Ange Postecoglou won’t let two defeats divert his attention away from his long-term vision for Tottenham.
Spurs went into Monday Night Football in week 10 of the Premier League season unbeaten and top of the table only to suffer a chaotic 4-1 defeat in a game that saw them reduced to nine men.
A 2-1 defeat at Wolves followed five days later despite Postecoglou’s men leading heading into injury time.
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“Obviously the last two results haven’t been great,” he said ahead of Sunday’s home game with fellow high-flyers Aston Villa.
“I guess my point is, we’re at the beginning of trying to build something.
“At the early stages you’ve got to stay focused on that and the kind of football we want to play and what we want to be.
“We can’t let our short-term results, good or bad, influence how we’re going.
“People will always question and scrutinise my approach, or our approach. I understand that. It’s not about me trying to convince people, it’s more about making sure internally, the players and staff, are staying on course.”
Let’s hear the latest team news from Ange ahead of #TOTAVL ????️ pic.twitter.com/Alz5b7kcpM
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 24, 2023
Spurs lost centre-half Micky van de Ven and James Maddison during the Chelsea game to injuries that will keep both men out until the new year. And Postecoglou revealed there were another couple of problems for him to deal with.
He said: “We’ve got a couple of issues. Young Ashley Phillips picked up an ankle injury so he will be out for a little while. It’s disappointing for him.
“We’ll have a look at Pape Sarr because he’s got a bit of an issue as well. We’ll see how he is over the next 24-48 hours.
“Everyone else has come back okay. Destiny [Udogie]’s fine and is available. He’s had a good couple of weeks.”
Rodrigo Bentancur’s return to full fitness is a major boost for Postecoglou with the Uruguay midfielder back in North London having been away on international duty.
“He’s fine, he trained this morning and it was good for him to play [for Uruguay],” said the former Celtic boss.
“He was really keen to get back into the international team set-up, and obviously keen to get back with us as well.
“He has missed a lot with the national team and he feels, like most players, really proud to represent his country. The fact he got a start is good for us – it gives him that confidence that he’s able to get through a game.”
