Morning Star Online

TOTTENHAM vice-captain Cristian Romero has provided Ange Postecoglou with a timely boost after he took part in training ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Hoffenheim.

Romero has only played once over the last two months due to toe and groin issues respectively during a spell where Spurs have repeatedly been without key personnel.

A 3-2 loss at Everton on Sunday increased the external noise around Postecoglou’s position and while the PA news agency understands he retains the support of the club board, the sight of Romero being able to train yesterday morning will lift spirits amongst a depleted squad.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was also involved in training alongside centre-back Radu Dragusin, who was forced off at Everton.

Bentancur suffered a sickening head injury during a 1-0 win over Liverpool on January 8 and was ruled out of action for a minimum of 12 days due to concussion protocols.

While the Uruguayan looks set to feature in Germany after he returned to training and Romero may be in contention, Postecoglou has limited other options.

January recruit Antonin Kinsky, the reinvigorated Djed Spence, Sergio Reguilon and 18-year-old South Korean attacker Yang Min-hyeok cannot play tomorrow as they are not registered in the club’s league phase squad for the Europa League.

With Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke definitely ruled out, Postecoglou will be without at least 12 first-team options for a crucial fixture.

Spurs are ninth in the Europa League ahead of tomorrow’s penultimate league phase match, but a victory at Hoffenheim would boost their chances of a top-eight finish, which would send them through to the last 16 and avoid an extra two-legged knock-out tie in February.

FANS of Tottenham Hotspurs and West Ham United will put aside their rivalries this weekend and unite in protest against their clubs’ concessionary tickets policies.

Two independent fan-led campaign groups — West Ham’s Save Our Concessions and Spurs’ Save Our Seniors — plan to meet in solidarity on Saturday morning to begin the protest.

As the players walk out onto the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before kick off at 12.30pm, the home and away fans plan on releasing hundreds of black balloons, signalling their displeasure at the club’s reduction in the number of concessionary season tickets.

Spurs announced in March that the club would scrap new senior season tickets from the start of next season — which is now two months in.

Spurs owner Daniel Levy (301st on The Sunday Times Rich List 2024) said in September that if the club doesn’t “curtail the number of concession seats in our stadium, our whole financing model will come into question.”

Save Our Seniors accused Levy of making the cuts because “loyal fans are not dying off quickly enough to enable it to make even more money.”

The campaign group said in a statement yesterday that it estimates the club makes close to £6 million at the stadium every home game.

“The attack on concessions,” it said, “will save £3m a year. That is 3 per cent of the money the club received in broadcast income in 2022/23, and 100 per cent of the bonus chairman Daniel Levy paid himself in the same year.”

A study commission by Uefa in February found Tottenham made the highest gate revenue in the Premier League last year, and the third-highest in Europe — behind Paris St Germain and Barcelona.

The Uefa study put West Ham in seventh place in England and 15th in Europe. Its owners (chairman David Sullivan is the 150th richest person in the country, according to The Sunday Times) withdrew concessions for new season ticket holders to most seats at the London Stadium at the end of last season.

Save Our Concessions said West Ham’s under 21 and over 66 fans saw the prices of their season tickets double in bands 1-4 at the London Stadium – the seats closest to the pitch.

The club did offer concessionary tickets for new season ticket holders, including small children and the elderly, in bands 5-6 — right at the top of the stadium.

The campaign group said it fears the move is the first step to complete abolition of concessions, making family football completely impossible for the vast majority of fans.

In response to fan discontent, West Ham vice-chair Baroness Brady said in July that the club’s “commitment to affordable family football remains a priority.”

Liverpool University football finance expert Kieran Maguire has estimated that season ticket concession withdrawal at West Ham would raise just £600,000 per year – 0.25 per cent of turnover.

“They are telling pensioners and kids ‘you’re not welcome’ at West Ham,” said Paul Colborne, who chairs Hammers United, one of the fan groups involved in the protest.

“That’s not the West Ham way. It makes a mockery of the club’s commitment to ‘affordable family football.’ It will rip the heart and soul out of the club.”

A spokesperson for Tottenham Hotspur told the Star: "The Club should like to reiterate that it is not removing or cancelling senior concessions.

"We have, however, reluctantly taken the decision not to make new senior concession Season Tickets available, starting from Season 2025/26 – matchday senior concession tickets will remain available.

"Season Ticket Holders who are eligible for a senior concession Season Ticket for the 2024/25 season will still qualify at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. Senior concession Season Tickets will then be phased to a 25 per cent discount over six years (by 2029/30) in 5 per cent increments every year, bringing the discount in line with match day senior concessions and Young Adults. Junior concession Season Tickets will remain at 50 per cent.

"We have shared in our discussions with supporters’ groups that Season Ticket income is a fundamental source of security for stadium borrowings and cannot decrease.

"While our stadium capacity has increased two-fold since moving to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the number of senior concession Season Tickets has increased four fold from the number at our old White Hart Lane stadium - not taking matchday concessions into account.

"This increase is clearly not sustainable and will start to limit ticket choice for others year on year."

The Star has reached out to West Ham United for comment.

Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham

by James Nalton

at Old Trafford

TOTTENHAM Hotspur turned on the style against Manchester United on Sunday, scoring three goals without reply at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the home side just before half time, but Spurs had been dominant even before having the extra man.

They had taken the lead in the third minute when Micky van de Ven surged through a non-existent United midfield, taking it past the defence to the byline and crossing for Brennan Johnson to turn home at the far post.

Timo Werner and James Maddison missed good chances after that opener but the visitors kept creating.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou spoke of a calmness within the team that hasn’t always existed this season, as they created chance after chance.

“I got a sense that the players weren’t dwelling on missed chances,” Postecoglou said.

“They were just focused on trying to go again and create another one. There was a real calmness about the lads today.

“I thought we played really well at Leicester, we played well at Newcastle and against Arsenal, but we missed chances and it felt like there was desperation about us trying to get another one, whereas the last three games we’ve had a real calmness about us.

“I think it’s helped that we have a focal point in Dom [Solanke] up there who’s a real presence, attracts attention, takes attention from other players, and works really well in our unit.”

An opposition side going a man down can often make things more difficult. United manager Erik ten Hag took off striker Joshua Zirkzee and replaced him with defensive midfielder Casemiro at half time in an attempt to shut up shop.

But Spurs ruined Ten Hag’s plan straight away when Dejan Kulusevski scored just two minutes into the second half following good work from Johnson.

Solanke got in on the act, turning in a corner kick from Lucas Bergvall that had been headed on by Pape Matar Sarr.

On this form, Spurs look like one of the best teams in the division, and if they can keep calm and carry on taking their chances, it might soon start to show in the league table.

NEW signing Dominic Solanke acknowledged Tottenham were “not quite clinical enough” in the 1-1 draw at Leicester, but vowed they would put things right at the weekend when he makes his home debut.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou handed the £65 million forward a first start on Monday night and, despite an overall strong performance, Solanke squandered three chances, including a close-range first-half header.

A goal would have capped a fine debut, but Tottenham were punished for their profligacy in their Premier League opener when Jamie Vardy levelled in the 57th minute to cancel out Pedro Porro’s opener.

“Firstly, we are disappointed not to get the three points,” Solanke told SpursPlay. “Going into every game, that is what we want to do. We want to achieve big things this season.

“I think we played well at times, just weren’t quite clinical enough but there is a lot to look forward to.

“It is quite frustrating not to get the three points, having played well and dominated the game for the majority, but it is the first game.

“We wanted to get the three points but hopefully we can put it right in the next game.”

Tottenham are likely to be without Rodrigo Bentancur for the visit of Everton on Saturday after he suffered a sickening head injury at King Power Stadium.

Bentancur appeared to accidentally clash heads with Abdul Fatawu before he slammed into the grass. He received lengthy treatment and subsequently left on a stretcher and received oxygen.

Postecoglou confirmed Bentancur was “conscious and communicating” post-match and the Uruguay midfielder travelled back on the team bus.

Concussion protocols, however, mean he will almost certainly be absent from Saturday’s match with Everton, in which Solanke will relish the chance to play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time as a home player.

Solanke said: “I’m looking forward to it. An opportunity to go put things right in front of the home fans and looking forward to playing in the stadium for the first time.

“Been here for just over a week now and I’ve been looking forward to this [full debut] moment.

“It was great to play with the boys and in front of the fans. Disappointed not to get the three points, but we’ll keep improving and try to get the three points next time.”

While Solanke has arrived at Tottenham this month, Oliver Skipp swapped his boyhood club for a move to Leicester on Monday.

The former England Under-21 international has joined the Foxes for an initial £20m fee with £5m included in add-ons, the PA news agency understands.

Leicester boss Steve Cooper expects further signings to follow, saying: “A great signing and, talking about the step from the Championship to the Premier League, it is normal to strengthen the squad.

“Oli offers us strengths now and a different profile in midfield.

“We intend to and have to bring in more players this week before [Saturday’s game at] Fulham at the top end of the pitch, so we have more variety and strength in depth there because this league is brutal.”

Leicester midfielder Kasey McAteer, a second-half substitute against Spurs, has agreed a new deal with the Foxes through to 2028.