The Mirror

Ange Postecoglou is backing Son Heung-min to shine for years to come - just do not expect him to segue into a new role as he gets older.

Skipper Son is beginning to show signs of rejuvenation for a Spurs side that goes in search of a fourth straight league win against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

And Postecoglou reckons there is no sign of the 32-year-old slowing down with his pair of assists for Brennan Johnson against Ipswich last weekend already putting him on course for his best campaign as a creator.

Tottenham ’s schedule has appeared less hectic since they bowed out of both domestic cup competitions and the South Korea star is being helped by the extra rest and training.

Asked how long he thinks Son can keep playing at the top level, Postecoglou said: “No idea but Sonny’s benefitted from the fact he’s been able to have a break between games.

“We saw that on the weekend, after being able to recover from one game to another and having a full week to get his energy levels back, he was outstanding, particularly in the first half.

“And he was great before. You never want to try to predict with players like Sonny how long he will go for because those kind of players I think always defy whatever odds there are because of the way they look after themselves and conduct themselves, the levels.

“Even this year, as difficult as it has been for us, I think his numbers still stack up. You weigh him up against any winger in the league, he’s still going to be top five. He’s probably been top five in the nine or ten years he’s been here.

“Not many would rank with Sonny in terms of output on a consistent basis from his position. He’s top 10 per cent of players in his position in the Premier League. Those are the facts and if he’s continuing to do that, there’s nothing to say he should slow down.”

Equally when time catches up with Son, Postecoglou cannot envisage a situation where he reinvents himself in a different role. So while Harry Kane and before that Wayne Rooney dropped deeper as their careers progressed, Son’s skillset points to him remaining out wide.

“Not really with the attributes he has,” Postecoglou added. “The thing people look at in his position is speed and kinda players who have speed as their main attribute, that goes and they drift into other areas.

“I don’t think that’s Sonny’s main attribute. His ability to beat players, even in tight areas, is elite. His finishing, I think, is elite. You’re talking about a winger who has scored so many goals. It’s a hard position to score goals regularly from.

“I don’t think that will ever deteriorate to a situation where he will play at centre-half. He will always be an attacking player. Out wide.

“Obviously we’ve played him down the middle but that’s been needs based and he’s always done a great job for us. Out wide is where he is more comfortable. That can change where he plays in a team where he can drift more.

“With us it’s a bit more fixed. If at the age of 40 he wants to keep playing at another club or he’s here and change the way he plays as a wide player that can happen. But I think he will always be a wide player.”

Ange Postecoglou believes “really outstanding” Mathys Tel will show his worth to Spurs - once his fitness levels hit the required standard.

Teenager Tel has been thrown in at the deep end since arriving from Bayern Munich on a loan deal that is set to be made permanent in the summer.

But Postecoglou said it would be massively unfair to read too much into his early performances because the French youngster, 19, is not entirely sharp having featured only sporadically in Germany.

And while Postecoglou does not expect Tel to ever become a powerhouse similar to Dominic Solanke, he is sure that he will prove an effective alternative.

“I don’t think he’s going to be that kind of striker but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a really good central striker, there are different types,” Postecoglou said.

“With Mathys, he hadn’t played a lot, we’ve thrown him in and kept him in there because I want to build up his fitness.

“But if anyone is expecting him to come in as a 19-year-old and take the Premier League by storm by scoring multiple goals, it’s not realistic. It just can’t happen.

"What we’re trying to do is work with him. He needs to get his physical fitness up because he hasn’t played a lot of football.

“At 19, I see really outstanding attributes in him that I think he could be a really good No9 and he can play wide as well. He’s not going to be a Dom or (Ipswich’s Liam) Delap, he’s a different type.

“But looking at him in training, his movements are becoming a bit more fluent, he’s getting used to the way we play.”

In particular Postecoglou has been impressed by Tel’s work ethic and willingness to run off the ball. “He’s doing the things we need him to do at the moment to help us,” he added.

“He may not be getting the goals and the accolades but he’s certainly contributing to the way we want to play. That’s the most important thing. He’s got so much growth in him and I’m sure we’ll see that.”

Postecoglou has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Wednesday night's meeting against Manchester City and he is confident that Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Solanke will all be available in the next 10 days.

“Dom’s the only one where we’ve got to be careful because he’s ahead of schedule so I don’t want to push that in case we need to pull the reins in a bit,” he added. “But with Romero and Van de Ven that’s the plan.”

Ange Postecoglou has hailed the return of a feelgood factor at Tottenham Hotspur but insists: "We still have plenty to play for this season."

Spurs host Manchester City on Wednesday night looking to win a fourth straight Premier League game - a run they last put together in December 2023.

And with a number of key players firing again as the squad's injury crisis eases, Postecoglou admits his dressing room is "re-energised" before hosting Pep Guardiola's champions.

Spurs have already beaten their visitors twice this season and Postecoglou, who has no fresh injury concerns, believes a less hectic schedule in the past three weeks has enabled his team to take a massive step in the right direction.

But with James Maddison among those talking up their chances of a late push towards a European spot, with eighth place set to be good enough for a Conference League spot, the head coach said: "The last couple of games in particular have certainly given us encouragement in terms of re-energising the group, whether that’s the guys working hard through the period or coming back in.

"There’s a real good energy around it. We’ve seen the enthusiasm of those coming back in. That’s helped the rest of the group. We’ve benefited from two weeks of no midweek games. The wins make people feel good, it’s something to build on."

City's only remaining goal this season is securing a top-five finish to guarantee Champions League football next season, while Erling Haaland remains a doubt for Wednesday because of injury.

The four-in-a-row winners have also considered Spurs a bogey team for several seasons but Postecoglou is not keen on reading too much into that being a good omen.

He added: "It’s always a challenge to play City. I don’t know how much you can read into that stuff. He’s faced different types of teams, different managers. Sometimes it’s just circumstances.

"For the most part against the teams that are challenging we’ve done well in the two years I’ve been here. For the most part our struggles have been against teams not doing so well in the league. Part of that is playing against teams trying to dominate the game, that allows us to play our football. You can’t dismiss the quality they have."

And he went on to warn that no one should be surprised if Guardiola has a revamped squad ready to bounce back and reclaim the title next season.

"The consistency of their four in a row, the numbers they accumulated, it is an unprecedented standard they’ve set. It’s natural it won’t continue forever, it’s just not sustainable.

"But if they bounce back next year and win it, you’ll be saying that’s more than pretty good. Sometimes these things happen. Key injuries, some things have gone against them. That’s elite sport, it’s fine margins."

Guglielmo Vicario said it was the best and worst day of his life.

The last time Tottenham faced Manchester City the goalkeeper produced a dominant performance - and then broke his ankle.

For City that 4-0 defeat kickstarted their dramatic slump but it also proved a pyrrhic victory for Spurs, who took just five points from their next 11 fixtures as an unprecedented injury crisis took hold.

They meet again in north London on Wednesday night with the hosts finally emerging from three months of selection hell that Vicario admits was a “challenging (period) that I’ve never had to face in my life.”

His recent return has coincided with Tottenham’s form trending upwards and Saturday’s win at Ipswich was a third on the spin in the league, their best run since December 2023.

Looking back on November’s triumph at the Etihad, Vicario says: “It was one of the best and one of the worst days of my life.

“Then of course when you stay away from the field for three months it’s always tough to get back with the good feelings to go back and replicate what you had been doing for a long time.

“But now I just want to look at the present, what I’m doing at the moment.

“I’m very happy now. We have to just keep the momentum going. It’s two wins in a row, three in the Premier League, we’re pleased with that. But how we keep things going is on us.”

Spurs’ top priority may appear to be a Europa League last-16 tie against AZ Alkmaar next month but they are also now only nine points off eighth place with a game in hand.

That spot should be good enough to get into Europe next season and with Ange Postecoglou suddenly having a squad that he can rotate and options off the bench during games, Vicario is confident they can go on a good run.

“If we have more options it’s easier for everyone. Everyone can have minutes,” he said.

“It’s important for the team, it’s important for the spirit, for the feeling we can have during the week.

“We wait for everyone back. Now is the time to make things properly. We are looking forward. We don’t put too many goals, we just try to look game by game and try to win every game of football we have to face.”

Although the time out was not a complete waste because Vicario spent a part of it reading Gianluigi Buffon’s autobiography - the World Cup winning compatriot he would love to emulate.

“He speaks about his life, about his career, how he overcame his issues,” he said. “So for this period of my life it is the perfect book to start reading, (about) my idol."

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle believes the team would have picked up more points this season if Ange Postecoglou had tweaked his tactics amid their nightmare injury crisis.

Spurs dropped as low as 15th in the Premier League this season after losing 13 times under the Australian after racking up one of the worst injury situations in the top flight.

While Tottenham bounced back three straight wins in the Premier League, including a 4-1 win at Ipswich this wekeend, Spurs still have a long way to go if they want to climb the table following some shocking performances, largely caused by a spate of injuries to key players.

Some fans have voiced frustration that Tottenham have continued to play a high line under Postecoglou despite not having their best team available - with Mickey van de Ven, Cristiano Romero, Destiny Udogie among the top stars on the sidelines.

And Hoddle believes the ex-Celtic boss should have adjusted his tactics to suit the players at his disposal, insisting it would have helped the team pick up more points than they have.

Speaking to Mirror Football, TNT Pundit Hoddle said: "I think he needs more time because as a manager I have every sympathy for him. The amount of injuries, the long-term injuries to key players. You can have injuries, but if they're to key experienced players and they're long-term injuries and you get nine, ten or 11. If Liverpool had that many, they wouldn't be top of the league. It affects performances, there's no doubt about it.

"My only question mark from my football head - if you haven't got your strongest team, then slightly adjust things so the team you're putting out has got more of a chance of not conceding goals. Make it more difficult for your opponent, mainly on the defensive side.

"To play the same way as if you've got Romero and Van de Ven doesn't make sense to me. Those players who have had to play, like Archie Gray, are at full throttle. There have just been adjustments that have been needed at times and I think we would have had more points on the board.

"We look too open. We look too easy to play against. We can create but we also look so so vulnerable against any team. I've seen in in Europe. We lost to Ipswich. We look like you could always say 'we can score goals against Tottenham'. Without Van de Ven and Romero, you've got to play differently."

Tottenham have a tough game against Manchester City this week and Postecoglou will be hoping to avoid what would be a 14th defeat of the season against Pep Guardiola's men. Hoddle knows what it's like to manage Tottenham, having been in charge for two years between 2001 and 2003 before being sacked by Daniel Levy in the 2003-04 campaign. He feels Spurs should stick with Postecoglou longer and give him at least another window before deciding on his future.

"As for sacking him, no way," he added. "I think he's got to be given another opportunity in the summer window. When Ange arrived, it was hallelujah. Fans wanted that style of football."

Watch all 10 fixtures from Matchday 27 of the Premier League, including Tottenham v Manchester City, exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th February

James Maddison recalls a point where Tottenham’s medical department was more populated than the dressing room.

But now Ange Postecoglou’s long list of injuries is beginning to shorten, Maddison reckons they can put together a late run to earn an eighth-place finish that might be good enough for Europe.

Saturday’s win at Ipswich was a third on the trot in the league – their best run since four consecutive victories in December 2023. And for the first time in months Spurs have also got options off the bench – Maddison included.

He was sprung on after little more than an hour, to plenty of jibes from Ipswich fans unable to forget his time at Norwich, and set up Djed Spence for the third goal.

“It's the difference, isn't it? It was 2-1, it was a tight game, everyone could see that. And me and Wilson (Odobert) came on and changed the dynamic of the game a little bit.

“Whereas rewind six weeks, we didn't have those options. We would have been starting and there would have been kids on the bench and there wouldn't have been any changes at 60. It's not rocket science, it doesn't have to be someone extremely intelligent to realise that that can really help.”

Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson, who scored the first two goals, both returned at Portman Road from reasonably long spells out.

Add in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Odobert and recent arrivals Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso becoming available in the past fortnight and it is easy to see why Spurs feel the dark clouds are lifting.

Through their lowest moments, when the defeats were racking up, Postecoglou grew tired of pointing to the context. But what was it like for the players unable to contribute as the season threatened to derail?

“The physio room was busier than the changing room, it was tough,” Maddison adds. “You look at the names who were out as well, it wasn't bit-part players, it was strong players from the XI, senior players. So it was difficult. We've got a lot of young players having to take on great responsibility.

“When you're a senior player who's out – and I only had a small injury but I'm talking for the likes of Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, even Vicario out for three months – it's tough seeing the young lads having to deal with it, without being able to help.

“That's the worst thing about football when you're injured. You're helpless, you can't help the team out there, you have to watch, It drives you insane.”

Spurs’ gap to eighth is down to single digits and, with fifth expected to be good enough for a Champions League spot, a Conference League qualifier appears doable.

“I think we're one of the teams in the league that can go on a winning streak, we showed it at the start of last season,” Maddison says.

“We have the squad and the players to be able to do that, I think there'll be teams that are in and around the same position as us, mid-table-ish, that probably don't feel like they can.

“But our ceiling is quite high, especially when we have our senior players back, so we're capable of going on that run and bridging that gap, and that's what we're hoping to do.”

Ipswich Town kicked off their Premier League campaign with an unexpected victory against Tottenham Hotspur on the road. Now, they're aiming to boost their survival hopes by completing a season double over Ange Postecoglou's team.

The Tractor Boys marked their first top-flight win in 22 years with a 2-1 triumph over Spurs back in November, a result that cashed in a couple of my bets. However, with only two more league victories since then, they remain favourites for relegation.

Kieran McKenna's squad did give their chances of staying up a lift by securing an impressive draw at Aston Villa recently. Despite being reduced to ten men in the first half, they managed a 1-1 draw, leaving them just two points adrift of Wolves. Another win against Tottenham could see them climb out of the relegation zone.

Tottenham themselves were teetering near the drop zone after a dismal stretch of one win in 11 Premier League matches. However, back-to-back victories against Brentford and Manchester United have steadied the ship, moving them into mid-table and easing some pressure on Postecoglou.

The Australian manager was previously tipped as the favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked, but last week's win over United has improved his odds slightly. With players returning from injury, Postecoglou will be keen to secure another three points at Portman Road to win back more supporters.

Ipswich Town vs Tottenham Odds

Ipswich - 14/5 (CopyBet)

Draw - 29/10 (CopyBet)

Tottenham - 87/100 (CopyBet)

Ipswich Town vs Tottenham Betting Tips

Both teams to score - 12/25 (CopyBet)

Liam Delap to score anytime - 11/8 (CopyBet)

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Tottenham Hotspur will be unusually full of optimism when they take on Ipswich Town.

The north London side have struggled all season but can finally boast two consecutive wins – thanks to their victories over Brentford and Manchester United – for the first time since September. With the likes of James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Brennan Johnson returning, Ange Postecoglou's injury hell has begun to relieve itself.

While still sitting a lowly 12th in the Premier League, Spurs can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. But they face a tricky run in their upcoming fixtures against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham. Prior to that difficult three-game run, Spurs travel to Portman Road on Saturday (today), looking for revenge against an Ipswich side that beat them 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in November.

Kieran McKenna's side have won just two more games since then, though, which has left them 18th and two points adrift of safety. Mirror Football provides all the information you need about following the match, which will not be screened live on UK TV…

Why isn’t Ipswich vs Tottenham on TV in the UK?

The fixture wasn't chosen by broadcasters Sky Sports and TNT Sports this weekend. In TNT's Saturday 12.30pm slot, it'll be Everton hosting Manchester United in their last game at Goodison Park, while Sky will broadcast Aston Villa taking on Chelsea at 5.30pm.

Sky's Super Sunday offering will be quite the watch with Newcastle challenging league high-flyers Nottingham Forest at 2pm as Manchester City welcome Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium at 4:30pm.

With Ipswich's home clash against Spurs being scheduled for the 3pm kick-off, the game falls within English football's Saturday blackout that begins at 2:45pm and ends at 5:15pm. Live broadcasts of 3pm games in the UK has been forbidden since the rule was introduced in 1960.

Despite the long-standing tradition, there have been calls in recent years to get rid of it amid anger from fans who've contended with the rising prices of TV subscriptions while not being able to watch every available game.

Regarding the blackout, a Premier League spokesperson told Mirror Football last year that the reason the rule is in place is because it "protect attendances throughout the English football pyramid".

Where can I watch Ipswich vs Tottenham?

From around 20 minutes after the full-time whistle blows, short highlights and key aspects of the game will be available to watch on the Sky Sports app and YouTube channel.

Extended highlights will be shown later that Saturday, with the game being featured – alongside the rest of the day's fixtures – on Match of the Day which is scheduled to begin on BBC1 at 10:30pm. Sky Sports will also show 30-minute highlight programmes of each of Saturday's fixtures come late Saturday evening.

For fans wanting to be kept up to date with live coverage, regular updates will be on hand on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.

Despite the unavailability of live broadcasts in the UK, viewers across the world be able to watch the game thanks to their local Premier League TV rights holders. For football enthusiasts in the United States, the match will be featured on Peacock and on beIN Sports Connect for those in the Middle East.

A leaked email has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur want TV companies to refer to them by either their full name or just 'Spurs'.

The north London club are claimed to have sent an email to Premier League broadcasters making their preference clear. Tottenham, as they're most commonly referred to, want to distinguish the area they're from to the football club itself.

Fans noticed that during Sky Sports' coverage of their battling 1-0 win against Manchester United last Sunday, manager Ange Postecoglou was referred to as the 'Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach'. When their lineup was shown, the graphic said 'Spurs'.

A report from the Athletic has shed light on the situation, as on February 10, an email titled 'Tottenham Hotspur Naming Update' was circulated to Premier League broadcasters. "Tottenham Hotspur have provided clarification regarding the club's name," it read.

"They have requested that the club are primarily known as Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs being the preferred short version. The club have requested that they are not referred to as Tottenham."

It appears that the club are keen to emphasise the fact that they're the only 'Hotspur' in English football. In their 'Brand Playbook', a paragraph tellingly spells out: "In a world full of Uniteds, Citys and Rovers, there is only one Hotspur, Tottenham Hotspur.

"When referring to the team or the brand, please use 'Tottenham Hotspur', 'Tottenham Hotspur Football Club' or 'THFC'. Never refer to our Club as 'Tottenham', 'Tottenham Hotspur FC' or 'TH'."

What do you call Tottenham Hotspur? Have your say in the comments section.

Whatever broadcasters, websites and fans choose to call them, supporters will just hope to see their name or badge much higher in the Premier League table come May. Last weekend's victory over fellow strugglers United was only enough to send them up to 12th place which is 13 points adrift of fifth, where they finished in 2024.

Spurs travel to Ipswich on Saturday, hoping avenge this season's humiliating defeat in the reverse fixture. "It's not easy when you're playing away from home and in the Premier League, especially against a team that's fighting like Ipswich are," Postecoglou said.

"So we know it's not going to be an easy one, but it is an opportunity for us now to get another strong performance, get another positive result, and like I said, hopefully provide a bit of a foundation for us to kick on."

Chelsea and Tottenham have been granted an exception by UEFA after it allowed both teams to play European games on the same night next month.

The Blues play in the Conference League knockouts on Thursday, March 16, the same night Spurs are set to play their Europa League last-16 tie.

UEFA rules usually stipulate that two clubs from the same city, or playing within a radius of 50km, cannot both feature on the same night. Given that Stamford Bridge and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are within 16km of each other, that would appear to break UEFA's rule, but they have given special dispensation for both games to go ahead.

According to the Daily Mail, the clubs have been given the green light to stage their matches, which are set to be confirmed at the draw for the next stages of both competitions on Friday.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca and Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou are both set to play at home in the second legs of their respective games.

The two clubs will enjoy that potentially-decisive home advantage after finishing in the automatic qualifying spots in the initial league phase. Chelsea finished first comfortably while Tottenham ended up fourth.

The Blues will face either Real Betis, Copenhagen, Gent or Heidenheim in the Conference League. Meanwhile, Tottenham will play AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray or Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Chelsea and Spurs will be desperate to end the season with silverware after suffering challenging Premier League campaigns. They have already been knocked out of both domestic cups, meaning the European competitions are their only shot at glory.