Ange Postecoglou addresses defensive concerns after 2-1 defeat to Wolves

It seems that most fans weren't happy with the result over the weekend, with many taking to social media to address their concerns regarding the manager's matchday decisions. The loss, combined with Aston Villa's win over Fulham, saw Spurs drop to fifth place, one point behind the top-four position the team is gunning for.

Despite the unfortunate result, however, it's fair to say that with the thirteen matches remaining in the 23/24 campaign, it's far too early to make any drastic calls or criticisms.

Ange Postecoglou has been revolutionary in his first season at Tottenham, reshaping the identity of a team that had been notorious for slow-moving, counter-attacking football over the past few years. Battling against injuries, developing young talent, and going toe-to-toe with top sides, the gaffer's impact has been nothing short of extraordinary.

In his post-match press conference (via Football London), Postecoglou addressed some of the concerns eminating from reporters and fans alike:

"Today we conceded two or three good chances on the counter-attack, I think one of them was offside. Against Wolves that's going to happen. A lot of that is just sort of game state. Like I say, if you get a foothold in the game and put them under pressure that limits the opportunities that they have the other way."

The unique state of the game and the opposition's success in the final third certainly played a role in the loss, but as Ange alluded to, Tottenham's lack of attacking threat was also responsible for the defeat, as opposed to simply their defensive ability. Touching on this, the manager noted how the team has struggled in that department in recent weeks:

"Certainly for us to kind of dominate games like we want to, it does mean we need to start aggressively, and try and put the opposition on the back foot. And we haven't really done that [the] last two or three games. Before that we were doing that, and that gave us a foothold in games that we're not getting at the moment."

It's fair to say that the team started slow on Saturday, however, things certainly began to pick up in the second half, with Dejan Kulusevski scoring in just the first minute of the latter portion of the game. Spurs finished the match with more shots (15) and far better possession (78%). It seems that, therefore, they simply didn't capitalize on their chances in the same way that Wolves did.

Concluding on his earlier points, Ange delivered a similar message to the one he's been making all season:

"Ultimately when you're not successful everything looks like it's garbage . That's not the way I look at football, the same way I didn't think we were super great leading into this game. We're still trying to build something as I keep saying, lay some foundations. I think a lot of our defensive work this season has been outstanding to be honest considering the players we have in there, the experience they have. It has been one of our strengths and we will keep trying to improve in all areas."

For now, it seems, it's still too early for harsh criticisms. Surely, Spurs could have been more clinical in the attacking third, and more aggressive in the defensive third (especially on the first goal, which came in from a corner kick and left the Tottenham defense looking dazed and confused).

Given the unfortunate loss, there's some added pressure to perfrom better in the next outing. However, with Tottenham's Crystal Palace clash a full two weeks away, there should be ample time for the manager to gather his team and work towards addressing the issues he noticed during Satruday's match.

The Premier League season is still far from finished, and Spurs have plenty of time to continue their top-four charge, led by a manager who is confident in his team's ability to continue adapting to his brand of football.