Fans are proud despite Tottenham's heavy defeat to Chelsea.

Tottenham fans supported manager Ange Postecoglou and his offside trap tactics at the halfway line during the 1-4 defeat against Chelsea in the 11th round of the Premier League.

As the Tottenham players walked into the tunnel after the final whistle, tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium rose to their feet and applauded. That scene seemed reserved only for the winning team, but Tottenham not only lost, but lost heavily.

All eight remaining Tottenham players (in white shirts) on the pitch, excluding the goalkeeper, stand around the center circle or line when Chelsea have possession. Photo: screenshot

Playing with nine men, due to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie being sent off, Tottenham still played with a high defensive line aiming for an attacking game. There were several instances where they set offside traps at the halfway line, even though they were down two men and the score was still tied. On two occasions, Tottenham came close to equalizing at 2-2: Eric Dier's goal was disallowed for offside by a small margin, and Son Heung-min's shot was saved by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

When asked about the defensive line pushing high up the pitch when down to nine men, manager Postecoglou told Sky Sports : "That's how we are, and we will continue to play like that as long as I'm in charge."

The reporter asked again: "But Tottenham didn't change their playing style? When they were down to 10 or 9 men?" The Australian coach replied: "Certainly not. If we were down to five men, we would still find a way to win."

Tottenham's high defensive line sparked controversy among neutral observers, who argued that the home side should have played defensively when down a man. But many Tottenham fans disagreed, and some even felt proud after the match.

On the Tottenham fan forum Reddit , user Bomberman9 commented: "Defeats always hurt, but this one hurt less because I didn't see any players lose faith or willpower. The team played the way I wanted to see until the end of the game, and outplayed their opponents even though the scoreline didn't seem to reflect that." JefeLummer responded: "We created more chances with nine men, compared to the Jose Mourinho era with 11 and a 1-0 lead."

Tottenham manager Postecoglou paid tribute to the fans after the defeat to Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, during the 11th round of the Premier League on the evening of November 6, 2023. Photo: Reuters .

Tottenham players often ignited the excitement of the home crowd after each good play. For example, after Pierre Emile Hojbjerg cleared the ball off the goal line from Nicolas Jackson's close-range header in the 56th minute, the home players celebrated with him as if he had just scored. Or defender Pedro Porro, after drawing a foul from Marc Cucurella, waved his hand towards the fans to encourage more cheers.

BlandoCalrissian's account proudly praised Postecoglou for instilling such determination in the players. "Dare to think, dare to act," commented. "Postecoglou embodies the Tottenham philosophy. Even if the team loses, they must play the bravest and most exciting football possible. Hopefully, he will continue to lead the team for a long time." Meanwhile, thelordreptar90 responded: "I've never been so proud of my team after a defeat."

Tottenham fans also compared Postecoglou to his predecessors such as Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, or Antonio Conte. These coaches are known for their pragmatic style of play, and might have "parked the bus" in front of the goal in such a situation. "I prefer the team to play like this rather than the self-destructive football of Mourinho or Conte," commented PointBlankCoffee .

Postecoglou has managed Tottenham in 11 matches, achieving a 72.7% win rate, the highest in the club's history. However, they are expected to face difficulties in the coming period as center-back Romero will be suspended for three matches, while Micky van de Ven and James Maddison are injured with no clear return date.

Postecoglou, 58, is an Australian of Greek descent. His playing career was confined to clubs in Australia, but he achieved even greater success when he transitioned to coaching. He led the Australian national team to victory in the 2015 Asian Cup, and then guided Yokohama F Marinos to the J League title in 2019. Before moving to Tottenham in the summer of 2023, he won five titles with Celtic in just two seasons.

Hoang An

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