Football365

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that key centre-back Cristian Romero is a “doubt” for their match against Manchester City on Saturday.

Micky van der Ven has missed their last four matches in all competitions with a hamstring injury and the possibility that Romero could miss Spurs’ clash against City could mean that Ben Davies has to start at centre-back.

After Romero had a baby girl, Tottenham boss Postecoglou told reporters at a pre-match press conference: “I’m really happy for Christian and his wife on the birth of their baby girl. He’s still not 100%, he’s a doubt for the weekend.

“Everyone else through internationals has got through it well. “Micky is still a good couple of weeks away. He is out on the grass and he’s training but he’s still a couple of weeks away. We’re hoping by the middle of December, he’s back and involved and playing.”

Rodrigo Bentacur was given a seven-match ban following a racial slur made about Spurs team-mate Son Heung-min earlier this season.

On the Tottenham’s decision to appeal the severity of the ban, Postecoglou addded: “It’s obviously disappointing because he’s been great for us this year.

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“He’s been one of the ones who certainly his football has gone up another level, but we understood that this was kind of coming and I support the club’s decision to appeal the severity of the ban.

“Ultimately, we know it is going to be for X number of games. We will work with Rodrigo through that and make sure in that time, he has all of our support in the right way so that when’s he available again, he’s ready.”

When asked if he’d spoken to Tottenham midfielder Bentancur since the news came out, Postecoglou continued: “I haven’t spoken to him since this came out. He’s obviously been away with Uruguay and he’s not quite back yet but I spoke to him in the lead-up to it.

“As I said at the time, he understands he’s made a mistake and he’s ready to accept whatever comes his way. As a club, we are going to support him because the one thing that is undeniable to me is I know him, he’s an outstanding person, he’s an unbelievable team-mate and he’s a person with the utmost character and he’s made a mistake.

“I think when that happens, our role with that is to support him in any way we can.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are planning to submit an ‘appeal’ after Uruguay international Rodrigo Bentancur was banned for seven matches.

Last week, a report from The Daily Mail revealed Bentacur is set to be ‘hit with a seven-game ban’ after ‘making an alleged racist remark about South Koreans while on Uruguayan TV’.

The Tottenham centre-midfielder was sanctioned after saying South Koreans “are more or less all the same”.

Earlier this week, the FA confirmed Bentancur had been sanctioned. A statement read: ‘An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

‘It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

‘Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing. Its written reasons for these decisions can be seen below.’

READ: Postecoglou sack would be ‘wonderfully Spursy’ after Klopp-like start

A new report from The Telegraph claimed Spurs intend to ‘appeal Benancur’s ban’ after the verdict by the independent commission’s decision ‘shocked’ Premier League rivals.

It is also noted that ‘Spurs are not appealing the guilty verdict, but are challenging the length of the seven-match ban’.

‘While Spurs are not appealing the guilty verdict, it is understood that the club will challenge the length of the ban, which exceeded the minimum six games applied by the FA for racist abuse.

‘Telegraph Sport revealed the severity of the ban and the process behind the decision shocked rivals of Spurs, who felt they have been made an example of.’

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‘The FA introduced a minimum six-game ban for racist abuse five years ago, but Bentancur was handed an extra match after it was deemed that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”.

‘Tottenham’s appeal will be aimed at reducing Bentancur’s ban, although it is unlikely to be reduced below the minimum six-game threshold, despite perceived inconsistencies regarding other cases.’

It is also noted that rivals were ‘surprised’ after Bentancur’s ‘apology was effectively used against him’.

‘Sources outside Tottenham have expressed surprise to Telegraph Sport that Bentancur’s own attempt at an apology would be effectively used against him, particularly when English is not the first language of the Uruguay international.

‘Similarly, the fact the written reasons refer to support from Son as further evidence that Bentancur accepted his remarks were insulting has been noted with an element of astonishment.’

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur standout Pedro Porro and his entourage are ‘convinced’ that Manchester United will try to sign him next year.

The 25-year-old has emerged as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League and is being linked with several clubs across Europe.

The Portugal international had a spell at Man City earlier in his career but he left having failed to make a single senior appearance for the Premier League side.

Porro left Man City to join Sporting Lisbon in 2020 and had a great spell in Portugal under head coach Ruben Amorim.

His immense form for the Primeira Liga champions tempted Tottenham to sign him during the 2023 winter transfer window. His loan was made permanent for around £35m in the summer.

Porro has 20 goal involvements in his 67 appearances for Spurs across all competitions and has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in recent months.

READ: Ranking eight Man Utd stars facing Ruben Amorim ‘axe’ on chance of cash-in this January

The Tottenham star has been identified as an alternative to Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold and the North London outfit are said to be eyeing a ‘significant gain’ if they sell their prized asset.

Porro’s former manager – Amorim – has moved to the Premier League as he’s been appointed to replace Erik ten Hag at Man Utd.

Following this move, Man Utd have been linked with several current and former Sporting Lisbon stars. A report in Spain claims they are ‘interested’ in Porro.

The full-back’s entourage are said to be ‘convinced’ that Man Utd will ‘make an attempt to sign him’.

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There is reportedly an ‘excellent’ relationship between Amorim and Porro, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy ‘won’t let him leave for less than’ 70 million euros (£58m).

United’s reported interest in Porro is somewhat surprising as Amorim already has Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui to choose from at right wing-back.

Earlier this month, Amorim hinted that he is unwilling to move away from his preferred 3-4-3 formation after arriving at Man Utd.

“I have to start from something I know very well and then develop that with the players,” Amorim said.

“We don’t have much time to train, there are many games, so I’ll start from a structure I know very well.”

On leaving Sporting Lisbon and joining Man Utd, he added: “I feel ready for the new challenge.

“I’m not naive, I know it’s going to be very different, very difficult. I’m at peace now, I can focus on my new job and I’m looking forward to starting tomorrow.”

Sack Ange Postecoglou? What would be the point of that? The Mailbox almost moves on from Harry Kane…

Send your views to theeditor@football365.com

Sacking Ange would be ultimate Spurs move

Writing in to reply to Jim Sokol from yesterday’s mailbox.

Jim writes ‘Ange’s refusal to assess opponents and not change his (plan A, same as Plan B tactics) are getting found out in the top league, as I knew they would.’

Not really sure what Jim was expecting. Apparently after 50 PL games Pep won 36, Arteta and Klopp both won 26. Ange has won 25 from 49.

(Actually, Arteta won only 21 of his first 50 PL games – Ed)

All three managers started at clubs in similar positions really. We can argue about relative places, and IMO Liverpool and Arsenal were in slightly better shape as they hadn’t had the Jose and Conte messes before them.

Do I think Ange will go on and do a Klopp, or have Spurs as a clear second best in the league? Probably not (almost definitely not). But that would be Spurs punching miles above their weight, and even with Spurs thinking back to their dreamboat Poch – even he managed to finish third in a two horse race and absolutely turn to water in the Champions League final (as a Liverpool fan, thanks for that Poch).

For some context. Spurs have not won the league since 1961. The FA Cup since 1991. League Cup was the last trophy win in 2008.

Since Spurs last won a trophy, Leicester have won the Prem, the FA Cup and I will throw in the Charity Shield as well, just to make it 3-0. Spurs are not a trophy winning club over the last 60 years or so.

So Spurs fans. What do you want next after apparently wanting to sack Ange? A “serial winner” that plays pragmatic football? Great idea, that worked well the last two times.

A left field selection that is starting to pull a style of play together and build a squad out of the shambles that was there before? Yeah, you have that now and you want to bin him for basically not being Pep.

Sacking Ange now after just over a year in the gig and starting to change things would just be wonderfully Spursy. You could only top that by going and hiring Ten Hag or something.

Dixon Hunt

READ: Ruben Amorim already above Mikel Arteta in Premier League manager rankings

Dr Tottenham or Mr Hotspur?

Just reading the manager rankings and caught another reference to Dr Tottenham, I wonder if we are at the point when they have honed their skills and are now so perfectly precise and surgically excellent in their pursuit of perfection, that they should be promoted to, or have passed all the exams and are fully qualified and as such should now be referred to, as all surgeons should…. Mr Hotspur?

Just thought..

Why is no one seemingly talking about Antonee Robinson for a left back – Seems as good as anything I have seen for 2 seasons. Has he got a 5yr Fulham contract. I’d have him in a heartbeat!

Al – LFC (keep going Arne, I already think you can keep or replace Trent and Mo whichever you wish! Amazingly my trust levels after 11 games are insane)

(We are talking about Antonee Robinson – Ed)

Pep staying? Get in

Pep Guardiola extending his contract is fantastic news for all City fans. So so so happy to have him in charge for even longer, although I did think it was likely to happen as I wrote last week.

And I look forward to seeing him dominate League Two and showing your Barrows, your Newports, your Bromleys what’s up.

Andy D. Manchester. MCFC

Klopp as coach > Klopp as man

Nearly spat my coffee this morning when I’d read it and who knows if we take all reports as fact, but did Jurgen Klopp really see Antony fit to replace (the then possibly departing) Mo Salah? Blimey… our same beloved gaffer who wanted Julian Brandt over the Egyptian king before he’d come in, and wanted that heaving pile of Brazilian uselessness after, bless him.

Unlike David Coote I’ve nothing but love and a trunkful of fond memories for Klopp and his reign. Also don’t know what his new remit will be exactly, presiding over the Red Bull umbrella, but on our little patch thank god for the return of Michael Edwards (and the installment of Richard Hughes). While there’s little debate Klopp was an excellent leader and one consistently capable of doing the most with the least, he had massive blind spots when it came to recruitment. And we paid dearly at times with numerous opportunity costs.

As much as I enjoyed Thiago, he was an inarguably poor signing for us and one Edwards would’ve never sanctioned on his own. Same could be said of Darwin (and though the jury’s still out, it doesn’t look great). Naby Keita wasn’t necessarily poor recruitment, but he was woefully short in robustness and always lacked the fitness profile to geggenpress eight days weekly. There are more examples I’m sure, but just trying to get to what I’m saying…

Which is simply that I’m on board with Arne Slot and Michael Edwards. It’s the proper setup.

I’ll forever miss Klopp on the touchline and any Liverpool supporter will be ever grateful he came to us, but dare I say the club might be in better hands now going forward. More prudent, more sustainable hands. Less emotion. Klopp was the right man at the right time; I’m convinced nobody could’ve come in to wake the slumbering giant as he did. But from where we are now, where we could go, I think FSG have got it right once again… by putting the proper people in place to get it right, once again.

Eric, Los Angeles CA (Also just my opinion but I don’t think moving Kane into a roving 10 role for England is the answer. Kane should sit. Rooney shared many of Kane’s attributes while in decline and shifted back, but at that time England weren’t spoilt for choice in that position as they will be for 2026. Kane could be devastating off the bench from the 70th, as needed, and as a 9.)

Cars: A genius

Excellent analysis of Lee Carsley from Funster Andy. My only gripe is that he assumes it’s accidental, it’s not, the guy is more intelligent than we give him credit for.

As a player, Carsley in centre midfield for Everton was the driving force behind our run to fourth back in the day. He always knew where to be and when. It’s quite funny when you think Real Madrid bought Tommy Grav for defensive midfield when it should’ve been Cars all along (all bald white men look the same it appears)

So yes, I’d like to see Cars back again for the top job some day. Plus I’d like to thank him for improving our play immensely and hope that he’ll be back after the latest capitulation.

Fat Man (He also used Tommy Tuuuuuchels patented 4222 formation in the first match against Greece….)

Small data sets and marginal losses

Something that always fascinates me in the football media is how much weight is placed on the outcome of one game. Even a full league season is a small ‘data’ pool on which to make a call, so why would we base so much on one game?

For example, doing a ‘what-if’ around Watkins vs Kane, by implying that Watkins could never have made the pass to Bellingham Kane made, thus proving Kane is the better player.

There is no doubt Kane has been a great player, the question is whether he can continue to be and he was definitively found wanting at the last Euros, but the real point is that the game would not have unrolled the same way if Watkins had started. Who knows, perhaps England would have been 1-0 up earlier through a Watkins goal or the movement up front allowing a team mate space to score that Kane cannot do anymore. It’s a moot point.

It’s like the idea of marginal gains. We spend time talking about marginal gains and how one or more small improvements, in a highly professional and competitive sport, can create enough advantage to win.

But what about marginal losses? Surely the opposite must be true. While Kane has been a great asset for England and genuinely believes in showing up, at the last Euros he was definitely off his best. If he is only at 90% of his best, should he not be playing? Was he carrying an injury, not recovered from an injury or was it Father Time catching up? Either way, hadn’t he become a marginal loss that detracted from the overall team performance?

The idea that Watkins isn’t that much younger than Kane and there are no future forwards of Kane’s ilk is also moot. We only play one tournament at a time, so we’re only focussed on the next World Cup. We can worry about future forward talent later. Besides, few teams at international level have a forward of that level and many that do, either don’t qualify (Norway), or don’t have the team to supply the forward (Poland), etc, that it shows it is more important to have a balanced side with a focused strategy than think about how to use, let alone optimize, for one player.

Against Greece in Greece, England were balanced and played with freedom, which we never saw in any game at the Euros. Tuchel is pragmatic and knows he can’t and won’t rely on one player – as he won’t know who will be fit or available when the finals come around. He will want a balanced squad who can all play to a strategy.

Carsley has done well and provided Tuchel a lot of background he can leverage when thinking about how he wants to play. He must be stoked to have access to such a great pool of talent and, I dare say, not being English, won’t have the anxiety English managers have about losing. Plus, being only signed to one tournament won’t have to worry as much about the media in terms of calls to be sacked etc. Just look at the way the media essentially harassed Carsley – which I believe totally influenced his decision in wanting the role.

It’s just too bad we focus on the negatives, the can they all play together, who is better than Kane, is Kane any good, etc, than the fact we have an incredibly talented set of players, and the future looks positive.

Paul McDevitt

…The thing that I despise about social media, and the media in general these days is the fact that everything is black or white, there is no middle ground.

For example, the recent debate about Harry Kane seems to feature on whether he should play for England or not. Therefore, you can only think that he is either excellent or rubbish. There can be no in-between

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Thomas Tuchel must weigh up his view on the team as a whole. What is the best side England can put out to give them a chance of winning the world cup? As was evidenced recently you cannot put all your best players on the field and expect them to gel together like its Football Manager circa 2008.

This takes me back to the Roy Keane argument about Ronaldo. Keane’s view was you should find a way of fitting Ronaldo into the team because he scored 25 goals last season, the opposing view was whilst Ronaldo may have scored 25 goals the team over the course of the season scored less and created fewer chances. You just can’t simply up the game of the other 10 players to accommodate one.

Tuchel has to weigh up is Kane playing at center forward going to be better than Watkins with Jude Bellingham in the number 10 space that Kane drops into. Also is Watkins more likely to score with two wingers hitting the touch line.

Is Harry Kane England’s best striker, undoubtedly yes. However, will the team play better without him?

I don’t know the answer to this, you don’t know the answer to this, and “white van man” who shouts down the phone to talksport presenters certainly doesn’t know the answer to this. No one does but that’s why Thomas Tuchel is getting paid a hell of a lot of money to try to figure this out.

Radu Dragusin has often been viewed as a backup centre-back by Ange Postecoglou since the defender arrived at Tottenham in January this year.

The north London club paid a fee of around £26m to secure the Romanian’s services from Serie A side Genoa, having made just 13 appearances since with Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Van forming a strong partnership at the heart of the backline.

With Dragusin’s minutes being limited, reports in Italy have seen him linked with a move to both Juventus and Napoli, with the former desperately in need of cover in defence due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear to Gleison Bremer.

Bremer is expected to miss the entirety of this season, so a move for a centre-back could be on the cards with Dragusin seen as a potential option with the 22-year-old coming through the ranks in Turin, while making one first team appearance. He is someone who understands Italian football well.

Despite the speculation though, Dragusin’s agent Florin Manea spoke to Telecapri regarding his clients current status at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

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“It is an honour for Radu to be wanted by teams like Napoli and Juve, but right now they are just rumours,” said Manea.

He continued: “We are focused on Tottenham. He still has five years left on his contract. It is not easy to go to a top club and impose yourself right away, he is still 22-years-old.”

Manea added: “If he never plays this season it is normal that other evaluations will be made: in January he won’t move, in June he will be evaluated.”

In the Premier League this season, Dragusin has played just 279 minutes, though he has featured heavily in the cup competitions when Postecoglou tends to rotate his squad.

Earlier this month, the Spurs boss publicly backed Dragusin. He said: “What I believe brings out the best in people is competition. I certainly didn’t bring Radu into be an understudy. I brought him in to be competition for Cuti [Romero] and Micky [Van de Van] and himself.”

Postecoglou continued: “If he went to Bayern Munich he wouldn’t be guaranteed football either. He was leaving where he was, where he was playing regularly for that challenge and I think that’s how it has to be. If he keeps improving his performances I hope that will push Romero along and Van de Ven along.”

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back has been labelled “world-class” as a former Spurs star has backed him to “walk straight into Manchester City’s team”.

The 23-year-old joined Spurs during the 2023 summer transfer window from Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg for around £42m.

The Netherlands international was heavily linked with Liverpool before he signed for Tottenham, who pulled off a major coup when they landed him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Van de Ven has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons but has still emerged as one of the standout centre-backs in the Premier League.

The speedy defender could soon attract interest from several European giants and former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara thinks he is “world class”.

“I think Van de Ven is a world-class player,” O’Hara said.

READ: Six next moves for Erik ten Hag post-Man Utd include Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United

Dean Saunders: “Van de Ven? He has had one season playing in the high line. World class? Van de Ven?”

“He ain’t getting in Manchester City’s team. He is not getting in Liverpool’s.”

O’Hara responded: “What are you talking about? He would walk straight into Manchester City’s team. He walks into it.”

Saunders refuted this claim, saying “no chance”. But O’Hara doubled down as he claimed: “He walks into any team.”

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Saunders did not agree as Van de Ven “needs to show for a couple of years” that he can play “without making mistakes”.

“He needs to show for a couple of years yet that he can keep playing in the Premier League at that level without making mistakes. No mistakes. Top players don’t make mistakes,” Saunders said.

“Van Dijk hardly makes a mistake. He does now and again, but not as many as others. And that’s why he is Van Dijk. Konate doesn’t make that many mistakes. Man City’s centre-backs.”

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou is under pressure at the moment as his side have been infuriatingly inconsistent at the start of this season.

Despite this, Van de Ven has backed them to “achieve some beautiful things” this season as they look to win a trophy.

“We all trust in the process and the system the gaffer wants to play. We all trust in each other and we know we can achieve some beautiful things.”

He added: “Of course we want to win a trophy. That is something we all want and we are working towards every day. Even if the gaffer didn’t say this, we still had the same belief as a group.

“We know our quality. We know we have some unbelievable players in the team and an unbelievable group of players. Hopefully we can win a prize. That’s a big thing for us.”

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson reckons Ange Postecoglou could lose his job at the end of the season if their form doesn’t improve.

After an impressive result against Aston Villa on November 3, Spurs then lost their next two matches in all competitions against Galatasaray and Ipswich.

Postecoglou’s side’s inconsistency this season can be summed up by their last six matches in the Premier League with Tottenham recording three wins and three losses during that run of games.

Five victories from their opening 11 matches of the season has Spurs in a disappointing 10th position in the Premier League but, despite their mixed results, Tottenham are only three points off third place.

There is no suggestion that Postecoglou will be sacked in the coming weeks despite their inconsistent displays and lack of defensive solidity.

But Tottenham ‘expert’ and former goalkeeper Robinson reckons Postecoglou’s position at Spurs could be under threat at the end of the season if the north London club haven’t qualified for the Champions League or Europa League.

Robinson told Football Insider: “He’s under pressure now. But I think he’s bang under pressure at the end of the season if they fail to make it into the Champions League or Europa League again.

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“I think there’s got to be some signs of progression under his management. They’re being beaten too easily and they’re too susceptible defensively.

“He’s stuck with this style when it doesn’t necessarily suit some of the players in his side. He’ll always be under pressure at Tottenham, because the stigma surrounding the need to win a trophy is not going to go away.

“It’s the stick used to beat them with by every other club, so if he wins a trophy and doesn’t reach European football, would that be enough? I’m not convinced. I think European football is vital for Tottenham and where they are as a club.

“Ange has earnt the right to have time, but they don’t seem to be learning from their mistakes. At the end of the season, yes, he’s bang under pressure if they don’t achieve what they want to achieve, but at the moment, he’s okay.

“In February, if they drop out of the cup competitions and it doesn’t look like they’ll compete for European places, he could lose his job before the end of the season.”

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has reportedly ‘fallen out’ with ‘at least four’ of his ‘senior stars’ in a ‘dressing room bust-up’.

The former Celtic boss was appointed to replace Antonio Conte before the 2023/24 campaign.

Postecoglou quickly became one of the most beloved managers in the Premier League at the start of last season as he successfully overhauled Tottenham‘s style of play.

Under Postecoglou, Tottenham had their fair share of lows and they ended the season poorly as they finished two points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Spurs’ fifth-place finish raised expectations ahead of this season as a return to the Champions League and a trophy is on the agenda in this campaign.

However, Tottenham have endured a rough start to the 2024/25 campaign as their infuriating consistency has held them back. They have five wins, a draw and four losses in the Premier League as they are tenth after eleven matches.

READ: Six next moves for Erik ten Hag post-Man Utd include Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United

Tottenham are currently three points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal and a recent report claimed the club’s hierarchy ‘expect to return to the Champions League’ and it ‘would be a blow’ for Postecoglou if they miss out.

A new report from Football Insider claims Postecoglou has had a ‘bust-up with four Spurs stars’ and this is ‘believed to include the Italian contingent in the squad’.

‘Italy internationals Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario – as well as ex-Serie A stars Rodrigo Bentancur and Cristian Romero – are believed to have been among those who have been upset by Postecoglou.

‘Sources say his straight talking in public and behind the scenes has had a negative reaction in the dressing room and has sewn the discord at the heart of the team’s wild swings in form.’

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

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👉 Tottenham star Bentancur set for ‘lengthy’ ban in ‘major blow’ for Postecoglou after ‘racial slur’

‘Pressure will now intensify on Postecoglou following the international break, with Tottenham set to face Man City next week (23 November).

‘Senior Spurs sources have told Football Insider that the next month is pivotal to his future in north London, with an improvement required to cement his medium-term future at the club.’

ITV commentator Sam Matterface has revealed what he’s “been told” about Postecoglou as he is “trying to not be playful”.

“What I’ve been told is, is that he’s so desperate not to be seen as sort of an Australian caricature,” Matterface said.

“He doesn’t want to be Jesse Marsch 2, he doesn’t want people to throw the sort of Australian Ted Lasso thing at him.

“So he tries to sort of not be the playful, happy character and tries to be serious, that’s what I’ve been told.

“It doesn’t come across very well. And Mark Scott of Match of the Day has had two rather difficult exchanges with him in a couple of weeks. I know Crook and I have both had interesting exchanges with him as well over the last year.”

Manchester United headed into the 2024/25 season with newfound optimism following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover, but there was still an Erik ten Hag-shaped elephant in the room.

The FA Cup win was not enough to salvage what was otherwise a disastrous season, but INEOS saw enough from this morale-boosting victory at Wembley to stick with the Dutchman in a decision which was presumably hastened by their failure to land several top targets.

Ratcliffe and Co. did not exactly give Ten Hag a glowing endorsement with the token gesture of a one-year contract extension and it was evident that the under-fire Dutchman headed into this season on the thinnest of ice.

Ten Hag’s ability to extract a single great performance from his side once in a blue moon served him well in cup competitions and certain all-Big Six clashes, but more often, Man Utd were too easy to cut through and were found wanting in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have hit a new low this season, winning just three of their opening nine Premier League games as Ten Hag’s prolonged stay of execution ended after last month’s disappointing 2-1 loss at West Ham.

Before Ratcliffe’s arrival, Old Trafford – as Gary Neville insists on bringing up at any given opportunity – had become a graveyard for players post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

This is also the case with the managers. The bosses who came before Ten Hag failed to recover after leaving Man Utd as they were never again seen at a top-tier club.

Ten Hag will obviously intend to buck this trend and should be able to land a decent job – albeit while taking a step down – when he returns to management as he can hang his hat on his cup success at United. But where could he go? Here are six possible next moves for the Dutchman…

Ajax

Ten Hag has returned to home comforts after leaving Man Utd and was recently spotted in the stands as Ajax faced Eredivisie rivals FC Twente.

The 54-year-old left the Dutch giants on pretty good terms and Man Utd’s recent woes have paled in comparison to what Ajax have been through over the past two-and-a-half years as Jordan Henderson has had a torrid time.

From winning the Eredivisie title in back-to-back seasons before Ten Hag’s exit, Ajax finished third and fifth in their next two seasons and have had six (yes, SIX) managers.

New boss Francesco Farioli has fared better than his predecessors and third-placed Ajax will be just four points adrift of league leaders PSV Eindhoven if they win their game in hand. But Ten Hag was heavily linked with his former club earlier this year and they’d likely take him back in a heartbeat if everything goes Pete Tong again.

READ: Five PL moves for Ruud van Nistelrooy post-Man Utd include replacing Ange Postecoglou at Spurs

Netherlands

Ten Hag will also inevitably be linked with a move into international football if current boss Ronald Koeman loses his job.

Like England, the Netherlands largely flattered to deceive at Euro 2024 en route to succumbing to that Ollie Watkins goal in the semi-finals. Their Nations League campaign has been far less successful as Koeman’s side have just one win in four games.

As much as England’s 2-1 win over Greece was a positive advert for the Nations League, games in this competition are still glorified friendlies and a poor campaign in this tournament is unlikely to be enough on its own for a manager to get sacked.

But Koeman – who had his critics after he ditched his country to join Barcelona in 2020 before returning over two years later – was under scrutiny in the summer and Ten Hag would certainly be an upgrade.

AS Roma

Another of Europe’s crisis clubs, Serie A giants Roma were reportedly interested in Ten Hag and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter – who is the favourite to join Spurs – following Ivan Juric’s brief but sh*t spell in charge.

Not-so-Special One Jose Mourinho has set Roma on a downward trajectory, with the 12th-placed side currently closer to relegation than the European places.

In a desperate attempt to get fans back on side, Roma’s owners – the Everton-linked Friedkin Group – have tempted 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri out of retirement and he’s penned a contract until the summer.

The beloved manager’s third spell as Roma’s boss will surely be brief and the floundering side will probably return to the drawing board in the summer even if the veteran can halt their freefall. At that point, their interest in Ten Hag could step up.

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Borussia Dortmund

It was difficult to keep track of a particularly frantic managerial merry-go-around in the summer as several European giants were in the market for a new boss.

Dortmund were in the thick of the action following the surprising exit of Man Utd-linked Edin Terzic, who departed after guiding his side to last season’s Champions League final.

The Bundesliga side’s decision on his replacement was just as surprising as Terzic’s exit as the appointment of former Liverpool midfielder Nuri Sahin made us all feel old.

While Dortmund have sparkled in the Champions League (especially against Celtic), the same cannot be said for their Bundesliga exploits as they are seventh after ten matches. They may soon turn to Ten Hag to offer the former Man Utd boss a speedy return to management as a ‘bombshell’ move has been discussed.

Newcastle United

Ten Hag also has a couple of options in the Premier League for his next move and we start with Newcastle United.

The summer was pretty bleak for the Magpies, who had their hands tied behind their back amid their issues with Profit and Sustainability.

There have also been teething issues following their board overhaul as it’s been widely reported that new director of football Paul Mitchell has butted heads with Eddie Howe. Coinciding with the England job becoming available, it seemed like the manager was on borrowed time at St James’ Park.

But talk over an exit for Howe subsided before this international break as Newcastle finally hit their groove and won three straight matches across all competitions.

Still ,recent reports claiming Mourinho is ‘targeting the Newcastle job’ re-established the consensus that Howe is a transitionary boss who successfully kickstarted PIF’s reign at St James’ Park with a bang before being replaced by an ‘elite’ replacement.

As he likes to tell us, Ten Hag is a serial winner of cup competitions and he’d fancy himself to deliver some long-overdue silverware to St James’ Park.

READ: Man Utd top injury table with 57 Premier League games missed

Tottenham Hotspur

The upcoming festive period could be defining for Ange Postecoglou as his side’s infuriating inconsistency held them back before the international break.

He was initially a breath of fresh air following Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s dull spells in the dugout. Spurs are still way more fun than they once were, but results are also key and their 10th position needs to be improved sharpish if Postecoglou is to remain in charge for the long haul.

Daniel Levy is rightly more of a villain at Spurs than Postecoglou, but the Aussie – who is the latest head coach to be dragged down by the chairman – will be the first out of the door if the club’s failings worsen in the coming months.

Interestingly, Ten Hag came close to joining Spurs before he took over at Man Utd, but club reservations prevented a deal from going through.

With Levy quickly running out of options, the Dutchman could be re-assessed by the Tottenham hierarchy if Postecoglou is axed. If his spell at Man Utd is anything to go by, Spurs would be woeful in the Premier League but could win a trophy. So he’d perhaps be worth a punt…

According to reports, Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane ‘could return’ to the Premier League next year amid interest from Manchester United.

Kane left boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur during the 2023 summer transfer window. He was sold to Bayern Munich for around £86m after he entered the final year of his contract with the Premier League outfit.

The England international was linked with several Premier League clubs before he joined Bayern Munich, but Daniel Levy was reportedly unwilling to negotiate with rival clubs.

This made a move abroad more likely and he’s scored 61 goals in his 61 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions. Despite this, Bayer Leverkusen upstaged them as the Bundesliga giants failed to win a trophy last season.

Under new head coach Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich have made a strong start to the new campaign. They are unbeaten in ten Bundesliga games and five points clear at the top of the table.

READ: Man Utd top injury table with 57 Premier League games missed

Man Utd were among the clubs interested in Kane when he left Tottenham last year and they have been heavily linked with the experienced forward of late.

The Red Devils have struggled in front of goal this season, so new head coach Ruben Amorim could push the board to bring in a new forward in January or next summer.

A recent report claimed Man Utd and PSG have already submitted record ‘offers’ to Bayern Munich for Kane as Amorim wants ‘two resounding failures’ to leave.

A new report in Spain claims Kane ‘could leave Bayern Munich and return to the Premier League’ as Man Utd ‘want’ to sign him.

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The report claims Kane ‘could be tempted’ to sign for Man Utd by ‘the lure of a return to his homeland and the chance to lead a revival’ at Old Trafford.

‘Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane could be one of the most surprising moves of the transfer market if his return to England is confirmed.

‘Manchester United, under the direction of new arrival Ruben Amorim, have reportedly made the English international one of their priorities to strengthen their attack.

‘This operation, which would be a coup for the Red Devils, would mark the return of the striker to the Premier League after his departure from Tottenham.

‘Kane’s adaptation to German football has been swift and effective, establishing himself as a key player in Bayern’s attack.

‘However, Manchester United’s interest poses a dilemma for both the player and the Bavarian club. Although Bayern have no intention of parting ways with their top scorer, the possibility of an astronomical offer could make the Germans reconsider their stance.’