Ange Postecoglou says there's a 'national campaign' when decisions go against Liverpool as Tottenham boss opens up on 'unique challenge' at Spurs

Postecoglou has claimed that he is the only voice defending Spurs in what appeared to be a dig at former players turned pundits, such as the likes of Jamie Redknapp and Jamie O'Hara. He drew a comparison with Liverpool, whom he believes receive preferential treatment in the media.

During Spurs' defeat to Chelsea in midweek, Postecoglou cupped his ear towards the away end at Stamford Bridge after Pape Sarr scored from range. That goal, however, was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check, and the manager believes the reaction to his gesture has been overly dramatic. Nevertheless, Tottenham's latest defeat leaves them 14th, level on points with 16th-placed West Ham.

Postecoglou told reporters: “I think in the time I’ve been here, we’ve had two decisions that have gone for us against Liverpool and there has been a national campaign, almost.

“It seems like every fight ends up being an internal fight at this club. There’s never any sort of defending of the club or the club defending itself. That’s a unique challenge, but I accepted that challenge so I’ve got to try to find a way to overcome it.”

Asked to clarify how Spurs can defend themselves, he replied:  “By being more vocal. I hope not [just the manager]. I think you hear enough from me, you probably hear too much from me, to be honest.

“It doesn’t have to be just from people at the club. I hear plenty of people talking and defending other clubs but it seems, with Tottenham, wherever there’s a sore there’s a real pile-on to sort of stick a finger in that sore and then we kind of accept our fate.

“You guys know the landscape better than I do, but it seems like…I never switch it [the television] on and hear any sort of strong voice. The only voice you hear is me. When we’re talking about the bigger clubs, there seems to be a lot more voices. And not always defending. You need scrutiny and constructive criticism as well. We definitely get enough of that! But we never get any of the other stuff.

“I think the fact that out of last night the big story is my interaction with the fans and not the fact a game of football was materially changed by technology. VAR said ‘clear and obvious’. Six minutes for clear and obvious and I’d have thought that would be the story from last night, but it’s not. Again, it’s my interaction with the fans and how I’ve made things more difficult. You kind of go ‘OK, well, that’s the challenge we face.’”

Spurs play Southampton on Sunday before their vital Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.