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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has induced many eye rolls around the grounds during the 2024/25 season, because he has an awful lot to say for a manager who is currently commanding Spurs to a historically poor 17th-placed finish in the Premier League - a feat so pathetic that it seemed impossible even during the darkest ages of Spurs sides past.

Postecoglou is hanging his hat on a Europa League Final appearance against Manchester United, which, while a big deal, is not yet a trophy won. Nor have Tottenham been truly tested in the tournament, beating an Omar Marmoush-deprived Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarterfinals and minnows Bodo Glimt in the semis.

Yet as David Ornstein and other top English transfer journalists weigh in with consistently pessimistic updates regarding Postecoglou's future, likening him to Erik ten Hag for Manchester United last season, Big Ange can't help but be his biggest fan and bang his own drum, portraying the false calmness that only a man more obsessed with the word "mate" than tactics can.

Ange Postecoglou has a point behind the madness

In his latest media faux pas, Postecoglou, as relayed by journalist Chris Wheatley, is claiming that his "future is assured", "My future is assured, mate. I wouldn't be the first person who changes jobs. I've got a beautiful family, a great life. I'll keep on winning trophies until I finish - wherever that is. Don't worry about my future."

Although Postecoglou obviously has a point about living a good life with his family and still competing for trophies even without Spurs, the point is so obvious that it's almost nauseating. Of course a millionaire is going to enjoy his life. And of course, Postecoglou should. But to say his future is "assured" in the wider context that everyone is discussing his future as it pretains to the Tottenham job is quite absurd.

Postecoglou's job is far from assured, and his ability to compete for trophies higher than the level of the Europa League is even less assured. At the same time, Postecoglou's bizarre claim to job security has two kernels of truth in it.

The first is, again, the obvious one, and that is that Postecoglou can be personally and professionally successful without Tottenham Hotspur, with the professional success necessitating perhaps a less ambitious definition of what success in football means.

But the second is more concrete, and that is that Postecoglou can be the manager who delivers a major trophy to Tottenham by winning the Europa League on Wednesday. For all the inane press conferences, horrible losses, atrocious tactics, misuse of young talents, and general quackery that has gone on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this past 12 months or so, Postecoglou can lay claim to an honor above what his peers achieved with Spurs. And that, along with his success in his personal life, has to be respected, even by the staunchest of his critics.

It's the hope that gets you. Tottenham Hotspur fans know this better than anyone.

Having already lost James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final against Manchester United, Spurs fans clung to hope of a surprise Lucas Bergvall return.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou shut that down once and for all.

"Lucas isn't available. Pretty much the same as we were as of last week," Postecoglou told reporters on Tuesday.

He couldn't let us dream for one more day?

Bergvall is dealing with an ankle injury that is expected to end his season, although recent rumblings provided fans with a glimmer of hope. It never felt realistic, but nor did winning the Europa League while finishing 17th in the Premier League.

Spurs fans had their theories. Many observed that the social media team had notably "hidden" Bergvall during their videos from Bilbao, which other fan-filmed videos showed the 19-year-old playmaker appear to move comfortably without a walking boot.

Bergvall's absence creates a major problem for Spurs ahead of their biggest game since reaching the Champions League final six years ago.

Where does the attacking creativity come from? If not Bergvall, there was Maddison. Failing that, they had Kulusevski. All three playmakers will sit on the sidelines on Wednesday night.

Ange Postecoglou must find a creative solution to Lucas Bergvall's absence in Europa League final

It's fitting that Tottenham's most important game captures the gloomy forecast fans have dealt with all season. Only Spurs could lose all three players at a position so vital before their biggest game.

Ange has a decision to make.

Does he play it safe with a midfield trio of Pape Mate Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Yves Bissouma? Or does he dare to dream?

To Dare Is To Do, right? Ange hasn't ruled out moving Pedro Porro into an advanced role, which is the kind of boom-or-bust experiment best reserved for the preseason and not a European final. Does he roll the dice with the inexperience of Wilson Odobert or Mikey Moore?

At this point, an unpredictable cup-final gamble feels better than taking the cautious route against a United team that, for all its faults, knows how to win the big one.

After all, Ange is a risk-taker. He has stayed true to his all-out-attack formula, even when his resilience to maintain a high line with nine players versus Chelsea resulted in derby-day embarrassment.

In what is likely his final game as Spurs boss, Postecoglou faces an all-too-familiar injury crisis and is left with a tough decision. Ange boldly promised a trophy in his second season, but to get there, he may need to roll the dice once more.

Bergvall isn't coming to save Tottenham. Ange must dare to dream one final time.

In less than 24 hours, Tottenham will battle Manchester United in Bilbao in the Europa League Final with both a spot in next season's Champions League and a whole lot of bragging rights on the line. Spurs are coming into this game hobbled with James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, and Dejan Kulusevski all out for the season to dwindle down the team's creativity and ball progression in the attacking midfield.

There were some rumblings that, by some miracle, Spurs could have one of Maddison or Bergvall available, with many fans holding onto the Swedish international's return as a potential game-changer against Manchester United.

That, of course, isn't happening, as much as diehard football fans love to delude themselves into dream land. The Daily Mail's Nathan Salt relayed his observation that neither Maddison nor Bergvall were present at the training on the day before the Europa League Final, essentially ruling them out of the Manchester United clash.

Tottenham will have one key midfielder healthy

However, in a positive twist, a previously questionable player was available, effectively confirming his availability. Young center midfielder Pape Sarr suffered an injury after 53 hard-fought minutes against Aston Villa in a 2-0 Premier League loss a couple of days ago, calling his status into question for Wednesday night's do-or-die fixture.

Sarr is part of the Tottenham group training ahead of the game, and with three midfielders already ruled out, Spurs will need the 22-year-old Senegalese international to be at his best. He's the most dynamic box-to-box midfielder in the side with Bergvall out, and he and Rodrigo Bentancur will likely be the double pivot of choice behind, potentially, the unproven Wilson Odobert as a high-risk, high-reward No. 10 replacement for Maddison.

The defensive work and running Sarr provides will be crucial for Tottenham if they want to secure this major piece of silverware against another fallen Premier League giant. Sarr has to be as close to 100 percent healthy as possible, so the fact that he is able to practice with his teammates is an important sign.

Tottenham have suffered more than enough bad injury news as of late, so getting confirmed word that Sarr is healthy enough to practice and in a good position to play a significant role against Manchester United is the right kind of injury news for Spurs. Sarr has his ups and downs, but the young No. 8 is definitely an asset to this current Tottenham squad. It's good to see he is out there.

Ange Postecoglou's days at Tottenham Hotspur should be limited, even if he wins the Europa League this week. If he wasn't already, he'll be sweating at the club's imminent arrival, Fabio Paratici.

Ange Postecoglou is coming towards the end of his second season at Tottenham Hotspur. All season long, he's reiterated the fact that he's always successful in his second season. It remains to be seen whether this trend will ring true again at Spurs, as they play in the Europa League final this week.

That said, the damage appears to be done at Tottenham. While any club would take winning the Europa League, it doesn't paper over the obvious cracks. Spurs could finish as low as 17th, their current position, in the Premier League. This is simply inexcusable, even with other trophies.

This season, it's been excuse after excuse. A large section of the Tottenham fanbase is sick to the core of Ange blaming everything except himself and his players.

Look, winning European silverware would be a great end to Ange Postecoglou's short stay. Beating Man United in the process would secure the Aussie's place in the club's history books. But is he the right man for the long-term future? It doesn't seem like it.

Ange Postecoglou should be sweating at Tottenham's imminent arrival

According to a report by Tom Barclay of The Sun, Fabio Paratici's arrival at Tottenham Hotspur is "imminent" and one of his first jobs at the North London outfit will be to replace Ange Postecoglou with a new manager.

The report states that Tottenham are now considering Francesco Farioli of Ajax as their new manager. The Italian has recently decided to leave Ajax, leaving his future in question. The Tottenham opening appears to have happened at the right time.

Of course, other options are also being considered by Tottenham. With the North London side actively dabbling in the manager's market, there are a number of options creeping up. Long story short, Farioli can join the growing list of potential Ange successors.

It may seem harsh for Ange Postecoglou to be shown the door after potentially lifting a European title. However, the truth is that he's lucky to have made it this far. It would be a welcome parting gift, but not a get out of jail free card.

So, if Ange Postecoglou harbored any hopes of keeping hold of his Tottenham job, then the arrival of Paratici won't be welcome news to him.

Although Tottenham Hotspur spent a combined 125 million pounds on strikers Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in the previous two summer transfer windows, the forwards have combined for just 12 goals and 4 assists during the 2024/25 Premier League season, which is just one more goal and one more assist than younger winger Brennan Johnson.

Simply put, Tottenham need more production from their strikers, and with Richarlison edging closer towards a move back to Everton, there could be an opening for Tottenham to make a smart signing at the striker position.

Unfortunately, it looks like Spurs may be behind the eight ball for the cheapest option, which is Lille free agent Jonathan David, who looks like the best available free agent in the summer 2025 transfer window at any position.

Antonio Conte is racking up the wins in Napoli

According to a new report from Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Napoli are currently the best-placed club to sign David, edging out Tottenham and West Ham right now. O'Rourke feels that Napoli are pushing the hardest of any of the clubs to sign David, so Tottenham could lose out on David to the favorites to become Serie A champions and former manager Antonio Conte.

Napoli have one of the biggest names at striker in Europe in Romelu Lukaku, as well as young Italian talent Giacomo Raspadori. But David can be a great partner and, later, successor to Lukaku, helping make sure Napoli can remain competitive in Serie A and the Champions League next season.

Right now, Napoli are a much better side than Tottenham, and, as an additional slap in the face to Spurs, are better-coached with Conte at the helm. In classic Conte fashion, the iconic Italian coach is already feuding with Napoli ownership, so his own future in Europe's most romantic city is uncertain. However, Conte could beat out Tottenham in one last stroke of adding insult to Spurs by convincing David to join the potential Serie A champions.

If David is off the table, Tottenham would then likely turn closer to Serie A for their next striker, where Napoli's rivals Juventus have a great market opportunity of their own in Serbian international Dusan Vlahovic, who is just waiting for a club to rescue him from Turin.

David's transfer saga is far from over, and Napoli have clearly not won the race yet. Plenty of clubs are involved in the sweepstakes, and Tottenham should be among them dialing the phone, working hard to bring the Canadian international to North London. But they have to face the fact that with a possible title-winning team in a top-five league heavily interested, Spurs are the underdogs.

Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League and know that they need to make sweeping changes to their squad in the summer 2025 transfer market, but in order to bring in players capable of taking the team back to the top five of the Premier League, they are going to have to sell some notable names this summer.

The most mentioned in transfer rumblings at this early stage before the market even officially opens on June 1 are center back Cristian Romero, who is wanted highly by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, and striker Richarlison, who has been linked with a return to Everton.

Since Richarlison's 60 million pound transfer to Tottenham in 2022, the Brazilian international's stock has fallen. He's had trouble staying healthy, and while he has scored some goals in limited action when healthy, his overall impact on matches has been minimal.

Everton love Richarlison more than Tottenham do

Richarlison is expendable to Tottenham, whereas at Everton, he was an actual hero who carried the team from a scoring perspective while making things happen out of nothing. Without Richarlison, Everton would have been relegated, and you can tell that there is so much mutual respect between player and club.

That respect and love has never wavered, and Everton fans clearly want Richarlison back. In the farewell match at Goodison Park, Everton supporters could be heard chanting, “He’s Brazilian, he only cost £50 million, and we think he’s f—– brilliant, Richarlison!” They were singing to the tune of the Oasis hit "She's Electric".

The way Everton supporters yearned for Richarlison in an important game in the club's history only fans the flames of the transfer rumors linking the 28-year-old with a move back to the Merseyside. With Tottenham kicking around the idea of signing some big names at striker like Juventus's fallen star Dusan Vlahovic and Ange Postecoglou praising Dominic Solanke as someone to build the team around, Richarlison fulls further and further out of the picture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There's more of a bond between Richarlison and Everton than Richarlison and Tottenham, to the point where Spurs are starting to see the player as more of a sellable asset than someone who will help the team on the pitch next season. It's a bit harsh, but Richarlison may be a better fit for the Toffees and would improve significantly in his confidence as one of the stars of that team as opposed to a forgotten role player in North London.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou's days are numbered at the club, because the results in the Premier League have been so poor that there's a pervasive belief among journalists covering the league that even a Europa League triumph won't be enough for Big Ange to save his job.

For the most part, Tottenham are focused on managers within the Premier League who have achieved greater success than Spurs this season at clubs with smaller budgets. Fulham's Marco Silva, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Brentford's Thomas Frank, and FA Cup winner Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace are all high-profile manager targets for Spurs.

But there have been coaches outside of the Premier League generating interest, too. Tottenham have been linked with Scott Parker and even Dortmund's Niko Kovac, who rescued BVB from missing out on the Champions League. These options are largely underwhelming, but there is one new name worth thinking about who isn't obviously linked to Spurs.

Tottenham can't just focus on the biggest names

On Saturday, Lens manager Will Still made it official and stepped down as manager of the overperforming Ligue 1 club, per Fabrizio Romano, in order to be closer to his partner who has a serious medical illness. Still is expected to take a job in England, and Southampton, set to be relegated from the Premier League, have reportedly held talks with the 32-year-old coach.

Although Tottenham should be prioritizing big names with experienced track records who can right the ship, it's not really realistic for Spurs to do that. Of the available managers with links to Tottenham, Glasner is the only one with a clear record of top-level success as a Europa League winner with Eintracht Frankfurt and an FA Cup winner with Palace, but he's hardly proven at the absolute top level; his resume isn't all that much more convincing than Kovac's.

But resume isn't everything. Ideas and results compared to situation are. Still was exceptional at Reims and Lens, somehow improving Lens's results in the 2024/25 season despite the fact that they sold four of their most important players, including phenom center backs Kevin Danso (to Tottenham) and Abdukodir Khusanov (to Manchester City).

Still shouldn't necessarily jump the line as an immediate favorite for the Tottenham job, but Spurs should at least consider him an option, given what he has done in Ligue 1 for two clubs in getting them to outperform expectations. Perhaps he's ready for a step up from Lens to Spurs, like Danso, rather than an arguable major step down to Southampton. It's hard to argue that Still isn't a better manager candidate for Spurs than Scott Parker, after all.

Tottenham are stuck in 17th in the Premier League, so even if they win a historic Europa League title over Manchester United on Wednesday night, there will always be a sour taste in the mouths of Spurs fans after the 2024/25 season officially ends. It has been a historically putrid season in the Premier League from Tottenham Hotspur, signifying a clear need for the club to make sweeping changes to its personnel.

While that will likely begin with Ange Postecoglou's exit, it is even more important for Tottenham to improve their personnel on the pitch. They have a number of potential difference-makers within their ranks of young talent, but they don't have enough current star power. Ideally, Tottenham will sign players this summer who can both make a difference now and in the future.

One of those potential dream targets is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who is just 21 years old but already one of the best players in French football. Cherki has been earmarked for greatness for years, and with a 22.5 million euro release clause this summer, he could be one of the biggest transfer bargains in the summer 2025 market.

Tottenham can sign one of Europe's most skilled talents

Now, Cherki is officially hitting the open waters. According to Fabrizio Romano, Cherki announced to reporters after Lyon's 2-0 win over Angers in Ligue 1 that he intends to leave Lyon, the club that nurtured him, this summer for a bigger opportunity, thanking all those at the club for their influence on his career.

Tottenham need to get involved, fast. Cherki is going to be courted by virtually every club in England, including teams with a lot more current success like Arsenal and Liverpool. But if Tottenham can offer him the right financial package, importance in the squad, sufficient minutes, an ideal tactical fit, and the chance to be a future commercial face of the club, they can go toe-to-toe with virtually anyone with the right approach.

And Spurs do need to pull out all the stops. The sweet left-footed French international has bagged 8 goals and 11 assists in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season with 2.5 key passes and 1.6 dribbles completed per game, making him one of the most skilled and creative playmakers in European football, especially from a wide position.

Left-footed right wingers are a rare find, and while Tottenham have a good one in Dejan Kulusevski, they need great forwards if they want to truly make the top five every year in the Premier League these days. Cherki is the kind of talent in terms of skill, athleticism, and ingenuity that doesn't often become available for just 22.5 million euros. He's available, and Tottenham need to do their best to fight for his signature this summer.

On Wednesday night in Bilbao, Tottenham will take on Manchester United in the Europa League Final, and they will need a hero to step up in the attacking midfield. All of Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison, and now Dejan Kulusevski are out for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign, leaving a gaping hole in the creativity and ball progression departments.

Tottenham fans are left wondering what manager Ange Postecoglou will do to fill this void between the midfield and attack, because Spurs are going to need a creative impetus to emerge if they are to secure victory against a Bruno Fernandes-led Manchester United on May 21.

Although striker Dominic Solanke is one solution as the 10, the best possible option looks like young Frenchman Wilson Odobert, though he may be inexperienced. Postecoglou gave the 20-year-old a big opportunity in the starting lineup this past weekend against Aston Villa as Tottenham's No. 10, and Odobert was actually one of the few bright spots in a 2-0 defeat for Spurs.

Wilson Odobert has skills

Appearing on a video posted to the Europa League TikTok account, Tottenham superstar left winger Son Heung-min was asked a series of questions naming the best Spurs player in each particular category. For example, Tottenham's main No. 10, James Maddison, was Son's answer for the Spurs player with the best Football IQ.

Interestingly enough, his ostensible backup, Wilson Odobert, was Son's answer to the question of the Tottenham player with the most skill. And when you watch Odobert play, it's easy to see why. He's the best pure dribbler on the team, especially in short areas, with silky smooth skills and change of direction that allow him to link up with teammates in tight spaces in the attacking third.

That should make Odobert the key as the new No. 10 for this game against Manchester United. It's a bit of a risk given Odobert's lack of experience, but a lot of that is down to his lack of minutes due to injury. Odobert has been a spark and a solid creator when he does play, often creating because of his skill on the ball.

Starting Odobert for Tottenham vs. Manchester United carries higher upside than any other option because of his creativity and skill. He could potentially capture lightening in a bottle for Spurs, and the fact that a player like Son is praising his skill compared to his teammates is a sign that Postecoglou should strongly consider taking this small gamble. There isn't a better option on paper.

Tottenham Hotspur are facing a critical summer transfer window in their history as a club, regardless of the outcome of this coming Europa League Final against Manchester United. Spurs have already sealed the worst Premier League season in their club's history, so, clearly, they can't simply fire Ange Postecoglou and think that everything will be solved with one move.

Going forward, Tottenham have to fundamentally change how they operate as a club, and that begins with building a long-term sporting project around a nucleus of high-upside stars who can gel together and form a winner year-in and year-out. Thankfully for Spurs, they already have several internal candidates to build around.

Homegrown talent Mikey Moore is one of those. He emerged out of nowhere during the current Europa League campaign and is a winger clearly worth keeping in mind as someone to build around. Already, Moore is attracting attention from other big clubs around Europe like Borussia Dortmund, placing even more of an impetus on Daniel Levy to keep him around.

Mikey Moore is going to want Tottenham to put pen to paper

So far, it looks like Tottenham will do the right thing and give Moore a raise to keep him around, but Spurs should feel pressure to make a concrete move soon. According to Fabrizio Romano, Moore has signed a deal with new agents at Unique Sports Group, joining the same agency as Arsenal phenom Ethan Nwaneri.

There are many reasons why a young player would sign with a new agency. Moore may be looking to establish himself with a more prestigious group as his star rises, or he may be joining with a new agency in order to get a bigger contract. Both of these reasons go hand-in-hand, so there is likely a combination of both.

All the same, Moore's move is a smart one for a young, rising baller, and it should put pressure on Tottenham to get to the negotiating table and hammer something out. Moore already signed a new contract with Tottenham last year, but that was just his first professional deal. He's already outgrown that by shining in the Europa League with interest from Dortmund.

Tottenham aren't going to have to make him a highly-paid player, but they are going to have to give him a bump in wages and likely written assurances of playing time and a progression plan in a senior team. That's what any smart player and agency would ask for, and Tottenham are going to have to be prepared to do those things in official format, lest they risk losing a star before he is able to shine brightly in their stadium.