Ange Postecoglou questions new VAR change before Tottenham face Liverpool
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Ange Postecoglou insists he is no fan of VAR decisions being announced inside stadiums for this week's Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Tottenham head coach did not expand on his frustrated outburst over a controversial handball non-decision during last Saturday's defeat to Newcastle when previewing Wednesday night's first leg clash against Liverpool. But Postecoglou does not feel communicating decisions to supporters as they happen will be a success.
"Do I welcome it? No," he said. "If they'd shown the handball at the weekend would our supporters have been happy?. "I have to accept this is the way forward, accept I have to be a part of it. But it shouldn't surprise anyone if I'm not a cheerleader for those kind of things.".
Postecoglou repeated the same answer six times, saying “if all things were equal”, and blew his top on the touchline after referee Andy Madley did not give a handball against Newcastle’s Joelinton in the build-up to Anthony Gordon’s equaliser at the weekend.
Newcastle defender Dan Burn also escaped a second yellow card despite the ball striking his arm at another stage of the match. Postecoglou said afterwards that he was “the angriest he has ever been” after the defeat and went on a remarkable rant while being interviewed by Match of the Day.
He was given a chance to clarify his comments and whether they were aimed at referee Madley or the situation his club is facing because of an injury crisis at Tottenham. But he has refused to provide any clarity. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky is available to make his debut against Liverpool having signed in a £12.5m deal from Slavia Prague at the weekend and Rodrigo Bentancur is back from suspension. But Postecoglou will still be without up to 10 first-team players with none of his injured stars set to return - though Mikey Moore is closest and Richarlison could come back next week.
