Tottenham Hotspur manager has taken a jibe at English media during a pre-match press conference on Friday (Mar 15). Spurs, set to play Fulham in an important London derby on Saturday could go fourth with a win at Craven Cottage. Ahead of the match, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou defended the team’s loyal supporters after a reporter labeled them “plastic” and “touristy” during the press conference.
Postecoglou responds to plastic and touristy claims
Responding to fans who travel the globe to watch his Spurs side in action being labeled as ‘plastic’, Postecoglou said: “See, that’s really harsh. I’ll tell you why, because I’m probably plastic and touristy because I come from the other side of the world and am really passionate about football.
“If I could get access to see a Premier League game, that was the world to me. To label people ‘plastic’ or ‘tourists’, I don’t think that’s very fair. Just because they live on the other side of the world.
“This football club has supporters all over the world that don’t always get access to the games and I think we should always have the ability to accommodate them. It doesn’t make them any less passionate. I think it’s really disrespectful to call fans [plastic], who are willing to go to the expense of coming half way around the world, you don’t know how passionate they are.”
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The answer left the journalist red-faced as Spurs look to take advantage of their early kickoff on Saturday, a win against Fulham will see them leapfrog fourth placed Aston Villa, who play on Sunday. Postecoglou’s side will also go within eight points of league leaders Arsenal with them not in action this weekend.
Race for Champions League football
The North London side will also open a nine-point gap over sixth place Manchester United, meaning they will take a significant advantage in the race to qualify for next season’s expanded Champions League. Aston Villa’s failure to win against West Ham in their match will result in Spurs heading into the international break in the top four.
Postecoglou’s side will have a tough run in the final phase of the Premier League season when they take on Arsenal (home), Manchester City (home) and Liverpool (away). The Lillywhites also face Chelsea in a rearranged game during the tough run. While winning all those games will be a tough task in hand, if Spurs somehow prevail and win all those they could also be part of an unlikely title race ahead of the “Big Three” in the Premier League.
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