Ange Postecoglou has stated that his cupped-ear celebration was misread, and he insists he is not trying to alienate the Tottenham faithful.
It’s the crucial run-in in the Premier League and for Ange Postecoglou, this stretch carries more weight than most.
Every result from here on could tilt the scale on whether he’s still the man at the helm of Tottenham Hotspur come the end of the season.
Already, the first hurdle has tripped him up — a 1-0 loss to West London side Chelsea. That result only ramps up the pressure heading into the next ten matches, particularly the two-legged Europa League quarter-final tie, where there’s absolutely no room for a slip.
And yet, at a moment when unity should be the mantra, there’s now an uneasy tension brewing between Postecoglou and the very people whose backing he needs most: the fans.
Postecoglou explains controversial cupped-ear gesture
In the Chelsea clash, there was a bizarre moment—one that’s sparked more than a few debates. Just after substitute Pape Matar Sarr fired in what looked like the equaliser (though it was ultimately ruled out), Postecoglou turned to the away end and cupped his ears. Right at the Tottenham fans.
Now, bear in mind, he’d just taken off Lucas Bergvall—who had arguably been Spurs‘ best player on the pitch—for Sarr. So when the latter found the net, Postecoglou’s celebration rubbed some fans the wrong way.
Speaking to football.london, the gaffer addressed the moment, saying: “Jesus mate, it’s incredible how things get interpreted. We’d just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we’d 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 on our [side].
“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’d just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement. If people want to read into that that somehow I’m trying to make a point about something, like I said, we’d been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there. If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them.”
Ange Postecoglou insists he’s not trying to alienate Tottenham Hotspur fans
When asked if he thinks moments like that could end up alienating the supporters, he didn’t exactly rule it out.
Postecoglou said: “You know what, I am at such a disconnect with the world these days, that who knows, maybe you’re right. I don’t know. But that’s not what my intention was.”
And as for the chants questioning whether he knows what he’s doing? That didn’t seem to faze him either.
He continued: “It just doesn’t affect me. If that’s what the fans feel and if they feel I’m not doing a good job then they’ve got every right to express it.
“They pay their hard-earned, they follow the club and they’ll be here long after I’m gone. What I focus on are the things I can control.
“I can’t control fans, I can’t control many things but I can control our football, the way we play and the way we conduct ourselves and that’s what I concentrate on.”
Next up for Tottenham Hotspur, they welcome a struggling Southampton side to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — a must-win, no question — before a massive home clash against third-placed Bundesliga outfit Frankfurt in the first leg of their all-important Europa League quarter-final tie.