ANGE POSTECOGLOU came close to blowing his top as pressure continued to mount after Spurs’ latest setback.
The former Celtic boss was under fire once again as his side lost 1-0 in the derby to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last night.
Postecoglou, who moved to the London club in June 2023 after winning five trophies in his two years at a revamped Hoops, was quizzed live on Sky TV about his reaction to his team’s own fans.
Spurs supporters chanted “you don’t know what you’re doing” after the Greek-Australian gaffer replaced Lucas Bergvall with Pape Sarr just past the hour mark with the team trailing and without a shot on target.
VAR-CICAL…a furious Ange Postecoglou has his say.
When the substitute netted what looked like an equalising goal five minutes later, Postecoglou turned to the away end and appeared to cup his ears in what was believed to be a response to the boos.
The goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check which also left the manager fuming.
Asked about the incident with the fans, Postecoglou answered: “It’s incredible how things get interpreted. We just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer.
“We’ve been through a tough time and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited.
“I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was going our way.
“It doesn’t bother me. It’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions. That’s fine, they’re allowed to do that, but we just scored a goal an equaliser.”
Questioned if he risked alienating the club’s followers, the former Australia international team chief responded: “You know what? I’m at such a disconnect with the world these days that who knows? Maybe you’re right.
“But that’s not what my intention was.”
HEAD DOWN…Ange Postecoglou looks like a man under pressure.
Postecoglou was angry with the length of time referee Craig Pawson spent deliberating whether Sarr’s goal should stand.
The match official was sent to his monitor after the Spurs midfielder connected with the leg of Moises Caicedo in the moments just before his strike flew low past a startled Robert Sanchez.
It took Pawson four minutes to come to the decision that the goal should be overturned and Postecoglou, speaking on Sky Sports, continued: “Who cares if it’s a foul or not?
“There are so many incidents that are very similar out there.
“What’s the point of having a referee there? Clear and obvious to me is you go to the screen, you see it: ‘Oh my God, I’ve missed that’.
“I mean, we’re all – not me, because I’m very vocal about it – but everyone accepts it. It’s going to be refereed by AI pretty soon.
“We may as well dispense with the players at some point. Some guy will come up with a genius way of just having a game of football with no participants because referees aren’t refereeing.”
THE LAST HURRAH…Ange Postecoglou holds aloft the Scottish Cup after Celtic’s 3-1 success over Inverness Caley Thistle in June 2023 – just before his move to Spurs.
The 59-year-old former Parkhead fans’ favourite did not go over to the travelling support at the end of the game while several of his players were on the receiving end of some furious remonstrations.
Former Ibrox boss Graeme Souness has already insisted Postecoglou is heading for the sack – and only a Europa League triumph will save his job, as CQN reported last month.
Spurs take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the competition’s quarter-final with the first leg scheduled for London on Thursday with the return in Germany a week later.
The club, sitting 14th in the Premier League, are at home to rock-bottom Southampton on Sunday.
