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Pep Guardiola reveals simple advice he told Djed Spence after 'slapping' Tottenham star

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Pep Guardiola has revealed what he said to Djed Spence after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Tottenham.

The City boss was seen giving Spence a playful slap at full-time while engaging in deep discussion.

It’s not the first time the Spaniard has imparted his words of wisdom on opposition players and the in-form Spence was next on the list.

Spence, who was unlucky to be on the losing side on Wednesday night despite only coming on as a second-half substitute for Destiny Udogie, saw his display appreciated by Guardiola who made a beeline for him after the final whistle.

And in true Guardiola fashion, he showed his appreciation by slapping the 24-year-old in view of the cameras.

Asked what he said to Spence after his side’s win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Guardiola said: “ ‘Why do you run too much? You should be more calm’.

He continued: “[Destiny] Udogie is quite similar, the pace of this team is difficult to… Maybe Liverpool, but they are unbelievable, unbearable, and every time they have the ball and run, they’re unstoppable; Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, [Dejan] Kulusevski, [Heung-min] Son.

“It’s an incredibly physical team with a clear idea, they play really good. They played without [Cristian] Romeo and [Micky] van de Ven; two of the best central defenders in the league…”

Spurs gave a good account of themselves particularly in the second half as they pushed to cancel out Erling Haaland’s 12th-minute goal.

Guardiola’s side dominated the early exchanges which saw Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario called into action.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou’s half-time team talk appeared to make a difference to his side’s approach after the interval but were unable to breach a City defence that had kept just one clean sheet in their last ten outings.

Speaking after the match Postecoglou admits his side paid the price for their poor first-half showing.

“First half, I think there was some overeagerness there, especially with the ball,” he said. “I thought we were wasteful and we allowed City to get a bit of rhythm in there and when they do that, they pick you off and obviously scored, granted some good chances in there.

“We hung in there, which is the most important thing, stayed, it was only 1-0 at half-time, second half, we just calmed down a little bit with the ball and really relentless without it, I thought we dominated the whole second half, played in there half, created chances but obviously missing the goal and disappointed to lose.”

“Like I said, we’re missing that sort of final action a little bit but we were just a lot more calmer, a lot more clear-headed in our movements in what we needed to, I just thought in the first half, we were just too eager to try and go and hurt City and we kind of paid the price for that.”

Tottenham’s exit from the FA Cup means they are not back in action until next Thursday when they take on Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League round of 16.

The competition now provides Postecoglou’s men with their only shot at silverware and with that, a potential spot in next season’s Champions League.

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Roy Keane's reaction to James Maddison jibe has Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher in stitches

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Over to you, James Maddison.

The cheeky war of words between the Tottenham Hotspur star and Manchester United great Roy Keane has taken a fresh turn as the latter mocked Maddison's trademark celebration in the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.

Gary Neville asked Keane for his thoughts on Maddison's celebration against the Red Devils on February 16, as the Spurs ace shushed towards the camera after scoring the only goal of the match.

Maddison's gesture was seen as a swipe in Keane's direction after the United great questioned whether the seven-time England international was capable of stepping up when his team needed it.

"Good on him," Keane said.

"Yeah, absolutely no problem. I still go to what I said. I don't think he does enough of that.

"But when he scored, I was at home with my cup of tea, and I went, 'Good on you.'

"No problem. If people have a go at you, you answer them back."

But it was Keane's next comment that left the entire panel in stitches.

"I was hoping he was going to do the same the other day, but he was a substitute against Ipswich," Keane said.

Maddison began Tottenham's 4-1 win over the Tractor Boys on February 22 on the bench but managed to provide an assist for Djed Spence just 13 minutes after he came on.

Neville added: "James, he's now monitoring your every move."

Keane then stared down one of the cameras and mimicked Maddison's trademark darts celebration, prompting more laughter from the rest of the group.

Arsenal great Ian Wright came to Maddison's defence and said: "Just do your stuff James, because you can't f****** win."

Unfortunately for Maddison, he will have to wait until next Thursday to fire back at Keane having failed to impress in Spurs' 1-0 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday.

Maddison was brought back into the starting line-up by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou but finished with only a yellow card to his name after he produced a rugby-style tackle to stop Savinho on a counter-attack.

Erling Haaland's first half strike was all that separated the two sides as he took his league tally to 20.

The result leaves City in fourth on 47 points, one off of third-placed Nottingham Forest.

As for Spurs, the defeat kept them 13th on 33 points.

Postecoglou's side is next in action on March 6 as they travel to AZ Alkmaar for the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 clash.

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Troy Deeney: Newcastle and Liverpool played out two of Premier League's greatest games - but Tottenham thriller is my no.1 one

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Liverpool vs Newcastle is one of the Premier League's most iconic fixtures - it regularly throws up memorable moments.

The two teams renew their rivalry on Wednesday night at Anfield - live on talkSPORT - in what has the potential to be a game of the season contender.

Their upcoming meeting comes just over three weeks before their Carabao Cup final clash.

Both clubs have already been involved in a classic this campaign, which took place at St James' Park in December.

Newcastle twice led on home soil, only for the Reds to fight back to lead 3-2 heading into the 90th minute.

But a dramatic equaliser from Fabian Schar earned the Magpies a share of the spoils.

And with Liverpool looking to tighten their grip on the Premier League title and Newcastle fighting for a top four spot, you can be sure of more entertainment in Merseyside.

Incredibly, there has been just one goalless draw between the two clubs in the last 77 league matches [82 in all competitions].

Football fans will remember fondly the back-to-back 4-3 victories Liverpool inflicted over Newcastle in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons.

The two games are considered as two of the greatest top-flight matches of all time.

And speaking to talkSPORT.com, ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney has had his say on his top three matches since the Premier League's inception in 1992.

Here are the three fixtures that have left a lasting impression on the 36-year-old.

Having raced into a four-goal lead with just 26 minutes on the clock, the Gunners were on course to record the Premier League's biggest ever victory.

Instead, they became the first [and only] team to throw away a four-goal lead - conceding four times in the space of 19 minutes.

The late Cheick Tiote sealed the stunning comeback - scoring a sumptuous 30-yard volley in the 87th minute to rescue the Magpies a point.

Ranking it as his third best match, Deeney said: "I like the Newcastle vs Arsenal one, that's the Tiote goal - god rest his soul.

"I saw him son at the game [Newcastle vs Arsenal Carabao Cup semi-final second leg] the other week.

"That was an unbelievable game."

The first of the 4-3 thrillers, supporters were witness to an all-time classic in an end-to-end affair which saw both teams lead at Anfield.

But it was the hosts who nicked it at the death thanks to Stan Collymore's injury time strike that left Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan slumped over the advertising hoardings in disbelief.

Commenting on the fixture, Deeney remarked: "Liverpool vs Newcastle - the one that comes straight to my mind is Stan Collymore scoring.

"Newcastle were up and Collymore scored at the end.

"And I just remember the vivid picture as a kid is Kevin Keegan in the dugout just defeated.

"When I hear that fixture [Liverpool vs Newcastle], that's the game that springs to my mind."

Leading 3-0 at half-time, not even the most optimistic of Spurs fans would have predicted the scoreline against the Premier League favourites.

But just as champions do, the Red Devils fought back to claim a famous victory after scoring five unanswered goals.

It was David Beckham who sealed the win with a swerving half-volley into the top left corner - a strike that lives long in the memory of Deeney.

He said of the eight-goal affair: "And then a random one - and it's only my opinion of the game I love watching.

"You remember Spurs 3-5 Manchester United at White Hart Lane when Becks scores?

"That's my favourite game to watch of all time. Sometimes they have it on [the TV] and they play the whole game.

"I remember watching it as a kid and I just thought, 'This is sick.'

"I remember David Beckham put that whip into the far corner, yeah, it was a sick game of football."

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City predictions, odds and betting tips

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Tottenham Hotspur will be searching for a fourth win on the bounce when they host Manchester City.

Tottenham vs Man City best bets

Draw - 16/5 with Paddy Power

Both teams to score first half - 7/4 with Sky Bet

Omar Marmoush to score any time - 8/5 with bet365

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City odds

Find the latest match odds for Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City predictions

The longest active winning streak in the Premier League does not belong to Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle United or any of the other teams in line to qualify for Europe.

Rather, it belongs to Tottenham Hotspur, a team that has spent much of the season being the laughingstock of English football.

Spurs remain in the bottom half of the top-tier table, but three consecutive victories over Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town have lifted the mood in the white and navy half of north London.

Ange Postecoglou has eased some of the pressure on his shoulders, while the treatment room is starting to empty out. For the first time in a while, a degree of cautious optimism is returning to the Spurs camp.

Of course, it would only take a couple of defeats to send the club into a frenzy again, but a fourth success on the bounce against Manchester City would be the clearest sign yet that Tottenham have turned a corner.

For now, it is best to reserve judgment. Spurs may have beaten Brentford and Manchester United, but both matches were pretty even. They were more convincing against Ipswich last time out, yet that was against opponents that will probably be back in the Championship next term.

In the grand scheme of things, it does not really matter where Tottenham end the season as long as they stay up (which they definitely will). Everyone associated with the club would gladly accept a 15th-place finish if it meant victory in the Europa League. Spurs are desperate to claim a first trophy since 2008.

The round of 16 begins next week, with Postecoglou’s side set to fly to the Netherlands for the first leg against AZ. Their chances of winning that game would increase, you feel, if they went into it on the back of a morale-boosting victory over Manchester City.

It is hard to shake the feeling that Pep Guardiola and his players would not really mind if the season ended tomorrow. Back-to-back losses to Real Madrid and Liverpool have shown how far City have fallen.

With Champions League qualification by no means assured, City cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves. They must dust themselves down and go again, starting with this trip to the capital.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City betting tips

Manchester City head to north London to face Tottehnham Hotspur in the midweek Premier League games.

Draw

Manchester City are the favourites to win Wednesday’s match, which makes the two other possible outcomes - a Tottenham triumph and a draw - look like good value.

Spurs have looked more solid of late. Guglielmo Vicario is back between the sticks and Kevin Danso has made a difference at centre-back.

With Erling Haaland set to miss out through injury (the Norwegian could make the bench but he is unlikely to start), Tottenham have a good chance of at least avoiding defeat.

Bear in mind, too, that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has never been a happy hunting ground for City. They lost here in the EFL Cup in October and have been defeated in four of their five visits in the league.

Tottenham have only drawn three games this term, but a point would be a decent result for both teams.

⚽ Go for a draw at 16/5 with Paddy Power ⚽

Both teams to score first half

For better or worse, Tottenham seldom take a backwards step. Even against stronger opposition, they look to play on the front foot and take the game to the other team.

That approach could work well against a Manchester City side that looks vulnerable after those defeats by Real Madrid and Liverpool.

City were frustrated by Arne Slot’s side last time out. The visitors to the Etihad Stadium barely gave their hosts a sniff.

City should have more joy going forward against Tottenham, who rank second for goals scored and eighth for goals conceded.

Goals are on the cards in this one and it would not be a big surprise if both teams found the net before half-time, as they did in the aforementioned EFL Cup tie.

⚽ Choose both teams to score in the first half at 7/4 with Sky Bet ⚽

Omar Marmoush to score any time

Omar Marmoush struck a hat-trick against Newcastle United not too long ago, but he was ineffectual against both Real Madrid and Liverpool.

In fairness to the Egypt international, he was not alone in that regard. Given Tottenham’s preference for a high defensive line, Marmoush should get chances by running in behind.

The forward showed at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first half of the campaign that he knows where the goal is.

And while Spurs have looked a little more secure of late, Manchester City have the firepower to give them something to think about.

⚽ Back Omar Marmoush to score any time at 8/5 with bet365 ⚽

📺 How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Location: Tottenham Stadium, London, England.

Date and time: Wednesday 26th February, 7.30pm.

How to watch: TNT Sports 3.

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Is Erling Haaland fit to play Spurs on Wednesday? Pep Guardiola issues update with Man City striker close to injury return

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Erling Haaland could potentially return for Manchester City's trip to face Tottenham Hotspur, live on talkSPORT, on Wednesday.

The superstar striker was not part of the Man City squad as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to league leaders Liverpool at the weekend.

That absence came after Haaland played no part in City's damaging Champions League loss to Real Madrid last week.

He's been carrying a knee issue since he hobbled off against Newcastle on February 15 and hasn't featured since.

Is Erling Haaland fit to play Spurs?

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is hoping that Haaland will have recovered in time to be part of his squad in North London.

Despite not being able to confirm the Norweigan's fitness status, he had some positive words to say in his press conference.

Guardiola said on Tuesday: "Tonight, we will know it after training. I hope so but I don't know yet.

"He feels better but the last two games he could not play. We'll see tomorrow."

So, Man City are waiting to make a final decision on Haaland until after their last training session before the game.

And that session has now taken place, with Haaland part of it and reportedly showed no signs of any discomfort.

Guardiola's latest update comes after he revealed that his main man had been in training this week after scans came back positive.

Speaking following the loss to Liverpool on Sunday, he said: "His knee - the moment against Newcastle moved the knee.

"Apparently, he's not injured because the scans dictate that he's fine, but he didn't feel fine.

"I have the feeling it [his return] will be soon because he trained yesterday and made some really good movements, but he said he was not ready and we have to respect that.

"Hopefully he can be back for Spurs."

Man City will want to have Haaland back to lead the line after showing a real lack of quality in the final third last time out.

They had a total of 16 shots against Liverpool, but only five hit the target and they struggled to test Alisson at all.

Haaland's killer instinct in the box and elite finishing could have changed that, but he was forced out of the squad.

To have the 24-year-old back would bring some much-needed threat to a front line lacking that finishing touch.

Phil Foden played furthest forward at Anfield, but that was a huge change in striker profile, with City losing a focal point.

Omar Marmoush has also stepped in to cover Haaland, but again, he's a totally different type of forward to his teammate.

If Haaland is unable to feature against Spurs, it would likely be Marmoush or Foden up front for City again.

talkSPORT 2 will have live exclusive coverage of the game from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with commentary coming from Nigel Adderley and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

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I criticised Daniel Levy at Tottenham and got a phone call the next day costing me a job

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Darren Ambrose claims his criticism of Daniel Levy’s ownership resulted in him being taken off a sponsorship event job the very next day.

The former midfielder revealed the story when talking about the Tottenham Hotspur fan protest which saw over a 1,000 supporters attend before their match against Manchester United last week.

The crowd chanted ‘Levy out’ and ‘Enic out’ voicing their frustration over a lack of spending and consistent poor performances on the pitch.

Spurs currently sit 12th in the league with 13 losses out of 26 matches.

And Ange Postecoglou’s side have fallen out of all domestic cups after their 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Speaking on Levy, Ambrose on Inside Spurs podcast said: “He’s a very good and astute businessman.

“Spurs is probably one of the most well run clubs, business wise in the world. On the pitch it’s not good enough and that’s what supporters want.”

Levy caught a lot of slack after the winter transfer window as Spurs only acquired two outfield players, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso both on loan.

A lack of activity in the market considering the injury crisis Postecoglou has contended with, missing the likes of Cristian Romero, Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven.

Banners reading ‘Time for change’ and ‘24 years, 16 managers’ have been spotted across the stadium in recent times.

“I dared to criticise Daniel Levy one time on talkSPORT,” revealed Ambrose. “It worked against me.

“I was due to do a sponsored event for Crystal Palace. A couple of Palace ex-players, a couple of Spurs ex-players.

“I obviously chose the wrong time to air my frustrations. I got a call the next day from the Palace press saying representatives of Spurs have rung up and said unless I am taken off the gig they’re not going to be turning up.

“I asked, was it anything to do with Daniel Levy and they said his name was mentioned.”

Ambrose is a former Charlton, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle midfielder, but is a fan of Spurs.

Levy became chairman of Tottenham Hotspur in 2001 and has seen his team lift only one trophy in 2008, beating Chelsea in a league cup final.

Despite a poor season Spurs still have the possibility of silverware as they remain in the Europa league and will face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the round of 16.

And their fortunes seem to be changing as Spurs have won their third successive league match.

After a 2-1 loss to Leicester City they have beat Brentford, Manchester United and most recently Ipswich Town.

A 4-1 win inspired by good performances from Brennan Johnson who netted a brace, and Son Heung-Min who assisted the Welshman twice.

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James Maddison trolls Ipswich with brilliant tattoo reference to club’s rivals following Tottenham Hotspur’s win

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Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison was quick to rub salt in the wounds of Ipswich following his side's 4-1 win on Saturday.

The 28-year-old came off the bench to help Spurs seal a third consecutive Premier League victory and move up to 12th in the table.

A double from Wales international Brennan Johnson had the north London outfit 2-1 up going into the break.

Maddison then notched up his fifth top-flight assist of the season when he supplied Djed Spence for the visitors' third before Dejan Kulusevski wrapped up the victory.

And taking to X after the match, Maddison couldn't help but fire a cheeky dig at the Tractor Boys by referencing their bitter rivals Norwich.

The seven-cap England international spent two years at Carrow Road between 2016-2018 - chipping in with 16 goals and 13 assists from 53 appearances.

One of his strikes came against Ipswich in a 1-0 victory for the Canaries at Portman Road in October 2017.

Such is his affection for Norwich, he had the canary bird tattooed on his right arm - which he pointed to as he embraced with Johnson in the away dressing room.

Showing it off proudly, Maddison captioned his social media post: "Johnson again ole oleeeee. Coyssss."

Like Maddison, Johnson was all smiles in the photo after finally scoring against Ipswich on his fourth outing against them.

For Ipswich supporters, they would have been gutted he got on the score sheet twice with his father David being a firm fan favourite.

David scored 62 goals for the club from his 158 appearances between 1997-2001 where he was their top scorer in three consecutive seasons.

Speaking after the match, Johnson said: "He [David Johnson] had a great time here.

“He holds the club in high accounts. For me, it was about getting the three points for Tottenham.”

With victories over Brentford, Manchester United and now Ipswich, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will be hoping his side can make a charge to finish in the top ten.

The Australian said post-match: "They're one of the hardest working teams in the league. You know you're going up against a battle and a contest - we had to do that today.

"First half, we could have done better. We allowed them some moments, but in the second half we dug in. That allowed us to execute and play our football.

"When you come to a place like this, the crowd creates energy. We had to weather that storm."

He continued: "We were always a threat. Sonny was unplayable in that first half. So great to get Brennan back. He scores so many goals for us in those areas.

"The fact that we can throw people on from the bench who can contribute, and I could give Madders and Pedro [Porro] a rest.

"Everybody gets a boost. From our perspective, these past two weeks have given us a breather and reset our football. I'm pleased the boys have embraced it."

With a Europa League last-16 tie against AZ Alkmaar on the horizon, Postecoglou will be hoping his side's form continues.

As for Ipswich, they remain locked in a relegation battle having suffered a 15th Premier League defeat of the campaign.

They remain in 18th place - five points behind Wolves in 17th spot.

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James Maddison trolls Ipswich with brilliant reference to club’s rivals following Tottenham Hotspur’s win

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Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison was quick to rub salt in the wounds of Ipswich following his side's 4-1 victory at Portman Road.

The 28-year-old came off the bench to help Spurs seal a third consecutive Premier League victory to move up to 12th in the table.

A double from Wales international Brennan Johnson had the north London outfit 2-1 up going into the break.

Maddison then notched up his fifth top-flight assist of the season when he supplied Djed Spence for the visitors' third, before Dejan Kulusevski wrapped up the victory.

And taking to X after the match, Maddison couldn't help but fire a cheeky dig at the Tractor Boys by referencing their bitter rivals Norwich.

The seven-cap England international spent two years at Carrow Road between 2016-2018 - chipping in with 16 goals and 13 assists from 53 appearances.

One of his strikes came against Ipswich in a 1-0 victory for the Canaries at Portman Road in October 2017.

Such is his affection for Norwich, he had the canary bird tattooed on his right arm - which he pointed to as he embraced with Johnson in the away dressing room.

Showing it off proudly, Maddison captioned his social media post: "Johnson again ole oleeeee. Coyssss."

Like Maddison, Johnson was all smiles in the photo after finally scoring against Ipswich on his fourth outing against them.

For Ipswich supporters, they would have been gutted he got on the score sheet twice with his father David being a firm fan favourite.

David scored 62 goals for the club from his 158 appearances between 1997-2001 where he was their top scorer in three consecutive seasons.

Speaking after the match, Johnson said: "He [David Johnson] had a great time here.

“He holds the club in high accounts. For me, it was about getting the three points for Tottenham.”

With victories over Brentford, Manchester United and now Ipswich, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will be hoping his side can make a charge to finish in the top ten.

And with a Europa League last-16 tie against AZ Alkmaar on the horizon, Postecoglou will be hoping their form continues.

As for Ipswich, they remain locked in a relegation battle having suffered a 15th Premier League defeat of the campaign.

They remain in 18th place - five points behind Wolves in 17th spot.

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‘I’m just shocked’ – Tottenham Hotspur don’t want to be called Tottenham anymore

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Tottenham don’t want to be known as ‘Tottenham’.

No, that’s not a joke, and it’s left talkSPORT host and long-suffering Spurs fan Reshmin Chowdhury quite bewildered.

The club have written to broadcasters requesting they are only referred as ‘Tottenham Hotspur' or ‘Spurs’ going forward.

It comes amid a low-key rebrand from the north London club, who have dropped the words ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ from their official club crest, which - as seen on their shirts - is now just a cockerel standing on a ball.

Spurs have revealed an array of new logos and text fonts, where the word ‘Tottenham’ is actually never used on its own. Anywhere.

Instead ‘Spurs’ is the most-used name for the club, with crests not featuring any words at all and instead using their founding year of 1882 and LDN.

Cross-capital rivals West Ham have had the ‘London’ treatment already, with many Hammers fans complaining their historic club identify has been sacrificed in favour of marketing.

Tottenham Hotspur have perhaps taken that on board, with their N17 postcode and 'NORTH LDN' featuring in the new-look branding, as well as an old-school THFC monogram.

And in fairness to them, in a world where ‘United’ and City’ are regular sights in the world of football club suffixes, 'there is only one Hotspur’ (as written in the new branding guidelines).

It's been a club policy for years not to refer to themselves only as 'Tottenham' , but have they perhaps taken it a bit too far by demanding nobody else calls them 'Tottenham' anymore, either?

The change has already been spotted on TV broadcasts, where Ange Postecoglou was referred to as 'Tottenham Hotspur head coach' on-screen after a recent match. League tables also now include 'Hotspur' or just read 'Spurs'.

There is a point to be made that some clubs aren't called their city's name. You wouldn't merely say 'Nottingham' or 'Aston' when referring to Forest and Villa - that would be weird, right?

On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur don't have the same issues multi-club cities have in Manchester or Sheffield, and there is no problem with dropping the 'United' from Newcastle and Leeds and the 'City' from Leicester - we all know who they are.

There is only one 'Tottenham', too - so what's the point?

Lifelong supporter Reshmin doesn’t get it, and also thinks the timing of the request while the team languishes 13th in the Premier League table is quite crass.

England legend Stuart Pearce even branded the bizarre request ‘Donald Trump-esque’.

“Tottenham Hotspur have contacted broadcasters this month requesting that the club are primarily known as ‘Tottenham Hotspur’, with ‘Spurs’ being the preferred short version,” Reshmin said on talkSPORT GameDay.

“So the club have basically requested that they're not referred to as ‘Tottenham’. I'm just shocked by this one.

“I think big clubs in general are considering moving their branding away from a geographical location and having the football club itself as their brand, as opposed to where they've come from.

“But given where Spurs are in the table, how bad things have been and the doom and gloom around the club at the moment, I think it's pretty ridiculous that they're not focusing their energies elsewhere and that they take the time to to send an email to broadcasters to say, ‘oh, we really want to be called Tottenham Hotspur’.

“I think they should focus on actually getting it right on the on the pitch and working their way further up the table so that they can be considered a big club that plays in Europe regularly, regularly at the highest level, rather than trying to move away from what is the the identity of the club.

“Tottenham is the area. Tottenham is Tottenham Hotspur. It's a club. It's a community. It's a culture.

“And I find it very, very strange personally that the club have made this effort to just even compose this email and send this out.”

Pearce added: “It sounds very Trump-esque. Throw something out there that is going to attract the attention of whoever. Divert from the actual, real issue. That's how it seems.

“It seems a really strange one. You identify the football club as you do. Sometimes you call them ‘Spurs’, sometimes ‘Tottenham’, sometimes ‘Tottenham Hotspur’. It's just synonymous. It's what they are.”

Reshmin replied as only a Tottenham Hotspur fan would: “It's who we are, mate!

“I completely agree. What absolute nonsense.

“Honestly, focus your time elsewhere by trying to become a big club and return to that status rather than flipping sending an email to broadcasters saying we don't want to be known as ‘Tottenham’, just ‘Tottenham Hotspur’ or ‘Spurs’.

“Right, rant over.”

Sorry Tottenham - the jury is out on this one.

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Transfer Notebook: Ex-Man United star to earn club cash boost, Spurs identify top Postecoglou replacement, Championship club want Spurs coach

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Cash-strapped Manchester United could be set for a much-needed multi-million pound windfall – thanks to former striker Mason Greenwood.

Greenwood has been banging in goals for fun since leaving Man United to join Roberto de Zerbi’s Marseille last summer.

The ex-England international’s hot streak of 14 goals in 22 games for the French outfit has alerted some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including the likes of PSG and Barcelona.

When United traded Greenwood with Marseille for £26.6miliion they insisted on an unusually high 50 per cent sell-on clause.

With the 23-year-old now valued at around £60m, that means United would bank in the region of £16.5m from any sale.

At a time when Sir Jim Ratcliffe is cutting costs to raise vital transfer funds, that money would come in very handy for struggling boss Ruben Amorim.

Bournemouth stars (and boss) wanted

Bournemouth are braced for a summer battle to keep several of their star men, and manager Andoni Iraola!

The Cherries are enjoying the season of their lifetime and currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League, likely to be enough to secure a spot in the Champions League.

Their incredible rise up the table has not gone unnoticed with centre-back Dean Huijsen, who is believed to have a £50m release clause in his contract, attracting attention from Liverpool and Chelsea.

Left-back Milos Kerkez is another Cherries star on the radar of a number of top clubs, including Manchester United, along with fleet-footed forward Antoine Semenyo, who has admirers at Newcastle.

Then there is miracle-working gaffer Iraola, who talkSPORT understands would be at the top of Tottenham’s list if they parted company with Ange Postecoglou, who is under pressure with Spurs down in 12th.

With Iraola preferring to sign short-term deals and only contracted until the end of next season that could leave Bournemouth vulnerable, although sources close to the Spaniard say he is happy on the Dorset coast.

Why Mitoma rejected Saudi revealed

Kaoru Mitoma is a rare breed in modern football, a player who puts ambition before money.

The Brighton winger was subject of a shock £74m bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in the final days of the transfer widow.

But even if the Seagulls were tempted to cash in on their Japanese international, which they were reluctant to do, talkSPORT has been told he immediately rebuffed the notion of moving to the Middle East.

That’s because the humble 27-year-old, who could have set himself up financially for life by linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo, has his sights set on one day playing in the Champions League.

What the Saudi interest has achieved is to strengthen Brighton’s bargaining position when an elite Premier League or European club do come calling by driving up his asking price.

After being compared to Arsenal's Dutch maestro Dennis Bergkamp following his stunning goal of the season contender against Chelsea, there is every chance the big boys could come calling.

Spurs coach wanted by Championship club

Swansea could turn to Ryan Mason in their hunt for a new manager.

Tottenham assistant coach Mason was high on the Swans’ wanted list before they appointed Luke Williams in January last year.

And after deciding to give Williams the boot after a run of eight defeats from their last ten games, the ex-England midfielder still has admirers among the Welsh club's hierarchy.

Mason also held talks with Anderlecht in October before deciding to stay at Spurs, so it remains to be seen if he is willing to leave now.

As talkSPORT reported on Monday, former Oxford boss Des Buckingham is also among the front-runners to replace the sacked Williams.

However, this notebook understands Russell Martin has no interest in a return to South Wales.

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