Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou not focused on future talks after ‘unacceptable’ defeat to Everton | Football news

Ange Postecoglou says he is not focused on talks about his future after James Maddison branded Tottenham’s first-half display in their 3-2 defeat by Everton “unacceptable”.

Everton have scored just 15 times in their first 20 league games this season, but they hit the back of the net three times in the first 45 minutes on Sunday, cutting through some dreadful defending from Tottenham.

“There are no excuses for the first half,” said midfielder Maddison. “It was a tough afternoon. We had 11 senior players ready, so there is context. But we had 11 starters and the first half was unacceptable.”

Postecoglou fielded his team with the last three players on the 11-man injury list, and later admitted the plan clearly failed. Radu Dragusin, who suffered a cut, had to be replaced at half-time and another formation change at least allowed Spurs to pull a couple of goals back and set up a nervy finish for their hosts.

But with just one league win in their last 10 games, Tottenham are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the relegation zone and four ahead of an Everton side most see as in contention for survival.

Spurs have a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final with Liverpool, but after being forced into extra-time at non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup, losing to arch-rivals Arsenal in midweek and now being humiliated at Everton, the pressure is on Postecoglou.

“I’m distancing myself from it,” the Spurs boss said when asked about the speculation surrounding his future. “This is not about me. What is about me is that I have a responsibility to a group of players that I have to try to get through this. That’s all I have to focus on. For me to focus on anything else is to refrain from responsibility which I have.

“I’m determined to get us out of this. The club is doing everything it can to help – it’s more about helping the players than me. We’re looking at huge jobs from 18-year-olds, 17-year-olds out there trying to win football for us and others who play from week after week.”

Postecoglou remains optimistic that once Spurs start bringing back their injured players, they will be able to produce the performances and results that will lift them from their lowly position in the league and help them compete for silverware.

“We look at the situation we’re in, it will dissipate over time in terms of player availability, and then we give ourselves a chance to at least get some consistency in games and performances,” he said. “Keep fighting. I haven’t lost faith or determination to turn things around. In the second half, the players showed they’re not throwing in the towel. We’ll get through this.”

However, the Australian later said many players were unlikely to return from the treatment room anytime soon – apart from Rodrigo Bentancur, who is undergoing concussion protocols, and Yves Bissouma, who could return next weekend.

Dominic Solanke, injured in pre-Everton training, could be out for “a few weeks” with a knee problem, Brennan Johnson is out for “probably three to four weeks” with a calf problem against Arsenal, while Spurs will also to be without Ded Spence and Sergio Reguilon against Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday as they are not registered for that competition.

Shocking statistics of Spurs

• This was Tottenham’s 12th defeat in the Premier League this season. They haven’t lost this much after 22 games since 1997/98.
• Tottenham Hotspur have lost each of their first three Premier League games of a calendar year, the first time since a seven-match run in 1994.
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin had not scored in 16 games before facing Tottenham. Everton have not scored three in the first half since February 2017.
• Tottenham have won eight and drawn two of their first 10 Premier League games under Postecoglou. They lost 24 of their next 50.
• Tottenham have nine wins in the Premier League in the past nine months.

O’Hara: Big Ange is in big trouble!

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara on Sky Sports News:

“He’s in big trouble. That’s where he is. Big Ange is in big trouble.

“This is a shocking first half. They were better in the second half, they created chances. But Everton will always play. They lead 3-0.

“I understand that there are injuries. I understand that. But you are professionals. You cannot tell me that Ben Davies is not good enough, Dragusin is not good enough, Pape Sarr, Maddison, Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski … You have good players in that team, Pedro Porro, Grandpa Spence You still have top players on the team.

“I know there are some young kids in there, but you bring them in to play when other players can’t play. So they have to play. And they’re not playing.

“Where are the leaders on the pitch? Where are the characters? Where is your captain? The son should have been the captain. He’s not the captain. Listen, he’s a great player, he’s been an incredible servant to Tottenham Hotspur football club. He’s not the captain.

“He’s not going to pull you out of a hole. He’s not going to grab players by the throat. He’s the nicest guy in the world. Everybody loves him. He’s a really nice person. Is that what you need?

“Look, it’s easy for me to sit here and say ‘Ange out’. I’m sure it will be trending. What’s the answer? You’ve still got injuries, even if Ange goes. Who’s available? Bournemouth’s manager Fulham’s manager? There’s Is there a manager you can hire?

“You saw Ruben Amorim, who did an amazing job at Sporting, go to Man United and they look awful. So what’s the answer? I’m not sure. I don’t think Ange is going to change. I don’t believe Ange is going to fix this mess.

“Spurs are 15th in the table and if this continues they are in a relegation battle. And you can’t keep a manager in charge of a football club just because you beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of the Carabao Cup [semi-final].

“You still have to go to Anfield. Do you wait until then and see if we go through and get to the final because he says he is winning trophies in his second season? The Premier League is bread and butter. You have to play week in week out in the Premier League, and the Spurs don’t do that.”

Are Spurs in the fight for survival? Here’s who they’ll be playing next…

Hoffenheim – Thursday, January 23, European League

Leicester City (h) – Sunday, January 26, Premier League

IF Elfsborg (h) – Thursday, January 30, Europa League

Brentford (a) – Sunday, February 2, Premier League

Liverpool – Thursday, February 6, Carabao Cup

Aston Villa – Sunday, February 9, FA Cup

Man Utd (h) – Sunday, February 16, Premier League