier League matches, and it came after a dynamite win over Aston Villa that put Spurs into the driver’s seat.
A win today would’ve put Spurs into fourth, and Postecoglou’s dam broke when asked if the loss hurt more because Spurs failed to build on the Villa win.
Ange Postecoglou’s disappointed reaction to loss at Fulham
Here’s what Postecoglou said
“Yeah look it’s all over so we’ll just go for sixth. What am I supposed to say to that? What are we two points behind Villa? What does that mean with 10 games to go? We have 10 games to go.”
“Psychologically I don’t really worry about that stuff. It’s 10 games to go, there’s so much football to be played. If we had won today, nothing’s guaranteed. If we had lost last week, nothing’s guaranteed. It’s 10 games to play so I don’t worry about that stuff. I never have. For me, it’s not about falling into a place on the ladder. If we can finish fourth, great, and everyone’s happy. Brilliant, It’s nothing that hasn’t been done at this football club. It’s about how we play, that’s all I’m interested in. So we were disappointed. We learn from that, move forward, and tackle the next game.”
There have been other games where Postecoglou kept his cool in the post-match briefing, and this feels a bit like an inevitable valve release. Spurs are way ahead of schedule, and lost a game badly without their top defender and against a midfield masterclass from Joao Palhinha and Fulham.
Clearly Postecoglou cares where Spurs finish, but he’s saying that — my words, not his — he’d rather feel his club were firing on all cylinders every week than she them three places higher on bounces and good fortune (Look at Manchester United’s season under Erik ten Hag). I don’t mind the vibe from Postecoglou and honestly it’s a refreshing to see the fire inside Spurs’ engine.
