Ange Postecoglou, the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, launched a scathing critique of his team's performance after the harsh 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace, confirming that some players missed a golden opportunity to prove their worthiness for a place in the starting lineup for the Europa League final.

Postecoglou said: "The players had a chance today to prove themselves, and they put themselves under pressure to challenge their starting teammates who played in the Europa League match, but unfortunately, I saw no convincing evidence of that."

He added: "This is what I try to instill in the players; in football, opportunities do not come often, and when they do, you must seize them immediately. Don't wait for the circumstances to be perfect. There was an opportunity today, and it should have been utilized. I feel disappointed that most of them did not take advantage of it."

Regarding the team's overall performance, Postecoglou stated: "Certainly, it was a disappointing performance; we were never in the game at all, and we did not control its flow at any moment. It was a weak match from all aspects."

He continued: "We have handled our participation in the Europa League well so far, so I don't see that as the problem. The real issue is that we are making several changes and not adapting to them, and we paid the price for that today."

When asked about the twentieth league defeat this season, Postecoglou responded sharply: "I don't know how I can explain that any other way. Do you think we would have lost 20 matches if we weren't in the final? I really don't know how to explain it again."

He added: "Yes, we are having a poor season in the league; that is very clear. Thank you."

He concluded his remarks by saying: "Of course, I am frustrated; we were nowhere near the required level. We are making a lot of changes, and players are getting opportunities, but these frequent substitutions are causing disruption in performance and preventing us from delivering the level we aspire to."