Presser points | Spurs vs Bournemouth | Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou was back at Hotspur Way on Friday morning, after our UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg against AZ Alkmaar last night, and spoke to the media ahead of our Premier League clash against Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (2pm UK).

Here's what he had to say...

Ange on Dominic Solanke's late injury against AZ...

"It's too early to tell. Look, with Dom, obviously, he got a knee going into the backside so he's probably a bit sore, but it's a knock, so hopefully it settles down pretty quickly."

Ange on any 'additional reflections' on the 1-0 loss against AZ...

"Not additional, no. I said after the game that we didn't perform anywhere near the level we wanted to or needed to. We're disappointed. The tie is not over though and we get a chance to focus on that after the weekend's game, because now that becomes the priority."

Ange on if the players 'need to show more'...

"I don't think last night was a matter of individuals. As a collective, we just were not anywhere near the level that we needed to be and it's tough playing away in Europe. We knew that. The crowd created a really good atmosphere for the home side, they got the goal, which gave them some momentum, but as I said, last night was not about individuals. As a collective we were nowhere near the levels we needed to be."

Ange on if he's glad to be back in action straight away against Bournemouth on Sunday...

"Look, we definitely need another game to get the squad to where we need to get to. It's an opportunity to get more game time into certain guys. The best way to put last night's disappointment to one side is to perform well at the weekend and our league form hasn't been too bad over the recent period and we want to continue that. The Europa League is a massive emphasis for us, but I still want us and have a real desire to move up the table, and we get that opportunity on Sunday."

Ange on Ben Davies being available for Sunday...

"We're not really sure. He's training at the moment, so we will see how he feels. He's definitely progressed and he feels good, so let's see how he goes in the next 24-48 hours. He has a chance, but we'll see how he goes."

Ange on the knock-on effect picking up a positive result against Bournemouth could have for next week's second leg against AZ...

"It's important and the result is the ultimate ambition for the weekend, but the performance is important. It's fair to say that it's our inconsistency - our best and our worst this year has had too much of a gap. We've been really good at times but, like last night, we've been poor at times this year and we've paid the price. We need to rectify that and try to get more consistency in performances, which will then reflect more in the results. We need both a good performance and a good result at the weekend. Like I said, the Alkmaar game, as poor as it was, the reality is that it's 1-0 and we have got them at home next week. We can focus on that after the Bournemouth game, right now, that has to be our priority."

Ange on Micky van de Ven and Cuti Romero being in his thinking for Sunday...

"Yes, they've a chance. To be honest, when I saw the pitch the night before (training at AZ on Wednesday night before last night's match) I made up my mind that I wasn't going to risk them. It wasn't a great pitch, and it wasn't steady underfoot. It wasn't the sort of game I thought I needed to expose them to. A couple of extra days training and recovery and hopefully both are in line to feature."

Ange on inconsistency...

"If you take away when we beat Ipswich 4-1 a couple of weeks ago, and the second half against City, where we were really, really good against a very good team, but when you're inconsistent like we are, people pick moments and invariably look at your lowest points as a reference point. So, if you look at last night, that was nowhere near the level we need to be. We've had that kind of performance a few times this year and it's what has cost us more than anything else, the inconsistency. We need to rectify it."

Ange on Bournemouth...

"They've been really good. They were last year, too. Andoni has a really distinct way of playing, they're really aggressive with their football both with and without the ball. They've got some very good players who are developing under them. It's a good challenge. For us, as I said, it's a real clear objective that we need to play well if we want to get the result that we want."

Ange on 'raising our worst level'...

"It's like I said, consistency and performance. It's not just about raising our worst level but about understanding the different challenges each game poses and making sure we are prepared for that. A lot of our inconsistency has come from the fact that we haven't had a consistent line-up. You bear that in mind, but at the same time, I still feel last might was kind of a reflection of where we are from a squad perspective. We need to embrace the challenge of the different competitions we're in and understand that there's different ways of tackling those challenges and making sure that at the bare minimum we compete at a level that at least allows us to get our baseline performances higher than they are."

Ange on the players 'lacking clarity' over the game plan...

"They don't lack clarity over it, no, absolutely. They don't lack clarity. If anything I think people are saying it's too transparent, but you do need conviction to play that kind of football all the time. You need real belief and you need a really strong mindset because it's very challenging and it doesn't allow you to veer off into a different direction. It needs you stay on course and it's the only way it works. It's fair to say last night that we weren't on the road we needed to be."