Ange Postecoglou defended his Tottenham side after they drew 1-1 with West Ham in an enthralling London derby and believes it is a sign of progress for the club.
Brennan Johnson’s smart finish after just five minutes put Spurs ahead but they never had full control of the game, and Kurt Zouma’s rather fortunate equaliser brought West Ham deservedly level.
Spurs were then thankful for Guglielmo Vicario, who produced two crucial saves in the second half to keep out Konstantinos Mavropanos and Michail Antonio. There were chances for both teams to snatch victory in the dying moments, but overall Postecoglou’s side struggled to create more clear-cut chances and had to settle for a point.
The Spurs boss disregarded the result, instead preferring to focus on the progression his team have made since their torrid 3-0 away defeat to Fulham.
He said: “I just don’t think about it. I’m always looking at is it progress for us? Is it a performance that showed we’re developing? I thought it was.
“Our organisation was outstanding tonight with Bissouma, and you look at their front four, they will cause anyone problems.
“There was more structural maturity than there was against Fulham [which Spurs lost 3-0]. You want to win games of football, but there was enough for me to say that’s a team heading in the right direction.
“The most part, we controlled the game really well. It’s a tough place to come, they sit deep and make it difficult for you, which you kind of know you have to be calm in your approach and really disciplined as they’re always a threat on the counter.
“The front third lacked a bit of clarity of thought. We got into some good areas and could have had much better outcomes, our general play I was really happy with.
When asked to explain why his attack struggled in the final third, Ange said: “They are human beings, it’s just football. I would love to have a joystick and tell them where to be!
“It’s not easy against a side like West Ham. At times I think we have more time than we think. There were times where the ball was flashed across the box where we could be in those areas.”
