Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has given an insight into the team's ongoing woes, revealing that Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray remarkably "literally got off sickbeds" to feature for a depleted Spurs side. This revelation came after Postecoglou explained his decision to start the match against Newcastle without key players Heung-min Son, James Maddison, and Yves Bissouma, leading to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The club’s injury crisis deepened ahead of their first Premier League match of 2025, compounded by a sickness bug that swept through the squad during the week. With a staggering 10 senior players sidelined, including the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Mikey Moore, Wilson Odobert, and Richarlison, the challenge intensified for the home side. Additionally, Fraser Forster was out due to illness and Rodrigo Bentancur was suspended, leaving Tottenham severely stretched.
As a result, third-choice goalkeeper Brandon Austin was thrust into the limelight, making his senior debut for the club nearly nine years after signing. Dragusin, the last remaining available senior centre-back, was substituted at half-time, forcing the out-of-favour Sergio Reguilon into the fray and leaving Djed Spence and Gray to form an unlikely defensive partnership for the second half.
Postecoglou shed light on the situation, stating, "Radu and Archie literally got off sickbeds to play today, and Radu was absolutely exhausted at half-time." The Spurs boss acknowledged the mounting pressure, admitting he felt "the angriest he had ever been in his career" following the defeat that kept the north Londoners firmly rooted with just one win in their last eight league outings.
When pressed for further details on the illness affecting his squad, Postecoglou revealed it was, "just a bug." He added, "Radu and Archie were bed-ridden all week. Fraser is still struggling with it, and there are a couple of others who aren’t well. At half-time, Dragusin couldn’t give any more. On Thursday, we literally had 11 fit players for training." This underscored the severity of the situation and the thinness of Tottenham's squad.
In light of the squad's struggles, fans were surprised to see Captain Son, Maddison, and Bissouma listed among the substitutes. All three were eventually brought on past the hour mark, sparking a spirited resurgence in the second half. While it could have been anticipated that Son and Bissouma were being preserved for the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool, Maddison's presence on the bench was curious due to his suspension from the match.
Explaining the choice to bench these key figures, Postecoglou noted: "It was a combination of needing energy and running power early in the game. My plan was that as the match progressed, we would utilize the experience of the players who come on. I thought it worked well; we finished really strong. We started well, and the only thing that halted us was not related to football. That was the whole idea.
"Players like Sonny, Biss, and to a lesser extent Maddison, have logged a lot of minutes, and keeping them fresh is crucial for their mental and physical readiness. From my viewpoint, all three made a significant impact when they entered the fray."