Postecoglou demands ´more respect´ for Premier League managers

Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou believes Premier League managers should be treated with “more respect” amid continued criticism of his team’s playing style.

Tottenham sit 10th in the Premier League table ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, with seven wins, two draws and seven defeats from 16 games.

Their inconsistent form has seen Postecoglou’s position called into question by some supporters and pundits, though his all-out attacking approach has provided entertainment.

After beating Manchester United 4-3 in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on Thursday, Spurs have scored three or more goals on nine separate occasions this campaign.

In all competitions this season, Tottenham have scored 55 goals and conceded 31 in 25 matches. Among all clubs from Europe’s top five leagues, only games involving Chelsea (99), Barcelona (98), Bayern Munich (94) and Stuttgart (89) have featured more goals than those involving Spurs (86).

After Thursday’s win, Postecoglou told Sky Sports he loved “every bit” of Spurs’ latest chaotic performance, and he feels criticism of his methods has gone too far at times.

“You kind of feel that 26 years of hard graft should get you a little more respect, and I’m not the only one,” Postecoglou said at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool.

“I have seen it happen to Unai [Emery, during his spell with Arsenal] and Nuno when he was here.

“I get that not everyone will be a fan of the way I do things and even on the way I play, people will have different opinions.

“That’s normal, that’s healthy but some of it has been pretty dismissive.”

Former Liverpool defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher described Tottenham as the most entertaining team in the Premier League on Thursday, while also labelling them as naïve.

He criticised Postecoglou for refusing to adapt his approach depending on the state of a game, after they came close to squandering a 3-0 lead against United.

Asked about Carragher’s comments, Postecoglou said: “People tell me he likes me so that’s a good thing.

“They say, ‘did you hear what he said? But he likes you as a person,’. So, that’s important to me. It’s all valid, but I don’t need validation from anybody to do what I do.

“Whether you agree with my approach or not, there is validity in both, and I don’t have an issue with that. I love the fact people are talking about our games and analysing our games.”

Tottenham have only won two of their last 23 Premier League games against Liverpool, drawing six and losing 15.

However, they did beat the Reds 2-1 in a controversial game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, and they could now register successive home league victories against them for the first time since a run of five between 2008 and 2012.