“Always let me down”- Ange Postecoglou slams ‘unacceptable’ Spurs after ‘terrible’ loss at Brighton
Tottenham Hotspur, under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou, appeared to be in control during the first half of their Premier League clash at the Amex Stadium. Early goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison saw the north Londoners race to a comfortable lead, leaving fans optimistic about securing a sixth consecutive win. However, what followed was a complete collapse in the second half that allowed Brighton to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The home side, Brighton, came out after the break with renewed intensity, and Tottenham struggled to keep pace. Yankuba Minteh kickstarted Brighton’s comeback, quickly followed by a goal from Georginio Rutter, which leveled the score. As the pressure mounted, Danny Welbeck delivered the final blow, sealing Tottenham’s third defeat in just seven Premier League matches this season. It was a shocking turnaround for Postecoglou’s side, especially considering their dominant first-half performance.
Postecoglou, visibly angered by the second-half capitulation, didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment. The defeat marked only the second time in Tottenham’s last 166 Premier League matches that they had lost after leading by two or more goals. The Australian manager was blunt in his criticism. “Disappointing. Frustrated and absolutely gutted with that. Worst defeat since I’ve been here. Unacceptable second half,” Postecoglou admitted, his frustration evident.
The Tottenham boss expressed disbelief over his team’s lack of fight and sharp decline in performance. “Nowhere near where we should be. We got carried away with how we were going. We kind of accepted our fate, and it is hard to understand as we’ve not done that while I’ve been here. We paid the price,” he continued, emphasizing how the team’s complacency after such a strong start had cost them dearly.
Postecoglou also reflected on the broader implications of the loss, pointing out how easily success can lead to complacency. “The problem is we are traveling along too smoothly; football and life will trip you up if you get too far ahead of yourself,” he warned, suggesting that the team had perhaps been lulled into a false sense of security by their previous five-game winning streak in all competitions.
The defeat leaves Tottenham sitting ninth in the Premier League, with plenty of work to do as they head into a two-week international break. The timing of the break might offer some relief for Postecoglou’s squad, giving them a chance to regroup and refocus before their next match against London rivals West Ham. However, it also means they will have to stew on this damaging result for longer than usual.
When asked what he had told his players in the dressing room after the final whistle, Postecoglou was straightforward in his response: “There is no message. It is a terrible loss for us, as bad as it gets. Only one way to fix it, and that’s my responsibility.” He made it clear that the accountability rested with him and that there was no quick fix for the disappointment they all felt.
Postecoglou didn’t shy away from addressing his team’s lack of competitiveness during the second half. “We lost all our duels, and if you’re not competitive, it’s not going to work. We were not competitive,” he stated plainly. This criticism underlined the key issue that allowed Brighton to turn the game on its head—Tottenham’s inability to impose themselves physically and mentally in the crucial moments.
With the majority of his players heading off for international duty, Postecoglou acknowledged that they would process the loss individually. “They all go on international duty, the majority of them. They will process it individually, and I will process it when everyone gets back,” he said. However, the disappointment in his tone suggested that the players wouldn’t be the only ones reflecting on what had gone wrong.
Taking responsibility for the result, Postecoglou conceded that his team’s reaction to conceding goals was far from acceptable. “We’ve conceded before, but it is how you react, and our reaction wasn’t what it should be. It’s a bad day for us, and when it’s a bad day, the responsibility falls at my feet,” he concluded, vowing to address the issues in time for their next match.
This painful defeat serves as a sobering reminder for Postecoglou’s side that there is no room for complacency in the Premier League, especially for a team that has shown such promise in the early stages of the season. The challenge now will be to bounce back stronger and prove that this second-half collapse was nothing more than a temporary setback.