“In my 26 years of coaching, he was the ONLY player that got me angriest about a game of football”- Spurs Boss Ange Postecoglou’s clever post-match decision, Johan Lange’s transfer brief and Lucas Bergvall’s signal following Spurs 2-1 loss
“In my 26 years of coaching, he was the ONLY player that got me angriest about a game of football”- Spurs Boss Ange Postecoglou’s clever post-match decision, Johan Lange’s transfer brief and Lucas Bergvall’s signal following Spurs 2-1 loss
Postecoglou’s clever post-match decision, Johan Lange’s transfer brief and Lucas Bergvall’s signal.
In 26 years of coaching Ange Postecoglou claimed this was the angriest he has ever been about a game of football.
His patched-up Tottenham Hotspur squad had 11 players missing by half-time with an illness bug sweeping through camp, yet with a midfielder and a right-back playing as central defenders, a goalkeeper making his debut after 10 years at the club, and two 18-year-olds in the spine of his side, his team had more than matched one of the Premier League’s in-form outfits and deserved at least a point, if not more.
Yet the officials, or more the interpretation of the rules, had ensured that Dominic Solanke’s excellent early goal was immediately pegged back by Anthony Gordon’s low finish despite Lucas Bergvall’s pass being knocked by Joelinton’s hand 180 degrees back towards the Spurs box to set up the Newcastle attack.
The Premier League match centre explained mid-game: “The referee’s call of goal was confirmed by VAR, who checked for a potential handball by Joelinton in the build-up and deemed that his arm was by his side, in a natural position and the contact was accidental.”
It’s debatable whether the Brazilian’s arm was actually by his side although it was a natural enough position but only after originally being behind his back. The problem is whether a ball striking a hand and changing the course of the ball to such a degree should be allowed in the rules. Spurs fans have painful memories of being on the end of the pre-accidental handball rule change on that night in Madrid.
Whatever Bergvall heard or believed in the aftermath of Saturday’s equaliser following discussions with the referee made him turn around to his team-mates and make a signal with his hands that suggested the goal would be ruled out.
It was not though and it was one of a hat-trick of contentious handball decisions that Spurs were on the wrong end of in the game. Defender Dan Burn had already received a yellow card when he blocked a pass made on a Spurs break with his arm but no further card was given.
In the second half, a Newcastle clearance in their box hit Tino Livramento on the hand but VAR again decided that it was nothing of note.
“The referee’s call of no penalty for a potential handball by Livramento was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming that the ball was played on to his arm by a teammate from close range, while his arm was in a natural position,” read the explanation this time.
In between all of that, Alexander Isak had enjoyed a touch of fortune when the sick Radu Dragusin could only touch on a low cross against the striker and into the net to hand Newcastle what would eventually be their winner for all of Spurs’ effort in the second half which included hitting the woodwork and nine shots at goal.
What Postecoglou decided to do after the game was clever in a way. He lavished praise on his battling Tottenham players and came out swinging at the officials/VAR/the rules or whatever you wanted him to be swinging at.
