Ange Postecoglou is branded 'naive' for his comments on Ben White and Tottenham's set pieces

Ange Postecoglou has been criticized as “naive” for downplaying set pieces after they spelled his team's undoing during the north London derby.

Tottenham conceded two goals from corners during his 3-2 home defeat against Arsenal.

But the Spurs boss has insisted he is not worried about that aspect of his game as the team prepare to travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Thursday, May 2, live on talkSPORT.

Spurs know that defeat to the Blues will leave them seven points behind Aston Villa, who only have a game in hand, effectively ending their hopes of a top-four finish this season.

Tottenham had just one win in their April games and their game against Arsenal means only four Premier League teams have conceded more goals from set pieces this season.

But Postecoglou has insisted that it is not something he plans to address in great detail.

He said: “I've answered this question and I don't think it satisfies people, but no, I don't see it as a problem. It's something we work on together with everything in our game,” Postecoglou said.

“To quote Billy Joel, you may be right, I may be crazy, but maybe it's a lunatic you're looking for. I'm just not interested in that. I never have been.

“Many of you (media) have done enough research on me to know that this is not the first time I have been asked about set pieces in my coaching career. There is an underlying reason for that that I feel very, very comfortable with.

“Over time I will create a team that will be successful and it will not be by working on set pieces.”

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But the manager's lackadaisical response to his team's set-piece record has drawn criticism from former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara.

Speaking on talkSPORT's Sports Bar, O'Hara admitted his attitude was a bit confusing.

He said: “I don't really know what he's trying to say, but he's basically saying I don't care about the set-piece situation. But it's a big problem and an Achilles' heel for us.”

“I understand that he is trying to build a philosophy and a team that plays good football and he has that. But if there is a problem and it remains a problem, surely as a coach at the highest level, you have to address it.”

Postecoglou has been known for his clearly attacking style of play since taking charge of the north London club, a tactic often referred to as “Ange Ball”.

But it is an approach that has left them defensively open on more than one occasion, with results such as their 4-0 defeat to Newcastle or their 3-0 defeat to Fulham summarizing their inherent weaknesses.

And while Postecoglou may not value set pieces, title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal appear to have done the opposite – with great success.

Man City rank first for the fewest goals conceded from set pieces, with Arsenal in second place.

The Gunners also rank first for goals scored from set pieces in the Premier League season.

But there was one particular aspect of Arsenal's set-piece strategy that Postecoglou was not particularly impressed with.

He admitted he was not a fan of the tactics employed by Ben White during their recent encounter, when the defender was seen fiddling with the gloves of Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario moments before Arsenal scored.

When asked what he thought of White's actions, he said: “Seriously, we're not in the schoolyard. It's never been where my attention is. To be honest, if I saw one of my players do it, I'd be like, 'Mate, really? He catches the ball and plays a little football.'”

But his disinterest was not shared by Sports Bar presenter and former Spurs defender Jason Cundy.

Cundy explained that White's antics against Vicario summed up Spurs' defensive problems in conceding set pieces.

He said: “If the delivery is good and you get him a head, he probably can't get close because there are bodies around. So he has to learn to protect that, he has to do that.” something different.

“I feel like you're naïve if you think set pieces aren't a big part of the game. There's a huge percentage of goals that are scored from set pieces, a huge percentage!”

He added: “Because the margins are so tight, so small, if you can get an advantage on any set-piece, look at Arsenal. The reason they have won it is because of their set-pieces.”

Spurs' defensive record is also unlikely to benefit from the news that defender Ben Davies will be out for the rest of the season due to injury, along with striker Timo Werner.

Even defeat to Chelsea tonight will leave Spurs hoping that Villa make a mistake in their remaining games if they are to make the top four, not to mention needing a perfect end to their own season.

And as O'Hara admitted, their defensive problems are something Spurs will need to resolve if they are to keep their Champions League finish hopes alive.

He said: “Good teams are difficult to beat in open play, we know that. You see it all the time. Set pieces can unlock it and you have to do it well, but from both ends.”

Chelsea vs Tottenham will be broadcast live on talkSPORT from 7.30pm on Thursday 2 May.