Ange Postecoglou accuses Spurs critics of wanting to 'poke the bear'

Ange Postecoglou has made it clear he has had enough of questions about Tottenham's tactical approach.

Spurs were beaten 6-3 at home by Premier League leaders Liverpool last Sunday, meaning they are 11th in the standings at Christmas.

Postecoglou has faced criticism for much of this season for failing to strike a balance between Spurs' attacking play and defensive solidity. They have scored the most goals (39) in the league this season and have the fourth-best goal difference, but statistics highlighted by Sky Sports in the UK underlined how weak the team is at the back: since the start of December, Spurs have been the worst in the top flight when it comes to goals conceded, shots faced, shots on targets faced, and expected goals against.

Spurs' defensive record in December 😳 pic.twitter.com/8lMY2tWxeA

It's this bizarre imbalance in the side that has led to scrutiny of Postecoglou and his methods, but the Australian coach thinks some people are just hoping to get a reaction from him.

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"I wasn't angry," he told reporters when asked about his immediate reaction to the Liverpool loss. "We'd just had a heavy defeat and I take responsibility for that, because I have seen the effect that has on everyone involved at the football club, so that sort of weighs heavily on you.

"But I don't think there are many managers that bounce into interviews after being beaten [who] feel sort of cheery about it. [It is] fair to say I am getting tired of the same questions and answering the same way.

"I just think it's almost like people sort of want to poke the bear to see if I react. Obviously, after a loss, it's a lot easier for people to get a reaction out of you."

Postecoglou has cited injuries as a major factor in Spurs' inconsistency — their defence in particular has been badly disrupted by the absences of the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero — and he confirmed the club will explore their options in the January transfer window.

"Like I said a while ago, we've been planning," he said. "A lot of it was going to be around where we're at around this time. Fair to say we're still a little bit short in a couple of areas and we need to reinforce.

"January's trickier in terms of what sort of players you can bring in. For us, [the] ideal — for any club, I guess — [is] you want to bring in people who are going to make you stronger."