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After Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou described Timo Werner’s performance against Rangers as ‘unacceptable’ he has also hit out at comments from Cristian Romero.

The Premier League and Scottish Premiership sides shared a pulsating 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Thursday night after Dejan Kulusevski’s 75th-minute strike cancelled out Hamza Igamane’s opener just after half-time.

Both sides squandered opportunities for more goals but a draw is a decent enough result for both sides as they look for automatic qualification to the Europa League knockout stages.

Rangers are in the final automatic spot in eighth, above ninth-placed Tottenham on goal difference.

Postecoglou said it was an ‘important point’ for his side but blasted the performance of Werner, who he subbed off at half-time.

‘When you’ve got 18-year-olds in the team, it’s not acceptable to me,’ Postecoglou said when asked about Werner’s withdrawal.

‘I said that to Timo, he’s a German international. In the moment we’re in right now – it’s not like we’ve got many options, I need everyone to at least be going out there and trying to give the best of themselves.

‘His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable. We need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don’t have the depth to leave people out if they perform poorly.

‘I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys, and tonight wasn’t that.’

Expanding on those comments at a press conference on Friday morning, Postecoglou said: ‘We’re in a fight here. I’m not going to go around worrying about bruised egos. We want to achieve things, we want to be successful and we’re down to the bare bones in players.

‘If someone is fit and able to contribute and someone who feels they need a bit extra [motivation], they are probably not the right person. If they can’t give me extra right now, that shows me where they are at.

‘We are in a difficult situation because of where we are squad wise. We have 15 fit players. If you want to make excuses there’s millions of excuses of them why they can’t be successful. If that’s you, move on, go somewhere else.

‘Last night wasn’t about Timo Werner wasn’t about him. It could have been someone else. Other players could have given more. It’s not about Timo, it’s about the situation we are in. It could be anyone. It’s not about bringing someone down or blaming someone.’

The Australian also responded to Romero’s comments which suggested there has not been enough investment in the squad.

The Argentina international said earlier this week: ‘Manchester City competes every year, you see how Liverpool strengthens its squad, Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn’t do well, strengthens again, and now they’re seeing results. Those are the things to imitate,’ said Romero.

‘You have to realise that something is going wrong, hopefully, they realise it.

‘The last few years, it’s always the same: first, the players, then the coaching staff changes, and it’s always the same people responsible.

‘Hopefully, they realise who the true responsible ones are, and we move forward because it’s a beautiful club that, with the structure it has, could easily be competing for the title every year.’

Postecoglou is not impressed, saying: ‘I am sick of that too. That is an excuse for me. That is why, Romero’s comments – I think that is an excuse.

‘We are here. If we think some mythical thing exits that prevents success, then change it – what’s the point otherwise. If you don’t buy into it, don’t come here.’

Speaking after the match on Thursday, the Spurs boss said of the draw: ‘A tough game as expected, obviously with the atmosphere in the stadium.

‘I thought the first half was pretty tight with no clear-cut for either side. When they score straight after half-time the energy levels obviously go up and it’s going to be a tough one to claw back, but I thought we worked our way back in well.

‘I thought the substitutes made a difference and we scored a good goal, had other good moments and a great save by Fraser [Forster] at the end.

‘In the context of where we are in Europe, an important point.’

While Postecoglou was content with a point, the result means Tottenham have now not won in four games since they thumped Premier League champions Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

They are 11th in the English top-flight ahead of Sunday’s trip to the south coast to face a Southampton side sitting bottom of the Premier League with five points from 15 games.

Rangers, meanwhile, will hope to produce an equally dynamic performance on the weekend when they face Old Firm rivals Celtic in the League Cup final.

Speaking after the Spurs stalemate, Rangers boss Philippe Clement said: ‘I’m very proud about the performance because it’s the way we want to see football being played.

‘Also if you see where this group of players is coming from, from a few months ago and making performances like this now, it is a big, big step forward.

‘On the other side, I’m also disappointed we didn’t take the three points. That would have been even better and would have been the result we deserved today with the performance the players gave.’

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Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has called on Spurs to appoint Thomas Frank if Ange Postecoglou is sacked.

Tottenham have registered just one win in their last seven games and currently sit 11th in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City.

Spurs travel to Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday night and a win would push them into an automatic qualification spot for the next round.

Postecoglou, meanwhile, has faced repeated calls to improve his game-management after seeing his sides squander two-goal leads against both Brighton and Chelsea this season.

O’Hara believes Spurs will be left with little option if Postecoglou does not change his approach and feels Brentford manager Frank is the best replacement.

‘If Ange Postecoglou keeps playing in the same way, then I’m afraid he’ll have to go, I’m sorry but Daniel Levy will have to get rid of him,’ O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport.

‘You can’t go on with that football and style of defending any longer.’

‘I love Thomas Frank and I’d have him at Spurs every day of the week if Ange left. I think he’d be a great fit as Tottenham’s manager if we could get him out of Brentford. He’s been brilliant there and if Ange does leave – he’d be someone I’d look at.’

O’Hara also feels that Nuno Espirito Santo, who Tottenham sacked after just four months in charge, is showing the in-game management at Nottingham Forest, who sit fifth in the table.

‘Spurs went to the extreme with Jose Mourinho. His football was tough to watch—defensive and rigid—but they did win games,’ O’Hara said.

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‘Then Antonio Conte came in, similar story: some good stuff but still all about defence. Now they’ve swung completely the other way with Ange Postecoglou, and it’s all attack, no cohesion in the defensive structure. You need a balance—good football but also the ability to keep clean sheets.

‘Nuno Espirito Santo, who Spurs binned off because his football wasn’t great, but he showed over the weekend why he’s still top-notch. Look at Forest against Man United—they played some great stuff bopping it about. But when it got to 3-2, he made changes. Straight away, subbed on defenders, switched to a 5-4-1, and said, ‘Try and break us!’ United couldn’t. That’s in-game management. Result? Three points for Forest.

‘It’s not always pretty, but that’s the difference between a manager and one who knows how to adapt mid-game. Take Spurs against Chelsea—2-0 up, game should’ve been dead and buried.

‘Instead of being horrible to watch and shutting it down, they fell apart and lost 4-3. That’s the gap between top managers. Nuno knows how to see a game out, understands his team’s strengths, and gets the job done.’

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Jadon Sancho has revealed Chelsea players are saying ‘we haven’t done anything yet’ amid talk of them being in the Premier League title race.

The Blues have massively impressed this season under head coach Enzo Maresca and sit second in the top-flight after their opening 15 games.

Chelsea are currently two points ahead of third-placed Arsenal and four points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City, who were considered bigger title challengers by pundits and fans at the start of the season.

With Chelsea just four points behind leaders Liverpool, many football pundits have argued that Chelsea are now in the race for the trophy.

Blues head coach Maresca and his players, though, have been extremely coy about their chances of coming out on top.

Sancho has continued that trend in a new interview with Sky Sports as he was asked about what Chelsea can achieve this season.

‘We’re taking it game by game,’ Sancho said, who is on loan at Stamford Bridge from Manchester United.

‘Every game is going to be a tough game, and it’s still a long season ahead. None of the boys are thinking anything right now.

‘Obviously we are glad to be in this position but we have to take it game by game.’

Quizzed if Chelsea’s players needed to block the outside noise about their title chances, Sancho added: ‘That’s what all the guys are saying to each other – we haven’t done anything yet.’

Sancho has, however, admitted that Chelsea have a key advantage this season due to the west Londoners playing in the UEFA Conference League, which has allowed Maresca to rotate his squad and keep key players fit.

‘A thing about our squad is that we can rotate at any moment,’ Sancho explained.

‘We have two or three players in every position. With the Premier League and Conference League back-to-back, it can be tough sometimes. To have that right balance of playing time is crucial.’

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Chelsea vs Brentford and Southampton vs Tottenham both kick-off at the unusual time of 7pm in the Premier League this Sunday evening.

Typically, the final game of the weekend begins at 4.30pm and this Sunday will see Manchester City host Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium at that time.

However, both Chelsea and Tottenham have seen their games moved to the later time of 7pm in order to give the two clubs extra recovery time after their matches in Europe on Thursday night.

Chelsea face a 16-hour round trip to Kazakhstan for their Conference League game against Astana, which kicks-off at 3.30pm on Thursday due to the five-hour time difference.

Spurs, who are away to Scottish side Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday night, were also offered the rare 7pm slot after their game was selected for live broadcast by TNT Sports.

Premier League games broadcast by TNT Sports are usually scheduled for 12.30pm on Saturday, however, Spurs’ Europa League commitments on Thursday have meant that the Sunday 7pm slot is the only one available in order to avoid televised clashes with Sky Sports’ live fixtures.

Manchester United will also play Fulham at 7pm on January 26, 2025, after they demanded more recovery time following their Europa League game at home to Rangers on January 23.

The decision to host Premier League matches at 7pm on a Sunday has been criticised by The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

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‘The Sunday evening kick-off slot is really unpopular with match-goers as public transport options are limited and it’s no good for families with young kids,’ a spokesperson for the FSA said.

‘When the general slot was announced the Premier League told us it was a ‘contingency’ — but it seems to be getting used an awful lot for such a provision.

‘A big part of the problem is allowing broadcasters to choose ‘conditional’ picks which are then moved when a team progresses in Europe.

‘The Premier League puts broadcasters first by allowing them to select such games knowing full well conditional picks are very likely to be rescheduled again.’

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Nicolas Jackson was inconsolable on the bench after he was substituted during Chelsea’s 4-3 victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

The 23-year-old has been in excellent form for Enzo Maresca’s side this season with eight goals in 14 Premier League games so far.

However, Jackson struggled to make an impact against Spurs at the weekend before he was replaced by Christopher Nkunku with 14 minutes of the match remaining.

Worrying footage has subsequently emerged of Jackson’s reaction after being brought off as he was sat directly behind Maresca in the Chelsea dugout, leaning forward with his head bowed.

Towards the end of the 68-second clip, Jackson covered his shirt over his face and put his hands on his head.

A supporter sat behind the Chelsea striker said: ‘Jackson, you’ve been taken off, you’re gutted I know, you’re in my fantasy team, how do you think I feel?’

As Chelsea’s players and coaching staff applauded the away fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the full-time whistle, Maresca was seen running back to Jackson who was on his own and slowly making his way towards the supporters.

Maresca put his arm around Jackson’s shoulder and was seen speaking with the Senegal international as he made his way over to the Chelsea fans.

Chelsea’s win over Spurs has put them second in the Premier League table and four points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand after their Merseyside derby against Everton was called off on Saturday dur to Storm Darragh.

‘It’s an important win, firstly for the way it arrived, because to come in this stadium against this team and concede two goals, and then continue with the same plan on and off the ball, shows how the players are mentally strong,’ Maresca said.

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‘We are trying to work with the players on an off the pitch, but we’re also trying to work on mentality and togetherness. To come in this stadium and think you are going to win without suffering is impossible.

‘For that, probably it’s the perfect win because two goals down, it was the worst picture for us, even if we were in control. We conceded two goals from Cucu, we created chances, we controlled the game, we kept the ball. At half-time we changed something tactically, and second half we deserved to win.

‘There was no problem first half. The plan was working well, we were attacking and controlling the game after conceding two goals. I was very happy.

‘The only thing was watching the way they were pressing. First half we had Cole Palmer on one side, and Enzo Fernandez on the other. Second half we had Palmer on one side, and Cucurella on the other, and we changed something in behind. It was for this reason, it worked quite well and we won the game.’

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Tottenham have no plans to sack manager Ange Postecoglou ahead of a key set of fixtures despite the club’s worrying run of form.

Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to London rivals Chelsea means Spurs sit 11th in the Premier League – seven points off the top four – and with only one win from their last seven games in all competitions.

Earlier in the season, Postecoglou had boldly proclaimed that he will win silverware with the club this campaign, but the defeat to Chelsea represented an all-too-familiar defeat for his side.

Questions have also been asked of the Australian’s unbending commitment to his gung-ho attacking style, particularly as Tottenham continue to deal with several injuries throughout their side.

However, according to The Telegraph, Postecoglou has retained the support of the club’s senior hierachy ahead of what is a crucial run of fixtures.

The report adds that senior figures within the club are understanding of the injury crisis that has affected Postecoglou’s efforts.

January may well be a time to add reinforcements, with Postecoglou said to have already met with technical director Johan Lange to discuss the club’s plans.

Must-win games in the Europa League against Rangers and in the league versus Southampton are next up for Spurs before a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United.

Postecoglou’s side then host league leaders Liverpool before a trip to high-flying Nottingham Forest, managed by former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

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Postecoglou has also been publically backed by Cristian Romero who said the players were still fully behind their boss.

‘He’s a great coach. We saw it in the first season. In this second one we’ve suffered a lot of injuries,’ Romero, who came off in the second half on Sunday with a niggle, told Telemundo.

‘Players are the first one to be criticised, then if we lose 10 games, the staff can be changed, but nobody talks about what is actually happening.

‘We are very happy with this staff, me and my colleagues. We love how they work and the football they try to play. We’ll try to move on quickly.’

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou rued the ‘hugely disappointing’ injury suffered by Cristian Romero during his side’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Spurs threw away a two-goal lead as Chelsea beat their London rivals thanks to a brace from Cole Palmer and goals from Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez.

Postecoglou named Romero and Micky Van de Ven in his starting line-up, much to the surprise of Tottenham supporters.

The pair have missed the last month of action through injury but they passed late fitness tests to start.

However, Romero lasted just 14 minutes on his return to action and was visibly distraught as he had to be substituted.

And Postecoglou admits the side may now be without the Argentine for another extended period following an injury to his leg.

‘Romero is just obviously hugely disappointing,’ Postecoglou said.

‘He felt something in his quad. He trained really well. He wasn’t the one I was worried about, to be honest, but it’s just the way the season’s going for us unfortunately.

‘So we just have to wait and see.’

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Van De Ven came off in the second half and was seen stretching his hamstring.

However, Postecoglou says the Dutchman’s removal was planned and that Brennan Johnson was suffering through illness.

‘Brennan just didn’t feel well. He didn’t feel well at half-time, but he wanted to give it a go, but he just wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, so I had to take him off,’ said the Australian.

‘And then, well, the plan was always for Micky to play 60, 70 [minutes] today. Obviously, I thought Romero would be okay to play 90, but Mickey, probably 60,70.’

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Cristian Romero has thrown his support behind Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after their disappointing defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

Spurs raced into an early 2-0 lead against their London rivals but capitulated to a disheartening 4-3 defeat after a brace from Cole Palmer as well as goals from Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez.

The result intensifies pressure on Postecoglou whose side sit 11th in the Premier League and have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions.

Despite promises to win a trophy in his second season, Spurs fell to an all-to-familiar defeat under the Australian, with Jamie Carragher suggesting that Postecoglou is risking getting sacked if he doesn’t change his ways.

‘There’s this idea of playing a pure game and the Tottenham fans singing “We’ve got our Tottenham back” but you won’t win anything, you won’t challenge,’ Carragher said on Sky Sports.

‘I wake up every morning hoping the sun is shining, so I can put some shorts and a T-shirt on but if it’s raining, you put your coat on. You can’t have this idea about playing one way, it won’t work. If it doesn’t change, he won’t be here next season.’

Romero, however, insisted his side are still happy under Postecoglou and said injuries were to blame for their topsy-turvy form this campaign.

‘He’s a great coach. We saw it in the first season. In this second one we’ve suffered a lot of injuries,’ Romero, who came off in the second half with a niggle, told Telemundo

‘Players are the first one to be criticised, then if we lose 10 games, the staff can be changed, but nobody talks about what is actually happening.

‘We are very happy with this staff, me and my colleagues. We love how they work and the football they try to play. We’ll try to move on quickly.’

Postecoglou, meanwhile, was still confident that his methods and tactics had buy-in from the players despite the lack of results in the last months.

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‘They are giving everything they can,’ he said after the game. ‘It diminishes performances as well because they probably need a rest but we can’t give them a rest.

‘I think it is something we need to tackle head on and keep pushing on. There is still plenty to play for us between now and January just to make sure we keep performing.

‘I still sense within this squad there is a real conviction in what we are doing and if we maintain that we will turn our season around and hopefully at some point we hit some smoother waters in terms of some of the things that are happening at the moment.’

Spurs will look to get back to winnings ways in midweek when they travel to face Rangers in the Europa League.

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Jamie Carragher labelled Yves Bissouma as ‘braindead’ after the Tottenham midfielder gave away a costly penalty against Chelsea.

Tottenham flew out of the traps at home against their London rivals, with early goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski putting them two goals ahead after 11 minutes.

Jadon Sancho’s superb long-range strike gave Chelsea hope at the break and Enzo Maresca’s side continued to grow into the game after the interval.

However, the Blues were given a gift when Bissouma gave away a penalty after flying recklessly into a challenge on Moises Caicedo.

Cole Palmer duly converted from the spot and later added a second penalty when he was bundled over clumsily by Pape Matar Sarr as Chelsea earned an impressive 4-3 win to move four points behind Liverpool.

Analysing the two penalties at full-time, pundits Carragher and Jamie Redknapp did not hold back in their critique of the Spurs duo.

‘Some of the things Tottenham players do is absolutely ridiculous,’ Carragher told Sky Sports when asked about Bissouma’s foul on Caicedo.

‘It’s a certain penalty. That is absolutely braindead. Who’d be a manager?’

Redknapp added: ‘Caicedo when he went central just started to run the game. Bissouma had 27 seconds of madness.

‘He’s not showing enough pace to get back in there. He dives into a ridiculous tackle. Absolutely ridiculous.’

And the former Tottenham midfielder was equally scathing in his criticism of Sarr’s challenge on Palmer later in the second half.

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‘You know how skilful he [Palmer] is,’ he said. That is so clumsy, that is so bad because this was the moment that cost them the game.

‘Ridiculous challenge, you just cost your team. That’s two ill-disciplined [tackles] from your two defensive midfield players.’

Posting on social media after the game, Bissouma apologised for letting down his teammates and fans and said: ‘I’m so sad for that mistake it’s burning me because we lost the game today from this mistake.

‘I feel sorry for my teammates staff and fans I take all the responsibility for that one I’ll learn from this one it’s time now to show the real me. Thanks for all the support.’

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Enzo Maresca said Chelsea are not yet defensively solid enough to challenge for the Premier League title after their 4-3 win over Tottenham.

The Italian has repeatedly rebuffed the suggestion that his side are contenders for the league title despite their promising start under his tutelage.

But after slip-ups from Arsenal and Manchester City on Saturday, as well as Liverpool’s postponed fixture against Everton, the Blues have daylight in second place and are just four points off top spot.

The manner of Chelsea’s win on Sunday, coming back from 2-0 down to win away from home against local rivals, may only serve to strengthen their title credentials in the eyes of some.

But for Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, it merely reaffirmed just how much they still have to work on if they are going to contend for the title in forthcoming seasons.

‘We have still got a lot to improve on, when we’re ready to push for a title we won’t be 2-0 down in the first 10 minutes,’ Colwill told Sky Sports.

‘That’s the level we need to be at and that’s what we need to keep working on.’

And Maresca was quick to agree with his centre-back’s assessment, insisting that his side are still some way off being considered title hopefules.

‘No, exactly,’ the Italian replied when asked whether he agreed with Colwill’s comments about his side’s perceived lack of defensive solidity.

‘After the game, my message to the players was to be focused day by day, in our session, the next game on Thursday and then Sunday.

‘The main focus has to be to enjoy the day off and when we come back, 100%, train well, go for the game.

‘The fans can dream because from the outside, it is quite clear and inside, the reality is we are not ready but the important thing is we improve day by day.’

Maresca, who was noticeably passionate at full-time, was instead keen to take in the moment and what a big derby-day win meant for the fans.

‘We work every day for these kind of moments, celebrating with the fans,’ he added. ‘For sure, tonight was a derby and the way we are in this moment, we are all happy. To share that moment is fantastic.

‘We need our fans, home and away. I will tell them now in this moment that we need them against Brentford. It won’t be an easy game so we need them to help and push us.’

Jamie Carragher was another who suggested that Chelsea’s defensive options may hold them back as the season drags on.

‘I still look at the goalkeeper and two centre-backs, [Benoit] Badiashile who played today, and I just think I can’t see someone winning the Premier League with that goalkeeper and without a real standout centre-back,’ Carragher told Sky Sports.

‘I think you’d say City winning it with Ederson and [Ruben] Dias, Liverpool with [Virgil] van Dijk and Alisson, going back to Petr Cech and John Terry. those figures, you think, that you need to win a title, I still think Chelsea are a little bit short in those areas.’

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