Ange Postecoglou has admitted Tottenham’s struggles have left him “hugely hurt” but believes they can still compete for the top spot in the Premier League this season.
Injury-hit Tottenham were on track to end a sweltering December on a high after first-half goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson denied Hwang Hee-chan’s brilliant opener for Wolves.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min also wasted a penalty in the 43rd minute but it didn’t look too costly until substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen smashed home to ensure the north London side shared the spoils with three minutes remaining.
Son Heung-min fails to convert penalty kick against Wolves
Spurs are set to start the second half of 2025 after one win in their last seven Premier League games, but Postecoglou has rallied around a depleted squad, with Destiny Udogie the latest to limp off and become the ninth player unavailable.
“It hurts my heart to have to take responsibility,” he said.
“It hurts even more when I see the players working so hard. I hope they get rewarded for their efforts. It hurts so much. It’s my responsibility to be where we are now.
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers
“I’m going to keep going. We’ve got work to do to get these guys help. Our role is to help them be the best they can be. I can see how hard they’re working. If we had been sharp we would have been inches away from scoring the third and fourth goals.
“We lack the dynamic movement we need. Where does Deki (Kulusevski) get his energy? Dom (Solanke), Sonny. These guys are fighting for energy and are not as sharp as us.
“We are dealing with quite a few issues and nothing is going smoothly in terms of bringing back players to freshen up the team. When you get one back, you lose one.”
Ange: League still ‘very tight’
The draw means Spurs, who were sent off at full-time, have not won in their last five home games and remain 11th in the Premier League with just 24 points from 19 games.
However, Postekoglou is not giving up hope of jumping to the top of the Premier League when key players return.
“It’s still pretty tight.” he said
“One day we will have a healthy team and we will be able to perform at a high level. We have shown that we can beat anyone.
“There is always a chance to run away. Getting support from the players physically, mentally and in terms of numbers is secondary.”
Brennan Johnson was congratulated by Archie Gray after giving Tottenham a 2-1 lead against Wolves.
Tottenham were sixth, just three points behind Chelsea, after a 4-0 win at Manchester City on November 23, but are now closer to the relegation zone than the top four.
Postecoglou has refused to be too harsh on his players and Spurs will have two days off as they face a rare clear mid-week ahead of Saturday’s visit to Newcastle, where Bentancur will also be suspended.
He added: “We have to try to get support for the players and give them the opportunity to play at their best, mentally, physically and numerically.”
“They are very disappointed, but not for lack of trying.”
