Ange Postecoglou snapped at a Tottenham supporter who was telling his side to throw the match against Manchester City to thwart Arsenal ’s title hopes.
Tottenham were beaten 2-0 by City on Tuesday night as Pep Guardiola ’s side took a crucial step towards a fourth successive Premier League title. After a cagey first half, Erling Haaland tapped in Kevin De Bruyne’s cross to put the away side 1-0 up before adding a second from the penalty spot after Pedro Porro tripped Jeremy Doku.
The build-up to the match was filled with discussion over whether Spurs fans should want their side to win – and thereby keep pressure on Aston Villa for the final Champions League place – or lose and help deny Arsenal a first title in 20 years. Postecoglou was adamant that his side would play to win, finding the notion of wanting your team to lose bizarre and going against everything sport is about.
But it was clear that not everyone inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday night agreed with him. There was a subdued atmosphere throughout, with all the chants from the home fans about taunting rivals Arsenal, rather than urging their side on.
DON'T SCRAP REPLAYS! Join our petition to keep the magic of the FA Cup alive!
Things came to a head when a supporter sitting behind the Spurs dugout voiced his opinion that the team should throw in the towel. Postecoglou’s furious reaction was captured on film by another fan, who posted the footage on Twitter.
After walking back from his technical area to the seats, he was heard yelling: “What did you say? What did you say before that? Just so I know who you are. There you are. I’m watching you. Watch your mouth, huh?”
Postecoglou cut a frustrated figure on the touchline throughout the match, with Son Heung-min’s inability to beat Stefan Ortega when through one-on-one a particular annoyance. Dejan Kulusevski forced a few saves from the City keeper, who came on for the injured Ederson, but Spurs could not break the defending champions down.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the exchange? Comment below.
The Australian’s anger extended into the post-match press conference. Asked whether the subdued atmosphere affected the players, Postecoglou replied: “Of course it does. It is what it is. I can't dictate what people do. They're allowed to express themselves any way they want. But yeah, when we've got late winners in games it's because the crowd's helped us.”
Postecoglou then made it clear that he didn’t hold the same frustrations with his players. Asked if he was happy with their application, he said: “Well I think, unless I was watching a different game, we matched it with the best team in the land for the last four years, unless someone saw it differently.” Tottenham end their season away to bottom side Sheffield United on Sunday but now have nothing left to play for, with fifth place – and a spot in the Europa League – guaranteed.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to lock horns in a huge bout on May 18 with each fighter attempting to etch their name in boxing history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. The stakes couldn't be higher as the pair will go head to head for the prestigious WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.