Postecoglou slammed for Spurs tactics as ‘suspicious’ club legend makes ‘youth team’ jibe

Glenn Hoddle claims a “youth team” would have broken down nine-man Tottenham as the Spurs legend criticised Ange Postecoglou’s tactics in their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.

In a bonkers game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs played a ludicrously high line against the Blues despite having both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie sent off.

Chelsea eventually broke them down, with a second half hat-trick from Nicolas Jackson ensuring a 4-1 victory that flattered Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

But Hoddle says it was “a matter of time” before Chelsea broke through and scored, and believes a “youth team” would have been able to win the game given the tactics Postecoglou used.

Asked about Postecoglou’s start to life at Spurs, Hoddle told talkSPORT: “I have got a few little suspicions. I was worried when we went down to nine men, playing the way we did. If that’s what Ange wants to do then fine.

“But I’ve been in football long enough – you cannot put pressure on the ball if you’ve only got nine men on the pitch. Sometimes it’s horses for courses, isn’t it? I’m not trying to be negative.”

Hoddle added: “Of course I was hoping Spurs were going to see it through. Although I spent three great years at Chelsea, I’m a Spurs man and I’ve supported Spurs since eight years of age.

“But I was sitting there thinking, ‘Any team in the world – even a youth team – would have broken that down’. That’s how I see it anyway. But it’s positive if Ange is saying, ‘No, we’re going on the front foot’.

“He’s thinking that by putting the back four on the halfway line, he’s going to be able to apply a bit of pressure and he’s going to have players forward. Son had half a chance at the end to make it 2-2.

“That’s Ange’s theory and it’s very positive, but I’ve been in football long enough to know they’re going to get broken down. It was just a matter of Chelsea timing their runs.”

Postecoglou insisted that his side will never change their principles. He told Sky Sports after the game, which was his first defeat in English football: “It’s just who we are. It’s who we’re going to be as long as I’m here. We go down to five men, we’ll have a go.”

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