Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou didn’t hold back after a 1-1 draw with Rangers in the Europa League, blasting Timo Werner’s performance as “unacceptable.”
Despite a last-minute equalizer from Dejan Kulusevski, who cancelled out Hamza Igamane’s second-half opener, Postecoglou was far from pleased with Werner, whom he substituted at halftime
The match, which saw both teams miss several chances, ended in a draw, leaving Rangers in eighth place and Tottenham just behind in ninth on goal difference.
While Postecoglou acknowledged the importance of the point, he made it clear that Werner’s performance fell short of the team’s standards.
“I can’t accept it when you have 18-year-olds working harder than senior players,” Postecoglou stated, referring to Werner’s lackluster display.
“I told Timo, as a German international, we need everyone giving their all. We don’t have the luxury of leaving out players for poor performances.”
Looking at the match overall, Postecoglou felt the game was expectedly tough, especially with the high energy after Rangers scored early in the second half.
However, Tottenham found their rhythm, made effective substitutions, and responded with a well-executed goal. Fraser Forster also made a crucial save at the end.
For Postecoglou, while the game was a challenge, securing the point was vital as both teams aim for automatic qualification to the Europa League knockout stages.