‘You can judge me – but don’t criticise my outstanding Spurs players’

The look on the Tottenham manager’s face just 57 seconds into their FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa was the epitome of a season for Ange Postecoglou, who has watched his team repeatedly suffer defeats.

After watching his team fall behind inside the opening minute of a domestic cup match at Villa Park, the Spurs manager looked motionless and resigned.

The pain of Thursday’s insipid Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool, who dismissed Spurs ‘ first-leg advantage with a 4-0 thrashing at Anfield, had barely subsided.

Postecoglou’s claim that he “always” wins a trophy in his second season at a club is now upheld by the Europa League after Villa’s 2-1 defeat on Sunday.

Yet, amid the team’s plight, it is not the manager but the owner, Daniel Levy, who has become the lightning rod of supporter discontent, with chants of “we want Levy out” heard from the away section over a perceived lack of investment in the squad.

When asked if he thought it would only be fair to evaluate him once key players had returned, Postecoglou repeatedly referred to the club’s injury crisis while defending his side’s poor results this term.

“People can judge me. They can say I’ve done a bad job, I’m not up to it or whatever. That’s fine”, Postecoglou said.

You can’t be critical of our players’ performances at this time, I’m saying.

” If you want to measure anything on what they’re doing at the moment, other than the extreme situation they’re dealing with, then I think your analysis is skewed and it’s not objective.

After achieving Tottenham’s best start to a Premier League campaign in his first season in north London, Postecoglou’s side have struggled to progress this term.

Given that Spurs are currently languishing in 14th place with more than two-thirds of the Premier League season still playing, the Europa League is now Spurs’ last chance to finally come to terms with a terrible week.

Postecoglou has, however, criticized the names that aren’t on his matchday squads throughout each new low.

The late-January victory over Elfsborg, which secured passage to the Europa League last 16, saw the absence of as many as 12 first-team players.

“]It’s been] Two and a half months of asking 17-year-olds, 18-year-olds and senior players with no rest to play Thursday and Sunday]every week]. If you think that is not at all a factor in how this team is performing, then there’s nothing else I can say”, said Postecoglou.

Spurs were without an outfield player as of the closing day of the transfer window, with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky’s £12.5 million move from Slavia Prague their only addition until France Under-21 forward Mathys Tel signed on loan from Bayern Munich before the deadline.

The apparent reluctance to invest in the squad has caused the frustration of supporters, which contrasts with the money spent on building a world-class stadium and developing infrastructure.

“We discuss the strain Ange Postecoglou is undergoing. It is obvious what Spurs fans want, and it is not just the manager, according to Alan Shearer, who spoke on BBC One.

Although a significant week of Tottenham’s season ended in bitter disappointment, it will at least prevent Postecoglou’s injured squad from playing twice weekly, allowing them to regain players and concentrate on achieving Europa League success and advancing to the Premier League table.

Spurs will play three league games against Manchester United, Ipswich Town, and Manchester City over the next three weeks because the Europa League last 16 won’t be played until March.

Postecoglou, a squad that is currently unprepared, will hope to see some signs of recovery during that run.

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who played for Celtic under Postecoglou, commented on BBC One, “Tottenham mean well but they are playing with fear.”

“Postecoglou clearly feels it at a difficult time,” he says. He is being tested in his belief, he is asking questions of himself. But that is where you need support.

Everyone needs to be on the same page, they say. You have Postecoglou front-up talking about injuries and players who are aware they should be playing better in one direction that you have the fans pulling in one direction. It’s not a good recipe. “

Despite Postecoglou’s praise, fellow pundit Dion Dublin said he believed members of the Tottenham team were currently” hiding”.

According to Dublin, “The players who should be giving options don’t have the confidence to have the ball in the places where it belongs,” and they don’t back themselves.

Nizaar Kinsella, a journalist for BBC Sport’s football news, analyzes the situation.

There is no doubt Tottenham are underperforming and, seemingly, getting worse, but what would sacking Ange Postecoglou achieve?

In the middle of a season where he has been struggling with injuries and has no silverware besides the Europa League to win, who would you want to manage in his place?

Postecoglou will argue that he should at least be judged when Spurs return injured players like James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Brennan Johnson, and Cristian Romero, who are expected to return in the following fortnight.

Spurs will also have a free week for their aching players for the second time since August.

Chairman Daniel Levy will need to weigh that factor when deciding whether to make a change.