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Ange Postecoglou 'ready to explode' at Tottenham dressing room

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has confessed he is "ready to explode" as his players return from international duty to Hotspur Way. Spurs were on a winning streak of five consecutive victories and seemed poised for a sixth win after leading 2-0 at half-time in their game against Brighton before the break.

However, Brighton staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, scoring three goals to clinch a 3-2 victory. In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou didn't mince words, describing the loss as his "worst defeat" since taking over as Tottenham's head coach.

The international break meant that there was no immediate opportunity to rectify things on the pitch. The Lilywhites are set to return to action this Saturday with a home game against West Ham.

With all his players back at Hotspur Way for training ahead of the weekend's London derby, Postecoglou is eager to vent his frustrations after "sitting on it for ten days".

In an interview with Optus Sport, Postecoglou said: "You never know if it's (the international break) good or bad. Maybe for the players it was good, but I don't like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge, so you're kind of sitting on it.

"There can be a tendency to over-analyse things. It wasn't a good one, it was a sore one. The first half was unbelievable against Brighton and probably as well as we've played all year, but I didn't like the second half and what we looked like.

"It wasn't the loss, which was painful enough, but it was the manner in which we kind of went about it that I wasn't really comfortable with.

"You know what it's like with international football as the game finishes, everyone goes and the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. So I've been sitting on it for ten days, I'm ready to explode once they get back in the building and that will be my therapy.

"I care about what I do and if I've upset one person that's enough for me. The scrutiny isn't the challenge. The challenge is the competition - you're playing against the best in the world. The demands of that are pretty dramatic in terms of where I've come from in terms of starting my journey."

"This club has its own unique challenges for sure. Are they more difficult than others? I don't know. When I was at Celtic I was expected to win. If you lose one game it's a major problem and not many can cope with that.

"It's just a different challenge for sure. I get why people would say it's the level and the scrutiny is the reason why you're not having success - I don't believe that. I believe we will have success and there's nothing here that makes me think that is insurmountable."

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Dele Alli hits roadblock and Everton return could prove costly

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Dele Alli has reportedly hit a stumbling block as he plans to step his return to football, nearly two years on from his last match.

The former Tottenham and England man is out of contract after his Everton deal expired at the end of last season, but he has been working at the Toffees’ training ground in a bid to end his injury-ridden nightmare.

The Daily Mail claim that Sean Dyche’s outfit are prepared to offer Alli a new contract if he can prove his fitness. That is especially after Spurs’ gift to the player and club that they will not take up the £10million condition in a deal that took him to Goodison Park, which would have been paid out if he made 20 appearances.

Alli has played 13 times for Everton but whether he can add to that tally depends on whether he can rediscover his fitness.

However, having not signed a deal with Everton he is unable to be registered to play in Under-21 matches, where he would get a better chance in proving his health and durability.

He does not have the option to complete a programme of games, as opposed to someone on the club’s books, confining his recovery to the training facilities where he works at the Finch Farm gym.

Behind-closed-doors friendlies, where Alli would be viewed as a trialist, are thought to be an option.

Spurs are willing to write off the £10m they potentially could be viewed, but Everton still may end up paying Ange Postecoglou’s side further if he returns to the Toffees’ first team.

The north London outfit would insist on being compensated with performance-based bonuses and a sell-on clause if he were to leave Merseyside for a fee.

Lille are one of the clubs in Europe thought to be interested in signing Alli, where he would join the likes of England international Angel Gomes, Jonathan David and his former Spurs team-mate Nabil Bentaleb.

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But Alli’s focus will solely be on returning to match fitness, having spent over 18 months sidelined since his last appearance during an underwhelming loan spell at Besiktas.

Just last week he posted a photo of a pair of dirty boots on social media, captioning the image “brick by brick” in a reference to the hard work he is undertaking behind the scenes.

He made significant progress before being hampered by a recent muscle sprain, as explained by Dyche: “He’s just making sure he’s right. He’s had a little bit of a slip back with his fitness so he is just in that total recovery period.”

While matches with the Under-21s remain out of the question, Alli is continuing to build his fitness with the goal of competing for England at the World Cup in 2026.

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Cheap 85p football club meal branded 'most disgusting in the world'

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Football stadium food or 'footy scran' as it is often affectionally referred too is always a hot topic amongst fans - particularly when visiting a new ground for the first time.

That was certainly the case for numerous Tottenham fans, who were left feeling hungry in Hungary after turning their backs on the menu at their Europa League opponents, Ferencvaros, earlier this month. The Hungarian club's take on cheese and onion toast proved a far cry from the cuisine back home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in April 2019.

There, supporters can indulge in pie with mash and gravy or a beef lasagne with garlic bread and rocket salad at half time for a reasonable London price. Despite being more than moderately priced at 400 Hungarian Forint (around 85p), the dish offered little to satisfy the rumbling stomachs of those who took the two-and-a-half hour flight to Budapest.

In a snap shared by X account, Sports Scran (@SportScran) and captioned with a translation of "greasy bread" a Spurs fan's card container could be seen with a barely toasted slice of bread, melted cheese and several rashly chopped slices of red onion.

Thankfully, Spurs went on to win the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and Pape Matar Sarr, but it seems the food on their travels left an unwanted lasting impresion. Scores took to X to slam the "delicacy", with many admitting they'll never criticise food back in Britain again.

"Did a five-year old make this?" one disgruntled fan asked. "Hungarian food is too funny," commented a second "This is what my Hungarian friend gave me last year. He said it’s a Hungarian delicacy."

A third slammed: "It’s crazy how some places just don’t understand food." A fourth hit out: "Wouldn't eat this if I was starving in a zombie apocalypse."

Whilst a fan of Hibernian in Scotland enthused: "Will never complain about the a**e collapsing out a steak pie at Easter Road again." Others, however, explained the cheese on toast might go down well after several pints of beer.

"Plenty will mock this, but it'll save your life at the eighth pint," joked one X user. "I’d scran that," quipped another. "Really soak up the beers."

A third person penned: "Sorry to say but that’s scran. For that price? Those simple yet unmistakable flavours? You could do so much worse." And a fourth agreed: "I'd take four for that price."

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has amassed an impressive review score of 4.5 out 5 on TripAdvisor from more than 800 visitors, with many complementing the food and hospitality aspects. One reviewer hailed: "The Beavertown Neckoil is outstanding, a truly lovely pint.

"Really enjoyed the Margarita pizza, for commercial catering this was very tasty, really enjoyable. And highly recommended. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. Recommend you arrive well before kick off and enjoy the food and drink."

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Tottenham potential takeover candidates 'identify Ange Postecoglou replacement'

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Son Heung-min's dad guilty of child abuse and accused of injuring kid at football academy

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Son Heung-min’s father Son Woong-jung has been given a £1,700 fine after being found guilty of verbally and physically abusing young footballers at his academy in South Korea. The penalty was handed out at Chuncheon District Court, 75 kilometres northeast of Seoul.

The case was forwarded to the prosecution in April after complaints were made to police in March.

The Tottenham star’s brother Son Heung-yun was also sanctioned, along with another unnamed coach.

According to The Korea Times, the parents of one player complained that their son sustained injuries to his thigh area which needed to be treated for two weeks after Heung-yun allegedly hit him with a corner flag during a training camp in Japan.

The parents claimed that he had also hurled profanities at players after they had made mistakes during sessions.

There were also accusations of physical and verbal abuse of young players at the training facility in South Korea.

All three defendants received the same £1,700 fine and were each ordered to complete 40 hours of child abuse treatment programmes. The trio can appeal the decision and ask for a trial within seven days.

Woong-jung has insisted that many of the charges against him and his staff are not true and has asserted that he has not behaved in any way that wasn’t driven by love for the players he coaches.

But he also vowed to review coaching methods at the academy, which opened in 2021.

Woong-jung's son Heung-min has become one of the best attackers in the Premier League since joining Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

The winger has bagged 164 goals and 86 assists in 415 appearances for his team and helped them reach the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost to Liverpool.

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Son became the Tottenham captain last summer following the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as manager and enjoyed a fine maiden campaign under the Australian as he contributed 17 goals and 10 assists in 37 Premier League appearances.

The 32-year-old started his side’s first five top-flight matches this time around but missed the clashes with Manchester United and Brighton ahead of the international break after sustaining a hamstring injury during Spurs’ Europa League victory over Qarabag last month.

Postecoglou will be desperate to have Son back for the visit of West Ham next weekend after watching his side throw away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Brighton last Sunday.

And ahead of that encounter, the Spurs boss gave an update on Son as he explained: “Sonny unlikely, he’s pushing hard but I just don’t think the turnaround will be quick enough for him to be available at this stage.”

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Chelsea 'scouting' another Jadon Sancho as Tottenham and Liverpool prepare for battle

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Chelsea are reportedly looking to follow a transfer recipe which has served them well in recent windows, but their hopes could be scuppered by Liverpool or Tottenham.

All three Premier League giants are believed to be keen on Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens after his superb start to the season. The 20-year-old is now receiving regular game time in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, with four goals to his name already this term.

According to Bild, scouts from Chelsea, Spurs and the Reds have all been present at the Westfalenstadion for a closer look at Dortmund's up-and-coming wide man.

It's impossible to ignore the similarities between Gittens and Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho. The pair of them were tipped for big things while part of Manchester City's academy set-up - albeit three years apart - and they went on to make their senior breakthroughs at BVB.

Both players operate primarily on the left wing, and they're even represented by the same agency. Chelsea seemingly have a thing for English wingers with experience of playing overseas, as evidenced by Enzo Maresca's current starters - Sancho and Noni Madueke.

The Blues could add another to their collection if senior Stamford Bridge figures sanction a move for Bynoe-Gittens, either in January or at the end of the season.

The youngster has just under four years remaining on his contract, meaning Dortmund are under no pressure to sell. But the German side rarely stands in the way of a player moving on if their valuation is met.

It remains to be seen whether the volume of talent fighting for minutes out wide at Stamford Bridge would be off-putting for Bynoe-Gittens. Sancho and Mykhaylo Mudryk are both vying to start on the left, with Madueke and Pedro Neto up against one another on the right.

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The landscape is just as competitive at Liverpool, with Luis Diaz currently keeping Cody Gakpo out of Arne Slot's starting line-up on the left, and Mohamed Salah consigning Federico Chiesa to the sidelines on the opposite flank.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou also has plenty of options out wide, although Bynoe-Gittens may fancy his chances of being in the mix with Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.

The Dortmund starlet is closing in on 70 senior games and makes frequent appearances for England Under-21s alongside the likes of Adam Wharton and Morgan Rogers.

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Real Madrid 'compile positive reports' on Tottenham star after intervi

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Asked about the prospect of joining Los Blancos in the future, the defender said: “It fills you with excitement, doesn't it? "You have to focus on your work, but the fact that Real Madrid is interested in you is because you are doing things well. That's how I think about it on a day-to-day basis. Well, if that moment has to come, it will come. And if it doesn't, well, I'll just keep working as I have been doing.

"If I get the chance to make that leap tomorrow, I will be prepared for that very reason. I will have much more experience. If you had told me this years ago, I would have told you that I wasn't. Because I'm being honest. Let's see what happens."

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Arsenal, Tottenham and Man Utd on red alert as top striker 'decides to leave on a free'

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Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are among a host of top European sides with a long-standing interest in Lille striker Jonathan David. And their pulling power looks set to be put to the test next summer, with the 24-year-old reportedly deciding to run down his contract and move on as a free agent.

David is on course for another goal-laden season, having found the net eight times in 12 matches so far. Despite his age, the Canadian international boasts more than a half-century of caps and over 150 career goals.

Spurs, the Gunners and United have all taken note, along with the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United, Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona.

The battle for his services is poised to become even more competitive, with Football Espana reporting that David has decided not to extend his Lille contract, which will expire at the end of this season.

A player of his goal-scoring pedigree does not come around on the free agent market often. Even during the latest summer transfer window, when David had a year left on his deal, Chelsea, United, Tottenham and West Ham all reportedly spoke with his entourage to assess the possibility of a move.

Others are now in the equation and reports indicate that several have already made fresh contact with a view to laying the groundwork for a switch in 2025.

David grew up mainly in Canada and jetted to Belgium as a teenager to begin life as a professional footballer with Gent. He scored 37 goals in 83 games before joining up with Lille in 2020.

Any interested party hoping to swoop in under the radar for David suffered a blow last week, when he scored a high-profile winner for Lille against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Manager Bruno Genesio is already believed to be scouting out replacements for David in case he departs.

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Moves to any of United, Tottenham or Arsenal would force David to compete with the established frontmen already in their starting line-ups. Kai Havertz has been superb for the Gunners since finding his rhythm in the centre-forward role.

United boss Erik ten Hag has Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee battling it out for minutes through the middle, while Spurs have only just splashed a whopping £65million on Dominic Solanke to lead the line for Ange Postecoglou.

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Mikey Moore 'ready' to star for Tottenham after 17-year-old's first Spurs start

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Mikey Moore is seizing his chance to shine under the guidance of Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou, having made a splash during his full debut against Ferencvaros.

The precocious 17-year-old forward featured alongside three other youngsters - Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Will Lankshear - as they played key roles in Spurs' hard-fought 2-1 win at the Groupama Arena on Thursday.

Spurs fans have been tracking Moore's progress with growing enthusiasm for over a year, following his standout performances that helped secure two youth team cup victories in 2023, as well as his Under-21s debut at just 15.

Having already set a record as the youngest Tottenham player to play in the Premier League after coming on against Manchester City in May, Moore has been on an upward trajectory, amplified by a strong pre-season culminating in a landmark start in Budapest.

Moore quickly demonstrated his potential with a surging run assisting Pape Sarr for the 23rd-minute opener, before setting up Brennan Johnson's decisive goal with a perfectly timed pass to Dominic Solanke late in the game.

Speaking about his preparation for the match, Moore shared: "To be fair, I only knew about 4 o'clock...but I was ready. It is what you work for. Obviously there are a bit of nerves coming into it, but once you get on the pitch you are all right.

"It's a big step but it is one I am ready to take. It's been all right, all the boys have helped me and it's been perfect really so far."

Postecoglou's decision to start Moore in an intense European away match was a bold move, especially considering the youngster had only just turned 17 in August.

However, it proved to be a successful gamble, and Moore is now determined to repay his manager's trust, even if he may return to the bench for Sunday's match against Brighton after playing the full 90 minutes in Hungary.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Moore said: "He (Postecoglou) is giving me little tips all the time, really.

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"Him putting me in the team, you get the trust straight away so I am thankful for him to start me and put his trust in me. He is helping me all the time but so are all the coaching staff."

Moore's impressive performance drew comparisons to Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, but a more fitting comparison might be to Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, who is also 17 and has played alongside Moore in various England youth teams.

Postecoglou recalled: "The (wet) conditions, it always suits defenders because they can fly in with tackles and Mikey got one in the first 30 seconds I think.

"He kept his feet well and he takes the responsibility of driving inside or taking his man on, he makes good decisions with the ball.

"He's got so much growth still, but the good thing is he wants to learn, he wants to develop and I couldn't be happier for him, but also pretty pleased that he's part of our football club."

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'Worst team-mate' Bruno Fernandes sparked reaction from Man Utd squad

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Captain Bruno Fernandes has been in the firing line following his team's dismal 3-0 loss to Tottenham.Manchester United approached the new season with hopes of rejuvenation; Erik ten Hag was given a boost with a one-year contract extension, and the squad was strengthened by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Yet, a paltry seven points from six games is seeing the panic button being hit.

Fernandes has become the personification of the chaos and lack of confidence engulfing the squad, embodied by his poor performance this season and high challenge on James Maddison which resulted in a red card - though later appealed successfully. His current situation also draws parallels to the flak he faced for his underwhelming beginning to the 2022/23 season.

Former striker-now-pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor lambasted the Portuguese talent two years ago, and his sentiments were supposedly echoed by the United dressing room at that time - and may still be to this day.

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Speaking to talkSPORT following United's troubled start in 2022, suffering defeats to Brighton and a 4-0 thumping by Brentford, Agbonlahor commented: "For me, Fernandes, since he's been in the Premier League, yes he's had great stats, goalscoring and assists but he looks like the worst team-mate.

"Every time a player gives it away, every time he gives it away, he throws his arms up at his team-mates, he throws his arms up at the bench.

"I've played with players like him, you'd be fuming at him. He'll press now and then. If that was Paul Pogba, they would be slaughtering Pogba in the media. Fernandes gets away with murder. Did you see Fernandes do anything? It's easy to say Maguire, Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho.

"Fernandes, for me, I can't remember the last time he had a decent game. He's always the one that's throwing his arms up in the air. Even when he gives it away. He could pass it to you but pass it out of play and he'd blame you. That's the sort of player Fernandes is. The worst possible team-mate."

In a damning report at the time, The Daily Mail claimed that instead of defending their team-mate against such harsh criticism, some of Fernandes' peers were growing increasingly frustrated with him. Following United's next victory over rivals Liverpool, it was reported that several players were 'irritated' by Fernandes' behaviour in the game.

The midfielder's constant complaining and an incident where he appeared to push a linesman in the back were cited as issues causing discontent among his team-mates. Additionally, his dramatic reaction to a minor scuffle with Ibrahima Konate did not go unnoticed.

Two years on, it appears that Fernandes has made little progress in improving his teamwork skills, as evidenced by the poor performance against Spurs, leaving his co-stars at a disadvantage for more than half the match, reports the Mirror.

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Ex-United defender Gary Neville was a critic of Fernandes whilst talking on Sky Sports after the first half against Spurs, evidencing that little has changed for the Portugeuse. He said: "It is one of the worst performances I’ve seen in Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United, and that’s saying something.

"It's been really bad. And he will not be able to believe what he's watched, his captain sent off. When players react like that, it means something has gone on that we haven't seen initially. He's gone knee-high Bruno Fernandes. I think he slips just before the tackle, but he's not going to get away with it."

Despite the red card being rescinded after an appeal, Bruno Fernandes' dismissal has helped cast a darker shadow over manager Erik ten Hag's future. Rumours are swirling that the Dutchman may only have two matches left to save his job as head coach, leaving the club in a conundrum post-transfer window, as they're unable to improve the squad until January.

Eyes will be on how Fernandes rallies after his sending-off was overturned, with vital matches coming up for United. They face FC Porto in the Europa League before tackling Aston Villa away in the Premier League prior to October's international break.

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