Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham Hotspur have 'lost belief and conviction' after Chelsea loss damages top-four hopes
Published 02/05/2024 at 22:30 GMT+1
Tottenham's Champions League hopes were dealt a significant blow on Thursday evening as they lost 2-0 to London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Ange Postecoglou says he takes responsibility for Tottenham's defeat, which leaves Spurs seven points off fourth spot, and feels his side have "lost a bit of belief and conviction" in the way that they play. Mauricio Pochettino has praised his players.
Blank Canvas with Tottenham players Werner and Whiteman
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham have lost some of their "belief and conviction" after losing 2-0 to Chelsea in a defeat that damages their Champions League aims.
Tottenham produced a lacklustre display at Stamford Bridge, with Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson getting on the scoresheet for the hosts.t
Tottenham are now seven points off fourth spot with four games left of their Premier League season still to play.
Postecoglou says his team were "not good enough" and that he is accountable for the defeat.
"It wasn't good enough and I have to take responsibility for that," the Australian told Sky Sports after the match.
"It is on me. I am the manager and I am the one putting them out there and it was not good enough.
"We didn't play well, do you want me to write you a dossier of where it went wrong?
"I feel like we've lost a bit of belief and conviction in our football and that is on me to change that.
"It wasn't about conceding the [first] goal, it was our approach to playing football and we were nowhere near good enough. That is on me.
"We've been in a bit of a grind for a while now, that is part of our challenge and part of our growth. We have to go out there and perform and sometimes you have to grind out. We were poor today.
"We were poor today, what is the point of thinking about anything else? My responsibility is to make sure we play better next time."
- Chalobah and Jackson down struggling Spurs as Chelsea close in on European places
- Tonali handed two-month suspended ban for FA betting breaches
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, credited the performance of his players after their first Premier League win since April 15.
"We enjoyed it," he said.
"We have some positive things this season, not too many, but we trust in our players even in the circumstance we are in today. Today was an opportunity to show we believe in what we are doing.
"To face Tottenham is never easy and it is not easy in a derby but full credit to my players, but the way they played in the first half and the way we defended and tried to play I thought was fantastic.
"I think it was the first time that I feel so happy because after 10 months the team started to realise how we needed to compete and we competed really well against a great team.
"I don't know if it's the best performance but the most important is the feeling. We showed we are doing things well. Not only did it click but we need to perform better.
"[Noni] Madueke was amazing in his effort and the way he held the fullback and the midfield. The whole team was - in both phases - connected today."
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Related Topics
Related Matches
Chelsea
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/4034.png){kind=logo}
2
0
Tottenham Hotspur
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/4129.png){kind=logo}
Advertisement
Advertisement