Chris Sutton has defended Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou’s style of play, saying the Australian is not to blame for their collapse against Brighton.
Spurs took a 2-0 half-time lead away at the Seagulls prior to the international break but somehow conspired to throw the result away in a shocking 3-2 defeat.
It’s not the first time Tottenham have suffered a defensive disasterclass during Postecoglou’s reign so far and many supporters, pundits and ex-players have urged the Australian to move away from his gung-ho tactics to restore some stability.
Sutton is not one of those pundits. Instead, he has blamed Tottenham’s players for being second-best across the pitch against Brighton.
“West Ham got the win they needed against Ipswich before the international break, but it was a very different story for Tottenham against Brighton,” Sutton told BBC Sport.
“It is typical, really, because everyone had been singing Ange Postecoglou’s praises following Spurs’ win at Manchester United the previous week, talking about how he had built a team with an identity… but then they fell apart in the second half against the Seagulls.
“I don’t think Spurs’ defeat was down to his style of football, though. It was because of shocking defending, and the way they lost duels all over the pitch.”
Spurs vs West Ham prediction: Sutton backs Ange Postecoglou
Sutton even believes Spurs will return straight back to winning ways in this weekend’s London derby clash with West Ham; especially with captain and talismanic forward Son Heung-min back in contention.
Predicting a 3-1 victory for the Lilywhites, Sutton added: “I am expecting them to bounce back here, helped by the fact that Son Heung-min is in contention after a few weeks out.
“I’ve been saying it for a while now, but Tottenham are going to give someone an absolute hiding sooner or later. I don’t think it will happen against the Hammers, but I do think they will win this one easily enough.”