Summary:
- Tottenham suffered their second cup elimination in four days, crashing out of the FA Cup against Aston Villa after a heavy Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool.
- Ange Postecoglou’s side is now looking at the Europa League as their only realistic shot at silverware.
- Acknowledging the team’s struggles, Postecoglou insisted the team’s performances should not be judged amid their injury crisis.
Ange Postecoglou has experienced a tough session with many setbacks. Tottenham manager’s facial expression just 57 seconds into their FA Cup clash with Aston Villa spoke volumes.
As his team conceded almost immediately at Villa Park, where they would ultimately bow out of the competition, Postecoglou was seen looking motionless, with a sign of resignation on his face.
Second Cup Elimination in Four Days
The defeat marked Spurs’ second cup elimination in just four days, compounding the disappointment of their Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool.
Despite carrying a first-leg advantage, Tottenham were dismantled 4-0 at Anfield on Thursday, ending any hope of lifting that trophy.
Now, with Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Villa, the Europa League remains the only viable path for Postecoglou to maintain his reputation for securing silverware in his second season at the club.
However, as the team struggles, fan frustration is being directed not at the Australian manager but at club chairman Daniel Levy.
Chants of “we want Levy out” rang out from the away section, reflecting mounting discontent over what supporters see as insufficient investment in the squad.
Postecoglou: “People Can Judge Me.”
Throughout the campaign, Postecoglou has repeatedly mentioned the long list of injuries as the primary reason for their inconsistent performances.
After the Villa defeat, the manager strongly defended his players when asked whether it would be fair to judge him only once his squad is back to full strength.
People can judge me. They can say I’ve done a bad job, I’m not up to it or whatever. That’s fine. What I’m saying is you can’t be critical of our players’ performances at this time.
The 59-year-old Greek added, mentioning the “extreme situation” of the squad and calling any analysis of what they are doing “at the moment” as “skewed” and “not objective”.
If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine. Good on you. Go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the past two and a half months has been outstanding.
With the FA Cup dream over and a top-four Premier League finish looking increasingly uncertain, Postecoglou must now rally his injury-hit squad for their Europa League campaign.
Will Postecoglou turn it around or will he be the latest manager sacked before the end of the season? Get latest odds available from a selection of Non UK Betting Sites.