"Don't insult me."

Tottenham Hotspur lost 0-2 to Fulham in the 'London derby' during the 29th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League (PL) at Craven Cottage in London, England, on the 16th at 10:30 p.m. (Korean time). This marked Tottenham's third consecutive league match without a victory, continuing their slump.

They remained at 34 points (10 wins, 4 draws, 15 losses), allowing Manchester United (37 points) to overtake them, slipping to 14th place. In contrast, Fulham jumped to 8th place with 45 points (12 wins, 9 draws, 8 losses). Manager Postecoglou also rotated his key players, including Son Heung-min, for this game.

Tottenham could not avoid a poor performance once again. They failed to find any breakthroughs in the first half and did not create a single shot on target during the 45 minutes. The only shot came from a corner kick in the 15th minute, where Bentancur's header was the sole attempt. Instead, they made defensive mistakes, giving Fulham opportunities.

As the second half began, Manager Postecoglou brought on Son Heung-min. Son immediately made his presence felt. In the 47th minute, he faked out a defender on the right side and made a breakthrough before passing, but Bentancur's shot was blocked by the defense. In the 58th minute, Son also delivered a sharp free-kick towards the goal, but it did not reach a teammate's head.

Fulham broke the deadlock. In the 78th minute, Wilson Odobert attempted a risky dribble and lost the ball, leading to a counterattack. In the ensuing attack, Rodrigo Muniz executed a brilliant one-touch shot, penetrating the corner of the goal to score first.

Fulham scored a second goal. In the 87th minute, Davies mishandled a long pass, allowing Ryan Sessegnon to sprint in and take the ball. Sessegnon then scored with a right-footed shot, making it 2-0. In the end, Tottenham knelt, conceding a goal to Sessegnon, whom they had let go last year.

Manager Postecoglou opted for a significant rotation this day. It seems he intends to focus all his efforts on the UEFA Europa League (UEL), where championship possibilities still exist, rather than a league that has lost motivation. Tottenham faces Bundesliga’s Eintracht Frankfurt, ranked 4th, in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

When comparing the starting lineup against Fulham with the lineup from the match against AZ Alkmaar on the 14th, a whopping 7 spots were changed. Son Heung-min, Odobert, James Maddison, Lucas Moura, Pape Sarr, Pedro Porro, and Mickey van de Ven were moved to the bench. Tottenham News analyzed that Manager Postecoglou has essentially given up on the league.

The media noted, "Many fans feel that based on what Postecoglou has done, the players shouldn't be overly concerned about a short trip across London. They believe that the starting lineup against Fulham signals that Tottenham has completely accepted defeat in the PL."

If Manager Postecoglou continues to rotate the squad in the league, it won't be welcome news for Son Heung-min. While some condition management can be beneficial, consistently starting on the bench could disrupt game rhythm. It is certainly not a pleasant situation for a captain to be sitting on the bench while the team is in decline.

Son's record could also come to an end. Until last season, he recorded double-digit goals in the PL for 8 consecutive seasons. Despite struggles with sports hernias and orbital fractures during the 2022-2023 season, he still scored 10 goals. However, this season, he has remained at only 7 goals in the league. With 9 matches left to play and continuing to come on as a substitute, it won't be easy to add 3 more goals.

Above all, completely abandoning the league could be detrimental. As defeats accumulate and fan dissatisfaction peaks, the atmosphere among the players is bound to deteriorate. A slip-up in the UEL tournament, where a single misstep leads to elimination, could obviously have adverse effects.

Tottenham News also pointed out, "It's understandable that Postecoglou is fully concentrating on the UEL. However, they also need to regain some form in the PL. While the UEL may be a priority, if Tottenham continues to lose in the league, morale will drop and they will lose momentum. Therefore, significant changes should not be made until the end of the season."

Meanwhile, Manager Postecoglou clashed with fans once again after the match. Showing a rough response to fans who booed him, he targeted his critics again during the post-match interview. He remarked, "There are basically two types of people who insult me. One is the couch commentator, and the other is the keyboard warrior."

He continued, "For some reason, they seem to enjoy the process of criticizing a particular person. But such people do not affect me. I don't care." He added, "Honestly, I feel like I get criticized more because of my nationality (Australian). Some deny it, but it is clearly the reality."

Holding up his national identity as a shield, Manager Postecoglou emphasized, "If someone has been doing a job for over 30 years, they are already a veteran. Especially if they are in a position that only the top 1% in that field can hold (like the Tottenham manager), respect is due. I am the person who took an 8th place team to 5th place last season."

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