Ange Postecoglou accepts blame for Tottenham collapse at Everton and explains system change | OneFootball

Under-fire Spurs boss’ decision to play a back three amid worsening injury crisis backfired badly in first-half blitz

Ange Postecoglou has accepted responsibility for Tottenham’s first-half horror show in the 3-2 defeat against Everton.

With just 11 match-fit senior players available for the game amid a worsening injury crisis, the Australian switched to a back three against the Toffees at Goodison Park on Sunday but his side trailed 3-0 at half-time after fine finishes from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Iliman Ndiaye and Archie Gray's own goal.

The visitors rallied in the second half following the introductions of Richarlison and Mikey Moore off the bench, with Dejan Kulusevski pulling a goal back and the Brazilian scoring against his former club in stoppage time.

However, it was not enough to prevent a 12th league defeat of the season already that leaves Tottenham down in 15th place in the Premier League table and still only eight points above the relegation zone with the pressure ramping up on their manager.

"It wasn't great first half," Postecoglou admitted in his post-match press conference. "I guess the majority of that is down to me. I changed the team and changed the structure.

"We had a couple of setbacks in terms of player availability and we struggled to get control of the game and allowed Everton to capitalise on that.

“Obviously at half-time we had a mountain to climb. Fair play to the players, they kept going until end but ultimately fell short.

"I had 11 fit players, so [changing the system] was a way of trying to find a way to fit the ones we had fit into a structure. The players tried hard enough but it didn't work."