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Players need help in window - Postecoglou

football26 January 2025 18:30| © Reuters
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Ange Postecoglou @ Getty Images

Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou hopes for reinforcements in the remainder of the transfer window after a 2-1 home defeat by Leicester City continued his side's woeful Premier League form on Sunday.

The Australian was once again without almost a full team's worth of players because of injury, with midfielder James Maddison the latest absentee on Sunday.

Forward Richarlison, who put Tottenham ahead with a first-half header, failed to last the distance with a groin niggle while Postecoglou said others had been barely fit to start.

"I've said all along, the players need help and I've also said the club are working hard in that area to try to alleviate some of those problems," Postecoglou told reporters.

"Pape Sarr shouldn't have played today. He obviously wasn't fit. There are probably at least two who shouldn't have been out there. They were just desperate to try to turn our fortunes around. Hopefully over the next 10 days or two weeks we should get some significant players back which I think will help this group a lot. It will give them the boost they need."

Tottenham fans booed loudly at the final whistle after a 13th league defeat from 23 games left the club 15th in the table, albeit still eight points above the relegation zone.

There were loud chants against chairman Daniel Levy who fans blame for failing to invest in the first-team squad but Postecoglou knows that despite some mitigating circumstances he will ultimately be judged on results.

Asked whether he will still be in charge to reap the benefits of some players returning from injury, the Australian said: "Who knows mate? I'm sure there will be a fair chunk that say no. As a manager sometimes you can feel really isolated.

"I don't because the players are still giving everything for this club and I've got great staff who are doing the same."

Asked about the hostility towards Levy, who sat stone-faced in the director's box, Postecoglou said he understood the fans were unhappy with the current predicament.

"Certainly something I wanted to try and do when I took on this role is to try to unify the club and create an environment here where we are all focused on the one thing," he said.

"Obviously it hasn't worked out that way. It's understandable, the fans are not happy with our current situation. It is a difficult one to navigate because we need them right now, especially at home to create an atmosphere.

"I have been around long enough to know that some will just judge us on where we are at the moment and rightly so in some respects. It's not good enough. If people want to put context to that they can, if not so be it."

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