GIVEMESPORT

Pundit, Jamie O'Hara, has taken to social media outraged by Tottenham's abysmal 4-3 loss against Chelsea, and has called for Ange Postecoglou to be sacked from his post as manager.

Spurs disastrously lost control of the clash with London rivals, despite holding a two-goal advantage just 11 minutes into the tie. The defeat marks the north Londoners' fourth consecutive game without a win in all competitions, and it means the side have managed just a single victory in the last seven outings. With Tottenham languishing in 11th in the Premier League table, firm questions are being asked of Postecoglou's future at the club.

O'Hara: 'Time to Go' for Postecoglou

Spurs collapsed in a key fixture despite a two-goal lead

After Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski both netted in early proceedings, the home support in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may have expected a rather routine victory over Chelsea. However, it wasn't long before Jadon Sancho pulled one back for the visitors, and a flurry of goals in the second half saw the game quickly turned on its head. Speaking to X (formerly Twitter), a furious O'Hara called for the manager's dismissal:

"I’m done with this garbage we are a disgrace, 2-0 up and get battered we have zero clue of how to win games.

"I’m sorry it can’t go on like this, time to go"

It wasn't the first occasion of such a capitulation occurring this season either - Postecoglou's men went two goals ahead at the Amex Stadium against Brighton earlier this season, only to eventually lose the game 3-2. Moreover, Spurs recently failed to sustain a 2-1 lead over Roma in the Europa League, as Mats Hummels netted in stoppage time to share the points at the end of November, and the side similarly lost a one-goal lead against Fulham at the start of December as well.

With various dismal defeats to the likes of Ipswich Town, Bournemouth, Galatasaray and Crystal Palace, there is a sense that Postecoglou's project at the club is not heading in the correct direction. Often, it is a failure to adapt in key moments that has cost Tottenham and the manager is likely to be held responsible for this.

A busy fixture schedule around the corner, Tottenham are still to face the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United this December, and Postecoglou must look to end the year with some promising form if he is to avoid entering 2025 on thin ice.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea will go head-to-head in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon in a huge game in north London following their differing starts to the season.

Spurs fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth last time out which has left Ange Postecoglou under pressure, while Enzo Maresca's side claimed a dominant 5-1 win over Southampton to enter themselves into the title race according to many pundits.

With heavy schedules and injury problems on both sides though there are decisions for the managers to make, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expect both sides to line up.

Tottenham Team News

Defensive issues continue

Spurs have been dealt a bad hand with injuries this season, and the defence has been one area that has seen Postecoglou struggle for options. Ben Davies limped off against Bournemouth and joins Micky Van de Ven on the sidelines for this clash, while Cristian Romero is due for a late check to see if he is able to play.

Guglielmo Vicario, Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert remain unavailable through injury, while Rodrigo Bentancur is still suspended.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Spurs boss shared an update on his squad.

"Cuti's [Romero] due to train, we're not doing much today but we'll see how he goes tomorrow. [For Davies] It's too early (to say), 10 hours after it happened, he'll have a scan today and we'll find out more.

"Look, I come out here and I want to be as transparent as I can, but this is a 17-year-old boy [Mikey Moore]. I don't like talking about what they have and what they don't have. It's nothing serious, but you know, he's 17. We're going to take our time, and I don't like this kind of constant, not from you by the way, but I've just heard other bits and pieces of people speculating, Come on. I mean, like, if it's your 17-year-old son, you don't want everyone to know what he has or hasn't got. It's nothing serious. It's nothing long-term. It's just that he's a young lad and he's only 17, and he's a big part of this football club, and we will protect him, and we'll be guided by how he feels, how he recovers from, you know, an illness. Like I said, young people will recover at different rates. He'll be back. He's still here. he's He's part of what we're doing, and he'll be back in the next few weeks, but again he's missed a lot of football. So whether we bring him back the first team or he needs to play, we've got to bear in mind that he's 17."

Tottenham Predicted XI

Maddison gets the nod in midfield

Tottenham Predicted XI: Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Udogie; Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Austin (GK), Reguilon (DEF), Spence (DEF), Romero (DEF), Olusesi (MID), Bergvall (MID), Sarr (MID), Werner (FWD), Lankshear (FWD).

With so many injuries in the squad, teenage sensation Archie Gray could be set to start in the centre of defence. In midfield Postecoglou may see attack as the best form of defence, meaning James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to start ahead of Yves Bissouma, while Heung-Min Son should return in attack alongside Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke.

Chelsea Team News

James and Fofana ruled out

Maresca has been able to rotate his squad throughout the season with minimal problems such is the depth he has available to him, but key defenders Reece James and Wesley Fofana are both ruled out with injuries for this game.

Mykhailo Mudryk missed the win over Southampton through illness and is unlikely to recover in time for this game, but should return in midweek for the Europa Conference League clash.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Maresca shared an update on his squad.

"They are both [James and Fofana] slowly getting better but as we said recently, it is going to be weeks for them. They are still far [from a return to action]. Otherwise, the only one who is still ill is Misha Mudryk. The rest of the squad is okay."

Chelsea Predicted XI

Jackson to return

Chelsea Predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.

Chelsea Predicted Substitutes: Jorgensen (GK), Disasi (DEF), Tosin (DEF), Lavia (MID), Dewsbury-Hall (MID), Veiga (MID), Neto (FWD), Felix (FWD), Nkunku (FWD)

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to open contract talks with Cristian Romero and have approached the Argentinian’s representatives to initiate discussions, according to TBR Football.

Spurs reportedly aim to secure their key defender for the long term and fend off growing interest from elsewhere, amid claims that Real Madrid are monitoring the 26-year-old ahead of 2025.

Tottenham are said to be stepping up efforts to extend Romero’s current deal, which runs until June 2027, and to make the ever-reliable centre-back one of the club’s top earners.

The North London outfit reportedly hope to begin talks in early 2025, while Romero’s representatives are assessing the situation amid interest from European clubs.

According to TBR Football, the World Cup winner considers Champions League football crucial to his future – Tottenham have only qualified once for the prestigious tournament in the last four seasons.

European heavyweights could fulfil Romero’s ambitions, with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan listed among his admirers.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Romero has made 13 appearances in all competitions for Spurs this term, scoring once in over 1,100 minutes of action.

Romero has been sidelined with a toe injury since mid-November, missing two Premier League games, but could return for Thursday’s match against Bournemouth.

The 'unbelievable' 26-year-old’s absence, alongside Micky van de Ven’s, has depleted Ange Postecoglou’s squad during a challenging November schedule, with Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies filling the centre-back slots in Spurs’ last two league matches.

Romero has been a mainstay in Tottenham’s defence since joining from Atalanta in August 2022, making 111 appearances across all competitions and proving a threat in front of goal with seven hits to his name.

In addition to Romero, Spurs are expected to address their captain Heung-min Son’s contract situation soon. The South Korean forward has less than seven months remaining on his deal, and Tottenham are reportedly aiming to trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will no longer be meddling with the idea that their club could be sold in the coming months, with reports suggesting that rumours touting Jerry Jones - owner of NFL outfit Dallas Cowboys - are wide of the mark.

Daniel Levy, who is the current Tottenham chairman and majority owner, has been in the hot seat since 2001 after he took over from Alan Sugar at the turn of the century. After a slow start to life in north London, his Spurs side eventually secured Champions League football in 2010 under the management of Harry Redknapp, and they've been a strong force since - despite a lack of trophies. However, reports cropped up earlier in the week that Jones was potentially set to make a move to the capital-based club - though they have been shot down.

The post on X (formerly Twitter) from Football London and Tottenham writer, Alasdair Gold, states that there is no substance to the reports that Dallas Cowboys owner Jones is set to buy Tottenham Hotspur - pouring cold water over any notion that Levy is set to sell part of his stake in the club to the NFL investor.

Publications had suggested that, whilst Tottenham are for sale with Levy having gone public with his intentions to do so in April, Jones’ private jet and yacht were in London to potentially purchase the club.

Jones has been linked before, especially with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being the de-facto home of the NFL in Europe - with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell even stating that one day, the north London venue could even host the Super Bowl that is held every year in February.

However, Gold’s tweet has poured cold water over that move, and it means that only three majority owners in the Premier League - Fulham’s Shahid Khan, Arsenal’s Kroenke family and Manchester United’s Glazer family - own NFL teams in conjunction with their Premier League clubs, in the form of Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers respectively.

The NFL have played 36 regular season games in London throughout 2024, and with Tottenham’s stadium being the main hub, they could attract the interest of others in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is on course to be handed the opportunity to lure Nicolo Fagioli to Hotspur Way as Serie A heavyweights Juventus have set their sights on sanctioning his departure during the fast-approaching January transfer window, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

Although Spurs were not afraid to splash the cash during the summer, with Dominic Solanke becoming the most expensive arrival in the north Londoners' history thanks to completing a £65million switch from Premier League rivals Bournemouth, plans are being put in place to make further adjustments to the squad at the turn of the year.

Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur joined Tottenham from Juventus close to three years ago, in deals worth up to £59million, and technical director Johan Lange will have the chance to raid the Italian giants once again as he prepares to play a pivotal role in the mid-season recruitment drive.

Spurs Poised for Chance to Agree Fagioli Deal

Juventus eager to offload Italy international midway through season

Tottenham are primed to be among the clubs offered the chance to sign Fagioli in January, according to GMS sources, as intermediaries are preparing to up the ante in their attempts to discover viable destinations after Juventus have made the decision to sell him at a cut-price fee.

Although the central midfielder has previously been described as the 'new Pirlo' by Bianconeri legend Andrea Pirlo, he has struggled to work his way into the forefront of head coach Thiago Motta's plans, resulting in his current employers looking to get him off their books in the coming weeks.

GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham are among the sides set to be made aware of Fagioli's availability and the potential terms as Juventus are prepared to contemplate a deal worth in the region of £20million, while they have also refused to rule out the possibility of accepting an offer which falls below that figure.

The Italy international still has more than three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, which allows him to pocket just shy of £45,000-per-week at the Allianz Stadium, but he is desperate to begin assessing his options ahead of the transfer window reopening at the turn of the year.

Tottenham are not the only Premier League side on course to be handed the opportunity to recruit Fagioli as Crystal Palace will find themselves in a similar situation, GMS sources have learned, while West Ham United and Newcastle United are likely to be sounded out despite them not being in the market for a player of his type.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Nicolo Fagioli has been limited to just 484 minutes of Serie A action this season

North Londoners to Consider Fagioli Charges

Midfielder returned from seven-month betting ban earlier this year

GMS sources have been told that Fagioli's previous betting charges will be taken into account by Postecoglou and other influential figures working behind the scenes at Tottenham before a final decision is made on whether to offer him a route out of Juventus, although he has been back in action since.

The 23-year-old was handed a seven-month ban and fined close to £11,000 in October 2023, having reached a settlement with the Italian football federation after breaching gambling rules, resulting in him being forced to wait until May before being in a position to make his comeback.

Tottenham are keeping their options open ahead of the winter transfer window and have not eliminated the possibility of dipping into the market for a midfielder of Fagioli's ilk, GMS sources understand, while domestic rivals Crystal Palace will also contemplate offering a route into the Premier League for the first time in his career.

Spurs are not only considering bolstering their options in the middle of the park as GMS sources recently revealed that members of the recruitment department have been embarking on regular scouting missions to run the rule over winger Raul Moro, who is currently with La Liga strugglers Real Valladolid.

Tottenham Hotspur are among a host of Premier League clubs showing interest in Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.

Spurs, along with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, have been linked with the 'absolutely frightening' 22-year-old forward, who could leave the Basque club in 2025.

Ornstein reports that multiple European and English sides may look to capitalise on Williams’ relatively low £46m release clause, making a transfer next year likely.

The Spanish international is said to prefer avoiding a winter move, but Ornstein has not ruled it out entirely, with Spurs firmly among his long-standing admirers:

“There is a release clause of around €55million (£46m) and Athletic will only sell if that gets activated, so the fact his contract ends in 2027 is irrelevant.

“Williams earns a high salary but the clause is fairly low for a player of this level, so it is probable he will move in 2025 — the bigger question is whether it will be in January or at the end of the season.

“He would prefer not to move in the winter market but you never know. Either way, the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among those who hold a long-standing admiration.”

Williams has emerged as one of Europe’s most promising wingers last season, scoring eight goals and providing 19 assists in 37 appearances for Bilbao in 2023/24.

His contributions also played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, where he scored the opening goal in the final against England and recorded three goal involvements in the tournament.

A versatile 'cheat code' forward, Williams can operate on either flank but has predominantly featured on the left for Bilbao this season, making 18 appearances in all competitions.

Tottenham may seek a new left-sided forward in 2025, given the uncertainty surrounding Heung-min Son’s future.

The Spurs captain has seven months left on his current deal, expiring at the end of the season, and has yet to agree to a new contract.

According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Tottenham are considering triggering a 12-month extension in Son’s contract rather than offering him a lucrative new deal as they aim to manage their wage bill carefully.

Tottenham Hotspur are among Premier League clubs monitoring Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of his contract expiry in June 2025, according to Fichajes.

Spurs, alongside Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, are reportedly admirers of the 27-year-old and are considering strengthening their frontline with the Englishman next year.

According to Fichajes, Tottenham want to bring in depth to Ange Postecoglou’s squad in 2025 and have earmarked Calvert-Lewin as an option.

Spurs have recently struggled with injuries up front, with summer signing Wilson Odobert undergoing surgery for a hamstring injury last month and expected to be out for an extended period.

Tottenham have signed both Odobert and Dominic Solanke before the season but could look to bring in another striker soon, with Calvert-Lewin, whom Carlo Ancelotti labelled a 'complete striker', now on their radar.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Calvert-Lewin has scored twice in 13 Premier League appearances for Everton this season.

According to Fichajes, Everton have not given up in their efforts to renew Calvert-Lewin’s expiring contract yet, despite growing interest from rival Premier League clubs.

The 11-cap English international remains a key part of Sean Dyche’s squad this season, and the Toffees are seemingly keen to secure him for the long term.

Calvert-Lewin’s £120,000-a-week contract is reportedly a key concern for the Toffees ahead of the winter transfer window, as they may have one final opportunity to cash in on their long-serving striker before it expires in June.

Everton will have a number of such decisions to make, with the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Michael Keane, Idrissa Gueye, Joao Virginia, Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman’s deals all running out at the end of the season.

Calvert-Lewin, who joined the Toffees in 2016 from Sheffield United, has amassed 260 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 70 goals and registering 19 assists.

However, the 27-year-old has now gone goalless in his last nine appearances and was most recently dropped by Dyche for their 4-0 loss at Manchester United, with Beto taking his place in the starting XI.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been questioned about his team's consistency in recent weeks, but Richard Keys has lavished praise on the Australian, suggesting that he needs time and support.

Spurs have produced some fantastic results this season, including beating Manchester City twice, once in the EFL Cup and once in the Premier League. Tottenham have also defeated Aston Villa and Manchester United comfortably, but they've also lost at home to struggling Ipswich Town and failed to beat 10-man Fulham at the weekend.

The north London outfit currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League table, just three points away from the top four. Postecoglou has brought exciting attacking football to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but there's no doubt he needs to bring more consistency to the club.

Speaking about Postecoglou and Spurs, presenter Keys has urged Daniel Levy and the supporters to give the manager time, praising Tottenham's attacking style of play...

"Spurs fans have got to cut big Ange a bit of slack. I love watching his team play. Right now Spurs and Brentford are the teams to follow if you want the sort of excitement that Postecoglou talked about in his press conferences last week."

Keys is clearly a huge fan of the direction Tottenham are going in, appointing a manager who plays exciting football, rather than a more defensively-minded coach such as Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho who they've had in the past...

"Would Spurs fans prefer Mourinho? I’m an admirer, but they weren’t. Would they prefer to have Conte back? Nunes? No. Of course not.

My advice is give Postecoglou time and support. He’s the best chance I’ve seen of someone producing ‘push and run’ football at Spurs again - and maybe, just maybe he’ll win a trophy to go with it."

Tottenham have gone through a tricky period over the last few years. Despite competing in Europe and towards the top of the Premier League at times, their hunt for a trophy continues. Constantly chopping and changing managers is rarely a recipe for success, so having a bit of consistency could be what Tottenham need to bring success back to the club.

Postecoglou doesn't appear to be under immediate pressure with Tottenham in with a chance of finishing in the top four, but Spurs supporters will be desperate to see their side lift a trophy in the near future.

Tottenham Hotspur could battle it out for the signing of PSV Eindhoven star Malik Tillman in the coming months - though the Premier League side may have to wait until the end of the season before making a move for the German-born star.

Tillman joined PSV on loan last season, and made his move permanent in early August last season for a fee of around £10million. It's safe to say he's impressed throughout, having scored nine goals last season in all competitions with eight strikes to his name already in the current campaign - and reports claim that Tottenham have him in their sights.

Report: Tillman 'Wanted' by Tottenham And Aston Villa

The American has been in fine form for PSV since his loan move over a year ago

The report from Florian Plettenberg states that Tillman has been subject to 'concrete enquiries' from both Tottenham and Aston Villa, over a potential January transfer window move.

The versatile midfielder has eight goals and four assists in just 20 games for PSV this season, including a late brace against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League that saw the Dutch side eventually go on to win against the Ukrainian outfit.

The USA international does see the Premier League as his final destination, but a January transfer is unlikely, with his release clause of £25-£33million only becoming active at the end of the campaign.

Having been on loan at Scottish giants Rangers, where he was called 'phenomenal', Tillman scored 12 and assisted five goals in 43 games for the Ibrox side, and so he has had a taste of UK football - though Bayern Munich could prove to be a sticking point as they hold a buy-back option and a matching right, should any club bid for the midfielder - however, with Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise currently on fire at the Bavarian club, they have no plans to bring Tillman back to the Bundesliga and that could open the door to Tottenham and Villa if they do wish to make a move for his services.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Malik Tillman has 17 caps for the USA national team but has yet to score for his country.

With 17 goals and 19 assists in just 59 games for the Eredivisie leaders, Tillman - at the age of just 22 - has massively impressed since his move to Eindhoven, and his development may well be best served in the Premier League if he finishes the season in a similar fashion.

Tottenham Hotspur host Fulham tomorrow afternoon, looking to follow up their emphatic victory over Manchester City last weekend with another win, and Ange Postecoglou should consider handing Archie Gray his first Premier League start.

Gray has been limited mostly to appearances in the Europa League and the EFL Cup since arriving from Leeds United in the summer, with Postecoglou granting him just 46 total league minutes. However, the 18-year-old impressed in mid-week at left-back against Roma, and ought to be in the reckoning to feature against Fulham.

With Rodrigo Bentancur suspended, and Spurs leaking goals in recent games, Gray should be added to the midfield trio, to add increased defensive stability and a metronomic passer to the middle of the park. Otherwise, Fulham's offensive threat could overwhelm Postecoglou's team, and they risk suffering a damaging defeat in their top four pursuit.

Postecoglou Should Start Gray vs Fulham

He's deserving of minutes

After an exceptional breakthrough campaign at Elland Road, Tottenham opted to spend £30 million on Gray, with Postecoglou keen on snapping the talented teenager up early in his career. While the versatile midfielder, described as a 'sensation', likely expected to be integrated slowly, he also likely expected more playing time than he's been given thus far.

Bentancur is currently serving a seven-game Premier League ban, and thus a spot should open up for Gray to play against Fulham. Spurs shipped two goals to Roma on Thursday, two against Ipswich and three against Galatasaray prior to the international break, indicating a clear vulnerability to their back-line, which could be aleviated somewhat by Gray's defensive awareness and positioning.

Having played in both full-back positions on numerous occasions throughout his fledgling career, the youngster has the ability to read the game and thus prevent transitions, an area which has been a weakness for Spurs. Against the Cottagers, who carry an abundance of threat in transition with the likes of Reiss Nelson, Adama Traore and Emile Smith Rowe, Gray's attributes in this area will be very useful.

Opting for Yves Bissouma, alongside Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, could leave Tottenham exposed on the counter-attack, while they also require a high volume passer to help break Marco Silva's team down. Thus, to claim all three points and prevent themselves from dropping out of the top four race, Gray must start.