Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou expressed his desire for a “joystick” to guide his players, likening it to the control mechanisms in video games, following their draw against West Ham.
The manager of Spurs found himself frustrated as his team squandered an opportunity to break into the Premier League top four with a draw at the rain-soaked London Stadium.
Brennan Johnson’s simple tap-in gave them an early lead, but the Hammers equalized through Kurt Zouma’s header from a corner.
Both teams exhibited effort but lacked the decisive touch, resulting in a shared outcome.
Despite dominating possession with 68%, Spurs managed only four shots on target, including Johnson’s early goal and Destiny Udogie’s volley straight at the opposing goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski in added time of the second half.
They never seemed poised to achieve the necessary two-goal margin to surpass fourth-placed Aston Villa, who are set to face Manchester City on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium.
Postecoglou’s squad remains in fifth position, trailing Villa by two points, with the Australian coach noting that his team lacked “clarity of thought” in attack at times.
‘We have more time than we think’
When asked why they lacked that clarity, Postecoglou said: “Because they’re human beings, mate, it’s just football.
“I’d like to have a joystick and put them where I want but it doesn’t work that way. My role is to try to help them through that.
“At times, we have more time than we think. We scored a great goal but there are times the ball is flashed across when we should have been in those areas. It’s things to work on.”
Tottenham took the lead when Brennan Johnson, included in the starting lineup as one of three changes from their previous win against Luton, finished from close range. This followed Timo Werner exploiting space on the left side of West Ham’s defense to deliver a low cross.
However, West Ham responded effectively, capitalizing on their strategy of delivering threatening corners to put pressure on Spurs’ goalkeeper Gigi Vicario. This tactic paid off when Kurt Zouma headed in Jarrod Bowen’s 19th-minute set-piece from five yards out.
The Hammers came closest to securing a victory in the second half, with Michail Antonio’s attempt stopped by Vicario after overpowering Micky van de Ven to create a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper.
West Ham maintains their position in seventh place, securing a spot in the Europa Conference League qualification, as both Newcastle and Wolves failed to secure wins.
Vicario shines but Spurs continue to struggle with set-pieces
With the opportunity to claim fourth place within reach, Spurs showed a faster start than in their recent matches.
Their early goal in the fifth minute marked a departure from their trend of scoring in the second halves of matches, a streak that had lasted since February 3rd.
However, their vulnerability to set-pieces resurfaced as they conceded from a corner that was poorly dealt with by Vicario, who had previously shown uncertainty in dealing with such situations.
Despite his overall impressive performance since joining from Empoli last June, Vicario made crucial saves in this game, including a flying two-handed stop from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick in the first half and denying Antonio’s attempts twice in the second half.
Nevertheless, the issue of defending corners persists, posing a challenge that Vicario and Spurs must address.
Bowen shines but defensive frailties hurt Hammers
Manager David Moyes will have wanted a response from West Ham after the galling 4-3 defeat at Newcastle, having been two goals ahead with 15 minutes remaining. Despite the early goal conceded, his team delivered.
“I genuinely thought we didn’t deserve to go behind,” Moyes told TNT Sports. “But the players did a good job.
“We had a threat and so did they – they are a good side and that’s why they are challenging for the Champions League. Maybe a draw was the right result in the end.
“I’m sure after the way we played on the weekend, to see the way the defence played [here], we looked much more organised. We had set-pieces, we had chances, so overall hopefully it will give us good confidence.”
The outlook appeared promising when Mohammed Kudus aggressively pressed to regain possession near the Spurs’ area, subsequently delivering a cross from the left for Bowen, who unfortunately fired wide from a favorable position.
However, within moments, the Hammers’ defense lapsed, allowing Spurs to take the lead, exemplifying the vulnerabilities that have plagued fans throughout this season.
Moyes’ team has now conceded 55 league goals this season, matching the total from the entire 2022-23 season, and has gone 11 matches without a clean sheet.
Nevertheless, there is evident determination within this West Ham side, epitomized by the spirited Bowen, who defiantly raised his fist in response to the away fans after assisting Zouma’s equalizer from a set-piece.
Despite creating the better opportunities, the hosts were unable to secure a winning goal.