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The manager of Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou, downplayed his intense argument with the Bournemouth coaches on the sidelines towards the end of an exciting 3-1 victory at home.
Pape Sarr, Son Heung-min, and Richarlison all scored goals to lead fifth-ranked Tottenham to their fourth win in the last five games. This places them just three points behind first-place Liverpool in the 2024 Premier League standings.
The intense competition between the two teams nearly resulted in a physical altercation as the match neared its end. Tottenham’s young substitute, Alejo Veliz, appeared to injure his knee and despite trying to continue playing, he was advised by Postecoglou and his team to remain on the ground for medical attention.
Postecoglou and Bournemouth’s first-team coach, Shaun Cooper, had a heated exchange of words during stoppage time. This led to a commotion on the touchline, causing referee Stuart Hooper to book both coaches and Spurs player Giovani Lo Celso.
Postecoglou made a humorous remark, stating that they were simply exchanging well wishes for the new year.
“That’s okay. There was just a bit of intensity in the game. My main focus was on Alejo because we were trying to sub him out, but he wasn’t budging. Short of physically going onto the field to pull him off, he wasn’t going to come off.”
“We were vocally expressing frustration towards him and I believe the Bournemouth staff may have been confused about our intentions, possibly thinking we were attempting to make a substitution. However, we were aware that we did not have any substitutions left and our focus was simply on getting him off the field.”
It’s okay. There was just a slight display of emotion during the game.
Andoni Iraola, the opposing player, was content to dismiss the situation, but hinted that it was a strategic move in the game.
According to Cherries head coach Iraola, it is common for teams to play less and try to stop the game when they are winning.
“It was expected that Veliz would be injured, given the amount of pressure we were putting on them. Despite being ahead 3-1, it was still a dangerous game for them.”
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“When we are in a winning position, we tend to limit our playing and must be willing to accept it.”
“Despite his injury, Veliz is required to take a seat on the bench. We cannot delay as a result of his injury.”
“It was clear that he was injured. Otherwise, he would have continued playing and running, right? Instead, he simply walked to the bench, which is to be expected.”
“He attempted to participate, as it was beneficial for them to keep trying and taking breaks intermittently. This was necessary as we were putting in a lot of effort and sometimes it’s important to strategically pace the game. It is a common occurrence that we must acknowledge.”
Although Postecoglou celebrated a successful end to 2023, Tottenham faced another injury setback as Sarr was forced to leave the game due to a hamstring injury and Veliz also left the field in an emotional state.
Rodrigo Bentancur pleasantly surprised by returning a month earlier than expected from his ankle injury, providing a much-needed boost as Sarr and Yves Bissouma prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations next month and Son participates in the Asian Cup.
Postecoglou stated that Pape is experiencing discomfort in his hamstring and is feeling emotional because he desires to join his national team.
It is unfortunate for him, but I am optimistic that it is not a serious matter and he will still be able to make a positive impact for his country.
“Alejo was experiencing a great deal of discomfort.”
Sarr, previously known as Twitter, later mentioned that his injury was not as severe as originally thought and that he will be able to participate in Senegal’s duties next month.
He stated (in French): “More apprehension than damage, I’ll see you at CAN!”
Regarding Bentancur’s comeback, Postecoglou expressed, “I was impressed with his performance today. Aside from the victory, it was particularly satisfying to see him play for 60 minutes and know that he will continue to be a valuable asset for us going forward.”
The source of this information is from independent.co.uk.
