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Tottenham really considering offer for "intelligent" £21m-rated England ace

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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.”

Postecoglou could be about to hand Tottenham teenager his full senior debut

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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is aiming to kick-start a winning run of form after Spurs' disappointing North London Derby defeat on Sunday, and Coventry City next await them in the EFL Cup this evening.

Tottenham prepare for Coventry following 1-0 Arsenal loss

Tonight's clash at the Coventry Building Society Arena represents an opportunity for the Lilywhites to get back on the right path, with Postecoglou criticised in the aftermath of their 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

Tottenham's lacklustre record defending dead-ball situations was brought to the forefront yet again after Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes' winning header from a corner became Spurs' 10th goal conceded from a set-piece since Postecoglou took charge last year.

Mikel Arteta's side also travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without a host of key players in club captain Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice, but the home side ultimately couldn't take advantage of their weakened opponents.

Brennan Johnson proved ineffective for Spurs out wide, among others, with Postecoglou's side failing to break down a resolute Arsenal despite taking control of possession and pressuring the Gunners on many occasions.

A win at Coventry tonight, which could spark a potential cup run, would be the right remedy - and Postecoglou has already made a promise to Tottenham supporters on their ambitions for silverware this season.

"Usually in my second season I win things," Postecolgou told Sky Sports in August (via The Metro).

"That’s the whole idea. First year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully the second year is going onto win things.

"Of course it’s easier said than done, particularly in the Premier League and the competition we’re in. That’s always the way I’ve looked at it, is that the second year you should be in a position where you can push on, depending on how the first year has gone. Last year we had some really good moments, obviously we had some tough moments. I think we learnt as much from the tough moments as we did from the good stuff and hopefully that means we’re in a good place."

Postecoglou could be about to hand Archie Gray full Tottenham debut

Chairman Daniel Levy backed Postecoglou with key new additions in the summer, like highly-rated English sensation Archie Gray, who joined the club from Leeds United in a deal worth £40 million.

Spurs rejected the chance to sign Conor Gallagher, who was heavily linked with a move to north London, in favour of striking a deal for Gray instead. The teenager was a star player for Leeds last season, most often dazzling at right-back, but he's yet to start for Spurs since swapping Elland Road for N17.

According to GiveMeSport, that may be about to change, as Postecoglou could hand Gray his full Tottenham debut by starting him against Coventry this evening.

The 18-year-old has made two cameos off the bench spanning 30 minutes so far, but tonight could be a golden opportunity for the midfielder to play his first full 90 for the club.

What Postecoglou has secretly told his Tottenham squad after Arsenal defeat

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A report has shared exactly what Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou told his Spurs squad behind-closed-doors after their disappointing loss to fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Postecoglou criticised after 1-0 Tottenham defeat to Arsenal

Tottenham's set-piece record under Postecoglou is a cause for concern among supporters and critics alike, with Gabriel Magalhaes' winning header from a corner being their 10th goal conceded from a dead ball situation since the Australian took charge last year.

Gabriel rose basically unchallenged to thump his header past the helpless Guglielmo Vicario from close range, resulting in on-lookers theorising why the Brazilian was so free inside Spurs' penalty area and right outside their six-yard box.

Tottenham actually dominated possession on the day, and created openings of their own, but a lack of cutting edge meant that Gabriel's header was enough for Mikel Arteta's side to seize all the bragging rights and all three points.

Brennan Johnson was criticised for his attacking display against Arsenal, with Dejan Kulusevski also questioned by some critics after the Swede and his teammates failed to unlock a resolute Gunners backline.

"I know that, for some reason, people think I don't care about set-pieces," said Postecoglou after Tottenham's defeat to Arsenal.

"I understand the narrative, but we work on them all the time. We held them [Arsenal] well for the most part, but switched off for one and paid a price. They're obviously a very big threat from set-pieces and it only takes one.

"It wasn't just [Cristian] Romero, others switched off too. The delivery was spot on and Gabriel is a threat in those situations. We paid a price for it, but you learn from that and you move on. It's my burden to carry and I'm fine with that.

"For me, it's about the finer details of us getting to where we want to be -- for us, the way forward is to try to turn the football we're playing into something meaningful."

The result takes Spurs' tally to two Premier League defeats, a draw and a single win from their opening four league matches, with Brentford awaiting them next in the top flight this weekend.

Before that, Postecoglou prepares his side to take on Coventry City in the EFL Cup this evening, with silverware long eluding Spurs as supporters hope for a cup run.

What Postecoglou has secretly told his Spurs squad after Arsenal loss

Writing in a detailed piece for The Daily Mail this week, reliable journalist Sami Mokbel shared what Postecoglou has secretly told his Tottenham squad after their defeat to Arsenal.

According to Mokbel, the 59-year-old's message to his players was clear - that they remain on the right path and to keep calm.

Members of the Lilywhites squad also believe that their performances in these first four league games have offered an improvement on last season's opening quartet of matches, despite the contrasting results.

There remains real positivity behind the scenes at N17, but that optimism needs to translate into results on the pitch, otherwise Postecoglou will keep feeling the heat.

Tottenham offered chance to sign £162k-per-week "champion" just days ago

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Tottenham Hotspur were apparently offered the chance to sign a prestigious player over the weekend, as the Lilywhites unfortunately tasted defeat in the North London derby.

Tottenham lose to Arsenal as Postecoglou bemoans set pieces

Ange Postecoglou was forced to defend his set-piece policy yet again after Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to bitter rivals Arsenal, with Gunners defender Gabriel Magalhaes nodding in the only goal of the game from a corner.

Spurs dictated overall play with the majority of possession and chances created at home, as they looked to upset a weakened Arsenal team who were without club captain Martin Odegaard, summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, Spain star Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

However, a resolute Arsenal side did their defensive duties and made Tottenham pay for their lack of cutting edge, with Gabriel rising above everyone else to thump a header past Guglielmo Vicario from close range.

It was an avoidable goal from Postecoglou's perspective, who stuck up for his philosophy on defending dead balls when quizzed by the media.

"I know for some reason people think I don't care about set-pieces, and it's a narrative that you can keep going on for ages and ages. I understand that," said Postecoglou on Arsenal's winner from a corner.

"Like I said, we work on them all the time, like we do with every other team. You know that they're a threat. As I said, for the most part we handled them really well today, but we switched off in one and we paid a price. You learn from that and you move on.

"It is what it is. It's my burden to carry and I'm happy to do that. Like I've always said, for me there's a bigger picture that's at play here that's much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to.

"For us, the way forward is to, as I said, try and turn the football we're playing now into something meaningful. We're a team that's progressing in many areas. With all that sort of progress, there's always kind of new challenges and new things that you need to overcome."

Gabriel's winner was the 10th time Tottenham have conceded a dead-ball goal under Postecoglou, and that is something the Australian will be very eager to change. Winger Brennan Johnson was also criticised for his display against Arsenal, so it appears there are a few conundrums for Spurs' head coach ahead of their next matches against Coventry City in the EFL Cup and Brentford this weekend.

Tottenham offered chance to sign Adrien Rabiot just days ago

Over the weekend, Tottenham's disappointing defeat to Arsenal wasn't the only thing happening in north London, as it is claimed that former Juventus and PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot approached the club over a free transfer too.

That is according to The Boot Room, who claim that Rabiot was offered to Spurs via his representatives, before the Frenchman opted to return to his homeland with Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille.

The 29-year-old, who featured for France at Euro 2024, has finally ended the search for his new club by putting pen to paper on a rumoured £162,000-per-week contract with the Ligue 1 side. Despite many links to the Premier League, Rabiot won't be making an English move this season, despite his credentials.

Ange must finally drop Maddison to unleash "exceptional" Spurs teenager

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Tottenham Hotspur's poor start to the season got even worse on Sunday as they lost their third North London derby at home in a row for the first time since the late 1980s.

Ange Postecoglou has been able to get the Lilywhites to play exciting attacking football again after years of turgid football under the likes of José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte, but the pressure is starting to mount.

However, it's not all on him, as some of his stars, such as James Maddison, failed to perform against the Gunners over the weekend.

The Englishman was anonymous against Mikel Arteta's men, and with a League Cup game against Coventry City tonight, he should be dropped for one of the most exciting youngsters in Spurs' squad who might be able to offer more of a spark.

Maddison's game vs Arsenal

Postecoglou opted to start Maddison in midfield for the weekend's clash alongside Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.

While he didn't make a mistake that cost his side a goal or anything like that, he was utterly ineffective, which is almost as bad for a player whom the team rely on to make things happen.

In his post-match player ratings, football.london's Alasdair Gold awarded the Englishman a paltry 5/10 for his efforts, writing that while he had some 'bright moments', he 'ultimately didn't take a grip on the game' and worst of all 'was barely noticeable in the second half.'

That might sound like a harsh appraisal of the former Leicester City player's contribution to the encounter, but it's not, and it's also backed up by the 27-year-old's statistics from the match.

For example, in his 80 minutes of action, he failed to take a single shot on target or off target, misplaced seven of his 11 crosses, lost the ball 11 times and was dribbled past once.

In all, Maddison was totally anonymous for most of the game and with the chance to progress in a cup competition on the line tonight, he should be dropped for a hungry youngster who could inject some much-needed dynamism into the side.

Why Lucas Bergvall should start

Yes, while there are several talented youngsters in Spurs' squad at the moment, Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall should be the one to come into the lineup for Maddison tonight.

The 18-year-old wonderkid was signed by the North Londoners for around £8.5m in February of this year but remained in his home country to finish the season with Djurgarden before moving to England in the summer.

Now, the "exceptional talent," as Brommapojkarna sporting director Peter Kisfaludy dubbed him, has only made three short cameo appearances for the Lilywhites' first team so far this season, totalling 31 minutes. However, based on his form back in Sweden and the way he is spoken about by those in the know, he should be given his first competitive start for the club tonight.

For example, in just 19 games for Djurgården last season, the midfield "jewel", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, racked up a seriously impressive tally of six goals and five assists, meaning he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.35 games.

Moreover, the "super creative midfielder", whom data analyst Ben Mattinson claims will "cost £80m" in the near future, has already made his senior debut for Sweden and now has three caps to his name despite still being just 18 years old.

Ultimately, while it might be too early to start Bergvall in a game like the one on the weekend, he has the talent and experience behind him to play in a match like the one this evening, and after Madison's dismal display last time out, he could be a breath of fresh air for Postecoglou and Spurs fans.

Maddison & Romero axed, teen duo start: Predicted Spurs lineup vs Coventry

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It has been an uncomfortable start to the campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side ended last year in underwhelming form after a scintillating start, and unfortunately for the fans, they started this year in the same fashion.

They currently sit in 13th place in the Premier League with just four points out of a possible 12, and the club's home defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon - their third in as many years - has seen the pressure mount on the manager.

In a spiky post-match interview, he reiterated his record of winning a trophy in his second season with the club. The good news for the Australian is that he'll have the opportunity to keep that run alive tomorrow night as his side takes on Coventry City in the League Cup Third Round.

It will be interesting to see how strong a team he fields on the night, but given the need to rotate the squad, give youngsters more game time, and bench those who put in poor showings against the Gunners on Sunday, we expect the manager to look to make six changes to the side that lost last time out.

So, starting in goal, we have our first change to the lineup as veteran shot-stopper Fraser Forster comes in for Guglielmo Vicario.

The 36-year-old Englishman hasn't played a game for the club this season and likely won't get many chances to either, so he'll probably get the nod over the Italian, who didn't exactly cover himself in glory against Arsenal either.

The right-back position brings us to the second change, and taking the place of Pedro Porro is £30m summer signing Archie Gray.

Now, the 18-year-old is still seen as a midfield prospect by many, but he spent most of last season playing on the right of a back four for Leeds United.

The Durham-born wonderkid has been touted as a "future £100m" star by analyst Ben Mattinson, and while that's a lot of pressure, a game against Championship opposition is as good as any for his first start as a Spurs player.

To the left of Gray is Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin, who comes into the side for Cristian Romero after he made a meal of marking Gabriel Magalhães for his goal on Sunday.

Dragusin didn't get many opportunities to start games last season following his move from Genoa. Still, he played the full 90 against Newcastle United earlier this month and didn't look too out of place, earning a 7/10 rating from Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold.

Alongside the Romanian international will be Micky Van de Ven, whose lightning-quick pace makes him an invaluable player for Postecoglou's style of play.

While he still came out on the losing side, the Dutchman was the standout defender against the Gunners last time out and was the main reason they couldn't spring too many counterattacks when in possession.

Keeping his place at left-back is Destiny Udogie.

The Italian international had an incredible debut season with the club last year, and while he's yet to reach those same heights this term, he's still Postecoglou's best option on the left and with Gray and Dragusin in the backline, the Australian cannot make a third change in what is a must-win game.

Moving into the midfield, Pape Matar Sarr comes back into the fold after missing out on a starting place last time out.

The Senegalese international has played in all four games this season, but, like Udogie, he hasn't shown the same quality he did last year.

That said, a League Cup tie against second-tier opposition could provide him with the perfect opportunity to kickstart his campaign, and at 22, he could be critical to the Lilywhites' future in midfield.

Rodrigo Bentancur keeps his place in the team as the senior player in this midfield.

The 27-year-old Uruguayan has been hit-and-miss over the last year or so, but when he's on it, he's one of the club's most influential midfielders.

Therefore, Postecoglou should be starting the 65-capped international tomorrow night.

The final player to make the midfield is Lucas Bergvall, who gets his first Spurs start in place of James Maddison.

Despite being just 18 years old, the Swedish "jewel", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has a couple of years of senior football under his belt already.

For example, in just 19 first team appearances for Djurgården last season, he scored six goals and provided five assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.35 games.

On the rightwing, in place of Brennan Johnson, should be Dejan Kulusevski.

Now, the Swede may well be better in central areas, but Johnson failed to offer any real threat on Sunday, and while he should be moved back into the middle for the Brentford game at the weekend, the Swede is more than capable of producing against Coventry.

Keeping his place up top is the £65m man, Dominic Solanke.

The former Bournemouth Marksman has failed to open his Spurs account in his first two appearances.

Still, he's looked dangerous here and there, and Postecoglou should start him tomorrow night to give him the chance to score that all-important first goal.

After all, once he got going for the Cherries last year, he was unstoppable and ended the campaign with 21 goals and four assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Last but not least, summer signing Wilson Odobert should be given the chance to make his third start for the club against Coventry.

The French winger showed last year that even in a relegation-threatened Burnley side, he can still provide some attacking threat, racking up four goals and three assists in 33 appearances.

Moreover, at 32 years old, club captain Son Heung-min needs to be managed more than ever, and Odobert should be more than good enough to cover for him based on last year.

Spurs sold striker for £6.7m, now he’s scored as many as Kane this season

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What is there to say about Harry Kane that has already been uttered? Quite frankly, very little.

The striking sensation - who famously left Arsenal behind as a boy - is now a Tottenham icon and leads Spurs’ scoring charts.

If ever you needed any further evidence of his goalscoring prowess, the England international is also his nation’s top scorer, topping a certain Wayne Rooney a few years ago now.

Kane continues to go from strength to strength and since moving to Bayern Munich last season after finally leaving Spurs behind, he has been a man-possessed.

Kane’s time at Bayern so far

With Kane in tow, Tottenham failed to win a trophy. With Kane in tow, Bayern Munich failed to win a trophy.

Perhaps it’s just him? Despite all of the goals and indeed the personal accolades, the striker’s misfortune is quite incredible.

He’s lost a Champions League final, two European Championship finals, a World Cup semi-final and he’s not scored in any of them. Perhaps Kane is not made for the biggest of occasions then.

We jest, of course, but it was rather typical that Bayern’s 11-year dominance of the Bundesliga came to an end the campaign Kane joined.

That said, the centre-forward enjoyed a remarkable season himself, scoring a staggering 44 goals in 45 games for the German outfit. Now 31, however, the former Spurs man is showing no signs of slowing down having already found the net on four occasions in three top-flight games this season. It’s safe to say he’s pretty damn good.

On that note, however, there is a player who recently left Spurs who can now boast Kane-like numbers.

Spurs may have sold their next Kane

Over the summer supporters got a wonderful opportunity to watch teenage sensation, Mikey Moore, in action.

Now 17 years of age, the attacker is one of the best young properties in the Premier League right now and actually found the net over pre-season, notably scoring impressively in the clash with Hearts.

Moore looks destined for a bright future in the game but as he will know, plenty have tried and failed to cross the bridge between academy and first-team football.

Dane Scarlett is currently at Championship side Oxford United on loan while a certain Troy Parrott is plying his trade in the Netherlands.

The Irishman was sold in a permanent deal over the summer, a move that was reported to cost Dutch side AZ Alkmaar a paltry £6.7m to finalise.

So, how is the 22-year-old faring in the Eredivisie so far?

Troy Parrott’s time at AZ Alkmaar

Well, it just so happens that the Irishman is one of the most prolific forwards on the continent right now.

Having swapped London for the Zaan district in the Netherlands, the forward has quickly made a name for himself in his new setting.

Parrott happened to spend last term on loan at Rotterdam club Excelsior where he thrived, scoring 17 times in 32 outings across all competitions. It would appear that he impressed those in the Eredivisie, with Alkmaar shelling out to sign him over the summer.

Since then he's continued to score on a regular basis, finding the net on four occasions in five matches. That stat might be a tad misleading, however, as all four of those goals came in the same match.

During a staggering 9-1 win for AZ against Herenveen last weekend, Parrott was the main source of goals as he beat the goalkeeper on four occasions. To make this story even more intriguing for those of a Spurs persuasion, who was managing the opposition? A certain Robin van Persie.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United star certainly knows a thing or two about scoring goals but even he would have been blown away by the Irishman's performance.

Such a tally of goals means that he's now scored as many as Kane has in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich this term.

Tottenham's record scorer netted his own hat-trick last weekend, putting Holstein Kiel to the sword in a 6-1 drubbing.

While those incredible results were happening, Postecoglou's men would go onto lose to their fierce rivals Arsenal. They did not score but you can bet your house on the fact they would have done with Kane in the team.

While they will sill no doubt lust after his return, they can probably be secure in the fact that they sold Parrott at the right time. That's unless he goes onto become a world-beater in the years to come.

"Miles off it" - Jamie O'Hara slams £50m Tottenham star after Arsenal loss

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TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara has shared his verdict on one Tottenham player who he believes is "miles" off the pace, following their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby on Sunday.

Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal as Postecoglou concedes to weakened Gunners

Given the amount of star absences in Mikel Arteta's line-up over the weekend - with club captain Martin Odegaard, summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, Spain star Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko all missing - Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou had a real opportunity to seriously upset the club's fierce rivals.

The Lilywhites did dominate possession and created a host of chances throughout the 90 minutes, but Tottenham's lack of cutting edge and set-piece weakness eventually cost them dearly.

Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes scored the only goal of the game, leaping above all of his opponents to guide a close-range header past the helpless Guglielmo Vicario, who had real trouble defending his six-yard box from the corner.

This was enough for Arteta's side, who held on to their narrow lead past the hour mark to come away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with all three points, in what was a regrettable afternoon for Postecoglou and co.

Dejan Kulusevski was criticised against Arsenal for his attacking display, with the Sweden international unable to unlock Arteta's back line on enough occasions. Meanwhile, a lot of debate has also centered around Vicario's lack of confidence when it comes to dead balls.

Tottenham must now lick their wounds, reassess and come back stronger in their next Premier League game against Brentford on Saturday, but before that, Postecoglou's squad travel to face Coventry City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

Jamie O'Hara slams "miles off it" Brennan Johnson after Arsenal loss

O'Hara hasn't held back with his criticism of Spurs after the home defeat, and one player in particular - winger Brennan Johnson.

Taking to X on Sunday, O'Hara called Johnson a "frustrating" Tottenham player to watch, and he's since shared a further verdict on the Wales international who cost Daniel Levy around £50 million to sign from Nottingham Forest last year.

Indeed, speaking to talkSPORT, O'Hara has also claimed that Johnson is "miles off" the pace at Tottenham, with the 23-year-old proving ineffective on many occasions against Arsenal and beforehand.

"We played well but we don’t score – take your chances. We’ve brought in good players and you expect them to do the business," said O'Hara. "But I look at it and think have we brought in top players? Solanke, one good season at Bournemouth and we signed him for £60million.

"Brennan Johnson, a good player and a young player at Nottingham Forest. We signed him for £50million and he looks miles off it. Then I look at Archie Gray who we signed from Leeds, he’s a Championship player and then we signed Odobert from Burnley.

"Daniel Levy has built this big shiny stadium and it’s only enjoyable to go to when Beyonce’s on! We’re not signing a top player from Barcelona or Atletico Madrid or someone who is actually at the level of where we want to be."

Spurs could axe Johnson by unleashing "outstanding" academy teen instead

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This season has gone from bad to worse for Tottenham Hotspur, and we are only four games in.

On Sunday afternoon, Ange Postecoglou's side fell to a 1-0 defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and, as things stand, have picked up just four points from a possible 12 in the Premier League.

Unfortunately for the Australian, there were several stand-out performers on the day for all the wrong reasons, including Brennan Johnson.

The Welshman has struggled this season, and while he could still come good, he should be dropped for the League Cup clash with Coventry City and replaced with a dynamic young talent who has a bright future ahead of him.

Johnson's recent form

Spurs paid around £47.5m to Nottingham Forest for Johnson's services last summer, and while he started slowly, he did end his debut campaign in North London with a reasonably respectable haul of five goals and ten assists in 34 games, equating to a goal involvement once every 2.26 games.

However, in the four games he has played this season, the Welshman has failed to score or assist a single goal and hasn't looked particularly dangerous at any point.

For example, across those four matches, he has only amassed an expected goals figure of 0.79, an expected assists figure of 0.24, and just 0.80 shots on target per game, which would go some way toward explaining why he's not produced a goal involvement just yet.

Moreover, in his player ratings after yesterday's match, football.london's Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold awarded the 23-year-old just a 5/10 because while he was 'swinging in low crosses,' none of them were especially dangerous, and when presented with chances himself, he wasted them.

In all, Johnson just hasn't impressed yet this season, and he should, therefore, be dropped for the game against Coventry, and in his place, Ange should start a youngster who could be a future superstar.

The surprise player who could replace Johnson

Yes, the youngster in question is 17-year-old Mikey Moore, who looks like he could be one of the most exciting youngsters in English football at the moment, at least based on his form at the youth level and how he's been spoken about.

However, before we get to that, yes, the Southwark-born gem has primarily played off the left wing in his short career so far. Still, he has shown a level of flexibility by starting in attacking midfield, centre midfield and even at centre-forward in the past.

Moreover, considering he is right-footed, it seems unlikely he'd turn down the chance of first-team minutes just because he'd be playing off the right.

In fact, his youth record is so outstanding that we have no doubt he'd thrive anywhere across the frontline in Postecoglou's attacking system.

For example, in 33 appearances across various junior sides, the "outstanding" prospect, as dubbed by Spurs writer John Wenham, has scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists, meaning he's averaging a goal involvement every 0.94 games, which is outrageously impressive.

Moreover, he was given two short cameo appearances towards the end of last season when he was still just 16, which signals just how highly the club currently rate him, and with his tally of goals and assists at youth level, they are right to.

Ultimately, Johnson has failed to impress so far this season, and while Moore has less experience playing off the right, he should be given his first start against Coventry tomorrow night; if he's as good as people believe him to be, then he's old enough as well.

As bad as Romero: Spurs must drop 5/10 ace who was anonymous in the NLD

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There is no getting away from it: Tottenham Hotspur's start to the Premier League season has been nothing short of a disaster.

In four games, Ange Postecoglou's side have picked up just four points thanks to a draw away to newly promoted Leicester City and a win at home to bottom-of-the-table Everton.

Worse yet, the Australian oversaw his second home defeat in a row to fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday, despite the Gunners missing two of their best players in Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

There were several poor performers on the day for the Lilywhites, and while Cristian Romero has received plenty of warranted flak for his part in the Gunners' goal, ushered away from proceedings by Gabriel and leaving the Brazilian unmarked, there's another key starter who looked anonymous for 95 minutes.

Son Heung-min's game vs Arsenal

Yes, while Son Heung-min wasn't directly at fault for the only goal in the game like the Argentine defender was, he was partly to blame for his side's blunt attacking display.

Now, the club captain didn't make any glaring errors in the game, but he didn't produce any moments of magic or even many genuine chances for his teammates either, which resulted in a rather tepid performance in what should be one of the most exciting games of the season.

This is a sentiment shared by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who gave the South Korean superstar - and Romero for that matter - a 5/10 on the day, writing that while he 'teed up Kulusevski for an early chance' he ultimately 'struggled to make an impact.'

While potentially harsh, Gold's assessment of the 32-year-old's game is corroborated by his statistics, as in his 95 minutes on the pitch, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.13 and an expected goals figure of 0.02, failed in 50% of his dribbles, played a single key pass, lost the ball ten times and was offside once.

So, while he wasn't at fault for the goals, he offered practically nothing going forward, so for that reason, and because his minutes should be managed more this season, he should be dropped to the bench for Wednesday's League Cup game against Coventry City.

Why Wilson Odobert should replace Son

So, Spurs have several wingers at their disposal who could come in for Son off the left, but Ange should look to give Wilson Odobert his third start of the season on Wednesday night.

Now, like most of his teammates, the young Frenchman has been somewhat underwhelming in attack this season and has failed to score or assist a goal, but he should be given time to adjust to the system, and even though he couldn't make it count on Sunday, he injected some much-needed energy into his side.

Moreover, thanks to his time with Burnley last year, we know what he can do when given a run of games.

For example, despite still being just 18 years old at the start of the 23/24 campaign, the Meaux-born gem was able to score four goals and provide three assists in 33 appearances, which is undeniably impressive considering the Clarets' form and suggests that in a top side, he might be capable of so much more.

Lastly, if the North Londoners are serious about going far in every competition this year, they will need to manage their first team stars and make use of their squad. So, even though Coventry are a talented team, the former Burnley ace and his fellow prospects like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall should have it in them to get a result against a Championship side.

Ultimately, Romero and his fellow defenders might have been at fault for the goal on Sunday, but Son offered very little going forward, so he should be dropped to allow Odobert the chance to open his Spurs account on Wednesday.