Postecoglou rant: PGMOL ‘abject nonsense’ blasted after Tottenham win – Hackett
Ange Postecoglou was “absolutely correct” to criticise changes being made in football after Tottenham beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Spurs won 1-0 in controversial circumstances as Lucas Bergvall’s late winner came just seconds after the Swede was lucky to escape a second yellow card for a challenge on Kostas Tsimikas.
After the game, Postecoglou said he was shocked at how much the game is being allowed to change in England.
As quoted by Football365, he said: “I think there’s a lot of confusion at the moment. That’s my belief, that the game is changing on the basis of technology, and I’m saying, ‘Why isn’t anyone speaking up about it?’ Especially in this country who, for all intents and purposes, you guys think you’re custodians of the game, you’ve got a song that says. ‘It’s coming home’.
Postecoglou lashes out after Tottenham v Liverpool controversy
“This is your game, and yet it takes an Aussie from the other side of the world to be the one that’s most conservative about changes. I’m happy to just be the lone voice of saying, ‘Just leave the game alone for a bit’.
“Even extra time now, minutes added on, minutes added on here, we never used to talk about these things before. Yet now everything is changing, so that was my [point]. So today, I can see why Arne [Slot] would be very disappointed [with the Bergvall decision]. If that was me, I’d be disappointed as well, but apparently they’re the rules.”
Former PGMOL chief and Premier League referee Hackett completely agrees with what Postecoglou had ot say, saying that the overcomplication of the game is now ruining the spectacle.
“He is absolutely correct in what he is stating,” Hackett told Tottenham News.
“When I introduced communication kits and helped Hawkeye to develop Goal Line Technology, we worked hard to ensure that the technology benefitted officiating decision-making and the game.
“Six years in and I see referees operating in the PGMOL confused and an over-reliance of the people at Stockley Park.
“The lawmakers are tinkering with the laws and adding to the confusion.
“Handball Law – it should lead with the words: for a handball offence to be committed, the handling of the ball has to be deliberate.
“Offside – we had good assistants who were good judges of offside. The laws of the game were never penned to start talking about toenails.
“Now they are experimenting with the goalkeepers around the six-second law. Yes, let’s extend it to eight seconds and if the goalkeeper fails to release it award a corner kick. What abject nonsense.
“Instruct the referees to apply the current law.
“The Spurs manager is spot on. Confusion is at the forefront of some very poor officiating.
“When I promoted the introduction of professional referees it was to improve the standards of officiating
A lack of leadership and direction from the top of the PGMOL is creating more questions than answers.
Officiating in England at the Elite level but it is now in a poor place. And well said that manager.”
In other Tottenham news, Spurs’ new home kit has been leaked – and it’s ghastly.
For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.