Ange Postecoglou referred to as for his injury-hit Tottenham squad to not be judged on their performances and stated criticism of his aspect is “agenda-driven” after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa.
Spurs’ hopes of lifting a home trophy this season had been ended within the area of 4 days and now their solely probability of silverware stays within the Europa League having misplaced to Liverpool within the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Tottenham had been with out 11 first-team gamers for his or her defeat at Villa Park and Postecoglou passionately defended his squad’s efforts, referring to Liverpool’s much-changed aspect being crushed on the Championship’s backside membership Plymouth on Sunday.
“Take them out of any team,” he stated. “How did Liverpool go today? And they just did that for one game. Do that for two and a half months. Any team, do that for two and a half months in multiple competitions.
“I do not care about me, folks will decide me or no matter. However you possibly can’t decide this group of gamers on what’s occurred. They’ve given all the pieces. Two 18-year-olds, a 17-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old goalkeeper beginning in opposition to among the finest groups within the nation at house.
“They [Villa] had a week off, they didn’t play on Thursday night against Liverpool. We did. Same group of players, not a change. You can’t measure this group of players on that and their performance. It’s too easy for people to be critical of them. I have huge admiration and respect for them.”
Requested whether or not he would get the time to indicate what this squad might do, Postecoglou stated: “I am not speaking about me. Folks can decide me, they’ll say I’ve finished a foul job, I am less than it or no matter, that is high-quality.
“What I’m saying is you can’t be critical of players and players’ performance during this time. If you do, then do that with everyone else when they’ve got nine or 10 or 11 players out – none of them have – and for every game.
Jacob Ramsey fires Aston Villa into an early lead in opposition to Spurs
“I’m not just saying we had to do it today. We’ve been doing this since the middle of November. You can’t judge the performance of these players or critique them on what they’ve done. All they’ve done is give all they can and that’s all you can ask for.
“My accountability at this membership is that this group of gamers and workforce to get them to play within the method I need them to that can deliver us success. Whether or not folks suppose I can do this or not is for others to guage however there’s obtained to be a greater appreciation for what a really small group of gamers have been doing for the final two and a half months.
“It can’t be that people think that is an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff. If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine, good on you, go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the last two and a half months has been outstanding. It’s a credit to them, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
‘They’re human beings, they’re drained’
When requested why his aspect’s attacking, all-action taking part in type wasn’t being proven in performances, Postecoglou stated: “Because they’re tired, mate. They can’t. If we hadn’t played on Thursday night and I had rotated that team, do you think it would have been pressing a bit more aggressively today?
“Except you do not suppose they’re human beings. Except you are super-human and suppose after taking part in Liverpool on Thursday night time they need to be flying at the moment. It would not occur. They’re human beings.
Ramsey celebrates with team-mate Morgan Rogers after giving Aston Villa a first-minute lead
“Why do you think Liverpool and other teams rotate 11 players? There’s a reason. I wish I could do the same to bring freshness to the team. Of course, they’re not playing anywhere near the levels we want or expect but that’s not because they’re not trying, that’s not because they can’t. They can.
“I maintain saying this group of gamers, as soon as we get the remainder of the group in, shall be an impressive workforce. I’ve little doubt about that. Whether or not different folks say that or not is of no curiosity to me. If you wish to measure something on what they’re doing in the mean time apart from the very fact of the intense scenario they’re coping with then I believe your evaluation is skewed, it isn’t goal.”
Postecoglou added: “I do not know the way else to clarify it. If you cannot see that this workforce is making an attempt its hardest to play beneath probably the most excessive two and a half months of asking 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds and senior gamers with no relaxation to play Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday for 2 and a half months. For those who suppose that’s not in any respect an element of how this workforce is performing proper now then there’s nothing else I can say.”
