LONDON (Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou expressed mixed feelings about his team’s 2-0 win over Fulham, despite their impressive start to the Premier League season.
The home fans at Tottenham’s stadium celebrated goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison in the first and second halves respectively.
However, the team’s performance faltered in the final 30 minutes as they made mistakes in their passes and missed tackles. If Fulham had been more efficient with their finishing, Tottenham could have suffered consequences.
Currently, Postecoglou’s side is leading the table with 23 points out of a possible 27 from seven wins and two draws. They are two points ahead of reigning champions Manchester City and Arsenal. Notably, Postecoglou has earned one point more than Guus Hiddink did during his first nine games as Chelsea manager in February 2009.
Despite occupying the top spot, Postecoglou was critical of his players’ performance in the second half against Fulham. He expressed disappointment with their ball possession and stated that it was their worst 45 minutes in that aspect throughout the season.
“We need to maintain discipline in our approach. Guglielmo Vicario made several impressive saves to ensure we maintained a clean sheet,” Postecoglou commented on his team’s defensive efforts.
Maddison revealed that Postecoglou had been furious during a similar display in preseason, implying that there might be some strong words exchanged before their upcoming match against Crystal Palace on Friday.
Despite any shortcomings, Tottenham will have the opportunity to extend their lead to five points at Selhurst Park, a scenario that even the most optimistic fans could not have expected.
“I am pleased with the start we’ve had, and credit goes to everyone involved. We are leading the table because we deserve it, but it is a reminder that there is still work to be done,” affirmed Postecoglou. He further emphasized the need for improvement based on the second half performance against Fulham.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)
