Ange Postecoglou revealed his frustration at Tottenham‘s mentality in the build-up to their defeat to Manchester City, hitting out at the “really fragile” foundations at the club.
Spurs went into their penultimate match of the season needing to win to keep their hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification alive, but many fans did not want their side to do so, instead fearing the consequences in the Premier League title race.
Any dropped points for City would have handed Arsenal control heading into the final day of the season, leaving them in pole position to end a 20-year wait for the title.
As it was, Erling Haaland scored twice to give Pep Guardiola’s side a 2-0 win, and they now sit two points clear at the top of the table, knowing victory at West Ham on Sunday will ensure the trophy remains in Manchester for a fourth season on the bounce.
However, while many Spurs fans were relieved at the result, Postecoglou revealed his frustration when asked whether a largely positive performance left him confident the foundations for a successful side were being built.
“No, I think the last 48 hours have revealed to me the foundations are fairly fragile,” the Spurs boss said. “That’s what I feel.
“The last 48 hours has revealed a fair bit to me. That’s alright, that just means I’ve got to go back to the drawing board with some things. Outside [the club], inside. It’s been an interesting exercise.”
He added: “I probably misread the situation as to what I think is important in our endeavour to becoming a winning team. But that’s ok, that’s why I’m here.”
On chants throughout the match aimed at Arsenal, with the atmosphere becoming increasingly relaxed as Spurs fell behind and then conceded a second, and how that was driven by the north London rivalry, Postecoglou said: “I’m just not interested. Maybe I’m out of step, I just don’t care. I want to win and be successful at this football club.
“What other people, how they want to feel and what their priorities are, it’s of zero interest to me. I know what’s important to build a winning team and that’s what I need to concentrate on.”
He added: “When we’ve got late winners in games, it’s because the fans have helped us.”
