Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou didn’t mince words following his team’s shocking 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. After squandering a 2-0 halftime lead, Postecoglou branded the performance “unacceptable” and accused his players of lacking fight in the second half.
A Scathing Assessment
“We didn’t do what you need to do at this level – it’s kind of non-negotiable,” Postecoglou said in his post-match interview. “We just weren’t competitive. We didn’t win our duels, we lacked intensity, we didn’t deliver the things you need to at this level – the basics of the game, and we paid the price for it.”The Australian manager went on to describe it as “probably the most disappointing loss I’ve had since I’ve been here, in terms of the way we went about it.”
Competitive Spirit Questioned
Postecoglou emphasized the importance of competitiveness in elite sport, stating, “If you’re not competitive, it doesn’t matter how good you are or how good you think you are … you’re going to trip up.” He dismissed questions about substitutions, insisting that the lack of competitiveness was the core issue: “If you’re not competitive, it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re not going to get rewards.”
A Wake-Up Call
The manager sees this defeat as a stark reminder of what’s required at the highest level. He expressed his disappointment not just in the result, but in the manner of the loss: “It’s a real stark reminder of what elite sport is about. The core of it is competitive. If you’re not competitive, it doesn’t matter how good you are or how good you think you are … you’re going to trip up.”
Postecoglou made it clear that he had shared these thoughts directly with the players, emphasizing that disappointment alone isn’t enough. He wants his team to understand that losing isn’t the issue – it’s the lack of competitiveness that’s unacceptable.
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