LONDON, Jan 16 — Ange Postecoglou slammed his Tottenham flops as “nowhere near good enough” after a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal yesterday plunged them into the fight for Premier League survival.
Postecoglou’s troubled side blew the lead given to them by Son Heung-min’s early goal at the Emirates Stadium.
Dominic Solanke’s own goal drew Arsenal level and Leandro Trossard fired the Gunners ahead before half-time, with Tottenham’s new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky at fault on both occasions.
Tottenham’s seventh defeat in their last eight north London derbies in the league left them languishing in 13th place.
Sitting just eight points above the relegation zone, Tottenham have gone five league matches without a win, losing four of those.
Postecoglou was furious with their tame surrender, saying: “Nowhere near good enough, especially in the first half. We were too passive.
“We let Arsenal dictate the game. Second half was a little better but nowhere near good enough. Not acceptable.”
Since beating Manchester City 4-0 in November, Tottenham have managed only one win in nine league games.
Postecoglou must find a solution to the inconsistency that saw them beat Liverpool 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final first leg before needing extra-time to see off fifth tier part-timers Tamworth in the FA Cup third round.
The Australian has come under increasing pressure from frustrated fans in recent weeks and he admitted he had to take responsibility for their struggles.
“We were not anywhere near the levels today. Ultimately the responsibility lies with me and how I prepare the players,” he said.
“Of course, the defeats hurt me. Not acceptable. Too many losses this year. Too many games getting away from us. It needs to stop.”
Postecoglou has boasted that he always wins a trophy in his second season, but the more immediate concern is ensuring Tottenham do not fall any closer to the relegation zone.
That makes Sunday’s trip to fellow strugglers Everton a huge game in their dismal season.
“No other way of looking at it. If you give up now, there’s no point. Right now we have a big game against Everton this weekend. That’s our focus,” Postecoglou said.
Son’s eighth goal against Arsenal took him into fourth place on the all-time scoring charts in the north London derby.
But that meant little to the South Korean forward after his team’s latest capitulation.
“This game means a lot to the club and fans. Conceding goals like this is more painful,” he said.
Echoing Postecoglou’s scathing assessment, Son added: “The manager is right. We were too passive. We always want to press and play high up as possible.
“In the first half we were way too passive. Second half was a little better. The first half was not good enough.
“It’s up to the players as well. You have to listen to what we want to do. I think we were not disciplined enough.
“We have to do better in every aspect. When you look at table it’s not good enough.” — AFP
