Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou says his side’s league form “can’t be accepted by anyone at the club” after a 2-1 north London derby defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday.
Spurs took the lead through captain Son Heung-min in the 25th minute but an own goal from Dominic Solanke and a strike from Leandro Trossard meant that Arsenal took the lead into half-time and did not relinquish it after the break.
Postecoglou lamented his team’s effort after the match.
“Not good enough, especially the first half,” he said in his post-match news conference. “Way too passive, allowed Arsenal to take control of the game. Really disappointed with the way we, both with and without the ball, allowed them to dictate the tempo and paid a price for it. The second half was a little bit better but nowhere near good enough.
“It’s not who we are, it’s not the way I set the team up. It’s not the way we want to play, to sit in there and allowing Arsenal to play to their tempo. It just wasn’t good enough.
“I think that second goal is endemic of our whole first half. Irrespective of everything else, like I said, we just didn’t play anywhere near the identity I want us to be.”
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Tottenham sit 13th in the Premier League with 24 points from 21 games and have only won one out of their last nine matches. They are eight points off the relegation zone, 14 points off the Champions League places and could find themselves in 14th if Manchester United are victorious against Southampton on Thursday night.
Postecoglou was asked after the game if he could take any positives from the performances of teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who both arrived at the club in the summer, but the 59-year-old said that he wanted all of his players to feel the hurt of the defeat.
“I want them (Gray and Bergvall) disappointed,” said Postecoglou. “This can’t be accepted by anyone at the club. Us losing so many games in a league season is not right. I know we are going through a tough trot and are asking big jobs but I hope they are hurting, the 18-year-olds, as much as anybody else in terms of us not being able to deliver on a big day/night.”
Tottenham return to action on Sunday when they face Everton at Goodison Park.
(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
