Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou questions fine over Mohammed Kudus, Micky van de Ven bust-up

Staff Writers

AAP

2 Min Read

23 hours ago

Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United clashes with Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur. Credit: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Tottenham have been fined $A39,000 after they accepted a Football Association charge following a melee between their players and West Ham’s towards the end of Saturday’s 4-1 English Premier League win.

But Ange Postecoglou, their Australian head coach said: “I’m not really sure what we did wrong”.

Mohammed Kudus’ foul on Micky van de Ven in the 82nd minute sparked a coming-together, with the Hammers attacker subsequently sent off after he shoved both Van de Ven and Pape Sarr in the face.

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Spurs, along with West Ham, were charged by the FA on Tuesday with failing to “ensure their players did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way”, and the north London club have accepted the charge, along with the fine of £20,000 ($A39,000).

Speaking later on Wednesday, Postecoglou said: “That sort of incident with Kudus, apart from that I don’t think it was that feisty a game, I don’t think there were too many cards outside that.

“I’m not really sure what we did wrong. Yeah, there was a coming together, but a couple of our players had hit the deck by then so you would like to think we would go in and at least protect.

“I thought our players controlled themselves, obviously the FA felt differently.

“I didn’t feel there was anything edgy in that game at all. Just a player who lost his composure for a second, Kudus, which I think is not really like him anyways when I’ve seen him as a player, but it happens.

“For the most part, I thought there was a fair bit of restraint. If there was anything more, there is plenty of video evidence to charge players with. I guess the look of it is not great but I don’t think it was anything untoward.”

Spurs will be without captain Son Heung-min for Thursday’s Europa League visit of Dutchside AZ Alkmaar after he missed training on Wednesday due to muscle soreness.

Richarlison is expected to make his first start of the season after a longstanding calf issue, but fit-again Wilson Odobert will likely have to settle for a place on the bench.