FootballFanCast.com

Two weeks is a very long time in football, and Tottenham Hotspur are a perfect example of that.

Midway through last month, the North Londoners were in a supposed crisis, having dropped points away to Leicester City and lost to Arsenal and Newcastle United in back-to-back games.

However, with their backs against the wall, Ange Postecoglou's entertainers went on to win their next four games, with the 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon the pick of the bunch.

Things are looking up for the Lilywhites now, but the win over United showed that Postecoglou has to devise a different solution to Son Heung-min's absence on the left wing going forward, as Timo Werner simply isn't good enough.

Werner's poor form

When Spurs first announced the signing of Werner on loan in January, there was a level of cautious optimism among fans and pundits alike that the former Chelsea ace would be unlocked in Postecoglou's free-flowing system and produce a level of output similar to his initial stint with RB Leipzig and look a different player to the one who flopped at Chelsea.

After all, Arteta has improved Kai Havertz and Jorginho's fortunes in the last 18 months, so why couldn't the Australian do the same?

Unfortunately, while the Stuttgart-born poacher was useful here and there, he was ultimately rather underwhelming, and by the time a thigh injury ended his campaign in late April, he had racked up a meagre haul of two goals and three assists in 14 games.

However, the club had obviously seen enough. In late May, it was announced that they had agreed to extend his loan for another season, in a deal that includes an option to buy for around £8.5m, although based on his form so far this year, we aren't sure that's an option that will be taken up.

So far, the 28-year-old has made six appearances, two of which have been starts, yet he has failed to score even a single goal, and against Coventry City in the League Cup, he looked completely off the pace, which would explain the 2/10 rating he got from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.

Now, were he to continue to make minor substitute appearances here and there, then his abysmal form wouldn't be a huge problem, but following Son's injury last week, he started against United and could be in line to continue starting until the South Korean is back.

Luckily, his inclusion from the start didn't cost the team on Sunday, but that might not be the case going forward, so Postecoglou must take action and hand one of the club's most exciting prospects his chance in the first team until the captain is fit and firing again.

Why Postecoglou should turn to Mikey Moore

Yes, the exciting youngster Ange should now turn to in place of Werner is academy graduate Mikey Moore.

Although the 17-year-old left-winger has had very minimal first-team experience up until now, making just five appearances in the last year, that shouldn't bar him from making his first start this evening.

Indeed, if a player is good enough, they are old enough, and the Southwark-born gem is certainly good enough.

For example, in his 33 games for the club's various junior sides, the "outstanding" prospect, as talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed him, has scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists.

"When I watch him play, he’s very powerful, and he’s only going to get stronger as he develops into his body. It’s quite scary, he’s got a lot of ability. But I don’t want him to feel any pressure because he’s getting a lot of people talking about him, and rightly so, and that’s down to him training well, getting in the first team and getting exposure which is what he wants." - James Maddison on Mikey Moore.

This means that the sensational attacker is currently averaging a goal involvement once every 0.94 games at the youth level, and while that level of output obviously won't translate into the men's game, it's still incredibly encouraging.

Moreover, while the right-footed dynamo was only on the pitch for 14 minutes against United, he looked utterly unphased and right at home, even coming exceptionally close to scoring with a brilliant curled effort from outside the box.

Ultimately, Son is one of Spurs' best players, and there really isn't anyone else in the squad who will be able to replace his output while he is sidelined. However, we know Werner isn't good enough, and from all indications, Moore looks like he just might be.

Therefore, Postecoglou should drop the German from his starting lineup and give the young Englishman a chance to start first-team games.

After a pretty dismal start to the season that saw them drop points to Leicester City and lose to Newcastle United and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur finally look to be on the right path again.

Following their imposing away victory against Manchester United on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou's side are on a four-game win streak, and with Hungarian side Ferencvaros their next opportunity, that streak will likely continue.

There were a number of excellent performers for the Australian on Sunday afternoon, but the standout player was someone who was heavily criticised last season but now looks utterly undroppable, Dejan Kulusevski.

Kulsevski's underwhelming 23/24

So, the first thing to say is that, no, Kulusevski was not terrible for Spurs last season, not even close. Still, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who wasn't slightly underwhelmed by his displays last year due to the incredible ability we all know he possesses.

For example, the former Juventus ace made 39 appearances for the North Londoners, and yet in those 2964 minutes of football, he could only muster up eight goals and provide three assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement once every 3.54 games, or every 269.45 minutes.

Now, while that level of output is good enough to play in the Premier League, it is not elite, and the fact that Richarlison both scored more goals and provided more assists than him in fewer games demonstrates that he wasn't playing well enough to be included in conversations with the leagues best.

In fact, it was pundit and former Spurs player Jamie O'Hara who claimed that the Swede "had a bad season" in May, and based on his underwhelming metrics and inability to impose himself on games throughout the campaign, it's an opinion that feels more than fair.

However, while all of that might sound unfairly harsh, it is only because of the raw talent Kulusevski has in his locker, and fortunately, he has taken a massive step in the right direction this season.

Kulusevski's recent form

After his somewhat disappointing campaign last year, there was more pressure than ever on Kulusevski's shoulders to get back to his best this season, and while it is still early doors, he looks like he has.

So far, the Stockholm-born maestro has featured in eight games, in which he has already scored once and provided two assists, but it's not necessarily his raw output that has seen him receive such rave reviews, but his overall game, and most crucially, his relocation to the midfield.

Postecoglou has started the former Juventus star in the middle of the park five times so far, and each time, he has looked like the player so many fans knew he could be, someone who helps to control games, keep the ball, and most importantly, create chances, and plenty of them.

For example, in his utterly sublime display at Old Trafford, the "criminally underrated" 24-year-old, as dubbed by journalist Ben Haines, became the first away player to create nine or more chances in a single game for twenty years, and on top of that, he scored an excellent goal of his own.

There may be some out there who would say that it's too soon to start describing him as a midfielder, but after watching him play in both positions over the last season and a bit, it is crystal clear that when he is playing in the middle of the park, he's far, far more effective.

Ultimately, Kulusevski is an undeniably talented player, and while he was underwhelming last season, his new role has now made him undroppable, and it'll be exciting to see how good he can be for the rest of the year.

A Sky Sports pundit has shared some "good news" he's heard about Cristian Romero at Tottenham this week, and it would come as a real boost for manager Ange Postecoglou given the World Cup winner's importance.

Tottenham back to winning ways after Arsenal defeat

Spurs have responded to their North London Derby defeat to Arsenal in fine fashion, winning all four of their games since against Coventry City in the EFL Cup, Brentford in the Premier League, Qarabag in the Europa League and away to Erik ten Hag's Man United.

The likes of winger Brennan Johnson and striker Dominic Solanke have seriously impressed in that time, with the former scoring in each of their encounter and silencing his doubters after deleting his social media accounts due to online abuse.

Solanke's strikes against Brentford, Qarabag and Man United come as a real boost for the Englishman who cost a potential £65 million to sign from Bournemouth in the summer, and he has big shoes to fill in club-record scorer and ex-talisman Harry Kane.

While some reports claim Spurs want to sign another striker to ease the pressure on Solanke, the 27-year-old is still expected to replicate his heroics for the Cherries last season, when he racked up 21 goals in all competitions under Andoni Iraola.

Further at the back, central defensive stars Romero and Micky van de Ven continue to be pivotal for Postecoglou.

The latter's mazy run eventually resulted in a flashed ball across the box to open the scoring against the Red Devils on Sunday, highlighting his sheer pace and quality, while the former is Postecoglou's reliable anchor defensively.

The Argentine's excellent form means Real Madrid have shortlisted Romero as a transfer target, with Carlo Ancelotti's European champions on the lookout for a star centre-back signing.

The temptation of a switch to the Bernabeu could be seen as worrying for Spurs, but reports have claimed that Tottenham are expected to offer Romero a new £200,000-per-week deal to keep him out of Real's clutches.

Paul Robinson praises "good news" about Romero contract at Tottenham

This would make the former Atalanta star their highest-earning player ahead of Son Heung-min, with Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson praising the "good news" about a potential new Tottenham contract for Romero.

“If you’re going to give a player a pay rise, you can’t do that without extending their contract, which is good news for Tottenham. He and Micky van de Ven have been key," said the former Spurs keeper to Tottenham News.

“He brings grit and determination, and that little bit of bite they might not have otherwise. I think he’s a leader on the pitch, though not vocally. To tie him down to a longer-term contract is only good news.”

The 26-year-old has started all of Spurs' league games so far, ranking among the top five performers in their squad according to WhoScored, so fresh terms reflecting his star quality are entirely justified and earned.

The last few years have been incredibly turbulent and full of change for Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners have employed four full-time managers in as many years, with the likes of José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, and Antonio Conte all unable to deliver the success or brand of football the fans desire.

Now, while it's too early to comment on the success side of things, the latest man in the hot seat, Ange Postecoglou, has undoubtedly been able to bring the style of football back that the fans so desperately wanted, and all without arguably the best player in the club's history, Harry Kane.

However, the good news is that should the Australian stay in the job long enough, he could have his own version of the Englishman, as one of the club's most exciting academy graduates looks like he could develop into a goalscoring machine in the not-too-distant future.

Kane's Spurs legacy

Kane made his Spurs debut in August 2011, starting in the second leg of a Europa League qualification round against Hearts in a game that ultimately ended goalless.

The next few seasons would see the Walthamstow-born poacher move around the country on loan, joining Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and then finally Leicester City for the 12/13 campaign, where he was actually quite underwhelming, scoring twice in 15 appearances.

Upon his return to White Hart Lane, the Englishman made a few appearances for the U21 side but was finally integrated into the first team towards the end of the season. He ended the year with four goals and two assists in 19 appearances across the Premier League, League Cup, Europa League, and FA Cup.

We all know what happened next, as after years of grafting and fighting for his chance, the future England captain finally had it. In 51 appearances in the 14/15 season, he scored a whopping 31 goals and provided five assists; the rest, as they say, is history.

When the Lilywhites icon finally left the club for Bayern Munich last summer, he did so with an astounding record of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.27 games.

While that seems like an impossible level of output to replace, Hotspur Way may be in the process of producing their next Kane.

And before you think it might be the hugely exciting Mikey Moore, it's not. Step forward another hot property in the academy...

Why fans should be excited about Will Lankshear

So, the youngster in question is the incredibly exciting 19-year-old centre-forward Will Lankshear.

The young Englishman is probably a familiar name to a number of Spurs fans, and for good reason. In the youth teams, he has shown that he is a striker with a real eye for goal and one who looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

For example, in 41 appearances for the North Londoners' various junior sides over the last few years, the Welwyn Garden City-born marksman has found the back of the net 31 times and provided five assists for good measure.

This means that the promising teenager, who Spurs expert Jon Wenham described as "an absolute unit for his age," is averaging a goal involvement once every 1.13 games in the academy, and while that doesn't mean he'll be able to do the same in the first team, it's very promising.

Moreover, while it would be unfair for the club to expect the "powerful" forward, as dubbed by Wenham, to eventually put up the numbers Kane did, the England captain wasn't exactly the hottest goalscorer around when he came through, scoring a total of nine goals in his 13 youth team appearances, although he did rack up nine assists to go with that as well.

Ultimately, while fans cannot and should not expect to see Lankshear tearing it up for the first team on a regular basis this year, they should be very excited about the player he could develop into in the coming years. Even if he can become half the player Kane was in North London, Postecoglou will have a serious talent on his hands.

After a tough start to the season that saw them drop points against Leicester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United, there is now an undeniable air of positivity around Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou's side have turned their fortunes around with four wins on the bounce, and following their emphatic away victory against Manchester United on Sunday, they look ready to take on anyone.

The game saw Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke continue their good form in front of goal, although as impressive as the pair have been in the last few weeks, they are being outscored by a former Spurs flop who was sold for a pittance in the summer.

Johnson and Solanke's impressive form

While the mood around Tottenham is a positive one at the moment, and for a good reason, it certainly wasn't a couple of weeks ago when Johnson felt he had to deactivate his Instagram account due to the amount of abuse he was receiving from fans over his perceived lack of form.

It wasn't a nice situation, but where many players would understandably crumple under pressure, the Welshman pushed ahead and has answered his critics on the pitch, scoring in four games on the bounce.

He hasn't just scored the fourth in a 4-0 thrashing, either; he has scored important goals: the winner against Coventry City, the opener against Qarabağ when the team were down to ten men, and the opener at Old Trafford.

In short, the former Nottingham Forest ace has become one of the club's most important players over the last fortnight or so and now looks as much, if not more, of a goal threat than the club's £65m striker, Solanke.

That said, while the former Bournemouth star had a slow start to life in North London this season, failing to score in his first three games, like Johnson, he has found his footing in the last couple of weeks.

The Englishman opened his account with a goal against Brentford, followed that up with another against Qarabağ, and finally against United on Sunday.

Overall, while Johnson and Solanke endured tough starts to the season, they are on fire now, although they are being outscored by a player sold by the club in the summer.

Giovani Lo Celso's recent form

Yes, the former Spurs flop in question is Giovani Lo Celso, who initially joined the club on loan in the summer of 2019 before completing a permanent move the following summer, which cost the club around £42.3m, including his loan fee.

There was plenty of excitement around the Argentine when he arrived in England, but it would be fair to say that he ultimately underwhelmed in N17.

Indeed, he made just 108 appearances for the club, scoring ten goals, providing eight assists and going on loan to Villarreal for a season and a half between January 2022 and June 2023.

After playing just 597 minutes last season, the two-time Copa América winner was finally sold on to former club Real Betis for a fee said to be as low as £8.4m, and since then, he has looked like a player reborn and would be the top goalscorer in Spurs' squad had he stayed.

In just five appearances for Los Verdiblancos, the 28-year-old "leader", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored five goals, including a brace in his first start for the club against Getafe, and his underlying numbers are just as impressive.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar roles across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the former Tottenham ace sits in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals, attempted passes, progressive passes and tackles, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 3% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for expected assists, all per 90.

Ultimately, given his lack of impact last season and his uptick in form this year, selling Lo Celso in the summer was probably the right decision for all parties involved. Still, there must be a part of Postecoglou wondering why he couldn't have shown this goalscoring touch for him.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has showed praise on a Tottenham transfer target, amid claims that chairman Daniel Levy is prepared to bid £33 million to sign him.

Tottenham extend winning run with 3-0 victory at Man United

Ange Postecoglou will be very happy with how his Lilywhites team have responded to their North London Derby defeat earlier this month, having now won four games on the bounce since their loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

On-fire forward Brennan Johnson - after he was forced to delete his social media channels following online abuse - has since bagged a goal in each of Spurs' last four victories against Coventry City, Brentford, Qarabag and Man United - showcasing his elite mentality as an athlete.

Another real positive has been summer signing Dominic Solanke's three goals in Tottenham's last three games, with the Englishman's poacher's instinct on full display as he attempts to take Harry Kane's mantle and justify his £65 million price tag.

Strikes from Johnson, Solanke and winger Dejan Kulusevski sealed an impressive win away to United over the weekend, piling more pressure on Erik ten Hag and silencing some of the noise around Postecoglou's own position.

Tottenham linked with new striker after Solanke

While Solanke is beginning to hit a rich vein of form, some reports have actually suggested that Levy and technical director Johan Lange could look to bring in another striker to ease the goalscoring burden on his shoulders.

Richarlison is out injured right now and will return to the fold, but the Brazilian's record hasn't exactly been prolific, despite his purple patch midway through last season. There are suggestions that Spurs could make an audacious move for Viktor Gyokeres, which would be quite the statement, but we believe that is highly unlikely given the Swede could command an £84 million price tag.

Elsewhere, it's been reported this week that Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo is a target for Spurs. Indeed, Spanish media state that Tottenham are prepared to bid £33 million for Semenyo, following his excellent start to the new Premier League campaign.

The Ghanaian boasts three goals and an assist from Bournemouth's first six league games of the season, averaging a very impressive 4.7 shots on goal per 90 according to WhoScored, which is the second-highest rate in the entire division behind Erling Haaland.

Jamie Redknapp praises "joy to watch" Antoine Semenyo

Amid reports linking Tottenham with a move for the 24-year-old, who can also play in attacking midfield and as a second striker, Redknapp has praised Semenyo as a "joy to watch" right now.

"He's a lovely footballer to watch", said Redknapp on Premier League productions.

"The manager's taken him to another level, he obviously has that capability because you saw it with Solanke. I'm just seeing him elevate his game right now, we'll talk about why does that happen, a lot of it is purely on confidence.

"He looks like he's enjoying his football, his shoulders are back, he's relaxed, every time he gets it, he plays with a bit of a swagger. He's actually a joy to watch right now."

It's been a hectic start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side didn't get off to the best of starts with a draw against Leicester City and losses to Newcastle United and Arsenal, but in the last couple of weeks, things have turned around.

Following their dramatic victory over Coventry City in the League Cup, the North Londoners are now on a four-game win streak, with their most impressive coming on Sunday afternoon as they dismantled a sorry Manchester United team at Old Trafford.

There were several stand-out performers on the day, but one of them, Brennan Johnson, has become the face of the club's impressive turnaround this month, and interestingly, the club almost signed someone else before they picked him up last summer.

Brennan Johnson's Spurs career

After a stellar campaign with Nottingham Forest in the 22/23 season, in which he scored ten goals and provided three assists in 44 appearances, Spurs spent around £47.5m on Johnson in an exciting deadline day deal last summer.

However, he didn't get off to the best of starts in North London, and by the time Christmas Day rolled around, the Welshman had a rather paltry haul of three assists and a single goal in 12 league appearances.

Fortunately, things quickly turned around for the Nottingham-born ace, as with more game time came a better level of output, and by the season's end, he had racked up a reasonable tally of five goals and ten assists in 34 appearances, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.26 games.

This season has already been full of ups and downs for the 23-year-old. Even though it's just early October, he endured a slump in form, during which he deactivated his Instagram account, but has now come out the other side as one of the most in-form wingers in the country.

In the last four games, Johnson has found the back of the net in each one and now looks like a real threat every time he has the ball at his feet, which isn't something that can be said of the player they almost signed before him last summer.

Spurs almost signed Jeremy Doku

Yes, before he made his way to Manchester City, Spurs were one of several English clubs chasing Belgian winger Jeremy Doku last summer.

According to a report from the Independent in mid-August 2023, the Lilywhites were named as one of the Premier League sides very keen on landing the then-21-year-old's signature, who had just come off a reasonably impressive season for Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennais, in which he scored seven goals and provided four assists in 35 games.

However, just a week later, City paid a whopping £55.4m for the youngster's signature, and while he admitted that it was the chance to work under Pep Guardiola that led him to the Etihad, we'd be willing to bet that the inflated price is one of the reasons Daniel Levy and Co stepped away from the deal.

Now, that is not to say that the dynamic "diamond", as dubbed by Kevin de Bruyne, isn't a talented player; he obviously is, but considering the £7.9m difference between his price and Johnson's, it could be argued that the North Londoners got the better deal.

For example, while he had one simply sensational league game against Bournemouth in which he scored once and provided four assists, the Borgerhout-born gem ended his first campaign in England with a haul of six goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 2.52 games, which is slightly worse than what the Spurs ace could muster.

Moreover, so far this season, there hasn't been any competition at all, as the 29-capped Belgian has one goal in eight games compared to the Welsh international's four in eight.

Ultimately, we are sure that Postecoglou would love to have a player like Doku in his squad, but based on Johnson's form towards the backend of last season and over the last few weeks, we reckon Spurs signed the correct winger.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club with a proud tradition of promoting talented youngsters into the first team before they become international superstars.

For example, the likes of Ledley King, Harry Kane and he who must not be named all played in the club's youth set-up before getting their chance in the first team and grabbing it with both hands.

That said, it has been a good few years since an academy product has successfully made the jump to first team star, but that could soon change.

While the media's attention has been transfixed on Arsenal's young Ethan Nwaneri, the Lilywhites may have an even more talented youngster on their hands.

Why fans are excited about Nwaneri

Okay, so before we move on to Spurs' dazzling young talent, let's examine why there is so much excitement around Nwaneri.

The Hale End prospect first caught the attention of the wider footballing world when, at just 15 years old, he became the youngest Premier League player of all time in September 2022.

However, he wouldn't play another minute of competitive first-team football until the club's 6-0 win over West Ham United last season.

Then, he finally made his full debut in the League Cup against Bolton Wanderers last week, in which he scored a brace and generally looked ready to contribute going forward.

Now, his development this season is exciting in and of itself, but it is also his impressive youth record that has led to such hype.

In 52 appearances for the Gunners' various junior sides, the Enfield-born gem has racked up 27 goals and ten assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 1.40 games.

While it might not be what Spurs fans want to hear, Arsenal have a star on their hands with Nwaneri, but the good news is that the Lilywhites have their own sensational youngster who could be even better.

Spurs' very own Ethan Nwaneri

Yes, it shouldn't surprise some of you, but Spurs' tremendously promising academy gem is 17-year-old Mikey Moore.

Like the Gunners' young prospect, the "outstanding" Lilywhites ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has now made five first-team appearances.

However, unlike his potential future rival, he has not been given the opportunity to start, but given how impressive his form has been for the junior sides, his first start is more a matter of when and not if.

For example, in just 33 games for Tottenham's various junior sides, the "magnificent talent", as Kulig describes him, has scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists.

This means he's been averaging a goal involvement once every 0.94 games in the academy, which is a noticeably better average than Nwaneri's.

Moreover, while the pair have now moved up to England's U19 squad, they really established themselves as future internationals in the U17 side, and in this age range, once again, Tottenham's young prospect had the better numbers.

In his 12 games for the team, the Southwark gem scored ten goals and provided four assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 0.85 games, while the young Gunner scored 15 goals and provided two assists in 28 games, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 1.64 games.

Ultimately, both clubs have extraordinarily gifted academy products in Nwaneri and Moore, but if their youth records are anything to go by, then Postecoglou and Spurs fans can rejoice in the fact that they may well have the more talented prospect.

Tottenham stormed to a historic 3-0 win over a despondent and dire Manchester United at Old Trafford to record their second consecutive Premier League win, but Ange Postecoglou remained a frustrated figure on the touchline at times.

Spurs make history in Man Utd rout

Tottenham lay down a marker for the rest of the Premier League as they thrashed Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford, leaving Erik ten Hag clinging to his job. After back to back wins in the Premier League and then the Conference League, Postecoglou's side headed to Manchester with the wind in their sails, but were helped by an abject performance from the hosts.

It took just three minutes for the north London side to open the scoring, as Micky van de Ven ran half the length of the pitch before putting the ball on a plate for Brennan Johnson, who tapped home unmarked.

It could have been several more before the break as Spurs created chances at will against a stagnant Red Devil defence, with only a good save from Andre Onana keeping out an effort from James Maddison.

Already well outplayed, a sending off for Bruno Fernandes seemed to take the fight out of Manchester United, and Tottenham cruised through the second half, adding two more goals courtesy of Dejan Kulusevski and record signing Dominic Solanke.

It was the highest expected goals that any side have recorded yet this season as they flew to victory, but Postecoglou remained keen for more from his players.

Postecoglou left fuming with Spurs teenager

Such was his desire for more from his side that Postecoglou was visibly frustrated as the game wore on. One of the subjects of his ire was talented midfield substitute Lucas Bergvall, who provided the corner for Tottenham's third. However, after that he was wasteful, losing the ball four times in his 13-minute cameo.

Arriving in the summer and penning a deal until 2029 worth £7,500 a week, the midfielder is certainly a hot prospect for the future, but was guilty of wasting two promising attacking opportunities against the Red Devils.

As per Football London, this left Postecoglou fuming on the touchline. They report that the Spurs boss was "raging twice" as promising moves broke down at the feet of the teenager.

Postecoglou took issue "first for taking a shot from distance rather than passing the ball to the unmarked Mikey Moore and then later when the Swede attempted to find his fellow teenager rather than playing the ball to the right to two unmarked team-mates", with the Austrialian wasting no time in letting him know about it.

It is not the first time that Bergvall has been on the receiving end of ire from those around him, with Guglielmo Vicario shouting at the Swede on his debut as they drew with Leicester City. Fortunately, the result was far better for Tottenham this time around.

After a testing start to the Premier League season that saw them draw with Leicester City and lose to Newcastle United and Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur appear to have turned things around.

In the last four matches, Ange Postecoglou's side have finally added a cutting edge to their impressive build-up play, winning all four games and scoring 11 goals to their opponents' two.

Granted, two of those games were against Coventry City and Qarabağ FK, but yesterday's demolition of Manchester United was a real statement win and one that should make the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, and the Gunners take notice.

Given the nature of the victory, several starters could claim to be the player of the match, but perhaps the most impressive showed that he could become Spurs' new Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen's Spurs career

It's been over a decade since Spurs paid around £11.5m to Ajax for the services of the then-21-year-old Eriksen, and while he was a part of the club's ill-fated 'magnificent seven', he was an undeniable success in North London.

Over the next seven years, the Danish superstar would make 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, in which he scored 69 goals and provided a staggering 88 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.

Unfortunately, the Middelfart-borm maestro was unable to win any trophies with the club, but he was an essential part of the team that reached the Champions League final in 2019 and the League Cup Final in 2015.

Moreover, his sensational playmaking abilities were one of the key reasons, alongside the goals of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, that Spurs were such a potent force in the league under Mauricio Pochettino.

Even at 32, with everything he has been through, he remains a talented international capable of putting on a "masterclass," as BBC pundit Pat Nevin described his performance against Slovenia at the Euros this summer.

In all, Eriksen has to go down as one of the most creative midfielders in Spurs' recent history, and while they have struggled to replace him ever since his £16.9m move to Inter Milan in 2020, Postecoglou may have just fashioned his own with another Nordic international.

Spurs' new Eriksen

So, the Spurs player who is starting to remind us of Eriksen is fellow Scandinavian superstar Dejan Kulusevski, who initially joined the North Londoners on an 18-month loan deal from Juventus in January 2022, before the deal was made permanent in June 2023 for around £25m.

For the majority of his time in the capital, the Swedish international has played off the right of a front three, and while he has looked good there, scoring eight goals and providing 14 assists in 59 games, there was a feeling among fans that his technical ability was being slightly wasted out wide, and that when he starts in his second most played position, attacking midfield, he's far more effective.

This is clearly a perspective shared by Postecoglou, as ten of the 24 starts the Swede has made in this position have come under the Australian, including in the game against United yesterday evening, where the former Juve star put on a creative masterclass.

During his 96 minutes of action, the "special, special player," as Sky Sports' Jamie Weir dubbed him, scored a goal, produced an expected assists figure of 0.38, took 61 touches, maintained a passing accuracy of 89%, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, played nine key passes, produced three big chances and even chipped in with two clearances and an interception for good measure.

Moreover, according to OptaJoe, he is the first visiting player to create nine chances in a game at Old Trafford.

Ultimately, while it is still early in the season, it appears that Postecoglou has found the perfect position to get the absolute most out of Kulusevski in this team, and if he can keep up the sensational form he has shown thus far, there is no reason why the Swedish international couldn't become the club's next Eriksen.