A defiant Ange Postecoglou says he is “not hurting” and is not interested in whether fans back him after the Tottenham boss suffered abuse from supporters in Thursday’s defeat at Bournemouth.
Postecoglou confronted a section of angry away fans at full-time after Spurs lost 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium, which leaves Tottenham with just one win from their last six games in all competitions.
The Australian said the fans’ insults and frustrations have made him “just as determined” to turn things around, as his side prepare to host London rivals Chelsea on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says he understands the fans’ frustrations after losing 1-0 away to Bournemouth, which saw the club drop to tenth in the Premier League table, but is working hard to change the current situation.
He said on Friday of the abuse: “I’m the person in charge. I’m the person that has set us off in this direction and I am the person who needs to fix it.
“I’m not hurting, I am determined and that’s all. I don’t want to say it is unacceptable because it is what it is. I have lived in this world for long enough to know that when people aren’t happy, they’ll express their opinions and I am never going to hide.
I am never going to shirk that responsibility, that’s fine. I will take it on board. Is it nice? No, because like I said last night I am not just a manager, I am a human being like everyone else and none of us like to hear those sorts of things, but it is what it is.
Asked for a message to the fans, he replied: “No messages. I’m here, I’m going to fight to make sure we bring success to this football club. Nothing really changes.
“Where there’s doubt, whether that’s internally or externally, it just makes my resolve even stronger to make sure we get it right.”
The 59-year-old also insisted he is not interested in whether fans back him or not.
“They aren’t behind me, they are behind the club. I have got no interest in who is behind me,” he said.
“Last night you have to figure the fans who travel to Bournemouth are fairly hardcore supporters. They weren’t happy with what they saw and they felt like they needed to give some feedback. I took the feedback onboard and we move on.”
Postecoglou also played down the need for support from the club board or supporters during a tough period of form
“I don’t need support. I don’t worry about contracts or support, I just want to make sure that what I set out to do I accomplish and that is bring success to this football club,” he said.
“I’ll work my backside off to make sure that happens. I’m not going to be deterred in my ambitions or endeavour to do that, and that’s what I’ll keep doing.”
Postecoglou defends ‘right decision’ to sign youngsters
Postecoglou has defended the club’s summer transfer policy and insisted the decision to sign a number of teenagers will eventually bear fruit.
Spurs are in the middle of a difficult period with eight players now unavailable after losing Ben Davies to a hamstring injury in the loss at Bournemouth.
