Ange Postecoglou passionately defended his injury-hit Tottenham squad following their 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round exit to Aston Villa. Despite the disappointment of another cup elimination, the Spurs manager insisted that no team could cope with the level of absentees his side had endured over the past few months.
Tottenham arrived at Villa Park without 11 senior players, forcing Postecoglou to field four teenagers alongside 21-year-old goalkeeper Antonio Kinsky, who was at fault for Jacob Ramsey’s opening goal. Villa doubled their lead through Morgan Rogers before Mathys Tel pulled one back for Spurs in stoppage time.
The Australian manager highlighted the toll of competing in multiple competitions while dealing with a depleted squad. He pointed to Liverpool’s shock FA Cup exit at Plymouth as an example, noting that even a team of their stature struggled when making wholesale changes. However, Tottenham had been forced to deal with a similar situation for months, not just for one game.
“How did Liverpool go today?” Postecoglou said. “And they did that for one game. Do that for two-and-a-half months. Any team. Do that for two-and-a-half months in multiple competitions. I don’t care about me. People will judge me. But you can’t judge this group of players on what’s happened. They’ve given everything.”
He emphasized that Villa, currently one of the strongest teams in the country, had the advantage of a week’s rest before this match. In contrast, Spurs had played just three days earlier in a Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool with the same group of players.
Postecoglou dismissed criticism of his players, insisting that their recent performances should be viewed in the context of their physical limitations rather than as a reflection of their quality or commitment. “I’m not talking about me. People can judge me. They can say I’ve done a bad job, I’m not up to it or whatever. That’s fine,” he said. “What I’m saying is you can’t be critical of players or their performances at this time. Because if you do, then do that with everyone else. Be as critical of other clubs when they’ve got 9, 10, or 11 players out. And none of them have.”
He dismissed the idea that his remarks were mere excuses, arguing that objective analysis should take the injury crisis into account. “It can’t be that people think that’s an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff. If it’s to get rid of me, that’s fine. Good on you. Go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the past two-and-a-half months has been outstanding.”
The physical toll on his players was undeniable, he insisted. “The players are tired. Do you think they can press like [we would like to] if we hadn’t played Thursday night? Fair chance … unless you don’t think they’re human beings.”
He pointed out that top clubs, including Liverpool, regularly rotate their squads to manage fatigue, something Spurs have been unable to do. “Why do you think Liverpool and others rotate 11 players? Why? There’s a reason and I wish I could do the same. They’re not playing anywhere near the levels that we want or expect but that’s not because they’re not trying. It’s because they can’t.”
Despite the difficult period, Postecoglou remained confident in his squad’s long-term potential. “Once we get the rest of the group in, we will be an outstanding team. I have no doubt about that. Whether other people can’t see that, that’s of no interest to me. 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.”
Meanwhile, Villa manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team’s performance and the impact of their new loan signings, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, who made their debuts. “We watched the skill, how they helped us and how they will help us again for the next month in different competitions,” he said.
