“Not what defines our season”
After criticism of national players: coach surprised
12/14/2024 – 11:01 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
After publicly scolding Timo Werner, Ange Postecoglou has rowed back. The coach reclassified his statements.
Timo Werner was the focus of discussions after Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw against Glasgow Rangers in the Europa League. “Spurs” coach Ange Postecoglou clearly criticized his striker’s performance after the game, but then reclassified his comments at the press conference.
Werner was substituted early during the game. Postecoglou explained after the encounter that the German international had “nearly reached the level” that was expected of him. The performance was “unacceptable”. At the press conference, the Australian put these statements into perspective: “It wasn’t criticism. Rather, it’s an assessment. Criticism means saying something that isn’t really helpful, but is just used as an excuse.”
Postecoglou emphasized that his statement should not only be aimed at Werner, but at the entire team: It was about “giving the players feedback so that they can improve and giving the whole group feedback about the situation in which where we are and what is required in this situation.”
According to Postecoglou, Werner is not the focus of the criticism: “I understand that everything revolves around Timo, but Timo is not what defines our season. It’s about who we are in the situation we are in right now .”
Tottenham is currently going through a disjointed season. The team has been waiting for a win in all competitions for four games and is only in eleventh place in the Premier League. At the weekend, Tottenham will face relegation candidate Southampton before facing Manchester United in the League Cup.