Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said striker Timo Werner’s performance in the 1-1 draw at Rangers was “not acceptable”.
The 28-year-old started on the left of Spurs’ attack at Ibrox but was replaced at half-time, with sub Dejan Kulusevski eventually firing in a fine equaliser.
A point for the Premier League side keeps them ninth in the Europa League’s championship stage and in a strong position to secure a top-eight finish that earns direct entry to the last 16, but while Postecoglou called it an “important point” he was disappointed with Werner on loan from RB Leipzig.
“Yeah, just a tactic. He wasn’t playing anywhere near the level he should have been,” Postecoglou said when asked about Werner’s withdrawal at the break.
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“It is not acceptable to me. I told Timos. He’s an international, a German international, with the moment we’re in right now, it’s not like we have a lot of options, I need everyone to at least go out there and try to give their best.
“Yes, his performance in the first half was not acceptable.
“We just need everyone, including him, to contribute because we don’t have the depth to let people go unless they’re performing poorly. We need them to play their part and especially the senior guys.
“When I ask younger guys to do huge jobs, I expect a level of performance from the older guys and today it wasn’t that.”
Injuries in defense meant Postecoglou used versatile 18-year-old Archie Gray at centre-back, but the summer signing put in a very confident display and fellow teenager Lucas Bergvall caught the eye with a second-half cameo from the bench.
Postecoglou said of Gray: “He’s 18, a lot of experience for him and I thought he handled the experience really well.
“As an 18-year-old in his first year at this level, playing in unfamiliar positions in such big games, it’s great what he’s doing.
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“I thought Lucas was excellent when he came in. He was going to start tonight but he wasn’t feeling well today, a bit under the weather, so we had to keep him on the bench, but that’s a positive for us.
“These two, as 18-year-olds, already contributing and experiencing these things will be a huge benefit for us.”
Spurs required Fraser Forster to be at his best to run away from Glasgow with a point after the former Celtic keeper made a brave block to deny Cyril Dessers late on, ensuring the English club are in strong position to earn a place in the top eight with matches. 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 step up in the week. , week off,” Postecoglou acknowledged.
“I thought we came back into the game well and the subs that came in made the difference. We scored a good goal, we had a couple of other moments, but in the end, a great save from Frase brings us an important point, in the context of Europe where we are.”
