Alan Brazil has admitted he’s ‘surprised’ after hearing comments from Ange Postecoglou ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Chelsea tonight.
Tottenham will need a win at Chelsea this evening if they are to keep their slim hopes of a top-four finish alive.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have two games in hand over fourth-placed Aston Villa but sit seven points off the pace following Sunday’s North London Derby defeat.
With a trip to Anfield to come this weekend, a defeat at Stamford Bridge would likely resign Spurs to a Europa League spot.
Much has been made about Tottenham’s defending from set-pieces in recent days after Postecoglou’s side conceded from two corners against Arsenal.
It takes their tally of goals conceded from set-piece situations to 14 this season, the sixth-worst record in the Premier League.
However, ahead of Tottenham’s second London derby in five days, Postecoglou told Football.London he isn’t concerned about this area of his side’s game right now.
“Not in the least. I get it. It’s not an answer [people want]. To quote Billy Joel ‘you may be right, I may be crazy, but it’s maybe a lunatic you’re looking for’,” the Spurs boss said.
“I’m just not interested in it. I never have been. Enough of you [journalists] have done enough research on me to know this is not the first time I’ve been questioned about set-pieces in my coaching career. There is an underlying reason for that which I’m very, very comfortable with.”
What Brazil has said about Postecoglou’s comments
Speaking on talkSPORT, Brazil was asked if Postecoglou’s comments could indicate he isn’t an ‘elite’ manager.
“I think that’s a bit harsh, to be honest,” Brazil responded. “To be manager of Tottenham, you’ve got to be good to get that job in the first place. Tottenham fans love him to bits.
“I’m surprised what he said there, if I’m being dead honest, saying ‘I don’t think about it’. I think you have to. But Tottenham fans are behind him all the way, the way they play but are you going to win a Premier League when you’re not solid at the back? Arsenal might fall short but they are solid at the back. They might just fall behind City.”
“Hearing some of his answers to questions, it doesn’t sound well because set-pieces are so important,” Gabriel Agbonlahor added. “Aston Villa have got a set-pieces coach, so have Arsenal. You see him celebrating on the weekend against Spurs when they score from set-pieces.
“It’s really important. You can’t bat it away like he did just then. It’s a bit arrogant for me because that could be the difference between you finishing in the top four because Villa are very good at set-pieces, the set-piece coach who I think is with Scotland as well. So, you can’t just bat it off like it doesn’t matter. Yes, it does. It really matters.”
Chelsea will target Tottenham from set-pieces tonight
With Spurs’ weaknesses from set-piece situations being highlighted in recent months, it’s an area Chelsea will undoubtedly aim to exploit.
Chris Sutton has recently highlighted Guglielmo Vicario as a ‘massive problem’ as the Spurs goalkeeper has been targeted by sides frequently of late.
Teams have often aimed to crowd around Vicario and prevent the Spurs goalkeeper from coming off his line, something Postecoglou has admitted he’s ‘struggling’ with.
You’d imagine that Chelsea will look to do the same tonight and Spurs fans will be hoping to see an improvement on that end at the Bridge.
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