Ange Postecoglou hits back at Spurs fans after Bergvall booed

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has hit back at fans who booed him after he withdrew Lucas Bergvall during Wednesday’s EFL Cup win over Coventry.

Spurs scored twice more in the closing stages to win 2-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena, with Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson securing a place in the next round after Brandon Thomas-Asante had put the home side ahead.

There is a strong argument to be made that Spurs did not deserve the win, however. Coventry outscored them that night in shots (15-9), shots on target (5-4), big chances (3-2) and xG (1.73-1.14).

One player who did stand out was Bergvall. The 18-year-old – who joined from Djurgarden in his native Sweden this summer – completed 27 of 31 passes attempted and created one chance, while also playing three passes into the final third.

Bergvall appeared calm under pressure, receiving the ball in tight spaces and staying out of trouble, and he contributed defensively with two tackles, five possessions and one interception.

The teenager was taken off in the 62nd minute and replaced by James Maddison, but some of the travelling Spurs fans did not react well to the decision, and they paid the price when Postecoglou decided to take off a player who was clearly adding quality to the game.

Postecoglou hits back at Spurs fans after Bergvall booed

However, Postecoglou has responded to those supporters, stressing the importance of building up Bergvall’s fitness and avoiding putting further pressure on a team that has suffered greatly from injuries during his time in the dugout.

“I don’t make changes based on polls, mate,” Postecoglou replied when asked about the decision by reporters after the match (via Football.London).

“I’m sure the fans will have their own opinions but Lucas, this is his first significant game in a long time. What I didn’t want to do was push any guys over the edge today, that’s why we took Destiny (Udogie) off at half-time as well,” said the Spurs manager.

“We’ve had a few injuries and I’ve had some pretty good players on the bench that I thought could make an impact, but that doesn’t take anything away from Lucas’ performance. I thought he was excellent tonight. They’re going to play a lot of football for us and hopefully they come through tonight, whether it’s 90 minutes for Archie or 60, 70 for Lucas, then they’ll be in a good position.”

Top photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images