It’s less than a fortnight since Ange Postecoglou told nearly a quarter of a million Tottenham fans during the parade to celebrate their Europa League victory in Bilbao: ‘All the best television series, season three is better than season two.’
The 59-year-old former Celtic manager clearly wasn’t paying attention if he watched Game of Thrones as episode nine of the third season, The Rains of Castamere, sees leading character Robb Stark, his pregnant wife Talisa, his mother and top soldiers attend a celebration where there is singing and drinking galore – just as there was on the Tottenham High Road – only for them to be slaughtered in the Red Wedding bloodbath.
According to reports swirling around the club, Daniel Levy and his advisors are about to, metaphorically at least, plunge their knives into the back of the unsuspecting Postecoglou by sacking the Australian, who delivered on his proud statement that he always wins a trophy in his second season in charge by sending Manchester United to defeat in Spain.
Spurs may have finished 17th in the Premier League after losing 22 games during an injury-plagued campaign but Postecoglou insists he sacrificed domestic results to make the club relevant again after years of consistently finishing in the top four but failing to win a trophy since the 2008 League Cup. Fair dinkum, mate.
Big Ange was a general 4/7 on Sunday to be in charge of Spurs next season but could be out of the door by the end of the week and he’s out to 2/1 with bet365 to keep his job.
Thomas Frank favourite to become new Spurs boss
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has reportedly held talks with Levy and is the 4/5 favourite with the same firm to be his replacement. He has worked wonders with the Bees, gaining promotion from the Championship and establishing them as Premier League regulars after finishing 13th, ninth, 16th and ninth again this term, but it looks a sideways move at best.
It also looks a penny-pinching one as Frank is a brilliant coach and will develop young and cheap players while Postecoglou and potential big-name successors like Inter chief Simone Inzaghi and former Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez will demand to strengthen the squad by signing experienced but expensive recruits.
If Tottenham do appoint a 14th manager in 24 years he is likely to follow those before him by having one arm tied behind his back and the best price of 6/1 with Sporting Index and SpreadEx for a top-four finish next season looks way off the mark.
Just as it appeared Tottenham have finally ditched their ‘Spursy’ tag they are on the brink of grabbing it back again.
French Open odds
Eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti can reach the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros by beating American Frances Tiafoe on the Paris clay after defeating Holger Rune in four sets.
Musetti reached the last four at Madrid and Rome after progressing to the final in Monte Carlo earlier this year and was a bronze medalist in the Paris Olympics. He is 11/4 with Ladbrokes and Coral to win three sets to one and is 6/5 with BoyleSports to win by more than 6.5 games in this match.
Meanwhile Iga Swiatek, the Queen of Roland Garros after winning four French Open titles in the past five years, entered this year’s tournament in poor form and it appeared the defence of her crown would be over when she lost the first set in her fourth-round match with Elena Rybakina.
But Swiatek is back to somewhere near her glorious best after a recovering to register a stunning 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
She can beat Elina Svitolina in the deciding set to reach the semi-finals at 3/1 with Ladbrokes, Coral, William Hill and many others.
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