Ange Postecoglou Critiques Timo Werner's Performance During Tottenham's Europa League Draw

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Ange Postecoglou expressed dissatisfaction with Timo Werner's performance during Tottenham's 1-1 draw against Rangers in the Europa League. Werner, who started for the eighth time this season, was substituted at half-time after a lacklustre first half. Despite having four touches in the opposition box, his overall play hindered Tottenham's attacking efforts.

Werner lost possession 16 times, second only to Pedro Porro, who lost it 20 times over the full match. He failed to complete any of his three dribbles and did not win any of his five duels. His passing accuracy was also low, completing just 18 out of 26 passes, which is 69.2%. Dejan Kulusevski replaced him and scored the equaliser shortly after half-time.

Postecoglou commented on Werner's performance, saying, "When you've got 18-year-olds, it's not acceptable to me." He added that he had conveyed this sentiment to Werner, highlighting that as a German international, more was expected from him.

Werner is currently on loan from RB Leipzig and has struggled this season with just one goal and three assists in 19 appearances. Postecoglou faces challenges with limited forward options due to injuries to Richarlison and Wilson Odobert. Despite Werner's poor display, he may still feature against Southampton due to these constraints.

Postecoglou emphasised the need for every player to contribute given their current situation. "In the moment we're in right now - it's not like we've got many options," he said. He stressed that everyone must give their best effort as they cannot afford to exclude players based on poor performances.

Current Standings and Future Matches

The draw left Spurs outside the top eight in the Europa League standings due to goal difference. They have two remaining matches against Hoffenheim and Elfsborg. Tottenham has won only one of their last eight games across all competitions and remains winless in their last five outings.

Despite recent struggles, Postecoglou remains focused on improving team performance as they approach crucial fixtures. The team needs to secure positive results in upcoming matches to improve their standing in the league table.