The Guardian

Ange Postecoglou does not seem prone to introspection and rarely succumbs to self doubt but maybe, just maybe, a little part of Tottenham’s manager wishes he had never left Glasgow.

Things were so much simpler for the Australian when he was hoovering up trophies during his Celtic tenure. Back then Angeball not merely entertained but pretty much worked and he revelled in putting Rangers in their place.

Such old certainties seemed cruel chimeras as Postecoglou failed to turn back time here, leaving his current Spurs players heading back to the airport nursing a record of only one win in their last eight matches.

In truth a draw was the least Rangers deserved from a Battle of Britain punctuated by a soundtrack featuring renditions of “Sacked in the morning” aimed for Postecoglou’s ears.

It was a bitterly cold night with temperatures hovering around freezing point by the Clyde but nothing could surely rival the inner chill Tottenham fans must have felt as they watched Philippe Clement’s side enhance their chances of direct progression to the Europa League’s knockout phase, leaving their guests contemplating the lottery of the playoffs following January’s final two initial stage games.

Perhaps everyone had underestimated a Rangers side currently third in Scotland’s Premiership. After all they kicked off unbeaten in their previous eight fixtures and as Nedim Bajrami forced the excellent Fraser Forster into a fine save involving Tottenham’s former Celtic goalkeeper’s fingertips coming between the ball and the top corner it was easy to see why.

After a slide to 11th in the Premier League and considerable debate about both the feasibility of “Angeball” and his own job security, Tottenham’s manager was in need of a restorative night on his first return to Govan but, instead, he looked increasingly stressed.

For all his past success with Celtic Postecoglou won only one of his four visits to Ibrox with his old employers and here he could have done without needing to deploy Archie Gray out of position as an emergency centre-half in a defence badly missing, among others, the injured Micky van de Ven.

When Forster again saved superbly from Cerny, with his feet this time, it was clear that Gray and co were struggling to cope with Rangers’ alacrity on the break. It did not help that the visitors treated the ball as a toxic object. With the exception of the efficient Yves Bissouma, they forfeited possession with alarming frequency as Clement’s players revelled in closing them down at ferociously high tempo, leaving James Maddison and co no time to sprinkle any stardust on proceedings.

Rangers deservedly took the lead early in the second half. It started with a deep, lofted cross from James Tavernier and concluded with Hamza Igamane unleashing a sublime left footed shot that left Forster utterly helpless and Pedro Porro doubtless reflecting on how easily Igamane had dodged him.

At least it served to galvanise Spurs and with Jack Butland finally making some important saves an equaliser beckoned. It finally arrived when Dominic Solanke and Maddison belatedly showed their class deconstructing the home rearguard before the substitute Dejan Kulusevski slipped a deceptive left-foot finish beyond Butland’s reach.

Although Tavernier’s fine block subsequently denied Solanke, another substitute, a goal only further Forster brilliance prevented Cyriel Dessers from claiming a late home winner that would only have amplified those “sacked in the morning”choruses.

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Rangers substitution

Barron on for Bajrami and Sterling on for Cerny who has been a menace down the right.

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Updated at 22.27 CET

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Spurs triple substitution

Spurs make a triple substitution.

Solanke on for Johnson, Sarr on for Bentancur and Bergvall on for Bissouma

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The ball then comes out to Rangers and Diomande hits the ball from way out. It takes a deflection and it’s another corner.

Resulting corner sees Archie Gray header it out. Another corner. It’s cleared.

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So saying, Spurs get the ball with Bentancur and Kulusevski combining. A cross to Johnson sees him in space but he fires over.

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Goal!

Only a minute of the second half gone and Rangers have scored.

Tavernier runs down the right, whipping a cross into the Spurs box where Igamane latches onto the ball and puts it past Forster.

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Updated at 22.08 CET

Second half kick off

So we are back. Not sure the next 45 mins will be quite as good as the first 45.

Kulusevski is on for Werner.

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Half time

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Updated at 21.43 CET

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Rangers substitution

And yup – he’s off. Looks like his groin.

Balogun comes on in his place.

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Rangers definitely have the edge though.

They have a corner.

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It’s all action.

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Nothing comes from that.

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Updated at 21.21 CET

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Updated at 21.14 CET

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Kick off

And we are off with Spurs. Hold on to your hats.

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Ibrox is rocking tonight. Even though it is near to freezing.

The TV (which is dubbing this fixture The Battle of Britain) is showing the young mascots warming up in the tunnel – vigorously. Socks are pulled up past the knees.

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The teams are out

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Yilmaz, Raskin, Bajrami, Cerny, Diomande, Jefte, Igamane.

Subs: Kelly, Cortes, Barron, Dessers, Dowell, Sterling, Balogun, King, McCausland, Fraser, Rice, Curtis.

Tottenham Hotspur: Forster, Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie, Bentancur, Bissouma, Johnson, Maddison, Werner, Son.

Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Bergvall, Solanke, Kulusevski, Sarr, Lankshear, Dorrington, Olusesi, Williams-Barnet, Hardy.

Referee: Sandro Scharer (Switzerland)

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And in case you don’t know what time it is where you are watching/reading/listening, here is a reminder

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Ange interview: ‘Tough game, big game’

Spurs TV is asking the questions : “How’s it feel to be back?” (in Glasgow). Fair enough question I guess since Ange was Celtic manager for a couple of years.

He answers: “Good to be back – just as cold as I remember it.”

And quizzed about his potential reception by Rangers fans:

“You pretty much know when you are up here that - the city is divided. And you kind of know that if you are on one side that the other are not going to be too warm and friendly with you. But that’s OK, that’s part of sport.”

On injuries and perhaps the general malaise at Spurs after some very up and down results.

“We are in a bit of a tough spot. But great opportunity for us to overcome the odds and hopefully create something special.

“Fair to say this is probably the worst I have ever experienced. What need to do is to stay calm and have a belief in the principles of what you are building.”

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Updated at 20.49 CET

Don’t often see a picture of Ange smiling so here’s one

And another

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Evening everyone – or morning if you are on Australia timezone or afternoon in the Americas etc …

Welcome to our second live match of the day – a real potential cracker this one with lots at stake (for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou).

It’s 8th placed Rangers against 9th placed Spurs.

But more than that its a chance for Ange to get his season back on track after a a topsy turvy few months of glory (4-0 win at Man city) and dismality (is that the a word that describes their various coming-from-in front defeats?)

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It was another example of how things keep on conspiring against Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham. At least, that was how the manager wanted to frame it after the 4-3 home defeat by Chelsea on Sunday. At 2-0 up it was looking good but this is Spurs, where stability has proved elusive, where problems can strike at any time. Often at the best of times.

So it was that Cristian Romero had to go off with a thigh injury in the 15th minute. The influential centre-half had passed a fitness test, having missed the previous four games with a toe issue, and, of course, he just had to feel the new setback after an extravagantly risky backheel move inside his own area on eight minutes.

Romero tried to continue but he had to accept defeat and, moments after his departure with Spurs trying to reorganise with his replacement, Radu Dragusin, on the field, they conceded to Jadon Sancho for 2-1. Spurs had looked open before Sancho’s goal and that became only more pronounced, especially in the second half. But nobody knows how it would have played out if Romero had not gone down.

Postecoglou had other gripes over matters beyond his control. He felt that the Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo ought to have been sent off for a lunge into Pape Sarr’s shin in the 34th minute. It was still 2-1 and, again, that might have put a different complexion on the game.

The manager was introspective, gloomy, even a little resigned about the state of affairs. Spurs, who lag 11th in the table, cannot gain traction or momentum, he said. “Every time we’ve seemed to, something comes along and disrupts us.” Take the 4-0 Premier League win at Manchester City on 23 November, the best result of Postecoglou’s season and a half in charge. It turned out the goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario had fractured his ankle and would be out for three months.

Postecoglou returned to the Romero situation. “These things come along and you just go: ‘Here we go. Another challenge for us. Nothing is really running smoothly.’ The crowd probably senses that as well and it almost becomes a self‑fulfilling thing where you are almost expecting things to go wrong.”

The Australian can be tetchy after defeats, but not here. He sought to engage, to explain. It was almost an appeal. People needed to realise that injuries have bitten in specific areas – central defence, the front three – restricting his ability to rotate. Players would benefit from a rest but it is not possible. And at such a bad time, too, with the schedule remorseless.

Yet one line from Postecoglou stood out. It was not just, as he said, that it was “the way our season has gone so far”. He added: “It went like that last year … it’s not like since I have been here this is unusual territory.”

When the same things keep happening and the sample size is big, it is a moment to look deeper. Postecoglou has admitted previously that his squads will sustain more muscular injuries than can be deemed normal because of his full-throttle approach to training and matches. So what is the solution? Have more players he can trust?

The other recurring and damaging theme is the lack of resilience and composure in the difficult periods. There is a vulnerability about this team and it is not going away. Zero in on the past couple of months, beginning with the 3-2 defeat at Brighton when a 2-0 lead was thrown away. That was the day when Postecoglou raged about the absence of fight.

In the soul-searching after the 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on 27 October, Postecoglou said the team were “struggling in difficult moments” because they “lack some maturity and leadership”.

In the next game – at home against City in the Carabao Cup – they led 2-0 and yet a concession for 2-1 before the interval came to feel certain. You could feel the edginess inside the stadium. It duly happened, the prophecy fulfilled and at that point, many Spurs fans feared another 3-2 loss. To the team’s credit, they regrouped for the second half to win and advertise a turning point. How is that looking now?

After the 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth last Thursday, Postecoglou talked about the need to “break that cycle of not showing the belief and resilience in key moments”. Against Chelsea, they did not show the belief and resilience in key moments, missing chances and suffering rushes of blood to concede penalties for 2-2 and 4-2. The errors did not happen in a vacuum. Spurs were too easy to play through. There was an inevitability about the Chelsea comeback.

It is linked to the transition upon which Spurs embarked in the summer of 2023 after they finished eighth. There has been an emphasis on smart young signings and they need time; they will make mistakes as part of their development. Adding players in their prime years (probably for big fees) is not a part of the project.

Equally, there is a tactical dimension which talks to Postecoglou’s commitment to attacking football. When you play forward-thinkers in the full-back positions and demand they push up and when you rely on a ball-playing No 6, it is likely to encourage high jinx, back and forth, a lack of control.

There is much to like about Postecoglou and his approach – the desire to entertain at all costs; to remain true to who he is and his principles, also to a fault. What do Spurs want? What do they want to be? Surely a major consideration is to have a team that stir the passions, that the fans can get behind.

It is impossible to overlook the financial context. According to Deloitte’s most recent report, for 2022-23, Spurs had the fifth-highest wage bill, significantly behind City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – in that order. They were just ahead of Arsenal. The figures are unlikely to have changed much, meaning that by this important metric Spurs ought to finish fifth or sixth. Arguably Postecoglou’s biggest problem is that the supporters would like more.

Enzo Maresca continued to play down Chelsea’s title chances after they heightened the pressure on Ange Postecoglou by fighting back from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 4-3 on Sunday.

Maresca’s improving young team were left with a mountain to climb after making a dreadful start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Spurs dreaming of a famous victory after punishing two slips from Marc Cucurella during the first 11 minutes.

Chelsea had to show character and their response was led by Cole Palmer, who scored two ­penalties when the tide turned during the ­second half. Yet Maresca has ­repeatedly refused to talk about the title race this ­season and he maintained his position despite his team moving four points off the Premier League leaders, Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

“After the game, my message to the players is to be focused in the day‑by‑day, our sessions, the next game on Thursday and then Sunday,” Chelsea’s head coach said.

“The main focus has to be to enjoy the day off and when we come back train well, go for the game. The fans can dream because from the outside it is quite clear and inside the reality is we are not ready. The important thing is we improve day by day.”

Maresca delighted in the mental strength Chelsea displayed at the home of their fierce rivals. Jadon Sancho halved the deficit with a brilliant goal before half-time and Enzo Fernández made it 3-2 with a lovely strike. “To come to this stadium and think you are going to win and not suffer, it’s impossible,” Maresca said. “It’s the perfect win because of this.”

Defeat left Spurs, who have not won since thrashing Manchester City last month, in 11th place. They did not convince defensively. Palmer’s penalties came after silly fouls by Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. Bissouma’s challenge was on Moisés Caicedo, who could have been sent off in the first half.

“It’s a painful one,” Postecoglou said. “Both penalties were poor. It’s kind of self-inflicted. You’re giving yourself a mountain to climb. When I look at today’s performance I don’t see them lacking confidence and belief. Both penalties we conceded were desperation. They’re desperate to turn our season around. In that mode you lose composure and discipline.”

Postecoglou, who felt that Caicedo should have seen red for a lunge on Sarr at 2-1, caused a stir by ­recalling Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven from injury. Spurs have selection issues in defence and the boost of their first-choice centre-back pairing starting did not last long.

Romero limped off with a thigh problem in the 15th minute and Van de Van went off with muscle tightness, but Postecoglou insisted he did not gamble on their fitness.

“People are aware of our situation,” the Spurs manager said. “It’s not like we have a multitude of options. Both players trained well. You make these decisions with the best information.”

Postecolgou added that Brennan Johnson came off after complaining of feeling unwell. Maresca lost Roméo Lavia to a hamstring injury at half-time.

It was Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham in microcosm. A couple of steps forward; more in the opposite direction. Where it left the manager was the biggest question as Chelsea roared back from 2-0 down to win yet again, surging into second place in the Premier League table.

They are ahead of Arsenal and only four points behind Liverpool, albeit the leaders have a game in hand. It is becoming increasingly difficult to believe the manager, Enzo Maresca, when he argues that Chelsea are not title contenders. They had so much good stuff here. Above all, they had Cole Palmer.

The TV cameras made the obligatory cut-aways to the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, with about 15 minutes to go, inviting everybody to wonder what he will do with Postecoglou, who had said two weeks ago that he would be in trouble if his team was still in mid-table at Christmas. They have only two matches to play before then – away at Southampton, home to Liverpool.

It is not just that they are now 11th. One of the main takeaways was how little belief they showed, even if they did manage a late goal for 4-3 from Son Heung-min. It was over by then.

Assurance is not a problem for Chelsea. Or Palmer. He had already equalised from the penalty spot for 2-2 when he mesmerised Destiny Udogie and three other Spurs defenders on the right before sending over a cross that deflected and found Enzo Fernández, who blasted Chelsea in front.

It looked as though Spurs had had enough of Palmer, driven to distraction. It was the only explanation for why Pape Sarr barged into the back of him on the right-hand side of the area. It was another clear penalty. Palmer pulled off an audacious Panenka; the ultimate snapshot of Chelsea’s supremacy.

After everything that happened between Postecoglou and the travelling Spurs support at Bournemouth last Thursday, it felt significant to see the manager applaud the South Stand at length before kick-off. Friends again? It was the case after 11 minutes, Spurs making the dream start. It never looked like lasting.

The opening exchanges had been the stuff of nightmares for Chelsea and especially Marc Cucurella, who lost his footing twice – with devastating consequences. The first was the real howler, Cucurella trying to turn onto a square pass from Levi Colwill and feeling no purchase in his studs. Brennan Johnson robbed him and raced up the right to cross but credit to Dominic Solanke, whose movement inside the area was too sharp for Colwill. The first-time finish was lethal.

Maresca could not believe the errors from his players at the outset, even though they looked menacing when they moved up the field. That was the case throughout. It was deja vu when Cucurella slipped again and Spurs regained possession, Dejan Kulusevski skating from right to left, along the edge of the area, before jamming a low shot inside the near post. It was the prompt for Cucurella to rush over and change his footwear.

Chelsea never panicked. They never lost the feeling that they would have enough to come back. The first half was wild, end-to-end, so open and it was no surprise when Chelsea pulled one back. Spurs had been boosted by the returns of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven from injuries; the latter was the surprise. Romero did not last long. He appeared to feel something in his thigh in the eighth minute after pulling off a high-risk back heel inside his own area and he found that he could not continue.

On came Radu Dragusin and he was one of the Spurs defenders who could not get out to the excellent Jadon Sancho as the Chelsea winger sliced inside from the left. Sancho’s low shot was a beauty, shaped into the far corner. Van de Ven would be forced off before the end, another injury added to the insults.

There was controversy before the interval and we are not talking about the South Standers who threw screwed-up bits of tifo cardboard at Chelsea’s corner-takers, including Palmer. They were told to pack it in at half-time, which was a bit late. Perhaps Palmer took it personally.

Moisés Caicedo was a lucky boy when he followed through hard into Sarr’s lower shin. Anthony Taylor missed the flashpoint and the VAR, Jarred Gillett, deemed there was no serious foul play and therefore no red card. Kulusevski would also get away with an elbow on Roméo Lavia. Again, there was no action.

Chelsea, quick and enterprising in possession, had the chances to equalise before the break, the big one being created by Fernández for Palmer; incredibly, he missed his kick from close-range. Pedro Neto extended Fraser Forster after jinking and banging low for the near corner.

Spurs had their first-half opportunities, too. Son curled just past the far top corner; Sarr headed against the crossbar from a Son corner; Solanke could not finish from a low Son cross.

Maresca made a change for the second-half, Malo Gusto on at right-back, Caicedo into midfield on a full-time basis. Previously, he had been there only in possession. Lavia made way. It was to shore up against the threat of Son.

Chelsea piled forward. They could sense vulnerability in Spurs as a defensive entity. Everybody could. Probably even Postecoglou. It was one-way traffic after the restart. Sancho drew an excellent save out of Forster. Fernández bent a shot just wide.

Spurs lost Johnson to a muscle injury and it was clear that the equaliser was coming. Postecoglou’s team were jittery. The stadium was a sea of anxiety. When the goal for 2-2 came, it was because of a rush of blood by Yves Bissouma. He had lost the ball initially on the Spurs left and when Sancho, back on the other side, worked it through for Caicedo, Bissouma leapt in to scythe him down. The Spurs substitute, Timo Werner, had his head in his hands before the penalty was given.

The outcome was never in doubt with Palmer. He was outstanding in the second half and there would be plenty more to come from him. Son and Van de Ven would go close at 2-2 but there was only inevitability about the result.

“Caicedo will invert in possession, playing next to Lavia,” says our man Jacob Steinberg. “Fernandez pushes on and it becomes a 3-2-5.”

The way we describe formations is outdated, isn’t it? I know this sounds a pretentious but you really need to list two formations – one with and without the ball. Ideally 4-4-2 and 4-4-2

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Ange Postecoglou’s pre-match thoughts

It’s a welcome boost for us [to have Romero and Van de Ven back]. We thought Micky would return next Thursday but he trained really well; both of them were really keen to play.

We’ve been in this position before when we’ve got a good result against a top side [after some poor results]. Irrespective, it’s a big game: it’s a derby, they’re in a good place and it’s a great test for us. Here at home, when we play our football, we’re hard to stop.

Having that energy with the fans at home can really help give you an edge. Sometimes we have to play our part too – we have to get them excited. Hopefully we can start the game well and put Chelsea on the back foot.

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Team news

Ange Postecoglou is able to pick Spurs’ best back four, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven all returning. Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies drop out. The return of Son Heung-min is bad news for James Maddison, whose topsy-turvy season continues with a return to the bench. Dejan Kulusevski will move into midfield.

Enzo Maresca has made seven changes, and it looks like Romeo Lavia will play at right-back. The four players who started the 5-1 win at Southampton are the unrotatables: Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, the in-form Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer.

Spurs (4-3-3) Forster; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Substitutes: Austin, Reguilon, Dragusin, Spence, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Lankshear.

Chelsea (possible 4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Lavia, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.

Substitutes: Jorgensen, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Gusto, Dewsbury-Hall, Veiga, Madueke, Felix, Nkunku.

Referee Anthony Taylor.

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Preamble

So, are Chelsea in this title race or what? We’ll have a better idea after today’s game, a really tricky/surprisingly easy trip to Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium.

The reason for the two options is the recent form of their opponents. The good news for Tottenham fans is that their team is no longer Spursy. The bad news is that they’ve become Jekyll and Spursy, capable of humiliating Manchester’s finest with exhilarating football on a good day or losing to, well, pretty much anyone on a bad day.

Ange Postecoglou’s row with an entitled empathy void at Bournemouth has increased the scrutiny ahead of today’s game, and his love affair with Spurs is starting to feel a bit Blue Valentine. Let’s hope not: as a neutral, Postecoglou’s team – and his repeated pleas for maturity in a drainingly infantile culture – add so much to the Premier League.

So do Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea. It helps having Cole Palmer, sure, but so far he’s done a pretty remarkable. Chelsea’s only defeats have been to Manchester City (pre-slump) and Liverpool and they’re already nine points better off than they were at the same stage last season. Just as importantly, given the nature of Chelsea FC in the 21st century, there has been almost no noise.

What Big Ange would give for a bit of peace and quiet. The best way to achieve that, now and forever, is to win football matches.

Kick off 4.30pm.

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Ange Postecoglou has opened up on the exasperation he feels at the softness of his Tottenham team in particular moments, which he suggested was linked to mentality. The manager refuses to believe there is an “institutionalised” reason for the club to fall short of their targets and said he would never “palm off responsibility to whatever we’re going through to things that have existed in the past”.

But as he looked forward to Sunday’s derby at home to Chelsea, he lingered on the frustration of Thursday’s 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth. After it, some of the travelling support directed abuse at him. What drove Postecoglou to distraction was how, after a reasonable start, his team conceded at the first sign of pressure – allowing Dean Huijsen a free run to head in from a 17th-minute corner.

It was Spurs’ third loss in six Premier League games, each against teams that started below them; relegation-threatened Crystal Palace and Ipswich inflicted the others. Spurs, who are 10th, have beaten fourth-placed Manchester City and eighth-placed Aston Villa during the sequence. They drew with Fulham, who are sixth.

“The key is to understand that Bournemouth is not a ‘lesser’ team,” Postecoglou said. “They have beaten City and Arsenal at home. We prepared ourselves for a tough game, that was going to be tougher than any other game we were going to face.

“And the disappointing thing is that in a game where we started well, we once again allowed the opposition to play the game on their terms by us lacking discipline and conviction in a key moment. We can’t keep doing that.”

Postecoglou was asked whether it was a physical issue, one to do with mentality or a mixture of things. “It’s a bit of everything but it can’t be a physical thing when it happens early in the game,” he replied. “We started well. And literally the first time they go up, they get a set piece and they score an unopposed header. You can’t go into a game like that and allow the opposition then to take control.

“It doesn’t sit well with me. Nor should it. I’m not going to accept it. My responsibility is to change that because if we’re going to get to where I want us to get to, we need to break that cycle of not showing the belief and resilience in key moments.

“Nothing’s changed in terms of my resolve to play the football I want to play. It’s just that we haven’t understood the other side of that and that’s the discipline and resilience to overcome difficult moments so that football we have can come through.”

When Spurs prepared for last season’s home fixture with Chelsea at the beginning of November, they were top of the league with eight wins and two draws from 10 games. On a wild night, they sustained two injuries and had two men sent off and still carried the fight, the defining image coming when seven of their outfield players pushed up on the halfway line as Chelsea attacked. Spurs lost 4-1, the final two Chelsea goals scored in stoppage time, but Postecoglou’s team were applauded off.

Nobody would see the positives in a defeat this time because the climate has changed, the mood as edgy as Spurs have been inconsistent. Including that Chelsea game, Spurs’ record in the league since then reads: W18 D6 L18.

“It’s about winning but it’s about belief in what you’re doing sometimes,” Postecoglou said. “You look beyond the results. That’s what happened at the start of my tenure last year. We lost against Chelsea but there was a sense that we were building something. Obviously it kind of went off the rails after that game. It’s not just about winning but where we are right now it will certainly help.”

Postecoglou said two weeks ago that if Spurs were 10th at Christmas, there would be “a lot of scrutiny” around his position. They go to Southampton in the league next Sunday before hosting Liverpool on the Sunday after that.

The injuries have piled up, Ben Davies the latest to go down, to a hamstring problem at Bournemouth. Postecoglou would like to welcome back Cristian Romero, who is scheduled to train on Saturday as he tries to overcome toe and hamstring problems.

Postecoglou said he had not yet worked out why the team had been so erratic. “We will keep searching for those answers. Some of it is just around having a competitive squad where there is competition for places which keeps people on edge and we don’t have that at the moment. We haven’t had that for a while. Within the absence of that, we have to find other ways to make sure the players are clear on their responsibilities.”

Postecoglou is clear that the bucks stops with him. He said if there was doubt – “whether that’s internally or externally” – it only hardened his resolve to get it right. On the other hand, it was plainly better if the fans backed him; otherwise the culture would become toxic.

“Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way so I’ve got to find a way to make that happen.”

Ange Postecoglou vowed to keep fighting to revive Tottenham’s fortunes after receiving “some direct feedback” from disgruntled fans following a limp 1-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth.

Spurs boss Postecoglou was booed and heckled by a frustrated away end at the Vitality Stadium, having seen his toothless side condemned to defeat by Dean Huijsen’s 17th-minute header. The Australian refused to go into detail about the heated exchange but said he understood the supporters’ emotional reaction.

“I didn’t like what was being said because I’m a human being but you’ve got to cop it,” said Postecoglou, whose team have won only one of their last six games in all competitions. “I’ve been around long enough to know that when things don’t go well you’ve got to understand the frustration and the disappointment.

“They’re rightly disappointed tonight because we’ve let a game of football get away from us. I’m OK with all that. They gave me some direct feedback, which I guess is taken onboard. All I can say is, I’m really disappointed with tonight and I’m determined to get it right and I will keep fighting until we do.” Asked what was said by the travelling support, Postecoglou replied: “Probably not for here, mate.”

Tottenham began brightly in Dorset but created little during the 90 minutes and were fortunate not to lose by a bigger margin. The Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Christie struck a post and the impressive hosts failed to capitalise on several other chances to put the result beyond doubt.

Spurs dropped below the Cherries, into 10th position, with Sunday’s London derby at home to high-flying Chelsea to come following the latest setback in a patchy season so far. To compound a miserable evening for the injury-hit club, defender Ben Davies limped out of his 300th Premier League appearance and faces a spell on the sidelines.

“It looks like he’s done his hamstring,” said Postecoglou. “Him and Radu [Dragusin] have played every game, it’s the one sort of position we can’t rotate. He’ll obviously be out for a period of time now, we’ll just have to wait and see how long it is. It’s kind of the consequence of us having the squad we have at the moment.”

Match-winner Huijsen became Bournemouth’s youngest Premier League goalscorer by nodding in Marcus Tavernier’s corner. The Spain Under-21 defender, who is aged 19 years and 235 days, was making only his third top-flight start since a summer switch from Juventus, in place of the injured Marcos Senesi.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola said: “Dean has shown from the beginning that he is someone with confidence in himself. With the injury of Marcos, for sure he will have to play more. It’s a very good win. I liked especially the second half; the first half we were playing decently, we were not conceding chances but probably we were not being a threat as we’ve been in the second one.

Teenage defender Dean Huijsen became Bournemouth’s youngest Premier League goalscorer by heading his side to victory over Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium.

Andoni Iraola’s Cherries had upset title hopefuls Arsenal and Manchester City in two of their previous three fixtures on home soil.

The Spain Under-21 international, aged 19 years and 235 days, secured a further scalp for the club with a 17th-minute winner as inconsistent Spurs suffered another setback in a patchy season so far.

Bournemouth leapfrogged Ange Postecoglou’s visitors into ninth position following a deserved success which should have been more comfortable.

Ryan Christie struck the woodwork and the impressive hosts failed to capitalise on a host of chances, while toothless Tottenham created little going forward. Inconsistent Spurs hammered champions Manchester City 4-0 in their previous away fixture but that was their only win in five games in all competitions before the trip to Dorset.

Dominic Solanke was passed fit to face his former club after missing Sunday’s 1-1 draw at home to Fulham due to illness, with the captain Son Heung-min dropping to the bench as part of three changes. The north London club started in the ascendancy and, after the recalled Dejan Kulusevski shot straight at the goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Solanke fired wastefully over, having been released by stand-in skipper James Maddison. Bournemouth looked lively on the counterattack and edged ahead.

The Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster initially produced a fine save to deny Evanilson following dithering from Radu Dragusin, but from the resultant inswinging corner taken by Marcus Tavernier, Huijsen, a summer signing from Juventus, arrived unmarked at the back post to nod home.

Tavernier had the ball in the net 14 minutes after the opener but was clearly offside, before later seeing a close-range header from Milos Kerkez’s cross clawed away by Forster. Despite Tottenham’s shortcomings, Postecoglou opted against changes at the break.

His team resumed on the front foot, albeit still looking susceptible on the break, with Justin Kluivert, who hit a hat-trick of penalties in Saturday’s 4-2 win at Wolves, coming close to doubling Bournemouth’s lead.

Son replaced Pape Sarr in the 57th minute and immediately increased the tempo of Tottenham’s play. The South Korea international finished on the rebound two minutes after his introduction following Kulusevski’s initial effort but was denied by an offside flag, before later slipping in Maddison, who curled narrowly wide.

Fellow substitute Pedro Porro tested Kepa with a thumping low drive, before Christie struck the base of the left post at the other end.

Tottenham survived a major scare 18 minutes from time when Evanilson’s close-range finish was disallowed for offside after Forster’s risky pass to Kulusevski was intercepted.

Bournemouth should have put the game beyond Spurs, with Tavernier and the substitute Dango Ouattara each squandering excellent opportunities by firing over. The misses ensured plenty of tension during six minutes of injury time but mattered little in the end as Spurs could not muster a meaningful attempt to snatch a point.

Preamble

Is romance truly dead? This season’s FA Cup might lead you think so. For starters, only two non-league sides have made it into the famous third round, an early sign that removing replays might cut the number of giantkilling runs. Fifth-tier side Tamworth did profit from a penalty shootout to eliminate Burton Albion, while Dagenham & Redbridge – above their National League cohorts on goal difference – won at AFC Wimbledon to book their place.

Also, with no live TV game tonight, the draw is not being held in a freshly renovated non-league clubhouse, or sparsely furnished League Two conference room. No, it’s taking place at the home of the holders, Manchester United. They are one of several certified big boys dropping into the draw, eager to snuff out any final sparks of FA Cup fun. Still, the Cup still usually finds a way. The draw begins at 7pm-ish, GMT.