talkSPORT

Tottenham welcome Manchester United on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, and it's live on talkSPORT.

Spurs are desperate for silverware, having not won a trophy since their success in this competition in 2008.

Ange Postecoglou promised Tottenham fans that he would win a trophy this year and this tournament represents a great chance.

Meanwhile, it's a similar story for Ruben Amorim at Man United.

Since replacing Erik ten Hag, the Portuguese head coach has had a mixed start to life at Old Trafford.

A 2-1 win over Manchester City at the weekend was the highlight of his time so far, but if he can win here, he will be just two games away from matching his predecessor in winning the EFL trophy in his first season.

Both sides are looking to claim the final place in the semis after Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool progressed on Wednesday.

Tottenham vs Man United: talkSPORT coverage

This Carabao Cup quarter-final tie is set to take place on Thursday, December 19.

talkSPORT will have live coverage from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm.

Adrian Durham will serve as your presenter, while commentary comes from Sam Matterface and former England Women's striker Lianne Sanderson.

talkSPORT.com will also have all the reaction from the match.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Tottenham Hotspur are unbeaten in their last four games against Man Utd (W2 D2), all in the Premier League, and have beaten them 3-0 already this season. They haven’t won consecutive games against them since April 1990 (three in a row).

In six previous League Cup ties between Spurs and Man Utd, both teams have eliminated one another three times each, although United have prevailed in the last two – they won the 2009 final on penalties and won 2-0 in the 2009-10 quarter-final.

Tottenham vs Man United: Team news and predicted XIs

Tottenham

Tottenham have a huge swathe of injury issues to deal with in various positions, so they are scrambling to assemble a squad.

Fraser Forster is likely to be in goal with Guglielmo Vicario still injured.

Djed Spence impressed at right-back at the weekend, but Pedro Porro is likely to come back in.

At left-back, Destiny Udogie came off during the 5-0 win over Southampton with a tight quad, but he's expected to be fine.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both have hamstring issues, so Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray are likely to start in the heart of the defence.

Rodrigo Bentancur is currently banned from all domestic action, so Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr should be in midfield.

Heung-min Son suffered a knock, but Spurs will hope he's fine to play.

James Maddison bagged a brace on the south coast, and you can expect him to play as the most advanced midfielder, with Dejan Kulusevski on the right and Dominic Solanke leading the line.

Man United

Andre Onana is the undisputed Man United number one, but there could be rotation elsewhere.

Leny Yoro should get a chance in the side, with Harry Maguire dropping to the bench.

Noussair Mazraoui was withdrawn with a knock and could miss out, which would see a change in formation, with Amad Diallo playing at right-wing-back.

Diogo Dalot is more than likely to be on the left of the defence.

Kobbie Mainoo should join Manuel Ugarte in the heart of midfield.

Bruno Fernandes is likely to move into a more advanced role, with Alejandro Garnacho next to him.

Marcus Rashford would be a contender for that spot, but he has not travelled with the United squad to London.

Garnacho has travelled, meaning he will be back in the fold after both were dropped from the squad at the weekend.

Rasmus Hojlund should keep his place in the XI leading the line.

Tottenham Hotspur have progressed from their last four League Cup quarter-final ties (2014-15, 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22) since losing 2-1 to West Ham back in 2013-14.

Manchester United are the leading scorers in this season’s League Cup with 12 goals, scoring 5+ goals in both wins (7-0 vs Barnsley, 5-2 vs Leicester). In League Cup history, the only team to score five or more goals in three games in a row were Chelsea in 2012 (6-0 vs Wolves, 5-4 vs Man Utd, 5-1 vs Leeds).

Tottenham vs Man United: What has been said?

After coming back from 1-0 down against City, Amorim expressed belief that he felt his side deserved to win.

He said: "We did a great job. We believed a lot. It was different to [the defeat at] Arsenal. There I didn't feel the belief. I did today.

"Amad is in a good moment. Erik [ten Hag] brought him to the first team. Ruud [van Nistelrooy] did a great job.

"Now don't make the same mistakes we made in the past."

Rohl with it

Southampton could turn to Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl to be Russell Martin's permanent successor, talkSPORT understands.

Saints sacked Martin after their 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on Sunday night.

The south coast club are bottom of the Premier League with five points from 16 games, nine points off safety.

Under-21s boss Simon Rusk will take interim charge while the search for a permanent manager goes on.

And German Rohl is a contender for the job having worked as an assistant to Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary's and talkSPORT understands Rohl has backers in the Southampton board.

Confirming the news of Martin's departure, Southampton said in a statement: "We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our men’s first team manager, Russell Martin.

"Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.

"However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the play-off final win in May.

"Current Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take charge of the team on an interim basis until we announce a permanent replacement.

"Behind the scenes, we are encouraged by the continued development of talent coming through our academy. We are proud of the contributions our young players are making and are confident this will remain a source of strength and pride for everyone associated with the club.

"We are also deeply grateful for the continued support and positivity shown by our fans.

"We are witnessing first-hand the significant gap between the Championship and the Premier League, but your understanding and passion, even when results have not been what we all want, continue to drive our long-term commitment to the club."

Firm message

It's clear to see what the Southampton fans want...

As the game came to a close, some fans whipped out a big banner that reads: 'R.M. GET OUT OF OUR CLUB!!'.

That, of course, is referencing Russell Martin.

Martin's side have picked up just five points from their first 16 Premier League matches this season (W1 D2 L13).

Only Sheffield United in 2020/21 have picked up fewer points at this stage of the campaign in top-flight history (two points).

It's fair to say that the Saints boss is on the brink at St. Mary's.

He spoke about the banner post-match and said: "It's definitely aimed at me, isn't it? Yes.

"I thought the fans were amazing in the second half. They've been brilliant from day one since we've been here.

"They've had nothing but messages of support and people want to bump into them. So, it is what it is."

'We played like under-15s'

Bernardo Silva has given a very honest assessment of Manchester City's defeat as their dismal run continued.

"We deserved what happened," Silva told Sky Sports. "At this level a game or two is unlucky.

"We can't say this is lucky or unlucky - 10 games it's not about that.

"Minute 87 in a derby, winning 1-0 and our corner ends in a penalty for them, if we make these stupid decisions with three or four minutes to go you deserve to pay for that.

"Looking at the game I think there was only one team that could win the game, but at the end we lost.

"It's not one game, it's a lot of games lately. We have to look at ourselves. You can say oh it's a bit unlucky, no. It's the decisions you make.

"Today in the last minute we played like under-15s."

Harry Kane had a swift response when asked which of his former Tottenham teammates he'd like to see join him at Bayern Munich.

Kane was quick to name South Korea international Son Heung-min as the one player he would want Bayern to target, if given the choice.

When Kane's departure to the Bundesliga was confirmed in the summer of 2023 for a £120m fee, the word 'devastated' summed up the reaction at Tottenham.

The club’s all-time top scorer explained that it was the right time to leave North London.

But his absence is certainly felt at Spurs, not only because of his own incredible contributions but also for the partnership he shared with Son.

Kane and Son played together from the 2015/16 until 2022/23 seasons, appearing on the pitch a total of 297 times as one of the north London side's best duos.

During that period, Son assisted 28 of Kane's goals, while Kane set up 26 of Son’s, making them the most prolific Premier League pairing of all time.

Spurs have since moved on, with Son now joined by new attackers Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Timo Werner.

However, if it were up to Kane, Bayern would be looking to reunite the duo.

During a recent supporters' event, Kane was asked which Tottenham player he would like to see join him at Bayern, and his answer was simple: “Sonny.”

This response has sparked speculation that Son could make the move next summer, especially with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Recently linked with Manchester United, the 32-year-old forward has contributed five goals and six assists in the Premier League this season.

He boosted his stats on Sunday afternoon as he netted one and assisted two during a dominant 5-0 win over Southampton.

In fact, during that game he broke Spurs' all-time assist record in the English top-flight, providing his 68th assist.

Son set a new record after the previous one, held by Darren Anderton, stood for 30 years.

He has become a legend at Tottenham, but in January 2025, Son will be able to negotiate with foreign clubs ahead of his contract’s expiry.

Kane's response could be tempting fate, as his former teammate's contract expires next summer amid interest from Man United and Barcelona.

Reports suggested that Son wanted to stick with the north London side to focus on finally bringing the club some silverware this season.

But with Tottenham struggling in 10th place in the league and potentially missing out on Europe, could Son move on?

Should he leave to join Kane as the England captain wishes, the forward would leave a huge hole at Spurs.

He's their fifth all-time top goalscorer while also reaching the milestone of 400 appearances for the club this year.

On top of that, he is also one of the top 20 scorers ever in the Premier League, so he would be a major loss.

Harry Kane had a swift response when asked which of his former Spurs teammates he's like to see join him at the Bundesliga side.

At the supporters event, Kane was quick to name South Korea international Son Heung-min as the one player he would want Bayern Munich to target, if given the choice.

When Kane's departure to Bayern Munich was confirmed in the summer of 2023 for a £120m fee, the word 'devastated' summed up the reaction at Tottenham.

The club’s all-time top scorer explained that it was the right time to leave North London.

Kane’s absence is certainly felt, not only for his own contributions but also for the incredible partnership he shared with Son.

Kane and Son played together from the 2015/16 until 2022/23 seasons, appearing on the pitch a total of 297 times as one of the north London side's best duos.

During that period, Son assisted 28 of Kane's goals, while Kane set up 26 of Son’s, making them the most prolific Premier League pairing of all time.

Spurs have since moved on, with Son now joined by new attackers Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Timo Werner.

However, if it were up to Kane, Bayern would be looking to reunite the duo.

During a recent supporters' event, Kane was asked which Tottenham player he would like to see join him at Bayern, and his answer was simple: “Sonny.”

This response has sparked speculation that Son could make the move next summer, especially with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Recently linked with Manchester United, the 32-year-old forward has contributed three goals and four assists this season, as Tottenham struggles in 12th place in the Premier League.

From January 2025, Son will be able to negotiate with foreign clubs ahead of his contract’s expiry.

Kane's response could be tempting fate, as Son's contract is due to expire next summer amid interest from Manchester United and Barcelona.

Reports suggested that Son wanted to stick with the north London side to focus on finally bringing the club some silverware this season.

Southampton against Spurs kicks off at the unusual time of 7pm on Sunday. Both managers are under pressure. But in the case of Ange Postecoglou, he surely can’t afford to lose this match.

Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur best bets

Spurs to win and both teams to score - 7/5 with BetMGM

Over 3.5 goals - 4/5 with BetMGM

Dejan Kulusevski to score anytime - 5/2 with BetMGM

Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur odds

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

Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur predictions

Southampton and Spurs are two teams that have really put their fans through the wringer this season.

Starting with the Saints, they have only managed one Premier League win this season. They sit bottom of the table with just five points, and they are eight points away from safety.

Relegation already looks certain, and odds of 1/10 on an immediate return to the Championship confirms this belief. And this is less than halfway through the season.

Russell Martin is still in charge at St. Mary’s. But knowing how Premier League football works, it’s either a stunning display of loyalty from the Saints, or a reckless decision that defies belief.

Martin himself has called Southampton’s fivepoint haul “embarrassing”, but he surely has to take his own fair share of the blame.

Injuries haven’t helped. Especially to keeper Aaron Ramsdale, who was already an integral part of the way that Martin wanted the Saints to play.

When the former Arsenal stopper got injured and was replaced by Alex McCarthy, it was clear to all that the understudy wasn’t comfortable playing out from the back. But Martin still persisted, costing his team dearly against Liverpool.

A change between the posts followed for the next game. But Martin’s refusal to change tactics when McCarthy was clearly struggling only exacerbated the Saints’ defensive shortcomings.

That is only one of a number of things that have gone wrong for the Saints this season. And it’s hard to see much changing against Spurs.

As for Spurs, well where do we start?

Since their astonishing 4-0 win on the road at Manchester City, Tottenham have picked up just one point from nine in the Premier League, and have also drawn twice in the Europa League.

The results haven’t been against Europe’s elite either, only Chelsea could really be regarded as a top team in that run of five fixtures.

As a result, Ange Postecoglou has gone from hero to the proverbial zero in less than three weeks. The days where he lectured the nation on ITV about where Gareth Southgate was going wrong at Euro 2024 now seem like a laughable distant memory.

Like Russell Martin at Southampton, Postecoglou is not for changing philosophy. But ultimately, both will soon be seeking new jobs.

All doesn’t seem right at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In recent days, Cristian Romero publicly auditioned for the Director of Football role at the club, only to backtrack and offer his apologies for criticising the club’s hierarchy.

And then on Thursday, Big Ange publicly criticised Timo Werner, while simultaneously denying he was doing so. Bizarre, to say the least.

If Spurs don’t win this, then we can only assume that the players aren’t playing for Postecoglou.

Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur betting tips

In their last five in the Premier League, Southampton has lost four and drawn one. Spurs have lost three, drawn one, and won one. And the win was against Manchester City.

How can you predict Tottenham? You simply can’t, is the honest answer.

That said, they are playing a Southampton team with just five points from 15 Premier League matches. Therefore, we have to go for an away win. More Saints vs Spurs betting tips can be found below:

Tottenham to win and both teams to score - 7/5

First of all, we think that Spurs will win.

They are 4/6 with BetMGM in the 90 minute market, which isn’t the worst price. But for better value odds, we are looking at a win for Spurs and both teams to score.

They are 4/6 with BetMGM in the 90 minute market, which isn’t the worst price. But for better value odds, we are looking at a win for Spurs and both teams to score.

Southampton have scored in their last six at St. Mary’s in all competitions. The last team to shut the Saints out at home was Manchester United, and Cameron Archer missed a penalty for the home side that day.

Spurs surely have to win this. And knowing them, they will concede and make it hard for themselves.

⚽ Tip - Back Spurs to win and both teams to score at 7/5 with BetMGM ⚽

Over 3.5 goals - 4/5

In the Saints last two home matches there have been 11 goals. There were five in the 3-2 defeat to Liverpool, and six in the 5-1 loss to Chelsea.

It’s hard to know what to expect from Tottenham. We know they put four past Manchester City on the road. But they have since managed none away at Bournemouth, and just one away at Rangers. Worse still, they didn’t really look like scoring many in both matches.

Spurs have conceded 19 goals in 15 Premier League matches this season, including four in a woeful defensive display against Chelsea last week.

Southampton has conceded 31 goals. Surely Spurs have to find their scoring boots again this Sunday.

With poor defending a regular occurrence from both teams in recent weeks, a bet on over 3.5 goals has a great chance of coming in.

⚽ Tip - Back over 3.5 goals at 4/5 with BetMGM ⚽

Dejan Kulusevski to score anytime - 5/2

It could be that Ange Postecoglou surprises us all and hands a start to Timo Werner after criticising the German’s performance against Rangers on Thursday

There has been something of a kamikaze feel about Postecoglou and Spurs in recent weeks, but surely doing that would be a step too far for even this manager.

Dejan Kulusevski looks like the player most likely to dig Postecoglou out of his current hole. The Sweden international is always a consistent performer for the Lilywhites, and one of very few who rarely lets the team down.

Furthermore, Kulusevski has started to find the net more regularly in recent weeks. He scored one of the goals against Chelsea last Sunday. And he was the man for a crisis on Thursday with the equaliser against Rangers at Ibrox.

Spurs should get plenty of chances against the Saints on Sunday. Kulusevski is 5/2 to take one of them. That looks good to us.

⚽ Tip - Back Dejan Kulusevski to score anytime at 5/2 with BetMGM ⚽

📺 How to watch Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur

Location: St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England.

Date and time: Sunday 15th December, 7pm GMT.

How to watch: TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.

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The Women's Super League clash between Brighton and Tottenham was suspended after a medical emergency in the crowd.

The clash, which was played at Brighton Women's home ground - Crawley Town's Broadfield Stadium - was paused for 14 minutes while the emergency was being attended to.

The players waited on the pitch initially, but soon went to the dressing rooms.

The incident happened with just three minutes of the clash remaining.

Medics came to tend to the supporter in the stands.

The players then re-entered the pitch to finish the game, seeing out a 1-1 draw.

Spurs posted on X: "Play is back underway at Broadfield Stadium following a short break due to a medical emergency in the crowd.

"Our thoughts are with the individual receiving care."

Brighton added: "Everyone at Albion sends their wishes."

Tottenham had broken the deadlock in the 75th minute through Bethany England.

But Brighton's Marisa Olislagers bagged an equaliser just seven minutes later.

Neither side could find a winner after the restart and the 14 minutes extra time.

Brighton remain in fifth after Saturday's tie, with Tottenham staying six behind points them in sixth.

A further update on the condition of the supporter in question is yet to be released.

WSL clubs will enter the winter break after this weekend.

The pause takes place between December 16 and January 18, with the WSL season ending on the weekend of May 10 and May 11, 2025.

A former Tottenham Hotspur player has revealed what it was about club legend Harry Kane which made him stand out.

Kane spent 13 years at Tottenham and in that time notched 267 goals in 416 appearances.

During that time, Kane was a teammate of William Troost-Ekong - who spent three years of his youth career with Tottenham.

Speaking to Hawksbee & Jacobs, Troost-Ekong revealed the secrets to Kane's superb career statistics.

The defender told talkSPORT: "He had a great work rate, he was someone who was also very passionate about working on his finishing.

"Free kicks, I don't think he's shown enough of that but he was a fantastic free kick taker.

"At that time we had one of the best academy coaches, John McDermott, who was the head of the academy, I think now he's the technical director at the FA.

"Alex Singleford was our under-18s manager, Chris Ramsay was the under-16s manager. So everything was in place for him [Kane] to learn a lot.

"He [Kane] just took his opportunity with both hands. I played against him once or twice, once for Nigeria against England at Wembley, it was amazing and once with Watford against Spurs.

"I'm slightly surprised [at his career], but I know how hard he worked for it" said Troost-Ekong.

Troost-Ekong spent his youth career at Tottenham before senior stints with Udinese and Watford.

Born in Haarlem in the Netherlands, he also played for Groningen, Gent and had loan spells at Dordrecht and Haugesund.

Troost-Ekong currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Kholood.

Kane became Tottenham's all-time top scorer in February 2023, with a 267th goal in white and bringing his Premier League tally to 213.

He ended his time at Spurs with 270 goals to cement his record even further.

In 2023, he made history as the Bundesliga's most expensive signing at £100million, which he followed up with 36 goals in his debut season, winning the European Golden Shoe.

Ex-Premier League striker Carlton Cole has warned Ange Postecoglou that he could lose the Tottenham dressing room.

Prior to Spurs’ match against Southampton on Sunday, Postecoglou doubled down on his negative comments regarding Timo Werner’s performance against Rangers.

During the Europa League tie, the German lost possession 16 times, won none of his five duels and only completed 69 per cent of his passes.

That performance saw him substituted at half time for goalscorer Dejan Kulusevski - and Postecoglou didn't hold back in his assessment of Werner post-match.

The Aussie said that Werner’s display was 'not acceptable' because he expects a certain 'level of performance from some of the senior guys'.

On Friday, when asked if Werner will be recalled at Saints, Postecoglou said: "I've got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I'm pulling kids out of school, I literally am.

"That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them.

"In normal times if you have a poor game, there's a price to pay. It doesn't exist right now. We need everybody we've got."

Responding to Postecoglou's comments, ex-Chelsea and West Ham striker Cole questioned how the Spurs players will respond to such public criticism of their teammate.

Cole told the Sports Bar Weekender on talkSPORT: “If it's that obvious, you go and tell him because now it's an insult to you and his teammates.

"If you pander to the to the media first, before you've gone and told the player, and then the other players hear it in the press… you will lose the dressing room.

"Because now the players don't don't feel that you'll protect them when it's tough.

“I understand what he's saying and he's got every right to say it. But go say it to him.

“Because let's have it here… Werner is not his star player. So why are you picking on him? What about the others?

“What is he trying to achieve here? It’s strange to me.”

In comparison, he referred to Jadon Sancho’s previous falling out with ex-Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag.

Sancho is now thriving on loan at Chelsea, while Ten Hag was sacked earlier this season.

Cole said: “The Sancho situation could've been handled a lot differently. Now he’s playing for Chelsea and scoring goals. Man United will look at that and say, ‘We would’ve liked Sancho to be on form like that’.

“But because Ten Hag made it uncomfortable for him to be there, he had to find a new home where he can establish himself and be the player we know he can be."

Pressure continues to mount on Postecoglou amid a dreadful run of results, mitigated by a desperate injury crisis.

His first season in the Premier League was one of promise with a fifth-place finish, but they now sit eleventh.

Tottenham face a second tough trip under the lights in a matter of days when the club face Southampton this weekend.

Spurs stretched their winless run to five games across all competitions following a 1-1 draw away at Rangers on Thursday.

Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou failed to secure the bragging rights upon his return to Scotland against his old rivals.

The Australian is now under mounting pressure to reverse Tottenham's poor form with a quick turnaround between games.

The north Londoners travel to Premier League's bottom club Southampton on Sunday but at a very unusual time.

Both teams won't relish the disruption to their plans due to their rare start time following the latest top-flight schedule change.

Southampton vs Tottenham: Kick-off time

Kick-off at St Mary's on Sunday, December 15, is at 7pm.

It is one of two Premier League fixtures getting underway in the unique late weekend slot alongside Chelsea against Brentford.

Originally, this game was scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, however, it was pushed back over 24 hours after being picked for TV broadcast.

TNT Sports, who screened Tottenham's draw with Rangers, also picked the club's next match against Southampton in October.

Usually, the Premier League's secondary broadcaster uses the 12:30pm slot on Saturday mornings to show their one top-flight match every weekend gameweek.

Tottenham's Europa League exploits prevent them from being involved until Sunday at the earliest and TNT then had to factor in a suitable time for coverage.

Sky Sports as the leading Premier League rights-holder dominate Sunday's coverage across the typical 2pm and 4:30pm slots.

The M23 derby between Brighton and Crystal Palace is being shown first before the first Manchester derby of the season takes place.

To avoid competition with Sky's Super Sunday, TNT moved Spurs away to Southampton to 7pm instead.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from both of Sunday's two late kick-offs, starting with Tottenham against Southampton.

Commentary from St Mary's comes from Ian Danter and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

Minto's former Blues side host Brentford on talkSPORT 2, with Joe Shennan and former England captain Stuart Pearce on hand.

talkSPORT.com will also have updates in our dedicated live Premier League blog.

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

Ange Postecoglou has received the backing of two Tottenham legends over his assessment of Timo Werner’s poor performance.

The German was hauled off at half time of Spurs’ 1-1 Europa League draw at Rangers on Thursday, with Postecoglou later claiming the forward 'wasn't playing anywhere near the level he should'.

It was the first time the Tottenham boss had publicly singled out a player for criticism - however his brutal assessment serves as a warning for Werner and his teammates who are in the midst of poor form.

Postecoglou said of Werner in his post-match press conference: "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’re performing poorly.

"We need them to play their part. Especially the senior guys. When I’m asking younger guys to do massive jobs.

"I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys and today wasn’t that."

Former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham joined talkSPORT on Friday and revealed he hoped Werner's early exit at Ibrox serves as motivation to improve his performances.

“In the main, every player is trying to implement what he [Postecoglou] wants out on the pitch,” Sheringham told talkSPORT.

“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 umph 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.”

Another former Spurs ace Alan Brazil provided his own stinging criticism of Werner 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.”

However, Postecoglou’s public condemnation of Werner has not gained universal approval.

Troy Deeney, who became embroiled in a public spat with his players when in charge of Forest Green Rovers, believes Postecoglou's rant was a message to the board ahead of the January transfer window.

"I felt as a manager, that was a little bit of a dig at him," Deeney told talkSPORT's White and Jordan.

"A cheap one to send a message upstairs to say, 'this is what you've left me to work with and this who you you say I need to get over the line with.'"

Meanwhile, talkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook added: "He's going to need Timo Werner. Tottenham have got a crippling injury list. He risks losing him now with those comment's doesn't he?"

Tottenham are without a win in five games since winning 4-0 at Manchester City on November 23, meaning the pressure is piling on the Australian head coach.

Postecoglou is rueing an injury crisis that he described this week as ‘the worst in my career’ as he contends with a makeshift defence and key absences in midfield and attack.

Asked about Postecoglou’s tenure so far, Sheringham heaped praise on the 59-year-old and called on the club to stick by their man.

“I’m here to back Ange this morning,” he added. “I love what he’s given Tottenham this year. I think over the last four or five years you’ve seen Tottenham under [Jose] Mourinho and [Antonio] Conte make one maybe two chances a game.

“I go to watch Tottenham now and I see them making ten chances in the first 15 minutes.

“I think it’s exciting. I think any team would struggle without their two main centre halves and their main goalkeeper.

“I’m still excited and optimistic for Ange and the way he plays the game and I think they should stick with him.”