Football365

We can surely all agree that football simply does not get bigger than Carabao Cup quarter-final week. Just one of the great midweeks of the year, a chance to squeeze in yet another fixture just before Christmas and test the hamstrings of anyone yet to suffer that familiar winter twang.

There are eight teams still standing, in accordance with quarter-final traditions, and it would be fair to say that for many reasons old and new the dear old Carabao occupies contrasting positions of significance and importance for the eight managers involved. So let’s rank them, shall we? Everyone loves it when things are ranked.

It would be quite the story, but a lot has had to go right and also really very wrong indeed for Rusk to even still be in charge at Southampton when the Carabao final rolls around in March.

Looks certain at the very least to have the chance to steer Southampton into the last four this week, though. A permanent replacement for Russell Martin doesn’t appear all that imminent, so it falls to Rusk to tick the boxes and complete the formalities of getting past Liverpool in the last eight.

The most obvious Bigger Fish To Fry situation among the eight remaining managers, with Liverpool cruising in the now hibernating Champions League but more importantly now in the process of seeing their lead atop the Premier League trimmed by Chelsea’s relentless form and their own new-found tendency to draw games or even more carelessly have them postponed.

Should make it into the last four without trying too hard given the identity of their last-eight opponents, but almost certain in that case to come up against more Carabao-invested opposition in the semis.

We would suggest the Carabao is slightly more of a priority for Slot specifically than Liverpool more generally. But only slightly. It’s definitely a bonus to be able to get that first trophy under the belt, and Jose Mourinho used to speak with great fondness – back when such emotions were still available to him – about the League Cup as a launch-pad for further, greater success. It would be a lovely little bonus, but harsh as it is, if Slot’s season were now to end with a Carabao and nothing more it would be distinctly underwhelming.

As for Liverpool, they’ve won two of the last three. Nobody needs that much Carabao.

Tricky for Ruben is the Carabao. On the one hand, it’s very clear from his shifting team selections and use of absolutely every single substitution available to him that he is desperately using every available match to glean as much information as he possibly can about the squad he’s inherited.

But it’s equally clear that he’d very much like some time and space to be able to do some proper training-ground work to impart his vision and methods to a squad still understandably struggling to adapt to what is a very different way of doing things.

Spurs up next for Amorim so literally anything could happen there, but if he emerges from that trip to north London with a semi-final place you’d imagine he’d give it plenty when the time comes. After all, Erik Ten Hag won this thing in his first season and that worked out absolutely brilliantly.

Probably more interested now than he was a few weeks ago when Palace were still straining desperately to ease clear of a relegation fight in which they should really be nothing more than half-interested spectators.

When the quarter-final draw was made it would have been hard to make a case for Palace going to Arsenal and getting anything more out of it than the relief of a game that didn’t have potentially dread-filled real-world consequences for their Premier League status.

No longer quite true, that. Arsenal are more vulnerable, and Palace less wretched. It does appear quite clearly now that there are – as we all very strongly suspected – at least three teams much worse than this Palace side and their very decent manager.

Arsenal in a Carabao quarter-final now feels like a much more appealing genuine free hit with actual chance of progression.

It’s not going to usurp the 2022 Europa League success with Eintracht Frankfurt atop his CV, but it would be a welcome second major title for a manager whose ability doesn’t really tally with a relatively blank honours section.

Frank has absolutely nothing left to prove at Brentford given where he’s taken them from and to, but the slightly negative corollary is what does he really have left to achieve? There is a ceiling for clubs like his that is almost impossible to break through, and even the League Cup isn’t the potential source of glory for smaller but well-established Premier League sides it once was.

As squad depth across the Big Six – and really specifically here United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea – has grown it has become so much harder for teams like Brentford now to do what your Leicesters and Birminghams, your Middlesbroughs and Swanseas, the Blackburns of this world once did.

The last 11 League Cups have been hoarded by Liverpool, United, City and Chelsea and there is no longer the expectation there once was that a club like Brentford might be able to snaffle one.

It nevertheless still represents the least unlikely way for Frank to do something truly new to put a cherry on top of all he’s achieved here.

And then you get a shot at the Conference League.

Would address a couple of quirks, at least. First, that for all Arsenal’s dramatic improvement under Arteta the only actual silverware to show for it remains the FA Cup win from his first Covid-interrupted season, a season in which Arsenal were for the most part really quite rubbish in all the other competitions.

The second is Arsenal’s own p*ss-poor record in this competition. Sure, it’s never been the absolute tip-top number-one priority but they haven’t won the thing since the Domestic Cup Double of 1993 and that was only their second win.

Even perennial trophy-dodgers Spurs have won it twice since Arsenal last managed, while all told the other five Big Sixers have won 23 Carabaos and Coca-Colas and Worthingtons and Capital Ones and Carlings since Arsenal got their hands on one. That seems quite silly.

One of two managers in this list who a) could really do with a trophy this season and also very importantly b) could definitely point to even this most tinpot of all the majors as a significant breakthrough moment for him and his club and then also c) should welcome anything that does anything to ease the pressure on their job and silences the whispers for any length of time.

Howe himself – for understandable enough reasons – still has no top-tier team trophy to sit alongside an undeniably impressive collection of individual manager of the month and year gongs.

Newcastle’s own silverware drought, meanwhile, is one that would make Tottenham blush having failed to add a single proper bauble to the St James’ Park trophy cabinet since the 1950s. We’re really sorry, lads, but the Intertoto Cup absolutely does not count.

A certified genuine Carabao, though? Now you’re talking.

Set his stall out very early this season with his infamous ‘I always win something in year two’ claim. While historically undeniably accurate, it was nevertheless a wild move to leave oneself quite such a hostage to fortune when said fortunes are those of Tottenham Hotspur, the final-level boss of banter clubs.

It does, though, also feel like Postecoglou’s Spurs absolutely could do it. Unlike previous iterations of Spurs that possessed the wherewithal to potentially challenge for a cup, Postecoglou has masterminded a situation where their league form is so absurdly inconsistent that it is no longer a viable route to anything. He’s playing 4D chess, mate. How to stop this club being obsessed with finishing fourth? Somehow be 10th with a goal difference of +17. He’s a genius, a visionary.

There are thus multiple reasons for Postecoglou and Spurs to absolutely throw everything at the cups this season. They are in many ways a glorious and high-gloss version of the classic Spurs sides of old; a threat to absolutely anybody in a one-off game but a threat to absolutely nobody across 38 or 42.

Three eminently plausible routes to trophy success exist for Postecoglou and his band of merry man (and Timo Werner) with a home quarter-final here against a plausibly less interested Manchester United, a kind third-round FA Cup draw and the weakest-looking Europa League in years.

For the rest of us it now only remains to sit back and discover precisely how and when they go about f*cking each one of those opportunities directly into the sun.

Jack Grealish might need to leave Manchester City to save his “legacy” from being “ruined”, according to former Premier League striker Troy Deeney.

England winger Grealish joined City from Aston Villa for a then-British record £100million in the 2021 summer transfer window.

He took a while to settle at the Etihad but had an outstanding 2022/23 campaign, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win an historic Treble.

Grealish didn’t really kick on after that, though, and has been in and out of the starting XI since the start of 23/24.

The 29-year-old has struggled with niggling injuries but has not made enough statement performances when given the chance to prove himself ahead of Jeremy Doku.

There has always been transfer speculation given Grealish’s inability to thrive since leaving Villa, with Tottenham frequently linked with him.

A move elsewhere could help rejuvenate the England international’s career and Spurs would be a better fit than most teams, says ex-Watford captain Deeney.

MORE ON MAN CITY FROM F365

👉 Man Utd star Hojlund destroys ’embarrassing’ Man City star with 15-word poem

👉 Man City and Man Utd are ‘mere vessels for ego and soft power’

👉 16 Conclusions from Man City 1-2 Man Utd – Amad changes the story, but what if Pep really is done?

Deeney adds that staying at City could ruin Grealish’s “legacy” as he has not “lived up to” the potential from his Villa days.

“I think he is danger of having his legacy ruined,” he told talkSPORT.

“And what I mean by that is, I don’t think you can say he hasn’t lived up to his potential, because look at what he did at Villa and he did it for a sustained period of time.

“What’s happening now is, in football, it’s, ‘What have you done lately?,’ and he hasn’t done a great deal lately due to injuries and being out of the team.”

Birmingham fan Deeney continued: “I don’t wan’t him to go back to Villa for two reasons, selfishly, because I don’t want Villa to get good again, [saying this] with a Blues head on.

“But genuinely for him, I always think if you go back, there’s an expectation you’re going to be that person you was when you left.

“I think a fresh start would be great for him and somewhere where he’s the main man again and everyone is giving him the ball.

“Because people like Jack, they need to have the ball every couple of minutes – and not being stood on the side – and when they get it, run a little bit and pass it back.

“But I think you’re going to see a new role for him at City, I think you’re going to see him as a No.8 – just driving out of midfield.

“I think he can handle that position really well, and that’ll be good for England as well.”

On who Grealish could join if he does decide to leave City, Deeney said: “Spurs, he walks into that team in every position.

“Whether that’s as a winger, No.10 or No.8. Arsenal, no, I don’t think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn’t at Liverpool.

“He’s obviously not going to go Manchester United, but he’s better than what they’ve got.

“Newcastle, easy. There’s loads of teams, anyone outside the top four, I’d argue he’d do well at Chelsea, but they’ve got about 75 wingers.

“He’s probably too cheap for them at £100m to be fair, they’d want to waste a bit more money!

“Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate, if he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him.

“But it’s a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he’s loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he’s the man to drive them forward.”

It feels like we are in the final chapter of Ange Postecoglou’s stint at Spurs, so we’ve ranked their next ten matches on the likelihood of being his last…

It all started so well for the once-cheerful Aussie at Tottenham, but he’s been gradually dragged down by Spurs‘ unrelenting insistence on being…well, Spurs.

When they’re good, few teams are a match for them in the Premier League, though when they are bad, they verge on Southampton’s level of ineptitude this season. To make matters worse, they place themselves on each end of this spectrum with equal regularity.

Their emphatic 4-0 statement win at a spiralling Manchester City was touted as a potential turning point for Spurs to kick on and show a level of consistency that’s previously eluded them. However, they have gone the other way, failing to win any of their last five games across all competitions.

This run has increased the pressure on the Spurs boss, who is currently the third favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Tottenham’s infuriating (or hilarious) form has led to links with potential replacements and one Premier League boss is reportedly ‘tempted’ (for some reason).

So, which of Tottenham’s upcoming matches are most likely to be Postecoglou’s last? Away games at Arsenal or Southampton, perhaps?

The Europa League has provided some solace for Postecoglou; Spurs are on the fringe of the top eight with three wins, two draws and a loss in their six matches.

The Hoffenheim clash is the first of two remaining league phase matches for Spurs, who can afford a disappointing result against the Bundesliga outfit next month. With such an outcome, they would still be pretty sure of a spot in the play-offs, which would give them the chance to avoid the embarrassment of an early exit.

READ: Ange Postecoglou derided as ‘self-serving, duplicitous Mourinho-lite toerag’

Postecoglou was ridiculed for his “always wins” trophies gloat at the start of this season. For his sake, he needs to be proven right as his future could well be decided by how trophy-shy Spurs fare in cup competitions this term.

They get their FA Cup campaign underway with a trip to National League side Tamworth. It’s Spurs we’re talking about, so a mammoth cup upset cannot be completely ruled out, though Postecoglou’s second-string outfit *should* win by a couple of goals even without playing well. If they don’t, this would be a new low that the head coach would struggle to get past.

After the silliness of their London derby v Chelsea, Tottenham could treat football fans to another pre-Christmas thriller when they visit Anfield three days before Christmas.

While the Spurs-Liverpool rivalry delivered in spades during Jurgen Klopp’s farewell last year, this season’s meetings could be more reserved as Arne Slot has turned his side into a more complete (and better) team.

A trip to Anfield is often daunting and this remains the case with Slot’s side battling on all four fronts. Given the mood of each side, Spurs could easily be eaten alive by their superior opponents, but could alternatively put on a show and cause a shock – you never know for sure. A loss against the table-toppers shouldn’t be considered the end of the world, mind.

Tottenham and Newcastle’s seasons have followed a similar trajectory as Eddie Howe’s side have also been out of sorts.

Currently three points and a position above tenth-placed Tottenham, Newcastle have been a shadow of their high-intensity selves for much of this campaign and they are a far cry from the side that qualified for the Champions League in 2022/23.

The Newcastle manager’s job could be another vacancy that will soon be up for grabs. When trying to make sense of Tottenham’s results under Postecoglou, this stood out as a potential opportunity to briefly ease the pressure on the head coach.

MORE SPURS COVERAGE ON F365…

👉 Tottenham ‘tempt’ PL manager with three ‘big factors in his favour’ amid Postecoglou ‘faith update’

👉 Man Utd and Man City miserably side by side with Spurs 17th in Premier League mood rankings

👉 Man Utd ’embarrassment’ branded ‘a baby’ and ‘nastily’ tipped to join Tottenham

Unsurprisingly, the majority of Everton’s success this term (there was not much to pick from) has come at Goodison Park as supporters bid farewell to their beloved ground ahead of a new era.

This new era could start with Everton in the Championship, though their ability to pluck a win from nowhere once every five games stands them in good stead in bidding to avoid relegation.

Such a shock victory could easily come at the expense of Postecoglou’s side, though the London outfit’s record against Everton is pretty good. The long wait for this fixture sees it drop a few places lower than it would if this list was based purely on the chances of Spurs doing something Spursy.

If Tottenham do sack Postecoglou, they could try again with Nuno Espirito Santo…

No, but seriously, Nuno’s resurgence at Forest has been one of this season’s feel-good stories as their gradual building of a very strong first Premier League XI makes them a shock contender for the European spots.

Nuno would no doubt take great pleasure in getting one over on Spurs after they binned him off quicker than it took for Daniel Levy to appoint him. A loss at Forest would not be the disaster it once was, but it would still nudge Postecoglou nearer the exit door.

As mentioned, Postecoglou – if he is allowed to stick around long enough – really needs to win a trophy this season and the Carabao Cup provides an opportunity for Spurs to end their long wait for silverware.

Given Man Utd are in the suffering transitionary phase under new head coach Ruben Amorim, this is certainly a winnable tie for Spurs, especially with them being at home.

Postecoglou as good as promised that he’d win something this year and if the saving grace of a prolonged Carabao Cup run is taken away, it could be enough for Levy to stop turning a blind eye to their Premier League woes.

READ: Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Recent indications are that Postecoglou retains the support of Levy, but talk over potential replacements is intensifying and another embarrassing loss to a lowly Premier League could turn the situation sour.

A trip to St Mary’s is probably the simplest away game a side could ask for in the Premier League this season, but Spurs have previous when it comes to losing against a relegation candidate and it would not be a surprise if they make this match more difficult than it needs to be.

The Gunners are continuing to prove that they are streets ahead of their North London rivals as they are mounting another push for the Premier League title.

Matches between the two arch-enemies deliver more often than most other local derbies in the Premier League, but Spurs (even more so as the away side) will go into this particular clash as huge underdogs.

A loss to a local rival has put the full stop on the reign of many managers and if Arsenal find their shooting boots in a one-sided hammering, it could be goodbye Postecoglou.

A repeat of the 1-0 home loss to Ipswich Town to end it all for Postecoglou? Potentially…

Gary O’Neil is far from guaranteed to be in charge when this game comes, but his side usually fare better against stronger opposition and they have the necessary quality in attacking areas to punish Spurs on the counter-attack to condemn them (and Postecoglou, more importantly) to another damaging defeat.

Tottenham are one of the Premier League clubs reportedly ‘closely following’ Pascal Struijk, whose potential contact renewal at Leeds will depend on if they can return to the top flight.

Struijk has been a pillar of the Leeds defence this season. Captain of the side on multiple occasions, the Dutchman is yet to miss a minute of action in the Championship, where the Whites have lost just three times.

They have also kept 11 clean sheets, so the defence is clearly thriving.

According to TBRFootball, Struijk’s form has piqued the interest of Tottenham, Brighton and Wolves, all of whom are said to be following him closely.

Leeds are said to be hopeful of tying the Dutchman down to a new deal. However, the report suggests success on that front is likely to be determined by whether they return to the Premier League next season.

Currently second in the Championship, there looks a good chance of that happening, but if not, Struijk could return to the top flight – where he played 85 games with the Whites over three years – with another club.

MORE ON TOTTENHAM FROM F365:

👉 Under-pressure Ange double downs on criticism of ‘shirking’ Timo Werner

👉 Man Utd ’embarrassment’ branded ‘a baby’ and ‘nastily’ tipped to join Tottenham

👉 Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Tottenham have had joy from negotiating with Leeds of late. They signed Archie Gray from the second-tier club in the summer, while they let Joe Rodon go the other way, after he spent the previous season on loan at Elland Road.

Manor Solomon was also loaned to the West Yorkshire outfit by Spurs in the summer.

As such, it seems there is a good chance Struijk could be the latest player to move between the two clubs. But it’s not likely if given the choice, he’d turn his nose up at any Premier League club after two seasons in the Championship.

If he is met with the prospect of a third, it seems very unlikely the 25-year-old would want to remain, when he has shown he has the quality to have another crack at the top flight.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King feels that a Tottenham man with 23 goals and assists since joining the club could be part of a summer “clearout” at the club.

Spurs’ up and down form has been a feature of their last few seasons. It is emblematic of the club to pull off a remarkable result and then falter over the next game or so.

Indeed, they have not won a game in any competition since thrashing Manchester City 4-0 in the Premier League on November 23, and sit 12th in the league table as a result.

In that game, midfield man James Maddison scored a brace and looked untouchable. In the five games since, he has contributed a single assist, with his tallies for the season at five goals and five assists now.

Former Tottenham scout King feels the Englishman might not survive a summer clearout, with some other big names potentially culled, too.

“[Yves] Bissouma is playing regular football in the Premier League. Therefore, Tottenham will certainly at least want the fee back that they paid for him. I would say that they might be prepared to let him go for somewhere between £25-35million,” King told Tottenham News.

“I think Richarlison might join him as well, and I’m not 100 per cent convinced that Maddison won’t also be part of the summer clearout at Tottenham.”

MORE ON SPURS FROM F365:

👉 Under-pressure Ange double downs on criticism of ‘shirking’ Timo Werner

👉 Man Utd ’embarrassment’ branded ‘a baby’ and ‘nastily’ tipped to join Tottenham

👉 Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Richarlison’s sale seems fair enough, but Maddison has been directly involved in 23 goals for Spurs in a season and a half. When his day comes, he is close to unplayable.

His day may not come as consistently as some of the best players in the Premier League, but that is true of almost all of the Spurs squad, so if they’re looking to axe players like that, there are surely better places to start than with Maddison.

According to reports, Brentford boss Thomas Frank is ‘tempted’ to join Tottenham Hotspur, who ‘appreciate’ the Premier League head coach for three reasons.

Postecoglou is one of the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked as Spurs have been infuriatingly inconsistent at the start of this season.

Tottenham are 11th in the Premier League after 15 games with six wins, two draws and seven defeats. They have not won in the five games since their shock 4-0 win at the Etihad against Man City.

Head coach Postecoglou is under increasing pressure and Frank is one manager they are being linked with.

The Brentford boss is somewhat unfortunate to not yet have landed a big job as the respected Dane has done a great job and is one of the longest-serving managers in the Football League.

Under Frank, Brentford are ninth in the Premier League and their sensational home is the main reason for their immense start. They scored goals for fun at the Gtech Community Stadium and remain unbeaten with seven wins and one draw.

READ: Ange Postecoglou derided as ‘self-serving, duplicitous Mourinho-lite toerag’

Reports suggest Frank is attracting interest from elsewhere and he’s been mooted as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui at West Ham.

A report from our pals at TEAMtalk claims Spurs ‘could turn Frank’s head’ as they would ‘tempt’ him to leave Brentford, while West Ham are ‘eyeing him to be their next manager’.

He is said to have ‘come up in discussions at the London Stadium and should they choose to make a change, he could be a manager the make a move for, though it’s not yet known if this would interest Frank’.

The report claims Frank is said to be more receptive to interest from Tottenham, who ‘appreciate’ the Brentford chief.

MORE SPURS COVERAGE ON F365…

👉 Under-pressure Ange double downs on criticism of ‘shirking’ Timo Werner

👉 Man Utd ’embarrassment’ branded ‘a baby’ and ‘nastily’ tipped to join Tottenham

👉 Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Regarding the Postecoglou ‘faith update’, the report explains.

‘Sources say Spurs have an appreciation of Frank, and his ability to play good football, work on a budget and build strong relationships with players are big factors in his favour.

‘This is a move that would pique the interest of Frank, according to sources, due to the size of Spurs and the infrastructure in place at the club. There would also be the opportunity to work with top-class players and make it at a big-six club.

‘It has to be stated that Tottenham are backing Postecoglou and are aware of the challenges he faces. They hope to back him in January but football can change quickly and Spurs’ supporters are in a state of despair at the club’s struggles.

‘For now, Brentford are delighted they still have their manager at the helm. They are aware he is capable of stepping up to a huge job but hope he continues the brilliant work he has done there.’

Ange Postecoglou has doubled down on his comments about the “unacceptable” performance of Timo Werner, saying: “I’m not going to go away worrying about people’s bruised egos.”

The Tottenham manager ruffled feathers with his criticism of the German international’s end product during the 1-1 draw with Rangers in the Europa League.

The Australian was derided as a ‘self-serving, duplicitous Mourinho-lite toerag’ on these very pages, though he garnered unsurprising support from pundits on talkSPORT.

“In the main, every player is trying to implement what he wants out on the pitch,” said Teddy Sheringham.

“I don’t see anyone shirking apart from Timo Werner. He’s been poor whenever I’ve seen him this year.

“He needs to pull his finger out and realise what it is to be a professional footballer again and show some real oomph because he looks like he’s going through the motions.

“I don’t agree with Ange’s coming out and saying it publicly but having said that, he needs to know what other people are thinking.”

Alan Brazil echoed those sentiments, saying: “With the greatest respect to Werner, I know he works hard but he’s not a top player. He couldn’t cross a road.”

Postecoglou faced the media again ahead of Sunday’s clash of the philosophies against Russell Martin’s Southampton and was obviously quizzed about the controversial comments.

“It wasn’t criticism. It was assessment,” Postecoglou said. “He’s an international, he’s won the Champions League, he’s a senior player. There’s a level of application you need to rise to, to raise the team. He didn’t reach that.

“It’s just an assessment of his performance. On a really challenging night for us, which we knew going into it. He needs to be better. We’re in a fight here. I’m not going to go away worrying about people’s bruised egos. We’re here to win things.”

Postecoglou said he had no time for “excuses” at a point in the season when Tottenham have won just one of their last eight games and they were forced to play Rangers with Archie Gray at centre-back.

“We want to achieve things. We want to be successful. And we’re down to the bare bones in terms of players. If there’s somebody in the dressing room who’s fit who feels he needs something extra in this moment, he’s probably not the right type,” Postecoglou added.

“I need guys – and I had some last night – who understand the situation we’re in. We’ve got 15 fit players. In some positions we’ve only got two fit players.

“I’m not going to go around trying to get extra out of people. If they’re not able to give extra now, it kind of gives me an indication over where they’re at.”

‘F**k off Ange’ is how it begins, with his treatment of Timo Werner the final straw, as another Man Utd corner turned.

Send your views on all subjects to theeditor@football365.com

Postecoglou out; that was final straw

Sorry to come over a bit TalkSport but f**k off Ange. Seriously. You self-serving, duplicitous Mourinho-lite toerag.

I’ll tell you what’s unacceptable.

Renewing a guy’s loan when he’d done nothing to justify that renewal.

Continually playing him when he’s rubbish. To the point where his team mates won’t pass to him.

Then call him out when his confidence is on the floor and he has a stinker.

Any armchair manager could have seen Werner wasn’t going to work last night. You’re paid 5m a year to find a solution. That’s 133 times more than the average person in the UK. It’s an extraordinary number for someone who’s meant to be extraordinary. Not moany, stubborn and one dimensional.

Unacceptable is not trying. Unacceptable isn’t being rubbish. Nobody goes out there and tries to be rubbish. All because you can’t find a different way of playing that might allow you to make use of some of the younger players in the squad.

Enough now. Bugger off.

Andrew

Farmers League held their own

Just watched my team Rangers, a team languishing in 3rd in the Scottish league albeit soon to be 2nd, play Spurs.

Yes I know Spurs have plenty of players missing but they still had individual players who cost more than the entire Rangers team. And Rangers also had perhaps their 2 best players Hagi and Danilo missing due to not being in the Europa league squad as injured when squads were submitted.

The return of Ange added spice, I know he’s under pressure but our manger Clement has been under huge pressure lately too.

I’ve got to say I’m gutted we didn’t win. Dessers has got to score that one Forster saves but that’s Dessers. Igamane a ” project player ” scores a better. Raskin a pit bull!

And how amazing is the atmosphere at Ibrox in Europe.

We are going into the last 8 and bring on the Old Firm final on Sunday!

Neil Motion

READ: Rangers rattle Tottenham but class Kulusevski digs Postecoglou out of another hole

Who hasn’t sh*t the Man Utd bed?

The other day, some guy from Dubai was going on about Amorim “rotating” is it just me or is he trying to find out if he has anything like a better than shite first 11, and giving everyone a chance not to be totally pony?

So far Onana, Mazraoui, Martinez, Mainoo, Mount and Hojlund have just about avoided completely sh*tting the bed.

Liam Jones

(We would add Amad Diallo but yes, you have a point – Ed)

Turned a corner?

I miss those days when pundits and fans of Utd would take each win and see it as proof that a corner has been turned. Allow me.

Tonight, I saw a brave, strong Utd go to the powerhouse of Europe *checks notes* Plzen and tear them apart like Lisa tore Mark in The Room.

Colossal performances from Martinez, Bruno and *insert whoever played* have shown we have what it takes to get into the top four AT LEAST.

David (Chelsea are gonna win the league, worst team other than Citeh who could win it) Molby, Shrewsbury

Pep Guardiola and self-destructive competitiveness

I think in all the commentary that’s going on at the moment in regards to Pep and City, I’ve had one thought that I’ve not observed elsewhere. And that’s the almost self-destructive streak that occurs in extremely competitive people, when things start to go wrong.

I’m not that competitive. But I have seen some very competitive people in the fringes of my life. And when things are good, their drive to work hard, push others and succeed is quite admirable. And you wonder, why couldn’t I be like that?

But when things start to go wrong, they seem to work even harder, but in all the wrong ways! They push people from frustration rather than encouragement, they devise plans that everyone can tell are wrong, but they won’t listen. Their intensity and work almost seems to go up a notch as they fail, which then becomes really uncomfortable to be involved with, as they try to drag unwilling or unable people along with a failing plan.

Now, I’m trying to imagine what that is like in a person as competitive as Pep!! Scary thought.

Ted, LFC

MORE MAN CITY COVERAGE ON F365…

👉 Pep Guardiola, Ruben Dias embarrassed as Juventus prey on rudderless Man City

👉 Man City star, Guardiola clash on Juventus loss as boss rejects honest assessment – ‘Sorry? No’

👉 Man City to ‘include’ two ‘dispensable’ stars in ‘offer’ for ‘bombshell’ signing after Guardiola ‘agrees’

Liverpool as Radiohead

I’d been kicking a loose, half-formed thought round my head for several weeks but wasn’t sure I could stand it up in the mailbox. Still unsure now, but Seyi’s Drake-Guardiola corollary convinced me to chuck it in here anyway.

I never fully agreed with the characterisation of Klopp’s football as “heavy metal” but it seemed to take, and I suppose the man himself said as much. Recently I’d been thinking Arne Slot’s Liverpool are like the 90s / early 00s era Radiohead of football.

Like them or not, Radiohead were at the very least not truly classifiable. You couldn’t accurately put a finger on their sound, especially across an entire discography which was incredibly rangy and schizophrenic. But ironically their music had identity and massive branding, if you can call it that. It sounded genius and if you looked under the hood, it was layered, intricate, inarguably unique for its time. I feel the same way about this Slot side; I can’t quite put my finger on any one aspect of it but the football is varied, effective, and built on beautiful core foundations, while the flowy bits and cutting edges shapeshift one fixture to the next. Importantly, the identity and craft (and the results) are there.

Anyway, won’t drone on about this but Radiohead did rise well above the generic Britpop landscape of the time, making Blur vs Oasis look mere handbags on the playground. Here was an alt band incorporating jazz and orchestral sectionals and electronica with guys like Johnny Greenwood almost making things up as they went, everyone changing time signatures and morphing structure within the same song and just producing epic stuff. Prime Radiohead were transcendent, and rightly so they captured the whole spectrum of acclaim from Rolling Stone to NME to Pitchfork to… me and my fussy mates growing up.

This Liverpool have that vibe now… unclassifiable but making nice shapes, everything in its right place.

Eric, Los Angeles CA (Btw, note to Seyi: I actually felt Pusha’s takedown of Drake years prior was much colder and more enjoyable, he just didn’t have the same bandwidth or nick a Superbowl halftime invite off it.)

“You’re this level”

A few points on the Arsenal v Monaco game. First of all, take a bow Lewis-Skelly, top ball through to Jesus to set up the first goal.

Next to my fellow Arsenal fans who were slating Jesus on Facebook for not scoring from either of his chances, he did well to get there and they were kept out by outstanding saves. Odegaard again played well but missed a sitter but that’s okay. Martinelli was let off the hook too. Good entertaining game. Oh and the commentator had to note that all the goals were from open play…’yawn!’

Now a quick point to Jon and F365 about highlights. As you’re aware, I’m an Arsenal fan so I have a good idea about how we’ve actually played this season compared to fans of other clubs. Watching highlights whether snippets on MoTD or extended highlights on Sky, TNT or Arsenal sites gives me enough coverage to ‘analyse’ the goals we have scored, through corners and open play (the topic).

In fact it would have been idiotic to watch the full 90 minutes of each game. Anyway pleased you actually did agree with me in the end with both your views on corners and Arsenal’s open play.

Chris Croydon

Putting morals aside, FIFA killing football

I thought I’d add an actual football angle to the Saudi awarding of the World Cup and leave the rest to point out the moral issues.

What about the issue that we have another World Cup in the middle of the football season again. That stuffed up the Premier League and also ensured players at the World Cup were knackered. Or is that knackered state just a permanent thing now with 2 games a week, 52 weeks of the year. Football is definitely moving too far towards quantity of games over quality.

And the idea of boycotting going to matches won’t work, we need to turn the TVs off, that’s where the real money comes from.

Jon, Cape Town (Losing interest in international football very rapidly)

What about 2030?

While I’m totally in agreement about the Saudis hosting the World Cup, what about the 2030?

Happy to see Spain, Portugal and Morocco get it but having games in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina is ridiculous..

I see that the 1st, 2nd & 3rd games are to be held in South America, which tells me that’s 3 different groups.

So six teams will have to play their first games in SA and the jet back across half the world for their 2nd games.

That puts those teams a distinct disadvantage in terms of preparation.

What a Joke!

Neil, LFC, USA

It really is depressing

This should be the death knell for FIFA, the final croak of hubris as its collapses under the weight of its own corruption. Depressingly however there was only one voice of dissent among the well fed suits of FIFA’s congress.

From 211 members only The Norwegian Football Federation stood up for women’s football, for the LGBTQ community, for the near slave workers who will die to deliver the event, for a just and fair process, and for all the fans who care about these issues.

The English FA is run by a CEO for f***’s sake. A student of politics and law who climbed the corporate ladder as a money man, whose own FA profile boasts “…under his tenure, annual revenue at the FA rose by over £100m”. It would never occur to Mark Bullingham to think beyond commercial concerns and make a stand against corruption, and if it had he would never have got the job in the first place.

With governments at least we have some say, some choice, even if that choice is uninspiring. Here we have no power, no voice. The game has been slipping away from us for decades but we’re now so far removed from football’s future that there seems no chance it will ever get better.

Instead we can only stand by and witness FIFA’s decennial circle jerk, then try to come to terms with the new soul crushing reality. When an organisation is so intrinsically interwoven into the fabric of the sport, and when those in a position to influence are gleefully complicit in its corruption, then there is no discernible alternative. It’s heartbreaking.

Dave, Manchester (a glimmer of hope lies with the EU and legal action against UEFA causing a break with its parent organisation but it’s fanciful)

There’s no Good Guy World Cup

The people currently hand-wringing over Saudi being awarded the 2034 World Cup would do well to remember that the majority host of the 2026 edition is a country that:

– Has the death penalty

– Restricts women’s rights over abortion

– Exploits migrant workers

– Has the World’s largest prison population

– Has oligarch-controlled media which ranks only 55th in the world for press freedom

– Has attacked, bombed, couped or otherwise “militarily intervened in” virtually every other country on the planet

– Is about to have a convicted felon as President

– Has authorised itself to invade The Hague should anyone ever try to bring it to justice

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou singled out Timo Werner after Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Rangers, claiming the German’s performance “wasn’t acceptable”.

Werner was substituted at half-time with the score goalless at Ibrox, being replaced by Dejan Kulusevski, who ruled out Hamza Iganame’s opener with a 75th-minute equaliser.

After the match, Postecoglou astonishingly slammed Werner, putting the boot in the German forward after a first-half performance that “wasn’t acceptable”.

“When you’ve got 18-year-olds, it’s not acceptable to me,” the Spurs boss said.

“I said that to Timo, he’s a German international. In the moment we’re in right now – it’s not like we’ve got many options, I need everyone to at least be going out there and trying to give the best of themselves.

“His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.

“We need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don’t have the depth to leave people out if they perform poorly.

“I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys, and tonight wasn’t that.”

👉 OPINION: Rangers rattle Tottenham but class Kulusevski digs Postecoglou out of another hole

A draw at Ibrox leaves Postecoglou under severe pressure and Spurs ninth in the Europa League, behind eighth-placed Rangers on goal difference.

“A tough game as expected, obviously with the atmosphere in the stadium,” Postecoglou said after the match. “I thought the first half was pretty tight with no clear-cut for either side.

“When they score straight after half-time the energy levels obviously go up and it’s going to be a tough one to claw back, but I thought we worked our way back in well.

“I thought the substitutes made a difference and we scored a good goal, had other good moments and a great save by Fraser [Forster] at the end.

“In the context of where we are in Europe, an important point.”

The Australian added: “They’re always difficult to play against here at Ibrox, especially on European nights.

“The nature of the contest, the atmosphere, not many teams come here and win so you kind of expect it to be a tough game.

“We weren’t anywhere near our best which I think is fair to say and at the same time, we’re in a period of games where we’re grinding through at the moment.

“Obviously [we are playing] with a fairly depleted squad. So, in the context of that, in the end, I think it was a good outcome for us.”

MORE ON TOTTENHAM FROM F365

👉 Man Utd and Man City miserably side by side in Premier League mood rankings

👉 O’Neil red-hot Sack Race favourite after El Sackico defeat to major rival Lopetegui

👉 Spurs are exciting?! Make that ‘exhausting’ if you are a fan under Postecoglou

Meanwhile, Rangers manager Philippe Clement praised his players and said their performance was a good advert for Scottish football.

“They took the challenge with both hands, they grabbed it and showed what we wanted them to show everybody,” he said.

“I still leave now thinking we should have won, we deserved to win the game but I think it was a very good advertisement for Scottish football to compete with a Premier League team at full strength.

“I want that mentality within my squad – that they were not satisfied with the point, they felt they were really close to winning.

“There is a lot of potential in the squad, it’s about getting experience, they need to play faster, make decisions faster and they all did tonight, so it’s a big step forward. It’s about keeping the hunger and desire to keep doing that so that’s the message to the team.

“In the first half we created good chances, more than Tottenham and we had to continue. We were not satisfied with 0-0. We wanted to impose our football and create our own chances, not park it on the 18-yard box and wait for something to fall out of the sky.

“I’m very proud about the performance because it’s the way we want to see football being played.

“Also if you see where this group of players is coming from, from a few months ago and making performances like this now, it is a big, big step forward.

“On the other side, I’m also disappointed we didn’t take the three points. That would have been even better and would have been the result we deserved today with the performance the players gave.”

Clement added: “Football is about wanting to win, this club is about that.

“I saw the same thing in my dressing room, and there I am happy I felt they were not satisfied with the draw.

“That’s the right spirit and that’s the spirit we’re going to need in the next weeks and next months to grow as a club.”

Dejan Kulusevski clearly enjoys working with Ange Postecoglou; without him, the Tottenham Hotspur manager would be completely finished.

The pressure on Big Ange has been relentless in recent weeks. A ridiculous 4-0 victory at Premier League champions Manchester City has since been backed up by home draws against AS Roma and Fulham and demoralising defeats against Bournemouth and Chelsea. Consistent inconsistency has been a theme of Postecoglou’s Tottenham tenure and could be what sees him sacked.

Spurs have often thrived off chaos and their 1-1 draw against Rangers in the Europa League was absolutely chaotic. The pattern and pace of the game were not surprising – Rangers are also a wildly unpredictable team and in a difficult season, they actually hosted the Premier League side In A Good Moment as Postecoglou returned to Glasgow, where he won five major trophies in two years at Celtic.

It was a fantastic game for the neutral and was very nearly One Of Those Nights in Europe at Ibrox. There have been some memorable ones at Rangers’ home in recent years, particularly in the 2021/22 season when they beat the likes of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund on their way to the Europa League final. It threatened to be another memorable result and it really ought to have been – Spurs were second best barring a 10-minute spell in which they equalised. Will they ever get another chance like this to beat a ‘top’ Premier League team?

Regardless, it was a fantastic, fast-paced match and a positive result for Spurs based on their overall performance. A defeat could have been the end for Postecoglou with a new cluster of fans losing patience with him after every game.

The match was fantastic because it was quite ridiculous, if truth be told. Both teams committed an uncanny amount of unforced errors, more so Spurs in what is a very tricky ground to play composed, passing football, and the visitors very nearly stole three points having been second best for the vast majority of the night.

Postecoglou going back to Glasgow enhanced the narrative, while goalkeeper Fraser Forster also returned and was booed all evening. The Australian’s record in Old Firm derbies was good, winning six out of 11, while pipping them to almost every trophy in his two years at Celtic.

It would have been rather poetic had Rangers stuck the final nail in Big Ange’s Spurs coffin but Premier League quality eventually shone through courtesy of the brilliant Dejan Kulusevski, who has been head and shoulders above all of his teammates this season.

Brennan Johnson has chipped in with a handy amount of goals, Dominic Solanke is adapting well to his new team and Pedro Porro has been quality, but Kulusevski – who came on for Timo Werner at half-time – is doing more than anyone else to keep Postecoglou in his first Premier League job.

Postecoglou also had his fellow former Celt, Forster, to thank for keeping Spurs in it at Ibrox. Vaclav Cerny was absolutely bloody brilliant and albeit at a time fresh legs were needed, Rangers manager Philippe Clement made the bizarre decision to take him off. The substitution was instantly noticeable and going from Cerny to natural defender Dujon Sterling on the right wing showed the Belgian’s hand.

Mohamed Diomande was another who thrived for Rangers – dominating the midfield and successfully navigating 70 whole minutes on a yellow card. Meanwhile, Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz were a constant danger on the left, James Tavernier had one of his best performances of the season and Hamza Igamane impressed up front on his own, with those two linking up for the hosts’ goal.

Igamane has replaced Cyriel Dessers as the Gers’ first-choice striker in Europe with Danilo not included in the Europa League squad but Spurs fans and others who have presumably never watched him were thankfully introduced to the man, the myth, the legend that is Dessers.

He is the most frustrating player in the world at times, regularly missing sitters, just as he did late on against Spurs. He also scored a comical offside goal, scoring with an unusual confidence having strayed a mere five yards beyond the last man. Of course he saves his best finishing after he disregarded the offside rule.

Spurs’ only positive spell came between the 70th and 85th minute, when they capitalised on their superior play to equalise, but they were back to being rattled again in the last five – when the Dessers comedy show ensued.

Kulusevski, along with Rangers’ misfiring striker, have helped buy Postecoglou some time and a trip to Southampton is quite frankly the perfect next fixture; no result from 1-0 Southampton to 10-0 Spurs would be a surprise.

Rangers have often found respite in European competition but the only respite Spurs have found has been whenever they share the pitch with Manchester City – which unfortunately can’t happen every week for them.

We witnessed one Spurs manager lose their head after a meltdown at Southampton, resulting in their exit, and we might be blessed with a repeat on Sunday. All while Rangers aim to do something Spurs fans can’t relate to: win a cup final.

Postecoglou will breathe a sigh of relief on Thursday night because a defeat at Ibrox could have been fatal, though a draw has not alleviated any pressure – it still feels like he is on borrowed time and losing his job could literally come down to whether or not Dejan Kulusevski can dig him out of another Spursy hole.