'We've got a leak' - Spurs to 'deal with' problem in camp

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou says he has "no doubt" somebody at the club has been leaking team news this season.

Online rumours had suggested winger Wilson Odobert would miss his side's Europa League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

The Frenchman, 20, was subsequently named in the squad but remained an unused substitute during the 1-1 last-eight first-leg draw.

A disappointed Postecoglou said on Friday: "There is no doubt we've got a leak inside the club. Someone continues to leak out information and they have all year.

"It started last year. We thought we had nipped it in the bud but it's still consistently coming out at different times."

Postecoglou said that the 'mole' is not a player or agent because the information leaked about player injuries is too specific, and claimed that he has a "fair idea" of who is responsible.

"Look, I've always said, especially with medical information, I'm really, really careful," he said.

"You try to keep the circle of information pretty tight. I don't understand why people would do it, especially if they're so-called in our camp because I don't know how it's helpful to us.

"Even though we're in the world of football and I know everyone thinks these things should be carte blanche in terms of information flow, I'm still very respectful in terms of medical records and how much information we actually give on certain things.

"Sometimes players don't want that information disclosed, it's as simple as that. The fact that it is getting out is unacceptable.

"As a club, I just think, I've got enough challenges out there without adding more to ours. We'll deal with it internally. Like you deal with anything. You do the right thing and deal with it."

Postecoglou added that addressing the leak is part of the cultural change he is trying to implement at the club.

"You'd like to think that everyone within our camp is working with us rather than against us," Postecoglou said.

"I think it's a cultural thing. I'm big on creating a culture of success and I don't think successful organisations behave in that manner.

"That's the bit that we're constantly, not just me, but the other people in the club are trying to change and trying to get the club to a place where there is a real strong mentality and identity of who we are and protect that.

"If you have people giving out sensitive information, particularly on the medical front or the tactical front, then you need to address it."

Spurs travel to Wolverhampton on Sunday after a 3-1 win over bottom club Southampton last weekend ended a run of four Premier League games without victory.

Postecoglou's side are 14th in the table with just 37 points from 31 games.

Tottenham have struggled with injuries this season

Four things to annoy Postecoglou in recent weeks

It's fair to say quite a few things have got under Postecoglou's skin recently.

Here's a rundown of the main ones.

Fans

Postecoglou appeared to cup his ear in the direction of the travelling Spurs support during the defeat to Chelsea when substitute Pape Sarr, whose introduction was booed four minutes earlier, appeared to score an equaliser. The goal was then disallowed for a foul by Sarr in the build-up.

The Australian boss later denied he was goading the fans and instead wanted them to get really excited.

VAR

Postecoglou is perhaps the highest profile opponent of the video assistant referee (VAR) among Premier League managers.

After Sarr's strike against Chelsea was ruled out following a five-minute check, he said VAR was "killing the game".

"It's not the same game it used to be," said Postecoglou. "You just don't know what you're going to get. You're standing around for 12 minutes. It's killing the game. But no-one cares about that.

Phones

Earlier this month, the Spurs boss said he "won't accept" fans putting phones in his face because he believes it is a "bullying" tactic.

"They want their five minutes of fame," he added. "For young people, [phones] are more dangerous than any other weapon in the world.

'Negative' agenda

This week Postecoglou argued everything Spurs do is seen in a negative light.

Some fans thought Brennan Johnson, having scored twice, should have been given the chance to complete his hat-trick when he won a late penalty against Southampton last weekend.

Instead the ball was handed to nominated penalty taker Mathys Tel, who scored to make it 3-1.

"The one slight against this club is that it hasn't been a winner. Well a winner's mentality in the last minute of a game is to score a goal," added Postecoglou.

"We scored a goal, and yet somehow in this ultimate universe in which everything Tottenham does is wrong, that's negative.

"We're in a position where even the good stuff we may do is turned into some sort of glass half full kind of rhetoric."