League One boss makes grovelling apology after 'embarrassing' Ange Postecoglou swipe
Richie Wellens' comments mocking Ange Postecoglou led to anger from Tottenham fans, who pointed out the club have a close relationship with Leyton Orient and have loaned them two players this season
by Oli Gamp · The MirrorLeyton Orient boss Richie Wellens was forced into a grovelling apology to Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after making a "stupid comment" about the Australian.
Wellens gave a spiky interview after the League One side were beaten 1-0 by Stockport on Saturday and snapped at a reporter after being asked if the team's injury problems were to blame for their defeat. He said: "I'm not Ange Postecoglou, keep using it as an excuse."
The 63-year-old has seen Spurs suffer a crippling injury crisis with half of his squad wiped out in recent months. Tottenham have since plummeted to 16th in the Premier League table and Postecoglou has repeatedly insisted they will recover once more fit players return.
Wellens' comments led to anger from Tottenham fans, who pointed out the club have a close relationship with Leyton Orient and often loan them players.
This season, Spurs youngsters Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley are with the O's and Wellens quickly apologised, saying he was "deeply embarrassed" about his choice of words.
He said: "After today's game, I was asked about the injuries within our squad and, without thinking, I made a stupid comment about Tottenham Hotspur.
"That comment was brought to my attention later in the evening and, having watched my interview back, I am deeply embarrassed and regret what I said.
"At Leyton Orient, we have a strong relationship with Tottenham Hotspur and it was never my intention to say anything that would jeopardise that. Their manager, Ange Postecoglou, is a world-class coach and I want to apologise for my comments and wish Spurs all the very best for the second half of the season."
Postecoglou recently rued Tottenham's injury crisis again after welcoming back Mickey van de Ven from a long-term absence, only to lose Radu Dragusin to a knee problem.
"Every time I’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel it’s usually been an oncoming train," he said. "We seem to be losing players as we get them back. We obviously tried to shield Radu last night, because he had played a lot of football. He comes on and he gets injured.
"You can’t plan for these things. We’ve got a big week coming up, starting Sunday. We’re going to have to do it with this core group of players, so we’ve just got to be careful about how we go about it."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Save £335 with Sky Sports deal
£43 (was £52)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in a new 'lowest price' deal.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the upcoming Premier League season with crystal clear picture quality.