Ange Postecoglou cannot hide behind injured players anymore | OneFootball

So far this season, the biggest argument to defend Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has been the unprecedented injury crisis that the club have had this season. Pedro Porro and Archie Gray have been pretty much the only players not to pick up an injury, illness or suspension at some point of the campaign.

Players like Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and others have missed large chunks of the season through injury. As a result, many have said that Ange should be judged once he has his players available.

Well, against Chelsea, he more or less did. The only player missing that would have perhaps started the game was Dejan Kulusevski, and even then with James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall as number eights, he was hardly short of options. Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin would have been on the bench for Romero and van de Ven. Everybody else was at his disposal.

Ange Postecoglou has his players back fit, but little has changed

Yet, Spurs were absolutely dismal. This was a Chelsea side in really poor form since Christmas, losing to a number of teams since then, including 18th placed Ipswich Town - the only side to lose at Portman Road this season.

After 80 minutes of the game, Spurs had had just three shots in the game. A tame, easily blocked effort from Heung-Min Son after two minutes, a harmless blocked effort from Bergvall after 33 minutes, and a van de Ven effort from a corner after 66 minutes. Even when Spurs were losing games last season, they generally would play well and create chances.

This season, however, their defeats have been incredibly lifeless and uninspiring. Just so so bad. Ange cannot blame injuries anymore. He had 10/11 players that he would have wanted to pick at his disposal against Chelsea, and that performance was churned out. Absolutely inexcuseable on all counts.

It is such a shame. Really, really wanted it to work out for Ange. Was very pro bringing him in when it happened. Was so impressed by how he inherited a Celtic side that finished second by 25 points and yet dominated. How he won the Asia Cup with Australia. So many positive signs early on, such a shame how it is ending. Sadly, he cannot have any complaints.