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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
David Hytner

Ange Postecoglou blames mental softness for Tottenham’s inconsistency

Ange Postecoglou during Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth
The frustration tells on Ange Postecoglou during Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. ‘The first time they go up … they score an unopposed header.’ Photograph: James Marsh/Shutterstock

Ange Postecoglou has opened up on the exasperation he feels at the softness of his Tottenham team in particular moments, which he suggested was linked to mentality. The manager refuses to believe there is an “institutionalised” reason for the club to fall short of their targets and said he would never “palm off responsibility to whatever we’re going through to things that have existed in the past”.

But as he looked forward to Sunday’s derby at home to Chelsea, he lingered on the frustration of Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. After it, some of the travelling support directed abuse at him. What drove Postecoglou to distraction was how, after a reasonable start, his team conceded at the first sign of pressure – allowing Dean Huijsen a free run to head in from a 17th-minute corner.

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