Staff shortage at Tottenham
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In the FA Cup duel with English fifth division team Tamworth FC, attacker Timo Werner was back in Tottenham Hotspur’s starting line-up. After coach Ange Postecoglou sharply criticized the German’s performance at the end of last year and questioned his quality, things seem to have smoothed over between coach and attacker – according to the Greek-born Australian, a rumored winter farewell for the 28-year-old is by no means up for debate.
There has been a lot of speculation about this in recent weeks. Werner’s loan to the Thames, which has now lasted a year and runs until the end of the season, has not been successful recently. In the league, the 57-time national player, who plays on the wing under Postecoglou, is still waiting for his first goal of 2024/25. From a total of 26 competitive games, they only scored one goal. In Leipzig, Werner’s contract runs until 2026, and it is at least questionable whether the Spurs will use their purchase option of 12 million euros fixed as part of the loan.
However, Tottenham is currently struggling with personnel concerns, seven defensive players are out for the twelfth-placed team in the Premier League, and there are also injuries to center forward Richarlison (27) and winger Wilson Odobert (20, both thigh injuries). “The last thing I want is to lose another player,” Postecoglou said with a view to possible departures in the winter and confirmed: “We won’t let anyone go at the moment.” On the plus side, Tottenham can do that in the current transfer window Goalkeeper Antonín Kinský (for 16.5 million euros from Slavia Prague) and right winger Min-hyeok Yang (for 4 million euros from Gangwon FC). Kinský was signed in response to injuries.
Timo Werner: Postecoglou praises German attacker after criticism
“He’s nowhere near playing at the level he should be playing at,” Postecoglou criticized his attacker Werner in December. Even, “if you let 18-year-olds play, this performance is not acceptable to me, and I told Timo that too. “He is an experienced German national player” and must lead the way. The coach added: “We need everyone, including him, to help because we don’t have the depth in the squad to leave people out when they play badly.”
It cannot be ruled out whether it was the tense personnel situation that led Postecoglou to use milder tones towards Werner. “He has certain characteristics that can hurt any team,” praised the coach and reiterated: “His attitude has never been a problem in terms of the way he trains or approaches things. “