HeraldScotland

Postecoglou's side have lost 13 of their 24 league games this season and sit 14th in the table, a far cry from where the north London club are expected to be at this stage.

However, they go into Thursday's EFL Cup semi-final second leg tie against Liverpool with a 1-0 advantage as they look to book a place at Wembley. They have also progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League and visit Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.

There's a lot riding on those upcoming matches, and that's why Postecoglou has been backed in the winter transfer window with reinforcements to bolster his depleted squad.

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Spurs signed France Under-21s star Mathys Tel on-loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day, with Austrian defender Kevin Danso arriving on a similar deal two days prior.

Earlier in the window, Postecoglou secured a new goalkeeper with Antonin Kinsky joining in a £12.5million transfer from Slavia Prague. That came following Fraser Forster's struggles whilst deputising for crocked No.1 Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs successfully navigated a notoriously challenging transfer window by strengthening key areas of their first-team.

And technical director Johan Lange confirmed that the board was “very satisfied” with their business.

"Tony [Kinsky] is a goalkeeper that we have followed for quite some time," he said. "He was a target that we were considering for the summer, but due to Vicario's injury we decided to see if we could move it forward to January.

"It's a goalkeeper that despite his young age is quite proven. He has been in goal in the Czech divisions for the last few years. He is a very modern goalkeeper and he's a goalkeeper that suits our style of play. We watched him ten times since the summer and had every detail and knowledge of him as a character. We are very excited that he's now at the club and of course he will come in and compete. He had a conversation with Ange about the style of play and I think that definitely helped that he was comfortable.

"The way we play we need players who fit that style and with Kevin [Danso], he's a very good stylistic fit. He comes in with very good experience both in the Bundesliga and in France as well as from the Austrian national team. He comes in at a good age and with experience so he can take a role from the first day. I'm sure that his personality will play a huge part in the dressing room going forward.

"Mathys is a fantastic talent. He's in a very unique group of players who at a young age has already played a lot of football at a very high level. I think he's played around 70 games in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich and played 15 times in the Champions League already at the age of 19. He's a versatile attacking player who has the X-Factor. He will hopefully bring excitement to the stadium as well and we can't wait to see him set free at our club, and hopefully we will share many great experiences together."

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On leaving it late to back their under-pressure head coach, Lange stated: "That is a fair question. We as a club would've liked to have done all our signings on the first of January. We were ready to do that. But it is not as easy as that. I think this January here, in particular, the dynamic changed a little bit.

"We are not the only team that has injuries and also the dynamic of the new European format. Meaning all the club's competing in Europe have had to play group matches in January which is never the case.

“Normally the clubs will know their fate in the European competition in December. But the fact is now there's two group games in the last part of January as well as more teams that are going through into the play-off stages. Those things meant that clubs were more reluctant.

"It was also about finding the right players to come into the team. It's not about buying the first player that comes available; it has to be the right player both for now but also for the future.

"In the first two weeks of January, I think there were 12 transfers across the whole Premier League and that says a lot. You can influence things but you can't dictate the whole transfer window dynamics.

“Some players can feel uncomfortable making a change mid-season because they want to see the season out, they want to arrive at a new club having had a full pre-season. We are asking players and players’ families to make a move where within 24 hours you could be leaving your country and then starting and playing the next day.

“So, there are a load of factors why most transactions are done in the summer. But again, as I said, we were ready to go from the first of January, and I think we spent all days of the window trying to get the business done. And we’ve brought three players in who we believe will contribute to the club in a very positive way.”

However, Postecoglou is keen to get him back on the pitch after having to put his faith in the club’s youth talent during recent games.

“Micky is good, he’s good to go,” Postecoglou confirmed during his latest press conference.

“We’ll try to get him some match minutes. He’s had a good week, 10 days with the team.”

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Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario also took part in training ahead of Thursday’s fixture. The Italian has been sidelined since injuring his ankle during a 4-0 win over Manchester City on November 23.

Elsewhere, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma are available for selection after recovering from minor knocks, but James Maddison is the latest to join the treatment table with a calf problem.

With Spurs looking to steady their form in both domestic and European competitions, the return of key players could prove crucial in the weeks ahead.

The 19-year-old made his first team debut for Spurs during a 5-0 English Premier League win over Southampton on December 15, and has since been rewarded with a new contract running until summer 2029.

He was most recently an unused substitute as Spurs were taken to extra-time by Tamworth in the FA Cup last weekend.

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Explaining his decision to join Aberdeen, the highly-rated centre-back said: "I think about a week ago my agent called me and said 'Aberdeen'. Obviously I know that it's a big club, got a big support, passionate supporters, and I know about the history about the club. That made it a no-brainer to come here.

"Then as soon as I found out what the manager wants from me, what he wants me to do, how he wants the team to play, it suits my style quite well. I was just thinking that's a no-brainer.

"I have done my research and saw that James Maddison came here. The impact that he had was amazing. I have seen the goal that he scored against Rangers. It was a big performance and it was a big stepping stone for him. It put his name on the map. It gave him the platform to perform at the highest level."

Asked to describe his best attributes, Dorrington added: "I'd say my heading because I'm quite tall. My pace, so defending the ball in behind really or even with the ball, stepping out and dribbling with the ball through midfield.

"I'd say on the ball I'm quite good with the ball as well with my range of passing and breaking the lines."

Commenting on his latest recruit, Aberdeen boss Thelin said: “Alfie is a really exciting young prospect who recently made his debut for the Tottenham Hotspur first team.

“He has good speed, stature and good ability on the ball and his arrival will further strengthen our options at centre-back.

“We believe this will be an environment in which he can continue to grow and gain some invaluable match experience in a really competitive league.”

They sit 11th in the English Premier League table, winning just seven of their opening 19 league fixtures.

Postecoglou left Celtic to take the managerial role at Spurs on June 6, 2023, penning a four-year contract.

At Celtic, the 59-year-old won successive Scottish Premiership titles during his two seasons in charge.

But there's now pressure on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to make a decision on the Greek-Aussie's future in north London.

During his post-match press conference, Postecoglou insisted that he will “keep going”.

“We’re asking a lot of a small core group of players,’ he explained.

“The whole group probably needs a couple of days to get away and recover.

“It has been really intense for a core group of players. It will do them good to go away with their families to recover with their families mentally as much as physically.

“I will keep going and look for help to get these players to perform at their best.”

The Glasgow club ensured there was no triumphant return to Scotland for former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou in their Europa League league phase match.

The morale-boosting point against the Premier League giants – secured thanks to a second-half Hamza Igamane goal - will raise their confidence levels no end ahead of their Premier Sports Cup final meeting with their city rivals at Hampden on Sunday.

A first win by a Scottish club over top flight English opponents in 18 years may have cruelly eluded them – but Rangers increased their chances of qualifying automatically for the knockout rounds of the competition all the same.

Here are five talking points from a memorable night.

Disappointing Spurs

Postecoglou described the catalogue of injuries and suspensions which he has had to deal with this season as the worst he has experienced in his 25 coaching career at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday – and his team selection highlighted the problems he has had.

He made no fewer than five changes to the side which lost 4-3 to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday.

Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayan internationalist whose ban for using a racial slur only applies to domestic fixtures, came into the midfield and James Maddison and Timo Werner also got the nod as Pape Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke dropped to the bench,

But it was at the back, where first choice centre halves Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were both missing, that Postecoglou’s plight was most obvious. Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin came in to the heart of his rearguard.

Gray - the son of Andy, grandson of Frank and great-nephew of Eddie, a trio of former Scotland internationalists – might have cost Spurs a cool £40m during the summer. But the ex-Leeds United kid is still just 18 and is more of a central midfielder or a full-back.

Spurs looked very much like a side which had won just one of their previous seven games. They by no means, despite having Son Heung-min, Werner and Maddison on the park, troubled their hosts. Quite the opposite in fact. It was clear to see why they have been toiling in the English top flight. They were lucky to avoid defeat.

Rangers spirit

Philippe Clement mixed things up for this match too.

Danilo and Ianis Hagi, who have been two of his best performers in recent weeks, were unavailable as they were not included in the European squad. Leon Balogun and Connor Barron also dropped out as Ridvan Yilmaz, Robin Propper, Mohamed Diomande and Nadim Bajrami came in.

Yilmaz, who had not started since the Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv at Hampden way back in August, somewhat unusually slotted in on the left wing as Jefte remained at left back. Bajrami, too, moved inside and performed the playmaker role. But the set-up worked well.

The atmosphere inside the ground was electric as the two teams emerged from the tunnel – and when the visitors peeled away to the corner of the pitch and formed a Celtic-style huddle before kick-off the decibel levels got cranked up a notch or two.

Fraser Forster, the former Celtic player who inflicted so much misery on Rangers during his various spells in Scotland, was booed by the home supporters every time he took a touch. But the 6ft 7in goalkeeper did not have a huge amount to do in the opening 45 minutes.

He pushed a Bajrami attempt wide and dealt with two on target efforts from Vaclav Cerny. He would have been beaten if Bajrami or James Tavernier had been able to get on the end of a square ball which Jefte whipped across the six yard box. Fortunately for him, neither man could make contact.

But he could do nothing to keep an Igamane shot out of his net after the Moroccan striker had been supplied by Tavernier early in the second half. Nobody could begrudge Rangers their lead. They had been the better side.

Ange under pressure

Postecoglou removed Werner and put on Kulusevski at the start of the second half. But if anything his men were worse after the change. They were fortunate to only concede once as their hosts laid siege to their goal.

However, the substitute levelled with 15 minutes of regulation time remaining to ultimately salvage a draw for the visitors which their display scarcely merited.

The Greek-Australian enjoyed more successes than failures against Rangers during his time in Scotland. But his expensively-assembled team were on the back foot for long periods this evening. The pressure is well and truly on him now.

He had chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” aimed in his direction by the home supporters in the 48,064-strong crowd after Igamane struck. He will have to oversee a distinct upturn in form to avoid that fate in the weeks ahead.

Souttar setback

Rangers contained the Spurs front three pretty effectively in the opening half an hour and Jack Butland was never seriously tested in goal. But they suffered a serious blow when centre half John Souttar sank to the turf and then hobbled off injured after failing to respond to treatment.

Balogun, the Nigerian internationalist who is no stranger to big European nights, came on and acquitted himself well. But if Souttar is out of the Premier Sports Cup final it will seriously reduce the defending champions’ chances of retaining their trophy. The Scotland internationalist has been immense for them this term.

Euro progress

With Manchester United away and Union St Gilloise to come in January, there is still a lot of football to be played before Rangers can clinch a place in the next stage of the competition. But if they perform as well as this in their next two outings then they will go through.

Only a brilliant Forster save from a Cyriel Dessers shot with five minutes of regulation time denied them victory.

Postecoglou had walked over to the away section at the conclusion of the match where he was met with a chorus of boos from the travelling support.

However, Postecoglou downplayed the exchange with fans after the match as he opened up on the "pretty direct feedback".

"I wasn't having a word," he told Amazon Prime Sport. "They are pretty disappointed and rightly so.

"I got some pretty direct feedback as to how we are going, and that's fair enough."

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The Australian coach appeared to exchange words with a number of supporters before pointing at the Spurs badge on his jacket.

As supporters continued to vent their frustrations, Postecoglou then quickly applauded fans before walking back across the pitch.

The loss leaves Tottenham in 10th place in the Premier League with six wins, two draws and six losses in their 14 outings so far.

Postecoglou later added in his post-match press conference: "They are disappointed, rightly so. They gave me some direct feedback which I guess is taken on board."

On what was said, he stated: "Yeah probably not for here mate."

He continued: "I've got no issue with it. 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 if things don't go well, you've got to understand the frustration and disappointment.

"They're right disappointed tonight because again we've let a game of football get away from us.

"That's ok, I'm ok with all of that."

It halted the momentum Postecoglou’s side had built in midweek with a fine Carabao Cup triumph over Manchester City, but they were transformed in the second half and blew away their midlands rivals.

Captain Son Heung-min set up Brennan Johnson for his seventh goal of the season in the 49th minute before Solanke hit a quick-fire double during the final quarter of an hour after a six-match run without a goal.

James Maddison, a late replacement for substitute Richarlison, capped a great afternoon for Spurs with a stoppage-time free-kick as the hosts moved up to seventh, but the day belonged to Solanke as his recent excellent tireless displays finally brought reward in front of goal.

Postecoglou said: “I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally, and his capacity to help the team in every way he can… To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against, it’s just unbelievable.

“Yeah, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment.

“And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team.”

It was not all good news for Tottenham, who had to bring off Cristian Romero and Richarlison, having also lost Micky van de Ven to a hamstring injury in midweek.

Romero limped off in the 61st minute with a right-foot issue and Richarlison appeared to suffer a muscle problem when he cut back for Solanke to score in the 79th minute.

“Richy obviously felt something in the action of setting the goal up in his hamstring, so we’ll see,” Postecoglou said.

“I don’t have any further information (on Romero) but he’s a pretty tough cookie and for him to come off, it must be sore.

“It’s not ideal but hopefully both are not serious.”

The impressive result was achieved despite Postecoglou taking Son off in the 56th minute, with the Tottenham captain seemingly frustrated at the decision.

However, Postecoglou insisted it was always the plan after the forward had missed six of Spurs’ previous seven matches with a hamstring problem.

“He’s had an injury, he came back and last time it was around the 60-minute mark when he got fatigued so he was never going to play more than 45 to 60 irrespective of the way the game was going,” Postecoglou said.

“The great thing was he made a pretty important contribution before that with a great ball in for our first goal.”

Villa had won four of their previous six league matches but defeat in north London made it back-to-back losses and a bad week for Unai Emery’s men after they also exited the Carabao Cup following Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win at Villa Park on Wednesday night.

“We compete and we were being consistent,” Emery said.

“Of course the first half was much better than the second half and the team were aware how we can be competitive, close to win, close to get more chances to be in top seven positions in Premier League.

“And we are accepting the result because in the second half when they score two goals and take advantage on the field, it is a team in transition, very good and we were making some mistakes.”

James Maddison scored Spurs’ fourth goal from a late free-kick (John Walton/PA) Richarlison lies in pain after picking up an injury (John Walton/PA) Postecoglou said it was always the plan for captain Son Heung-min (left) to come off in the second half (John Walton/PA) Sunday’s defeat was the second in a week for Unai Emery’s Villa (John Walton/PA)

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But, bullish Postecoglou was unshaken in a Sky Sports interview as he vowed to win something at Spurs this season despite falling to Arsenal.

In a live interview, Postecoglou was asked: "You said at the start of the season, the first campaign was really about setting principles and getting your message across, the second campaign you normally win.

"Are you seeing enough in this side that this season you do think they will be a side that can win?

"I'm talking silverware, competing right at the top..."

The manager - who won a treble at Celtic in his second season - bit back at the questioning as he was interrupted quickly after beginning to respond.

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In a sharp reply, Postecoglou said: "Yeah, absolutely. If I can answer the question...or are you going to keep asking it?"

He then continued: "Absolutely. I'll correct what I said, I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed."

Further pressed on the matter of whether he believes his current crop of Spurs players can win a trophy this season, Postecoglou added: "Well, I just sort of said it now. I don't say things I don't believe in."

Meanwhile, Postecoglou will be back in Glasgow this year when Spurs take on Rangers in the Europa League.

The former Celtic boss will head to Ibrox on December 12 in the revamped league phase of the competition.

On the trip back to Scotland, and Ibrox, Postecoglou previously joked: "Exciting. It's good to be a part of. Some good games. I am sure I will get a warm reception at Ibrox and they'll look forward to seeing me."