Jamie Carragher insists that he has no agenda against Ange Postecoglou and explains why Tottenham’s injury crisis this season cannot shield the Australian from criticism.
Ange Postecoglou suggests media agenda against Spurs
Postecoglou has looked an extremely frustrated man in press conferences over recent weeks, with the Tottenham boss clearly feeling that there is not enough media spotlight put on the fact that the club have had double-digit absentees for a sustained period.
He was not happy with some of the scathing criticism aimed at his players after their recent cup exits, suggesting that the analysis of some pundits about his side is “agenda-driven”.
After the defeat to Aston Villa in the FA Cup, Postecoglou defended his players and accused some outlets of making agenda-driven claims.
He said: “People can judge me, they can say I’m not good enough but they can’t be critical of the players during this time.
“They’ve been giving everything they can since mid-November and you can’t judge them at this point. There’s got to be a better appreciation for what this small group of players has been doing for two-and-a-half months.
“That’s not an excuse, it shouldn’t be seen that way through objective analysis and anything else would be agenda-driven.”
Carragher has now shot back at this claim, explaining why he feels that Tottenham’s injury situation should not shield Postecoglou from criticism.
Jamie Carragher says Ange Postecoglou’s methods are to blame for injuries
Using data from the Premier League on Tottenham’s injuries this season, Carragher argued that it is the demands of the Australian coach’s system that are leading to more muscle injuries across the squad.
The pundit insisted that the club’s injury situation will not improve if the Tottenham head coach continues running his players into the ground.
The former Liverpool man wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “Postecoglou’s staunchest supporters will argue that to lose so many key players at the same time is bad luck, and their coach is a victim of circumstance.
“The number of absentees is obviously a mitigating factor and explains why there are many who are standing by Postecoglou, including, most crucially, the Tottenham board. Not many coaches at top clubs would survive such a prolonged dip. But in this situation, you cannot disassociate the injuries from the playing style.
“According to the Premier League data on injuries, 42 per cent of Spurs players’ issues are muscle-related. The average across the league is 24 per cent. Across the season, Spurs players have missed a combined total of 213 games through injury, 44 more than anyone competing in Europe.
“The reality is this: if you insist on driving only in the fast lane, your tyres are going to wear quicker. The situation gets worse when youngsters have to replace senior players because they are not yet physically conditioned to meet the demands of Premier League football week in, week out.”
Carragher refutes Postecoglou’s agenda claim
Jamie Carragher has refuted Postecoglou’s suggestion that the criticism of him and Tottenham is agenda-driven, insisting that he would love to see the former Celtic boss succeed at N17.
Carragher believes the Tottenham board are right to continue showing faith in Postecoglou and to give him an opportunity to show what he can do once he has his key players back.
He added: “Confronted with such criticism, it is natural a manager will seek to robustly defend himself and the methods which have taken him to the top. There is no agenda against Postecoglou, and it is unclear why there would be. If he wants to know about people having a go at you because of how you speak, I can write him a book.
“With all sincerity, I would love to see Postecoglou reverse the slump and win a trophy this season before making Spurs a more consistently winning side. There is no team that guarantees goals more than them. The problem is that is because of their vulnerabilities more than their strengths.
“Spurs’ board is correct to stand by Postecoglou until his senior players return, and then make a judgment based on performances and results. There is still plenty to play for this season.”