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“Are you Tottenham in disguise?” – Frustrated Ange Postecoglou in no mood for jokes from media

“Are you Tottenham in disguise?” – A frustrated Ange Postecoglou was quite clearly in no mood for jokes from the media and fans.

The Spurs boss faces mocking from the media and the club’s fanbase amid a challenging period for the team.

His comments reflect a growing tension as Tottenham navigates a difficult season, marked by inconsistent performances and mounting pressure on the Australian coach.

Postecoglou was vocal about what he perceives as a “negative agenda” surrounding Tottenham, suggesting that even the team’s successes are framed pessimistically, describing it as a “glass half-empty” perspective that overshadows positive moments.

At a recent Europa League press conference, he accused critics of diminishing achievements by “turning gold into c***,” a blunt assessment of how he feels the media and some fans portray the club’s efforts.

He further highlighted a perceived disparity in coverage, pointing out that refereeing decisions favouring Tottenham spark less outrage compared to when they go against other clubs like Liverpool, hinting at a broader bias in the football narrative.

His frustration extends beyond the media to interactions with Tottenham fans. One time during a 1-0 loss to Chelsea on April 3rd, when Postecoglou cupped his ear toward the away supporters after a disallowed goal by substitute Pape Sarr.

This gesture followed fans booing his substitution decision and chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing,” a reaction to replacing Lucas Bergvall with Sarr.

While Postecoglou later claimed it was an attempt to rally the crowd rather than provoke them, the moment – captured in footage that surfaced online, underscored a fraying relationship with sections of the fanbase. He has since doubled down, stating he won’t shy away from confronting fans who film him for social media clout, calling it a form of “bullying” he refuses to tolerate.

Adding to his exasperation, Postecoglou has lamented the impact of VAR, admitting it’s causing him to “fall out of love” with football.

The lengthy review that overturned Sarr’s goal against Chelsea exemplified his broader discontent with how technology disrupts the game’s flow and fan experience, further fuelling his defensive stance.

Despite the criticism, he remains defiant, insisting he’s unaffected by personal abuse and committed to his vision for Tottenham, though he acknowledges the fans’ right to vent their disappointment given the team’s struggles, 16 defeats in 30 Premier League games this season as of early April 2025.

Postecoglou’s outspokenness also touches on deeper structural issues at Tottenham. He argued that the club needs consistent support and a unified approach rather than relying on managerial changes to solve problems, a subtle critique of the instability that has plagued Spurs in recent years.

With the Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt looming as a potential turning point, his future may hinge on tangible progress, yet his current frustrations reveal a man battling not just on-pitch woes but a narrative he feels is stacked against him.

“We scored, we won. Delighted. It’s incredible. If we’re 2-1 up and we get a penalty in the last minute, I want our best penalty taker to take it,” Postecoglou said.

“The one slight against this club is that it hasn’t been a winner. The winners’ mentality in the last minute is to score. We scored and somehow, in this alternate universe, everything Tottenham does is negative.”

“Even the good stuff we may do is turned into ‘glass half-empty’ rhetoric,” Postecoglou continued. “That can’t be a driver. The lads are keen to bring success to the club, keeping driving the principles of this journey in terms of playing our football.

“Hopefully we worked our way into a position where we can make an impact on a disappointing season. I don’t think I can win the argument of convincing people. The general sentiment of people is ‘even if I win [the Europa League] I’m gone anyway’.

“We’re in a quarter-final, we don’t want to let that slip us by or have the wrong mindset. I think the players are handling it well, embracing the challenge.”

Postecoglou added: “We’ve got ourselves into a position where we have an opportunity to progress to the final stages. We have to focus on having a strong home performance.

“It’s important we play the football we want to play, we’re getting ourselves back into maintaining our levels.

“I’ve said before [criticism] isn’t what drives me. I came with a clear vision – changing the way the team plays to rejuvenate the squad, because it was coming to the end of a cycle. Irrespective of noise, I don’t see why that should diminish my ambition and desire to make that happen.

“Anything you achieve in life usually comes with a struggle. This is just another struggle. Never have I thought I’ve lost the will to fight. I’ll continue to do that.”

Twitter users reacted with a frustrated Ange Postecoglou in no mood for the “are you Tottenham in disguise?” jokes from the media…

@Craig1Osullivan: Probably didn’t help the fact you’ve lost 20 games already this season mate

@djcwarbs1: He’s not wrong, it’s even worse knowing that our season up to this point hasn’t been great, which has allowed even more negativity to come in! The only way to change that is to win, it’s just that simple!

@TomFoins: Of all the managers we’ve broken, this is probably the saddest isn’t it? Conte and Jose were just psychopaths, Poch went heavy on the lemons, AvB went and became a rally driver for god sake. Ange will leave hating both the club and the sport itself.

@ThfcHK10: The guy is literally just defending the club from the shit we get in the media, how is he getting flack for this

@CoIbyGaines: I’m sorry but it’s so hard to turn against this man, either he’s got me completely fooled or there’s brighter days ahead. Hopefully the former.

@jamleeroberts: He’s not wrong but league form is not acceptable so get the negativity

@jonoblain: Unfortunately there’s been very little acknowledgement that 20+ defeats in a season are simply too many.

@Jimbo1604: All previous managers started cracking in press conferences when the end was near.

@filmbroski: One thing that’s become apparent in the last year is how insecure Ange is. I think that more than anything tactical will limit him at top level football

@g2mcc: He’s not wrong. There’s a lot of obsession with Tottenham in people. Last night Arsenal enjoyed one of their most memorable nights in their recent history. What did they sing about?

@BhotspurMj: Such an unnecessary question, that is a typical Sky Sports question looking for a reaction

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