Football.London

Ange Postecoglou faces a big week in the Tottenham hotseat as he looks to guide his team back to winning ways. Apart from that incredible 4-0 win over Manchester City in late November, Spurs have really struggled on the pitch in recent weeks and duly slipped down the Premier League table.

The Lilywhites were once again on the losing side last Sunday after letting a two-goal lead slip against Chelsea as they were defeated 4-3. Tottenham's downturn in form has seen Postecoglou come under fire and his odds to be the next Premier League manager to depart have tumbled as a result.

Tottenham's current plight can be seen by the fact that the TV cameras in the Chelsea game panned to chairman Daniel Levy watching on from the stands a number of times during the encounter. Amid those question marks over Postecoglou's future, the Australian does maintain the backing of Levy and the club at present.

Injuries have played a big part in their recent poor run of form and there appears to be an understanding from above that they are a reason for their struggles. Crucially, the players are still behind Postecoglou and his coaching staff as they love how they work and the football they play.

Cristian Romero made that very clear when speaking to Telemundo about the head coach. The World Cup winner has been in the headlines over the past 24 hours following some other comments where he criticised the club's board for a lack of investment.

In the latest episode of their Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham podcast, football.london's Spurs writers Alasdair Gold and Rob Guest reflected on what the centre-back had to say. As well as discussing Postecoglou and his future, the pair also dissected the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea and also previewed the upcoming Europa League encounter away at Rangers.

You can listen to the show in podcast format by heading right here or you can watch the show on YouTube by going right here.

Cristian Romero has criticised Tottenham's board for a lack of investment following Sunday's poor 4-3 defeat at home to London rivals Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou's side blew a commanding 2-0 lead in the London derby to suffer a second successive defeat. Spurs' were also outplayed in a 1-0 reverse at Bournemouth last week.

The defeats, combined with Postecoglou's stubborn resistance to becoming more pragmatic in certain matches or situations at least, have increased the pressure on the Australian. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has also been at the centre of frustration with Spurs currently 11th in the Premier League table after 15 games.

And the club's Argentine centre-back Romero has pinned his criticism on Spurs' board - which includes Levy - for not significantly strengthening the club's squad.

Romero hits out at Spurs board live on TV

"Manchester City competes every year, you see how Liverpool strengthens its squad, Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn't do well, so strengthens again, and now they're seeing results. Those are the things to imitate," he told Spanish broadcaster Telemundo Deportes on live TV.

"You have to realise that something is going wrong, hopefully, they [the board] 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."

Levy's work goes under radar - ex-Spurs star

However, former Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend has shared his belief that Levy's work at Spurs "goes under the radar".

"If you look at what Daniel Levy has done and take it out of this era and put it, 20, 30, 40 years ago, he'd be the best chairman in the world - there would be a statue outside the stadium of him," Townsend said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"But because he's competing with Saudi owners, Qatari owners, American owners - all billionaires where they can just spend, spend, spend - his achievements go under the radar."

Tottenham always open to investment - Levy

Levy, who has been chairman at the north Londoners since 2001, has previously shared how the club were looking for "prospective investors".

"To continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the club requires a significant increase in its equity base," he said.

Ryan Sessegnon has opened up on his Tottenham injury hell and the moment that left him in tears as he attempted to get his career back on track. Making the move to north London in the summer of 2019 after excelling for Fulham, the left-sided player was restricted to only 57 appearances for Spurs due to a catalogue of different injuries.

Getting a decent run of games in the Tottenham team during Antonio Conte's tenure before suffering yet another hamstring injury at the beginning of 2023, Sessegnon would only feature in one game under Ange Postecoglou, the man who replaced the Italian at the helm, after requiring surgery on his left hamstring in the summer. In his bid to return to the Tottenham team in early 2024 with his contract soon coming to an end, Sessegnon would unfortunately have to go under the knife on his right hamstring following another devastating blow while playing for the club's Under-21s.

Now back at Fulham following his Tottenham exit in the summer, Sessegnon has opened up such a tough year in his career when speaking to Rising Ballers about his journey to date.

"Back from the injury, the season ends and Conte is gone, Conte gets sacked," explained the left-back. "It kind of hurt me a little bit knowing the relationship me and Conte had was good, but obviously they made their decision to get rid of him and as players you just have to get on with it I guess. That's what we did.

"So when he went they obviously brought in Ange Postecoglou, who is a very good coach, a very good guy. Obviously you come back the following season ready again, gone away and done my stuff ready to go again and in pre-season one of the training sessions I got injured again. That's how it kind of started with me under him.

"I remember I was in training and took a shot. We were doing this transition thing and I was playing on the right-wing and I cut inside and shot. Unbelievable shot by the way, top corner. I shot, [Sergio] Reguilon was kind of defending me, but you know because I felt something I didn't care about the shot but it was a crazy goal.

"I remember when it happened I knew the feeling of how it felt the last time. I remember walking out of the session and going to the physio. I was devastated. I didn't go on the pre-season tour, I remember staying behind and I was out until November I think. It was four months but this time it was different because this one I actually had to have surgery and this was the one on my left.

"I remember pretty early they told me I need surgery. I remember doing that and two or three days after I went to central London and did the surgery. So now I have a brace and I'm on crutches, but at the same time the Mrs is pregnant. Mrs was giving birth two weeks after the surgery and you can imagine I cannot even stand so I'm sitting down. Mrs is about to give birth and I'm trying to help her but you feel you aren't much help because you're sitting down and I can't do anything.

"To juggle my injury and having the baby at the same time was hard, it was crazy. But it kind of made me forget the journey of being injured go quite quick as the focus is on the recovery from the birth and the child as well. Looking back, it was probably a great time that it happened as I could spend so much more time with the baby with not being on the pitch and stuff.

"That was me for about two or three months and then when I obviously came back they didn't want to rush me with my rehab so I was training with the Under-21s and getting sessions there, playing one or two games with them. So I played a game with the Under-21s against West Ham at the training ground. It was one of my first games coming back from the injury, feeling good and everything was all good.

"I remember playing that game, I think about 30-35 minutes into the game, and I get the ball, tap it past someone and as I'm running and trying to get the ball on the other side I feel this one [right hamstring] go. I'm thinking 'no way'. First game back from this long injury that I've just had and I'm thinking 'this cannot be real, what's going on'. I end up pulling up and this one feels worse, this one feels bad. This one [left hamstring] I could walk off the pitch, but this one [right hamstring] I couldn't walk off the pitch.

"I remember collapsing on the floor, they brought the buggy over and I think I'm crying at this point, obviously devastated. They put me on the buggy, drove to the medical team and do the tests. They don't need to do the tests because I know what's happened. I've gone to get a scan I believe the next day as you have to wait for the swelling to go down, done the scan and they've told me surgery again.

"I've just done four or five months on this [left hamstring] and now they're saying a similar time with this [right hamstring]. As you can imagine I have to do the whole process again, the recovery, brace, crutches and all that kind of stuff. All sorts is going through your head.

"I'm thinking I'm in the last year of my contract, this is the year I really need to play games and do something, and obviously this has happened. Maybe at the back of my mind I am panicking a little bit. So basically that season is written off. Pre-season I've done that [left hamstring] and during the season I've done that [right hamstring], so pretty much the season is done. I remember saying this season is done.

"I had the operation and I'm just doing my rehab at the club, coming back with that kind of stuff and then as time is going on and I'm noticing there's no real talk with my agent about renewing or a new contract or anything like that. I already knew what time it was.

"I had an option in my contract and got told they're not going to activate the option. But I got told from my agent not long after the injury that I wasn't going to get that option, they weren't going to activate. That's when you obviously speak to your agent and start thinking what's going to happen, what teams can be interested in you and all that kind of stuff. And that's how it happened.

"I was fine because I knew that was going to happen because of the situation I was in at the time. Obviously it wasn't a nice feeling, and I wanted to stay at the club and see what's going to happen in that type of situation, but it is what it is. I kind of knew it was coming but you just have to adapt."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham byclicking here for in-depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Cristian Romero admits he thinks Tottenham Hotspur's struggles stem from the boardroom rather than the dugout.

Ange Postecoglou's side hit a new low when they allowed an early 2-0 lead to slip against fierce rivals Chelsea on Sunday, going on to lose 4-3 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was a result which not only left them 11th in the Premier League, but also summed up their Jekyll and Hyde tendencies under the Australian boss.

Despite their form, Daniel Levy retains confidence in Postecoglou, who is under the most pressure he has been under since arriving at the club from Celtic in the summer of 2023. Romero, 26, would be pleased with Levy's belief in Postecoglou, as the Argentinian World Cup winner thinks Spurs' problems are several desks above his manager.

He told Telemundo: "Manchester City fight every year for the tournament, Liverpool too, Chelsea is strengthening all the time despite the results... these are things to imitate. You have to realize that they are failing at something.

“It has always been the same in recent years. Every year players come and go and even the coaching staff changes, but everything remains the same.

“I hope they realise who is truly responsible for this so they can move forward because this is a beautiful club that, with the structure it has, can easily fight for the title every year."

He also added: "Hopefully they will realise who is truly responsible for this so we can move forward, because this is a beautiful club that, with the structure it has, can easily fight for the title every year.”

Liverpool legend turned Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher recently suggested Levy should step aside and allow somebody else to oversee the footballing operations of Spurs. He said: "It’s probably time for somebody else to come in because to not win a trophy in that period of time with the managers they have had, they’ve never really gone out of their way in the transfer market.

"They’ve spent decent money without blowing other teams out of the water, their wage bill is always one of the smallest and you’re never going to get the best players.

"So it might be time for actually Daniel Levy – who I’ve been a supporter of because you look at the actual work that he’s done – but now that work is done in terms of a stadium and a training ground, someone else needs to be in charge of this football club."

Tottenham host Rangers in the Europa League on December 12, before travelling to Southampton, for what could prove to be a pivotal game for their season, on Sunday, December 15.

In his post-match press conference on Sunday, Postecoglou issued a rallying call to his team when he said: "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. Some of it is self inflicted and hopefully we can get some more consistency."

Manchester City have been tipped to be given a points deduction following the conclusion of their dispute with the Premier League. In February 2023, the English top flight charged its champions with 115 alleged breaches of financial regulations.

These include accusations that the club failed to provide accurate financial information and failed to cooperate with investigations spanning nine seasons (2009/10 to 2017/18). Manchester City denied any wrongdoing, so they looked to prove their innocence in front of an independent panel.

According to the MailOnline, the case – that was being heard in private at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London – has now concluded. The report states that the closing arguments were completed on Friday, with a three-man panel now considering evidence before they deliver a verdict in the coming months.

It's said that if Manchester City are found guilty, then they can expect to be hit with a financial penalty, points deductions or relegation from the Premier League. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at what the latest betting market offers on the outcome of the historic hearing.

According to OLBG, Pep Guardiola's side are evens (1/1) to be given a points deduction. Manchester City are currently fourth in the table on 27 points; they're eight points behind Liverpool, who are currently leading the title race, two points ahead of Nottingham Forest in fifth and 22 points adrift of the relegation zone.

OLBG have the club at 5/2 to be fined and 16/1 to face expulsion from the English top flight. Meanwhile, Manchester City are 20/1 to have their trophies rescinded; during the 2009/10 to 2017/18 period, they won three titles, meaning they would be handed over to Manchester United (2011/12 and 2017/18) and Liverpool (2013/14).

OLBG have also priced Manchester City at 33/1 to fold! Following the conclusion of the hearing, Jake Ashton – a 'football betting expert' at OLBG said: "Bookies now say there's a 50% chance that Manchester City receive a points deduction for their 115 charges with odds now offered on the outcome of their trial which wrapped up on Friday!"

When the charges were first announced, Guardiola claimed he was 'fully convinced' that Manchester City were innocent. Then, during the summer, the Spaniard expressed his delight after learning that a hearing start date was agreed.

"I am happy it starts soon and hopefully it finishes soon for the benefit of all of us," said Guardiola in a press conference ahead of the reigning champions' clash against Ipswich on August 24. "Especially for the club but for all the other Premier League clubs, like for all the people that don't wait for the sentence.

"I wish from deep in my heart to go to the trial, the independent panel - and I say it again, independent panel - and as soon as possible release what happened, and we will accept like always we have done."

Then, when asked if he was worried the situation could distract his players, Guardiola replied: "No, we have been three or four years talking about that."

Cristian Romero is expected to be out for six weeks, according to a report in Argentina.

Tottenham were dealt another huge blow when Romero was forced off in the early stages during the 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday. He looked to play on for a few minutes before signalling to the bench to be substituted.

It has been the second successive season that Romero has been unable to play through a home game with Chelsea after being substituted last year. Speaking after the game, Ange Postecoglou revealed the centre-back had 'felt his quad' during the game.

"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."

Here, football.london has taken a look at the latest injury update surrounding Romero.

Injury update

According to TyC Sports journalist Gaston Edul, the Argentina international will be sidelined for six weeks after suffering a muscular injury. Initial suggestions that it could have been another foot injury was ruled out by Postecoglou.

"It's a totally different injury, but also people I'm sure are aware of our situation," the Spurs boss said. "It's not like I've got a multitude of options there, so, you know, you've got to make these decisions.

"Both players trained and tried well, and they both wanted to help. So you make these decisions with all the best information. Like I said, it's not like Romero re-injured his toe, it's a totally different injury, which could happen at any time."

Possible return date

A six-week absence could see Romero only come back to action in mid-January. As a result, he could potentially miss nine games until then.

Tottenham's upcoming games

Rangers (A) - Europa League - Thursday, December 12.

Southampton (A) - Premier League - Sunday, December 15.

Manchester United (H) - EFL Cup quarter-final - Thursday, December 19.

Liverpool (H) - Premier League - Sunday, December 22.

Nottingham Forest (A) - Premier League - Thursday, December 26.

Wolves (H) - Premier League - Sunday, December 29.

Newcastle (H) - Premier League - Saturday, January 4.

Tamworth (A) - FA Cup - Sunday, January 12.

Arsenal (A) - Premier League - Wednesday, January 15.

Romero's setback comes a major blow for Tottenham as injuries have continued to be a problem this season.

Injuries piling on

Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven were also substituted off in the game against Chelsea. "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," Postecoglou explained.

"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. So we were always going take him off. He didn't feel anything significant. He just felt tightness, but we were always going to take him off anyway."

Guglielmo Vicario (ankle), Richarlison (thigh), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspended), Yves Bissouma (suspended), Mickey Moore (illness), Ben Davies (thigh) and Wilson Odobert (thigh) are all unavailable.

Tottenham's list of loan players may well increase in the weeks ahead as we edge ever closer to the January transfer window. The winter market is set to be of huge importance to the football club as they need to address some squad issues following an injury crisis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As ever, all eyes will be on incomings in N17 but there could possibly be some movement in regards to players heading out of the door. Tottenham did sanction a number of loan deals at the start of 2024 and the same could possibly happen 12 months on, especially with some talented academy players in need of obtaining some first-team experience.

But how exactly are Tottenham's currently loanees faring for their respective clubs? football.london takes a look below.

Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon returned to the Leeds United starting XI last Saturday for their 2-0 win over Derby County. Given a well-earned breather away at Blackburn the previous weekend, Solomon got 68 minutes in the tank against the Rams before he was replaced by Wilfried Gnonto.

Solomon was given a score of six out of ten in Leeds Live's player ratings from the game. Leeds correspondent Beren Cross wrote: "One good effort in the second half from range, but pretty quiet throughout. Smothered by the Derby backline."

Solomon and Leeds will be in action once again on Tuesday evening when they host Middlesbrough at Elland Road. The West Yorkshire club will have the opportunity to move to the summit of the Championship as league leaders Sheffield United play the following day away at Millwall.

Dane Scarlett (Oxford United)

Dane Scarlett and Oxford United had the weekend off after their away match at Plymouth Argyle was postponed due to severe weather conditions in the South West. The impact of Storm Darragh saw a number of games across the English Football League cancelled, with a decision made over Plymouth vs Oxford on the Friday rather than on the day of the game.

Oxford return to action on Tuesday evening with a big game away at QPR on the agenda. The teams are currently outside the Championship drop zone by one point, meaning the points on offer in west London are huge to both sides.

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Bryan Gil's loan spell at Girona continues to go from strength to strength as he collected the team's Player of the Month award for November. Amid his struggles at Tottenham with regular football not coming his way under a host of different head coaches, the Spaniard has demonstrated in La Liga this term why he is rated so highly in his homeland.

Gil and Girona would taste defeat at home on Saturday as Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory at Montilivi, with the Tottenham man playing 58 minutes of the contest. Girona have another daunting game on the horizon as they host Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The Spanish side have struggled in the Champions League so far and are on course to exit the league phase unless they can start registering wins in the competition.

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Espanyol find themselves in La Liga's bottom three after slipping to a 1-0 defeat away at fellow strugglers Getafe at the weekend. Alejo Veliz started the game on the bench but was introduced for the final 11 minutes of the contest as his team looked for a way back into the contest.

Espanyol are at home on Saturday afternoon when they host Osasuna at Stage Front Stadium.

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

It proved to be a disappointing week for Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic at Westerlo as they suffered two defeats. Firstly facing Belgian giants Anderlecht in the Belgian Cup round of 16, Westerlo were defeated 4-1 on the evening after their opponents raced into a 3-1 half-time lead.

Devine started on the bench and came on for the final 27 minutes of the defeat, with Vuskovic an unused substitute at Lotto Park. Both returned to the starting XI on Sunday against Dender but they couldn't stop Westerlo from slipping to a 1-0 defeat following Nathan Rodes' first-half strike.

Union Saint-Gilloise are next up for the Belgian club on Sunday afternoon.

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips continues to be a key player at the back for Stoke City after initially suffering a frustrating start to life in Staffordshire. The centre-back played the full 90 minutes last Saturday as the Potters lost 2-1 at Sunderland following a late winner from the hosts.

Phillips was given a score of six out of ten in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings. They wrote: "Might think he gave Watson too much space to shoot for equaliser. Comfortable in possession and otherwise ready to make blocks and win headers. Good header almost levelled it at the end."

Stoke have the opportunity to put things right on Tuesday evening when they travel to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Josh Keeley is proving to be one of Tottenham's loan successes of the season so far. After his FA Cup heroics the previous weekend where he scored a late equaliser, the shot-stopper this time got an assist to his name in the 2-0 win away at Wigan Athletic.

Keeley's long punt upfield in the 92nd minute was finished off by Diallang Jaiyesimi after some hesitation in the Wigan backline. Jamie Donley also started the game at the Brick Community Stadium and played 80 minutes of the contest before making way for Charlie Kelman.

Regular minutes for Orient have been hard to come by for the versatile player in recent months but it appears he may have turned a corner after starting their last two league fixtures. Orient face Charlton away in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening, before then hosting Burton Albion in the league on Saturday.

Matthew Craig (Barnsley)

Matthew Craig has unfortunately lost his place in the Barnsley team over the past month and has been an unused substitute in seven of their last eight fixtures. Craig once again had a watching brief on Saturday as Birmingham City recorded a 2-1 win in South Yorkshire.

Craig will be hoping his luck changes this weekend when Barnsley travel to Exeter City. The Tykes have failed to win in their last five league games and that could possibly force Darrell Clarke into a midfield change.

George Abbott (Notts County)

George Abbott was another player to have the weekend off after Storm Darragh resulted in the postponement of a number of fixtures. Notts County's home game against Colchester United was called off on the morning of the game over safety fears following some damage to the stadium.

Notts County are back in action on Saturday with a lunchtime game away at Salford City.

Ange Postecoglou will be praying that his Tottenham team do not pick up any further issues over the coming days prior to their Premier League return. Following Sunday's 4-3 defeat at the hands of Chelsea, Spurs play in the Europa League on Thursday evening as they make the trip to Glasgow to face Rangers.

Another away game is on the calendar three days later with Southampton their opponents in the Premier League. At a time when everything seems to be going wrong for Tottenham with injuries hitting them hard and wins extremely hard to come by, Postecoglou already knows he will have to do without one of his regulars at St Mary's.

Yves Bissouma is now suspended for the match on the south coast after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the defeat to Chelsea. The Mali international received a caution when needlessly bringing down Moises Caicedo in the penalty box at a time when Spurs were leading 2-1.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that both penalties Tottenham gave away were "self-inflicted and unnecessary challenges" and very much "poor on our behalf". Bissouma will only be absent for one domestic match but he will join Rodrigo Bentancur, who is currently serving a seven-match ban, in watching on when Tottenham take on Southampton.

That in turn leaves Postecoglou with a bit of a dilemma on his hands when it comes to the No.6 role in midfield. Midfield is one area Tottenham have been well stocked in of late but the absence of both Bissouma and Bentancur limits Postecoglou's options on Sunday.

Archie Gray would seem like the natural replacement for Bissouma in the team as he is expected to flourish in the No.6 role for years to come. The Durham-born ace has so far spent the majority of his Tottenham career playing in the backline, with limited opportunities in midfield coming his way.

Gray could even be required in defence on Sunday after Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven's substitutions against Chelsea and also due to the absence of Ben Davies. Tottenham fans are desperate to see Gray operate at No.6 and Sunday's encounter against Southampton appears to be the perfect time to unleash him there.

One other option available to Postecoglou is to drop Pape Matar Sarr back into a slightly deeper role. Excelling as a No.8 of late after initially finding himself out of the Tottenham XI in the opening weeks of the season, the boss may have no other choice but to play him in Bissouma's role.

Sarr probably will be given a breather at Rangers on Thursday night with Bentancur available for their European encounter, meaning he should be nice and fresh for the match at St Mary's. If that is indeed the case, it may be Sarr at No.6 with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski ahead of him.

Lucas Bergvall is another who could be in contention for the role after playing there previously for Swedish side Djurgarden. The youngster has enjoyed a couple of decent little cameo appearances off the bench of late but he is still waiting for his first Premier League start in a Tottenham shirt.

Thirteen minutes is the most he has played in one game so far, with that coming in the 3-0 win over Manchester United at the end of September. The Stockholm-born ace does have plenty of minutes to his name in the Europa League, though, and now it is about biding his time when it comes to domestic football.

Whereas Postecoglou is so short on options in some positions, the Australian does have choice at No.6 for Southampton on Sunday but it is all about choosing the right man for such an important game for the team.

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro has deactivated his X, formerly Twitter, account after receiving backlash from a post in the aftermath of Sunday's 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.

Porro played the full 90 minutes for Spurs on Sunday as they let slip another lead to fall to defeat. After Ange Postecoglou's men raced into a two-goal lead inside 11 minutes, Chelsea turned the game around through two Cole Palmer penalties and goals from Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernandez.

The defeat has left Spurs 11th in the Premier League table and has increased the pressure on Postecoglou. In the aftermath of the win, Porro received a number of negative comments from supporters after a cryptic message was posted on his personal X page.

Porro shared a tweet from Squawka with a single full-dot. The tweet read: "Pedro Porro is the only defender to be directly involved in 20+ Premier League goals since he made his debut in the competition in February 2023. What a signing he has been."

After some fans slammed the Spaniard's post, Porro chose to deactivate his X account. Upon searching for his account, @pedroporro29_, it now no longer shows up.

It comes after Brennan Johnson was forced to deactivate his Instagram account in September after the defeat to Arsenal. The forward was the victim of displeasure by supporters before returning to the social media platform.

Porro's account on Instagram is still active with the right-back posting a story on Monday afternoon. Alongside an image of him celebrating a goal, he put: "Volveremos [we will return]. Mentality."

Former Tottenham Hotspur icon Jermain Defoe will be back on our screens this evening as part of Sky Sports Monday Night Football coverage of West Ham United against Wolves. The 42-year-old came through the Hammers before making the move to White Hart Lane in 2004.

He'd go on to make 176 appearances for Spurs, scoring 64 goals in that time, before joining Portsmouth. Defoe would spend just one year on the south coast before re-signing for Spurs, making a further 186 appearances for the club, adding another 79 goals to his already impressive tally.

Looking back on his career during a recent podcast appearance, Defoe claims his stint at Bournemouth - from 2017-2020 - was one of the hardest parts of his career after struggling for regular first-team football.

The now-retired England international joined the Cherries after another former club in Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League. Defoe had scored 37 goals in 93 appearances for the Black Cats across three seasons but his goals weren't enough to keep them in the top-flight.

Despite making 26 appearances in the 2017-2018 campaign, Defoe only managed four goals and he was limited to just eight appearances in all competitions the following season, before moving to Rangers.

"People are always going to doubt you. Even when I went back to Bournemouth I wasn't playing and when I think about it, that was one of the hardest times in my career," said Defoe on the Football Firsts podcast as he reflected back on that part of his career.

Defoe continued: "I remember sitting in my car after certain games when I hadn't even come on the pitch. I get goosebumps talking about this. I remember looking at my phone thinking; 'Who can I talk to?' I was just thinking about who I could speak to because I was feeling so hurt. I had never felt that before.

"I needed to think about how I was going to deal with the situation because the only thing that's ever given me that much joy is football, but now I could see the end. I was at a club where I wasn't even getting on the pitch. I was training, but there was nothing at the end of it. I was training hard and scoring goals, but I needed that buzz that I've always had since I was eight-years-old.

"I just remember sitting there and thinking I'm going to phone my Mum and say to her; 'That's me done, I'm not playing anymore, I can't deal with it'.

"Then I got a call to go to Rangers. As soon as I'd got to Rangers, I remember we played against Kilmarnock and I got that fire back. When I started scoring goals there, I thought; 'That's for all the people who were saying stuff'."

Now retired, Defoe is looking to make the next step in his coaching career and wants to become a manager. He was linked with the vacant managerial role at Sunderland last season, but the north East outfit opted against appointing him as their manager.

Defoe had a recent spell with Spurs in a coaching capacity, leaving in July 2024. He said on X: "It's been a pleasure to achieve so much at Spurs, including reaching Uefa A coaching status, which was always an ambition of mine following my playing career.

"Spurs will always hold a special place in my heart and the fans already know how much the club means to me. However, now is the right time for me to move on and shape the rest of my coaching and managerial career. Nevertheless, I will forever remember my time at Spurs fondly."