Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou admits mistake after Newcastle defeat

Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to St. James’ Park ended in disappointment as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United. The result not only left Spurs fans frustrated but also raised questions about the team’s finishing and whether the absence of a recognized striker was the key issue.

The match was always going to be a challenge for Tottenham, who lined up without a natural striker. Despite this, the team created several opportunities that could have swung the game in their favour. The lack of a clinical edge, however, proved costly. Newcastle took the lead in the first half, and while Spurs showed resilience to level the score early in the second half through a Dan Burn own goal, they were unable to capitalize on the momentum.

Spurs dominated the second half, pushing for a winner, but their inability to convert chances came back to haunt them. With just ten minutes remaining, Newcastle punished Tottenham’s wastefulness. A single pass split the Spurs defence, allowing Alexander Isak to slot the ball into an empty net, sealing the victory for the Magpies.

Tottenham’s head coach, Ange Postecoglou, was understandably disappointed with the result but chose to focus on the positives in his post-match interview. Speaking to reporters, he highlighted the number of chances his team created, suggesting that the lack of a recognized striker wasn’t solely to blame for the defeat. Postecoglou admitted:

"Potentially, [the lack of a natural striker was a problem]. I still think even outside of that we just had some really good opportunities, a little bit more composure. Fair play to [Nick] Pope, I thought he had an outstanding game. But I thought we could have tested him a few more times with just some better decision-making."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou admits mistake after Newcastle defeat

Tottenham registered 20 shots during the match, a statistic that Postecoglou found encouraging. However, he was quick to point out that the team could have created even more opportunities with better decision-making in the final third. Ange added:

"It’s not just the opportunities we did create. I thought there were another probably six to 10 moments where we could have created even more opportunities. That’s been a constant theme for us that we’re trying to break through."

This defeat showed a familiar issue for Tottenham this season: they can create plenty of chances but struggle to finish them. Though not having a traditional striker might have played a part, Postecoglou made it clear that it's down to the players on the pitch to make the most of those opportunities.