Football365

Manchester United appear to have learned from their Mason Greenwood blunder as a Roberto De Zerbi approach before the Italian took up the reins at Tottenham has been revealed.

De Zerbi has signed a five-year deal at Spurs which has been met with indignation from some quarters after the comments he made in defence of Greenwood after the Red Devils academy graduate signed for Marseille in the summer of 2024.

Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning bodily harm towards the same woman in 2022. He denied all wrongdoing and the charges were dropped in February 2023.

After moving to Marseille and shining on the pitch, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had “paid a heavy price”, also suggesting that he was the victim of the allegations.

Women of the Lane said De Zerbi’s comments raised “serious questions about judgement and leadership”.

The group, whose aim is to eradicate sexism and misogyny in football, said: “This is not an appointment Tottenham Hotspur should make.”

After launching the ‘no to De Zerbi’ campaign, Proud Lilywhites, Spurs’ official LGBTQ+ fans’ group, said: “When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals.”

In his first interview after being appointed the new Spurs boss, speaking in Italian, rather than English, De Zerbi issued a half-apology.

“I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly,” De Zerbi said. “In my life I’ve always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

“Those of you who know me well will know that I’m not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.

“I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been. I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

Manchester United narrowly avoided a PR disaster having tested the waters through revealing they were considering Greenwood’s return to the first team when charges against him were dropped by sending him out on loan to Getafe in in the summer of 2023 before accepting Marseille’s £26.6m bid for the academy graduate a year later.

And transfer expert Alex Crook has now revealed that the INEOS bosses have decided to steer well clear of further Greenwood controversy having given De Zerbi short shrift as the Italian “sounded out” a potential move to Old Trafford before accepting his position at Tottenham.

Crook said on talkSPORT: “Do you know what I find interesting about Michael Carrick? We’ve got to Easter Weekend and they’ve not spoken – as I understand – to any other candidates.

“That’s not to say Carrick has been interviewed for the job. I don’t think they’ll need to interview him. I think they either give it to him or they don’t.

“Speaking to people in Italy this morning, Jamie. They were telling me that Roberto De Zerbi – before taking the Tottenham job — sounded out Manchester United and was told he wasn’t in the reckoning there.”

According to reports, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer has been ‘approved’, while they have joined the race to land AS Roma star Wesley.

Spurs really should be focused on trying to secure their Premier League status at the moment, but they are still linked with potential transfers ahead of the summer.

The north London side are currently sitting one point above the relegation zone and if they do go down, there would inevitably be a player exodus as players look to avoid a season or more in the Championship.

But one such player who looks likely to leave regardless of whether they get relegated is Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper heavily linked with a possible move to Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Inter Milan are in the market for a new goalkeeper and Vicario appears to be their favourite option, with a new report from Italian outlet L’Interista claiming he has given his ‘approval’ for this transfer.

READ: Spurs rejected the only remaining firefighters with zero relegations for De Zerbi gamble

The report explains: ‘The Nerazzurri are already preparing an official offer to present to the Tottenham goalkeeper, having already secured the approval of the eager player to return to his homeland. Inter is ready to offer a four-year contract worth €3.2 million net per season.

‘Inter will simply need to reach an agreement with Tottenham, a price expected to range between €20 million and less, depending on whether they are relegated.’

Regarding Wesley, the 22-year-old has impressed for Roma this season and has been attracting interest from several clubs.

The versatile full-back has four goals in 35 for Roma since joining the Serie A giants for around £20m from Flamengo last summer.

As per a report from AS Roma Live, the Italian side are keen to keep Wesley, but they have opened the door to his exit as long as they receive an offer worth 60 million euros (£52m).

The report explains:

‘After beating off competition from Juventus last summer, Roma will now have to try to resist the sirens of foreign interest, especially from the Premier League. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham are all tracking the player, who is also being eyed by Real Madrid.

‘Roma, for their part, don’t seem inclined to consider selling Wesley unless it’s for a truly unstoppable fee, starting from € 60 million. This very high price tag has prompted clubs like the Gunners and Citizens to revisit other deals.’

Roberto De Zerbi has issued a half-apology to Tottenham fans for his defence of Mason Greenwood in his first interview as the new Spurs manager.

De Zerbi has signed a five-year contract at Spurs, replacing interim boss Igor Tudor at the helm with the club just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League with seven games to go.

His appointment has disgusted a section of Spurs fans after De Zerbi staunchly defended Greenwood upon the forward signing for Marseille.

Greenwood was charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning bodily harm towards the same woman in 2022.

He denied all wrongdoing and the charges were dropped in February 2023.

After moving to Marseille and shining on the pitch, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” who had “paid a heavy price”, also suggesting that he was the victim of the allegations.

Addressing the comments on Thursday, De Zerbi delivered a classic half-apology, insisting he’s “sorry if this offended anyone’s feelings” rather than admitting he made a grave error in backing the 24-year-old.

De Zerbi said: “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly.

“In my life I have always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile.

“I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.

“Those of you who know me well, will know I’m not the type of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.

“I’m sorry if this offended anyone’s feelings with this subject matter – I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been.

“I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance.”

Ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Sunderland next weekend and six further ‘cup finals’ to avoid the drop, De Zerbi urged his side to play with “courage”.

“I think we have to be focused just on the Sunderland game,” he added. “I don’t want to speak about the schedule or the Brighton game or the Wolverhampton game.

“Game by game, we have to prepare the players to win the game and to be focused just on the game.

“We have to play with courage. We have to play with the qualities of the players, because if I accept this challenge, it’s because I have a big confidence in the players and the style of the history of Tottenham football is a very clear style of play.”

The Italian also confirmed he would not walk away if his side were relegated, insisting: “I signed five years of contract because for me it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what.”

Tottenham have joined a growing list of Premier League rivals in the race for Fulham star Harry Wilson, though a move for West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville is also under consideration.

De Zerbi has been tasked with guiding Spurs away from what would be a hugely damaging relegation, but that will be no easy task as they currently sit just a point above the bottom three.

His first game in charge will be an away clash against Sunderland on April 12.

Tottenham’s transfer plans will, of course, hinge on whether they survive the drop, but the club are still identifying transfer targets for the summer.

As revealed by our friends over at TEAMtalk, Spurs are ‘preparing’ to move for Fulham star Wilson, whose contract at Craven Cottage expires at the season’s end.

The 28-year-old has undoubtedly been one of Fulham’s standout performers this season, notching an impressive 11 goals and seven assists so far across the campaign.

Fulham are keen to retain Wilson and ‘have made their position clear’, but ‘the level of interest in Wilson makes a departure increasingly likely this summer,’ per the report.

Everton, Leeds United, Sunderland, and Aston Villa are also keen on Wilson – ready to jump at the opportunity to sign him on a free transfer.

But with Spurs plotting a move of their own, he is a player for fans to keep a close eye on.

Interestingly, though, Liverpool have ‘not completely ruled out’ a move for former player Wilson, while Manchester United are another side to watch in the race.

READ NEXT – Premier League clubs ranked by how screwed they are by the World Cup

However, TEAMtalk also reports that along with Wilson, West Ham winger Summerville is another player Tottenham have their eye on.

In fact, the report states that Spurs are considered ‘frontrunners’ to sign the 24-year-old, retaining interest following a failed January approach.

Summerville endured a slow start to life at the London Stadium but has found form this year, contributing crucial goals and assists that have helped keep the Hammers in the fight for top-flight survival.

De Zerbi’s side are said to view Summerville as a ‘dynamic option to bolster their attacking options for a good fee.’

Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, and Everton have all been monitoring the Dutchman, too.

Any move to Tottenham, again, depends on whether they stay up.

If West Ham themselves avoid the drop, as they sit just one point behind Spurs in the table, they will be in a relatively strong position to rebuff advances for Summerville, given he’s contracted until 2029.

The Tottenham hierarchy have made some laughable decisions this season but in giving Roberto De Zerbi the power of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United they’ve displayed rare sense and clarity.

On Wednesday – alongside a first picture of the Italian in Tottenham colours – De Zerbi spoke as the new boss for the first time.

“Hello to all the Tottenham fans. I’m very happy to stay here with you,” he said.

“For me, it’s an honour and [I’m] very proud to be your coach. I want to give my best. I want to stay for a long time in this big club. See you soon.”

The Tottenham players on international duty will return to training on Friday and De Zerbi will have just over a week to prepare them for Sunderland in the first of seven ‘cup finals’ as they look to stave off relegation from the Premier League.

He’s signed a very lucrative five-year deal to make him the third-highest paid manager in the top flight, which includes a signing-on fee and relegation bonus, and Gazzetta dello Sport have revealed that De Zerbi will also be given autonomy at his new club to match his position among the Premier League’s most well remunerated bosses.

‘De Zerbi alla Ferguson’ reads the Italian outlet’s headline, which roughly translates as ‘De Zerbi in the style of Ferguson’, as the report details how the former Brighton and Marseille boss will be given the now rarely seen authority of an old school manager rather than that of a mere coach focused specifically on on-field matters, like Liam Rosenior and most others on Premier League touchlines in the modern era.

The Gazzetta report, as per Sport Witness, claims De Zerbi will have ‘influence beyond the pitch’ and will be a ‘central figure in football decisions – shaping squad building, direction and long-term planning’.

The implication of the headline is that he will be handed the same sovereignty having just walked through the door at Tottenham as Sir Alex Ferguson built through years of success and titles at Manchester United.

Amid a veritable cavalcade of terrible decisions from Arsenal double-agent Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, including but not limited to hiring Igor Tudor before sending him packing for a Mason Greenwood apologist, while giving De Zerbi the freedoms of the greatest Premier League manager of all time sounds like a further madness, it’s the only hope of the Italian getting anywhere close to seeing out his five years at the club. Sense has miraculously prevailed.

De Zerbi is renowned as a very particular coach, requiring full buy-in from the players first and foremost but also from those in charge of the cash as several new signings will be needed to fit his style and system.

As Chelsea and plenty of other Premier League clubs have found out to their cost, it’s hard to find a coach to fit a philosophy, particularly when that philosophy is largely undefined. By De Zerbi being on the ground floor of all footballing decisions, Tottenham stand a far better chance of a smooth transition into becoming a club built in his image of the game.

It might all end in disaster – De Zerbi has lasted fewer than 30 games at half the clubs he’s managed and failed to get through two seasons at either Brighton or Marseille – but at least Tottenham are daring to do.

Galatasaray attacking midfielder Gabriel Sara could be Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first signing at the club, according to reports.

Tottenham confirmed on Tuesday that former Marseille and Brighton boss De Zerbi has been appointed as their new manager after Thomas Frank was sacked earlier this year.

Igor Tudor had a nightmare seven matches in charge of Spurs, which has put them in deeper relegation trouble, with the Croatian interim boss leaving by mutual consent on Sunday.

And now Tottenham have moved quickly to secure their top manager target with De Zerbi insisting he is “delighted” to take on the challenge.

De Zerbi said on Tuesday: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the Club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

READ: Roberto De Zerbi flukes his way high onto the best-paid Premier League managers list

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

De Zerbi still has a task on his hands to save Tottenham, who are one point above the drop zone, from relegation but Spurs are already being linked with players ahead of next season.

And Caught Offside reckon that former Norwich City attacking midfielder Sara could be De Zerbi’s first signing with Tottenham looking ‘to position themselves as favourites for the potential transfer’.

The report adds: ‘Spurs have had initial contacts with those close to Sara to register an interest, with the 26-year-old understood to be keen on a move back to the Premier League.’

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* De Zerbi tipped to turn former Arsenal captain into star of his new-look Tottenham side

* Newcastle, Spurs combined XI: Were relegated Toon ‘much better’ than Tottenham?

* De Zerbi ‘cancelled’ despite £60m Spurs agreement after ‘choosing not to exclude Greenwood’

Galatasaray are looking for around €45m if they do sell the talented Brazilian but the Turkish side would rather keep him for another season.

Tottenham have ‘started to explore’ a deal for Sara and the 26-year-old is ‘keen on returning to England even if it means sacrificing Champions League football at Galatasaray for a club like Tottenham’.

Despite potentially facing relegation, Tottenham have to plan for every eventuality and Sara ‘is one of the main players they’re focusing on’.

In no other job can you fail upwards quite as spectacularly as you can as a football manager.

Roberto De Zerbi, who was sacked by Marseille in February following a 5-0 hammering to PSG, has landed himself the Tottenham job and is being paid a king’s ransom to do it.

Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham has offered the crown jewels to the former Brighton boss and while Spurs fans protest against the principles of the new manager, the rest of us are wondering how on earth his agent pulled it off.

Here’s the top six best-paid managers in the Premier League and where De Zerbi fits in.

Having taken over when the club was in the midst of a relegation scrap, Howe has proved good value for his salary and turned Newcastle United into a team capable of consistently qualifying for the Champions League.

He delivered the club’s first trophy in decades, something every fan would say £6m a year was worth, but there are – for the first time – real question marks about whether he can take the club to the next level.

A disappointing league campaign, highlighted by two defeats to newly promoted rivals Sunderland, combined with a humiliation at the hands of Barcelona, mean Newcastle have little to play for this year and face a summer of once again trying to keep their best players.

Howe then could face the chop if the Newcastle owners are serious about becoming part of the Premier League elite.

With Jurgen Klopp on a reported £15m, paying a different manager less than half that haul to deliver a Premier League title seemed like a bargain bit of business from the Anfield higher-ups.

But there are now more question marks about the credentials of Slot, who was given a record-breaking summer spend only to have his team stutter.

Liverpool are currently fifth in the league, which should be good enough for a Champions League spot, and although the Liverpool board have maintained they are sticking with the Dutchman, a trophy would go a long way to silencing those who want Xabi Alonso in.

Considering where Aston Villa were when he took over and where they are now, Unai Emery is worth every penny of that £8m.

The club were relegation candidates when he arrived in October 2022 and are now semi-consistent Champions League qualifiers, even if there is no silverware to show for it.

PSR has kept a ceiling on the club breaking through that next barrier but it’s easy to imagine they would be a lot lower with the Spaniard at the club.

Tottenham’s situation left them in a terrible negotiating position when they approached Roberto De Zerbi but even with that in mind, the deal seems ludicrous.

According to a number of reports, De Zerbi will be paid £12m per season, making him the third-highest-paid manager in the league, and he has been given a seven-figure bonus for signing.

Reports suggest there is no relegation clause so there is a very real possibility Spurs could be paying their manager £12m a year in the Championship. For context, that figure would be double the current highest-paid second-tier boss with Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna reportedly on £6m a year.

To make matters worse, Spurs have given De Zerbi a five-year deal so if (when) it all explodes, they could face a payout of up to £60m. Just some great work from Vinai Venkatesham…

MORE ON SPURS ON F365

* Romano insists De Zerbi is prepared for Tottenham relegation: ‘He is ready to stay, fight, and rebuild’

* Spurs: De Zerbi ‘names’ Juventus star as potential first signing as £17m man says ‘yes’ to transfer

* De Zerbi tipped to turn former Arsenal captain into star of his new-look Tottenham side

While there are still question marks over whether Arteta can make the final step, there is no doubt that he has improved the club since taking over in December 2019.

At that time, Arsenal were an ill-disciplined joke who finished fifth under Unai Emery; Arteta’s biggest achievement has been changing the mindset around the club.

Good but troublesome characters like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were moved on and Arteta created arguably the strongest defence in the world.

He signed his latest extension in September 2024 and needs to show now that he is the manager who can win Arsenal the really big trophies.

If De Zerbi’s salary is laughable, few will argue that Pep Guardiola has been worth his.

A cool £20m a year, or around £380k a week, puts Guardiola behind only Mo Salah and Erling Haaland in terms of best-paid people in the Premier League, but he has delivered.

Guardiola has won 19 trophies whilst at the Etihad and 2026 marks his 10th year at the club, more than double the four years he spent at Barcelona.

The Catalan manager signed his latest extension in November 2024, taking him through to 2027, but there are some suggestions he could walk away this summer and whoever comes in next will surely be on a lot less than Guardiola.

Roberto De Zerbi could turn to former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to add goals to his Tottenham side in the summer.

European football expert Andy Brassell reckons Aubameyang would be a good short-term addition as De Zerbi looks to rebuild Spurs ahead of next season.

The Italian was announced as the new Tottenham head coach on a five-year contract on Tuesday as Spurs brought forward his appointment after interim boss Igor Tudor left by mutual consent.

Tottenham are currently just one point above the relegation zone and face a testing final seven matches in order to save their status as a Premier League football club.

But, looking ahead to the summer, Brassell has identified several players who could improve Tottenham whilst being appealing to De Zerbi.

Argentina international Geronimo Rulli, who worked with De Zerbi at Marseille, is one option to replace Guglielmo Vicario in net at Tottenham.

READ: De Zerbi ‘cancelled’ despite £60m Spurs agreement after ‘choosing not to exclude Greenwood’

Brassell said on talkSPORT: “Geronimo Rulli in goal. He’s a terrific goalkeeper. He’s brilliant with his feet as well, so he’s the best of both worlds.

“Okay, he’s experienced – he’s 33 years old now, but he’s got plenty in the tank.”

He added: “I think he’ll command his box better and he’s way better with his feet, as well as in my view being a better shot stopper than Vicario.”

Micky Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro all kept their place in Brassell’s potential XI under De Zerbi, while he opted to put in on-loan youngster Luka Vuskovic to replace wantaway Tottenham captain Cristian Romero.

Lucas Bergvall keeps his place in midfield, while Brassell reckons AC Milan star Adrien Rabiot could join the young Swede as the other holding midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Brassell said: “I go for Adrien Rabiot because I think there is someone who I think should have played in the Premier League by now anyway.

“You look at the size of him, the physicality of him. He’s developed into such a brilliant player over the last three or four years.

“He always had the talent, but now I think he knows who and what he is, and despite various little ups and downs, he’s been great for Milan this season.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* Spurs: De Zerbi ‘names’ Juventus star as potential first signing as £17m man says ‘yes’ to transfer

* Newcastle, Spurs combined XI: Were relegated Toon ‘much better’ than Tottenham?

* Romano insists De Zerbi is prepared for Tottenham relegation: ‘He is ready to stay, fight, and rebuild’

Brassell then controversially called for Tottenham to sign former Arsenal captain Aubameyang as a left winger over the summer transfer window.

The European football expert added: “Perhaps a little bit out there for some people, I’d go for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“He’s going to turn 37 in the summer, so it’s a short-term signing. It would be for a good time rather than a long time.

“He has been so good since he’s left the Premier League.”

Brassell actually thinks Aubameyang is better at Marseille now than when he was scoring for fun at Arsenal, he said: “He was a player who would touch the ball like 10-15 times a game and just really defined himself by his pace and his goals.

“Now he’s still got really good pace actually, not quite what it was when he was 29 obviously, but he’s still quick enough.

“He’s so unbelievably intelligent, he stretches the game by taking the ball down the flanks, he defends really tigerishly. He keeps himself incredibly fit. He scores and creates.

“You look at his assist numbers over the last couple of seasons and they’re absolutely brilliant. For me, he would be a better version of what Randal Kolo Muani should have been for Tottenham.”

Before concluding: “Even though there’s the Arsenal connection and maybe for that reason Aubameyang wouldn’t be open to it.

“But if we’re talking money and affiliation no object I think he’d be a really terrific signing for them.”

Elsewhere, Brassell kept Dejan Kulusevski on the right-hand side in his XI with Xavi Simons playing just behind Tottenham striker Richarlison.

According to reports, Roberto De Zerbi has ‘named’ his preferred first signing at Tottenham Hotspur, while one player looks set to leave.

On Tuesday night, Spurs confirmed the appointment of new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who has penned a five-year contract with the Premier League giants.

After his arrival was confirmed, De Zerbi revealed a couple of reasons why he decided to join Spurs. He said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

“In all my discussions with the Club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

READ: De Zerbi ‘cancelled’ despite £60m Spurs agreement after ‘choosing not to exclude Greenwood’

In the short-term, De Zerbi has been tasked with guiding Spurs to Premier League safety and his new side are in serious danger. They are only one point clear of the bottom three with seven games remaining.

Therefore, De Zerbi has far more pressing concerns than transfers at the moment, but a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato claims he is ‘fishing’ for Juventus star Manuel Locatelli and has ‘named’ the midfielder as a player he wants.

De Zerbi and Locatelli previously worked together at Italian outfit Sassuolo, while the 28-year-old has made 222 appearances for Juventus over the past five seasons.

Locatelli, who is under contract until 2028, has made 39 appearances for Juventus this season, and the report claims Spurs will look to sign him if they avoid relegation to the Championship.

The report explains:

‘During his initial discussions with the London club’s owners, Roberto De Zerbi discussed potential transfer targets for the future, naming the Juventus midfielder for next season.

‘The London team’s main objective is to secure survival in what has been a tremendously difficult season for last season’s Europa League winners, but at the same time, to start thinking about building a new squad.’

Regardless of whether Spurs survive this season, there will inevitably be exits as part of a major squad overhaul in the summer.

Guglielmo Vicario is expected to be on the move, with L’Interista claiming he has said ‘yes’ to joining Inter Milan in a potential £17m (20 million euros) deal.

The report adds:

‘His fee is expected to be around €20 million, assuming the London club aren’t relegated, in which case the price could drop further.

‘There’s some important news regarding the goalkeeper, however. According to what our editorial team has learned, Inter are ready to offer the current Tottenham goalkeeper a four-year contract worth €3.5 million per season.’

Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan reckons their relegated Newcastle team was a ‘much better’ side than the current Tottenham Hotspur. Fair?

The ex-Toon pair were on ‘The Good, The Bad and the Football’ podcast where they reminisced over the Magpies shambolic relegation in 2008/09.

During that season, Newcastle waved off their revered manager; appointed a relic who didn’t know the names of his players; sold their best player in January; and eventually went down under another local hero; with many players barely bothering to hide their eagerness to get away from the club. And that’s barely half the story.

Still, Nolan sees parallels with what’s happening at Spurs this season.

“It is a real big similarity to what’s going on at Tottenham now,” he said before agreeing with Butt that their Newcastle side was better.

“When you hear Spurs people saying ‘oh we’re too big to go down’, they’re not too big to go down because I believe we were a much better team, man-to-man and as a team, than Spurs are now.”

We all watched that Newcastle team and, instinctively, we would have disputed that claim.

But a combined XI of the Newcastle then and Tottenham now includes more Mags than Spurs. Just.

Here is that XI, taking into account form rather than reputation…

GK: Shay Given (Newcastle)

Probably Newcastle’s best player in the 2008/09 season and many in the ranks of the Toon Army will highlight his sale to Manchester City late in January as the point it really started to go wrong. Not that they were flying with Given in goal; they were 15th at the time with two points separating the bottom six.

RB: Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Spanish defender has been… ok. He certainly hasn’t been helped by being asked to play in a variety of right-sided positions recently and it all got bit much for him when he was hooked against Palace. It was Porro or Habib Beye.

CB: Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)

Romero’s nonsense this season has been entirely typical of the Argentina centre-back while Micky Van de Ven’s drop-off has been more stark and more alarming. So on the basis of better the devil you know, Romero is in.

CB: Sebastien Bassong (Newcastle)

Voted Newcastle’s tallest dwarf when he won Player of the Season before forcing his way out of the club at the earliest opportunity, moving to Spurs in the summer of 2009 having effectively gone on strike, refusing to travel on the Magpies’ pre-season tour, calling the political situation at the club ‘a shambles’. He had a point.

LB: Jose Enrique (Newcastle)

Just like Porro’s selection at right-back, Enrique is in as marginally the better of two very ‘meh’ options. Djed Spence’s form is good enough for Thomas Tuchel but aside from a good spell in the autumn, he has certainly not looked like being part of the solution for Spurs. Enrique was solid enough and stuck around to get Newcastle out of the Championship, winning the club’s Player of the Season in the second tier.

MORE: Tonali to Man Utd, Gordon to Liverpool as six Newcastle stars reassigned with PIF ‘open for business’

CM: Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur)

Should Spurs go down, Gray will be one of the few players applauded from the pitch on the final day, the youngster carrying out every role asked of him – there have been many – and one of the few who will have the opportunities for a big move that some of his team-mates seem to assume they will too.

CM: Nicky Butt (Newcastle)

Only one player played more than Butt during what was supposed to be his final season before retirement. But the ex-England midfielder didn’t want to do the ‘s***house’ thing and walk away having left Newcastle in a hole he helped land them in. So he signed up for one more season and shared the captaincy with Alan Smith to lift the Championship trophy before he hung up his boots.

RW: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Ghana winger remains the Spurs player with the highest number of assists and he’s been out since January 4. Only Richarlison has more goal contributions. His return, perhaps for the trip to Sunderland next week, could be as important as a new manager being in the dug out.

LW: Damien Duff (Newcastle)

Probably Newcastle’s most consistent outfield player through a wretched season, Nolan made sure to exclude Duff from the list of players whose performances showed they wanted out of St James’ Park. He played only one game in the Championship before Fulham paid £4million to bring him back to the Premier League.

CF: Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Brazilian might not be fancied by many but he’s scored more than double the number of goals of any of Spurs team-mate – and already more than any Newcastle player in the team that went down. That the two Tottenham players closest to him for Premier League goals are both centre-backs tells you much about the problems Roberto De Zerbi is facing.

MORE: Top 10 issues De Zerbi and Tottenham must instantly address to try and avoid calamity

CF: Obafemi Martins (Newcastle)

Martins and Owen both scored eight league goals but the Nigerian wasn’t choppering in and out of Tyneside each day and generally carrying the air of a man who resented being dragged from his horses to play for the club. Martins at least said he wanted to stay and help Newcastle get out of the Championship – before he was sold to Wolfsburg. His last game was the 6-1 pre-season defeat at Leyton Orient that Nolan remembers so fondly.