Postecoglou: Spursy tag is ‘schoolyard stuff’

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has dismissed the “Spursy” jibe levelled at his team as “schoolyard stuff” and said he wants his players to embrace and execute his ideas.

The north London club had led the Premier League table, winning eight of their first 10 matches, but have since dropped to fifth after a five-game winless streak.

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“That [the Spursy tag] is schoolyard stuff. What I need to know is that this club hasn’t won anything for 15 years. That’s all I need to know,” Postecoglou told reporters on Friday. “That’s the reality. There’s no going away from that.”

Tottenham have not won a major silverware since lifting the League (Carabao) Cup in 2008.

“Like most organisations you’ve got to learn from the mistakes of the past, you’ve got to come up with a plan,” Postecoglou said. “Whatever tags other people want to put on it, that can’t be your motivation.

“If you want to bring success, you’ve got to have a clear idea of how you’re going to go about it and stick to the process.”

Postecoglou, who joined Tottenham in June on a four-year deal, said he was still in the early stages of implementing his plan at the club.

“With the players, I allow them to get to the space they want to. I give them a clear idea about what I think and then it’s about how they embrace and execute that,” he said.

“It’s only natural that at the beginning of a cycle that there’s going to be some gaps there and that’s where our gaps are.”

Tottenham, who have lost their last three home matches, host Newcastle United on Sunday.