Ange Postecoglou has declared Tottenham undeserving of extra punishment despite the club’s acceptance of an FA charge of failing to control their players during Saturday’s 4-1 win against West Ham.
Spurs have decided to pay a £20,000 fine relating to their part in a bust-up sparked by a challenge by Hammers forward Mohamed Kudus on Micky van de Ven.
Postecoglou admitted that the Dutch defender’s angry reaction, plus the speedy arrival of many of his team-mates, was ‘not a good look’.
But he made it clear he felt that Kudus, who saw an on-field yellow card upgraded to a red on the advice of VAR having been caught on camera putting a hand in Pape Sarr’s face, had been the only aggressor. Both clubs were charged, West Ham have until Thursday to respond.
‘I’m not really sure what we did wrong apart from, yeah, there was a coming together but a couple of our players had hit the deck by then so you would like to think we would go in there and at least protect,’ said Postecoglou, referring to Richarlison who had also come into contact with Kudus.
Ange Postecoglou has declared Tottenham undeserving of FA fine that they have accepted
‘I thought our players controlled themselves but obviously the FA felt differently. I didn’t think there was anything edgy in that game at all – just a player who lost his composure for a second, Kudus.
‘For the most part, I thought there was a fair bit of restraint. I guess the look of it is not great but I don’t think it was anything untoward.’
‘I was obviously a bit mad, I stood up and I pushed him and then the situation happened from his side,’ added van de Ven, who was booked. ‘He literally punched me in the face and I went down.
‘I didn’t really see what happened afterwards. The FA said we need to get fined for this. It is not how I think about it. If I think about, it would be a different situation.’
Son Heung-min will be rested for Thursday night’s Europa League visit of AZ Alkmaar, Van de Ven’s local club, where he was briefly a player as a youngster.
West Ham and Spurs players clashed during Saturday’s Premier League encounter
Postecoglou declared himself to be heavily influenced by the Total Football the Netherlands national team played in the 1970s.
‘People talk about my high line but watch the Dutch in 1974 and you’ll see something even more radical than me,’ he said.’ I’ve got a bit of a way to go.’