Ange Postecoglou has expressed his frustration with Pedro Porro after the right-back put Fraser Forster under pressure during Tottenham’s 1-1 draw against Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday.
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Spurs had been trailing 1-0 after Hamza Igamane’s second-half goal, but Dejan Kulusevski’s equalizer salvaged a point for the Premier League side with 15 minutes remaining.
Porro, who was caught out of position for Rangers’ goal, was seen speaking with Postecoglou on the pitch after the final whistle.
The Spurs manager revealed that his criticism was aimed at a back-pass Porro made in injury time, which put Forster in a dangerous situation as Rangers searched for a winner.
“Just feedback,” Postecoglou said when asked what he told Porro. “He played a volley back to Fraser in the 92nd minute, which put him under pressure.
Fraser was outstanding, and you don’t want to put a teammate in that position.”
Postecoglou explained that such moments of poor decision-making were vital to address, particularly after Spurs had fought hard to equalize.
“In moments like these, we need to stay calm and clear-headed. We worked so hard to get back into the game, so why jeopardize it with unnecessary mistakes?” he added.
The manager also addressed Antonio Conte’s infamous outburst in March 2023, after Spurs let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-3 draw against Southampton.
Postecoglou acknowledged the frustration behind Conte’s rant, suggesting that, while the method was controversial, it was an attempt to provoke a response from the players.
“Antonio is a world-class manager, and when managers reach that point, they’re trying to get a reaction,” Postecoglou said.
“In tough moments, you want action, not inaction. He was trying to make an impact, and we’ve all been there as managers, looking to send a message.”
