Football365

Jamie Carragher believes Arne Slot’s high praise for Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou and his brand of attacking football was ‘no accidental’ ahead of Liverpool’s 6-3 victory on Sunday.

Slot had defended Postecoglou against the criticism that his attacking style was costing Tottenham points at his pre-match press conference, saying: “People talk about trophies, trophies, trophies and that is so important. For me, his brand of football is so much more important.

“If he can combine it with winning something that would be so good for football in general because then people can stop talking about ‘is it too attacking?’. How on earth can you play too much attacking football?”

Liverpool promptly went away to Tottenham and absolutely took them to the cleaners, with the scoreline flattering Spurs in the end – and Carragher believes Slot knew exactly what he was doing by baiting Postecoglou into sticking to his guns. We’re honestly not sure he needed much incentive, but there we go.

READ: Another ludicrous Ange Postecoglou-y scoreline flatters Tottenham as Liverpool run riot

The former Reds defender said on Sky Sports after the game: “That press conference from Slot on Friday was hilarious. I mean, people thought he was defending Postecoglou, but I don’t believe that for one minute.

“I actually thought he went too far, it was too obvious. He was desperate for Tottenham to play exactly the same way as they played against Manchester United, and they did – and Liverpool could have scored 10.

“So what he said in that press conference…honestly, everyone I spoke to Liverpool supporters, it was obvious what he was trying to get at.”

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand meanwhile believes Tottenham must change if they are serious about rising up the table, saying: “Spurs, at the start of the season, we were talking about them being a top four side. OK, they’ve had their injuries and they’ve had a few problems like a lot of teams this season.

“But if you want be up there challenging the Liverpool and the Man Cities and the Arsenals and the Chelseas…they saw today what that’s all about.

“They’re a long way away from it at the moment, and that’s no disrespect, but Ange has got a lot to do. They have entertained this season at times. We’ve come here and they’ve played some outstanding football when they’ve got their best first XI. When they haven’t got their first XI they’re a pretty average side.”

Ferdinand added: “When we’re sitting here talking about making tweaks, we’re not saying to Postecoglou ‘you’ve got to be more defensive’ – we’re just saying that there’s obvious errors that are occurring week in, week out. At times it was one pass and Liverpool were in. That can’t be right if you’re trying to win games of football. We’re not saying ‘don’t be attacking’, but it’s costing them at the moment.”

Ange Postecoglou has been criticised for presenting the same answer no matter what question was posed of him. For much of this encounter against Liverpool, hopeless Tottenham did not even do that. They were just bad.

Until the result was already beyond any reasonable doubt, there was not even a sponge cake on offer from Postecoglou’s side here – just an empty plate. While their inappropriately gung-ho approach has been vexatious to fans and enormously fun for the rest of us, to be left without even that for so much of the game was far, far worse.

That Liverpool would control the run of play was to be expected, and defensively, Spurs at least have the excuse of playing almost a completely makeshift goalkeeper-and-back-four combo. But it was genuinely shocking how poorly they did regardless. Conceding six goals at home to a divisional rival should set alarm bells ringing anywhere, regardless of the quality of the opposition.

Even more surprising just how little Tottenham’s full complement of midfield and attacking personnel offered in return, Dejan Kulusevski excepted. The only surprising part of the scoreboard on the final whistle was the ‘3’ on Tottenham’s side, not the ‘6’ on Liverpool’s.

READ: Tottenham Hotspur urged to sanction ‘stunning move’ to sign Liverpool star as ‘brilliant’ replacement

Tottenham’s narrow 4-3-3 seemed to scream at Liverpool’s wide men: “cross all you like, we’ll defend the width of the box”. The wisdom of that is extremely questionable when facing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah in the first place – we hear they’re both quite dangerous from wide areas – but Liverpool gladly accepted their end of that offer; Spurs failed to live up to theirs.

Alexander-Arnold was in excellent form, and his cross for Luis Diaz from acres of space deep on the Liverpool right was inch-perfect, but the Colombian was completely unchallenged as he contorted his body to guide the ball into the far corner.

Liverpool’s second featured a similar build-up: Cody Gakpo found himself blocked off on the left, so simply tapped it back to Andy Robertson to cross instead. Dominik Szoboszlai could only head it straight up in the air, but Alexis Mac Allister was there to run under it and nod into the top corner.

The visitors had had an answer to every bit of what little Spurs did to test them for 41 minutes, but 30 seconds of inattention allowed Tottenham their first two shots on target.

Pape Matar Sarr shot straight at Alisson after Spurs countered off Szoboszlai’s heavy touch, but James Maddison was sufficiently more accurate to find the bottom corner after Kulusevski forced a loose ball out of Mac Allister just outside the Liverpool box. Virgil van Dijk bizarrely seeming to move out of the path to goal and Alisson beaten when it looked as though a better reaction would have made for a straightforward save.

That was as generous as Liverpool got, though, and they restored their two-goal advantage in added time in distressingly straightforward fashion: a lump of a long ball from Alexander-Arnold, flicked on by Szoboszlai for Salah, who slipped it back to the Hungarian as he charged into the box before firing through Fraser Forster’s legs.

Tottenham may have looked slightly more threatening after the break, but – in typical Tottenham fashion – of making them more porous than ever. Salah’s two tap-ins both came at the end of much too simple counter-attacks where Spurs found themselves completely outnumbered.

Szoboszlai and Diaz should each have matched Salah’s brace before Tottenham’s belated fightback, but the former fired wide after a long, straight ball from Alisson sent him clean through to round Forster, while Diaz lobbed onto the roof of the net after Salah had again given the poor Tottenham keeper a one-on-one to deal with.

Somehow, though, Tottenham found a way to make the scoreline extremely Ange-y as Liverpool gave every impression of assuming their job was complete. Kulusevski finished well after a blocked ball into the box fell nicely for him to fire past Alisson, and Dominic Solanke got free of van Dijk to slide home Brennan Johnson’s looping header back across the box.

Sufficiently roused by the prospect of having to defend a two-goal lead for another seven minutes plus stoppages, Liverpool confirmed the prior sense that they could score almost at their own will by restoring their three-goal cushion just three minutes later courtesy of Diaz, who this time made no mistake as he found the bottom corner off another Salah through ball.

For Tottenham to be the top scorers in the Premier League and yet to 11th at Christmas is just the most wonderful nonsense…but it does not speak at all highly of Postecoglou’s ability to rise to the kind of challenge expected of him.

Hosts Tottenham Hotspur come into the biggest Premier League game of the weekend as the underdogs as eight Liverpool stars dominate the combined XI…

(Disclaimer: Only fit and available players for this weekend’s match at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are considered for this XI, so there’s no Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven or Ibrahima Konate).

GK: Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

The Brazil international – who remains one of the best ‘keepers in the world – would be one of the first names on this teamsheet even if Guglielmo Vicario was fit, but this is especially the case with Fraser Forster – who produced a laughable disasterclass against Man Utd – as his main competitor.

Caoimhin Kelleher is among the best backup goalkeepers in the Premier League and he barely put a foot wrong as Alisson’s stand-in this season, but the wantaway Republic of Ireland international’s transfer fate has been sealed since his superior teammate’s return.

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RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Pedro Porro is excellent in his own right, but Alexander-Arnold’s proposed transfer to Real Madrid likely needs to happen for him to ever be included in a Spurs vs Liverpool combined XI.

Porro has been linked with Real Madrid as an alternative, but Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the most likely of Liverpool’s three soon-to-be out of contract stars to leave as a free agent in 2025. The 26-year-old has been less of a threat going forward under Arne Slot but has been much stronger defensively and has contributed to the Premier League leaders’ progression into a complete winning machine.

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Reports claim Van Dijk (and another of Liverpool’s favourites) are expected to sign new contracts and this will be a major boost for all linked with the Premier League giants.

Van Dijk rightly had his critics since recovering from his horror knee injury as his form fluctuated, though the 33-year-old has rolled back the years in 2024/25 and looks capable of at least a couple more seasons of his relentless brilliance under Slot.

CB: Radu Dragusin (Tottenham Hotspur)

Each side’s injury issues left slim pickings at centre-back as we opted to give the nod to Romania international Dragusin over Joe Gomez.

When Ange Postecoglou has a fully fit squad, Romero and Van de Ven are clearly his standout centre-backs, but Dragusin is the best of the rest and he’s gradually getting better. His batsh*t agent is great, too.

LB: Andy Robertson (Liverpool)

There are few weak links in Slot’s Liverpool side, but Robertson is one as it’s become increasingly clear that he is finished and needs to be replaced sharpish.

It’s been a shame to see, but Robertson – like the bulk of Man City’s squad – looks knackered after running too many miles. Still, he’s included as Destinty Udogie has not been much good either as each team are far stronger at right-back than at the left.

READ: Seven Liverpool options to replace finished Andy Robertson include Newcastle, Milan defenders

CM: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

After Liverpool missed out on top target Martin Zubimendi in the summer, it was feared that the No.6 position would be a weak area for the club this season; Gravenberch’s extraordinary rise has ensured that’s not been the case.

Gravenberch has been a revelation since moving into a deeper position as he’s made this role his own after an underwhelming debut season at Liverpool. They still could do with signing a midfielder to provide cover, but the Dutchman’s immense form makes this much less of a priority than in the summer.

CM: Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur)

Kulusevski is another player who has flourished after being moved into a deeper position as he’s comfortably been Tottenham’s best performer this season.

Even as a winger, the Sweden international has been one of Spurs’ most consistent players in recent years, but this switch centrally has been genius as the always-dangerous creative spark is often in the middle of anything good that comes from Postecoglou’s side.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

Before Gravenberch’s resurgence, World Cup winner Mac Allister was comfortably Liverpool’s standout midfielder following the 2023 summer rebuild as he seamlessly settled following his move from Brighton.

Mac Allister struggled in the No.6 role way more than Gravenberch but has profited from being nudged further forward during the latter days of Klopp’s reign and Slot’s first few months in charge.

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RW: Mo Salah (Liverpool)

As excellent as the aforementioned Liverpool players have been this season, Salah’s been leading their charge for the Premier League and Champions League.

Last season, it felt like we were nearing the end of Salah’s time at Liverpool, but the confidence boost of a noticeably successful hair transplant – which put Wayne Rooney’s to shame – has seen the 32-year-old return to the peak of his powers.

He’s doing everything he can to make Liverpool give him the contract he wants and his 29-goal involvement (and counting) campaign appears to have forced FSG’s hand with an ‘agreement’ supposedly reached.

ST: Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham’s £65m long-term Harry Kane replacement was backed to fail and thrive in equal measure as pre-season predictions flooded in, but he’s very much trending towards being a great addition.

The England international’s finishing isn’t always the best, but his hold-up play and ability to bring others into the game has been priceless as he’s a player the club sorely lacked last season following Kane’s exit.

With Darwin Nunez flattering to deceive and Diogo Jota gradually returning from injury, we felt Solanke – especially after his midweek brace against Man Utd – deserved to be given his flowers as he’s proven to be one of the signings of the season in the Premier League.

LW: Luis Diaz (Liverpool)

If reports in Spain are to be believed (they are not, obviously), Diaz is still leaning towards a move to a European giant as he stalls on a new Liverpool contract.

It remains to be seen if this goes anywhere, but Diaz’s form this season has solidified his status at Liverpool after he was heavily linked with an exit in the summer. He’s no Salah, but the electric winger’s performances have vastly improved under Slot as this season looks certain to be his best yet for the Premier League giants.

Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to sign the Republic of Ireland international Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool as a pundit has rejected two alternatives.

On Thursday night, Spurs overcame Man Utd, winning 4-3 to book their place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Dejan Kulusevski found the net between Dominic Solanke’s brace as Ange Postecoglou’s side led their Big Six rivals 3-0, but they were at risk of an embarrassing collapse as they made the end of the match unnecessarily difficult.

Stand-in goalkeeper Fraser Forster has been heavily criticised as he was at fault for Man Utd’s first two goals.

The 36-year-old started as No.1 Guglielmo Vicario has been ruled out for months after undergoing surgery on his ankle.

In January, Tottenham could look to sign a replacement for Forster and former Spurs star Paul Robinson has encouraged them to sign Kelleher.

READ: Man United and Spurs send in the clowns for some riotously stupid Carabao slapstick

The 26-year-old performed brilliantly when he recently filled in for Alisson, but he’s returned to the bench and could leave in the summer following the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili.

In an interview with Football Insider, Robinson backed Spurs to make a ‘stunning move’ to sign ‘axed’ Kelleher, who should be targeted over two alternatives.

“There’s nobody out there at the moment, which is why I disagree, I don’t think there’s a huge rush,” Robinson told Football Insider.

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“Fraser Forster’s done okay, he’s a good goalkeeper. You look at him, you look at the experience that he’s got, I don’t think for what you’re going to get on loan or as an emergency signing now for what you’re going to buy now, you need to buy better than what you’ve got.

“I’m not so sure you do when you look at the options out there, January is always typically, it’s a difficult month to do business.

“They’re linked with John Victor, aren’t they? Remember where he plays his football now, he’s on loan at Botafogo, he’s on loan at Valladolid last year, I think.

“He’s got a little bit of experience but you’re paying five or six million for a goalkeeper that’s untried and untested at that level.

“[They’re] linked with Anthony Patterson at Sunderland, 24 years old. He’s a good goalkeeper, not so sure he goes in ahead of Fraser Forster, not sure you trust the goalkeeper that you bring in at that age.

“Don’t bring somebody in who’s not better than what you’ve already got, [I] just don’t think there’s anybody out there in January that would fit the bill.

“Kelleher’s time at Liverpool with Marmadashvili coming in, that would be a brilliant option if we were talking in the summer.”

Despite two disastrous Fraser Forster errors, Tottenham overcame Manchester United in an absolutely bonkers Carabao Cup quarter-final, winning 4-3 on Thursday night.

Archie Gray started centre-back next to Radu Dragusin with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all still injured.

Djed Spence moved to left-back after Destiny Udogie picked up an injury at Southampton on Sunday.

Man Utd goalkeeper Altay Bayindir started again in the Carabao Cup as Leny Yoro made his second start of the season, partnering Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof in defence.

Tottenham’s defence might be depleted but their attack is not, with James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son all starting behind Dominic Solanke, who opened the scoring on Thursday evening.

Solanke was quickest to react to Pedro Porro’s rebounded shot, converting past Bayindir – who should have dealt with the long-range strike better – after 15 minutes.

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Both teams went into the break at 1-0 with the game in the balance but within nine minutes of the restart Spurs were 3-0 up.

A poor Martinez clearance fell to Kulusevski, who converted from close range in the 47th minute before Solanke’s second in the 54th.

With Spurs seemingly out of sight, Fraser Forster decided to make things interesting by assisting two Man Utd goals and putting the visitors in the ascendency.

For 3-1, the big goalkeeper passed it to Bruno Fernandes, who squared it to substitute Joshua Zirkzee, and for the Red Devils’ second, he kicked the ball into an onrushing Amad Diallo.

Amad pressed the Spurs ‘keeper relentlessly and Forster, moving at an incredibly slow pace, could not get the ball out in time as the Ivorian winger’s block ricocheted into the goal.

Man Utd piled on the pressure but Spurs somehow found a fourth to blow a huge sigh of relief.

After limping over to take a corner, Son’s cross went all the way in and he wheeled off in celebration with his injury seemingly healed.

Bayindir pleaded for a foul and was booked for his protests, claiming to be fouled by Lucas Bergvall.

Man Utd did not go down without a fight as Jonny Evans headed in his side’s third in the 94th minute.

Victory for Spurs sees them reach the last four of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Liverpool, Newcastle United or north London rivals Arsenal.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou insists he is “not interested” in reports linking Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford with a move to north London.

Rashford was dropped, along with Alejandro Garnacho, for Ruben Amorim’s 20-man squad for their Manchester Derby against Man City.

Man Utd forward Rashford has been linked with moves to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and revealed on Tuesday that he is ready for a “new challenge” away from Old Trafford in an interview with journalist Henry Winter.

Tottenham has been mooted as a potential destination for Rashford although there haven’t been any concrete links as the England international decides his future.

When quizzed about Rashford, Tottenham boss Postecoglou said: “There’s always noise about Manchester United, come on mate. Where have you been?

“No interest. Don’t care. Not interested. He is a Manchester United player. A very good player, they have plenty of good players, but I manage my players and other managers will manage their own players.

“In terms of Marcus’ situation, I have no real desire to examine it any further.

“If I looked at everyone we were linked to, I would have no time to do anything else to be honest. I have got other people to do that part of the process.

“For us, we’ve been pretty disciplined in what we’re trying to build here and we’ll continue to be so.”

Asked once more if Rashford was a potential target for January, Postecoglou insisted: “That’s not on my radar. You can ask me about Marcus but you can ask me about every single Premier League footballer and I’ll say the same.”

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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that a move to Spain is the “dream” destination for Rashford as he considers a move away from Man Utd.

Romano said: “Looks like Marcus Rashford confirms that he’s opening the doors to a Manchester United exit. And what I can say is that on the club side, they are absolutely feeling the same.

“Not now, not even on Sunday. It’s even before that Manchester United felt that it could be time in 2025, January or summer, based on proposals, to part ways with Marcus Rashford.

“At the moment, Man United have not received any formal bid, any formal approach.

“The dream of Marcus Rashford one day is to play in Spain. Marcus Rashford would love to play in Spain one day.

“But what I’m told is that at the moment, there are still no advanced or concrete negotiations. For example, from Saudi, they are very attentive to these sort of situations.”

We can surely all agree that football simply does not get bigger than Carabao Cup quarter-final week. Just one of the great midweeks of the year, a chance to squeeze in yet another fixture just before Christmas and test the hamstrings of anyone yet to suffer that familiar winter twang.

There are eight teams still standing, in accordance with quarter-final traditions, and it would be fair to say that for many reasons old and new the dear old Carabao occupies contrasting positions of significance and importance for the eight managers involved. So let’s rank them, shall we? Everyone loves it when things are ranked.

It would be quite the story, but a lot has had to go right and also really very wrong indeed for Rusk to even still be in charge at Southampton when the Carabao final rolls around in March.

Looks certain at the very least to have the chance to steer Southampton into the last four this week, though. A permanent replacement for Russell Martin doesn’t appear all that imminent, so it falls to Rusk to tick the boxes and complete the formalities of getting past Liverpool in the last eight.

The most obvious Bigger Fish To Fry situation among the eight remaining managers, with Liverpool cruising in the now hibernating Champions League but more importantly now in the process of seeing their lead atop the Premier League trimmed by Chelsea’s relentless form and their own new-found tendency to draw games or even more carelessly have them postponed.

Should make it into the last four without trying too hard given the identity of their last-eight opponents, but almost certain in that case to come up against more Carabao-invested opposition in the semis.

We would suggest the Carabao is slightly more of a priority for Slot specifically than Liverpool more generally. But only slightly. It’s definitely a bonus to be able to get that first trophy under the belt, and Jose Mourinho used to speak with great fondness – back when such emotions were still available to him – about the League Cup as a launch-pad for further, greater success. It would be a lovely little bonus, but harsh as it is, if Slot’s season were now to end with a Carabao and nothing more it would be distinctly underwhelming.

As for Liverpool, they’ve won two of the last three. Nobody needs that much Carabao.

Tricky for Ruben is the Carabao. On the one hand, it’s very clear from his shifting team selections and use of absolutely every single substitution available to him that he is desperately using every available match to glean as much information as he possibly can about the squad he’s inherited.

But it’s equally clear that he’d very much like some time and space to be able to do some proper training-ground work to impart his vision and methods to a squad still understandably struggling to adapt to what is a very different way of doing things.

Spurs up next for Amorim so literally anything could happen there, but if he emerges from that trip to north London with a semi-final place you’d imagine he’d give it plenty when the time comes. After all, Erik Ten Hag won this thing in his first season and that worked out absolutely brilliantly.

Probably more interested now than he was a few weeks ago when Palace were still straining desperately to ease clear of a relegation fight in which they should really be nothing more than half-interested spectators.

When the quarter-final draw was made it would have been hard to make a case for Palace going to Arsenal and getting anything more out of it than the relief of a game that didn’t have potentially dread-filled real-world consequences for their Premier League status.

No longer quite true, that. Arsenal are more vulnerable, and Palace less wretched. It does appear quite clearly now that there are – as we all very strongly suspected – at least three teams much worse than this Palace side and their very decent manager.

Arsenal in a Carabao quarter-final now feels like a much more appealing genuine free hit with actual chance of progression.

It’s not going to usurp the 2022 Europa League success with Eintracht Frankfurt atop his CV, but it would be a welcome second major title for a manager whose ability doesn’t really tally with a relatively blank honours section.

Frank has absolutely nothing left to prove at Brentford given where he’s taken them from and to, but the slightly negative corollary is what does he really have left to achieve? There is a ceiling for clubs like his that is almost impossible to break through, and even the League Cup isn’t the potential source of glory for smaller but well-established Premier League sides it once was.

As squad depth across the Big Six – and really specifically here United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea – has grown it has become so much harder for teams like Brentford now to do what your Leicesters and Birminghams, your Middlesbroughs and Swanseas, the Blackburns of this world once did.

The last 11 League Cups have been hoarded by Liverpool, United, City and Chelsea and there is no longer the expectation there once was that a club like Brentford might be able to snaffle one.

It nevertheless still represents the least unlikely way for Frank to do something truly new to put a cherry on top of all he’s achieved here.

And then you get a shot at the Conference League.

Would address a couple of quirks, at least. First, that for all Arsenal’s dramatic improvement under Arteta the only actual silverware to show for it remains the FA Cup win from his first Covid-interrupted season, a season in which Arsenal were for the most part really quite rubbish in all the other competitions.

The second is Arsenal’s own p*ss-poor record in this competition. Sure, it’s never been the absolute tip-top number-one priority but they haven’t won the thing since the Domestic Cup Double of 1993 and that was only their second win.

Even perennial trophy-dodgers Spurs have won it twice since Arsenal last managed, while all told the other five Big Sixers have won 23 Carabaos and Coca-Colas and Worthingtons and Capital Ones and Carlings since Arsenal got their hands on one. That seems quite silly.

One of two managers in this list who a) could really do with a trophy this season and also very importantly b) could definitely point to even this most tinpot of all the majors as a significant breakthrough moment for him and his club and then also c) should welcome anything that does anything to ease the pressure on their job and silences the whispers for any length of time.

Howe himself – for understandable enough reasons – still has no top-tier team trophy to sit alongside an undeniably impressive collection of individual manager of the month and year gongs.

Newcastle’s own silverware drought, meanwhile, is one that would make Tottenham blush having failed to add a single proper bauble to the St James’ Park trophy cabinet since the 1950s. We’re really sorry, lads, but the Intertoto Cup absolutely does not count.

A certified genuine Carabao, though? Now you’re talking.

Set his stall out very early this season with his infamous ‘I always win something in year two’ claim. While historically undeniably accurate, it was nevertheless a wild move to leave oneself quite such a hostage to fortune when said fortunes are those of Tottenham Hotspur, the final-level boss of banter clubs.

It does, though, also feel like Postecoglou’s Spurs absolutely could do it. Unlike previous iterations of Spurs that possessed the wherewithal to potentially challenge for a cup, Postecoglou has masterminded a situation where their league form is so absurdly inconsistent that it is no longer a viable route to anything. He’s playing 4D chess, mate. How to stop this club being obsessed with finishing fourth? Somehow be 10th with a goal difference of +17. He’s a genius, a visionary.

There are thus multiple reasons for Postecoglou and Spurs to absolutely throw everything at the cups this season. They are in many ways a glorious and high-gloss version of the classic Spurs sides of old; a threat to absolutely anybody in a one-off game but a threat to absolutely nobody across 38 or 42.

Three eminently plausible routes to trophy success exist for Postecoglou and his band of merry man (and Timo Werner) with a home quarter-final here against a plausibly less interested Manchester United, a kind third-round FA Cup draw and the weakest-looking Europa League in years.

For the rest of us it now only remains to sit back and discover precisely how and when they go about f*cking each one of those opportunities directly into the sun.

Jack Grealish might need to leave Manchester City to save his “legacy” from being “ruined”, according to former Premier League striker Troy Deeney.

England winger Grealish joined City from Aston Villa for a then-British record £100million in the 2021 summer transfer window.

He took a while to settle at the Etihad but had an outstanding 2022/23 campaign, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win an historic Treble.

Grealish didn’t really kick on after that, though, and has been in and out of the starting XI since the start of 23/24.

The 29-year-old has struggled with niggling injuries but has not made enough statement performances when given the chance to prove himself ahead of Jeremy Doku.

There has always been transfer speculation given Grealish’s inability to thrive since leaving Villa, with Tottenham frequently linked with him.

A move elsewhere could help rejuvenate the England international’s career and Spurs would be a better fit than most teams, says ex-Watford captain Deeney.

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Deeney adds that staying at City could ruin Grealish’s “legacy” as he has not “lived up to” the potential from his Villa days.

“I think he is danger of having his legacy ruined,” he told talkSPORT.

“And what I mean by that is, I don’t think you can say he hasn’t lived up to his potential, because look at what he did at Villa and he did it for a sustained period of time.

“What’s happening now is, in football, it’s, ‘What have you done lately?,’ and he hasn’t done a great deal lately due to injuries and being out of the team.”

Birmingham fan Deeney continued: “I don’t wan’t him to go back to Villa for two reasons, selfishly, because I don’t want Villa to get good again, [saying this] with a Blues head on.

“But genuinely for him, I always think if you go back, there’s an expectation you’re going to be that person you was when you left.

“I think a fresh start would be great for him and somewhere where he’s the main man again and everyone is giving him the ball.

“Because people like Jack, they need to have the ball every couple of minutes – and not being stood on the side – and when they get it, run a little bit and pass it back.

“But I think you’re going to see a new role for him at City, I think you’re going to see him as a No.8 – just driving out of midfield.

“I think he can handle that position really well, and that’ll be good for England as well.”

On who Grealish could join if he does decide to leave City, Deeney said: “Spurs, he walks into that team in every position.

“Whether that’s as a winger, No.10 or No.8. Arsenal, no, I don’t think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn’t at Liverpool.

“He’s obviously not going to go Manchester United, but he’s better than what they’ve got.

“Newcastle, easy. There’s loads of teams, anyone outside the top four, I’d argue he’d do well at Chelsea, but they’ve got about 75 wingers.

“He’s probably too cheap for them at £100m to be fair, they’d want to waste a bit more money!

“Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate, if he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him.

“But it’s a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he’s loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he’s the man to drive them forward.”

It feels like we are in the final chapter of Ange Postecoglou’s stint at Spurs, so we’ve ranked their next ten matches on the likelihood of being his last…

It all started so well for the once-cheerful Aussie at Tottenham, but he’s been gradually dragged down by Spurs‘ unrelenting insistence on being…well, Spurs.

When they’re good, few teams are a match for them in the Premier League, though when they are bad, they verge on Southampton’s level of ineptitude this season. To make matters worse, they place themselves on each end of this spectrum with equal regularity.

Their emphatic 4-0 statement win at a spiralling Manchester City was touted as a potential turning point for Spurs to kick on and show a level of consistency that’s previously eluded them. However, they have gone the other way, failing to win any of their last five games across all competitions.

This run has increased the pressure on the Spurs boss, who is currently the third favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Tottenham’s infuriating (or hilarious) form has led to links with potential replacements and one Premier League boss is reportedly ‘tempted’ (for some reason).

So, which of Tottenham’s upcoming matches are most likely to be Postecoglou’s last? Away games at Arsenal or Southampton, perhaps?

The Europa League has provided some solace for Postecoglou; Spurs are on the fringe of the top eight with three wins, two draws and a loss in their six matches.

The Hoffenheim clash is the first of two remaining league phase matches for Spurs, who can afford a disappointing result against the Bundesliga outfit next month. With such an outcome, they would still be pretty sure of a spot in the play-offs, which would give them the chance to avoid the embarrassment of an early exit.

READ: Ange Postecoglou derided as ‘self-serving, duplicitous Mourinho-lite toerag’

Postecoglou was ridiculed for his “always wins” trophies gloat at the start of this season. For his sake, he needs to be proven right as his future could well be decided by how trophy-shy Spurs fare in cup competitions this term.

They get their FA Cup campaign underway with a trip to National League side Tamworth. It’s Spurs we’re talking about, so a mammoth cup upset cannot be completely ruled out, though Postecoglou’s second-string outfit *should* win by a couple of goals even without playing well. If they don’t, this would be a new low that the head coach would struggle to get past.

After the silliness of their London derby v Chelsea, Tottenham could treat football fans to another pre-Christmas thriller when they visit Anfield three days before Christmas.

While the Spurs-Liverpool rivalry delivered in spades during Jurgen Klopp’s farewell last year, this season’s meetings could be more reserved as Arne Slot has turned his side into a more complete (and better) team.

A trip to Anfield is often daunting and this remains the case with Slot’s side battling on all four fronts. Given the mood of each side, Spurs could easily be eaten alive by their superior opponents, but could alternatively put on a show and cause a shock – you never know for sure. A loss against the table-toppers shouldn’t be considered the end of the world, mind.

Tottenham and Newcastle’s seasons have followed a similar trajectory as Eddie Howe’s side have also been out of sorts.

Currently three points and a position above tenth-placed Tottenham, Newcastle have been a shadow of their high-intensity selves for much of this campaign and they are a far cry from the side that qualified for the Champions League in 2022/23.

The Newcastle manager’s job could be another vacancy that will soon be up for grabs. When trying to make sense of Tottenham’s results under Postecoglou, this stood out as a potential opportunity to briefly ease the pressure on the head coach.

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Unsurprisingly, the majority of Everton’s success this term (there was not much to pick from) has come at Goodison Park as supporters bid farewell to their beloved ground ahead of a new era.

This new era could start with Everton in the Championship, though their ability to pluck a win from nowhere once every five games stands them in good stead in bidding to avoid relegation.

Such a shock victory could easily come at the expense of Postecoglou’s side, though the London outfit’s record against Everton is pretty good. The long wait for this fixture sees it drop a few places lower than it would if this list was based purely on the chances of Spurs doing something Spursy.

If Tottenham do sack Postecoglou, they could try again with Nuno Espirito Santo…

No, but seriously, Nuno’s resurgence at Forest has been one of this season’s feel-good stories as their gradual building of a very strong first Premier League XI makes them a shock contender for the European spots.

Nuno would no doubt take great pleasure in getting one over on Spurs after they binned him off quicker than it took for Daniel Levy to appoint him. A loss at Forest would not be the disaster it once was, but it would still nudge Postecoglou nearer the exit door.

As mentioned, Postecoglou – if he is allowed to stick around long enough – really needs to win a trophy this season and the Carabao Cup provides an opportunity for Spurs to end their long wait for silverware.

Given Man Utd are in the suffering transitionary phase under new head coach Ruben Amorim, this is certainly a winnable tie for Spurs, especially with them being at home.

Postecoglou as good as promised that he’d win something this year and if the saving grace of a prolonged Carabao Cup run is taken away, it could be enough for Levy to stop turning a blind eye to their Premier League woes.

READ: Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Recent indications are that Postecoglou retains the support of Levy, but talk over potential replacements is intensifying and another embarrassing loss to a lowly Premier League could turn the situation sour.

A trip to St Mary’s is probably the simplest away game a side could ask for in the Premier League this season, but Spurs have previous when it comes to losing against a relegation candidate and it would not be a surprise if they make this match more difficult than it needs to be.

The Gunners are continuing to prove that they are streets ahead of their North London rivals as they are mounting another push for the Premier League title.

Matches between the two arch-enemies deliver more often than most other local derbies in the Premier League, but Spurs (even more so as the away side) will go into this particular clash as huge underdogs.

A loss to a local rival has put the full stop on the reign of many managers and if Arsenal find their shooting boots in a one-sided hammering, it could be goodbye Postecoglou.

A repeat of the 1-0 home loss to Ipswich Town to end it all for Postecoglou? Potentially…

Gary O’Neil is far from guaranteed to be in charge when this game comes, but his side usually fare better against stronger opposition and they have the necessary quality in attacking areas to punish Spurs on the counter-attack to condemn them (and Postecoglou, more importantly) to another damaging defeat.

Tottenham are one of the Premier League clubs reportedly ‘closely following’ Pascal Struijk, whose potential contact renewal at Leeds will depend on if they can return to the top flight.

Struijk has been a pillar of the Leeds defence this season. Captain of the side on multiple occasions, the Dutchman is yet to miss a minute of action in the Championship, where the Whites have lost just three times.

They have also kept 11 clean sheets, so the defence is clearly thriving.

According to TBRFootball, Struijk’s form has piqued the interest of Tottenham, Brighton and Wolves, all of whom are said to be following him closely.

Leeds are said to be hopeful of tying the Dutchman down to a new deal. However, the report suggests success on that front is likely to be determined by whether they return to the Premier League next season.

Currently second in the Championship, there looks a good chance of that happening, but if not, Struijk could return to the top flight – where he played 85 games with the Whites over three years – with another club.

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Tottenham have had joy from negotiating with Leeds of late. They signed Archie Gray from the second-tier club in the summer, while they let Joe Rodon go the other way, after he spent the previous season on loan at Elland Road.

Manor Solomon was also loaned to the West Yorkshire outfit by Spurs in the summer.

As such, it seems there is a good chance Struijk could be the latest player to move between the two clubs. But it’s not likely if given the choice, he’d turn his nose up at any Premier League club after two seasons in the Championship.

If he is met with the prospect of a third, it seems very unlikely the 25-year-old would want to remain, when he has shown he has the quality to have another crack at the top flight.