Ange Postecoglou receives support after controversial Tottenham atmosphere comment
Alasdair Gold has come to the defence of Ange Postecoglou after the Tottenham head coach’s comments about the atmosphere that the Spurs fans created against Bournemouth on Sunday attracted criticism, and the journalist has suggested how things can change.
The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday left a lot to be desired, which is perhaps to be expected in what was essentially a dead-rubber game. Not only that, but Spurs also struggled to get going for large parts.
Ange Postecoglou admitted his Tottenham players need the support of the fans against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, with the comment not going down well among some quarters on social media.
Alasdair Gold weighs in on ‘flat as a pancake’ atmosphere
Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has confirmed that the atmosphere at the stadium on Sunday was far from inspiring, but he suggested that it is up to the team to deliver the kind of displays that would get the supporters excited.
The journalist insisted that Postecoglou was merely stating a fact when he discussed the atmosphere but remarked that it was perhaps not the right time to mention it, given the poor showing that his side delivered against the Cherries.
Gold wrote: “It’s a chicken and egg scenario when it comes to the atmosphere within a ground. The team must give the fans something to cheer about but also the supporters, by their very name, must play their part as a 12th man in home games.
“Yet the Tottenham supporters have been beaten down this season, especially at home. Spurs might have won three and drawn one of their past five Premier League games, but at home, they have won just once in their past 10 matches in the competition.
“Fans who pay such high season ticket prices deserve better. They are shelling out so much money every match for a club that has brought them nothing silver and shiny to cheer about for decades.
“All of the above contributed to an atmosphere that was as flat as a pancake on Sunday and when the senior players were needed in the first half to inspire, instead they shrank like wilting flowers.
“Ange Postecoglou was stating a fact, at 2-0 down the atmosphere was understandably down in the dumps within the stadium, but as an under-fire manager, it’s better to just veer away from that entirely.
“By all means at Wednesday’s press conference, call for the crowd to give everything they’ve got ahead of the return leg against AZ, but don’t mention it all got very quiet after another ropey showing at home from the team you’re responsible for.
“Mentioning it in his press conference on Sunday only invited further questions from the media about the anxious atmosphere and whether it needs to be different in midweek.”
What can Tottenham do to change the feeling around the club?
Gold suggested that rather than talking about it publicly, the best way for the team to get the supporters onside on Thursday is by giving fans something to believe in.
The journalist opined that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can become a ‘cauldron of noise’ if the fans believe that the team can deliver something special this season.
He added: “Just mentioning the crowd though will get people’s backs up. Some of those who have shelled out their hard-earned money for those expensive tickets will be furious as will some who have not.
“Social media was full of angry responses to the mere mention of the crowd, although perhaps many of those same fans have also bemoaned poor atmospheres at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium themselves this season for what they see as “too many tourists” not creating a noise.
“Again, it’s the chicken and the egg scenario. In Europe’s major leagues, particularly in La Liga, some of the fans of bigger clubs look to be entertained rather than push their side on from the off, while in British and German football for instance there’s more of a sense of creating a cauldron of noise.
“Regardless of which you believe is the right way, there’s no denying that winning, good football and a good feeling help foster something to believe in. That’s what Postecoglou’s side have to give the fans again.”
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