Ange Postecoglou harshly criticized his Tottenham players after they squandered a 2-0 halftime lead to lose 3-2 against Brighton, labeling the performance 'unacceptable' and accusing them of lacking fight. The manager's anger was unprecedented in his tenure at the club, his candid criticism reminiscent of Antonio Conte's outburst.
Conte, the former permanent Spurs manager, famously lost his temper when his team blew a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Southampton in March 2023, questioning his players' mentality. Postecoglou's delivery, however, was more composed.
'We didn’t do what you need to do at this level – it’s non-negotiable,' Postecoglou said. 'We just weren’t competitive. We didn’t win our duels, we lacked intensity, we didn’t deliver the basics of the game, and we paid the price for it.
It’s unacceptable. You can understand not winning every game, but there’s the manner of losing. This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve lost in this manner. It’s probably the most disappointing loss I’ve had here, in terms of how we performed, and it’s something I need to assess.
It’s a stark reminder of what elite sport demands. The core is competitiveness. If you’re not competitive, it doesn’t matter how good you think you are … you’ll stumble.'
Danny Welbeck put Brighton ahead in the 66th minute, and Postecoglou waited until the 79th minute to make his first substitutions. 'Substitutions and such … they are irrelevant to me,' he said. 'If you’re not competitive, it doesn’t matter what you do, you won’t get rewards. We didn’t deserve, based on our second-half performance, to get anything from the game. If we did, it would be a false reward, and I don’t want that.
We should have sealed the game in the first half. But if that masks what I saw in the second half, then it doesn’t … certain things will always reveal themselves over time. I’ve got to address what happened in the second half.'
Postecoglou was asked if he had conveyed all this to the players in the dressing room. 'Yes, feedback is crucial,' he replied. 'I don’t hide things. I’m sure the players are disappointed, but I don’t care about that. They should be. Our supporters are disappointed, I’m disappointed.
I want them to understand that football is not just about losing a game; that happens. The disappointment comes from not doing the basics expected at the highest level from a competitive standpoint.'
