Ange Postecoglou expressed his fury at Ipswich for time-wasting and insisted that Tottenham would never do it.
‘I think it’s the way the Premier League is going,’ he said. ‘It’s pretty strategic now. It’s funny – I always liked the Premier League because it wasn’t like that.
‘You’d watch teams play in Europe and get frustrated by it, but now it’s part of the game here as well. There’s nothing we can do about it.
‘For us, if we want to mitigate those things – because we don’t do it and we want the game to be played – then we shouldn’t give opportunities for the opposition to do that.’
Postecoglou admitted Tottenham ‘didn’t start the game well at all’ and gave themselves ‘a mountain to climb’ when they went two goals behind in the first half.
Ange Postecoglou looked frustrated during Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat by Ipswich on Sunday
The result left Postecoglou’s Spurs 10th in the Premier League after 11 rounds of fixtures
Ipswich midfielder Omari Hutchinson pictured (centre) receiving treatment during the game
‘We were very passive. We didn’t get the tempo or intensity right,’ Postecoglou said.
‘That’s down to me. That’s my responsibility. The inconsistency we’re having this year – ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and it’s something I need to try and fix.
Meanwhile, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna defended his side’s approach and called it ‘a day to cherish’ as the Tractor Boys secured their first Premier League win since 2002.
‘Managing a game when you come to a place like this and to get a result given the context, we have to find ways to control the intensity of the game and we did that really well,’ said McKenna.
‘It’s a massive win. I’m not going to shy away from that. It’s a really significant moment – a day to cherish in the recent history of the football club.
‘For the supporters to see their club win in the Premier League at a club like Tottenham, at a fantastic stadium, it’s a massive day for them.
‘From where the club was two years ago to now be competing in the Premier League is a big step. It’s a really significant landmark in the journey.’