Postecoglou makes 'unacceptable' mistake that Arne Slot wouldn't ahead of Liverpool clash

Arne Slot hugs Darwin Nunez following the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium (Image: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

With Tottenham currently dealing with an extensive injury list of nine players, it seems Ange Postecoglou's patience with the Timo Werner is wearing thin - and his methods for dealing with poor form has sharply contrasted to that of Liverpool chief Arne Slot.

Postecoglou has defended his decision to substitute Werner at half-time during their clash with Rangers, insisting it was an "Dropped to the bench for Spurs' 5-0 victory over Southampton, he was introduced in the 77th minute before missing their League Cup victory over Manchester United through illness.

But having only started three of his 13 Premier League appearances so far this season, despite Spurs' extensive injury list which currently stands at nine players, it would appear that Postecoglou is running out of patience with the German.

The Australian would double down on his assessment of Werner's performance against Rangers the following day when previewing his side's trip to Southampton.

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Postecoglou said: "It wasn't criticism, it was assessment - I'm asking 18 year olds to do some massive jobs and you've got senior players - and he's a senior player, he's an international, he's won a Champions League - that there's a level of application and performance you need to, sort of, rise to or to help the team and he didn't reach that."

He added: "I think me taking him off at half time was a statement enough. It wasn't criticism, it's just an assessment of his performance and on a really challenging night for us, which we knew going into it, it needs to be better."

If Werner is fit to play against Liverpool, it will be intriguing to see how he reacts after a tough couple of weeks.

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Despite being benched for Spurs' 5-0 win over Southampton and missing their League Cup victory over Manchester United due to illness, Werner has only started three of his 13 Premier League appearances this season.

In another universe, Arne Slot could have been managing the RB Leipzig loanee, having turned down Tottenham to stay at Feyenoord before moving to Anfield. However, it's noteworthy how differently Postecoglou has handled Werner compared to Slot's treatment of his own underperforming forward, Darwin Nunez, earlier this month.

The Uruguayan striker had a tough time in matches against Newcastle United and Girona, with the Dutch coach defending his main forward after his lacklustre performance against the La Liga team. However, he also confessed that he kept him on the pitch in the hope that he would score a goal to break his recent dry spell.

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In the lead-up to their home game against Fulham, Slot continued to support Nunez, but conceded that the forward's performance against Girona was sub-par and acknowledged that the Uruguayan needed some encouragement.

It wasn't surprising to see Nunez benched for the Fulham match, but he bounced back by assisting Diogo Jota's equalising goal from the bench.

He was then brought back into the starting line-up for the League Cup match against Southampton, where he ended his scoring drought by netting the opening goal. Such performances did not go unnoticed by Slot.

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"People said a week ago that Darwin Nunez's numbers aren't high enough but he has now got a goal and an assist," the Dutchman noted ahead of his team's trip to Spurs. Both Postecoglou and Slot have shown different approaches in dealing with their out-of-form strikers.

Given Nunez's immediate response, Liverpool have certainly reaped the benefits from their head coach's public vote of confidence. The Tottenham manager made headlines with his contrasting, tough approach towards Werner.

Only time will tell if this strategy pays off for him.

However, the situation with Nunez and Slot may just be another indication of the astute judgement made by Liverpool's management when they chose the Dutchman to take on the 'impossible job' of following Jurgen Klopp. So far, he has proven to be an ideal match for Anfield.