Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou reacts to 'agenda-driven' calls for him to be sacked | OneFootball

The manager spoke at length in defence of his players and his job

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou delivered a passionate defence of his players after their FA Cup elimination at Aston Villa, accusing the team's critics of being "agenda-driven" and relying on "skewed" analysis.

Spurs crashed out of a second cup competition in the space of four days, losing 2-1 to Unai Emery's side following Thursday's thumping by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final decider.

Postecoglou was without 11 senior players to injury at Villa Park and the manager believes it is unfair to judge his side on their rough results given the continued strain on his depleted squad.

"We had 11 first-team players missing today," Postecoglou said. "We started with four teenagers, a 21-year-old goalkeeper coming to one of the best teams in the country, away from home.

I don't care about me. People will judge me. But you can't judge this group of players on what's happened. They've given everything, the performance

Ange Postecoglou

"After playing the best team in the country on Thursday night. After playing a Premier League game last Sunday, playing a Europa game [before that]. The same group of players. No rotation. And they’ve been doing this since the middle of November.

"I think they’ve given everything they can and I’ve got so much respect and admiration for the players and how they’ve gone about that.

"Vicario, Dragusin, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Odobert, Werner...take them out of any team...

"How did Liveprool 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 don't care about me. People will judge me. But you can't judge this group of players on what's happened. They've given everything, the performance.

"You can't measure this group of players on that and their performance where they're at. It's too easy for people to be critical of them.

"I just have huge admiration and respect for them. We kind of knew this game was going to be the finishing line because we knew what was coming ahead in terms of midweeks off and getting some players back. But they tried their hardest and that's all you can ask."

Ange Postecoglou spoke at length after the defeat at Villa Park

Hayters

The scrutiny on Postecoglou's own position will inevitably increase after two damaging defeats but he insisted his future was not his main concern, and intensified his dismissals of his side's critics.

"Me? That's not of interest to me," Postecoglou continued. "My responsibility at this football club is this group of players and this team, to get them to play in the manner I want them to and bring us success. Whether people think I can do that or not, that's for others to judge.

"But there's gotta be a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last two-and-a-half months.

"It can't be that people think that's 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 ya. Go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they've given over the past two and half months has been outstanding, it's a credit to him, I can't speak highly enough of them."

Spurs were wide open in the first half at Villa, conceding inside 57 seconds to Jacob Ramsey's fierce strike. The hosts could have added to their lead before Morgan Rogers made it 2-0 just after the hour but full debutant Mathys Tel gave Spurs hope with a goal in stoppage time.

They're not playing anywhere near the levels that we want or expect ... because they can't

Ange Postecoglou

It was put to Postecoglou that even considering the injuries, his side had lost their identity and were no longer playing his attacking football.

"Because they're tired, mate," Postecoglou said. "Do you think they can press like [we want to]? If we hadn't played Thursday night and I hadn't rotated that team we wouldn't have been pressing aggressively today? Fair chance, unless you don't think they're human beings.

"Unless you're superhuman and you think no, after playing Liverpool on Thursday night they should be flying tonight. It doesn't happen.

"They're human beings. Why do you think Liverpool and others rotate 11 players? Why? There's a reason and I wish I could do the same.

"So you can bring a freshness to the team.

"Of course they're not playing anywhere near the levels that we want or expect, but that's not because they're not trying. It's because they can't.

"I think this group of players once we get the rest of the group in, will be an outstanding team. I have no doubt about that. Whether other people can't see that, that's of no interest to me.

"If you want to measure anything on what they're doing at the moment, other than the extreme situation they're dealing with then I think your analysis is skewed and it's not objective. That's my opinion."