Ange Postecoglou Breaks His Own Rule at Tottenham Following Draw with Rangers

Tottenham drew with Rangers in the Europa League last night, but it’s been a hectic week for Ange Postecoglou beyond the game itself.

The manager found himself addressing Cristian Romero’s recent comments about the club’s lack of investment.

Postecoglou acknowledged that while some of Romero’s points were valid, others were not.

He emphasized that he avoids publicly criticizing his players, likening it to Romero’s statements being inappropriate for public airing.

However, following the draw with Rangers, Postecoglou seemed to contradict his earlier stance.

After the 1-1 result, Postecoglou faced questions about his team’s performance and ended up singling out Timo Werner for criticism.

The manager didn’t hold back, calling out the German international for failing to meet expectations.

“Yeah, yeah, he wasn’t playing anywhere near the level he should,” Postecoglou said. “When you’ve got 18-year-olds out there, it’s not acceptable to me.

I said that to Timo. He’s a senior international, a German international.

In the situation we’re in right now, without many options, I need everyone giving their best. His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.”

These comments directly contradict Postecoglou’s earlier remarks about refraining from criticizing players publicly, as he had done when discussing Romero.

Such a shift in approach could lead to dressing room tensions. Publicly singling out a player always carries risks, especially when results aren’t going well.

Postecoglou’s analysis of Werner’s performance might be accurate, but calling him out while others also underperform could cause friction within the squad.

Postecoglou may not regret his words about Werner, as he appeared justified in his assessment.

However, the decision to focus criticism on one player, particularly a senior figure like Werner, raises questions about the potential impact on team dynamics.

How Werner and the rest of the squad respond to this criticism remains to be seen.

Postecoglou may have taken a gamble with his comments, and the coming weeks will reveal whether his approach strengthens or weakens the team’s cohesion.