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Rangers are "in a really good place" at the start of a testing week, says manager Philippe Clement.

The Ibrox side host Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday's Europa League fixture (20:00 GMT) then attempt to retain the League Cup against Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic in next Sunday's final (15:30).

Sunday's 3-0 Premiership win at Ross County was Rangers' fourth win in a row in all competitions and reduced the gap on second-placed Aberdeen to two points, with a game in hand.

Clement believes his players are "starting to recognise what to do when" and "getting connections" and "the right timings".

"We're not there yet at our maximum," he said.

"Spurs is going to be a really big test. This team never played at this level against that type of opponent.

"I'm really interested in how we will react, how we will make our decisions on the pitch, because it needs to be faster than in the league games.

"The team can only grow getting experience like that. We're in a really good place in that way, but we need to prove it on Thursday against one of the better teams in the Premier League, so it's one of the better teams in the world with a really big difference in budget of course.

"That's the level my players want to play and I want to play and I want to see them play also to challenge that type of team."

Rangers are well placed in the Europa League, sitting inside the top eight, with a superior goal difference to ninth-placed Spurs and below two other sides who also have 10 points.

The top eight will automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams placed ninth to 24th enter the knockout round.

Rangers will also face Manchester United (23 January) and Belgians Union Saint-Gilloise (30 January) in the league phase.

Tottenham led visitors Chelsea 2-0 in Sunday's Premier League fixture, but lost 4-3.

"We have a good amount of points in the Europa League, so every point we take against Spurs and Man Utd will be a bonus, I think," Clement added on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

'Brighton are showing good quality'

Leicester 0-0 Brighton

Curtis Davies

Former Premier League defender on BBC Radio 5 Live Online

Brighton are showing good quality in wide areas through Mitoma and Rutter but what's happening for Leicester is because the attackers are getting back, they don't have much support up front when they do win the ball back.

'Arsenal finding it hard to create chances'

Fulham 1-0 Arsenal

Andy Reid

Ex-Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live Online

Arsenal need to get more runs in behind. There's loads of intricate play.

Fulham are holding their shape really well and Arsenal are finding it hard to create chances.

Post

Fulham 1-0 Arsenal

Leandro Trossard beats auxiliary full-back Alex Iwobi with some neat footwork and crosses well but Bukayo Saka can't control his volley on the stretch at the far post. Needed a big diving header there.

DISALLOWED GOAL

Ipswich 1-0 Bournemouth

Ipswich have the ball in the back of the net from the corner but the whistle goes immediately for a Bournemouth free-kick.

It was headed in by Christrian Burgess I think but the referee spotted a foul on the keeper.

'Would've been a brilliant goal from Rice'

Fulham 1-0 Arsenal

Andy Reid

Ex-Tottenham midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live Online

If that had gone in it would've been a brilliant goal.

I love Declan Rice's runs from midfield.

It bounces up nicely for him but it just went wide.

CLOSE!

Fulham 1-0 Arsenal

Arsenal looking slick. Leandro Trossard drops deep and quarterbacks it over the top, Declan Rice runs in over the top well and hits it first time, a dipping left-footed strike. That's a very tough ask and his shot is not far away at all.

Post

Leicester 0-0 Brighton

Wind helping a couple of Pervis Estupinan's corners. This one almost goes in but it's tipped over the bar - and the referee spotted a foul anyway.

GREAT SAVE!

Fulham 1-0 Arsenal

Woooosh that's so good from Bukayo Saka! The corner flies in to that near post, we all know where it's going but it's centimetres away from finding a team-mate and needs Bernd Leno to make a sprawling save on the line.

So, so good.

'Hermansen does well'

Leicester 0-0 Brighton

Curtis Davies

Former Premier League defender on BBC Radio 5 Live Online

We were laughing at Estupinan's last shot but he whips this one towards the top corner and Hermansen does well to make the save.

Two goals from Tottenham captain Beth England earned Spurs victory over Everton in the Women's Super League.

England netted in each half to give Robert Vilahamn's side their third WSL victory of the season, all of which have come at home.

A powerful 20-yard finish from Toffees defender Sara Holmgaard briefly levelled up the match in the first half, but England's clinical penalty soon after the break restored the hosts' lead.

Everton looked to make the early breakthrough with experienced midfielder Melissa Lawley, who from 35 yards tested Tottenham goalkeeper and WSL debutant Eleanor Heeps.

From then, it was largely all about England. After steering three headers wide, she found the breakthrough from close range midway through the first half.

Clare Hunt's header at the end of a well-worked corner routine was saved by Courtney Brosnan, but the ball travelled only as far as England, who raced ahead of Everton's defenders to fire home.

Tottenham continued to dominate and Brosnan was forced into further saves to keep out Hayley Raso and Jess Naz.

In response to Tottenham's domination, Everton boss Brian Sorensen boldly opted to make a double substitution in the 37th minute.

The double switch was followed by a near-instant leveller. Katja Snoeijs' pass found the run of Everton left-back Holmgaard who charged towards goal and fired into the top left corner.

Spurs regained the lead early in the second half from the penalty spot. Referee Amy Fearn awarded a penalty for a shirt pull on Amanda Nilden from Toni Payne. Although Brosnan dived the right way, England struck her effort expertly into the roof of the net.

Everton came closest to a second equaliser through substitute Veatriki Sarri, whose effort from the edge of the penalty area sailed across goal and wide.

Spurs almost added a third in stoppage time when teenage substitute Lenna Gunning-Williams was put through on goal, but her strike could not beat Brosnan.

Three points for Spurs lifts them to sixth in the table, four points clear of the bottom four. Everton remain 10th, only a point clear of West Ham and Leicester City.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou says he is not interested in whether fans back him after he was confronted by supporters.

A number of Spurs fans insulted Postecoglou following his side's 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth on Thursday.

"I didn't like what was being said because I'm a human being but you've got to cop it," Postecoglou said after the incident.

And, speaking on Friday before Spurs' London derby with Chelsea on Sunday, Postecoglou added: "They aren't behind me, they are behind the club. I have got no interest in who is behind me.

"Last night you have to figure the fans who travel to Bournemouth are fairly hardcore supporters.

"They weren't happy with what they saw and they felt like they needed to give some feedback. I took the feedback onboard and we move on."

Tottenham have won just one of their last six games in all competitions, although that victory was a 4-0 thrashing of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

When asked if he had a message for angry Spurs fans, Postecoglou said: "As I said last night, no messages. I am here, I am going to fight to make sure we bring success to this football club.

"Nothing really changes. Where there is doubt, whether that is internally or externally, it just gets my resolve stronger to make sure we get it right."

Tottenham will be without seven first-team regulars for the trip to Stamford Bridge after Ben Davies injured his thigh against Bournemouth.

Cristian Romero will be assessed on Friday afternoon to see if he can play, but Postecoglou is not using injuries as an excuse for recent performances.

"For me the disappointment last night, there was a repeat of cycle of us going into games, starting well enough but then allowing the opposition to get a grip on it by either conceding a sloppy goal - like we did last night - or not taking our opportunities," he said.

"We need to break that cycle, irrespective of where we are at at the moment. We know we are really thin on the ground in terms of squad numbers. We know there is not a lot of opportunity to rotate and rest players. We paid the price with Benny [Davies] last night.

"Those are known things. What also is known is we repeatedly shot ourselves in the foot in games like last night and we need to change that."

Postecoglou also defended Tottenham's decision to sign predominantly young players over the summer.

"We needed to do that because it was a team that was coming towards the end of its cycle, and we were rebuilding not just the squad but the playing style, and you couldn't replace experience with experience because that is not a rebuild," he said.

"The decisions we made around signing young players are the right decisions for this club for where we are at right now, and they will bear fruit."

Wales and Tottenham Hotspur defender Ben Davies is facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Davies was forced off during the second half of Tottenham's defeat at Bournemouth on Thursday.

The 31-year-old has been playing regularly for Spurs, who already had a number of defensive injury issues.

"Looks like he's done his hamstring," said Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.

"He has played a lot of games because it is a position that we can't rotate.

"He will obviously be out for a period of time now, so we will just have to wait and see. It's kind of a consequence of us having the squad we do at the moment."

Davies has captained Wales in the last two international breaks in the absence of Aaron Ramsey through injury.

Wales beat Iceland last month to seal promotion to the top tier of the Nations League, but will not play again until March 2025.

It may be that World Cup qualifying begins in that international window but, even if there are no competitive games, Wales will be in friendly action.

Craig Bellamy's team will discover their World Cup qualifying opponents when the draw takes place on Friday, 13 December.

Tottenham have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games against Chelsea (D2 L8), picking up a 2-0 home win in February 2023.

After a run of just two wins in 13 Premier League away games against Tottenham between 2006 and 2018 (D5 L6), Chelsea have now won four of their last five visits to Spurs (L1).

Chelsea have won 35 Premier League games and scored 116 Premier League goals against Tottenham, more than they have vs any other opponent. It’s also the most goals Spurs have conceded against a side, while they’ve only lost more against Manchester United (39).

Tottenham Hotspur were unbeaten in their first four Premier League London derbies under Ange Postecoglou (W2 D2) but have lost seven of their last 13 (W4 D2). Five of their six London derby wins under the Australian have been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, however.

Chelsea have won five of their seven games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all competitions (D1 L1), the most wins any visiting side has picked up at the ground since Spurs moved there in 2019.

Tottenham have kept just one clean sheet in their last 22 Premier League home games (4-0 v Everton this season), a run which started with a 4-1 loss against Chelsea last November. Indeed, since the start of November 2023 no side currently in England’s top four tiers have recorded fewer home league shutouts than Spurs.

Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou has lost each of his two league games against Chelsea but has only lost his first three top-flight league meetings with three clubs: Adelaide City (1996-97) and Sydney United (1996-97) when he was South Melbourne manager and also against FC Tokyo (2018-19) when he was at Yokohama F. Marinos.

Nicolas Jackson has scored four goals in his two Premier League games for Chelsea against Tottenham, netting a hat-trick in this exact fixture last season.

Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson has scored three goals across his last five home appearances in the Premier League, more than across his previous 24 outings at home in the competition for Spurs and Nottingham Forest (2 goals).

Among teams he has played 1,000+ minutes against, Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min’s worst minutes per goal rate in the Premier League is against Chelsea, netting just twice in 16 appearances and 1,061 minutes of action versus the Blues (531 mins per goal).Â

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says he "didn't like what was being said" by some Spurs supporters after their defeat by Bournemouth - but that "you've got to cop it".

In the immediate aftermath of their 1-0 loss at Vitality Stadium, Postecoglou pointed at a group of Tottenham fans who were voicing their anger and marched across the pitch towards the away end to confront them.

Words were exchanged before a steward attempted to defuse the situation by waving the 59-year-old Australian away.

"They're disappointed and rightly so," said Postecoglou in his post-match news conference. "They gave me some direct feedback, which I've taken on board.

"I didn't like what was being said because I'm a human being but you've got to cop it.

"I've been around long enough to know that when things don't go well you've got to understand the frustration and disappointment. And they're rightly disappointed because we let a game of football get away from us. But that's OK. I'm OK with all that.

"All I can say is I'm really disappointed and I'm determined to get it right and will keep fighting until we do."

Tottenham's defeat by Bournemouth leaves them 10th in the Premier League table, one place below the Cherries.

It was Spurs' sixth league defeat this season, with only five sides in the top flight having lost more games than them.

"It comes down to us as a collective being a lot more determined to control a game of football and not let the opposition take control," added Postecoglou.

What is Lopetegui's record away from West Ham?

Leicester 3-1 West Ham

In his last job prior to joining West Ham, Julen Lopetegui spent the final 22 league matches of the 2022/23 season at Molineux with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Inheriting a side bottom of the league, he guided Wolves to 13th before his departure prior to the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

Prior to that, he managed Sevilla for 170 games which included winning the Europa League and a win percentage of almost 53%.

He has also won the European Championships in charge of Spain's under-21s and under-19s sides.

Lopetegui managed Spain at the 2018 World Cup but left after being knocked out in the round of 16 by hosts Russia. He also managed Real Madrid for just 14 matches.

Get involved - Send us your FPL forfeits

#bbcfootball on X, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).

BBC Sport wants to hear about your Fantasy Football forfeits.

Fantasy Football players on X have been sharing forfeits for whoever finishes bottom of their private leagues. Examples include performing live stand-up comedy, taking a cardboard cutout of a popstar on a date and having the loser's head shaved in the style of Brazilian football icon Ronaldo.

Read more here.

@cuskinlee: "loser has to perform at an open mic, with an act written by the winner."

@joe_weaver2: "Had to go on a date with a cardboard Taylor Swift and order food/talk etc."

@stevemarriott14: "Loser turns up to the pub for FA Cup Final in full kit of an involved team - shin-guards and boots included."

@benjaminalsop2: "Busk until you get £10"

@z.cruchley08: "R9 trim for last."

Send examples of your mini league forfeits, with pictures included if you have them.

Share by using #bbcfootball on X, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).

Who has been linked with potentially replacing Lopetegui?

Leicester 3-1 West Ham

A few names have already emerged as potential replacements for Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium, should West Ham opt to part ways with the Spaniard.

Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao, who won three top-flight titles while in charge of Porto, has been linked.

Former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, who took the German club to last season's Champions League final, has also been linked, as has former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter.

Reports from Italian outlet Calciomercato have also reported that former AC Milan and Juventus Massimiliano Allegri has also been linked.

'Progress in all areas'

Bournemouth v Tottenham (Thu, 20:15 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on his side's progress: "We're progressing in all our aspects of our game. We've scored a lot of goals but defensively, we're much more consistent than we were last year. The fact that we have got quite a few significant absences is just something we have to work through.

"We had a very similar scenario last year and it's fair to say we sort of ground our way through it and we're doing that at the moment. We can improve in all aspects of our game, but at the same time, we're showing progress in areas we've felt like we needed to this year.

"We've obviously had a couple of games where we've been not great in executing our football, those two games in particular against Palace and Ipswich we felt we were below what we wanted to do. That's probably again an area we've tried to improve at but aside from that, it's progress in all areas."

'Bournemouth have a real consistency in performance'

Bournemouth v Tottenham (Thu, 20:15 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on facing Bournemouth: "A tough challenge, not just of late but from last year. They came here and were really aggressive with their football and especially at their place. They've beaten City and Arsenal at their place.

"They are one of those sides where they have a real consistency in performance and approach so you know that you're in for a battle. I'm really looking forward to it."

'We're ready to go for a big game'

Bournemouth v Tottenham (Thu, 20:15 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on his side's schedule going into this game: "It's a Thursday Sunday cycle for us pretty consistently.

"Monday is recovery day for the lads and yesterday training with the guys who didn't play the majority of the game.

"They've all recovered well, no issues from [Fulham] and we're ready to go for a big game tomorrow."

'Thrilled and proud' - Wales boss Wilkinson

Republic of Ireland 1-2 Wales (Agg 2-3)

Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson spoke to BBC 5 Live Breakfast after her side reached Euro 2025 with a win over the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

"I'm feeling fantastic. A little croaky, a little bit worse for wear but absolutely thrilled and proud today.

"I don’t think we'll fully understand the affect it’s going to have back home until years to come.

"The reality is women’s sport is growing quickly in Wales and being able to put it front and centre and right on television and one of the biggest global sporting events for women is only going to continue to grow the numbers of female athletes in the country so I'm thrilled to be part of that legacy piece."

West Ham's next fixtures

Leicester 3-1 West Ham

West Ham have five Premier League fixtures remaining this month which will take them to the halfway point of the season.

Next for them is a meeting with strugglers Wolves at the London Stadium next Monday before heading down to the south coast to face Bournemouth.

The Hammers' final Premier League match before Christmas comes at home to Brighton and Julen Lopetegui's side head to bottom of the table Southampton on Boxing Day.

West Ham round off 2024 at home to Premier League leaders Liverpool.

West Ham's next five Premier League fixtures

What is the Rainbow Laces campaign?

The Premier League collaborates with LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall on the Rainbow Laces campaign every season.

The initiative involves top-flight players being encouraged to wear rainbow-coloured laces and captain's armbands to demonstrate support for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, inspire acceptance among children and young people, and promote equality and diversity.

Rainbow Laces was first launched in 2013, typically lasts for a week and has been supported by all clubs and the vast majority of Premier League captains since.

Postecoglou to speak

Bournemouth v Tottenham (Thu, 20:15 GMT)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is due to speak this morning ahead of Tottenham's trip to Bournemouth on Thursday night.

Spurs currently sit seventh in the Premier league table but do have the chance to put pressure on the top five, should they win at the Vitality Stadium.

Postecoglou is likely to be asked about team news. In particular, the availability of centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as striker Dominic Solanke, who missed Sunday's 1-1 draw with Fulham.

We will bring you all of the top lines from that news conference shortly.

Guehi writes on rainbow armband despite FA reminder

Ipswich 0-1 Crystal Palace

Marc Guehi wrote a 'Jesus loves you' message on his rainbow captain's armband for Crystal Palace's match at Ipswich Town, despite being reminded by the Football Association that religious messaging on kit is banned.

The rainbow armbands are being worn as Premier League clubs show support for LGBTQ+ inclusion in sport by taking part in charity Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign.

The Football Association told Guehi and his club that religious messaging on kit is banned after the 24-year-old's rainbow armband in Palace's draw against Newcastle United on Saturday had the message 'I love Jesus' written on it.

Ipswich Town captain Sam Morsy did not wear a rainbow armband again on Tuesday, after his club said he elected not to do so at the weekend because of his "religious beliefs."

Read more about the rainbow gesture and what it means.

'The win was well deserved' - Glasner

Ipswich 0-1 Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner spoke to the media after Crystal Palace's victory at Ipswich: "I feel very happy. It was not the best performance but the result was more important.

"Most of the time we controlled the game and we scored an amazing goal - a fantastic finish from JP [Mateta].

"We had more chances to decide the game. We couldn't but I think the win was well deserved. We didn't give them any chances from open play and with a clean sheet you can always take the win.

"It's a big win. Now it's not time to sit back and relax but to keep going. In four days we face Manchester City. We stay humble. There are still many things to improve but we are on the right path."

Tamworth manager Andy Peaks says being paired with Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round is the club's due reward for their ongoing achievements over the past two and half years.

Since arriving at The Lamb when they were a seventh-tier club in February 2022, Peaks has taken the club to new heights.

He first led them to Southern League survival, then successive promotions, consolidation this season in the National League and now the most celebrated stage of all, round three of the FA Cup following Sunday's win on penalties at Burton Albion.

"It's like a reward for the last two and a half years for everyone involved," Peaks told BBC Radio WM.

"It’s just a shame that we can’t get more than 4,000 people in The Lamb. Just me alone I must have already been asked for 4,000 tickets.

"I was quite happy to have a home draw or a really big game away. And some of the ties I didn’t really fancy, a long way away and a bit tough.

"But I just had a feeling when the number 53 came out and I looked at the faces of the ones who were pulling the balls out and they knew it was a big team."

After being invited to attend Monday's draw at Old Trafford, home of Cup holders Manchester United, Peaks said: "We're happy to be at home and it’s a Premier League club so that’s absolutely brilliant. The town will be absolutely buzzing for it. It’ll be sold out and it’ll be a great atmosphere."

Anna Howells, content creator for Spurs XY and long-suffering Tottenham fan, bristles at the term 'Spursy' being used about her team - but admits it is an apt description.

"Yes, not a fun word but an accurate one," she tells BBC Sport. "We have been incredibly inconsistent. Somehow both really good and really bad."

'Spursy' has become shorthand to describe Tottenham's wildly inconsistent form, an ability to snatch draws or defeats from the jaws of victory, and put their supporters through the wringer.

Last week was one of the most Spursy of all - a thumping 4-0 victory at champions Manchester City, followed by conceding a last-gasp equaliser against Roma, and culminating in a deeply frustrating 1-1 draw at home to mid-table Fulham.

All that came amid worries about injuries and fitness of key players, the quality of their replacements, and an ongoing existential crisis about balancing the innate Tottenham identity of attacking football with being able to see out tricky games.

The debate between idealism and pragmatism is one on which fans differ.

"Following Spurs this season has been a tonne of fun - that was the narrative in the WhatsApp groups after Roma," Chris Paouros, co-chair of Proud Lilywhites, tells BBC Sport.

"We've spent a lot of time saying we want our Tottenham back. We have it back. This type of football is our identity.

"Ange Postecoglou is the man - his football is irresistible. We are the league's entertainers. I'm happy with that."

That insistence on entertainment shows in the stats. Spurs are the Premier League's top scorers, with 28 goals from 13 games - yet they sit seventh in the table, with six wins and five defeats.

The Roma match was Postecoglou’s Spurs in a nutshell - taking 24 shots to Roma's 18, putting together some brilliant attacking play but unable to see out the win as Mats Hummels equalised in injury time for a 2-2 draw.

Following the thrashing of City with a draw against mid-table opponents Fulham, who played the final 15 minutes with 10 men after Tom Cairney's red card, is also typical. No wonder some supporters are irritated.

"Frustrating mainly," Alison Speechly, Spurs fan writer for BBC Sport, said when asked to sum up the fan experience this season. "We keep getting glimpses of greatness.

"Angeball is risk and reward, and we are seeing that - rewards at times, but also risk of performances like against Ipswich and Crystal Palace [sides in the bottom four who have beaten Spurs this season].

"In football you can plan, but you also need to react. Sometimes your plan might not always work, and you need to be able to adapt. There has to be some flex in there. They say to the media: 'We take every game seriously.' But do you?"

Her frustration comes from Postecoglou's commitment to attacking football at all times. Goals are usually not difficult to come by - in all competitions, they have 14 different scorers this season, Brennan Johnson the leader with 10.

A star-studded forward line includes several players - including Johnson, Son Heung-min, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski - capable of playing in multiple attacking roles.

It can be greatly entertaining, but also explains why Spurs have strung together three successive wins in all competitions just once in 2024.

"It has been frustrating," says Howells. "The highs are really good. When things click, we are unstoppable like against City.

"Equally, when it's bad, it's schoolboy errors, unable to pass to each other. I would trade highs for consistency, a middle ground.

"Against Roma, we should have seen out the 2-1 but we didn't come out for the second half. We need to be fully switched on. But it's in our DNA to be forward thinking."

There are concerns among supporters that there is a psychological issue among Tottenham players, for them to be so impressive against the reigning champions only to fail to win their following two games. Spurs have not won back-to-back league games since the end of September.

"The shift in mentality has to happen among players," says Paouros. "You feel like you are entitled to win against Brighton and Ipswich, but no-one is entitled to anything. No-one wins every match."

Speechly, however, thinks the issue lies with the coach.

"I've been battling with thoughts on Ange. When he came in, I was fully on board and he had an amazing start. This season I have become frustrated with his stubbornness.

"But there is no point being frustrated with his tactical approach, as he has made clear that is how he will play, that is wasted energy."

Ultimately, Spurs fans will hold out hope that Angeball can produce success this season.

Spurs are still in all three cups, and are in touch with the Premier League top four. Postecoglou has spoken about how he always wins a trophy in his second season - fans now must hope that comes true in north London.

"This stuff takes a lot of time, to get used to running and pressing in this way, only playing out from the back," says Paouros.

"Look at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp had to put everything in place - in the first two seasons they finished outside the top four."