Werner’s performance ‘is not acceptable’, says Postecoglou

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said striker Tim Werner’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Rangers was ‘not acceptable.’

The 28-year-old started on the left of Spurs’ attack at Ibrox but was substituted at half-time, with substitute Dejan Kulusevski eventually scoring the equaliser.

The Premier League point keeps them ninth in the league stage of the Europa League and in a strong position to secure a top-eight finish, giving them direct entry to the last 16, but while Postecoglou called it an “important point”, he was frustrated by Werner on loan at RB Leipzig.

“Yes, only tactically. “He didn’t play anywhere near the level he should have,” Postecoglou said when asked about Werner’s half-time withdrawal.

“When you look at Kulusevski, he is top” 🔝

Is Dejan Kulusevski the key to Spurs this season? 🔑

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“It is not acceptable to me. I told Tim that. He’s a senior international, a German international, with the moment we’re in right now, it’s not like we have many options, I need everyone to at least go out there and try to do their best.

“Yes, his game in the first half was not acceptable.

“We just need everyone, including him, to contribute because we don’t have enough depth to leave people out if they’re underperforming. We need them to play their role, especially the older guys.

“When I ask the younger guys to do the big jobs, I expect a level of performance from the older guys, and that wasn’t the case today.”

Injuries in defense meant Postecoglou used the versatile 18-year-old Archie Gray at centre-back, but the summer recruit produced a fairly assured display, with fellow teenager Lucas Bergvall catching the eye with the bench in the second half.

Postecoglou said of Gray: “He’s 18 years old, a lot of experience for him and I thought he handled that experience very well.

“As an 18-year-old, in his first year at this level, to play in unfamiliar positions in such big games, it’s remarkable what he’s doing.

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“I thought Lucas was excellent when he came in. He was supposed to start tonight, but today he didn’t feel well, a bit bad, so we had to keep him on the bench, but that’s a positive for us.

“The two of them, as 18-year-olds, are already contributing and experiencing those things will be a huge benefit to us.”

Spurs required Fraser Forster to be at his best to leave Glasgow with a point after the former Celtic goalkeeper bravely blocked Cyriel Dessers late on, ensuring the English club are well placed to secure a place in the top eight. against Hoffenheim and Elfsborg in January.

“We haven’t been anywhere near our best, I think it’s fair to say, but at the same time we’re in a period of games where we’re going through it with a pretty depleted squad and we’re asking players to stand up week in, week out,” admitted Postecoglou.

“I thought we came back into the game well and the substitutions that came on made the difference. We scored a good goal, had a few more moments, but in the end Frase’s great defense brings us, in the context of where we are in Europe, an important point.”