Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou will be glad that his players suffered no injury concerns
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under scrutiny yet again. The Lilywhites suffered a humbling defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on a historic day for the Reds. While the Merseyside club clinched their 20th league title, Spurs faced their 19th league defeat of the season. The game displayed the difference in quality and intent between the two sides.
Spurs came into the game as underdogs and took a surprising early lead, thanks to a fine header by Dominic Solanke. But it was all Liverpool after that as the Reds started dominating possession. Arne Slot’s side ran riot and managed to score five goals past Guglielmo Vicario. In fairness, there should have been more goals, but some of the Liverpool players forgot to wear their shooting boots tonight.
The Tottenham players struggled to string two passes together, yet they continued to play out from the back. By doing that, they gifted Liverpool two goals in the first half. Many Spurs players were underwhelming, and they looked like a shadow of themselves. Ange’s men were just chasing after the ball,l and it was clear to see why the North London club were fighting in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou focused on rotating the squad
Ange Postecoglou made eight changes to the starting eleven for the game at Anfield. It is the most that the club has managed to make in a single league game ever. It was clear to see that the Australian manager’s focus was on the upcoming Europa League game more. Today’s match against Liverpool was just a routine game for the Lilywhites, and fans were also hoping that the players would go through the ninety minutes unscathed.
When asked about the changes made to the starting eleven, Big Ange said in his presser (as transcribed by Football.london),
“I had made a lot of changes but I just felt it was necessary. A lot of our players have missed a lot of this season with injuries and it wasn’t just about bringing them back but managing their minutes because obviously we want them ready.”
The Tottenham manager added,
“Guys like Micky and Romero today could have played but they’ve missed so much of the season that we’ve just got to be really careful about when we use them. Guys like Pedro and Bentancur have played a lot this year. It has been a juggling act for sure and that hasn’t helped the team, hasn’t helped the players and when you’re facing the best you pay that price.”
Ange Postecoglou suggested that it was a juggling act to balance the minutes given to the players. The Spurs boss insisted that the squad has suffered a lot of injuries and they had to be careful to nurse the players through the game unscathed, before the important Europa League semi-final clash. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have missed a large part of the season, so to risk them for a nothing game would not have made sense.
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The Lilywhites need to forget this result quickly and focus on the upcoming Europa League semi-final clash against Bodo/Glimt. Spurs have a great chance of ending the season with a trophy and playing Champions League football next year. Ange Postecoglou’s fate also depends on how the team performs in Europe, so a lot will be at stake, and the players will have to step up.
