Online Reporter
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou fired back at his critics as his side recovered from consecutive cup exits to beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Australian has been under intense pressure with his injury-hit team languishing in the lower reaches of the league table and bowing out of both domestic cups last week.
A pre-match protest by fans frustrated by Chairman Daniel Levy’s running of the club underlined the malaise at Tottenham, but James Maddison’s winner lightened the mood as Spurs did the league double over United for the first time since 1989-90.
“Everyone likes an impending car crash. I am sure we had a lot of people willing that scenario on. I know how hard these players have worked,” Postecoglou, whose side won a home league game for the first time since November 3, told Sky Sports.
“Our training was better and I was confident that we would put in a good shift. The focus is still on trying to win games.
“In the background we are doing it our own way. We are looking into ways we can do things better.”
Postecoglou has pointed to a crippling injury list this season which has deprived him of most of the first team.
They were still without the likes of defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven plus striker Dominic Solanke on Sunday but Tottenham were boosted by the return of Maddison and Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to the starting lineup.
With Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie and Wilson Odobert back on the bench after returning to fitness, Postecoglou can maybe see some light at the end of the tunnel at last.
“It does make a massive difference. Getting guys like Vic and Madders contributing straight away, you can see the quality they have and the presence they have,” Postecoglou said.
“It might take them one or two games to get up to speed, but the fact we have them available, yeah, it’s an enormous boost for us. They’re quality players.
“We can play better definitely, but when we get some boys up to speed we can start growing into it.”
The win moved Spurs above United into 12th spot with 30 points from 25 games, a point above the 15th-placed visitors.
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists there is no running away from the club’s plight after they suffered their 12th defeat in 25 Premier League games this season.
The Portuguese has now lost eight of his 14 league games in charge with United down in 15th place in the table.
Not since 1973-74 have United lost 12 of their opening 25 games in a top-flight season and while they look far enough away from the bottom three to avoid the same fate as that team and get relegated, the gloom is deepening at Old Trafford.
“What you see guys and what you discuss every week, I also see. I have a lot of problems, my job is so, so hard here. But I stick with my beliefs,” Amorim told Sky Sports in his post-match interview in north London.
“You grow and you learn a lot of things. We just need to face it and not run away, that is my feeling. Today will hurt, it is a tough pain to lose so many games, but then you can change things in a week.”
The problems are stacking up for Amorim who suffered a big injury blow in the build-up to the game with news that the versatile Amad Diallo, the one bright spot this season, will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“We have young kids and we have to work with the young kids. We were not expecting so many injuries in one week. These things happen. Let’s focus on the next game,” he said − Reuters.
