Ange Postecoglou’s reaction to Tottenham Hotspur’s brutal home defeat to heated rivals Chelsea tells us a lot about the mindset of the direct but struggling Australian, crushed in another disappointing defeat.

Postecoglou’s men led Chelsea 2-0 for 13 minutes but fell short by conceding four goals in the second half, two of them unnecessary tackles within Spurs’ 18, and the Blues left north London with a 4-3 win. Victory and all three points.

( MORE: Spurs 3-4 Chelsea recap, video highlights )

Does he feel under pressure after clashing with fans during the week? The seat may feel a little warm, but Postecoglou has certainly earned some leeway from chairman Daniel Levy.

So what did Postecoglou say? Below are the words of the former Celtic mastermind.

Ange Postecoglou reaction – How did Spurs manager react to collapse against Chelsea?

“Look, it’s definitely sore. It’s painful. We started the game really well. Then we lose Romero and nothing went smoothly for us. I thought we had some big moments to get a third. The second half was back and forth for quite a while. Two penalties weren’t great. We need a little more discipline in the penalty area.”

On Romero’s early injury: “It’s a crucial point when you lose a player in the first 20 minutes, a central defender, especially when you’re playing well. He felt something in his quadriceps and couldn’t continue.”

Similarity to loss during the week? “No, nothing. Absolutely zero from the middle of the week. We didn’t play well during the week. We played well today. They are a good team, a top team. We were disrupted in key moments and in the end the key moments decided the game.”

What do Spurs need to learn? “When we play our football, we realize that it is difficult to stop us, but we still have to maintain our discipline. The two penalties we gave away are unnecessary. When you play against top teams, those momentum shifts change pretty quickly.”

“I hope Romero isn’t doing too badly. I haven’t determined the extent of Ben’s (Davies) injury. If the numbers are still poor in January, we will take a look because we will need help.”

Interview with Ange Postecoglou after the game, reaction video