LONDON — Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou dismissed any developing tension with Spurs supporters on Thursday night. He clarified that his gestures during their 1-0 defeat against Chelsea were not directed negatively at the fans but were a call for increased support.
Postecoglou`s reaction appeared to be mocking towards the Tottenham fans after Pape Matar Sarr scored a powerful goal against Chelsea in the 70th minute. This occurred shortly after some fans chanted `you don’t know what you’re doing` following Postecoglou`s substitutions of Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert for Sarr and Brennan Johnson.
However, any feeling of justification for the Tottenham manager was short-lived as the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Sarr in the build-up.
Despite the disallowed goal, there was some visible tension. Captain Heung-min Son had to guide Sarr towards the fans to encourage him to celebrate the goal that ultimately didn`t count. Postecoglou explained that he was simply trying to encourage the fans to rally behind the team, believing they could still win the match.
`It`s amazing how things are interpreted,` Postecoglou commented. `We had just scored a goal. I wanted to hear the fans cheering. We have been going through a difficult period, and I thought it was a fantastic goal. I wanted to generate excitement.`
`At that moment, I felt we had the opportunity to go on and win. Momentum seemed to be shifting our way. The booing doesn`t bother me. It’s not the first time fans have booed my substitutions or decisions. That’s acceptable, they are entitled to do so, but we had just scored.`
`I was just hoping to generate some enthusiasm. If people want to interpret my actions as making a point about something, they are free to do so. We`ve faced challenges, but I felt a change in momentum. If the fans really got behind the team, I believed we could finish strongly.`
The defeat at Stamford Bridge marked Tottenham`s fourth consecutive Premier League game without a win, placing them in 14th position, worryingly close to the relegation zone. This was their 20th loss of the season across all competitions, matching the total losses from August 2016 to September 2018 under Mauricio Pochettino. While some disapproval towards Postecoglou has been present recently, the chants directed at him during this game were particularly noticeable.
`It genuinely doesn`t affect me,` Postecoglou stated. `If that’s the fans` sentiment, and if they believe I`m not performing well, they have every right to express it. They spend their money to support the club.`
They support the club and will be here long after I am gone. So, it doesn`t bother me. I focus on what I can control. I can`t control the fans, or many other things, but I can control our football, our playing style, and our conduct. That`s where my focus lies.`
Postecoglou also reiterated his criticism of VAR following a lengthy review that ruled Sarr had fouled Caicedo. He criticized the prolonged process where officials spent `six minutes with a microscope,` deeming it `irrelevant` whether Sarr actually fouled his Chelsea opponent.
Dominic Ashworth