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Louis Saha has tipped a Premier League manager to replace Ange Postecoglou if he does lose his job at Tottenham.

The 59-year-old Australian is still clinging on despite Spurs being knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in the space of four days.

Tottenham’s dismal Premier League form – they are just 14th in the table with only eight wins from 24 games – would be enough for many owners to pull the plug on their manager.

But the Spurs hierarchy have decided to stick by Postecoglou, who essentially promised to win a trophy this season before Tottenham were eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.

The north London club still have aspirations of winning the Europa League but it is hard to imagine such an outcome given Tottenham’s form and current injury crisis.

If Spurs do sack Postecoglou, former Premier League striker Saha believes Tottenham will try to poach Marco Silva from Fulham, though he hopes the Portuguese boss remains at Craven Cottage.

Silva, 47, has spent five successful seasons at Fulham, taking the west London club not just back into the Premier League but into the top-half of the table.

Saha, who played for both Fulham and Tottenham, believes Silva can ‘build something special’ at Craven Cottage but fears he could be tempted by an offer from Spurs.

‘Marco Silva has been brilliant for Fulham, and he’s one of those managers that has improved in the Premier League,’ the ex-France international told Paddy Power.

‘He wasn’t getting results like this at his previous clubs, but he’s kept his style and managed to bring in players at Fulham and make them better, which is a huge achievement for him.

‘I can see the attraction of him joining a bigger club like Tottenham if they do replace their manager, but I do wish the best for Marco because he’s done well.

‘I don’t want him to go because I like Fulham playing the way they play. He can bring them into Europe and onto a bigger stage – he can build something special.

‘The atmosphere around the club is brilliant, and they can still improve by bringing in some world-class players and building even bigger.’

Following back-to-back cup defeats – to Liverpool and Aston Villa – Tottenham will be desperate to get back to winning ways on Sunday when they play host to Manchester United.

‘We have a couple of weeks now where we don’t have midweek games,’ Postecoglou said after his side’s FA Cup exit.

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‘This group has done an unbelievable job for two and a half months. I can’t praise them enough, playing twice a week since November. They’ll get the chance to reset now and finish the season strong.

‘Europe is still very important to us, we’re still in a great spot there, and we’ll hope to get some players back over the next two weeks.

‘We’ll get players back which will help. We had 11 first-team players out today. Take that out of any team for one game and they would struggle – we’ve been doing that for two and a half months.

‘The players are going out there and giving everything they can. It would be a lot better if they had some help.’

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Moise Kean is in fine form in Serie A this season and has attracted the attention of Arsenal and Tottenham as a result.

The 24-year-old moved to Fiorentina over the summer from Juventus in a move which was worth just £10.8m initially, although with potential add-ons.

After failing to score a single goal in 19 Serie A outings last season, it was no surprise that Juventus were willing to let him go, but he has burst back into life this campaign.

The summer signing is proving to be an absolute bargain as Kean has netted 19 times in 28 appearances in all competitions.

The Italy international scored twice on his last outing as Fiorentina secured an impressive 3-0 win over Inter Milan.

He is now second on the top-scorers chart in Italy, only second to Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui.

Unsurprisingly, his goal-scoring exploits have attracted the attention of Premier League clubs, with TuttoSport reporting that both Arsenal and Tottenham are considering a summer move for the in-form forward.

Kean has had a crack at the Premier League already in a forgettable stint on loan at Everton from Juventus from 2019-20.

It appeared to be a big coup for the Toffees at the time as they signed the then 19-year-old for £25.1m after he made an initial breakthrough at Juve.

The Italian played just 39 games for Everton in all competitions, scoring four goals, heading out to PSG on loan and then making a permanent return to Juventus.

Still just 24 years old, the 19-cap Italy international has had an eventful career already but now appears to be in the form of his life.

Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino said of the striker in December: ‘Moise is doing a great job for the team; he’s our striker and a leader, not just in possession.

‘He needs to keep going like this because he can still grow. Together with the club, we’ve given him a lot of trust and love, and he’s done well to repay it.

‘I’ve been calling him for two years, I tried, and I was very persuasive this year. Credit also goes to the club because Fiorentina have excellent management. I’m happy with Moise Kean and the entire team.’

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The pressure continues to mount on Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, but the bookmakers are unsure who his replacement would be if he does get the sack.

Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Sunday evening, losing 2-1 at Villa Park.

The loss came in the same week a 4-0 defeat at Liverpool saw Tottenham’s hopes of winning the Carabao Cup also ended.

Postecoglou’s side are 14th in the Premier League so any chance of anything resembling success in the top flight appear to be over, leaving the Australian just the Europa League to save the season.

Tottenham are back in Premier League action this weekend, taking on Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in what will be another high-pressure occasion for the Spurs boss.

Defeat to the Red Devils and there will be more calls from Tottenham fans for a replacement in the dugout.

A number of names would be seen as contenders to replace Postecoglou, with four current Premier League bosses seen as joint favourites by the bookmakers.

Next Tottenham manager odds

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna are all priced up as joint 11/2 favourites by Betfair at the time of writing.

All four have done impressive work as Bournemouth, Brentford and Fulham all sit comfortably higher up the Premier League table than Spurs.

Ipswich is a different case, with the Tractor Boys 19th and in serious relegation trouble, but McKenna has done a fantastic job to bring the club into the top flight from League One.

Other names in contention are Edin Terzic (13/2), who is out of work after leaving Borussia Dortmund last year, and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino (7/1), although he is very much in work with USA.

Longer shots include former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (10/1), ex-England boss Gareth Southgate (14/1) and Max Allegri (16/1).

Postecoglou spoke passionately in defence of his players after the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, praising their efforts amid an injury crisis which has plagued Spurs this season.

‘I don’t care about me, people will judge me or whatever,’ he said in his post-match press conference.

‘But you can’t judge this group of players on what’s happened. They’ve given everything. Two 18-year-olds, a 17-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old goalkeeper starting against one of the best teams in the country at home.

‘They [Villa] had a week off, they didn’t play on Thursday night against Liverpool. We did. Same group of players, not a change. You can’t measure this group of players on that and their performance. It’s too easy for people to be critical of them. I have huge admiration and respect for them.

‘There’s got to be a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last two and a half months.

‘It can’t be that people think that is an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff.

‘If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine, good on you, go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the last two and a half months has been outstanding. It’s a credit to them, I can’t speak highly enough of them.’

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Under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has leapt to the defence of young stars and hit out at ‘agenda-driven stuff’ aimed at his side.

Three days on from their limp exit from the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage against Liverpool, Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa on Sunday evening.

Tottenham found themselves a goal down after just one minute with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky at fault, letting Jacob Ramsey’s effort past him all too easily.

Premier League legend Alan Shearer was critical of the 21-year-old after his ‘howler’, commenting ‘what on earth is he doing?’ while on commentary duty as Spurs suffered the worst possible start.

Postecoglou has been managing an almighty injury crisis over the last two months with Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Guglielmo Vicario, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie and James Maddison all still sidelined.

First-choice centre-half pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have also endured injury-hit campaigns.

Postecoglou was without 11 first-team players in total on Sunday with the Australian passionately defending the group.

‘I don’t care about me, people will judge me or whatever,’ he said in his post-match press conference.

‘But you can’t judge this group of players on what’s happened. They’ve given everything. Two 18-year-olds, a 17-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old goalkeeper starting against one of the best teams in the country at home.

‘They [Villa] had a week off, they didn’t play on Thursday night against Liverpool. We did. Same group of players, not a change. You can’t measure this group of players on that and their performance. It’s too easy for people to be critical of them. I have huge admiration and respect for them.’

Postecoglou demanded ‘better appreciation’ of the demands placed on the group of players who have been fit during a packed fixture schedule, taking a swipe at criticism that ‘is not anywhere near close to objective analysis’.

‘Whether people think I can do that or not is for others to judge but there’s got to be a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last two and a half months.

‘It can’t be that people think that is an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff.

‘If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine, good on you, go for it a million times. But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the last two and a half months has been outstanding. It’s a credit to them, I can’t speak highly enough of them.’

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Tottenham were thrashed 4-0 at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday night, with Jamie Carragher labelling three Spurs midfielders a ‘disgrace’ for their performance.

It was complete dominance for the Reds at Anfield and that translated to a one-sided scoreline thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk.

Spurs had won the first leg 1-0 in north London, but it was hard to imagine how they managed that after watching the second contest.

Carragher was stunned with how poor Tottenham’s midfield was at Anfield, slamming the performances of the central trio of Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr.

It was not a criticism of their quality, but the Reds legend couldn’t believe their lack of intensity and aggression against superior opposition.

‘When I looked at those three midfield players today I thought they were a disgrace, those Tottenham midfield players,’ Carragher told Sky Sports.

‘You’re playing a semi-final. First 15 minutes-half an hour, Liverpool will be on the ball, put you under pressure, but get after them, be aggressive.

‘Maybe forget the ball the first half an hour but be aggressive, even f you’re camped in your own half. It was still so easy for Liverpool to get to the edge of the box. Those midfield players didn’t even put a challenge in. It was shocking.’

Carragher was baffled by how easy it was for Liverpool, even saying that Accrington Stanley were a more difficult proposition in the FA Cup earlier this seaosn.

‘I think of a cup tie Liverpool played at home a few weeks ago in the FA Cup,’ he said. ‘Liverpool didn’t play their best team, but I think Accrington Stanley gave more than Tottenham tonight and gave Liverpool more of a problem. That’s not right.’

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou sounded like he agreed with Carragher, at least to some extent, also recognising the lack of aggression.

The fact that he dragged off Sarr and Bissouma before the hour-mark also illustrated what he thought of their performances.

‘Liverpool fully deserved the victory tonight,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘They were the better team. We just weren’t able to get a grip in any part of the game defensively or with the ball. They were too good for us.

‘We allowed them to get into the game, we weren’t aggressive as we needed to be. Again, we didn’t start the game off on the right foot, it allowed them to get comfortable. Once they got comfortable, it was difficult for us to get some control back.’

Former Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp added: ‘We expected more from Tottenham tonight. I cannot get my head around them not having one shot on target in a semi final.

‘I know it is difficult because you have a one-goal lead and you are coming to Anfield, but in the first half they are trying to play it out from the back, the goalkeeper is edgy and the midfield never showed any courage to get on the ball and make things happen.

‘They were so abject and it wasn’t the inexperienced players, it was the experienced ones.’

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Tottenham are looking to hold onto a slender lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool tonight.

A place in the final at Wembley on 16 March now looms with Newcastle United awaiting the winner after sending Arsenal packing on Wednesday night.

Spurs hold the advantage ahead of kick-off. Lucas Bergvall’s late strike in north London in early January left them in control of the tie but they know full well how Liverpool can punish them having conceded six in their league meeting in December.

After that first leg win, Ange Postecoglou’s side managed just one win in their next four domestic matches – that coming against non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup – before some of the gloom was lifted thanks to an impressive win away to Brentford on Sunday.

January additions have also helped renew optimism with injuries still wreaking havoc on the manager’s plans.

Mathys Tel completed his loan move from Bayern Munich on deadline day and is in contention to make his debut tonight.

Tottenham also bolstered their battered backline with the signing of Kevin Danso from Lens on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. He is another who could come straight into the side.

His arrival follows yet another injury blow at the back with Radu Dragusin set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery.

Cristian Romero is back in training but Spurs are understandably cautious over his return with ‘some work he needs to do’ before he will be considered for a return, Postecoglou said last week.

Micky van de Ven meanwhile made his long awaited return in the Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday but will not be part of the squad on Merseyside.

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke remain on the injured list along with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Liverpool meanwhile tightened their grip on top spot in the Premier League with a win over high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday but were handed an injury scare when Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off.

Arne Slot revealed the right-back asked to be taken off, admitting he would be ‘surprised’ if he played on Thursday night.

But Alexander-Arnold has avoided any serious injury and is unlikely to be ruled out for any significant amount of time.

Conor Bradley is ready to step and replace him tonight.

With Joe Gomez back in training, Slot has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Predicted Liverpool XI to face Tottenham

Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravernberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Diaz

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Liverpool

Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

Where to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham? Kick-off time and TV channel

Liverpool vs Tottenham kicks off at 8pm on Thursday 6 February.

Live coverage is available on ITV 1, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with a live stream available on the Sky Go app and NOW TV.

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Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso are in line to make their Tottenham debuts against Liverpool in this week’s Carabao Cup semi-final decider.

In a frantic conclusion to the January transfer window, Tel arrived in north London from Bayern Munich on loan with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Arsenal and Manchester United were both interested in the 19-year-old but it was Spurs who were able to get the deal over the line.

Danso arrived earlier in the week to boost Tottenham’s battered backine, securing the Austria international’s services having beaten Wolves to his signature.

Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory over Arne Slot’s side in the first leg of their semi-final tie early in January but face a daunting trip to Anfield on Thursday.

With injuries at the back and up top severely limiting Ange Postecoglou’s options, the Tottenham boss will have both his new signings available on Merseyside.

Postecoglou said: ‘Kevin [Danso] and Mathys [Tel] are both available, have trained and cleared to play, so they’re all good.’

Spurs are without first choice striker Dominic Solanke who is recovering from a knee injury with Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and James Maddison among the long list of absentees.

Tel, who can play across the front three, will hope to slot straight in.

Danso, who joined on loan from Lens in a deal that includes an obligation to buy this summer, could start with Cristian Romero still working his way back to full fitness and Radu Dragusin this week sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Micky van de Ven made his return from injury in the 3-0 win over Elfsborg in the Europa League on Thursday but was left out of the squad that beat Brentford at the weekend.

The Netherlands international is another who won’t be involved on Thursday but Postecoglou insisted the Netherlands he has not suffered a setback with the club carefully managing his return to action.

‘With Micky, and Romero to a certain extent, I kind of feel we have to be conservative with them, Postecoglou said.

‘Micky got through the game (against Elfsborg last Thursday) alright but I don’t think he feels ready for the step up in intensity to the Premier League.

‘After losing Radu, and this is my view, I don’t want to risk losing them. The other guys are inching closer as well.’

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Tottenham could unleash their new signings as they look to hold onto a slender lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Lucas Bergvall’s late strike in north London in early January put Spurs in control of the tie ahead of this week’s second leg at Anfield.

Ange Postecoglou’s side managed just one win in their next four domestic matches – that coming against non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup – before some of the gloom was lifted thanks to an impressive win away to Brentford on Sunday.

January additions have also helped renew optimism with injuries still wreaking havoc on the manager’s plans.

Mathys Tel completed his loan move from Bayern Munich on deadline day and could be in line to make his debut midweek should Postecoglou deem him fit enough to come right into the side.

Tottenham also bolstered their battered backline with the signing of Kevin Danso from Lens on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. He is another who could come straight into the side.

His arrival follows yet another injury blow at the back with Radu Dragusin set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing ACL surgery.

Cristian Romero is back in training but Spurs are understandably cautious over his return with ‘some work he needs to do’ before he will be considered for a return, Postecoglou said last week.

Micky van de Ven meanwhile made his long awaited return in the Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday but was not in the squad that made the short trip to Brentford at the weekend.

While he is fit again, the Dutchman’s minutes are being managed carefully at this stage.

James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and Dominic Solanke remain on the injured list along with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Liverpool meanwhile tightened their grip on top spot in the Premier League with a win over high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday but were handed an injury scare when Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off.

Arne Slot revealed the right-back asked to be taken off, admitting he would be ‘surprised’ if he played on Thursday night.

But Alexander-Arnold is believed to have avoided any serious injury and is unlikely to be ruled out for any significant amount of time. But Conor Bradley looks likely to step and replace him on Merseyside this week.

With Joe Gomez back in training, Slot has a fully fit squad to choose from.

Predicted Liverpool XI to face Tottenham

Alisson, Bradley, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Gravernberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Diaz

Predicted Tottenham XI to face Liverpool

Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr, Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son

Where to watch Liverpool vs Tottenham? Kick-off time and TV channel

Liverpool vs Tottenham kicks off at 8pm on Thursday 6 February.

Live coverage is available on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with a live stream available on the Sky Go app and NOW TV.

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Manchester United passed up the chance to sign Mathys Tel ahead of Tottenham as they considered the deal too expensive, according to reports.

Tel initially rejected a move to Tottenham last Friday after Spurs agreed a €60 million (£50.2m) deal with Bayern Munich.

However, the 19-year-old had a change of heart and ended up joining Spurs on loan on the final day of the January transfer window.

Spurs were also able to include an option to buy Tel this summer for €55m (£45.7m) as part of their agreement with Bayern.

United had held talks to sign Tel in the closing stages of the window but The Telegraph report that the club considered Bayern’s demand for a £5m loan fee to be an ‘expensive risk’ for a player who is ‘largely unproven’.

Tel, who joined Bayern in a €28.5m (£24.4m) deal from Rennes in July 2022, has started just three games for the Bundesliga leaders this season.

Gary Neville has backed Tel to make an impact at Spurs, with Ange Postecoglou’s side still in with a chance of winning the Europa League, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this season.

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‘Tottenham are a huge draw, the stadium and the training ground and the manager with his style of football. It’s a thrilling style that creates chances,’ Neville told Sky Sports News.

‘I’m glad Tel is going there after flirting with a couple of other clubs. Tel will improve Spurs.

‘They have a big couple of weeks coming up. Sometimes players like the idea of playing for a club but the important thing is to play football. That’s what Tottenham can provide him.

‘They are an amazing football club with an amazing fanbase and they have some great games coming up that he can contribute in.’

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Tottenham made a shock attempt to sign a top Chelsea and Liverpool target amid their chaotic end to the January transfer window.

With Monday’s transfer deadline fast approaching, Spurs have tried to make a number of big name moves happen as they look to rescue their season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side agreed deals to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, Fikayo Tomori from AC Milan and Axel Disasi from Chelsea – only for all three to turn them down.

Tel continues to court interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, while Disasi could join Aston Villa on loan instead.

Tomori and Disasi were targeted given Tottenham’s injury crisis at centre-back and the club have at the very least been able to sign Kevin Danso after they hijacked Wolves’ move for the Lens defender.

But it has now been reported that Spurs have also made an ambitious move to buy a centre-back from a Premier League rival.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the Lilywhites made a bid for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi over the weekend but it was rejected.

Other reports claim that the offer was worth up to £70million

The England international will stay at Selhurst Park but remains on Tottenham’s shortlist and is set to be the subject of an epic transfer saga this summer.

Guehi has long been on the radar of top clubs around Europe, with interest only growing after his superb performances at Euro 2024.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in his services but only Newcastle attempted to sign him last summer, with their third and final bid worth £65m.

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Palace were holding out for £70m but having failed to tie him down to a new contract, it seems very likely their captain will move on come the end of the season with his current deal expiring in 2026.

It is said the Eagles now want at least £40m for the 24-year-old whom they signed from Chelsea in 2021 for £18m, with the Blues are also very keen on bringing the Cobham graduate back to Stamford Bridge.

While Guehi is going nowhere right now, Palace are set to sign Ben Chilwell on loan from Chelsea providing he passes his medical on deadline day.

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