Ange Postecoglou has explained what he did after Tottenham’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield last week and has revealed how the Tottenham players reacted.
There was a feeling at Anfield that Spurs were going through the motions while Liverpool had their eyes firmly set on the prize, which is to be expected, given that the Reds were going for the Premier League title.
Many pundits expect more of the same from Tottenham at the London Stadium on Sunday, backing the Hammers to come out on top, given that their opponents will have one eye on the second leg of their semifinal against Bodo/Glimt.
However, the Spurs head coach has now refuted suggestions that his side are any less motivated to continue getting results in the Premier League.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  EvertonEverton | 35 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 34 | 41 | -7 | 39 |
| 15 |  Man UtdManchester United | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 39 | 47 | -8 | 39 |
| 16 |  TottenhamTottenham | 34 | 11 | 4 | 19 | 62 | 56 | 6 | 37 |
| 17 |  West HamWest Ham | 34 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 39 | 58 | -19 | 36 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 35 | 4 | 10 | 21 | 33 | 74 | -41 | 22 |
Ange Postecoglou reveals players got a rollicking after Liverpool loss
Postecoglou has now insisted ahead of his side’s London derby at West Ham that Tottenham are not preparing any differently for their remaining Premier League matches, even though they only have pride to play for.
The Australian revealed that he unleashed on his players after the final whistle at Merseyside last Sunday as he wanted them to feel the pain of the defeat.
Postecoglou told Football.London: “I’d hate to think people don’t think I’ve been preparing the same I always have for these games and want to win these games.
“We were hugely disappointed with Liverpool, notwithstanding the fact they were outstanding all year and it was always going to be a difficult day whichever way we went.
“I was really hard on the players the day after the game. I wasn’t really sure how they would react to it, but I just felt we needed to feel that pain. At the same time, you put that to one side and concentrate on the task at hand.
“As I keep saying, irrespective of our season, we’ve got an opportunity to do something special and I don’t want to let that slip because of us losing focus on what is important.”
Postecoglou was happy with the reaction of Tottenham players
The 59-year-old was pleased with the response he got from his players on Thursday, praising them for taking his criticism on board.
Postecoglou insisted that the players have always fully bought into his ideas and have been accepting of the feedback that comes their way.
When asked how the Spurs squad took the tough love last weekend, the Aussie coach responded: “The boys are good. They take the feedback. It’s not personal. It’s a pretty young group. I’d hate to think we get used to not performing at the level we need to.
“I didn’t feel we handled things very well. I want them to grow. I don’t think there’s growth unless you’re honest with people. There’s always the danger that you might put some noses out of joint but I’m confident that they buy into what we’re doing and that whatever feedback we give them, positive or negative, it’s for the right reasons. They’re pretty good at taking that on board.”