Dejan Kulusevski insists Tottenham have played ‘PERFECT football’ under Ange Postecoglou – and claims team are ‘paying the price’ for injuries

Dejan Kulusevski led the defence of Ange Postecoglou and promised to fight to protect his vision of ‘perfect football’ at Tottenham.

Kulusevski, the outstanding Spurs player of this season, confessed mistakes had been made but said the problems were bigger than simply the identity of the manager and players.

He blamed crippling injuries for the team’s terrible run of winter form and backed Postecoglou emphatically, rekindling the thrill of this season’s victories against Manchester United and City.

‘We had games when we showed perfect football,’ said Kulusevski. ‘Football that not many teams can play in the world. We played beautiful games against United, against City 4-0 so I think he is the right man.

‘We play for him. We want to win for him and to be honest we have similar ideas. I am very positive as a guy, and I always want to play that football he wants. I have to fight for him because I believe in that football too.’

Postecoglou has Micky van de Ven back from injury for Thursday’s Europa League tie against Elfsborg and number one keeper Guglielmo Vicario is back in training.

Ange Postecoglou has come under fire as his attacking style has not delivered results

Kulusevski says injuries are a big mitigating factor for the struggling north Londoners 

Although hope of Cristian Romero’s imminent return has faded. ‘Not on the horizon in terms of the weekend,’ according to the Spurs boss, looking ahead to a trip to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday. And James Maddison has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a calf injury,

Kulusevski claimed the mood inside the camp was positive though despite growing criticism and dissent from supporters, who turned angrily on chairman Daniel Levy during the defeat at home to Leicester on Sunday.

‘Opinions change, it’s not for me,’ said the 24-year-old Swede. ‘I don’t listen to no-one because I know the truth. I see the truth my side. It’s not important what people say. It has never been actually.

‘The league is very bad and the game on Sunday was tough to lose but you have to stay clear minded and focus on the goals. We have done mistakes, don’t get me wrong. We have done a lot of mistakes.

‘We are 10 or 11 fit players in four competitions and that’s not OK and that’s why the team is paying that price in the league especially. You can look at the manager and the players but it’s bigger than that, it’s everything involved.

‘We are 11 players playing three games a week for a long period. I don’t see any other team doing that. That’s the only thing we should look at.’

Postecoglou will be without at least 10 first-team players for the Elfsborg game, with injuries and three players – Antonin Kinsky, Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon – ineligible.

Tottenham hope to bypass the Europa League knockout play-offs with a positive result against Elfsborg

Victory guarantees a top-eight finish and a place in the last 16 without the complication of a two-legged play off next month, and one point is probably enough.

‘We have a lot to play for in these four months,’ said Kulusevski. ‘We are in three different competitions. It’s not that we are taking our eyes off the league, absolutely not.

‘The dream is still to do very good in these three competitions, win as much as possible as we can and then in the league, climb up. We are getting some players back now, they are very close to playing.

‘They are very good players and will give us a hand. The right thing is to just keep going.’