Ange Postecoglou says his reaction to booing Tottenham fans was misinterpreted

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has clarified that his cupped ear gesture towards the club's supporters during a 1-0 loss to Chelsea was misunderstood.

The Australian manager, whose side endured a disappointing defeat to their London rivals, made the gesture after Pape Sarr’s 69th-minute strike was disallowed by VAR. The incident added to the already intense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, where Spurs suffered their 16th defeat of the Premier League season.

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez broke the deadlock with a header in the 50th minute, but the drama didn’t end there. Five minutes after Fernandez's goal, Moises Caicedo's potential equaliser was ruled out following a VAR review. It was Postecoglou’s gesture after Sarr’s disallowed goal, however, that captured attention, as a section of Spurs’ away fans voiced their frustration over the substitution of Lucas Bergvall for Sarr.

The crowd’s dissatisfaction was clear, with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” directed at Postecoglou. The manager, who has faced increasing pressure due to a series of disappointing results during the winter months, wanted to set the record straight. He explained that his cupped ear was not meant as a confrontation, but rather as an attempt to get his team’s supporters to recognize his commitment and passion for the club.

While Postecoglou’s decision to take off Bergvall might have been contentious, he remained resolute in his efforts to rally his players and supporters amid a challenging period for the team.

When Sarr marked his 64th-minute arrival with a long-range strike, it sparked a subdued reaction from Postecoglou.

“Jesus mate, it’s incredible how things get interpreted,” Postecoglou explained, “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.”

Asked if he was in danger of alienating the fanbase with a celebration like that, Postecoglou reflected: “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.”

Postecoglou went on to express his bemusement with VAR in a string of interviews, telling Sky Sports “it’s killing the game” before he continued his grievances with technology in his press conference.

“It’s killing the game, it’s not the same game it used to be,” Postecoglou started.

“How long did it take tonight? Six minutes. For a clear and obvious error. Like whether it is a foul or not, who cares if it is a foul or not. There are so many incidents that are very similar out there, but now they are saying, ‘this one is a goal’.