Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has criticised Timo Werner after substituting the striker at halftime in Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Rangers in the Europa League.
Werner lost possession 16 times in the first half, won none of his five duels and registered a pass completion rate of just 69%.
After the match, Spurs boss Postecoglou described Werner’s performance as “not acceptable.”
The German’s poor showing also drew the attention of former Rangers forward Steven Thompson.
While covering the game for BBC Sportsound, Thompson said: “Timo Werner’s final decision on the ball so far has been abysmal.
“I’ll be amazed if he’s not hooked at half-time.”
As Thompson predicted, Werner was replaced at the break by Dejan Kulusevski.
The Swede came off the bench to spare Spurs’ blushes and grabbed an equaliser in the 75th minute – cancelling out Hamza Igamane’s opener for the hosts.
Ange Postecoglou Calls Out Timo Werner
Speaking after the match, Ange Postecoglou did not shy away from criticising Time Werner.
He was blunt in his assessment and highlighted the need for senior internationals to set an example to his younger players.
“When you’ve got 18-year-olds [in the squad], it [that performance] is not acceptable to me,” said Postecoglou.
“I said that to Timo, he’s a German international.”
⚪️⚠️ Ange Postecoglou on Timo Werner…@HaytersTV 🎥pic.twitter.com/vmKWzlqGpi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 12, 2024
Ex-Chelsea striker Werner has scored just once in 19 appearances for Tottenham this season. On loan from RB Leipzig, he has started eight games in all competitions.
With Richarlison and Wilson Odobert both injured, Spurs are limited for choice up front.
“In the moment we’re in right now – it’s not like we’ve got many options – I need everyone to at least be going out there and trying to give the best of themselves,” Postecoglou added.
“His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.
“We need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don’t have the depth to leave people out if they perform poorly. I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys, and tonight wasn’t that.”
Tottenham’s Struggles Continue
Spurs have now won just once in their last eight games in all competitions.
The draw at Rangers epitomised their recent struggles. At the weekend, they threw away a two-goal lead at home to Chelsea, eventually losing 4-3.
Werner has been a prime example of the drop off in performance from Spurs this season. He scored two goals in 14 appearances after joining from Leipzig last January.
His form has been hit and miss throughout his time at Spurs, but now seems to have gone off a cliff.
With one goal in 19 appearances this season, Tottenham’s option to buy the 28-year-old has dropped from £15m to £8.5m
Werner has scored 24 goals in 57 caps for Germany, but last played in March 2023.
He scored 23 in 89 games for Chelsea, but has looked well below that level at Spurs.
