Ange Postecoglou laments decision-making as Tottenham’s road woes continue
Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham lacked clarity of thought following their 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Spurs dropped more points on the road, which impacted their quest to reach next season’s Champions League group phase.
Brennan Johnson put the visitors ahead before Kurt Zouma levelled proceedings. Despite controlling large swathes of possession, the Lilywhites could not muster more than four shots on target.
One came from the feet of Son Heung-Min, who subsequently made his 400th appearance in all competitions. He’s failed to score or assist for the sixth time in seven appearances away to West Ham in England’s top division (six at London Stadium, one at Upton Park).
Despite the setback, Postecoglou took some positives from the occasion.
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“I thought for the most part we controlled the game pretty well,” Postecoglou told reporters.
“They are a big strong team. They sit deep and make it difficult for you. You have to be fairly calm in your approach but also really disciplined because they are a threat from the counter-attack.
“In the front third we lacked a bit of clarity of thought. Our general play was really good, I was really happy with. For all the guys in the front-third area, it is about trying to show them they don’t need to be so rushed in their decision-making.”
The Spurs boss was forthright in his thoughts when asked why they lacked that clarity.
“Because they’re human beings, mate, it’s just football,” he added.
“I’d like to have a joystick and put them where I want but it doesn’t work that way. My role is to try to help them through that.
“At times, we have more time than we think. We scored a great goal but there are times the ball is flashed across when we should have been in those areas. It’s things to work on.”
Winger to winger as Brennan gets on the scoresheet 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Mi6SiiQeQo
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 2, 2024
However, the bigger picture regarding their recent form away from home doesn’t make for good reading. Tottenham have won just one of their last six away games in the Premier League (three draws and two losses) after winning five of their first nine on the road this season.
Furthermore, like at the London Stadium, they dominated possession but couldn’t secure all three points. Of those fixtures, the sole win came at Aston Villa, when they boasted 69.27% possession, which is their third highest on the road this season.
Interestingly, in their losses against Fulham and Brighton, they controlled 57.13% (10th) and 54.76% (12th) of the game, respectively. Everton and Manchester United held Tottenham, while the visiting team won the possession game (57.4% and 63.73%).
Tottenham has now played the same number of games as fourth-place Aston Villa and is two points behind with eight matches remaining. Postecoglou’s side will still need to visit Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Sheffield United, while Manchester City and Arsenal will come knocking alongside Nottingham Forest and Burnley.
