Referees no longer in control, says Ange Postecoglou after Spurs v Chelsea chaos

Ange Postecoglou expressed his belief that there will be numerous more unpredictable and eventful nights like the one in which Tottenham lost their Premier League unbeaten run to Chelsea. He attributes this trend to the referees no longer being in control of the games.

The head coach of Tottenham also emphasized that managers themselves are to blame for the controversies and delays caused by VAR.

Tottenham had two players, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, sent off, and there were five goals disallowed, resulting in a total of 21 extra minutes played during the match. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson scored a hat-trick in their 4-1 victory.

“You can’t convince me that the referees are in control of the games because they’re not; someone else is in control,” said Postecoglou. “I guarantee the next step will be to have referees mic’d up and explaining their decisions.

“There will be a detailed analysis of each decision made out there. I think that’s where the game is heading, and I don’t like it. Maybe some people enjoy all the standing around we did today, but I’d rather see us playing football.

“You have to accept the referee’s decision, that’s how I was brought up. This constant erosion of the referee’s authority is leading the game to a point where they will have no authority left. We will be under the control of someone with a TV screen miles away.

“The decision is final. In my 26 years of coaching, I’ve experienced plenty of bad decisions and had plenty go in my favor. It is what it is.”

When asked about managers coming together to address referee standards and VAR, Postecoglou redirected the focus back to the managers.

“Premier League managers should solely manage their football clubs,” said Postecoglou. “I will never discuss officiating with the referee. We try to find ways to manipulate and work around the rules. We are not the ones who should be involved.”

In addition to the two red cards, Tottenham also suffered injuries to Micky van de Ven and James Maddison during the match.

Postecoglou admitted that Van de Ven’s hamstring injury seems serious and will likely keep him out for an extended period. Regarding Maddison, he said: “He took a knock on the ankle, and since we were already down a man, it made sense to make a couple of changes at that point.”

Tottenham maintained a high defensive line throughout the game, even with nine men, and were eventually punished as Jackson scored a hat-trick in the second half after Cole Palmer equalized Dejan Kulusevksi’s opener from the penalty spot in the first half.

Postecoglou defended his approach by stating: “It’s just who we are, mate. It’s who we are and who we will be as long as I’m here. If we are reduced to five men, we will still give it a go.”

Pochettino: Chelsea deserves credit

The victory allowed Pochettino to make a successful return to Tottenham, and he expressed his satisfaction with the result, despite his team facing the challenge of playing against nine men and almost conceding an equalizer before securing the win.

“We won and deserved it,” said Pochettino. “The technology is available, and we need to accept it. Many things occur on the pitch that need to be verified and checked.

“Look at the game between Tottenham and Liverpool here, Tottenham won in the last minute. I believe we deserve credit. Tottenham is performing exceptionally well, but tonight, I think we were the better team.”

Regarding Jackson’s hat-trick, Pochettino added: “It’s an amazing achievement for him and crucial in terms of building confidence.

“In the end, we deserved to win 4-1 and secure the three points. It’s significant because the next game against Manchester City is crucial.

“Right from the start, we didn’t have the complete squad. We need to continue building this momentum, and on Sunday, we have another opportunity to demonstrate that we are on the right track.”

Jackson stated: “I am incredibly happy, and it has been a difficult time for everyone in the team. We are slowly making a comeback, and I am thrilled to have scored three goals. It’s my first hat-trick, so I am delighted to have achieved it with the biggest club in England.

“I always strive to improve and work harder. We will continue working hard. Tottenham has an amazing stadium and incredible fans, so we had to fight and win the game.

“It was quite challenging as they maintained their defensive line. We have quality players who can provide us with the ball, and we won. We dreamt of winning big games, and confidence within the team is gradually growing.”

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