Postecoglou delivers incredible statement on refereeing
There’s a lot to unpack from Tottenham’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea, but perhaps one of the most interesting is Ange Postecoglou’s incredible composure and reflection in his post-match interview.
In recent weeks, referees have come under major scrutiny for missed calls and incorrect judgements, namely with Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta admonishing the current state of refereeing and the use of VAR.
Tottenham had a tough streak of unfortunate events in their match, with both Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie being sent off the pitch with red cards. One would have expected a similarly blistering post-match response from the Spurs boss, but his words were rather cool and composed:
“At some point we have to accept the referee’s decision, that’s how I grew up… This constant erosion of referee’s authority is where the game is going to get: they’re not going to have any authority. We are going to be in the control of somebody a few miles away watching on a TV screen.
The decision is the decision, you either accept it or you don’t… Trust me in 26 years I’ve had plenty of bad ones, I’ve had plenty that have fallen in my favor, it is what it is.”
These comments hyper-contrast those made by other managers in recent times. After Arsenal’s controversial loss to Newcastle over the weekend, here’s what the Gunner’s gaffer had to say:
“I have to come in here… to please ask for help, because it’s an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed.
For more than one reason it is not a goal… I’ve spent more than twenty years in this country and it is nowhere near the level to describe this as the best league in the world.”
While others have criticized officials and even the league itself, Ange has kept his focus on the game instead.
Postecoglou really is a professional through and through. After such an emotional match marked by losing two of your best players to red cards and two more (James Maddison and Micky van de Ven) to injuries for the foreseeable future, along with ending your ten-game unbeaten run at the top of the table, it would be understandable to see some semblance of frustration in the manager.
Nevertheless, Postecoglou has shown that he is focused on one thing only: playing football. He’s won the August and September Manager of the Month awards and is currently in contention for October’s, and he’ll hopefully continue excelling at what he came here to do.
Spurs will likely have a tougher few weeks ahead than expected with sorting out their starting XI and adjusting accordingly. However, don’t expect Ange to back down or change his tactics. The manager, arguably a tactical purist in his loyalty to his style of play, also mentioned after the match that “It’s just who we are mate… It’s who we’re going to be for as long as I’m here. We go down to 5 men mate we’ll have a crack.”
Ange-Ball is in full effect in North London and won’t be going away anytime soon.
Tottenham face Wolves away this Saturday before heading into what will likely be a much needed international break for players to recover from recent injuries.