Ange Postecoglou's post-match press conferences have tended to be morose, low-energy affairs during Tottenham's winter slump, the Spurs head coach often mumbling his way through short answers while staring dejectedly at the floor.

But the worse the club’s situation gets, the more defiant and animated Postecoglou seems to become and, at Villa Park on Sunday, he delivered one of his most spirited and spiky briefings yet, which boiled down to a passionate defence of his players and, by extension, himself.

A low-quality 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup followed the mid-week thrashing at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, leaving Tottenham's season entirely dependent on the Europa League, but Postecoglou would not hear a word against his struggling players.

“It's too easy for people to be critical of them, I just have huge admiration and respect for them,” he said.

Postecoglou counted through his 11 injured players on his fingers (forgetting their most recent absentee, Richarlison) and challenged any other team to cope with the same schedule and such a lengthy casualty list.

“How did Liverpool go today?” he said, referring to the Premier League leaders’ defeat to Championship basement club Plymouth after Arne Slot made 10 changes from Thursday.

“And they just did that for one game. Do that for two-and-a-half months. Any team. Do that for two-and-a-half months in multiple competitions.”

Postecoglou also pointedly accused his side's critics of being “skewed”, “agenda-driven” and lacking “objective judgement” - possibly a nod to the damning Sky Sports studio analysis of Spurs' performance at Anfield, which he had previously insisted "doesn't bother me".

The 59-year-old did not raise his voice but he uncharacteristically met his questioners' eyes full-on and, as if challenging them to contradict him.

When he was challenged on whether Spurs should be sticking more closely to their preferred style in spite of the injuries he responded in obvious exasperation, clutching his face in his hands.

“I don't know how else to explain it if you can't see that this team is just trying to play its hardest in the most extreme of circumstances,” Postecoglou said.

“They're human beings. Unless you're super human and you think no, after playing Liverpool on Thursday night they should be flying tonight. It doesn't happen. Why do you think Liverpool and others rotate 11 players? Why? There's a reason and I wish I could do the same.”

It was, in many respects, another convincing display from Postecoglou but the question now is whether Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is sold.

Postecoglou insisted at Villa that his own job security was “of no interest” to him but in defending his players, he was also cannily defending himself.

By insisting that it was unfair to “measure” his side on recent results, Postecoglou was also effectively saying that he too could not be fairly judged.

His comments made for an interesting contrast with his Spurs predecessor Antonio Conte, who eviscerated his “selfish” players in his final post-match press conference as head coach in March 2023.

Conte's motivation in criticising his squad was, in part, deflection from his own shortcomings, while for Postecoglou, praising his players to high heaven also offers a means of self-preservation.

That is not to say that Postecoglou himself is “agenda driven” or that he was attempting to mislead or gaslight his audience.

Tottenham's injury crisis genuinely feels unprecedented in severity and duration, and is plainly the biggest reason for dreadful form.

As Postecoglou reiterated at Villa, it is not just that Spurs were missing 11 first-teamers, it is that their remaining players are exhausted, mentally and physically, by the relentlessness of the new calendar, and unable to play at anything like the levels he demands.

Even so, injuries could not entirely excuse Spurs’ lack of belief and intent at Anfield, nor their shortcomings against an excellent Villa side.

The final score on Sunday flattered the visitors, as goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was at fault for Jacob Ramsey's opening goal after 57 seconds, came to be their saviour, keeping the scoreline respectable with save after save.

In midfield, where James Maddison was the only absentee, Spurs were particularly poor, with Villa practically strolling to the edge of the box to get away shots no fewer than four times in the first half.

There was no obvious structure and no cohesion, giving an end-of-days feel to some of Spurs' play in the first half.

Postecoglou's case is that all of these failings come back to the injuries and the overwhelming strain of his fit players, who have been ground down unrelentingly for months.

His argument, though, was not helped by appearing to get the team wrong at Villa, and Spurs improved with Yves Bissouma's half-time introduction while goalscorer Mathys Tel and Heung-min Son were both more comfortable when they swapped roles, with the Frenchman going up front and Spurs' captain returning to the wing.

Levy, who was again targeted by the away end at Villa Park, and Spurs' technical director Johan Lange must now consider these factors.

If the chairman was minded to ignore the Premier League form and give Postecoglou the cups, his future may now be uncertain. If, though, Levy and the club agree that Postecoglou deserves to be judged when more of his players are fit, he should get a chance to turn the situation around.