Ange Postecoglou Frustrated as Spurs Let Victory Slip in Thrilling Europa League Clash Against Roma
It was a night of high drama and missed opportunities at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs played out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Roma in the Europa League. Ange Postecoglou’s side had the game in their grasp but failed to capitalize on their dominance, leaving fans and pundits alike wondering what could have been.
The result leaves Tottenham sitting ninth in the Europa League table, just one spot shy of the automatic qualification places for the round of 16. While the position isn’t disastrous, it’s far from where Spurs would have hoped to be at this stage of the competition.
Late Drama and Missed Chances
The match had everything: goals, controversy, and a nail-biting finish. Mats Hummels, who had earlier conceded a penalty converted by Son Heung-Min, redeemed himself with a stoppage-time equalizer to snatch a point for Roma. Before that, Evan Ndicka had leveled the score with a header, only for Brennan Johnson to seemingly secure the win for Spurs with a clinical finish from a Dejan Kulusevski cross. But Hummels’ late heroics ensured the spoils were shared.
Postecoglou didn’t hold back in his post-match comments, expressing frustration at his team’s inability to close out the game. “Frustrated with the way the game ended, obviously. We should have killed it off a lot earlier,” he said. “We should have killed it really off in the first half with the chances we had, and at 2-1 you’re always kind of keeping the opposition in the game and they’re throwing men forward. So, disappointing we weren’t able to see the game out, but ultimately [we’re] still in a decent position.”
Spurs’ Offensive Barrage
Tottenham’s attacking intent was clear, as they racked up an eye-popping 24 shots on goal. However, their finishing left much to be desired. Kulusevski, Pedro Porro, and Dominic Solanke all struck the woodwork, adding to the frustration of the home crowd.
“I think tonight our football was still good but … We just lacked a little bit of that clinical edge to finish the game off,” Postecoglou admitted. “But overall, this whole European competition for us, we’ve had some challenges within the first five games. So we’re in a strong position and that’s the main thing.”
Roma, for their part, were no slouches in attack. The Serie A side registered 18 shots and had three goals disallowed for offside. Their resilience and determination were evident, and their late equalizer was a testament to their never-say-die attitude.
Postecoglou Stands by His Philosophy
When questioned about his high-risk, attacking style of play, Postecoglou was defiant. “No. Why can’t it just be entertaining? Isn’t that why we all come?” he said. “Would you really prefer us to kind of sketch out a couple of 0-0 draws and a 1-0 win and we get through? I don’t know, I’d much rather we are exciting to watch.”
He added, “Maybe it is edge of the seat stuff and sometimes you don’t get the reward like we could have tonight, but I think if you want those kind of games mate, there’s plenty in world football you could watch every weekend. I’d like to think when you tune in to us, you’ll get entertained.”
Ranieri’s Roma Resurgence
On the other side, Roma head coach Claudio Ranieri was full of praise for his team’s performance. “Today we pulled off a very good performance,” Ranieri said. “I wasn’t expecting it, especially in the second half. I thought that maybe we could struggle more, but we kept pushing.”
Ranieri’s return to management has been a whirlwind. The former Leicester City boss came out of retirement to take over as Roma’s third head coach of the season on Nov. 14. The Italian side has had a rocky campaign, sitting 12th in Serie A after 13 games. Ranieri admitted that Roma was one of only two teams he would have considered coming out of retirement for, the other being Cagliari.
“Let’s first see how the season ends before saying that it was the right decision [coming out of retirement to take the Roma job],” Ranieri said. “This time I really thought that I could travel around the world … Because as a coach you only attend hotels, airports, stadiums.”
What’s Next?
Spurs will look to bounce back when they face Rangers in their next Europa League fixture on Dec. 12. Meanwhile, Roma will host Braga at the Stadio Olimpico. Both teams will be eager to secure crucial points as the group stage nears its conclusion.
- Spurs had 24 shots on goal but failed to capitalize.
- Roma’s Mats Hummels scored a stoppage-time equalizer.
- Postecoglou remains committed to his attacking philosophy.
With the stakes rising and the margins for error shrinking, the next round of fixtures promises to deliver even more drama. Stay tuned!
Originally Written by: Tom Hamilton
