‘Don’t keep asking me!’ – Ange Postecoglou rants at reporters who TWICE dared to question him about controversial Anthony Gordon goal during Tottenham’s defeat to Newcastle

WHAT HAPPENED?

Tottenham remain mired in the bottom half of the Premier League table after losing for the 10th time in 20 games already this season, with head coach Postecoglou facing scrutiny following a dreadful run of results in spite of mitigating circumstances.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Dominic Solanke gave Spurs an early lead, but this was wiped out two minutes later when Anthony Gordon grabbed an equaliser. However, despite the ball clearly striking the arm of Joelinton to win possession back seconds earlier, the goal was allowed to stand, much to the fury of the hosts. Alexander Isak then scored the winning goal shortly before the break, with Tottenham’s second-half rally proving futile.

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

Postecoglou is usually a reserved and quieter character in his post-match press conferences following his side’s typically enthralling games, but on this occasion he was defiant and furious.

When asked if he was proud of his players’ performance, Postecoglou replied: “Hugely proud. I’m shattered the boys didn’t get the rewards they deserved because we were outstanding, our football was outstanding against a very good opponent in good form and a good place. I thought it was brilliant and outstanding, a game we deserved to win and on any other day we would have won.”

He was then asked if he had an opinion on the decision to allow Gordon’s goal to stand, but did not take kindly to the question: “No, because I know what everyone wants me to say, but all I’ll say is that on any other day, on a fair and even playing ground, we would have won that game. Simple as that. Don’t keep asking me about the decision. If you guys have no opinion about it that’s fine. I know what my opinion is and, as I said, if that was a different day and it was an even and fair playing ground we would have won that game.”

At the end of the press conference, he was asked to clarify whether these comments were regarding the handball non-call, to which he retorted: “I know you just want me to say something but I’m not going to. I think it’s clear. Now whether people agree with me or not whether it wasn’t handball or it was accidental, I’m just not interested in any of that discussion. What I’m saying is, on any given day with a fair and even playing field and logical thought processes we would have won that game, that’s it. You can make what you want of that. I don’t know what else to say about it.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Postecoglou named Spurs’ youngest lineup since 2015, at an average age of 23 years and 336 days, due to injury crisis and sickness bug which has plagued his squad, while debutant Brandon Austin – their third-choice goalkeeper – was named man of the match by host broadcaster TNT Sports.

“He was great,” Postecoglou said of Austin. “Everyone was great, unbelievable. Considering what we had to put up with…Radu [Dragusin] and Archie [Gray] literally got off sickbeds to play today, and Radu was shattered at half-time. Brandon, obviously we found out yesterday was playing. I can’t be prouder of the players, I’m just angry and disappointed it wasn’t football that denied them getting the rewards today.”

Pressed on the illness in the camp, Postecoglou elaborated: “Just a bug. Radu and Archie were bed-ridden all week. Fraser [Forster], obviously he’s still bed-ridden and struggling with it, there’s a couple of others struggling. Like I said at half-time he didn’t have any more to give. On Thursday, we literally had 11 fit players for training. But I don’t care about that, what I care about is the players put in an unbelievable performance, fantastic football, created chances, denied them and having to defend strongly which we did. And it’s unfair on them more than anything else that they didn’t get the rewards today.”

WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

Tottenham return to action on Wednesday at home to Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. They then take on non-league side Tamworth in round three of the FA Cup before resuming their Premier League campaign with a trip to north London rivals Arsenal.