Postecoglou Criticizes Werner’s Performance as “Not Acceptable”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou described Timo Werner’s performance as “not acceptable” following his substitution at half-time during the 1-1 Europa League match against Rangers. The 28-year-old German forward registered 16 instances of losing possession, failed to win any of his five duels, and completed only 69% of his passes. Steven Thompson, a former Rangers striker providing commentary for BBC Sportsound, remarked during the game: “Timo Werner’s final decision on the ball so far has been abysmal.” He added, “I’ll be amazed if he’s not hooked at half-time.” Werner was indeed substituted by Dejan Kulusevski prior to the start of the second half. Kulusevski subsequently scored Tottenham’s equaliser in the 75th minute, after Hamza Igamane had put Rangers ahead two minutes into the second half. Postecoglou stated, “When you’ve got 18-year-olds [in the squad], it [that performance] is not acceptable to me.” He further noted, “I said that to Timo, he’s a German international.” Werner, a former Chelsea forward currently on loan from RB Leipzig, has registered only one goal across 19 appearances, with this match marking his eighth start. With Tottenham forwards Richarlison and Wilson Odobert currently unavailable due to injury, Postecoglou further commented: “In the moment we’re in right now – it’s not like we’ve got many options – I need everyone to at least be going out there and trying to give the best of themselves.” He continued, “His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.” Postecoglou emphasized, “We need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don’t have the depth to leave people out if they perform poorly. I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys, and tonight wasn’t that.” The draw at Ibrox means Tottenham has secured only one victory in their last eight matches across all competitions. Werner has not performed to expectations since his arrival from Leipzig last January. His loan agreement was initially set to conclude at the end of the previous season but was subsequently extended to encompass the current campaign. Werner scored two goals in 14 games during the latter half of the 2023-24 season, but has scored only once in 19 appearances this season. His difficulties are reflected in the terms of his temporary transfer agreement. The initial arrangement included an option for Spurs to sign him permanently for £15m, which has now been revised to an £8.5m option to buy. Werner has accumulated 24 goals in 57 appearances for Germany, though his most recent international match was a friendly defeat against Belgium in March 2023. During a two-year period at Chelsea, he scored 23 goals in 89 appearances, contributing to their victories in the 2021 Champions League, Uefa Super Cup, and Fifa Club World Cup, before returning to Leipzig in 2022.