Daily Mail

Son Heung-min has been back among the goals for South Korea, scoring in the World Cup qualifiers against Kuwait and Palestine to smash the 50-goal barrier in international football, and move within seven of his country's record held by Cha Bum-kun.

Son is safely in the land of legends when it comes to his achievements and Tottenham boss Ange Posteocglou will be pleased to see his captain hitting the net a couple of times before Saturday's trip to Manchester City.

Spurs could do with a lift after losing at home to Ipswich on their last outing, a defeat which left them wallowing in mid-table and off the pace in the Premier League. They could do with their most reliable source of goals finding his rhythm again, too.

Son has scored more for South Korea (10 in 15 appearances) than for Spurs (8 in 26) in 2024 with a theory forming that at the age of 32, he might have lost a little of his zip.

He has scored in just two Tottenham games this season despite the team scoring freely. His most recent was the fourth of four against West Ham. Previously, there were two in another four-goal romp against Everton.

At the end of last season, he grabbed late consolations in defeats against Arsenal and Liverpool. His last truly decisive goal was against Luton in March, a goal which took him beyond Cliff Jones into the club's top five scorers of all time.

Brennan Johnson on the opposite flank has carried a greater threat with seven in all competitions this season. Johnson's sheer straight-line pace and determination to get in at the back post makes him effective under Postecoglou, who likes his wingers wide to open inside channels for runners from midfield or his full backs.

One of Son's great strengths has always been his ability to go either side of the full back from his position on the left wing, but his tendency has for years been to roll infield and pepper the goal with shots off his right foot or accelerate into the spaces created when Harry Kane dropped deep.

His finest individual season came in 2021-22, sharpening his finishing in a team that became clinical on the counter-attack when Antonio Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo. He claimed a Golden Boot with 23 goals and seven assists in the Premier League. Spurs finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.

Yet under Postecoglou, Son scores or assists every 109 minutes, a better rate than under any of his other managers at the club.

Spurs though are scoring more than they did under Conte or Jose Mourinho and since he left for Bayern Munich there has been no Kane to take the lion's share, and all the penalties.

The goals flow from all areas in Postecoglou's team and last season nobody finished with more than Son's 17. The most basic metrics bear scrutiny. Even when it comes to pure speed, the Premier League speed gun clocked him at a top speed of 21.8mph this season, which is quicker than five years ago when it was first introduced.

Son's season has been disrupted by a hamstring injury. He picked it up late in a Europa League tie against Qarabag in September and a setback forced him to miss most of October and prompted a warning from Postecoglou.

'We've got to be sensible about it,' said the Spurs boss as he conceded injuries among the forwards had led him to play Son more than he would have liked. 'I don't think it's got so much to do with his age because I haven't seen that affect him.

'It's more I just don't think that kind of workload in the modern game is sustainable. We've spoken a lot about fixture overload and part of that responsibility lies with us to try to protect our players and certainly with Sonny we're going to have to be mindful of that.'

On his return, Son was replaced early in the second half against Aston Villa with the game poised at 1-1 and threw a tantrum on the bench after coming off, notable because it was so out of character. Spurs ran out 4-1 winners and with his changes justified Postecoglou calmly dismissed his captain's reaction as just one of those things.

Like all players, Son wants to play. Beyond that, football is his life, such is his dedication to his career. His deep reserves of physical endurance come from punishing training regimes in his youth, designed and overseen by his father. So does his discipline and unflinching focus on his football.

He is a true icon in South Korea, committed to leading them to a World Cup in two years' time in the USA with its large Korean community.

Postecoglou understands what he means to his country and nobody at Spurs expects him to step down from international football, but the stress of long-haul travel will only add to the demands of the relentless nature of AngeBall on his 32-year-old body.

Once again, muscle injuries are piling up on Tottenham. Wilson Odobert has had surgery on a hamstring problem. Micky van de Ven missed the last three games and Richarlison is sidelined, both hamstrings.

Meanwhile, Cristian Romero, who has been playing despite a toe injury, was forced off during Argentina's World Cup qualifier in Paraguay last week and did not feature against Peru on Tuesday.

Woven into the Son debate and arguably as important as his advancing years, fitness or tactics, is the loss of Kane and the fading form of James Maddison. Son and Maddison struck an instant chemistry at the start of last season on the left side of the team.

It helped soften Kane's exit but Maddison is not a guaranteed starter now, with Dejan Kulusevski thriving in a deeper role and Pape Matar Sarr proving important to the midfield balance. The team is evolving in the way teams do.

Then there is the matter of Son's contract, which expires at the end of this season with a clause for one more year which can be exercised unilaterally by the club.

Mail Sport understands it has not yet been triggered although Spurs fully intend to do this when the time is right. It will tie Son down until 2026, then at the end of this season we will be back in the uncertain territory of a Tottenham captain with only a year on his contract.

Daniel Levy has had an aversion to stars walking out on a free ever since Sol Campbell left for Arsenal in the year he became chairman. Kane was not granted his request to leave until grinding his contract into its final year while showing absolutely no hint of signing another.

Would Levy want Son, the most famous footballer in Asia and such a huge commercial asset, to walk out on a free in 2026? Will he look to sell him this summer having protected his value by activating the clause? Or would he be prepared to lavish a new contract on a player who will be 34 at the end of this extra year?

In Mikey Moore, 17, and Odobert, 19, there are wide forwards of exciting potential already in the building.

Spurs could not wish to have a more distinguished role model for them than Son in his twilight years but would this have any appeal for him? He might not want to extend his time at the club by signing another one-year or two-year contract when there are likely to be attractive deals and fresh challenges on offer, possibly in the USA.

These questions will become more prominent in the weeks ahead. It would be remiss of both sides not to be considering their options. Managing a fitting closing chapter for the legends is easy to get wrong.

In the shorter term Postecoglou needs Son scoring goals and winning games again for Tottenham.

Tottenham are poised to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-match ban for an alleged racist remark made about team-mate Son Heung-min in a TV interview.

Spurs do not indent to contest the guilty verdict but are hoping to get his domestic ban reduced.

Mail Sport's Sami Mokbel exclusively revealed earlier in November that the FA were set to hit the Uruguayan with a huge ban following the incident. He was subsequently given his seven-game sanction and fined £100,000.

The FA have a minimum timespan of six games for bans pertaining to racial abuse but gave Bentancur an extra game as they felt his comments constituted an 'aggravated breach'.

Bentancur, 27, was charged by the FA on September 12 with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview, which emerged in June and showed Bentancur being asked by the host of Canal 10 to show the shirt of a Spurs player.

Former Juventus player Bentancur replied: 'Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same.'

While Bentancur swiftly apologised, due to this being an 'aggravated breach', an independent regulatory commission panel was required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

The independent regulatory commission panel upheld the charge and Bentancur is set to sit out Tottenham's next seven domestic fixtures, but will be able to feature for the club in upcoming Europa League matches with Roma and Rangers.

An FA spokesperson said: 'An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

'It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

'It was further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference - whether express or implied - to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

'Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.'

Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was hit with a three-match ban and £100,000 fine back in 2020 after the Uruguay legend used the word 'negrito' in a social media post.

Cavani sent the message to a friend after his match-winning performance against Southampton in November 2020, but the FA decided it was discriminatory in nature and charged him with misconduct.

While on international duty with his national side this week, Tottenham midfielder Bentancur revealed that he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be harsh.

'My agent rang me and told me he had been notified that this was the sanction,' the 27-year-old said. 'So far, the club haven't contacted me. I already knew more or less where it was going.

'Now the sanction is out, I want to be calm here with the national team. Then we'll see when it's time to go back.'

Bentancur has played an important role for Ange Postecoglou this campaign, featuring in 10 of Tottenham's 11 Premier League games so far, starting seven.

The only league match the Uruguayan has missed this season was Spurs' home clash with Everton on the second weekend, when Postecoglou's side triumphed 4-0.

Breaking his silence on the incident earlier this summer, the former Juventus star took to social media to deliver a grovelling apology to Son, insisting to the Spurs captain it was a 'very bad joke'.

He said: 'Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke!

'You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!'

Son in fact revealed that team-mate Bentancur was close to tears when he apologised over the alleged racial slur.

'At the moment because of the FA process I can't say much about it,' said Son in September. 'But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We've a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.

'He knew and he apologised straight afterwards. We were on holiday. I was at home. I didn't even realise what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.

'When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry, and almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.'

'I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him,' the South Korean said when he first broke his silence on the incident in June.

'He knows he made a mistake but I've no problem at all with him. We move on as a team-mate and friend and as a brother. We move on together.

'We have to wait for what the FA says in their process. I can't say much but what I can say is I love Rodrigo, there's nothing more to say.'

Bentancur's comment came less than a year after a fan was handed a three-year football ban for racially abusing Son.

Robert Garland made the racial gesture at the forward after he was substituted in the 89th minute against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on May 6 2023.

The 44-year-old fan pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Highbury Magistrates Court on August 25 and was convicted later that year.

The incident in May 2023 marked the third time Son had been targeted by racial abuse during while representing Tottenham last season.

After the initial incident, Tottenham released a statement of their own on social media, informing that they were aiding the process in pursuit of a 'positive outcome'.

'Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter,' the club wrote.

'This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.

'We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.

'We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game or within wider society.'

Sky, Prime Video, TNT Sports, and talkSPORT are backing The Multibank’s effort

Tottenham are the first Premier League club to sign up to the initiative

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

The UK’s largest sports broadcasters are joining forces to support a coalition aimed at supporting hygiene poverty.

Sky, Prime Video, TNT Sports, and talkSPORT are combining in unprecedented show of solidarity to support The Multibank’s hygiene poverty campaign 2024.

The broadcasters will use their programming schedule to promote the cause as well as signposting fans to upcoming related matchday events during live shows.

Furthermore, Tottenham are the first Premier League club to sign up to the initiative, while the Raheem Sterling Foundation, Premiership Rugby side Harlequins and rugby league team Wigan Warriors have also committed.

Spurs are hosting a match-day fan donation drive during their home clash versus Fulham on December 1.

Donna-Maria Cullen, executive director at Tottenham Hotspur, said: ‘For many years, the club has made donations to its local foodbanks ahead of Christmas in support of the most vulnerable within our community.

‘We are therefore delighted to be supporting The Multibank in its Christmas campaign around the too often overlooked issue of hygiene poverty. We are certain that our football family will unite to ensure young people in our area are able to build their confidence from an early stage in life by having access to basic hygiene products.’

The 2024 Christmas campaign - led by Kelly Hogarth, the architect of Marcus Rashford’s successful End Child Food Poverty initiative - is designed to raise awareness, and respond to the rising issues of hygiene poverty amongst young people, guaranteeing that they can head into 2025 equipped with the tools, assurance, and confidence they need to maximise their potential in the classroom.

For 46 percent of households, washing detergent is considered a luxury item on the shopping list, rising in cost at a rate of 41.6 percent in three years.

Similarly, 42 percent of households are without deodorant, 400,000 are without soap or toothpaste.

School staff are recognising the problem and have noted withdrawal and bullying has risen as a result.

Tottenham have reimagined their club badge in a bid to inject the club's brand with a 'more playful, daring approach' - but differences between the two silhouettes are proving challenging for fans to spot.

The north London side have used their iconic cockerel logo since the early 1920s, and it has featured on all iterations of the badge since.

Spurs have been using the most recent version of their badge - a cleanly modern design - since 2006, with the occasional tweaks.

But the latest version of the club's crest has taken minimalism to new heights.

In a press release shared on Monday, the side shared that they had been working on a full revamp of their 'brand identity' for nine months with branding specialists Studio Nomad.

The aim is, the club states, to embrace 'its rich history and unmistakable heritage'.

In the old design, the cockerel stands on a vintage-style football with the words 'Tottenham Hotspur' emblazoned underneath in the club's rich navy blue.

The new design might leave fans rubbing their eyes as to where the changes have been made - but one of the most obvious tweaks is the removal of the club's name.

Another is the slight darkening of the navy blue, a change which Tottenham believes has left the silhouette 'standing prouder than ever'.

But while supporters might be left scratching their heads about the necessity of the reimagined badge, manager Ange Postecoglou has thrown his support behind the refreshing of the club's image.

'We want to be a certain type of football club - we want success like everyone else, but we want to arrive there doing it our way,' the manager said of the new designs.

'The brand represents consistently challenging what you do and looking for an edge - when you do get it right, you create something special.'

The club's executive director Donna-Maria Cullen added: 'This is a Club that drives, that forges, that innovates, that is relentless both on and off the pitch. This phenomenal exercise has been about bringing it all together, defining it, taking it to the next level.

'The reimagined brand embraces all the excitement, all the innovation and shows that we're going to be brave, we're going to be exciting and we're going to have some fun – this is where we should be with our brand right now.'

As well as the new badge, the club is introducing the THFC monogram redolent of the club's late 20th century imagery, refreshing their fonts and colours, and introduce 'new patterns and hallmarks linked to the Club's heritage'.

Tottenham fans will hope this reinvented outlook inspires their players after heading into the international break having lost in both the Europa League to Galatasaray, and Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

The club currently sits 10th in the league standings, and will travel to champions Manchester City at the Etihad when domestic football returns this weekend.

Rodrigo Bentancur could play for Tottenham as early as November 28 thanks to a little-known loophole after receiving a seven-match ban from the Football Association.

The Spurs player was handed the suspension and a £100,000 fine after an independent commission upheld the FA's charges relating to an allegedly racist remark made during a Uruguayan television interview.

Bentancur was asked by the interviewer for the shirt of his team-mate Son Heung-min and responded with the comment that it could from the South Korean's 'cousin' as 'they all look the same'.

The 27-year-old apologised to Son both on social media and in person but Mail Sport revealed earlier this month that the organisation were set to hit Bentancur with a lengthy ban regardless.

Due to the charge being an 'aggravated breach', the independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case, resulting in the robust punishment.

But Ange Postecoglou could be able to call upon the former Juventus man sooner rather than later despite the ban being effective immediately.

Bentancur's ban will only apply for domestic features, but - while keeping the player out of Premier League and Carabao Cup action - will not impact Tottenham's European travails.

This means that Bentacur could yet feature in Tottenham's upcoming Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers.

Bentancur has denied the charge and can appeal the ruling if he so chooses.

Postecoglou will be relieved that he is able to call up one of his first-team stalwarts with Spurs hovering just above the play-off places in the league's table with two matches left to play.

Bentacur has been a reliable presence for the Antipodean manager this season, featuring in 10 of the club's 11 Premier League matches thus far.

An FA spokesperson shared news of the ban in a statement on Monday, writing: 'An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

'It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

'It was further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference - whether express or implied - to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

'Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.'

While on international duty with his national side this week, the Tottenham midfielder revealed that he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be harsh.

'My agent rang me and told me he had been notified that this was the sanction.' The 27-year-old said. 'So far, the club haven't contacted me. I already knew more or less where it was going.

'Now the sanction is out, I want to be calm here with the national team. Then we'll see when it's time to go back.'

After the initial event, Tottenham released a statement of their own on social media, informing that they were aiding the process in pursuit of a 'positive outcome'.

'Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter,' the club wrote.

'This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.

'We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.

'We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game or within wider society.'

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been given a seven-match domestic ban by the Football Association for an alleged racist remark made about team-mate Son Heung-min in a TV interview.

Mail Sport's Sami Mokbel had exclusively revealed earlier in November that the FA were set to hit the Uruguayan with a lengthy ban following the incident, with the length of that punishment now confirmed as seven games.

Bentancur was charged by the FA on September 12 with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview, which emerged in June and showed Bentancur being asked by the host of Canal 10 to show the shirt of a Spurs player.

Former Juventus player Bentancur replied: 'Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same.'

While an apology from Bentancur was swiftly forthcoming, due to this being an 'aggravated breach', an independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

The independent regulatory commission panel upheld the charge and Bentancur is set to sit out Tottenham's next seven domestic fixtures, but will be able to feature for the club in upcoming Europa League matches with Roma and Rangers.

An FA spokesperson said: 'An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

'It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

'It was further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference - whether express or implied - to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

'Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.'

Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was hit with a three-match ban and £100,000 fine back in 2020 after the Uruguay legend used the word 'negrito' in a social media post.

Cavani sent the message to a friend after his match-winning performance against Southampton in November 2020, but the FA decided it was discriminatory in nature and charged him with misconduct.

While on international duty with his national side this week, the Tottenham midfielder revealed that he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be harsh.

'My agent rang me and told me he had been notified that this was the sanction.' The 27-year-old said. 'So far, the club haven't contacted me. I already knew more or less where it was going.

'Now the sanction is out, I want to be calm here with the national team. Then we'll see when it's time to go back.'

Bentancur has played an important role for Ange Postecoglou this campaign, featuring in 10 of Tottenham's 11 Premier League games so far, starting seven.

The only league match the Uruguayan has missed this season was Spurs' home clash with Everton on the second weekend, when Postecoglou's side triumphed 4-0.

Breaking his silence on the incident earlier this summer, the former Juventus star took to social media to deliver a grovelling apology to Son, insisting to the Spurs captain it was a 'very bad joke'.

He said: 'Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke!

'You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!'

Son in fact revealed that team-mate Bentancur was close to tears when he apologised over the alleged racial slur.

'At the moment because of the FA process I can't say much about it,' said Son in September. 'But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We've a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.

'He knew and he apologised straight afterwards. We were on holiday. I was at home. I didn't even realise what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.

'When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry, and almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.'

'I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him,' the South Korean said when he first broke his silence on the incident in June.

'He knows he made a mistake but I've no problem at all with him. We move on as a team-mate and friend and as a brother. We move on together.

'We have to wait for what the FA says in their process. I can't say much but what I can say is I love Rodrigo, there's nothing more to say.'

Bentancur's comment came less than a year after a fan was handed a three-year football ban for racially abusing Son.

Robert Garland made the racial gesture at the forward after he was substituted in the 89th minute against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on May 6 2023.

The 44-year-old fan pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Highbury Magistrates Court on August 25 and was convicted later that year.

The incident in May 2023 marked the third time Son had been targeted by racial abuse during while representing Tottenham last season.

After the initial event, Tottenham released a statement of their own on social media, informing that they were aiding the process in pursuit of a 'positive outcome'.

'Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter,' the club wrote.

'This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.

'We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.

'We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game or within wider society.'

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Sunday that summer signing Wilson Odobert had undergone surgery on his right hamstring.

The French winger has only featured in five games for Spurs since joining from Burnley in August for a transfer fee of £25million plus £5m in add-ons.

Spurs said in a club statement: 'We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16 November).

'The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training.'

Odobert's surgery took place at the Princess Grace Hospital in Marylebone.

The player used Instagram to share a photo from his hospital bed, alongside the caption: 'Thanks god'.

Tottenham centre back Micky van de Ven has also been struggling with a hamstring issue in recent weeks.

The Dutch defender suffered the injury during Tottenham's 2-1 win over Manchester City in the EFL Cup on November 3.

Van de Ven has since missed matches against Aston Villa, Galatasaray and Ipswich.

However, Spurs expect Van de Ven to be available to face Man City again after the international break on November 23.

Plenty of people like to attack Tottenham. They like it because it’s easy - anyone can get a good shot off against Spurs and the other day that extended to an unlikely source. Hugo Lloris was one of their own and even he fancied a ping.

The dig was slipped into the pages of his new book and aimed at Daniel Levy. It was a cheap hit, really, and based on a gesture that backfired before the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool, when the chairman gifted each of his players a luxury watch. The offence, such as it was, had been caused by a word inscribed on the back: ‘Finalist.’

‘Who does such a thing at a moment like this?’ Lloris wrote. ‘I still haven’t got over it, and I’m not alone.

‘I have considerable respect for the man but there are things he is simply not sensitive to. As magnificent as the watch is, I have never worn it. With an engraving like that, Levy couldn’t have been surprised if we had been 1-0 down after a couple of minutes.’

Drawing a line between a watch and an iffy penalty after 106 seconds was a bit of a stretch. Daft even, and Lloris isn’t typically a daft man. But it was always going to be a point that found an audience, because it played to the old theme of Tottenham lacking the right stuff.

I never much cared for the ‘Spursy’ term – it doesn’t carry the wit of its cousin, ‘Dr Tottenham’. As in, Dr Tottenham will see you now and take all your problems away. They gave Palace a first win of the season and supplied the same relief for Ipswich. Next up, they face Manchester City and the expectation will be of a similar service to Pep Guardiola in his time of need.

Whenever I think of Tottenham, I think about my nephew, a wonderful boy. He can run through the names and nuances of their squad without drawing breath and could probably recite the birthdays, too – he’s at that lovely stage on the obsession arc. But he knows the drill by now, so when they dominated Leicester on the opening day and left with a draw, he sent me a message: ‘Classic Spurs.’ He’s 11 years old and sometimes my sister blames herself for what was imposed on him.

But he’s very much pro-Ange and that’s nice, because I tend to think Postecoglou is the most fascinating manager in the division.

I wrote in this space towards the end of last season about the beautiful madness of Postecoglou and compared him a little facetiously to one of those preachers who demonstrate their faith with rattlesnakes. The point was about knowing the dangers of placing too much belief in an ideology, because there are only so many times you can get bitten.

It’s been just over a year since he took Tottenham to the top of the Premier League and introduced us to the style that was so daring and intoxicating, before it started to look so flawed. Coming out of this international break, they sit 10th and we aren’t talking about a blip or post-Euros lull.

If we were to study the past 38 league games, only four clubs among the 17 who retained their place in the division have lost more than the 16 given up by Postecoglou’s Tottenham and their 56 points in that span is good for 10th. They would be considerably closer to the bottom three than top three in that reckoning - Bournemouth have one point more.

It’s not a real league table but it is a real funk.

Eventually it won’t be enough to merely offer more entertainment than an Antonio Conte side, and we may be there already. To listen to the rather irate fan who called into talkSPORT last weekend, Postecoglou ‘couldn’t motivate a tin of tuna’.

You might struggle with the imagery but you can understand the frustrations – a team that stuffed United at Old Trafford, beat Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and put four on Aston Villa also lost to Ipswich and Palace and took nothing from a 2-0 lead at Brighton.

They are a side to be enjoyed but not trusted. A side that goes on a lovely stroll up field but is forever leaving the house unlocked. A side that routinely gives up the first goal in games. A side that remains one of the worst for defending set-pieces. A side with no plan B, but plan A could only really work if Son Heung-min was closer to his brilliant peak and a truly elite finisher had replaced Harry Kane.

And so you have to wonder about Postecoglou. After City, their next nine league fixtures include Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal, as well as the overachievers at Fulham and Nottingham Forest. It could be a slog.

But I’d hope none of that feeds into the usual outcome for a manager. The league is better for the presence of a stubborn dreamer, a scowler in a black suit who is committed to using only the brightest colours in his work.

Postecoglou’s image versus his tactical outlook mimics the contradictions of the club itself – they have the finest stadium in football but an institutional resistance to spending the wages necessary to fill it with the best players.

For Levy, top four will always be the prime objective, anything else a bonus, and that’s the sort of messaging Lloris was fumbling at. The summer transfer business supported what is so often said about them, because when an opportunity presented itself, with Liverpool and Chelsea changing manager and United panicked into keeping Erik Ten Hag, Spurs signed four teenagers and one established striker in Dominic Solanke.

The regret comes from the impression that when chances present themselves, Levy sets the template for what follows on the pitch – he just won’t convert.

To watch Tottenham is to see a team that is not so far off. If anything, there have been improvements in everything but the numbers that actually matter. No one has scored more, only four have conceded less. It just mostly strikes in the wrong places at the wrong times.

Those are metrics which indicate the manager’s system could work. That with a higher calibre of personnel the madness could have some merit.

But for now, it is easier to enjoy the idea of Postecoglou more than the reality. Those maligned watches are ticking on how long it is considered sustainable.

Why Cates could be what Match of the Day needs

Our reporters were asked the question this week of who should replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day. I went with Kelly Cates, who shared a quite brilliant tale when I interviewed her and Graeme Souness six years ago about their work together on Sky Sports.

I had brought along a black and white photograph of Souness holding Cates as a toddler and she had her tongue poked out at him. Of course, Souness is close to her old man, Kenny Dalglish, and so he was over at their house pretty regularly in those Liverpool days, which led to him often taking Cates out in her pram. In our chat she outed his motive to use her as his ‘wing man’.

There was no denial from Souness: ‘Without realising it, she was my introduction to some lovely young ladies. I’d be walking along and then, “What a gorgeous baby”.’

His grin told the rest of that story, before he went on to paint a picture of how he, Alan Hansen and Dalglish would forever park themselves in the latter’s living room to debate the nitty gritty of football. When Cates walked in, she would hold her own. These days she still does, steering the discussions between Sky’s alphas better than anyone and with no ego. It feels precisely like the change of pace that Match of the Day needs.

Tyson's defeat was a sad spectacle

Out of curiosity I watched Mike Tyson’s defeat to Jake Paul.

He looked old walking to the ring and he looked older as he ambled around after that muppet for eight rounds. It was a despicable concept but above all else it just felt a bit sad that it ever came to this.

Former Tottenham and Barcelona forward has enjoyed a lucrative career change

The 35-year-old now makes £400,000-per-year in the petrochemical industry

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A former Spurs player who was once likened to Lionel Messi has ventured into the oil business after hanging up his boots.

Despite earning more than 100 international caps throughout his career, the highly-touted winger struggled to make an impact in north London during a four-year stint.

He would go on to turn out for several different sides after leaving White Hart Lane, before hanging up his boots aged just 32.

However, despite never reaching the lofty heights predicted of him during his playing career, the 35-year-old has managed to find lucrative success away from the sport.

According to reports from Mexican outlet Claro Sports, Giovani Dos Santos is now making a comfortable living in the petrochemical industry, with his earnings reportedly around £400,000 or 10 million Mexican pesos per year.

Dos Santos is said to have become in a partner in the company Procura Mexico, part of the country's state-owned oil giant Pemex.

The three-time Gold Cup winner is also said to have a business selling luxury cars in his home country.

Dos Santos initially burst onto the scene as a graduate of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, making his first-team debut aged just 18 and coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry.

In his only full season with the club's first team Dos Santos quickly became a regular feature under then Barca boss Frank Rijkaard alongside fellow academy stars Bojan and a certain Lionel Messi.

A hat-trick in the Blaugrana's final league game of the 2007-08 campaign served as yet more proof of the teenager's potential, but with competition for places fierce he joined Tottenham that summer.

The move would ultimately prove unsuccessful however, and he would be shipped out on loan three times before leaving the club permanently in 2012 without having scored a single Premier League goal.

Spells in La Liga with Mallorca and Villarreal served as yet more proof of the winger's ability under the right circumstances, and he then spent four years in the MLS with LA Galaxy.

A final two-year stint in Liga MX with America followed but injuries limited his involvement and he left the club in 2021.

Rodrigo Bentancur is anticipating a severe sanction from the FA for his alleged racist remark about South Koreans whilst on Uruguayan TV in the summer.

Appearing on the show, Bentancur was asked for a Tottenham player's jersey and replied, 'Sonny's?' - referencing his team-mate Son Heung-min.

He then added it could be Son's cousin, too, because 'more or less they are all the same'.

The FA confirmed that they have charged the South American for an 'aggravated breach' of their rules in September. A statement began: 'Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview.'

Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Thursday that the midfielder is likely to receive a seven match ban - but that figure is unconfirmed.

While on international duty with his national side this week, the Tottenham midfielder revealed that he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be harsh.

'My agent rang me and told me he had been notified that this was the sanction.' The 27-year-old said. 'So far, the club haven't contacted me. I already knew more or less where it was going.

'Now the sanction is out, I want to be calm here with the national team. Then we'll see when it's time to go back.'

Bentancur has played an important role for Ange Postecoglou this campaign, featuring in 10 of Tottenham's 11 Premier League games so far, starting seven.

The only league match the Uruguayan has missed this season was Spurs' home clash with Everton on the second weekend, when Postecoglou's side triumphed 4-0.

Breaking his silence on the incident earlier this summer, the former Juventus star took to social media to deliver a grovelling apology to Son, insisting to the Spurs captain it was a 'very bad joke'.

He said: 'Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke!

'You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!'

The South Korean revealed that team-mate Bentancur was close to tears when he apologised over the alleged racial slur.

'At the moment because of the FA process I can't say much about it,' said Son in September. 'But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We've a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.

'He knew and he apologised straight afterwards. We were on holiday. I was at home. I didn't even realise what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.

'When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry, and almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.'

'I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him,' the South Korean said when he first broke his silence on the incident in June.

'He knows he made a mistake but I've no problem at all with him. We move on as a team-mate and friend and as a brother. We move on together.

'We have to wait for what the FA says in their process. I can't say much but what I can say is I love Rodrigo, there's nothing more to say.'

Bentancur's comment came less than a year after a fan was handed a three-year football ban for racially abusing Son.

Robert Garland made the racial gesture at the forward after he was substituted in the 89th minute against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on May 6 2023.

The 44-year-old fan pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Highbury Magistrates Court on August 25 and was convicted later that year.

The incident in May 2023 marked the third time Son had been targeted by racial abuse during while representing Tottenham last season.

Bentancur is set to miss a slate of crucial matches for Postecoglou's side, including Premier League fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on December 19.