Postecoglou Addresses Bentancur Appeal, Team Progress, and Manchester City Match

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou addressed reporters ahead of the Premier League fixture against Manchester City on Saturday, scheduled for a 17:30 GMT kick-off. The following are the main points from his press conference: Defender Cristian Romero will be unavailable for the upcoming match, though Tottenham anticipates his return next week. Postecoglou also stated: “The ones who were out before that are still out.” Regarding Rodrigo Bentancur, Postecoglou stated that the player “accepted all along that he is going to take any penalty that comes his way” concerning his racial slur directed at Son Heung-min. Postecoglou confirmed the club’s intention to support Bentancur throughout this process and “get him ready to contribute.” Addressing Tottenham’s appeal against the seven-match ban issued to the Uruguay midfielder, Postecoglou commented: “We believe the [ban] was a little bit harsh. We’ve appealed against that which we believe is our right if you look at the whole process. If you look at it, it’s already at the low end of the scale.” He further elaborated: “I get that people want to burn people at the stake these days, but as I keep saying, part of this process – if you want a real sort of education – is to understand. When somebody makes a mistake and they pay a penalty, part of that is education and hopefully treating him in a way that people see is the way forward.” Postecoglou confirmed that Spurs would “accept” the ban should their appeal prove unsuccessful. He also remarked: “Whether it is Rodrigo or anyone else, I’m old enough in life, I’ve made bigger mistakes than that, but I was allowed to learn from it. Hopefully, I’m a better human being because of that.” Addressing the club’s current position and his future ambitions for the team, Postecoglou stated: “It’s kind of mixed. We’re definitely a better side than last year. [That is what] you are looking for first, to progress as a football team. Within that context, a lot of our players are also developing more but obviously the results haven’t reflected that which is a major part. You want to improve your standing within the game and our results haven’t reflected that. I’m still bullish and positive about our progress as a team. We’ve just got to push on now to get that consistency.” Regarding the challenging away fixture at Etihad Stadium, he commented: “It’s always tough. You’re playing City at their place [and they have] got a pretty imposing record there. Our four losses have been away from home. It’s always a great test, great challenge for us, for sure, to go there and disrupt things again and hopefully put some pressure on them. But we know it’s never an easy task.” Concerning the two-year contract extension for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Postecoglou remarked: “It’s great that Pep has signed. It’s fantastic for the Premier League and keeps setting the standard which is great for all of us trying to mow him down. He’s maintained a ridiculous level of excellence. The way his team plays they’re always challenging every opponent they face and his energy to maintain that for so long has been outstanding. The indication that he has re-signed means there’s more to come.” Further updates from Friday’s Premier League news conferences and other football news throughout the day are available. Live commentary of the Manchester City versus Tottenham match will be broadcast from 17:30 GMT on Saturday via BBC Radio 5 Live.