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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is poised to hand one Spurs teenager first-team minutes over the next 10 days, coming after the youngster has seriously impressed coaching and backroom staff at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham escape Coventry with dramatic 2-1 victory

It was very nearly one of Postecoglou's most embarrassing nights in the Lilywhites dugout on Wednesday evening, with Championship side Coventry City minutes away from causing a real upset in the EFL Cup.

Postecoglou, speaking after their North London Derby defeat to Arsenal last weekend, appeared to promise supporters that he will deliver silverware this season - when the tactician remarked that he "always" wins trophies in his second season in charge.

"I'll correct myself - I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year," said Postecoglou on his record as a manager.

"Nothing's changed. I've said it now. I don't say things unless I believe them."

That pledge was in real danger of looking silly earlier this week, when Coventry star Brandon Thomas-Asante gave the home side a shock lead just past the hour mark to give Spurs a serious scare.

It was an uninspiring performance from Postecoglou's side overall, but their heart and character was on full display in the dying minutes. Right-back Djed Spence fired in an 88th minute equaliser before Brennan Johnson, who has been subject to online abuse recently, scored the winner to send Tottenham into the EFL Cup fourth round.

The smash-and-grab nature of their victory at Coventry could even spark a revival, following what has been a tepid start to the new campaign for Spurs. It also gives hope to fringe players of the squad who are eager to fight their way into Postecoglou's plans.

Spence was on the verge of joining Genoa in the summer, but the Englishman helped Tottenham to claw their way back against Coventry and could be set for more roles this term - which is quite the comeback from where he was this time last year.

Ange poised to play Tottenham youngster Lucas Bergvall

According to GiveMeSport, young teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall could be set for more game time over the next 10 days, starting with their clash against London rivals Brentford this afternoon.

The Swede, signed from Djurgarden earlier this year for around £8.5 million, was given his full debut against Coventry - starting the encounter and seemingly doing enough to impress Postecoglou.

GMS write that Postecoglou is poised to play Bergvall in Tottenham's next few games, and it is believed that the 18-year-old has been impressing backroom staff behind-the-scenes at N17.

The £15,000-per-week Bergvall looks to be a highly promising talent, with pundit Marca Palma even likening him to Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong following some good outings for Sweden at international level this year.

“Then there is the 2006 Lucas Bergvall, Swedish central attacking midfielder, 187cm, of Tottenham,” said Palma to TUTTOmercatoWEB (via Sport Witness).

“For many the most gifted 2006 in the European panorama, in Sweden he arrived in the first team at 16 years old. Great ability to play the ball, high level vision of the game, elegance on the pitch, gifted with excellent technique and enormous versatility.

“In July 2024 he was bought by Tottenham who paid 10 million for him and immediately included him in the first team. Senior national team he entered in both matches played by Sweden demonstrating great mastery on the pitch. Reminiscent of Frankie De Jong but more offensive.”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is without another member of his Spurs squad alongside winger Wilson Odobert, who was forced off during their smash-and-grab 2-1 win away to Coventry on Wednesday.

Spurs avoid embarrassment with dramatic late victory at Coventry

The north Londoners were on the verge of an embarrassing result in the EFL Cup third round on Wednesday evening, and were nearly knocked out of the competition very early doors by the Championship side.

Following a lacklustre attacking display in the first half, which carried on through into the second period, Spurs were made to pay when Brandon Thomas-Asante buried a close range effort past Fraser Forster - giving Lilywhites supporters a real fright.

The prospect of an EFL Cup run and potential silverware was dwindling by the minute, and it took two last-gasp strikes to ensure Postecoglou was not seriously humbled on a nervy night in the West Midlands.

Djed Spence buried an equaliser for Spurs in the 88th minute before Wales international Brennan Johnson, who deactivated all of his social media accounts in the build-up to this game following online abuse, bagged an added-time winner to silence his critics.

Spence was also on the verge of joining Genoa in the summer, after spending the second half of 23/24 on a temporary spell at the Serie A side, but the Englishman has since fought his way back into Postecoglou's plans. It was a relieving end to the 90 for Tottenham's head coach, who subsequently praised his players for holding their nerve and coming through a very tough test.

"I thought I was a typical cup game. I thought Coventry were really good," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's win at Coventry.

"They put some real energy into the game, and we couldn't really get a grip on it. So we had to hang in there. We had to work really, really hard just to stay in the game and obviously going a goal behind makes it even more challenging. But like you said at the end there we showed some real spirit and character, which is probably what's been missing in the first four games. We've had the performance, but we haven't had that relentlessness to to get a result. You sense that in the last 10 minutes, we got real belief out of that, and hopefully that's a good sign moving forward."

A downside of the hard-fought win was summer signing Odobert being forced off, with what has been described as a potentially significant injury by Postecoglou. However, the ex-Burnley winger isn't their only absence ahead of Brentford on Saturday.

Indeed, Richarlison has missed Tottenham's last few games through injury, and he isn't any closer to returning. Speaking in a pre-match press conference before Brentford, Postecoglou confirmed that Richarlison will miss Brentford with Odobert, and the £134,000-per-week Brazilian isn't expected back for a while.

"[Richarlison] is a fair way off," said Postecoglou. "You're better off not asking about him until I give an update because he's not with the first team."

Being without both Richarlison and Odobert before Brentford is a real blow, as it leaves Spurs short of options in the attacking areas. Postecoglou will be hoping the former can return as soon as possible, as he needs an alternative to summer signing Dominic Solanke going forward.

It would be fair to say that things haven't entirely gone according to plan for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side have picked up just four points out of a possible 12 in the Premier League, despite playing relatively well for three of those games, and came perilously close to crashing out of the League Cup to Championship side Coventry City on Wednesday night.

For whatever reason, the Australian's side just haven't found their feet yet, and for all their intricate play, they seem incapable of putting the ball in the back of the net.

However, he has the opportunity to put their recent troubles behind them later on today with what's sure to be a tough game against Brentford, one in which he must make some changes to the team that crawled over the line in mid-week.

Postecoglou must drop Pape Matar Sarr

Senegalese international Pape Matar Sarr is one of the players who needs to be dropped from the starting lineup later today.

Now, unlike the majority of his teammates, the "frightening" 22-year-old, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, didn't have a howler on Wednesday, but he wasn't exactly effective either, and considering Coventry are currently down in 15th place in the Championship, that's not good enough.

Unsurprisingly, this sentiment is one shared by Spurs writer Alasdair Gold, who gave the midfielder just a 5/10 on the night, writing that while there were some 'good moments' from the starter, there were just as many 'sloppy ones' which sounds like a disaster waiting to happen against the Bees.

Moreover, he was trusted to start in the game against Leicester City, where he was equally ineffective, and in the defeat away to Newcastle United, when he was hooked at halftime. Therefore, Sarr must be dropped to the bench for the game later today, as he might be able to make more of an impact coming into the match late on.

Why Maddison should replace Sarr

So, following Wednesday's disappointing display and the players available to Ange, it would make the most sense for Dejan Kulusevski to come in and replace the young Lucas Bergvall, as in recent matches, he's shown that midfield is where he is most effective.

Rodrigo Bentancur will almost certainly keep his place in the team due to a lack of other options and his raw ability.

This means that James Maddison is the best candidate to replace Sarr and complete what would be quite a progressive midfield three.

Now, the Englishman received plenty of criticism for his poor performance against Arsenal last week, and it was justified, but when it comes to midfield creators, he's still one of the best in the squad.

For example, even amid this minor slump in form, he's racked up two assists in four Premier League games and injected some much-needed energy into the game against Coventry.

Moreover, while the critique that he faded in the second half of last season is entirely valid, it ignores the fact that the "incredible" midfielder, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, still managed to rack up four goals and nine assists in 28 league appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every 2.15 games.

Ultimately, Postecoglou needs to get a result against Brentford this afternoon, and while Sarr is a talented young player sure to improve, Maddison is far more likely to produce a bit of magic that could win his team the game, so he has to start.

With the January transfer window a matter of months away, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly convinced that they can reach an agreement to sign their winter priority target for Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham transfer news

Spurs left it late to spend big in the summer but spend big, they did as Dominic Solanke arrived with the task of finally replacing Harry Kane in North London. The former Bournemouth forward arrived alongside the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, as the Lilywhites handed Postecoglou one major improvement and two future stars.

Those deals are yet to pay dividends, however, in a frustrating start to the season for those in North London, summed up by their 1-0 defeat against rivals Arsenal last time out in the Premier League. Meanwhile, matters would have become worse had it not been for Brennan Johnson's late winner to knock Coventry City out of the Carabao Cup and help Spurs avoid a shock exit.

Their worrying start sparks the question as to whether Daniel Levy needs to hand Spurs some further reinforcements and it's a question that looks set to receive an answer in the January transfer window.

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now convinced that they'll agree a deal to sign Javi Guerra in January, with the Valencia midfielder their priority in the winter window.

That confidence comes despite the fact that negotiations are reportedly set to be long-winded amid Spurs' reluctance to meet Valencia's €35m (£29m) price tag in the coming months. Still just 21 years old, Guerra is a standout in what has otherwise been a disappointing Valencia side in the last year or so, with the La Liga side sitting bottom of Spain's top flight after five games.

"Intelligent" Guerra can become perfect Gray partner

Described as an "intelligent" midfielder by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, Guerra may well emerge to make a crucial difference for Spurs in the January transfer window.

As January approaches, Valencia's position will be one to keep an eye on too. Given that they currently sit bottom of La Liga, it will be interesting to see how their survival prospects may affect negotiations to hand Spurs a cheaper deal. Of course, however, it remains to be seen just how negotiations go as the Lilywhites prepare an offer.

It's been a fairly tepid start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, who must also brace himself for the possibility of superstar Spurs players considering a 2025 exit if things don't improve.

Spurs escape Coventry with dramatic late 2-1 win

Postecoglou was very close to what would have been a damning result on Wednesday evening, and just days after the Lilywhites succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby.

Championship side Coventry City seriously threatened to end the prospect of an EFL Cup run right at the very start of the competition, with Brandon Thomas-Asante firing the home side in front just past the hour mark.

It was an uninspiring display from Postecoglou's side, who were rescued by two last-gasp strikes from substitutes Djed Spence and winger Brennan Johnson. Spence nearly joined Genoa in the summer, but the previously out-of-favour right back helped to spare Postecoglou's blushes alongside Johnson, who was also subject to online abuse in the build-up to this encounter.

Despite their underwhelming start to the 2024/2025 campaign, Postecoglou has told his Spurs squad to keep calm and maintain their performance level in a behind-the-scenes message.

Following the clash at Coventry, Postecoglou actually defended his Tottenham players in a post-match press conference, insisting that the team showed spirit and character against a tough Sky Blues side.

"Yeah, I don't know, flat performance is a bit harsh. I thought I was a typical cup game," said Postecoglou after Spurs' 2-1 win at Coventry.

"I thought Coventry were really good. They put some real energy into the game, and we couldn't really get a grip on it. So we had to hang in there. We had to work really, really hard just to stay in the game and obviously going a goal behind makes it even more challenging. But like you said at the end there we showed some real spirit and character, which is probably what's been missing in the first four games.

Postecoglou has also been adamant that he always wins silverware in his second season, and supporters will be hoping that is indeed the case, otherwise, some of their most crucial players could be tempted by opportunities elsewhere.

Star defender Cristian Romero may be one of them, as the Argentine World Cup winner continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Cristian Romero refuses to rule out Real Madrid move

As per Football Insider and journalist Pete O'Rourke, Romero is refusing to rule out a move to Real Madrid behind the scenes, as he is "desperate" to compete at the highest level possible and win trophies.

The Galacticos are targeting a blockbuster centre-back signing, and while Spurs are keen to tie Romero down with a new contract, it is believed a future move to the Bernabeu is still a real possibility, with the player opening the door to a potential exit.

The 26-year-old, who's impressed since joining Tottenham for around £42 million from Atalanta in the summer of 2021, won't be leaving on the cheap. Club insider Paul O'Keefe, speaking to The Last Word On Spurs earlier this year, said that Levy is ready to demand £150 million for Romero.

It is unclear whether Real president Florentino Perez would be willing to reach that figure, but the north Londoners are ready to dig their heels in.

Tottenham are now believed to be showing the "strongest interest" in signing a clinical striker, despite only just signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for around £65 million.

Spurs end Harry Kane replacement search with marquee Solanke deal

In the summer window, Spurs ended their year-long search for Harry Kane's replacement by bringing in Solanke - who scored an impressive 21 goals in all competitions for the Cherries last season, with 19 of them coming in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old was actually pretty unlucky not to get a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024, considering his goal tally for 2023/2024, but Solanke's form didn't go unnoticed in north London.

Tottenham met Solanke's £65 million release clause, which could only be triggered by a member of the Premier League's big six, with £55 million paid up front and a further £10m agreed in add-ons.

The former Liverpool ace put pen to paper on a long-term six-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2030, and it is believed Solanke earns around £90,000-per-week at Tottenham.

"The signing of a new striker was never supposed to spark the exit of Brazil striker Richarlison, with Postecoglou confirming his faith in him," said BBC Sport journalist Nizaar Kinsella on why Spurs signed Solanke.

"He believes they needed another option as they missed Richarlison when he was injured, with no natural alternative. Postecoglou believes Solanke will be the perfect fit for his system. That is down to his running ability, pressing skills and goal output.

"He isn't going to pin all his hopes on Solanke scoring goals though, as his style of play should mean players from all over the pitch will chip in."

It's been a slow start to life for Solanke at Tottenham, though, with an ankle injury sustained on the opening weekend keeping him out of their matches against both Everton and Newcastle United.

The one-cap international is yet to score his first goal for Spurs, having made three appearances in all competitions against Leicester City, Arsenal and Coventry City.

Tottenham showing most interest in signing Viktor Gyokeres

Some reports have claimed that Spurs could sign another striker to partner Solanke, and this has been backed up by CaughtOffside this week.

According to their information, Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres is high on the agenda. It is believed Tottenham have shown the "strongest interest" in signing Gyokeres, who continues to blow away on-lookers with his impressive goalscoring record.

The Swede already boasts nine goals and three assists in seven appearances across all competitions, coming after a phenomenal 23/24 campaign where he scored 43 in total for Sporting.

However, he is set to be a costly operation, and Tottenham would have to shatter their transfer record to strike a deal. Sporting reportedly want his £84 million release clause paid in full, and it remains to be seen whether Daniel Levy would green-light such an expensive swoop.

"Gyokeres at Sporting Lisbon is a very interesting link,” said pundit John Wenham to Tottenham News.

“He had the experience in England with Coventry City, where he was very impressive. His overall game is good. He is big and strong, he can play on the ball and his finishing is ridiculously good.”

“That would be an exciting signing.”

Following Harry Kane's exit and Ange Postecoglou's arrival last summer, Tottenham Hotspur have been undergoing something of a squad rebuild.

The Australian has seen the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Emerson Royal and Harry Winks leave the club, while talented stars like James Maddison, Archie Gray and Micky Van de Ven have come in.

However, while the squad is full of talented players who could help the Lilywhites end their extended trophy-drought, some are still not good enough.

In fact, one of those who should be moved on as soon as possible is earning more than Van de ven and Dejan Kulusevski combined.

Kulusevski and Van de Ven's salaries

Kulusevski officially joined Spurs from Juventus on a permanent deal for around £25m last summer after spending the previous 18 months on loan with the club, and while he can be inconsistent at times, he's easily one of the most technically gifted players in the squad.

The Swedish international has made 101 appearances for the North Londoners since January 2022, in which he's scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.80 games, and in the last couple of matches, he's been one of the few bright spots in the team.

So, it's not all that surprising then that the 24-year-old is currently the club's fifth-highest earner, making £110k-per-week, or a whopping £8.5m-per-year, which is a lot more than star defender Van de Ven.

The Dutchman joined the club last summer for a fee of around £34m from German side Wolfsburg, and to say he's been a success in the year since would be an understatement.

The 23-year-old has become an integral part of Postecoglou's ultra-attacking style of football, as, thanks to his lightning-quick pace, he's capable of maintaining a high line and sprinting back to cover off danger.

However, for as indisputably crucial as he is to the North Londoners, he's on a comparatively low wage - for a footballer, that is - of just £50k-per-week, which is around £2.6m.

That number is sure to increase over the coming seasons, but it will have to do so substantially to even match the wage of another Tottenham player who is far less important to the team.

Timo Werner's salary

Yes, the player in question is German forward Timo Werner, who first joined the club on a six-month loan spell in January, which, according to Sky Sports, cost the club around £4.3m in fees and wages.

Now, he wasn't dreadful in those six months, but he wasn't particularly impressive either, so when it was announced that the club had extended his loan for this season, it was a surprise, especially when it was revealed that they would be paying all of his wages and there was an £8.5m option to buy included.

However, based on the frankly enormous £165k-per-week he is earning, Postecoglou should not take that option, especially after a performance like the one against Coventry City on Wednesday night, in which he failed to register a single shot and was awarded a 2/10 from Spurs writer Alasdair Gold.

So far, when accounting for his wages and the initial fee, the former Chelsea flop has cost the Lilywhites a whopping £7.1m, which, when broken down by his 18 appearances, two goals and three assists, does not make for pretty reading.

For example, he's cost Daniel Levy and Co £394k-per-appearance, £3.56m-per-goal, £2.36m-per-assist and £1.42m-per-goal-involvement - talk about value for money.

Ultimately, while the club have signed worse players in the past, it's impossible to ignore how much Werner has cost in relation to his output, especially as he is on more than Van de Ven and Kulusevski combined. Therefore, Postecoglou should axe him from his starting lineup, and the club should not activate the option to buy.

Tottenham Hotspur are going through something of a rebuild under Ange Postecoglou, but over the last ten to fifteen years, they have been lucky enough to watch some genuinely sensational footballers.

For example, while he's not quite the player he once was, club captain Son Heung-min will unquestionably go down as a modern legend, and his former strike partner Harry Kane may well have been the best forward to ever grace the Premier League.

However, before those two came to define a period in Spurs's recent history, the star of the show was a certain Welsh superstar, Mr Gareth Bale.

The Cardiff-born winger was an absolute monster for the Lilywhites, and it looked like they may have found his replacement a few years ago, only for that player to leave for nothing this year.

Bale's Spurs career

Back in the far-flung year of 2007, Spurs paid Southampton £10m - including add-ons - for their exciting up-and-coming young full-back called Bale - yes, he started at left-back.

At the time, there was an expectation that he would become a Premier League-level player, but people weren't sure just how good he would be.

However, despite a bright start in his first five games for the club, which included a goal against Arsenal, he damaged a ligament in his ankle, and when he came back eight months later, he struggled.

In fact, he didn't win a game for the club until his 25th appearance, and reportedly, Sir Alex Ferguson told Harry Redknapp to drop him from the team because he was becoming a bad luck charm. Fortunately, the Englishman didn't listen to him, and when things started to turn around, it was he who moved the young talent to the left wing.

After that, the 6 foot 1 dynamo exploded, and in the 2012/13 season, he reached a genuinely world-class level, racking up a frankly absurd haul of 26 goals and ten assists in 44 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.33 games from the wing that season.

Unsurprisingly, this insane form led Real Madrid to pay a whopping £85m for his services that summer, and over the next seven years, he would win everything there was to win in club football, before coming back to Spurs on loan for the 20/21 season and then retiring a few years later at MLS side LA Galaxy.

Overall, the Welshman has a genuine shout for being the most talented Spurs player of the last 24 years, alongside the likes of Kane and Son, and just a few years ago, some believed that they might have just found their new Bale.

What went wrong for Ryan Sessegnon?

Yes, the former Spurs player in question is Ryan Sessegnon, and while it may sound utterly absurd today, there were comparisons between the Englishman and Bale in the years before the North Londoners opted to splash £25m on him in the summer of 2019.

For example, just two years prior, football.london's then Fulham writer Ryan O'Donovan claimed the full-back 'could be one of the best English players in the country one day' and that he could 'see him being exactly like Gareth Bale' in the sense that he would develop into a superstar wide attacker.

Moreover, just a year later, Matt Target, who was a teammate of Bales at Southampton and was a teammate of Sessegnon at the time, told the Independent that the young full-back was "definitely right up there with the likes of Luke Shaw, Gareth Bale" when talking about young prospects he had played with.

Now, to be fair to those who made bold comparisons in the past, the Roehampton-born talent was immense for the Cottagers at the time. He ended the 17/18 campaign with a haul of 16 goals and eight assists, then scored two goals and provided six assists in just 35 Premier League appearances the following season - his first in the competition.

It looked for all intents and purposes that he would take off once he settled in North London following his move in 2019, but unfortunately for all involved, that just didn't happen.

During his five years as a Tottenham player, he would suffer five hamstring injuries, among other fitness issues, spend a season on loan with German side Hoffenheim and make a grand total of 57 competitive appearances for the North Londoners in which he scored three goals and provided four assists.

Tottenham could replace Son Heung-min as captain with another lower-profile member of Ange Postecoglou's squad, with the 32-year-old still yet to pen fresh terms and commit his future to Spurs.

Son contract expiring in potential concern for Spurs

Spurs have the option to extend Son's contract by an additional 12 months, keeping him at the club until 2026, even though his current deal is due to expire in 2025 as things stand.

It is highly likely that Postecoglou's side will trigger the one-year extension clause, but supporters and club chiefs alike would prefer that Son puts pen to paper on a new long-term deal to keep him at N17 for even longer.

"Yeah, still ongoing," said Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge on talks over a new deal for Son earlier this year (GiveMeSport).

"This is a player who, let's face it, is just brilliant on the field, but a brilliant ambassador and obviously globally, so key to the football club. He's been a great club captain since taking over from Harry Kane. He's come back from the Asian Cup. He was very personally disappointed with the way it was done. I don't think he had the best relationship in the world with Jurgen Klinsmann. Maybe that's taken him a little bit of time to come back."

Postecoglou, when asked about Son's contract situation earlier this summer, was more vague in his response.

"Yeah, look, that's not really my area, what I always do and what I've always done is irrespective of the contract situation of players is to you know, treat them all the same," said Postecoglou on Son's contract.

"Ben and Sonny are an important part of this football club. We've got a really young team at the moment and we need some good experienced players around them and they're two that certainly set the right example. And in terms of contracts I think that all gets sorted out at the appropriate time. But from my perspective, and I think the players' perspectives themselves, we're just focused on preparing for a big year."

Tottenham could replace Son as captain with Guglielmo Vicario

Of course, if Son does depart in 2026, then the Lilywhites will need a new captain to replace their legend. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has impressed overall since joining Spurs from Empoli last summer, even if the Italy international came under-fire for his handling of set-pieces once again during Tottenham's 1-0 North London Derby defeat to Arsenal.

According to Milan Live, Spurs could make Vicario their future captain, akin to how long-serving ex-number one Hugo Lloris took the armband for many years. The "underrated" 27-year-old is attracting interest from Inter Milan, who are thinking of making an offer for him to replace Yann Sommer, but a deal will be very difficult to do for the Nerazzurri.

Tottenham Hotspur are seriously considering the prospect of signing an England international for manager Ange Postecoglou, with the Australian somewhat under fire right now after a tepid start to the season.

Spurs escape Coventry City upset with dramatic 2-1 win

The Lilywhites were just minutes away from what would've been a calamitous result in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening.

An uninspiring display at Championship side Coventry City in the EFL Cup nearly resulted in Postecoglou's side squandering a potential cup run right at the very beginning of the season, and it took two dramatic last-gasp strikes to ensure their place in the next round.

Brandon Thomas-Asante's opening goal for Coventry just past the hour mark had Tottenham supporters in panic mode, but substitutes Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson were on hand to spare Postecoglou's blushes.

Spence's strike in the 88th minute and Johnson's winner in added time kept Spurs' hopes of winning the competition very much alive, though Postecoglou came under fire afterwards considering the lacklustre display from his team.

Speaking to the media after Tottenham's smash and grab win, Postecoglou defended his players and praised Coventry for their performance.

"Yeah, I don't know, flat performance is a bit harsh. I thought I was a typical cup game," said Postecoglou after Spurs' 2-1 win at Coventry.

"I thought Coventry were really good. They put some real energy into the game, and we couldn't really get a grip on it. So we had to hang in there. We had to work really, really hard just to stay in the game and obviously going a goal behind makes it even more challenging. But like you said at the end there we showed some real spirit and character, which is probably what's been missing in the first four games. We've had the performance, but we haven't had that relentlessness to to get a result. You sense that in the last 10 minutes, we got real belief out of that, and hopefully that's a good sign moving forward."

Tottenham are also fresh off the back of two consecutive Premier League defeats, but Postecoglou has told his Spurs squad to remain calm and keep up their performance, ahead of a tough second campaign in charge for the tactician.

Tottenham seriously considering Angel Gomes move

As the pressure mounts on Postecoglou, club transfer chiefs are at work on potential signings to strengthen the squad as 2025 looms.

Lille midfielder and ex-Man United starlet Angel Gomes, who recently earned his first international caps for England, is apparently turning heads in north London.

According to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are seriously considering a move for Gomes while "offering him a route back to his homeland", which would be a very low-cost deal with the 24-year-old's contract expiring next summer.

While he is valued at around £21 million by Transfermarkt, Spurs could bypass a fee entirely next summer, or sign him for a very cheap fee in January.

Gomes has impressed for Lille since joining them in 2021, becoming a real mainstay and key player on their team sheet. The attacking midfielder chalked up eight assists in Ligue 1 alone last season, and he could be a sound alternative to James Maddison in the middle.

"Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team. He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique,” said ex-Lille boss Paulo Fonseca.

“He is a player who under pressure it is not easy to steal the ball off him and who discovers the space so easily. He is young, he has a big talent. I believe with the right coach, with the right project, with the right game for him, he can have the possibility to have a big step in his career.”