Ange Postecoglou: Spurs boss ‘angriest in career’ over Joelinton call in Newcastle defeat | Football News

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou says he was the angriest he has ever been in his career after being left fuming after Newcastle’s controversial equalizer in their 2-1 win at Spurs.

Anthony Gordon’s sixth-minute equalizer for Newcastle came after the ball hit Joelinton’s hand in the build-up, but VAR let the goal stand because “his hand was by his side, in a natural position and the contact was accidental”.

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean agreed with the decision Football Saturday as Joelinton’s alleged handball “did not lead directly to a goal” after the deflection fell to Bruno Guimaraes, who then set up Gordon.

But a furious Postecoglou was “angry” and “disappointed” without directly commenting on Joelinton’s handball call.

Asked at the post-match press conference to comment on the decision to allow Gordon’s equaliser, Postecoglou replied: “No, because I know what everyone wants me to say, but all I’m going to say is that any other day, on A fair and even game, we would have won this game.

“And don’t keep asking me about the decision. If you don’t have an opinion on it, that’s fine. I know what my opinion is and, like I said, if it was a different day and it was an even and fair playing field, we would have won this the game”.

He added: “Considering everything we’ve had to go through and the situation we’re in at the moment, to put in a performance like that, I take my hat off to the players. I thought they were excellent.

“I’m very, very angry, as angry as I’ve ever been in my career, that they were denied the proper rewards for a fantastic performance.”

Asked to clarify if he was angry with the referee, he replied: “I know you just want me to say something, but I won’t. I think it’s clear. Whether people agree with me or not, you think it wasn’t It’s not handball or it was random or whatever, I just don’t care about any of this discussion.

“What I’m saying is that any day, with a fair and even playing field and logical thought processes, we would have won this game. That’s it. You can make what you want out of it. I don’t know what else to say about it.”

The Australian believed his injury-hit side, also hit by an illness problem in the build-up to the match, deserved the win as Alexander Isak’s 38th-minute winner for Newcastle made it three defeats in their last four games for Spurs .

“Very proud,” Postecoglou said of the performance. “I’m devastated the boys didn’t get the rewards they deserved because we were outstanding. Our football was excellent against a very good opponent in good form.

“It’s a game we deserved to win and on any other day we would have won.”

He added: “On Thursday we literally had 11 players fit for training but I don’t care about that. What I care about is that the players gave an incredible performance.

“It’s unfair to them, more than anything else, not to get the rewards they deserve today.”

He also added: “The only thing that stopped us in our tracks was not football.”

Howe: Gordon’s goal right to be given

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe admitted the ball hit Joelinton’s hand but Gordon’s goal was right to be allowed.

He said of the incident in his post-match press conference: “I can’t sit here and lie and say I haven’t seen it, because I have.

“He definitely hit Joelinton’s hand – I can give you that too – but I don’t control the referee’s decision.

“I think his hand is down in a natural position. And I think the referee and the VAR have followed the rules and protocols that are there, so that’s why it was given.”

Howe also disagreed with Postecoglou’s view that Spurs deserved to win the game.

He said: “I thought we were dominant in the first half today. I thought it could, and possibly should, have been more in that first half.

“Yes, Tottenham played well in the second half and brought in some quality players and pushed us back a few times.

“But we did enough to get over the line.”