(Reuters) – Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou said on Friday that he was not hurting but determined to get things right after confronting angry fans as his inconsistent side slipped to a 1-0 loss at Bournemouth.
Spurs have won just one of their last six games across all competitions, with that victory coming against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in November.
Bracing for a tough test against second-placed Chelsea at home on Sunday, Spurs are 10th in the league standings with 20 points from 14 matches, having lost six of those games.
After their defeat by Bournemouth on Thursday, boos were heard from the visiting fans at the final whistle and Postecoglou engaged in conversation with a few of them.
“I’m not hurting, I’m determined that’s all. I don’t want to say it’s unacceptable (the fans’ abuse) because it is what it is,” Postecoglou told reporters.
“I’ve lived in this world for long enough to know that when people aren’t happy they’ll express their opinions and I’m never going to hide, I’m never going to shirk that responsibility. I’ll take (it) on board.
“Is it nice? No, because like I said last night, I’m not just a manager I’m a human being like everyone else. None of us like to hear those sorts of things but it is what it is.
“It doesn’t disappoint me, it doesn’t frustrate me, it doesn’t make me angry; I’m just as determined as ever to get it right. Not because of that, but because of my resolve to bring success to the football club.”
Postecoglou said he was still searching for answers to Spurs’ inconsistency.
Adding to his woes was an injury to Ben Davies, who was playing as centre back in the absence of injured duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
“Ben will go for a scan today so we’ll find out more,” Postecoglou said. “Cuti’s (Romero) due to train, we’re not doing much today, but we’ll see how he goes tomorrow.”
“Chelsea are going really well, they are in a good space at the moment with a fairly healthy squad and in good form. Always a tough game against them but we are at home and we need to make sure we produce a performance like we have in the other games,” he added.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
