Ange Postecoglou sides with Arne Slot over referees – “Why isn’t anyone speaking up?”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou sympathised with Arne Slot after referee Stuart Attwell’s costly decision in his side’s 1-0 win over Liverpool.

In a fairly even game with little quality for the most part, Spurs emerged victorious after Attwell failed to intervene with a second yellow card for match-winner Lucas Bergvall.

Bergvall, who had already been booked, brought down Kostas Tsimikas with a reckless challenge and, with the left-back off the pitch after receiving treatment, went on to score the winner almost immediately after.

• READ: Slot’s brilliant response to VAR trial after Spurs controversy

Liverpool’s argument was that Bergvall should have been dismissed, but with Attwell waving play on with advantage to the visitors, he saw fit to keep the Swede on.

It was a decision which benefited Tottenham, but in his post-match press conference Postecoglou used the situation to bemoan the overall standard of officiating following his own passionate criticism at the weekend.

“My comments [after Spurs’ 2-1 loss to Newcastle], ‘it’s a fair and even playground’, that’s what they’re about. Today it advantaged us,” he told reporters.

“I wasn’t saying there’s a vendetta against me or Tottenham when I spoke last week, that’s not what my comments were about.

“I could be on a lone crusade here, but I’m happy to do that, I’m happy to just be the lone voice saying ‘just leave the game alone for a bit’.

“Even extra time now, minutes added on there. We never used to talk about these things before. Yet now everything’s changed. That was my comment.

“Today, I can see why Arne would be very disappointed. If that was me, I would be disappointed as well. But apparently they’re the rules.”

Postecoglou has been left frustrated with officials since arriving in the Premier League – including drawing ire from Liverpool supporters for his stance after Luis Diaz‘s wrongly disallowed goal at Tottenham last season.

But his message has been largely consistent in that the way the game is refereed is changing more than is required.

“It’s very hard at the moment, it’s very confusing, to understand certain elements of the game,” he continued.

“I’ve been screaming out from the sidelines, because a lot of teams have got away with a lot of fouls with us, without bookings, because the referee plays advantage.

“We’ve been told consistently in the last few weeks, ‘if we play advantage, as long as it’s not a cynical foul, then the player does not get cautioned’.

“So that’s been relayed to us on a weekly basis, because we feel like that’s been happening.

“That was one of the things I was kind of bemoaning last week, there were certain players repeatedly fouling, we were getting advantage but no bookings. That’s what I’m talking about.

“I’m really surprised at how people in this country are so easily letting the game change so much so quickly.

“It’s changed more since VAR has come in, when I’ve been involved, than in the last 50 years.

“We never used to debate offside, we never used to debate handballs, we never used to debate holding in the box. We never used to debate so many things.

“Did everyone really love the announcement today? Did that give you a real buzz? My understanding of it is this is what the people want. That’s what I keep getting told.

“I understand that and I understand VAR is going to be there, technology is going to be a part of life.

“But it’s like with my wife and kids, yeah? We know technology [is there] but she limits screen time. Slow things down.

“We’ve just got to be a bit careful. Why do we want to change the game so much?

“I know I’m going to be the old bloke in the stands who keeps shouting ‘boo’ every time VAR [is used] and I’m going to be the only one, but I just thought people would be a little bit more protective about the sanctity of the game.

“That’s what I was talking about. I wasn’t criticising referees. I don’t think the decision [against Newcastle] was right, but I think there’s a lot of confusion at the moment.

“That’s my belief, that the game is changing on the basis of technology, and I’m saying why isn’t anyone speaking up about it?

“Especially in this country where, for all intents and purposes, if you guys think you’re custodians of the game.

“You’ve got a song that says ‘it’s coming home’, this is your game, yet it takes an Aussie from the other side of the world to be the one that’s most conservative about changes.”