Ange Postecoglou true feelings about Tottenham red card revealed as Radu Dragusin moment spotted
Ange Postecoglou looked far from pleased with Radu Dragusin after he was given his marching orders during Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Qarabag. The 22-year-old defender was shown a red card just minutes into the Lilywhites' opening match of the new-look Europa league campaign.
Juninho pounced on Dragusin's loose touch and, as the 27-year-old striker beelined towards goal, he was brought down. As the last man, the Romania international was dismissed, forcing Spurs to play the remainder of the tie with just 10-men.
As he departed the field with his head in his hands, Postecoglou couldn't hide his frustration, shaking his head and avoiding eye contact before offering a handshake. The Tottenham boss rejigged his backline a few moments later, replacing Lucas Bergvall with Destiny Udogie.
Ironically, Spurs broke the deadlock just seconds later, with Dominic Solanke teeing up Brennan Johnson, who netted the 50th goal of his career. While the Tottenham boss may have been disappointed with Dragusin in the heat of the moment, the defender appears to be central to his plans this season.
Speaking to SPURSPLAY following the Lilywhites' 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St. James' Park earlier this month, Postecoglou heaped praise on the Romanian. He said: "He did well. It’s a unique challenge here, the crowd create a strong atmosphere, and I thought he handled it well.
"They’ve got some threats up front, particularly Isak with his pace, and a couple of times he handled that really well. Overall, it’s great experience for him, still only 22, and he’s going to play a big part in our season. Getting through that will stand him in good stead."
READ MORE: Gary Neville suggests radical rule change that would impact Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs
READ MORE: Man City's 130 charges list in full as Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs await final verdict
Then, speaking to reporters in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou added: "I thought he was good. It was a great opportunity to expose him. I mean, he's only 22. He's still a young man, especially for a defender and I thought exposing him to this atmosphere and the threat.
"The particular threat that Newcastle posed with Isak up front, he had to be really concentrated, and I thought he was. I think he's going to play a big part in our season. Him coming through that, that whole experience, will set him up well."