Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou insisted his players do not have a "mentality issue" after suffering a fourth straight Premier League defeat with a 4-2 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
A 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United on April 13 kickstarted Tottenham's alarming collapse in form, and was followed by losses to Arsenal (3-2), Chelsea (2-0), and now Liverpool.
It is the first time in 20 years that Tottenham have lost four league games in a row and a season that was so full of promise is petering out in disappointing fashion.
While Tottenham avoided humiliation at Anfield by battling back from 4-0 down to make the scoreline respectable, it was still a humbling afternoon for the North London club. But Postecoglou said he was impressed with Tottenham's approach on Sunday.
"It's got to nothing to do [with mentality]," he said. "If you come to Anfield and don't try and play, maybe that shows you don't have the mentality.
"We tried to play, we definitely tried to play, so I don't think it's a mentality issue at all. In fact, I think it's the polar opposite of that.
"The mentality at least tonight was there for us to go out and try and be a version of ourselves. We're short absolutely but it gives me something to work with."
Tottenham remain in fifth place with three games to go and with fixtures against Sheffield United and Burnley to come they should hang on for a place to qualify for next season's Europa League.
Postecoglou said Sunday's display was far better than the defeats by Newcastle and Chelsea.
"At 4-0 we've got a mountain to climb but again when we play like ourselves we always finish strong because we put pressure on the opposition and it eventually takes its toll," he said.
"We got a couple of goals and we maybe could have had a couple more. It's disappointing but at least we tried to play and looked like a version of ourselves.
"I don't think we were playing badly, I know we were losing 4-0 and against Arsenal I don't think we were playing badly, the difference was in the two boxes we kind of lacked a cutting edge and the opposition were good opposition."
The introduction off the bench of Richarlison in the second half had a positive impact on Tottenham with the Brazilian scoring to start a mini-fight back by the visitors.
"It's fair to say before he came on we never looked threatening at all whenever we got into those areas," he said.
"Him coming on, I thought Sonny [Son Heung-min] improved on the left and Brennan [Johnson] improved on the right. Just gave us a bit more of a presence."
Liverpool are guaranteed to finish no lower than third and closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to five points with two games remaining.
"It's a little bit of a mirror of the season. Really, really, really good until we were really rubbish and then, we were OK again," said Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, who was taking charge of his penultimate game at Anfield.
"The moment you let them play, immediately, you see what they can do. If you don't let them play, then you can hurt them."
No Klopp U-turn
After watching his side return to form, with goals from Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott securing victory inside an electric Anfield, Klopp said he still had no second thoughts about reversing his decision to step down in the summer.
"It seems to be really strange what I did, nobody really understands it, I tried to explain it," Klopp said of his departure announcement.
"I didn't say what I said because I was not happy with the atmosphere in the stadium or with the way we played football. I think when I spoke about it, we played exceptional football, so that was not the difference. Other reasons. So no, that didn't influence that decision."
Klopp, whose final appearance on the Anfield touchline will be May 19 when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers on the season's last day, was asked about making believers of Liverpool fans after he was hired in 2015.
"This is a very, very special club," he said. "I didn't make them believe, I reminded them that it helps when you believe, that's what I think.
"Everybody was ready to push the train. And that's what we did for eight and a half years."
List of alleged parties
May 15 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at
least 17 staff members
May 20 2020: PM and Carrie attend 'bring your own booze'
party
Nov 27 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary
Gavin Williamson
Dec 13 2020: PM and Carrie throw a flat party
Dec 14 2020: London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative
Party headquarters
Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Specs
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
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