Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has criticised his side for being "passive" after a poor first-half performance left them struggling against Ipswich.
Spurs were 2-0 down at half-time but, unlike their previous two home games against West Ham and Aston Villa, they were unable to turn the game around. The defeat to the newly promoted side left Tottenham in 10th place. And the Australian manager clearly couldn't be calm about it.
"We didn't start the game well at all. Everything was quite passive. I felt we didn't have the right tempo or intensity. And then we made it too difficult for ourselves to climb.
"If we are inconsistent, it's my fault. It's my responsibility. The inconsistency we're having this year, in the end it's down to me and my approach," Postecoglou said after the defeat to Ipswich.
The "Rooster" fans were angry because the Ipswich players were wasting time and tactically disrupting the match. And Postecoglou was not happy with this either.
"Look, I think that's the way the Premier League is going. It's quite strategic now. You can almost look at your watch at about the 20th minute and a few players will go down. They'll all go to the manager and get instructions.
It's funny. I always liked the Premier League because it's not like that. You watch other teams in Europe and get frustrated. But now, time-wasting is also part of the game here," Postecoglou lamented.
Tottenham have only themselves to blame though, and Postecoglou knows that better than anyone. Remember, they were the first team in the Premier League this season to lose to Ipswich.
The disappointing result against Ipswich will put pressure on the 59-year-old strategist. He has struggled to maintain Tottenham's consistent form since the start of the season.
Not only are Spurs unstable in the Premier League, they are also currently ranked 7th in the Europa League. Under Postecoglou, Tottenham have always been an inconsistent team. On a good day, they can beat any opponent. On the other hand, Spurs can easily lose to a much weaker team.
"It's disappointing. We conceded a very sloppy goal, which shouldn't have happened. It's more than disappointing. We have to do better in situations like this. It's painful," Tottenham captain Son Heung-min expressed his disappointment.
If he does not improve his form soon after the FIFA Days break in November, it is likely that Postecoglou will have to leave Tottenham.
