Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Sport football news reporter, at Stamford Bridge
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is looking more isolated than ever. The Australian directed a brief clap towards the furious travelling away fans from near the halfway line following his side's 1-0 loss at Chelsea but, by then, it could be argued the damage had already been done. Enzo Fernandez's second-half header was enough to inflict a 16th defeat of the season on Tottenham and leave them 14th in the Premier League - 10 points away from the top 10 - and the signs are growing the fans have had enough. Chants of "you don't know what you're doing" came from the away end after midfielder Lucas Bergvall was replaced by Pape Sarr in the 65th minute. Remarkably, Sarr found the net with an excellent long-range strike just four minutes later, leading Postecoglou to cup his ear and turn to the away end, only for VAR to then rule out the goal for a foul on Moises Caicedo. When asked about the incident after the match, Postecoglou said: "Jeez mate, it's incredible how things get interpreted. We'd just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we'd been through a tough time, and I thought it was a cracking goal. "I wanted them to get really excited. I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side]. It doesn't bother me. It's not the first time they've booed my substitutions or my decisions. That's fine, they're allowed to do that. "But we'd just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement. If people want to read into that that somehow I'm trying to make a point about something, like I said, we'd been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there. "If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them." It's just the latest in a season of incidents between Postecoglou and sections of the fanbase. There was the recent exchange with an angry supporter after defeat by Fulham just before the international break, another similar back and forth happened after defeat at home to Leicester and he confronted the away end after they criticised players after losing at Bournemouth in December. He added when asked if he was alienating the fans: "You know what, I am at such a disconnect with the world these days, that who knows? Maybe you're right. I don't know. But that's not what my intention was." This just compounds the lack of progress on the pitch, especially with almost a full squad of players available, as Spurs look to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp put it plainly when he said on Sky Sports: "Tottenham were awful. It could have been so much more. Not good enough in any department from Tottenham. Chelsea were so much better. "When Sarr scored, it looked like Ange cupped his ears to say: I know better. There's a disconnect between the two [Tottenham fans and Ange Postecoglou] at the moment. "It's not ideal for the manager. He's got some big games ahead. He's got to keep his head up, got to keep going, working hard and believing in what they do."
Are Spurs heading for worst Premier League season ever?
Tottenham's lowest Premier League finish remains 15th in 1994 under manager Ossie Ardiles - when survival was only ensured in their penultimate match.
They have now lost 16 league games this season - their record in a 20-team league is 19, set in 2003-04.
Since the Premier League's inception in 1992, only six times have Spurs lost 16 or more league matches in a campaign.
Spurs' lowest points tally in a Premier League season - and in fact since three points for a win was introduced in 1981 - is 44. They need 11 points from their final eight games to pass that tally.
With 16 defeats in 30 matches, Spurs' loss percentage this season is 53% - and they haven't lost more than half of their league matches over a whole season since 1934-35. They lost exactly half of their league matches in 1953-94, 1974-75, 1976-77 - when they were relegated - and 2003-04.
Postecoglou has only won 44 points from his past 39 league matches in charge - stretching back over the end of last season.
Postecoglou's future under threat?
'It's killing the game, mate' - VAR upsets Postecoglou
On another night, Postecoglou's post-match rant about VAR would have taken the headlines. On Thursday, it was a footnote. Tottenham thought they had equalised when Sarr struck home from distance. The celebrations followed but were cut short as VAR checked for a possible foul. After a lengthy delay, the goal was ruled out. Postecoglou told BBC Radio 5 Live he "hated VAR to his core", that there was no point in having referees - and that there would soon be AI officials. Postecoglou, who has often criticised VAR, become embroiled in a lively post-match interview with Sky Sports. Here is what he said in full: "It's killing the game, mate. It's not the same game it used to be. "We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV [when Everton's James Tarkowski was not sent off for a high challenge on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister] and I guarantee you if Jarred Gillett was VAR last night, it would've been a different outcome, so you just don't know what we're going to get. "You are standing around for 12 minutes. It's just killing the game, but no-one cares about that. They just love the drama and controversy and I'm sure there will be 24 hours of discussion about it and that's what everyone wants - they're not really interested that it's killing the spectacle of the game. "If a referee sees that and he needs to see it for six minutes, what's clear and obvious about it? "Last night we were all sat on our couches and saw one replay and thought: 'Oh my God.' "Tonight we sat there and were waiting for six minutes for something that VAR official Jarred Gillett thought was clear and obvious - it's crazy, it's madness.
"We accept it and have to take the fall out from it. Clear and obvious? What does that suggest? That it's on the first replay. That's why the game is going the way it is."
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