Presser points | Arsenal 2-1 Spurs | Ange Postecoglou
Thu 16 January 2025, 00:15|
Tottenham Hotspur
Ange Postecoglou spoke to the media at the Emirates after our 2-1 loss against Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday night.
Here's what he had to say...
Ange on the performance...
"Not good enough, especially the first half. 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."
On our changes at half-time (Maddison and Johnson on for Bissouma and Sarr)...
"It wasn't about regaining control, it was having different intent in our football. 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 be sitting in there and allowing Arsenal to play to their tempo. It just wasn't good enough."
On turning our form around...
"You've got no choice. There's no magic cure. You've got to get up tomorrow, work hard and go into Sunday (at Everton) and prepare to go into battle and turn around our fortunes and our season. There's nothing magical that's going to change it. There's always reasons for all these things to happen, but the reality is that our results and our form in the league has been nowhere near good enough. That needs to change."
On Arsenal's first goal...
"It wasn’t a corner, but that’s how things are going for us at the moment. That aside, we weren’t anywhere near the levels we needed to be in that first half in such a big game. We have got to understand that what we can control is the first thing we need to focus on."
On having any frustrations with Arsenal's second goal...
"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. We are an aggressive team with and without the ball, we have shown that. We showed that seven days ago against Liverpool. Tonight, especially in that first 45, we were way too passive and that’s not acceptable. When you do that, these kinds of things creep in. It was a disappointing second goal to concede as well, but it’s not like we were playing anywhere near the level we needed to. Like I said, second half was a little bit better and we certainly caused them a few more problems with and without the ball, but it wasn’t enough."
On taking positives from the performances of 18-year-olds Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray...
"I hope not. I want them disappointed. 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 night."
