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Tottenham 3-0 Qarabag: 'Stuck for two and a half hours' - visitors suffer European nightmare

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As European nights go, Qarabag's could not have turned out much worse.

The team from Azerbaijan suffered traffic chaos, a shocking penalty miss and a host of spurned chances as 10-man Tottenham survived countless scares to open their Europa League campaign with victory.

Despite staying a short distance away in Stratford, Qarabag were affected by rail and road closures, and arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 19:45 - just 15 minutes before the planned kick-off - forcing a delayed start until 20:35.

Uefa regulations ask for teams to arrive at least 75 minutes prior to kick-off, with offenders facing possible punishment.

The London Overground, which is the primary route to the stadium from other parts of London, was also down, forcing thousands of supporters to walk from as far as Liverpool Street station, two hours away.

They weren't the only ones caught out, with TNT pundits Peter Crouch and Glenn Hoddle having to walk the final bit of the journey.

Gurban Gurbanov, who manages the visiting Azeri side, complained "these things shouldn't happen" after struggling to reach the stadium from their hotel in Stratford.

When asked why his side arrived so late, Gurbanov said: "Imagine being caught in traffic for more than two and a half hours. I cannot just make excuses for this; it shouldn’t have happened and there were no police to escort us.

"It had a big impact on our footballers, but it doesn't take away from our opponent. They are a good team and we don't turn a blind eye to that.

"As soon as we arrived, we were told to start in 40 minutes and we were not as ready or prepared as we should have been. These things shouldn’t happen."

The evening could have been very different, though, after Spurs defender Radu Dragusin received a red card just eight minutes in.

Still, Spurs ultimately rallied to earn a win with 10 men as Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke secured victory - but the visitors will be wondering how they didn't score on a chaotic night on the pitch.

Their 14 shots - compared to Tottenham's 10 - included missed sitters and a horribly skied penalty as they were unable to take advantage of some sloppy Tottenham defending.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou blamed his side's sloppy start on the delayed kick-off.

"It was just not a great start for us," he said. "We were really passive with our passing. Whether it was the delay to the game or whatever, but it's no excuse.

"So having a 35-minute delay, delays warm-ups, delays all sorts of things but you've just got to deal with it and we've got to deal with it better than what we did tonight.

"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot and unfortunately Radu [Dragusin] paid the ultimate price for it. But as a team, we just didn't start the game in the way we wanted to and the way we needed to and made the game challenging for us.

"The response was great, absolutely, but disappointed we had to be in that position."

Spurs boss Postecoglou was left with some late concerns after Son Heung-min limped off in the 71st minute, and Archie Gray appeared to be in pain late on.

Johnson was also withdrawn at half-time after he continued his rich vein of form, but the Australian played down concerns about the Wales international's fitness.

"I haven't spoke to him. He said he felt a bit tired, but I haven't spoken to him or the medical team yet," Postecoglou said of Son.

"Yeah Brennan's fine. It was just tactical. I thought we would need Deki Kulusevski because the way the game is going, Deki is a like a hybrid midfielder and can also break out on that right wing. It was just a tactical switch, but Brennan is fine."

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Football latest: Europa League build-up and Premier League news conferences

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Goodbye

Right, shall we all clock off and enjoy the rest of this Thursday? Which is actually looking like a complete washout to be honest.

To follow Tottenham's opening Europa League game against Qarabag, you'll need to click the link here

For Rangers' away tie at Malmo, you'll need to click this link here

Here are some of today's top stories to have a read over, and we'll see you again bright and early tomorrow for reaction from tonight's fixtures, build-up to the weekend's games and an avalanche of manager news conferences.

See you tomorrow!

'Twente wanted it more' - so are Man Utd showing any improvement?

Ten Hag in or out? Man Utd fans have their say

FA charges Osmajic over alleged bite on Beck

How many free sports tickets have Starmer and MPs received?

From facing Pele to Bath City FC - meet the 80-year-old assistant manager

Can women's football become big business?

Team news: No new injuries for Postecoglou

Tottenham v Qarabag (20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

As for team news, Ange Postecoglou said Tottenham are "looking good" with no new injuries from the weekend's win against Brentford. There are just the "obvious absences" of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon, who trained yesterday but are ineligible for Spurs' Europa League opener different reasons.

As to who the Australian will choose in his starting XI against Qarabag, the likes of 18-year-old Archie Gray - who made his first appearance in the Carabao Cup victory against Coventry - could feature in the squad if the Australian is looking to rotate ahead of the weekend fixture with Manchester United. Another teenager, 17-year-old winger Mikey Moore, could also be handed his first start.

Get the latest news and analysis on our dedicated Tottenham page

Spurs start Europa League quest

Tottenham v Qarabag (20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham host Qarabag of Azerbaijan tonight in the first of eight games in the league phase of the newly expanded Europa League.

The road to Bilbao is a long one - teams could have to play up to 16 matches to reach the final on 21 May 2025.

Spurs will also travel to Hungary to face Ferencvaros (3 October), then host AZ Alkmaar (24 October) and play Galatasaray away (7 November).

Tottenham are back in the Europa League competition for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Their quest for a trophy that year was ended in the last 16 by Dinamo Zagreb, who completed a remarkable second-leg turnaround after Spurs were two-nil up from the first leg.

Former Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho apologised to the fans after the defeat, saying his players had failed "at the basics of life". Ouch.

The Europa League new format

The Europa League now follows the same format as the Champions League with 36 teams starting in the league phase.

Teams which fail to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League will not have access to the Europa League.

In the league phase all teams will play matches against eight different opponents.

After these eight games the top eight sides in the league will qualify automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off to secure their path to the last 16 of the competition.

Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the Europa League.

Football calendar 'is crazy'

Ajax v Besiktas (20:00 BST)

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson spoke to the media ahead of his team's opening Europa League clash with Besiktas tonight.

The Ajax midfielder was asked about player welfare, due to an increase in fixtures across the footballing calendar: "I know has been a big topic across Europe, especially for international players. Players who play Europe, the league, cups, international games. It's crazy really when you think about it,

"I think something will have to come to a head at some point because it gets too much, injuries to players, the welfare of players."

Malmo v Rangers: Key stats

Malmö FF V Rangers (17:45 BST)

Rangers face "a fight with history" as they bid to overturn a poor record against Malmo in their Europa League opener, says manager Philippe Clement.

The Ibrox side are in Sweden for their first match of the revamped Europa League, having lost twice to Malmo in Champions League qualifiers in the past 13 years.

As we look ahead to tonight's Europa League showdown, let's take a loom at some of the stats between these two sides:

Rangers have not won any of their six games against Swedish opposition in Europe (Two draws, four defeats)

Malmo have played Rangers four times in major European competition with all four meetings coming in Champions League qualification. In that time, the Swedish side remain unbeaten (W2 D2).

Rangers have lost four of their last seven away Europa League games (W1 D2), just one fewer than they suffered across their prior 19 such matches in the competition (five).

Malmo have lost nine of their last 12 games in all European competitions (W2 D1), a run which has seen the Swedish side fail to score on six separate occasions.

James Tavernier has netted 11 goals across major European competition for Rangers, with only Alfredo Morelos (15), Ralph Brand (13) and Ally McCoist (12) ever managing more for the Scottish side.

'Familiar foes Malmo are ultimate Scottish bogey team'

Malmo FF v Rangers (17:45 BST)

Liam McLeod

BBC Sport Scotland commentator

You would not think the eclectic Swedish city of Malmo would bring Scottish football fans out in a cold sweat.

However, the cosmopolitan conurbation in the country’s southern Skane province has been a graveyard for plenty of European dreams in recent years before Rangers begin their Europa League campaign there on Thursday.

Indeed, it is perhaps the Ibrox club that has the most reason to be fearful having come a cropper there twice in the past 12 years.

But it is not just they who have suffered at Malmo’s hands. Celtic and Hibernian have also been beaten on the Swedish side of the Oresund Bridge, which links Malmo with the Danish capital Copenhagen.

They are Scotland’s ultimate European bogey team.

Click here to read the rest of Liam's article ahead of tonight's match

Barron has sights on Europa League progression

Malmo FF v Rangers (17:45 BST)

Martin Dowden

BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Malmo

Connor Barron insists Rangers are fully focussed on advancing to the knockout stages of the Europa League as they begin their campaign in Sweden against Malmo.

The Ibrox side face a tough challenge after being drawn with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham in what, on paper, looks a formidable task.

However, Barron says the mentality is always the same within the club and qualification remains their realistic goal.

"One hundred percent, that's what we are at Rangers," he said.

"We want to win every game we play and that doesn't change no matter what competition it is.

"We're here to win."

Here is where you'll find the rest of Martin's chat with Connor Barron

'You always have to demand more from yourself'

Nottingham Forest v Fulham (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on a shift in culture and mentality: "For me it's important that the players feel that enough is not good for us. We don't like that word. Of course, Premier League is so tough, the best and most difficult in the world. And you always have to demand more from yourself. Myself as a manager, the players know, the way we work every single day, the way I push them, the way I demand from them, the same way I guide and support them.

"In football you can't just win if you're on your limit. If we have to push for the next 17, we will push. But the reality, we have to look for the next game as the most important one, It's there that we have to show our quality, not here in the press conference, we have to show it on match day. We want to do better than last season. Now is the moment for us to rebuild again."

'He's a talented player'

Nottingham Forest v Fulham (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on midfielder Emile Smith Rowe: "Top, top lad, that's the first thing I want to say about him. I pushed our football board and club to sign him.

"We started in that moment to be strong and have that target and to be honest, for the position he was, the only one we wanted. Fantastic for me when I heard for the first time that he wanted to join us.

"I felt from the first moment, the desire was there to come and join the club and be part of the process. He's a really talented player, different to what he had in that position in the last few years.

"There's much more to come from him."

'We have been growing as a team'

Nottingham Forest v Fulham (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Fulham

Fulham boss Marco Silva on his side's recent performance: "Performance wise we have been growing as a team, definitely. Game by game you are seeing the team getting better. I think the time plays in our favour if I can say that when you change so many players. Some important players have left our football club. We signed some good players too and of course all the teams need time to challenge everything, to have connections between players and for the to understand our identity and philosophy as well.

"Even those who have enough experience and knowledge of the Premier League, it's always different club to club. We should have achieved better, more points in some games. That's football, that's the Premier League. It's a good start. The main thing is that our performing, getting better, the last two Premier League games were very good."

Loptegui happy with summer business

Brentford v West Ham (Sat 15:00 BST)

West Ham United

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui says he's happy with the nine signings the club made over the summer: "Yesterday, three players were in the starting line-up for the first time. I'm happy with their commitment and performance.

"Step by step they are going to increase the level and our competitiveness.

"I am happy with the new signings and they need time for adaptation. But in the mean time we have to be able to compete and be ready for the big challenge to face [Brentford]."

Nuno will be in the Forest dugout to face Fulham

Nottingham Forest v Fulham (Sat, 15:00 BST)

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be on the touchline when Nottingham Forest host Fulham.

The manager was expected to be banned after he was sent off in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Brighton on Sunday.

But Forest have been given more time to submit their observations after Nuno and Morgan Gibbs-White were charged by the Football Association.

They initially had until Friday but requested an extension and now have until Wednesday, 2 October.

Nuno was dismissed and was charged by the FA with acting in an improper manner, with the Portuguese also alleged to have used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official.

It came after Gibbs-White was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a strong tackle on Joao Pedro with seven minutes left.

The Key Match Incidents Panel, which reviews the main decisions in the Premier League each week, was split 3-2 with the majority believing official Robert Jones was wrong to dismiss the midfielder.

The midfielder has been charged by the Football Association with acting in an improper manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words towards fourth official Anthony Taylor.

Nuno already has a suspended one-game touchline ban - handed out in August - following his comments after Forest's controversial 2-0 defeat at Everton in April which saw the club question the integrity of VAR Stuart Attwell on social media.

'We'll treat it the same as any other game'

Bournemouth v Southampton (Mon, 20:00 BST)

Southampton

Southampton manager Russell Martin on the rivalry with neighbours Bournemouth, who Saints face on Monday: "The fans will be desperate for us to put in a performance, not just because of the locality of the team we're playing against, because we want to win and we need to win.

"I haven't been given any extra motivation by anyone here and I haven't placed any extra onus on the game because of that.

"We'll go there and treat it in the same way we would any other game."

Teenager Dibling 'suits the way Southampton play a lot'

Bournemouth v Southampton (Mon, 20:00 BST)

Southampton

Southampton manager Russell Martin on teenager Tyler Dibling's first goal for the club against Ipswich and his impact on the team: "He was unfortunate not to play earlier because he had an amazing pre-season.

"He has an incredible belief in himself, in a humble, modest way. He has to just keep giving 100% and understanding what has got him this far.

"At this moment he couldn't play for every team - he suits the way we play a lot, he's getting so much better at the things he needs to improve on, but he needs to continue to grow and develop and stay so hungry.

"That's always the challenge with young players when they have a quick rise. With Tyler, I don't see that being a problem."

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Fixture congestion in football: Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou says best players will not play

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Crystal Palace: Women's Super League - BBC Sport

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A superb debut goal for Hayley Raso helped Tottenham to a thumping win over Women's Super League newcomers Crystal Palace.

The Australian, who joined from Real Madrid in the summer, opened the scoring before second-half goals from Jess Naz, Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen rounded off a convincing victory for Robert Vilahamn's side.

Palace ended their first ever WSL game with 10 as substitute Brooke Aspin was sent off for two bookings in a matter of seconds in stoppage time.

Tottenham started brightly with Raso, who previously enjoyed spells at Everton and Manchester City, at the heart of everything.

The 30-year-old's was a goal to remember as she collected the ball midway inside the Palace half, surrounded by three defenders, but jinked her way into the box and rolled a pinpoint finish into the far corner.

Laura Kaminski's visitors absorbed that blow and grew into the game as the half went on, albeit without managing to create any chances of note.

Raso should have doubled Spurs' lead just before the break but, after being left unmarked 10 yards out, her shot was too close to Shae Yanez in the Palace goal.

It was one of 13 saves in a hugely impressive performance from Yanez, one of seven debutants in the starting XI, but she was helpless to resist Tottenham's second-half onslaught.

Naz ran onto Spence's no-look pass to finish at the second attempt soon after the break and with the away side looking increasingly tired, Spurs pressed on relentlessly.

Spence made it three with a clinical near-post finish after Bethany England's clever flick found her on the edge of the box and Ahtinen came off the bench to rifle an unstoppable strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

Only Yanez's sharp reflexes prevented matters getting worse for Palace but with frustration building Aspin, on loan from Chelsea, angrily kicked the ball away after the referee adjudged she had tripped Spurs' Anna Csiki.

A yellow card for each offence saw Aspin shown the red to end a difficult first day in the top flight for the visitors.

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Ange Postecolgou: Tottenham manager's relationship with fans

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The mood at Tottenham Hotspur has changed dramatically within a year.

At the start of his tenure last season, new manager Ange Postecoglou started his reign by going on a 10-game unbeaten run built around his progressive style of play after the troubled spells of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

Twelve months on, discontent is bubbling to the surface in north London as sections of the fan base increasingly lose patience with the Australian.

Just one win in the first four league games, including a 1-0 defeat to rivals Arsenal, has seen Postecoglou receive criticism from some supporters before Saturday's home game against Brentford (15:00 BST).

In midweek there were boos at the manager's decision to substitute teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall in a fortunate 2-1 win at Coventry City in the Carabao Cup amid an increasingly negative conversation around the club on social media.

At Friday's news conference, Postecoglou joked ironically about having a cake made for him when asked about becoming the first manager to last a full 38-game season at Spurs since Mauricio Pochettino in the 2018-19 campaign.

"It [the negativity] doesn't seep into my environment. The fans are free to feel how they want to feel and it doesn't impact me or what we are trying to achieve.

"If you're swimming against the tide, that's alright, that makes you stronger. I think a big part of it [is change], when there is real change it unsettles people and they want comfort and security, but I came in here to try to do something that hasn't been done for a while.

"You can't just think me walking in will change things, you've got to change things and it can be unsettling but it is necessary for us to achieve what we want to."

After Wednesday's match at Coventry, Postecoglou's response was "I don't make substitutions by poll" in response to a question about the reaction to Bergvall's withdrawal.

After a period when fans warmed to Postecoglou's frank and funny responses in media duties, recent exchanges with journalists have been more fractious.

In May, the 59-year-old could not comprehend the thought of a Spurs fan hoping to lose to Manchester City because denying their opponents a win could have handed Arsenal the title.

He said "100 per cent of Spurs fans" wanted his team to win and he would "never understand" those who did not.

During the 2-0 defeat which followed, some supporters in the ground appeared happy to see their team lose amid a strange atmosphere. Postecoglou called it "the worst experience" of his 26-year management career.

He also had to defend last week's talk of "always" winning trophies in his second season, saying it was "fact" and not "me boasting".

On Thursday, BBC Sport askedTottenham fans for their views on the situation:

Edward: It was a win [against Coventry]. Now give Ange a break and let him get on with his job in peace. He is only in his second season in charge, so he has got to be given plenty of time. Mikel Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for years and only now is he really reaping his rewards. Ange is the best manager we have had since Mauricio Pochettino. Let Ange develop and deliver our results!

Charlie: This season is already looking like a copy of last season. We look like an absolute mess. We were flattered at Everton but we are getting found out now. Ange seems out of his depth and, from his comments about winning things in his second season, I can only think he knows he is not going to last until May.

Postecoglou inherited a team built by four managers in four years as the club struggled for stability following Pochettino's sacking in 2019.

Harry Kane's contract was running down and the striker was expected to leave, eventually joining Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to £100m.

No alternative was signed and his deputy Richarlison suffered an injury hit season.

Despite the signing of Dominic Solanke for £65m this summer, Spurs have been significantly outspent by rivals such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City on transfers over a 10-year period, according to a recent CIES Football Observatory report.

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Chris Sutton - who admired Postecoglou's work at his former club Celtic - said: "Postecoglou has been in for just over a season - so to think he took them from eighth to fifth is an improvement, while selling Harry Kane.

"We are [only] four games in and some of the nonsense I have heard after the game has been ridiculous."

Postecoglou is focused on what he believes is right - whether it is popular with sections of the supporters or not.

His direct and open communication is refreshing but his single-minded belief frustrates some supporters, who wonder if he lacks the ability to change when his ideas are not working.

Yet, there has to be some appreciation that Postecoglou is a manager making decisions that are designed to be of long-term benefit, including making eight changes in the Carabao Cup to give minutes to the wider squad and young players despite risking defeat at Coventry.

It could also be argued anger towards Postecoglou is part of a wider frustration with the leadership of chairman Daniel Levy.

Postecoglou's run at the beginning of last season took pressure off the ownership before last season's fan forum, which is a rare chance to hear from Levy, but sentiment has since nose-dived before the same event on Monday for the 2024-25 season.

The hiring and firing of managers, a mixed transfer record and rising ticket prices are all part of the picture for match-going fans.

Levy's choice to bring in the former Celtic boss was with a long-term rebuild in mind around young players - similar to the project embarked upon at Arsenal under Arteta - which took three years to win over the majority of the fan base.

Rocks in the road were inevitable. Levy and Postecoglou must hope the team can avoid further setbacks that could make the atmosphere more gloomy around a project that 12 months ago looked nothing but positive.

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Ange Postecoglou: Ivan Toney considered before Dominic Solanke signing

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Tottenham considered Toney move before signing Solanke - Postecoglou

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Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham considered signing Ivan Toney before Dominic Solanke and fans should not "rush to judgement" on the £65m striker.

Solanke, 27, has yet to score for Spurs in his three appearances this season since joining from Bournemouth in August.

Fellow England striker Toney eventually moved to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli from Brentford for £40m on deadline day.

Spurs have won just one of their four Premier League games and host Brentford on Saturday.

"We did look at him [Toney] but Dom was the one we wanted that fitted the profile we were looking for at the time," said Postecoglou.

And the Spurs boss stressed that Solanke's lack of goals in his first two Premier League games is not an issue.

"Just take a breath, do a little bit of yoga, think about the world for a second and then make an assessment after," he added.

"We don't have to rush to make judgement all the time because the alternative is he may have got off to a great start, he is fit, scored in all four games, is flying and then he goes through a patch like all strikers where he doesn't score.

"I just don't look at those things. What I look at is he has come in, fitted really well and quite logically has picked up an injury that has disrupted the way he wanted to start his career, but he's still got plenty of time for that."

There is significant talk about discontent from Spurs fans ahead of Saturday's London derby with Brentford.

"Yes, they had a cake for me," Postecoglou replied when asked about becoming the first manager to last a full season at Spurs since Mauricio Pochettino in the 2018-19 campaign.

"It [the negativity] doesn't seep into my environment. The fans are free to feel how they want to feel and it doesn't impact me or what we are trying to achieve.

"For me, you can get overly impacted in both ways, we just have to stay clear-eyed and focused on what we want to achieve and what kind of team we want to be.

He added: "If you're swimming against the tide, that's alright, that makes you stronger. I think a big part of it [is change], when there is real change it unsettles people and they want comfort and security, but I came in here to try to do something that hasn't been done for a while.

"You can't just think me walking in will change things, you've got to change things and it can be unsettling but it is necessary for us to achieve what we want to."

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Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou on Brennan Johnson

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Forward Brennan Johnson can be a "significant contributor" for Tottenham Hotspur if he gets through his challenging spell, says head coach Ange Postecoglou.

The 23-year-old scored a dramatic late winner for Spurs in Wednesday's Carabao Cup victory over Championship side Coventry City, but remained muted in his celebrations.

The goal came after Johnson reportedly deactivated his Instagram account because of criticism in the wake of the derby defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

"With Brennan, you know I spoke about it [on Tuesday] that he comes in, works hard at his game and when you're an attacking player, you're always kind of getting measured against certain things," Postecoglou said.

"I said, if he can get through this period and just be positive and play like he can, he can be a significant contributor to us and credit to him. He got a good goal."

Johnson has scored six goals since joining Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for a fee in excess of £45m last September, with Postecoglou saying he is "probably lacking a bit of confidence".

On Wednesday, the Tottenham boss added it is "sad" that abuse on social media has become common.

"I hate how we've just normalised all that stuff," the 59-year-old added.

Before moving to Spurs, the Wales player scored 29 goals and contributed 12 assists in 108 appearances for Forest.

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League Cup LIVE: Brighton v Wolves & Coventry v Tottenham - radio commentary & text updates

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Coventry 0-0 Tottenham

Norman Bassette, on the right side of the penalty area for Coventry, tries his luck, but Timo Werner has tracked his man well and slid in to get a vital block and send the ball away for a corner.

From that set piece, it is a good inswinging delivery from the right by Jack Rudoni, but Fraser Forster does well to get a vital punch clear.

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Coventry 0-0 Tottenham

Mark Robins will be very happy with how his Coventry side have dealt with Premier League Spurs so far. Dominic Solanke looked to bustle his way into the penalty area, and it took two home players teaming up to stop him.

Twenty-five minutes in and Tottenham yet to have a shot on or off target.

SUBSTITUTION

Coventry 0-0 Tottenham

Tottenham have been forced into an early change after only 17 minutes as Wilson Odobert looks to have done his hamstring and has to go off, replaced by Brennan Johnson.

A game of few chances so far. Timo Werner did get to the edge of the Coventry penalty area but then couldn't find the decisive pass and the opportunity was wasted.

GREAT SAVE!

Brighton 1-0 Wolves

Wolves' best moment of the match by some distance. Joao Gomes, who lost possession for Brighton's goal, slides it to Goncalo Guedes, just outside the corner of the penalty area.

Despite being at a tight angle, Guedes fires a blaster at the home goal, which Jason Steele has to acrobatically tip over the top.

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Brighton 1-0 Wolves

Jose Sa in the Wolves goal nearly gifts Brighton a second goal as a heavy first touch from a backpass puts himself in a world of trouble.

He has to show some nifty footwork to get away from the fast-approaching Evan Ferguson with another touch to avoid Yankuba Minteh.

At the other end, a rare Wolves chance, but Goncalo Guedes' header is never threatening Jason Steele's goal and goes miles over.

DISALLOWED GOAL

Brighton 1-0 Wolves

Brighton have the ball in the net again, but this one won't count. Yankuba Minteh slides the ball in at the back post after Jose Sa had parried Evan Ferguson's low effort, but the assistant's flag is raised and it's no goal.

No VAR today, so the on-field decisions won't be changed.

GREAT SAVE!

Coventry 0-0 Tottenham

Almost a goal for the Championship side inside the opening 70 seconds. Back-up Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster gets himself into trouble with a loose pass out from goal, it falls to Jack Rudoni, who gets a sweet connection on his 25-yard strike at goal.

But Forster redeems himself with an excellent save at full stretch diving low to his left to push it away.

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Brighton 0-0 Wolves

Brighton are looking a threat. A give and go ends with Simon Adingra fizzing a low cross into the penalty area from the left but Wolves centre-half Alfie Pond, who has made an encouraging start on his big day, is at the near post and able to eliminate the danger.

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Brighton 0-0 Wolves

A first shot of the match and it is straight at Jose Sa, who will be keen to impress after losing his Wolves first-team spot to Sam Johnstone.

Again Yankuba Minteh is heavily involved in the build-up, he slid a well-weighted pass through to Evan Ferguson and he hit a snap shot with his first touch, but Sa was well placed to deal with it.

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Brighton 0-0 Wolves

A bright start for Brighton. Yankuba Minteh, hogging the right touchline for the hosts, is good enough to sprint at the away defence, he gets into the penalty area, but Matt Doherty just about does enough to ensure he doesn't get any further and also doesn't get a penalty.

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Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham boss says 'second-season trophy' remark not a 'boast'

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is "amazed" and "confused" by negative reaction to his comment about "always" winning trophies in his second season.

The 59-year-old made the remark following Spurs' 1-0 home defeat by north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

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