Postecoglou doubles down on Spurs approach
Ange Postecoglou once again insisted he would not change his attacking approach at Tottenham, despite suffering another heavy defeat.
Spurs were thrashed 6-3 by the Reds, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah both scoring twice each, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were also on the scoresheet for Liverpool.
James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scored for Spurs, but an eighth defeat of the Premier League season leaves them 11th in the table over Christmas.
Spurs have conceded 31 goals at home in the league in 2024, which is the most goals they have shipped in a single calendar year since 2007 when they let in 34.
Postecoglou has come under pressure this season, with pundits and fans alike questioning his style of play, which the Australian has staunchly stuck with despite their topsy-turvy results.
"I think I have been really patient the last 18 months sitting up here answering the same questions over and over again," he said in his press conference.
"If people want me to change my approach, it's not going to change. We are doing it for a reason. We are doing it because we think it will help us to be successful.
"If people don't understand the circumstances we are in at the moment, the challenges we have from a squad perspective which are as obvious as you want to make them. I get the idea that people think that I should just flip a switch and change and somehow that will miraculously make us a better team.
"It is what it is. I'm just going to continue, stay focused on trying to build this team to be the team we want. In the interim, we are going to accept there are going to be challenges along the way."
Tottenham's Premier League matches under Postecoglou have seen an average of 3.6 goals scored per game. Among those to take charge of 50+ games in the competition, this is the highest goals-per-game rate for any manager.
Spurs have also conceded the opening goal in 14 different home games in the Premier League in 2024; the joint-most ever by a team within a calendar year in the competition (also Crystal Palace in 2017, Ipswich Town and Spurs in 1994).
They are without first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and defenders Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie through injury, which has coincided with the team conceding 15 goals in its last six games in all competitions.
Asked whether there were any other factors in their lack of clean sheets in recent weeks, Postecoglou told BBC Sport: "You know what? I'm just going to stop answering these questions.
"If people can't see the obvious, I'm not going to point it out. Look, make of it what you want. Yes, we're conceding goals.
"If you want to discount the fact we're missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back as well and that hasn't coincided with what we're doing... I don't know what to say anymore.
"I think people make up their minds in their own way. They either think what I'm doing is good or they don't and that's fine."
