Ange Postecoglou fumes at media for turning Tottenham ‘gold into crap’

Ange Postecoglou didn’t hold back after Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Southampton, firing a dig at the media for constantly dragging the club’s name through the mud. In his words, they’re turning “gold into crap” — and it’s clear he’s had enough.

Without a doubt, it’s been a frustrating season for Tottenham Hotspur. Moments to cheer have been few and far between, with the Lilywhites losing 16 of their 31 Premier League games so far.

On Sunday, though, they finally snapped their winless run after four games without victory, sealing a much-needed 3-1 win over already-relegated Southampton.

A brace from Brennan Johnson and a late penalty from Mathys Tel got the job done, but as is often the case with Spurs, the story didn’t end there.

Ange Postecoglou slams media for negative Tottenham coverage despite Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel goals

Ange Postecoglou took issue with how the media portrayed the post-match events — and he wasn’t subtle about it. According to the boss, the press seem hellbent on painting the club in a bad light, regardless of the result.

It all stemmed from the penalty incident. Johnson had won the spot-kick late on, but instead of stepping up himself, Tel — still searching for his first Premier League goal since arriving from Bayern — took the ball and converted.

Speaking to football.london, when asked about the incident, Postecoglou didn’t mince words: “We scored, we won. Delighted. It’s incredible. It’s the one bit. Literally turning gold into crap when it’s Tottenham.

“If we’re 2-1 up and we get a penalty late on, I want our best penalty taker to take it. I just think we’re in that position now where even the good stuff we do is going to be turned into a glass half-empty rhetoric.”

Cristian Romero’s role in the penalty incident has since come to light, with the Argentine defender handing Tel the ball before giving Johnson a hug — a quiet show of leadership that helped avoid any unnecessary drama.

Spurs’ penalty decision shows growth as Mathys Tel opens account

At the end of the day, it’s a net positive for Spurs, who now have another forward full of confidence heading into their Europa League tie. For Tel, that goal will no doubt be a weight off his shoulders, as his Tottenham career has been slow to get going.

There really shouldn’t be any ruining of what was a genuinely nice moment between the players.

Johnson later explained why he let Tel take the penalty, saying he didn’t want a toss-up over the decision to rattle anyone. “It’s only normal for me to want to take the penalty. There’s only a certain amount of talking to do before it gets quite messy.

“I’ve been in the situation before when I’ve had people wanting to take the ball off me and it kind of unsettles you a little bit. I knew the game was pretty much done but still, I didn’t want to unsettle anyone or start any disagreements. So, once the decision was made, I just had to get on with it.”

• READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou provides perfect Tottenham injury news ahead of Europa League quarter-final

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