Ange Postecoglou says in his press conference “I won’t be bullied by fans trying to provoke me by filming on their phones”.
The Tottenham Hotspur has publicly expressed his frustration with fans who shove mobile phones in his face, labelling it a “bullying tactic.”
He argues that this behaviour, often intended to provoke a reaction for social media clout, is disrespectful and something he refuses to tolerate.
Postecoglou has made it clear that he will continue to confront such actions, emphasising his stance against what he perceives as an attempt to antagonise or intimidate him.
Ange Postecoglou is almost certainly on borrowed time at Spurs, he’s rubbed plenty of people up the wrong way, his tactics have come under understandable scrutiny but he’s spot on here.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) April 5, 2025
He said: “If somebody says to you, right, tell me that was a good article last night, but I don’t like that point you made. You go, okay, mate. You might just walk off.
“If somebody says, hey, Tom, I didn’t like that article. What do you think they’re trying to achieve?
“No. Hold on a second. No. No. Reciprocal question. Let me answer it.
“What I think they’re trying to achieve, they’re not really interested in an answer to a question. They just want a reaction.
“They want their five minutes of fame because that’s what this gives them. And that’s what I was talking about.
“Right? For young people, this is more dangerous than any other weapon in the world as far as I’m concerned.
“And so if I don’t pull up especially young kids who put up a phone in my face, then what’s stopping them from doing that in the schoolyard? What’s stopping them doing that in general life and bullying people? Because it’s a bully.
“If somebody’s holding up the phone, I will react to it because I don’t, I won’t accept it because and if I think it was a couple it might have been a form game you’re talking about where that happened.
“There was two young boys that were doing it. And I asked them I don’t know if it’s shown in the clip, but I asked them, where’s your dad? I wanted to talk to their dad. Where’s your mum?
“And I got slightly sheepish and and embarrassed because it’s not criticism I’m reacting to.
“It’s them holding up a phone. Why are you holding up a phone? What are you trying to do? So you can put it on social media and say, look, I’ve got Ange Postecoglou to react.”
Ange Postecoglou added that he’s “falling out of love” with football due to VAR after a week fraught with uncertainty.
“I don’t get it. As human beings we are kind of just so accepting of everything these days,” Postecoglou explained.
“I don’t get it. I don’t know. I just thought we had a bit more about us as a race in terms of fighting against things that derail the core of what we believe in.
“It’s like these things,” he added, while picking up a mobile phone in front of him. “We accept them in our lives and now we are trying to reel them all back because we know the damage they do.
“The horse has bolted – it’s the same with VAR and football, but we just let it roll on.”
“I don’t get it. I don’t know. I just thought we had a bit more about us as a race in terms of fighting against things that derail the core of what we believe in.
“It’s like these things,” he added, while picking up a mobile phone in front of him. “We accept them in our lives and now we are trying to reel them all back because we know the damage they do.
“The horse has bolted – it’s the same with VAR and football, but we just let it roll on.”
“In English football there was always something that was happening and it influenced me a lot in terms of the kind of football I liked to watch. There were always plenty of other leagues we could watch but it was always the English First Division, you know end to end stuff, not a lot of teams trying to hold on to wins, it was just everyone going for it.
“Like I said it was the speed and the tempo of it that I loved. I tried to design a gameplan that has tempo and energy because I think if we’re going to bring people there for an hour and a half of entertainment and engagement, you want them off their seat.
“What, there was 12 minutes of extra time (at the end against Chelsea). I mean this is not like VAR was brought in last month, it’s been in here for a long time.
“If that’s what people want then let’s continue. I don’t like it.
“I am falling out of love with the game because I love celebrating goals. I paid a high price for it [against Chelsea]. I’m paying a massive price for it, but I’ll make sure I won’t do it again.”
“I made a mistake last night in that I celebrated a goal,” he said.
“I think since VAR came in up in Scotland – and in the first game there were four or five incidents and we were standing around – I made a decision that I’m not going to really celebrate goals as there’s no point, as you have to wait for everything to get checked off.
“The supporters obviously weren’t happy with my decision which is fine. My response was to celebrate and to get them to make some noise and get behind the team.
“I thought it was a real momentum-shifter in that moment because we did finish strong. I guess my mistake was celebrating a goal that, yeah, VAR has defeated me again.”
Ange Postecoglou in prickly interview with reporter ranting on VAR and gesture to Spurs fans
Twitter users reacted as Ange Postecoglou says “I won’t be bullied by fans trying to provoke by filming on their phones”…
@rogerthedodge2: People don’t like him bcos he says it as it is.He was spot on about http://VAR.As for Spurs I don’t think the problem is the manager bcos the likes of Jose Conte Nuno Villas Boas etc can’t all be bad so the problem must lie a lot deeper in the foundations of the club
@ChrisMetaTV: People are uncomfortable with straight-talking adults.
@mcdon_al: He’s right.
@JonathanORourk1: Zero interest in spurs but I would love to see him turn things around and do well. Think he’s a great manager and a genuine person unlike a lot of people involved with premiere league football.
@TheSportsDean: I don’t like Ange’s football and think it’s time Spurs replaced him (well overdue in fact) but I agree with this. Everybloodywhere, the phone epidemic.
@Mac__James: Whatever your thoughts of him, he’s spot on here. I don’t dislike him as a person, but still don’t think his tactics are good enough. He speaks very well and I think he’ll probably succeed elsewhere like everyone else does…
@kanefromthelane: One day we’ll talk like grown-ups about how he’s saving football. Most of you aren’t ready for that conversation yet though
@rmcavoy237: Under massive pressure but big man absolutely spot on with this.
@Aboflondon4: Absolutely spot on new generation go round videoing kids getting bullied or beat up etc, seems they’d rather film it than step in and do something about it…
@rkyson99: He’s bang on the money here. This modern fascination with trying to bait sports stars into a reaction and then think they’re Billy big bollocks is pathetic.
@DazDon89: He’s bang on. Too many kids/adults doing it. Embarrassing
@Kris_Ives: He does make a good point. Phones / social media being used to goad him. It’s a cheap shot.
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