Football365

Guglielmo Vicario might have SHUSHED a handful of Spurs fans for no apparent reason, but crucially we cannot be sure so shouldn’t be making the accusation.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the SHUSH

The big story from Thursday evening’s confirmation of a delightfully early St Totteringham’s Day was no doubt Ange Postecoglou’s attempts to gaslight an entire fanbase and just generally people with functioning eyes.

He cupped his ear to the Spurs supporters who had booed him moments before because he was happy and wanted to hear them make more noise, your honour. It really is incredible how things are interpreted nowadays, especially when there are precisely zero other available interpretations of something.

So there is absolutely currency in pretending that rifts at Spurs run deeper than that irrevocable one between manager and fans. Which is how we get this from The Sun website:

‘Tottenham keeper Vicario appears to SHUSH fuming Spurs fans then smacks tunnel after Chelsea defeat’

It is a mightily loaded headline in the circumstances and they absolutely know that. Hell, they’re nakedly depending on either the fury of Spurs fans or the schadenfreude of everyone else for clicks there.

But it’s immediately problematic: he either SHUSHED the fans or he didn’t. This is not really a scenario in which cakes can be both had and eaten here.

The explanation in the story makes it no clearer. Digital Sports Reporter Kealan Hughes writes that Vicario ‘walked over to the away end and made a gesture, spinning his wrists around his head before appearing to make a shushing action.’ And who among us can honestly say they haven’t ever made a gesture, spinning our wrists around our head before appearing to make a shushing action?

It’s nonsense for a number of reasons. For starters, not a single Spurs fan reacts to this supposed act of disrespect; those left in the stands just continue to clap as Vicario allegedly comes over specifically to SHUSH them.

Also, the camera is filming Vicario from the back and thus the slightly grainy footage only shows him raising his hand in the vague vicinity of his face. And of course he cannot possibly have been SCRATCHING an itch or anything. It can only have been a SHUSH.

Just look at this remarkably incriminating evidence attached to the story:

That is admittedly quite damning. Just look at that handful of ‘fuming Spurs fans’ he has decided to goad for no apparent reason.

It is quite strange that the only other outlet covering this story is TribalFootball. It’s not even a thing on the social media hellscape of manufactured controversies formerly known as Twitter. Why is everyone choosing to ignore this apart from the incredibly brave souls at The Sun website? Stop asking questions. SHUSH.

More tea, Vicar?

Actually, tell a lie: the Daily Star website brings us this latest development:

‘Tottenham star spotted shushing Chelsea fans after tensions boiled over in clash’

That really does clear up any and all confusion. Cheers.

Ange management

This line in that Sun website story is also slightly absurd:

‘Postecoglou was also accused of cupping his ear towards the away end after Pape Sarr found the net – only for his goal to be ruled out.’

The reluctance to say with absolute certainty that Vicario SHUSHED the fans is understandable. But saying Postecoglou was ‘also accused of cupping his ears towards the away end’ is like saying he has been accused of being a surly 59-year-old Australian.

Brawl of shame

Something about that game at Stamford Bridge obviously planted a mischievous seed in the collective minds at The Sun website because…

‘Chelsea and Tottenham descends into chaos as Romero sparks mass brawl after shoving Colwill to ground’

The players ‘came to blows in a feisty brawl’ and ‘referee Craig Pawson was left helpless given the sheer number of players involved’, you see?

An alternative view might be that there was a small amount of pushing or shoving and a whole lot more separating, while a ‘helpless’ Pawson watched from the outside instead of getting stuck in.

And what punishment was meted out after these two sets of players ‘came to blows’? One yellow card apiece. It doesn’t exactly scream ‘Battle of the Bridge’, does it?

You with the sad eyes

One player who might want to SHUSH a certain section of the fans is Trent Alexander-Arnold, but as he is currently injured the Liverpool defender has been reduced to ‘show true colours’ duty by the Daily Mirror website.

‘Trent Alexander-Arnold shows true colours with Liverpool reaction despite fan anger’ is a headline which leaves plenty to the imagination as to what he might have done. Maybe Mediawatch missed him holding up a Real Madrid shirt to the Kop in this sordid true colour reveal. Or did he spin his wrists around his head before appearing to make a shushing action?

The suspense is killing us…

‘The 26-year-old stood by the tunnel so he could congratulate every one of his team-mates as they came off, with a special reception reserved for Jones, who got some words of encouragement.’

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been told the Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt is “all or nothing” after another Premier League defeat.

Spurs‘ 1-0 loss away at Chelsea was the club’s 16th league defeat of the season, leaving them 14th and heading for their worst finish since 1994.

With qualification to Europe via the league a near impossibility, former player and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said Tottenham’s Europa League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt has become the most important game of their season.

“The Frankfurt game is all or nothing,” Redknapp told Sky. “I’ve never seen a club where it’s joy or despair in every aspect because he [Postecoglou] will be proven right. Everything he said early on in the season.

“He is all in on that Europa League and right now the players look like that as well. Ange said they did okay but the players weren’t at it.

“Considering they had everyone back. It’s as poor as I’d seen them play all season.”

Tottenham have reached the quarter finals of the UEFA competition but are not favourites to win it with Manchester United, Lyon, Athletic Club and Rangers all still in.

The North London club host Frankfurt next week and Redknapp believes if they were not still in the competition, Postecoglou would have already been sacked.

“If they weren’t in Europe, I don’t think he’d still be the manager. It’s been that poor and he knows the price on the ticket.

“You don’t lose 16 games at a club like Tottenham. He’s got to win the cup, if they do – they are creating history. If you don’t, you will be history. That’s why it is all or nothing for Ange Postecoglou.”

The Australian manager clashed with a Sky Sports reporter after being questioned on a gesture that seemed to show him cupping his ear to the away support.

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The 59-year-old claimed it had been misinterpreted and that he was asking to hear the fans cheer.

“It’s incredible how things get interpreted. We just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer,” he said.

“We’ve been through a tough time and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited.

“I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was [going] our way.

“It doesn’t bother me. It’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions. That’s fine, they’re allowed to do that, but we just scored a goal, we just scored an equaliser.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has explained his gesture to Spurs fans during their 1-0 loss to Chelsea in a prickly interview with Sky Sports.

Enzo Fernandez scored the only goal of the game on 50 minutes as the north Londoners remained in 14th place in the Premier League table.

Tottenham have been in awful form this season with Postecoglou’s side winning just ten of their 30 Premier League matches so far.

After Pape Matar Sarr’s long-range strike got Spurs back on level terms, which was eventually ruled out by a lengthy VAR check, Postecoglou appeared to cup his ear towards the away end.

Postecoglou was booed by the away section for bringing on Sarr in place of Lucas Bergvall and his reaction to the disallowed goal seemed in direct response to that.

When asked about his gesture by Sky Sports journalist Patrick Davison, Postecoglou said: “Yeah, I wanted them to be happy, mate. We’d just scored a cracking goal. So I wanted them to cheer – because they haven’t had a lot to cheer about.”

When asked whether his gesture was in reaction to his substitutions being booed, Postecoglou replied: “It’s not the first time my substitutions have been booed. If you followed my tenure, it’s not the first time. They’re allowed to boo. But I wanted them to cheer – because I thought it was a cracking goal.”

But Davison kept pressing, he said; “You said in the week – in your interview with Mark Schwarzer – that you felt you’d lost a portion of the fans. Is that what we saw tonight?”

Postecoglou hit back: “I get it, Pat. You’re trying really hard. That’s fine. You’ve already decided what the outcome is.”

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The Tottenham boss has never hidden his disdain for VAR and Postecoglou once again highlighted his frustrations with the technology.

“It’s killing the game, mate. It’s not the same game it used to be. We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV – I guarantee you, if [Thursday’s VAR] Jarred Gillett was the VAR last night, we’d have got a different outcome.”

Postecoglou was referring to the Merseyside Derby, still fuming he continued: “You just don’t know what you’re going to get. We waited for six minutes for something that apparently the VAR thought was clear and obvious. It’s madness, mate.”

When asked whether Sarr’s disallowed goal was the wrong call by Davison, Postecoglou said: “Look, Pat, you can try and force me into a corner.”

Davison: “I’m not trying to force you into anything.”

Postecoglou replied: “Did you think last night was clear and obvious? How many minutes did it take this referee to figure out whether it was clear and obvious? In your basic knowledge of human vocabulary – ‘clear and obvious’ – what does that suggest to you?”

Davison admitted: “No, it’s maybe not clear and obvious. I do think it’s a foul [by Sarr], if I’m honest.”

Postecoglou finished: “OK. Right. Well, there you go. So the referee didn’t see it. He then needs to see it for six minutes, but you get the right outcome so you’re happy – and that’s why the game’s going the way it is. And I guess people like you will continue to be happy sitting on your couches waiting for six minutes for clear and obvious stuff. That’s fine. I don’t agree with that, but that’s fine.”

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was described as a “diamond” by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood.

The west London club defeated their city rivals 1-0 to boost their chances of staying in the top four as the season comes to a close.

Enzo Fernandez scored the only goal of the game, but it was his Chelsea midfield partner, Caicedo, that Sherwood picked out for praise.

“Caicedo is a diamond of a player,” Sherwood told Premier League Productions.

He breaks up so many attacks, he sits in that midfield, for [Levi] Colwill and [Trevoh] Chalobah tonight he must’ve been a dream.

“He was just in there and giving it to players who can play in front of him, the likes of Enzo, Cole Palmer, [Pedro] Neto, always threatens in behind even though it wasn’t his best game, they’ve got Nicolas Jackson back.

“They need to finish in the top five otherwise it’s not a very good season for them.”

Chelsea are one point ahead of Manchester City with eight games to go in the Premier League season and manager Enzo Maresca said at this stage of the campaign, every win is important.

“It’s very important. First of all, because of the performance. We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we start, we try to win games in the way we want, and I think tonight the performance was very good.

“I said yesterday in the press conference, the last four games at home was Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. Four teams that they sit back and wait for us. Tonight, Tottenham, it’s a different kind of game, so for us in some way it’s better.”

Glenn Hoddle, meanwhile, said Chelsea were not at their best and would have been punished by a better team.

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“They didn”t play free-flowing, quick football where it was one, two touch through the pitch quickly, create, get corners, get pressure, it wasn”t that sort of performance from Chelsea,” Hoddle said.

“I think the manager said it right, they did enough to win, they deserved to win, they did just enough to win tonight against Tottenham who were playing a little bit within.

“If they”d have played against Liverpool tonight, or Man City, or Forest, they might have had some trouble, they really might.”

Ange Postecoglou looks too far gone with the Europa League saving grace unlikely after Spurs’ no-show vs Chelsea, who should pay to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United…

Chelsea’s toothless performance against Arsenal made us question whether they even wanted to win after Enzo Maresca’s side willfully allowed their London rivals to coast to the easiest of victories.

This weak showing left Chelsea with the same points tally as Manchester United since their Premier League title challenge started to evaporate in mid-December.

In this time, Spurs have been even worse as Championship-bound Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town are the only Premier League teams with fewer points in 2025 than Postecoglou’s side.

Tottenham’s injury crisis is a mitigating factor, but even their patched-up squad has massively underperformed and not turned up in far too many games this season.

Their injury issues have eased with all of their eggs in the Europa League basket as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven started together against Chelsea.

This is the first time they have each started since the reverse fixture against Chelsea in December, in which they were forced off after being rushed back from injury.

History did not repeat itself on Thursday night, but the Spurs duo had a rough evening against a returning Nicolas Jackson, who gave Chelsea the focal point that was sorely lacking vs Arsenal and in previous pre-international break fixtures.

Jackson’s lively return to action contributed to an improved performance from Chelsea, who showed intent from the opening whistle and almost took the lead within a minute as Van de Ven touched the ball onto the post.

The striker’s development has eased Chelsea’s need to sign a top-tier striker, but issues remain in wide areas, with Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto continuing to infuriate.

Sancho had the best chance of the opening of the first half; his effort was superbly tipped over the bar by an overwise erratic Guglielmo Vicario.

However, it was another disappointing game for Sancho as he mostly insisted on dribbling into a tackle or going for a pass when in a shooting opportunity, which royally wound up the home crowd.

Sancho’s bright start to this campaign has been undermined by a dramatic decline; months of ineffectiveness have sapped his confidence to the point where the £5m penalty charge to send him back to Man Utd looks a bargain.

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Cole Palmer has also had his confidence knocked as Chelsea’s nonchalant star man has proven he’s human, but normality was restored against Tottenham as he produced a big moment.

Chelsea dominated the first half as the visitors failed to register a shot on target in a tepid performance, but the host’s lack of a clinical edge – even against such a poor opponent – threatened to put Maresca and his side under more pressure via a glaring missed opportunity to capitalise on a visit from Dr Tottenham.

Thankfully for Maresca, Palmer sparred his blushes. His pinpoint cross was headed home from close range by Enzo Fernandez. He and Moises Caicedo were Chelsea’s two best players on the night; the latter is unfortunate not to feature in our team of the season so far.

This derby did not come close to matching the seven-goal thriller in December, but Thursday’s match was not without incident as Caicedo (correctly for offside in the build-up) and Pape Sarr (correctly for a foul) had goals chalked off by VAR, which a touchy and straw-clutching Postecoglou focused on post-match after his latest clashes with Spurs supporters provided further evidence that they have grown tired of one another.

Even with the World Cup winner and Van de Ven finally back together, Spurs were wide open in defence and would have been on the end of a one-sided hammering against a Premier League foe in a more rampant mood.

Pre-match, Jamie Redknapp said this season would be “unbelievable” for Spurs if they win the Europa League, but this feels like a big ask after Postecoglou’s underdelivering team didn’t do nearly enough to trouble an off-peak Chelsea and will come unstuck against the Bundesliga’s third-placed side, Eintracht Frankfurt, if there’s not a spark improvement to save the Aussie’s job, which is slipping away from him.

As for Chelsea, there were positives with the promising return of Jackson, Palmer getting the monkey off his back with his first goal involvement since February, Fernandez’s all-action performance and Caicedo establishing himself as “one of the best defensive midfielders in the world”.

The Blues are a far cry from the side they were at the start of this season, but – much like for Liverpool in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby – the victory was the most important thing tonight to restore order.

As Redknapp said pre-match, a win tonight could be the “catalyst” for an upturn in form during the run-in to seal Champions League qualification, which they need to grasp because this version of Chelsea will still be picked off against superior opposition to Spurs.

Chelsea and Tottenham will renew rivalries when they meet in a Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

Ange Postecoglou’s record against Chelsea doesn’t make for pretty reading. The Aussie has lost all three meetings with the Blues, conceding 10 goals in the process.

We asked Big Ange how he plans to turn that record around, but he just got upset and told us that he always thought it would take three years to have success in the Premier League.

Barring an incredible end-of-season run, Thursday’s trip to the Bridge is nothing more than an opportunity to be spiteful and p*ss on Chelsea’s chips.

Ange is now second favourite in the sack race but that would seem particularly harsh to us, as 85% of Spurs’ net spend in the transfer window went on players 21 and under.

The same approach has worked wonders for a Chelsea side on the verge of Champions League football, though spending the best part of £600,000,000 on 25 players has left them surprisingly better equipped to deal with injuries than Spurs.

Still, we’re here to make a case for the visitors claiming a result on Thursday.

Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction:

Injuries have derailed Tottenham’s chances of making a real fist of this season, yet they were able to field almost their strongest side when surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose to Chelsea in the reverse fixture.

Neither side is in great form coming into this fixture, with the Blues having won two of five in the league. Those wins came against, let’s be honest, already relegated teams in Southampton and Leicester City.

Spurs haven’t fared much better, winless in three before the international break and losing eight of 14 on their travels this season.

Despite that, something is telling us to zig when we should zag. Ange and his team had the break to get healthy and refocus, intending to salvage some pride and finish near the top half at least.

Keep in mind Spurs have produced emphatic wins away to Man United, Man City and Brentford this season, all at a time when the chips were down.

In addition to backing the visitors to spring a surprise, we’re predicting they’ll pile the pressure on the Chelsea goal at some point and make Robert Sanchez earn his crust.

Chelsea team news

Chelsea look set to welcome several key players back to the fold in the coming week, though it remains to be seen if any of them will be fit to start on Thursday.

Wesley Fofana has been a standout performer in defence for the Blues, and so could partner Levi Colwill as part of a back four.

Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo came through the international break unscathed.

Christopher Nkunku may be asked to continue playing on the left if Pedro Neto is deployed in attack, which all depends on the fitness of the returning Nicolas Jackson.

Noni Madueke is also an option in the wide areas.

Chelsea expected line-up

Sanchez – James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella – Fernandez, Caicedo – Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku – Neto

Tottenham team news

Ange should be able to call upon the trio of Vicario, Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven on a regular basis going forward, which is huge for Spurs’ end-of-season prospects.

They’ll be flanked by the dependable Pedro Porro on the right and surprise package Djed Spence, who not so long ago was deemed surplus to requirements and sent on an ill-fated loan spell to Championship Leeds, on the left.

Archie Gray enjoyed a start in a more familiar role in midfield last time out, but we expect him to make way with Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison as options.

Wilson Odobert could be deployed on the left but that’ll depend on the availability of Dejan Kulusevski, with his status unknown at the time of writing.

If Kulu is indeed fit, you’d expect him to join Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-Min in the attack.

Tottenham expected line-up

Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence – Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison – Odobert, Solanke, Heung-Min

Chelsea vs Tottenham: How to watch and listen

You can watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live on Sky Sports Ultra HDR, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League on Thursday, April 3. There’s also live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.

Chelsea vs Tottenham stats:

Chelsea’s three-match win streak has compounded their dominance in this fixture, in which they’ve won 23 and drawn 12 of 43 meetings.

Chelsea came from 2-0 down inside 11 minutes to score four unanswered goals and win the reverse fixture 4-3.

Chelsea’s last three matches have finished 1-0, the first time they’ve played out the same scoreline in three consecutive games since facing Leicester, Southampton and West Ham in March of 2022.

The last time they featured in a trio if 1-0 wins was when they beat West Brom, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in 2016.

Chelsea’s home games are averaging 3.03xG per game this season, which is identical to the 3.03xG Spurs are averaging in away games.

Tottenham have won more matches on their travels than at home this season, taking maximum points in 36% of away trips compared to 33% of home dates.

Chelsea vs Tottenham referee stats:

Craig Pawson, who was demoted by UEFA last summer and controversially ruled out a late Chelsea goal at this stage of the season last year, will take charge of Thursday’s fixture.

He was also at the centre of VAR controversy this season as Everton fans fumed at his decision not to award the Toffees a penalty against Newcastle in October.

Thursday’s assignment will be his 18th Premier League fixture of a campaign which has also seen him officiate games in the Champions League, League Cup, Europa League and Nations League.

It will be the first time he’s refereed Chelsea this season, but he did oversee Spurs’ 4-1 win at home to Aston Villa recently.

Pawson is averaging 4.12 yellow cards per game, 0.18 red cards and has awarded five penalties in 22 contests.

According to reports, Manchester United are ‘preparing an offer’ to sign Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Red Devils are already linked with several potential targets ahead of this summer’s transfer window with a significant squad overhaul necessary.

United have spent most of the 2024/25 campaign in the bottom half of the Premier League table and need to win the Europa League to qualify for Europe ahead of next season.

Man Utd have struggled to adapt to Ruben Amorim‘s preferred style and formation, so INEOS will be hoping that a summer rebuild could make their squad more aligned with the head coach’s methods.

Upgrades are required in forward areas as Man Utd have been toothless in attack this season. Their priority will be to sign a new striker, but they also need to invest in a No.10 or two.

READ: Rashford ‘could play for Manchester United again’ – if finger-pointing Ruben Amorim suddenly resigns

Eze has been sporadically linked with Man Utd over the past couple of years and his performance in Crystal Palace’s FA Cup quarter-final should tempt the Red Devils to make a summer move.

The England international sparkled for Palace last season, but his form dipped before he grabbed a goal and an assist in his side’s 3-0 win against Fulham.

A report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Eze has been ‘identified’ as Man Utd’s ‘new dream’ target and they are ‘preparing a 60 million euro [£50m] offer’.

This offer would not quite meet Crystal Palace’s asking price, and there are two ‘problems’ to overcome.

‘Manchester United has set its sights on Eberechi Eze as one of its priorities for summer reinforcements.

‘With a transfer market that promises to be intense, the English club’s directors have identified the Crystal Palace midfielder as a player with the right profile to bolster their squad.’

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‘However, securing his services will not be an easy task, as his club is not willing to let him leave for less than 60 million pounds, a figure that could complicate the operation.

‘United’s footballing management, led by Christopher Vivell and Jason Wilcox, is exploring various options for the summer transfer window, but interest in Eze is strong. His playmaking ability and attacking versatility fit with the coaching staff’s vision of strengthening the squad. Furthermore, Rubén Amorim sees him as a player with the talent necessary to be a starter and make a difference in the Premier League.

‘The problem for the Red Devils lies not only in the high cost of the deal, but also in the competition.

‘Tottenham is closely monitoring the player’s situation and could enter the bidding process, although they first need to resolve the continuity of Ange Postecoglou, who is under pressure after recent results.’

According to reports, Aston Villa are plotting a ‘tempting offer’ as they interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero.

The World Cup winner established himself as one of the leading centre-backs in the Premier League following his move to Tottenham, but he has missed most of this season due to injury.

The 26-year-old has only made 14 Premier League starts this season after missing games with toe and hamstring issues, but he returned to action before the international break.

Romero‘s long-term future at Spurs appears to be in doubt, as he has been heavily linked with an exit in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, a report from GiveMeSport claimed Spurs are ‘poised to give Romero an ultimatum’ ahead of the summer.

‘Influential figures behind the scenes are poised to give Romero an ultimatum as he will be pushed to sign a new Tottenham contract or leave during the summer, according to GMS sources.’

READ: Ten reasons why this Premier League season has not been entirely sh*t

‘The north Londoners are aware that La Liga title-chasers Real Madrid could be prepared to make a substantial offer if he is put on the market.

‘Although GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham have refused to rule out the possibility of sanctioning Romero’s departure ahead of next term, their preference is to keep him and offer a giant contract which would see him leap to the top of the wage bill.’

Despite lingering interest from Real Madrid, a new report from Football Transfers claims Aston Villa are ‘circling’ with Romero ‘wanting an exit’.

The report suggests Spurs are close to admitting defeat with Romero as they are ‘preparing for his exit’.

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The report explains:

‘The 27-year-old Argentine is looking for a new challenge and the Birmingham club are ready to offer him a tempting opportunity.

‘We are told that Spurs are open to selling Romero but want around £55 million (€66m) for him. Sources with knowledge of the situation say Tottenham are preparing for his exit and are already searching for a replacement at centre-back.

‘Aston Villa are willing to offer Romero a five-year contract, which is exactly the kind of long-term deal he wants at this stage of his career. However, they aren’t the only club interested.

‘Antonio Conte remains a big fan of the defender after his time at Tottenham and he is keen on reuniting with him at Napoli. Bayern Munich are also known admirers of the 2022 World Cup winner.’

Ange Postecoglou is reportedly unlikely to keep his Tottenham job without European success, as it’s stated ‘Europa League or bust’ is the message at the club now.

Postecoglou’s Spurs side are far worse off this season than they were last. In his first season at the helm, the Australian boss engineered a fifth-placed finish, just two points off the top four.

This season, though, Tottenham are in 14th, and 10 points separate them from 10th-placed Bournemouth. Pressure is mounting on Postecoglou, with reports suggesting he’s soon to be shown the door.

And while it might not be before the end of the season, the latter stage will decide his fate.

Indeed, Football Insider reports Postecoglou is ‘not likely to cling onto the dugout’ if he doesn’t deliver European success. Tottenham face Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

And it’s said the message at the club is now simply ‘Europa League or bust’. Silverware is the only way of salvaging the season, and that’s the only trophy still available to Postecoglou’s men.

Also still in the competition are big names such as Lazio, Manchester United and Lyon. And though league for might be immaterial, the report states defeat in the upcoming London derby against Chelsea could ‘heap pressure’ on Postecoglou.

Spurs lost 4-3 to the Blues in a thriller earlier in the season, giving away two penalties in the game, both of which were converted by Cole Palmer.

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In their last three Premier League games, Tottenham have lost to Manchester City, drawn with Bournemouth, and then lost to Fulham. That run of poor results is not one which they will want to see continue.

However, Chelsea are 10 places above them in the Premier League, so it might be an uphill battle not to be beaten by their London rivals.

Tottenham are also believed to be looking overseas for potential replacements, with a number of Premier League bosses already on the radar.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou could reportedly be replaced by an overseas manager next season after his struggles this year.

The Spurs’ boss has endured a torrid season with injuries and poor performances, and his side sits 14th in the Premier League with a shocking 15 defeats. They do remain in the Europa League but face a tricky run to the final in what is a very competitive final eight.

Throughout the season, there have been many calls for the club to part ways with the stubborn yet expressive manager who has brought an incredible style of attacking play to the club. This season has seen them create the fifth-highest expected goals figure in the league but concede the fourth-worst expected goals against.

Of course, he has fought against a never-ending list of injuries and has been forced to play youngster Archie Gray, a traditional midfielder, at centre-back with back-up choice Ben Davies or Radu Dragusin. The frustrations have been felt by their players with Cristian Romero reportedly eyeing a move this summer as a result.

In terms of Postecoglou’s future, he has been defiant all season long, but there have been heavy links of a trio of managers that could take over his role: Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham boss Marco Silva and Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

However, a new report has claimed that the club are scouring the overseas market. Football Insider have revealed that sources have told them this and that they are looking to cast a wide net to replace the Australian manager.

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Difficulties in recruiting Iraola, Frank

With Iraola fast becoming one of the most in-demand coaches after his spell with Bournemouth, he would likely aim for a higher benchmark than Spurs. Especially given that Bournemouth could achieve European football.

There have been some links with Real Madrid as well, and he is held in an extremely high regard. With Frank, he has become part of the furniture at Brentford, and perhaps only the top teams could be able to tempt him away from a place that has become his home.

Marco Silva could potentially be an easier option to prise away given that he isn’t as adored at Fulham as much as the Iraola and Frank are at their respective clubs and he has shown a willingness to change roles across his career.

Other managers from outside of the Premier League could include the former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic, former Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag, the former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and ex-Brighton man Roberto De Zerbi.