‘Leave my players out’: Postecoglou defends Spurs FA cup woes after Aston Villa defeat  

Ange Postecoglou’s frustration was evident just 57 seconds into Tottenham’s FA Cup exit at Aston Villa, as his side conceded early before crashing out with a 2-1 defeat.

It marked their second domestic cup failure in four days, following a humiliating 4-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool that wiped out their first-leg advantage.

Now, the Europa League remains Spurs’ only path to silverware, a crucial opportunity given Postecoglou’s assertion that he “always” wins a trophy in his second season at a club. However, while the team struggles, fan discontent is directed at club owner Daniel Levy, with chants of “we want Levy out” echoing from the away section over perceived underinvestment in the squad.

Postecoglou, repeatedly citing Spurs’ injury crisis, staunchly defended his players after the Villa loss. When asked if he should be judged only when his key players return, he remained firm:
“People can judge me. They can say I’ve done a bad job, I’m not up to it or whatever. That’s fine,” he said. “But you can’t be critical of our players’ performances at this time.”

Despite a strong start to the season, Spurs have struggled, sitting 14th in the league with over two-thirds of the season played.

With as many as 12 first-team players absent in recent weeks, Postecoglou continues to point to depleted squads as a key reason for Tottenham’s slide. The Europa League now stands as their last hope to end a 17-year wait for silverware.