Ange Postecoglou is taking the blame after Tottenham Hotspur suffered a shock home defeat to Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday.
Spurs were hot favourites to beat a team which came up from the Championship over the summer and was yet to win a league match before this weekend.
However, Sam Szmodics and Liam Delap put the Tractor Boys two goals ahead before the interval and Spurs could only manage a consolation from Rodrigo Bentancur on 69 minutes as they fell to a 2-1 defeat.
It is the fifth loss of the season already for Tottenham and leaves them 10th in the Premier League, with hopes of a European push still alive but any chance of a title challenge looking a long way off.
Postecoglou did not hide that he was extremely disappointed with how his players performed, but said it is ultimately down to him to make them perform consistently near their best.
‘Hugely disappointing,’ the Australian told the BBC. ‘We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. Second half we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game.
‘It’s just down to me. I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility. We can’t give ourselves those kind of mountains to climb.’
With the international break now to come, Spurs are not back in action until 23 November when they travel to take on Manchester City.
Asked what he will try and work on during that time, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: ‘They all go away so there’s nothing I can address in the next 13 days until I get them back.’
While it was a nightmare afternoon for Tottenham it was a dream one for Ipswich as they climb out of the relegation zone to 17th position.
Delap told Sky Sports: ‘It means so much. We’ve put in so many great performances and just lacked that final bit. The performance was terrific. This is a horrible place to come. We couldn’t be happier.
‘The manager is so good. He helps us every week. We’ve shown today we can stick to that [plan].’
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna told the BBC: ‘So proud. It’s been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one. It feels a bit special today.
‘We believe we’ve been improving. We’ve picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish.’