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Postecoglou feels Tottenham stars have not reached peak fitness yet

Tottenham Hotspur treated their home fans to a fantastic display on Saturday’s Premier League matchday two meeting against Everton by running riot over Sean Dyche’s men to earn a 4-0 win.

Ange Postecoglou’s charges avoided early pressure in the season after a bumpy start on the road last week as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City.

While Spurs absolutely outclassed the Toffees, Postecoglou has hinted that a number of his first team players might not be fully fit yet. He said the following to the media, as per Football London:

” I think with Romero, Micky and Destiny, they’re not at peak fitness at the moment and they all sort of missed pre-season. So we knew sort of this two or three weeks, we saw it last week about the 60 minute mark, they really started to fatigue and we’ve just got to be really careful with them.”

Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven started both of Tottenham’s two Premier League games this season.

The central defenders played 180 minutes across the Leicester and Everton meetings, while Romero even bagged a goal on Saturday, but Udogie has played slightly less as he was subbed off 17 minutes before full-time in the latter fixture.

Nonetheless, Postecoglou’s update is a bit concerning as he has said that the trio is starting to feel fatigued and hence, may be more prone to injuries.

Considering the importance the three players bring to Tottenham, an injury is something they can ill-afford, not least one which would see them face a long time out.

Life is not getting any easier for Postecoglou either as Spurs take on Newcastle United next in a match that will be between two sides contending for the European spots. Eddie Howe’s men are an outfit to reckon and the Australian will want his key players fully fit.

Thereafter, there is a fortnight of international break in which most Tottenham players will be busy with their nations and after returning, face the North London Derby against Arsenal at home.

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The manager will hope that his backroom staff devices a training and recovery program which aids the players he has labelled as not being fully fit, and that there are no injury issues early in the campaign.

If Tottenham wanted a performance that they could set as the template for the season ahead of them, it would be the 4-0 win over Everton. Spurs did not put a foot wrong in the 90 minutes and most importantly, took their chance.

Most Spurs players had an exceptional display against the Toffees but one player for whom this game was very important was Yves Bissouma. After being suspended for the opening game, he was given a chance to start by Ange Postecoglou. Boy, didn’t he take it brilliantly!

Bissouma was given a different role to the one he usually fills. The Mali international was handed the task of playing as a single pivot with two attack-minded midfielders in front of him and he had an incredible display.

What do the stats say?

Here is how Bissouma’s game played out statistically, as per SofaScore. The £55k-a-week Tottenham star played 72 minutes on the night and opened his team’s scoring with an absolute screamer.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

He scored his goal from an overall game xG of 0.10 and recorded an xA of 0.04. He recorded 86 touches during his time on the pitch completing 74 of his 80 attempted passes with an accuracy of 93%.

He completed five out of seven attempted long balls and won two out of his three ground duels. He also recorded one clearance, one interception, two tackles and was dribbled past just once during his time on the pitch.

One way to shut the rumour mill

If there was one way to shut down all the talk surrounding him, it’s the way Bissouma did it against Everton. He has effectively put an end to the ban and the aftermath of his ill-advised off-the-pitch incident.

When Tottenham want to play in a single-pivot, Yves Bissouma is their best bet. The 27-year-old looks Postecoglou’s first choice when fit and he would be wiser to know not to resort to off-field antics going forward.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

So, what next for Bissouma? Could this be his season in a Spurs shirt? Only time will tell us how this pans out.

Daniel Levy is one of the better chairmen in world football, and we have seen how his deals have reaped mighty dividends for Spurs in the ongoing summer window where the club has filled coffers owing to his transfer acumen where sell-on clauses have earned major benefits at N17.

Spurs Premier League rival Ipswich Town are finalising a deal to bring Jack Clarke from Sunderland, which would earn Spurs a hefty windfall this summer.

Struggles at N17

The Lilywhites signed Clarke in a highly anticipated deal from Leeds United in 2019 while he was still a teenager. However, he found it difficult to settle into life in North London and eventually went on to join the Black Cats in 2022.

He has come through with his potential in the past couple of years at the Stadium of Light and was one of the best offensive players in the English second tier in the previous campaign.

Spurs’ sell-on clause pays off as Clarke joins Ipswich

Spurs supporters would be paying close attention to the transfer speculations surrounding Clarke, as the club holds a 25 percent sell-on clause in his original deal when he signed for Sunderland.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

And Tottenham would be receiving a significant chuck of the buck as his transfer to Ipswich Town comes close.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano insists that a £20m package transfer for Clarke to Ipswich is underway, which would earn Spurs a £5m windfall if all add-ons are met.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

Clarke will return to White Hart Lane on 9th November when the Tractor Boys travel to North London in a Saturday kickoff.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to take on Everton in their second Premier League game of the season. The Lilywhites are coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw away at Leicester City in a game that they should have put to bed in the first half.

Familiar problems came back to haunt Spurs as they were not clinical in putting their chances away. Despite James Maddison having a sublime first half and conducting the orchestra, his attackers let him down with their finishing.

The likes of Dominic Solanke (who had an impressive debut otherwise) and captain Son Heung-min will be keen to ensure they finish their chances against a resolute Everton defence as getting past Jordan Pickford is never going to be an easy task.

That said, here is how we at TTLB think Ange Postecoglou could set his team up against Sean Dyche’s Everton when they come to the N17 on Saturday

Guglielmo Vicario is nailed in to start in between the posts. The Italian shot-stopper came under a lot of flak for his outburst towards Lucas Bergvall in the Foxes game. He will have his task cut out against Everton who are a huge threat from set-pieces, something the Italian has struggled with in the past.

Pedro Porro rolled his ankle in the game against the Foxes but should start if he is fit enough. However, the Spaniard might have to miss this game and Djed Spence could get his opportunity against Everton.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are likely to continue as the starting centre-backs despite Radu Dragusin making a case to come into the XI. The former will be hoping to have a better game than the one he did against Leicester. Destiny Udogie is locked in to start at left-back.

Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a horrific injury at the King Power and is surely missing this game against the Toffees. This should give Yves Bissouma the chance to start against Everton after serving his one-match suspension. However, we think Postecoglou could hand Archie Gray his first full start against Sean Dyche’s team.

James Maddison is locked in to start as the #10 and will be hoping to replicate his first-half masterclass against his former side. Captain Son Heung-min will start from the left. Dejan Kulusevski was unfortunate to not start against the Foxes and should replace Johnson from the start against Everton.

Dominic Solanke is surely going to start his second game in a row as the number nine and will want to get off the mark in a Spurs jersey. He will know that he should have put one of those chances away last time and let’s see if he can do it this time around.

From the bench, Bergvall, Werner, Richarlison and Johnson should get minutes in the second half. Wilson Odobert could also be in line for some debut minutes after his transfer from Burnley. It’s a big game for Ange and Tottenham who need to register a win and let’s hope we can get all three points against the Toffees.

Three talking points ahead of Tottenham vs Everton

Tottenham Hotspur will aim to get their first win of the 2024/25 Premier League season on Saturday when they welcome Everton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Lilywhites appeared to be cruising to victory against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday night, only for the newly-promoted outfit to pull back in the second half to earn a 1-1 draw. Jamie Vardy turned out to be the thorn in the Tottenham side once again, although the result was marred by a nasty head injury to Rodrigo Bentancur.

After dropping points in the East Midlands, Ange Postecoglou and Co. will be raring to bounce back and make the Tottenham Hotspur faithful happy. Everton will provide a different test than Leicester City, so Spurs have to be ready for that.

On that note, let us take a look at the three talking points for Tottenham ahead of their first home game of the new season.

Monday’s game at the King Power Stadium was stopped for several minutes after Rodrigo Bentancur came off worse in a clash of heads with Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu. The Uruguay international appeared to have been knocked out cold as the doctors and physios rushed to treat him.

-> Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

After the game, Ange Postecoglou gave the reassuring update that Bentancur was conscious and talking. Given the severity of the head injury and Spurs using a concussion substitute against Leicester, the 27-year-old will now miss Saturday’s league game due to a concussion protocol.

With Bentancur ruled out, the main question arises here—who will replace him against Everton? Young guns Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall came on for their Spurs debuts in the second half, with the former replacing the injured Bentancur in the 78th minute. After coming on together, both Gray and Bergvall applied themselves very well and barely looked flustered in the hostile atmosphere.

With Gray being a bit more defensive-minded than Bergvall, chances of him getting the nod to partner Pape Matar Sarr in the Spurs engine room appear to be high. The likelier option would be Yves Bissouma who was handed a one-match ban but Postecoglou is yet to confirm if the Mali international will be involved against the Toffees.

Tottenham signed James Maddison from Leicester City in a £40 million deal last summer and he returned to his Old stomping ground for the first time on Monday. It turned out to be a memorable day for him as the creative midfielder was received well by the King Power Stadium faithful. They appreciated his services by singing and clapping whenever he took the corner-kick duties, barring his assist for Pedro Porro’s opener, of course.

Maddison enjoyed a fantastic outing against his former employers, delivering a masterclass as a No.10. The England international exploited spaces between Leicester’s midfield and defence, attacked the channels and created plenty of opportunities which should have been finished by the Spurs forwards. On another day, Spurs easily go out of sight in the first half itself thanks to his creativity.

Having said that, Postecoglou will expect Maddison to pick up the pieces from where he left off on Saturday. However, Everton are a completely different side than Leicester and usually sits in a low block under Sean Dyche.

So, it will be a challenge for Maddison to link up with his teammates and find gaps in the final third against a well-drilled Everton side. It will be interesting to see if the English playmaker can build on the performance at Leicester and deliver the goods on Saturday.

For everything we saw in our season opener on Monday, there were plenty of positives to take home. Conversely, some of the last campaign’s old habits came to the floor which quickly needs eliminating this term. And one of those is our susceptibility to quick transitions.

Big Ange’s team passed well, interchanged, moved smartly and created plenty to win the contest against Everton. A lack of ruthless edge was the main problem, but Spurs could have easily held on to three points had they defended well. Poor marking in general and lapses in concentration in defence once again proved the team’s downfall, as fox in the box Jamie Vardy punished us in what was just his first opportunity.

-> Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Unlike Leicester, Everton are a physical side that eats and lives on quick counterattacks, transitions and set pieces. Spurs have to be wary of Everton’s physical and direct approach as Sean Dyche will look to take advantage of our team’s soft underbelly.

Keeping that in mind, Big Ange must plan well to deal with the Toffees’ different threats—on the ball and off it—on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move to sign another marquee forward to add this summer, with the North Londoners bracing for another off-pitch London derby with Arsenal.

However, the acquisition of Dominic Solanke means that the club’s needs to bring in a number nine are met as Harry Kane shows are potentially filled.

Despite acquiring Solanke, Daniel Levy was sounding out a move for Brentford ace Ivan Toney.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney set for Saudi Arabia move

The European Championship star with England in 2024, Toney, has been subject to one of the bargain transfers of the summer as he forces his way out of Community Stadium with Thomas Frank’s side out of options as his contract with the Bees is due in twelve months time.

With a bargain sale in line, Levy has been competing alongside Edu for his signatures. While the North Londoners enter the battlefield in the lanes of Islington for his services, Saudi Pro sides have slid into the ground and claimed his signatories, per former football agent Jon Smith.

While in conversation with CaughtOffside, a close friend of the Toney family said:

“I’m pretty convinced now, after everything that I’m hearing, that Ivan Toney is on his way to Saudi Arabia.”

The probable point of Saudi

Brentford initially valued him for a mega £100m, but much has changed since he was suspended owing to illegal betting activities. That, complemented by the lack of suitors, means the Bees are forced to work down on their transfer asking price.

While the Gunners are still an interested party, it doesn’t look likely for either them or Tottenham to secure his services. And with Toney being left out of Brentford’s game against Crystal Palace last weekend, the possibilities of his move away from England looms sky high.

Tottenham have set their sights on a late move for Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes

Tottenham Hotspur shared the spoils with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday in their first game of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

Ange Postecoglou and his players would have certainly felt after the game that it was a case of two points dropped rather than one earned. Moreover, they would have been taken aback by Rodrigo Bentancur’s horrific head injury in the second half.

Bentancur clashed heads with Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu and then landed heavily on the turf after a Tottenham corner. He needed over five minutes of treatment before being carried off with 12 minutes left. The positive update is that the central midfielder is now conscious and communicating. Yet, Spurs are taking no risks with the player and have started planning behind the scenes.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are looking to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joao Gomes during the final stages of the transfer window in the wake of Bentancur’s head injury.

The unfortunate incident with Bentancur, who has endured quite a tough 12-15 months at the Hotspur Way, came in the aftermath of Oliver Skipp’s move to Leicester City and Yves Bissouma suspended by Spurs for their season opener due to the laughing gas incident, resulting into Ange Postecoglou being short of options in the middle of the park heading into the home fixture against Everton on Saturday.

The Lilywhites are now seeking midfield reinforcements and have supposedly set their sights on Wolves’ Joao Gomes. However, the aforementioned report claims that Wolves would not be keen to sell Gomes so late in the transfer window after allowing the likes of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto to depart to West Ham and Chelsea respectively.

Ange Postecoglou wants his club to at least test the Wanderers’ resolve with a bid for the Brazilian as he looks to bring in much-needed cover for Bentancur. With only nine days left for the transfer window to slam shut, time is running out for the north London club to lure the 23-year-old ‘super talent’ away from Molineux.

Gomes joined Wolves in January 2023 from Brazilian club Flamengo, and he made 38 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring two goals. The central midfielder was a part of Gary O’Neil’s side that lost 2-0 to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the new Premier League campaign.

Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

He is under contract at the Midlands club until 2028 with the option of a further 12 months (Transfermarkt), so it is certain Tottenham have to splash the cash in order to tempt Wolves into selling one of their prized assets. With his passing, reading of the game, ball-winning skills and energy, Gomes would be a perfect fit in Postecoglou’s system at our club.

However, it will be interesting to see to what extent Spurs could go to acquire Gomes’ signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have been looking to upgrade on the overall depth of the squad, and one of the probable positions where they are lurking to bring a new player is in the right-back role.

While Pedro Porro is the undisputed starter for Ange Postecoglou in the position, he lacks an equally qualitative backup option, and Spurs are looking to move for AS Monaco right-back Vanderson to solve those woes.

Spurs target Monaco’s Vanderson for £26m

The 23-year-old has been impressive in the French top tier, and the North Londoners are looking to acquire his signatures this summer. And the club would be ‘ready to offer’ £26m for their signatures this summer, per L’Equipe.

Vanderson arrived in the French top tier from South America two and a half years ago and has been showing his potential, which has earned him a Brazilian call-up to show for. The two-cap Brazil international has netted a tally of six goals and has a further 10 assists to his name in 85 appearances made across all competitions for Monaco.

Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

And despite suffering from injury blows in the last season, the 23-year-old still managed to be an integral presence for Adi Hütter’s side as he helped them achieve a second-place finish last season. His consistent performance at the Louis II Stadium from late March to early May has gone under the radar.

Tottenham eye right-back upgrade

For Tottenham, he would definitely be an upgrade on Djed Spence. However, for any more to sign Vanderson, the former Middlesbrough star might have to say his goodbyes at Hotspur Way, despite public backing from Ange recently. Here is what the manager had to say

“He’s had a good pre-season. He’s trained really well. He seems to have fit into the group really well. For me and all the coaches, we’ve had absolutely zero issues with his attitude. He’s trained really well, he’s fit into the group really well.”

Spence has been impressive in the recently concluded pre-season campaign, which has provoked Ange Postecoglou into giving him an opportunity at N17.

And while Vanderson has proved his credentials in the French top tier, playing in the Premier League requires altogether a different acumen, and he would need to settle for a second-year role at White Hart Lane next season.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

It is difficult to see Vanderson accept a bits-and-parts role at the club as he requires game time under his belt to develop into his potential.

Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 with Leicester City in their away Premier League game at King Power Stadium on Monday night. The frustrating afternoon for Spurs reminded them that there is a lot of work that remains as the season progresses.

The game involved similar issues that they faced last season with domination on the ball and numerous goalscoring chances wasted. The Lilywhites started the game strongly, earning a goal in the 29th minute of the game after constantly bullying Leicester.

However, Leicester scored a goal against the run of play through Jamie Vardy in the 57th minute of the second half. The goal came against the run of play as the Spurs’ defence allowed a huge space for Vardy to score.

Despite the frustration, Ange Postecoglou has multiple positives to take while an assessing solution for all the negatives that happened. One of the positives of the game was James Maddison and his impressive performance as a number 10 at Spurs. The 27-year-old dominated the channels and attacking spaces against his former team, reminding his impressive talents to the host’s fanbase.

Maddison provided one assist, three key passes, three out of four accurate long balls, making 87% accurate passes (via Sofascore). He took 87 touches and two dribble attempts with 100% success in his 79-minute performance before earning a late substitution.

Off the possession, he won 100% aerial duels and made two clearances and one interception to fulfil his defensive duties. Maddison scored the highest in our To The Lane And Back player ratings and analysis for the game against Leicester.

The Lilywhites fanbase is hoping for an injury-free season for the 27-year-old to provide a consistent contribution this season. The £170k-a-week midfielder is crucial for Postecoglou and lacks any competition capable of replicating his playmaking and creating chances.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed signings, transfers in, out, loan exits, releases for 2024/25

Tottenham Hotspur continue their summer transfer activities, actively seeking new recruits and potential buyers for their fringe players. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou needs a squad that can compete for trophies while achieving their minimum expectation of the top four.

The Lilywhites will start their new season campaign against Leicester City in the Premier League away game on Monday night. Postecoglou has added Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert to bolster his squad with qualities they lacked last season.

The Spurs squad is very big and required a major exodus this summer with several fringe players leaving for free. Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, Tanguy Ndombele, Ivan Perisic and Emerson Royal as some players who permanently departed the club this summer.

Furthermore, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined Marseille while Bryan Gil joined Girona on loan, further reducing the unnecessary wage budget this summer. Postecoglou has frozen out Giovani Lo Celso, making him available for sale this summer.

According to Fichajes, Real Betis, AS Roma and Aston Villa are the three clubs who want Lo Celso this summer. Spurs have put a 15 million euros price tag for the midfielder which is a reachable price for the teams.

Tottenham signed Lo Celso for a £27.2 million price tag from Betis after his loan spell with the London club. Lo Celso never managed to establish himself as the first-team regular for Spurs, resorting to loan moves elsewhere.

It is better for Spurs to take the loss instead of letting him go for free next summer when his contract expires. The Argentine had all the technical qualities and physical prowess but inconsistency contributed to his constant struggle at Tottenham.

-> Read More: Tottenham’s 5 best PL opening day wins

Postecoglou wants an all-round midfielder to fill one of the double pivot roles in the starting lineup. Spurs already have a lot of players to fill the squad role and play an important part within the rotation policy. Lo Celso’s potential departure benefits all parties, offering Spurs a chance to gain important financial income.