Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou ranted about how much football has changed over the past five decades after his side’s League Cup semi-final first-leg clash against Liverpool.
Spurs drew first blood in the heated contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Lucas Bergvall’s 86th-minute strike snatching an unexpected 1-0 victory.
The game was marred by VAR controversies. Some pundits argued that Bergvall should not have been on the pitch to score the winner just a minute after a reckless tackle on Konstantinos Tsimikas.
The Swedish talent was already on a yellow card and could have been sent off for a second booking before his sweeping strike, although Postecoglou disagreed with that notion.
Referee Stuart Atwell played advantage and didn’t see the need to book Bergvall following that phase of play as he did not think the challenge was reckless enough to warrant a second yellow.
Tottenham Boss Hits Out at VAR Trial
When asked whether his team had been fortunate not to go down to ten men after the tackle, Postecoglou defended the officials’ decision and challenged the narrative around the incident.
“The rule is – and we have been told for quite a while now – that if an advantage gets played and as long as it’s not a cynical tackle, it’s not a yellow card,” Postecoglou said.
“We’ve been screaming for it for the last two months. It’s happened to us consistently – have a look at our games. To me, that was pretty clear. That is the rules, and we abided by them today.”
While the victory gave Spurs a slender advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield, Postecoglou’s post-match comments shifted the focus from the result to the broader implications of technology in football.
Bergvall scored soon after Dominic Solanke thought he had broken the deadlock, but his goal was ruled out for a razor-thin offside, which referee Atwell announced on microphone to the stadium.
Postecoglou was not a fan of the VAR trial. The Australian questioned the rapid evolution of football’s rules and the fact that it’s happening under the noses of those who consider themselves to be custodians of the beautiful game.
“I’m really surprised at how people in this country are so easily letting the game change so much so quickly,” Postecoglou added. “It’s changed more since VAR has come in since I’ve been involved than in the past 50 years.
“We never used to debate offsides, we never used to debate handballs, we never used to debate holding in the box, we never used to debate so many things. I mean, did everyone really love the announcement today? Did that give you a real buzz? I mean, seriously.”
VAR is a Double-Edged Sword for the Betting Industry
One of the major reasons why VAR remains a polarising topic is its perceived role in ensuring fairness.
With football deeply intertwined with the global betting industry, the demand for accuracy in officiating has never been higher.
Spurs have had several decisions go against them this season, much to the anger of their large fan base in Australia, where Postecoglou’s side get plenty of traction from punters.
For most Aussie betting sites, VAR’s role is a double-edged sword. It promises greater accuracy in officiating, which means the world to bettors.
However, it is a nightmare for punters when VAR is involved in controversial decisions or there is an inconsistency in how the tech is applied.
Aussie bettors expect a level playing field. A marginal offside call or a missed yellow card can easily be overlooked, but for those who bet money on games, such incidents can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Several of the best betting sites in Australia now offer special markets on VAR-related outcomes, reflecting how integral the technology has become to the betting experience.
But for these markets to flourish, the integrity of VAR must be bulletproof.
Postecoglou Must Focus on Keeping his Promise of Delivering a Trophy
Postecoglou’s VAR rant took the gloss off a fine result for his team. He needs to focus more on that side of things and ultimately getting his hands on a trophy.
The Aussie tactician believes reporters now mock him whenever he’s asked about his previous assertion that he always wins a trophy in his second season.
Whether that’s true or not, the only way to shut them up is to make good on that promise, and the first-leg result against Liverpool puts him one step closer to maintaining that record.
Given their history, you wouldn’t put it past Spurs to capitulate on the big stage, so the first-leg win means nothing if they don’t back it up at Anfield – which is typically a difficult ground for any team.
However, if they can replicate their first-leg performance on Merseyside, Postecoglou might actually stand a chance of ending Tottenham’s trophy drought.
