Ange Postecoglou lashed out at Ipswich Town’s tactics after his Tottenham flops were embarrassed at home.
Ipswich upset the odds and clinched their first Premier League triumph of the season with a 2-1 win, thanks to Sam Szmodics’ acrobatic effort and a Liam Delap finish – a result that leaves Spurs slumped in 10th in the table.
Sam Szmodics put Ipswich in front with an exceptional bicycle kick, leaving Tottenham scrambling during an attempt to clear Jens Cajuste’s delivery. Before half-time, Liam Delap amplified their lead, capitalising on yet another defensive fumble to tap in.
While Tottenham narrowed the gap via Rodrigo Bentancur’s goal after the interval, their search for an equaliser proved futile, letting Ipswich seize all three points. Delivering his post-match thoughts, a visibly irate Postecoglou – who earlier lost his cool with booing and jeering Spurs fans – didn’t mince words about his squad’s subpar performance.
He said: “Hugely disappointing. We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. Second half we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game. It’s just down to me. I’m not getting consistent performances from the players.
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“It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility. We can’t give ourselves those kind of mountains to climb,” reports the Express.
Postecoglou also suggested Ipswich”s players were simulating injuries as a tactic to disrupt play and thwart Tottenham’s rhythm. “It seems to be the way the Premier League is going,” he remarked. “Clubs are taking strategic time-outs. We just have to cop it. It’s up to the officials, not me.”
Jubilation was in the air for Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna as his squad celebrated their first Premier League triumph since 2002, overcoming the odds stacked against them.
“The journey to get to here has been a big one,” McKenna expressed. “It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We’ve picked up five out of 10 results but we were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements.
“It’s a massive moment, one to cherish. The first half it was everything [you would want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. A good balance. Moments where we played at a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down.”
“A top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn’t give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.”