Ange Postecoglou expressed his deep disappointment with Tottenham’s second-half performance against Fulham, despite his team regaining the top position in the Premier League with a 2-0 win on Monday night.
Tottenham is off to its best start in a league campaign since 1960/61 when they last secured the title. Goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison propelled Postecoglou’s team back to the Premier League summit. Postecoglou has also achieved a record-breaking start as a Premier League manager, accumulating 23 points from his first nine matches since his arrival from Scottish champions Celtic in the summer.
However, despite the renewed optimism among Tottenham supporters, Postecoglou did not feel like celebrating. He criticized his team for letting up in the second half, stating, “I’m really disappointed with the second half. We were nowhere near the levels we have shown all year. We need to maintain discipline in our approach. The goalkeeper [Guglielmo Vicario] made some great saves to keep a clean sheet, and we should have had better control of the game in the context. I’m not trying to make a point; it’s just what I observed.”
Postecoglou emphasized that they were wasteful with the ball, took unnecessary liberties, and highlighted the need for improvement. He mentioned his role in providing feedback to the players and their desire to get better.
Tottenham has a unique Monday-Friday doubleheader this week, which could extend their lead at the top of the table to five points if they defeat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park before the weekend. Despite earning praise for their attacking style under Postecoglou, the manager believes they still have a long way to go in their development.
Postecoglou stressed the importance of improvement and acknowledged that there is room for growth despite their positive start. He also praised the team’s outstanding pressing and the performance of midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who made his first Premier League start of the season in place of the suspended Yves Bissouma.”