Ange Postecoglou not bothered by stinging criticism of his Tottenham team after hefty loss to Liverpool

Ange Postecoglou has called for his Tottenham team to “make amends” for a disappointing performance against Liverpool.

Defiant Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says he doesn’t care about stinging criticism of his side’s performance on a sorry night for Spurs at Anfield, where their dreams of reaching the English League Cup final were dashed by Liverpool.

Leading 1-0 heading into the semi-final second-leg, Spurs were thrashed 4-0 by the rampant Reds, who advanced to next month’s final with a 4-1 aggregate win.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham star Jamie Redknapp was scathing in his appraisal of Tottenham’s display.

“From Spurs’ perspective, I cannot remember a team in my lifetime going down with less of a fight as they did today,” Redknapp told Sky Sports.

“There have been some lows, but that today is horrendous.

“(Postecoglou), right now, he baffles me with his tactics sometimes. I think he’s completely lost in what he’s trying to do.”

While Postecoglou was disappointed with the performance of his side, which is also struggling in 14th spot on the English Premier League ladder, he wasn’t fazed by Redknapp’s comments.

A disappointed Ange Postecoglou reflects on his Tottenham team’s English League Cup semi-final loss to Liverpool. Picture: Carl Recine/Getty Images

“My job is not to scan the TV or the commentary on our games, my job is to manage this football club,” Postecoglou said.

“Whatever people think or don’t think is kind of irrelevant – it doesn’t really matter.

“It doesn’t put any emphasis on who we are what we’re trying to do.

“Everyone’s allowed to have an opinion, everyone’s allowed to express that opinion. My view is I don’t really need to respond to that or be affected by that because I’m not.

“Whether it’s Jamie Redknapp or anyone else, I don’t care. It doesn’t worry me, it doesn’t bother me.

“The major lesson to learn is that we can’t go into games like this looking to protect or try to get results in other ways than what’s got us to this point. I’m sure the players will learn from that.”

Ange's post-match reaction 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/91uU3dxxEP

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 6, 2025

And hopefully for Postecoglou’s sake, Spurs will have learnt that lesson in time for Monday morning’s FA Cup fourth-round clash against fellow Premier League club Aston Villa.

“Ultimately, it’s an opportunity for further learning, and an opportunity for us to atone for that (loss to Liverpool) by making amends with a stronger performance on Sunday (UK time),” the former Socceroos coach said.

Apart from the defeat, which came about through goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk, Spurs were left to lament an addition to their already significant injury list, with Brazilian striker Richarlison playing for only the opening half before succumbing to a calf problem.

“It didn’t look too good after the game, so it’s probably one to add to the list,” Postecoglou said.

Originally published as Ange Postecoglou not bothered by stinging criticism of his Tottenham team after hefty loss to Liverpool