Postecoglou steps back after Werner's open attack "It wasn't an interview aimed at Werner, it's a problem for all of our teams."
Postecoglou steps back after Werner's open attack "It wasn't an interview aimed at Werner, it's a problem for all of our teams."
Blog Article
After Tottenham Hotspur coach Angie Postecoglou poured out vitriolic public criticism against Timo Werner, the response drew attention. Postecoglou appeared to try to pick up his words, saying he did not intend to target one player.
Tottenham is preparing for an away match against Southampton in the 16th round of the 2024-2025 English Premier League (PL) at St. Mary's Stadium in Southampton, England, at 4 a.m. on the 16th (Korea time). It is a match between the two teams that have been sluggish. Tottenham has had three draws and two losses including the Cup, while Southampton have had one draw and four losses in the PL, showing poor performance in recent years. The gap is wide as Southampton are the lowest in the PL rankings, with only five points compared to Tottenham's 11th place.
Postecoglou said of winger Timo Werner, who was sluggish after a 1-1 draw with Rangers in the UEFA Europa League on the 13th, "I couldn't do my part. It was an unacceptable performance even for an 18-year-old player. He is a German national team player," adding that he fell short of expectations. It is rare for Postecoglou to point out a player's poor performance. 안전놀이터
However, Coach Postecoglou, who held a press conference with local media such as "Football London" ahead of the match against Southampton, asked if the message targeting a specific player was misinterpreted, saying, "Of course."
"I didn't point out Werner, it was about our entire team and the situation we were in. We replaced Werner at half-time on that day. I don't think the first team players should be replaced in that way because we lack the players in our team. This applies to all players. Other players are no different. This is the story of our situation," Postecoglou explained.
He also said, "I know why you're focusing on Werner, but this is about our team," adding, "It's not him but the media that drove him to talk about the player."
It is undeniable that Werner is below expectations. Werner once scored 28 goals in the German Bundesliga and played as a key striker for the German national team thanks to his performance at the time. However, since moving to Chelsea in England in 2020, his scoring ability has declined sharply and he has yet to recover. In the second half of the 2023-2024 season, he was loaned to Tottenham by RB Leipzig and scored two league goals, showing a possibility of revival, and was loaned back this season. However, so far, he has scored no goals in the league and only one goal in the League Cup. He often showed his contribution to offense by scoring three assists in the PL, but his performance has only deteriorated recently.
As Postecoglou said, Tottenham's first team lacks the resources that it can use. This is because the number of injuries is continuing. The strikers alone are missing Wilson Odobert, Hisharlissong and Mikey Moore. In addition to Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson's main three-top, Werner is the only first-team player who can use them.