Ange Postecoglou has described Timo Werner’s first-half performance for Tottenham Hotspur against Rangers as “unacceptable” after replacing him at half-time.

Werner started at Ibrox but had no impact on the game, repeatedly losing the ball and being substituted for Dejan Kulusevski at half-time. Kulusevski scored the equalizer in the second half.

Postecoglou was brutally honest about Werner’s performance in his post-match press conference, saying it was “nowhere near” the level expected. Postecoglou revealed that he had told Werner what he thought of his performance and that he was particularly disappointed given Spurs’ reliance on teenagers Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

“He didn’t play anywhere near the level he should have,” Postecoglou said when asked why he withdrew Werner at half-time.

When asked if he needed more from the German international, Postecoglou agreed. “When you have 18-year-olds, that’s not acceptable to me,” he said.

“I said that to Timo. He is a senior national player, he is a German national player. At the moment we’re in right now, we don’t have many options. I need everyone to at least try to do their best. His performance in the first half was unacceptable.”

(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Spurs are currently missing Richarlison and Wilson Odobert due to hamstring injuries and Mikey Moore due to illness, leaving them without attacking options. Werner has only scored one goal this season and hasn’t made much of an impression in recent weeks.

“It’s not really worrying,” Postecoglou said when asked to explain Werner’s poor performance. “We need everyone, including him, to do their part. Because we don’t have the depth to leave people out when they’re performing poorly. We need them to play their role. Especially the older boys. When I ask younger people to take on huge tasks. I expect a certain level of performance from some older players. And that wasn’t the case today.”

Traditionally, Postecoglou publicly defends its players even after poor performances. This criticism of Werner was the most critical Postecoglou has ever made of any of his Spurs players.

Postecoglou’s side are now winless in five games and with this point they sit ninth in the Europa League table, just outside the top eight who qualify for the last 16 without having to go through a playoff round.

Tottenham play against Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday. They sit 11th in the table, three points behind tenth-placed Fulham.

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(Top photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)