Postecoglou Attributes Tottenham’s Inconsistency to Himself

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has stated that he is responsible for the team’s inconsistent performance this season, rather than attributing it to his players. He accepted accountability for a “hugely disappointing” defeat. On Sunday, Tottenham suffered a 2-1 loss to Ipswich, marking their fifth defeat in 11 Premier League matches this season. This result places them 10th in the league standings, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool. While the club has advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, they experienced a defeat against Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday, despite having secured victories in their first three matches of that competition. Tottenham’s best winning streak this league season has been two matches, extending to five across all competitions. Addressing inquiries regarding the team’s fluctuating form, Postecoglou informed BBC Sport: “It’s just down to me. I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. “It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge so that’s usually the way it goes. “I take responsibility when their performances don’t meet the levels that they should.” When Sky Sports questioned whether this feeling was novel, he responded: “No, I think it’s been our season so far. It’s been really inconsistent.” For the match, Tottenham again found themselves trailing, entering halftime 2-0 down following goals scored by Sam Szmodics and Liam Delap. A header from Rodrigo Bentancur offered Spurs a glimmer of hope, but they could not secure an equalizing goal. This marked the 13th occasion in 2024 that Spurs conceded the first goal in their 15 home Premier League fixtures. Historically, only Tottenham in 1994 (14), Ipswich in 1994 (14), and Crystal Palace in 2017 (14) have conceded the opening goal more frequently at home within a single calendar year. “There are different reasons [to why it has happened],” Postecoglou commented to BBC Radio 5 Live. “Today was a bit different to other times. We were way too passive. “If you give the opposition that much of a head start it takes a lot to claw it back.” Following Tottenham’s loss to Arsenal in the north London derby in September, Postecoglou had previously stated, “I always win things in my second season” at a club, and further asserted that he “absolutely” believed Spurs were capable of competing for trophies this season.