Mathys Tel footage reveals bad look for Tottenham after controversy
Tottenham Hotspur suffered yet another new low when they were beaten by Fulham for their 15th Premier League defeat of the season.
The loss to Marco Silva’s Fulham at Craven Cottage (16 March) saw some supporters reach breaking point, as Ange Postecoglou and members of his squad were caught up in discourse with disgruntled travelling fans after the final whistle.
Mathys Tel took it upon himself to pacify the Tottenham crowd in South-West London, which has sparked debate among fellow fans and the media alike.
Tottenham fan rows with Postecoglou ‘not a good look’ says Darke
The general consensus is that if one player was going to have to have a brief but brutally honest chat with the Tottenham supporters, it should never have had to be Tel.
The 19-year-old forward is firstly on loan, secondly only been a Spurs player for a matter of weeks, and lastly shows up the senior leadership group in the dressing room.
TV commentator and football analysis expert Ian Darke has admitted it is “not a good look” that Postecoglou should again find himself reacting to fan comments at stadiums, nor that Tel felt he had to be the man to attempt to diffuse the hostility – labelling Spurs a “flaky” side.
“I think it’s a concern, but the Spurs fans are probably right to feel frustrated about how uncompetitive they’ve been,” Darke exclusively told Tottenham News.
“They’ve got no chance at all of Europe via their league position, so you can understand things like that happening – it being Tel feeling like he has to speak to the fans is not a good look, though, is it?
“They’re flaky – that’s the word that comes to mind.”
Europa League triumph will bring forgiveness
Postecoglou knows the Europa League is his one saving grace, and Daniel Levy is likely to be feeling exactly the same.
Levy has been unafraid to pull the trigger on several high-calibre managers down the years, and Postecoglou will be no exception – he has probably even been given more lenience than many of his predecessors under the current chairman.
Tottenham are into the last eight of the secondary European competition, and face a quarter-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt after their 3-2 aggregate victory over AZ Alkmaar.
| Europa League quarter-final ties |
| TOTTENHAM v Eintracht Frankfurt |
| Lyon v Manchester United |
| Rangers v Athletic Club (Bilbao) |
| Bodo/Glimt v Lazio |
Spurs look destined to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time since 2007-08 – incidentally the last season which ended with silverware.
Fans of the Lilywhites currently consumed with anger and frustration at their side would soon forgive Postecoglou if he can deliver the goods in Bilbao come May.