I thought it was a fairly tight game for the most part”- Ange Postecoglou Uncovers Key Reason behind Rangers Draw and lays into CRUCIAL Spurs Player
Ange Postecoglou believes his Tottenham Hotspur team will look back at the Europa League draw against Rangers at Ibrox as the turning point in their season.
The Spurs manager might owe his job to Dejan Kulusevski, whose equalizer in the 74th minute spared the visitors from a potentially embarrassing loss. Postecoglou was also thankful to Fraser Forster, another former Celtic player, for his crucial save in the final moments to deny Cyriel Dessers and prevent a damaging defeat. Early in the second half, after Hamza Igamana’s goal had put Rangers ahead, Postecoglou was subjected to chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” but he seemed to take it in stride. He did, however, deliver a stern rebuke to one of his own players, Timo Werner. The 28-year-old German forward, who was substituted at halftime for Kulusevski, was made aware that his performance was unacceptable, especially on a night when injury-stricken Spurs were relying on 18-year-olds like Archie Gray, who was playing out of position as a center-back.
Despite the challenges, Postecoglou expressed relief at securing a draw. “Looking back, we’ll probably see this as a good point,” he said. “We’re still in the mix for automatic qualification, which is our goal. With the next games still five or six weeks away, we should be in much better shape as a squad by then. Hopefully, we’ll look back on this point as important.”
When asked if the draw was deserved, Postecoglou simply responded, “It is what it is.” He added, “It was a tight game overall. They had their chances, but in the second half, especially after the subs came on, we found our rhythm.” He also noted that with the next round of matches not until the new year, Spurs should have more squad depth by then, making the point even more valuable. “As expected, Rangers are always tough at Ibrox, especially on European nights. The atmosphere here makes it a difficult place to get a result. We weren’t at our best, but we’re in a period where we’re grinding through a lot of games with a depleted squad. Given that, I think the draw was a positive outcome for us.”
On Werner’s performance, Postecoglou was blunt when asked if the substitution was tactical. “Yes, he wasn’t playing at the level he should be,” he said. “When you have 18-year-olds out there, it’s not acceptable. I told Timo that. He’s a senior international, a German international. Right now, we don’t have many options. I need everyone to give their best, and his performance in the first half wasn’t up to standard.”
Asked why Werner’s performance was lacking, Postecoglou replied, “I’m not really sure, and it’s not my main concern. The important thing is that everyone, including him, contributes. We don’t have the luxury of leaving players out for poor performances. We need everyone to step up, particularly the senior players, especially when younger players are taking on big responsibilities. Today, we didn’t get that level of performance.”
