The Mirror

Ange Postecoglou had so few players available this week that he was close to making up the numbers in training.

And that, the Tottenham boss said, would not have been a pretty sight.

Spurs remain without eight stars through injury, while Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended for today’s visit of Newcastle. So having a virus work its way through the dressing room this week, to leave “a few” players touch and go this afternoon, has left Postecoglou, 59, with the temptation to tear his hair out

“I’d be no good bald, my wife would definitely leave me,” he said, doing his best to look beyond their run of ill-fortune. “I’ve never been this kind guy who is ‘woe is me’ and ‘can anything else go wrong.’ But it’s a hell of a challenge.

“These things go in cycles sometimes when you just feel like, ‘Oh my god, what else?’ Every time I get a message or an update, what else could possibly go wrong?

“But I really believe that all these things are just temporary. They’re a good test of character, they’re a good test of resolve, of resilience.

"I still think within that context that there is still opportunity for growth. We’ll get through it. I’ve got a really resilient group of players who are refusing to make excuses. They’re working as hard as anything, that’s all you can ask for.

“Eventually we’ll get over this. Who knows, they do go in cycles. There’s been times I’ve won things and I’ve thought ‘I don’t know how that happened’. The footballing gods were smiling on us. I don’t question it then, because I think we deserve the success, and I don’t question it now. It’s just where we’re at.”

Postecoglou refused to detail the exact number who have been affected by the illness and said their availability would be judged “hour by hour” before the visit of Eddie Howe’s in-form side.

The Australian, who also confirmed full back Destiny Udogie is facing six weeks out because of a hamstring tear sustained last weekend, reiterated that the Spurs hierarchy will do their best to bolster his squad this month.

"To get a deal done you need multiple parties to come to an agreement. There's so many moving parts to that. It's not just a matter of saying, 'This is the player I want, let's go get him.'

"You have got to think about the player, their representatives, the other club, then that club thinks about replacing that player and they have to go deal with another club.

"There's multiple moving parts, it's not an easy process, but all we can do is work as hard as we can to try and help the situation. That's what the club's doing. I can tell you the club is working as hard as it possibly can to get some help for the playing group. But not all of that is in our power."

Ange Postecoglou has revealed several Tottenham stars are now battling an illness ahead of Saturday's clash against Newcastle with eight players already confirmed out through injury and suspension.

Spurs enter this weekend's round of games 11th in the table, 11 points off fourth position. They have won just three of their past 13 games in all competitions with the squad in the middle of an injury crisis that Postecoglou has previously described as the worst of his 28 years in management.

But with the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool coming up on Wednesday night followed by an FA Cup banana skin at non-League Tamworth next weekend, the next few days are shaping up to be a vital period for the Australian.

And while Postecoglou is unsure whether the virus will rule out any more players for the visit of Eddie Howe's in-form side, he confirmed none of his injured players are set to return. "Unfortunately, no," he said on Friday afternoon.

Defenders Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies and Cristian Romero remain out with Destiny Udogie last weekend joining them after hurting a hamstring against Wolves. The left back is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, plus forwards Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert remain out. And midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur will serve a one-match ban having picked up a late yellow card versus Wolves.

"Destiny with his hamstring looks like a six week mark for him missing, we've lost Bentancur, none of the injured ones are back yet. And we've had an illness bug around the squad as well so a few have missed training but we'll be alright.

"At this stage Richy and Mikey Moore are the next two cabs off the rank - hopefully next week at some point. Ben, Micky van de Ven and Romero, back end of January they'll be slated to return."

Postecoglou is hopeful that Tottenham's squad will be bolstered in the January transfer window but says they will not be pressured into making desperate acquisitions.

"It's not a matter of pushing but the club is working hard to get some help for the playing group," he added.

"There's no secret we're aiming to bolster our numbers a little bit. January not an easy month, we understand that. We want to make sure we want to do the best thing for us rather than panic.

"I just want it to be a positive one. It's not about being busy. The situation at the moment is temporary. We'll get players back. We just need to be positive."

Tottenham are stepping up shock interest in Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

Molineux chiefs are open to offers for their £10million summer signing, who has failed to make an impression in the Black Country this season and remains second in command to Jose Sa.

Spurs No.1 Guglielmo Vicario is expected to be sidelined until at least the end of this month - at the earliest - after he was forced to undergo surgery on a fractured foot sustained in the 4-0 win at Man City in November.

Fraser Forster has since stepped in to fill the void of the Italian but Ange Postecoglou and the Tottenham hierarchy believe the club have to ponder strengthening their options between the sticks as the gruelling wait for Vicario's return has proven painful.

Furthermore, the 35-year-old is also out of contract at the end of the season when he is expected to depart north London. Crucially, Johnstone is also a homegrown player which is of added interest to Spurs.

The 31-year-old England international moved to Wolves from Crystal Palace in August under the premise he would be the club's first-choice goalkeeper under Gary O'Neil.

He had previously lost his starting spot to Dean Henderson at Selhurst Park and agitated for a summer move but has since proven unconvincing in his quest to leapfrog Sa following a string of shaky displays. Whether he would accept a move to Spurs knowing he would likely be no more than a No.2 remains to be seen.

Initially, Postecoglou had indicated he was prepared to show faith in Forster until Vicario was given the green-light to return to action but the veteran's sloppy distribution has only invited more pressure where Tottenham's injury-ravaged backline is concerned.

Spurs are also thought to have a number of other goalkeepers on their radar including Burnley's James Trafford but the Clarets man is unlikely to come cheap given he has also attracted admirers at Newcastle.

Tottenham are also open to strengthening in defence - at centre-back and left-back - and would also be keen to sign a new forward should the opportunity present itself.

Meanwhile, Wolves retain interest in Toulouse goalkeeper Guillaume Restes, who could be targeted once again if Johnstone was to leave Vitor Pereira's relegation-battlers.

Wolves made an approach for the France U21 international last summer but their advances were swiftly shot down. Restes has also been scouted by other Premier League clubs and sides from across Europe. Only Barcelona duo Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal managed more minutes than Restes (2861) in Europe's top-five leagues in the first half of the season.

James Maddison has hit back after he was criticised for attending the PDC World Championship shortly after Tottenham drew 2-2 against Wolves.

Maddison came off the bench as Spurs' struggles continued when Jorgen Strand Larsen's late goal earned Wolves a point. Tottenham have now picked up just one win in their last seven Premier League games and currently sit 11th in the table, 11 points off the top four.

Just hours after the game finished, Maddison was pictured at Alexandra Palace watching the darts alongside teammate Brennan Johnson. However, some Spurs fans were not happy to see the pair at the darts, with one writing on Instagram : "U taking the piss? The form were in and U go to the darts?? Unacceptable"

However, Maddison hit back at the fan, simply writing: "shut up u wally". The supporter then responded with a lengthy post doubling down on their assertion that Maddison attending the darts was "unacceptable", although they did admit his reply was "legendary and funny".

They wrote: "Just been called a wally. Honestly, I didn't expect this to be a massive deal. Never would I want to add any more pressure on my club or the players. But the pair did it to themselves.

"Thought it was a harmless comment expressing my frustration about the result vs. Wolves earlier. To an extent, I believe I'm right, but also, the man can do what the hell he wants... If any player that played earlier was at the darts, I would have said and felt the same thing!

"I love Maddison, but it's unnecessary and unacceptable to do that with the mess all around the club atm. Legendary and funny reply tbf to him, though."

Tottenham will be hoping to bounce back when they host Newcastle in their first game of 2025 next weekend, with manager Ange Postecoglou confident his side can find some form. "It doesn't feel like we're getting a smooth run at anything. As soon as we get one back we lose one.

"But we have to get through it. We still have a lot to play for. With what's on the horizon we have to give them all the support we can to perform at their best. At some point we'll get a relatively healthy squad and when we have that we'll perform at a high level consistently. We've already shown we can beat anyone."

Ange Postecoglou said he was “hurting immensely” after his tired Tottenham stars let two points slip.

But the under pressure Spurs boss remains certain that he can turn things around once an exhausted squad is boosted by stars returning from injury and, he hopes, new signings in January.

Destiny Udogie joined the six existing absentees when coming off with a hamstring injury against Wolves, while Rodrigo Bentancur picked up an avoidable yellow card in added time that means he is suspended for Saturday’s game against Newcastle.

And deflated Postecoglou said: “It doesn't feel like we're getting a smooth run at anything. As soon as we get one back we lose one.

“But we have to get through it. We still have a lot to play for. With what's on the horizon we have to give them all the support we can to perform at their best.”

Postecoglou will give his players a couple of days off this week to recover “both mentally and physically.”

He added: “It hurts me because I'm ultimately responsible. I'm the person in charge. When I see how hard they are trying it hurts even more. They deserved a reward for their efforts even if they were dipping into their reserves of energy. It hurts immensely. At the same time it's my responsibility to get us out of it.”

And while Spurs remain in the bottom half at the midway point of the season, the head coach believes they can still gain ground.

“At some point we'll get a relatively healthy squad and when we have that we'll perform at a high level consistently. We've already shown we can beat anyone.”

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira remains unbeaten three games into the job and he hailed his team for their resolve after star man Matheus Cunha was taken off at half-time with a hamstring injury.

“It's a good result for us,” he said. “It was a difficult week after losing Toti [to injury] and Cunha at half-time. This is not a big squad. We must find solutions.

“The spirit I saw in the second half, the team tried to play more with the ball and create more situations to score. The personality shown, I'm very happy and proud of their work.”

Ange Postecoglou said going into the game against Wolves that his team's bleak form did not load him with pressure.

Sitting 12th in the Premier League ahead of welcoming Vitor Pereira's resurgent side, the Australian coach is sure to have at least felt a blow to the gut when Jorgen Strand Larsen's goal prevented a Tottenham win. Wolves were more than worth a point as they left London with a 2-2 draw - but Spurs almost made it over the line.

Hee-chan Hwang opened the scoring for the Midlands side from a well-worked set-piece, as his strike from the edge of the box went in off the post. Spurs wasted little time delivering an emphatic response, however, as Pedro Porro's corner was forcefully headed in by Rodrigo Bentancur to level the scores.

Andre caught Brennan Johnson from behind, allowing Son Heung-min to have the opportunity to hand Spurs the lead from the penalty spot. The South Korean failed to find the net in a moment that summed up his afternoon.

It was Dejan Kulusevski who fed the ball to Johnson on that occasion and he soon found him again. In first half stoppage time the Swede served the ball on a plate for the Wales international to sidefoot into the net.

The north London side had to remain resolute as they came under pressure in the second period and looked set to complete the task in an uncharacteristic performance. Strand Larsen found the room required to earn Wolves a point after 87 minutes.

Mirror Football looks at six performances from the clash...

Pedro Porro - HIT

After plenty of wayward passing in the early stages of the afternoon, the full-back delivered a perfect corner to find Bentancur and continued to deliver well from set-pieces. Most of Spurs' threat came from the right side of the pitch.

Renowned for his attacking efforts, Porro provided an element of pragmatism and stuck to his defensive task on his return to the team. Made a crucial block from Rayan Ait Nouri's 62nd-minute shot, though did have a tough time against Carlos Forbs late on.

Dejan Kulusevski - HIT

The former Juventus star was the side's chief creator and found passing angles his teammates could not. Kulusevski linked well with Johnson and instigated the move that saw the ex-Nottingham Forest ace win a penalty.

The 24-year-old produced clever footwork inside the area to navigate space to place the ball in Johnson's path to net past Jose Sa. Looked tired but still the most likely source of a moment of magic.

Brennan Johnson - HIT

The winger was only on the pitch just over an hour but found a way to make an impact when required. Kulusevski's pass placed him in position to win a penalty and Johnson later made no mistake to coolly finish to hand Spurs their advantage.

Johnson notched his seventh Premier League goal of the season and is now just one strike shy of matching his best haul in the division after 19 games. More will be required from the Welshman to help Spurs up the table.

Son Heung-min - MISS

The Spurs captain failed to get involved in much of the match and endured a fairly pedestrian afternoon by his standards. The South Korean star's afternoon will be remembered for a penalty miss that ultimately proved crucial.

Rodrigo Bentancur - MISS

The Uruguay international delivered when it mattered to produce an outstanding header to level the scores at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was generally a solid afternoon from the midfielder but he ultimately has cost his team for the future.

In stoppage time, Bentancur produced a nasty challenge to pick up his fifth yellow card of the season and with it, earn a one-match ban. Postecoglou's charge will now miss the game against Newcastle having earned his caution. If he avoided it, the tally required to fetch a ban is 10 from the next round of matches.

Radu Dragusin - JURY'S OUT

The Romanian defender is Spurs' final fit central defender and thus the pressure to perform and stay on the pitch is high. Dragusin put in a solid display and provided a mature outing alongside teenage defensive partner Archie Gray.

Still just 22 himself, Dragusin's ability to build play from the back may be questioned but under pressure from Wolves in the second period, the defence stood strong with him at the centre for a long stretch. Dragusin was caught totally unaware when Jorgen Strand Larsen peeled away from Gray with easy to find the space for a late equaliser.

Physical decline is only natural for Son Heung-min - but he is far from finished just yet.

Andros Townsend, who spent six months playing with Tottenham's current skipper at White Hart Lane, finds it hard to understand why so many critics are writing the 32-year-old off amid Spurs' shaky season.

While it's undeniably not been Son's greatest campaign, he has still mustered seven goals and six assists in 21 appearances in all competitions.

Townsend said: "I mean he's 32 now so obviously there is going to be slight decline physically but he's still at a top, top level. He's still both-footed, he's still skilful, he's still tricky and he can still press like an animal out of possession.

"He's still the player that everyone knows, it's just maybe he's going through a bad moment at the minute which is perfectly normal.

"In my opinion, he's still a world-class operator, the same one that we've known for many years."

Last month, Spurs opted to trigger a one-year extension clause within the attacker's contract which will extend his stay in north London to a decade.

While James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke have all netted more goals than Son this season in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou has had to manage the forward's minutes due to separate hamstring and thigh issues.

During that period of time, the Aussie insisted it would be pure stupidity to suggest Son is on the decline.

He said: "I think there were questions about Mo Salah maybe a year or so ago. I would be wary about doing that, but it might help me if you write him off. Go for it!

"I don't see that in Sonny, I still think he's got a hell of a lot of quality and from a physical standpoint."

As the Premier League season approaches its midpoint, Tottenham Hotspur are set to welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 29th, 2024. This clash promises to be a captivating encounter as both teams look to end the year on a high note.

Tottenham have been enjoying a strong campaign under the management of Ange Postecoglou. Currently sitting in the upper echelons of the league table, Spurs have been showcasing an attacking brand of football that has thrilled their fans. Key players like Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min have been instrumental when things have been great but need more of that if they are to shake off the inconsistencies in their form. Spurs will be keen to maintain their momentum and secure another vital three points at home.

Wolves, meanwhile, have had a challenging season, despite showing glimpses of potential, they find themselves in the lower half of the table and are eager to climb out of danger. Under Vitor Pereira's leadership, Wolves have been working hard to tighten their defence and improve on taking their chances - something they displayed against Leicester City. The return to form of players like Pedro Neto could be pivotal in their quest for points.

This match is crucial for both sides: Spurs are aiming to solidify their position among the top teams, while Wolves are desperate to distance themselves from relegation worries. With contrasting styles and objectives, this fixture is set to deliver an exciting spectacle for football fans.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolves Odds

Spurs - 42/100 (CopyBet)

Draw - 4/1 (CopyBet)

Wolves - 9/2 (CopyBet)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolves Betting Tips

Spurs to win and both teams to score - 13/10 (CopyBet)

Over 2.5 goals - 32/100 (CopyBet)

Dejan Kulusevski to score anytime - 9/5 (CopyBet)

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Ange Postecoglou is "100 per cent" the right fit for Tottenham - he just needs to translate performances into results.

That is the verdict of former Spurs winger Andros Townsend, who is adamant it would represent a mistake if Daniel Levy was to eventually opt for change if fortunes fail to improve.

Amazon Prime pundit Townsend said of the club's herky-jerky campaign ahead of today's visit of Wolves : "The way Spurs were before under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, no disrespect, but supporters were crying out for attacking football.

"I'm a Spurs fan, I've got loads of Spurs fans that are friends and the one thing they say is we don't care if we lose, we just want to be entertained. That's one thing that Postecoglou will do, he will entertain the fans and they play great football.

"The consistency is not there but I think the consistency in how they dominate games and how they throw men forward and how attacking they are is there - it's just the consistency with results.

"I think in the Bournemouth game there were three or four goals disallowed by VAR and they dominated Ipswich so I think sometimes the performances are there they just need the results now to follow. For me, Postecoglou has to stay."

Surprisingly, scoring goals has been no issue since the devastating departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023. But at the other end, injured-ravaged Tottenham are leaking them for fun and ultimately, that is what is halting their chances of making any notable progress.

However, Townsend insists that level of frailty is a historic problem embedded into their DNA. He continued when asked to pinpoint the reason behind their concerning defensive record: "I think it's the way they play even dating back to when I was there many moons ago.

"We always used to struggle against the sides at the bottom of the table and beat the sides around the top, it was strange. Now they're so open and so aggressive.

"If they're dominating a game they will throw bodies forward until they get their goal and if they're pressing with seven or eight players and a team breaks through the press - like Ipswich did for one of their goals - they're going to concede.

"When you've got your first-choice centre-halves injured in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and you've got makeshift players doing a shift for the team, it's always going to be difficult."

Mauricio Pochettino achieved consistent results while playing an attractive brand of football, so was he under-appreciated five years on from his dismissal given Spurs now seem to be chasing what they once had at their disposal?

Townsend, now playing with Antalyaspor in Turkey, concluded: "The problem with Poch is he did so well that he made getting to a Champions League final seem normal.

"That is not normal for Spurs, he did so well, he built up their stature and built Tottenham up to be a team that were in the Champions League every season and fans got too complacent.

"I wouldn't say they hounded him out but there was definitely a small section of fans that did want him sacked.

"Honestly, he did an amazing job in taking them from what I wouldn't say was mediocrity but I remember the last season before Poch, we lost 5-0 at home to Liverpool and I think we lost 6-0 at Man City.

"We were a bit of a laughing stock and five years later, the five-year plan ended with Spurs in a Champions League final. I feel like he's appreciated now but at the time, he wasn't entirely."

Andros Townsend was speaking on behalf of Amazon Prime, who aired over 10 hours of live festive football on Boxing Day at no extra cost of their Prime membership.

Ange Postecoglou’s job as Tottenham manager is safe for now – but his fate could depend on the upcoming Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Postecoglou’s position has been questioned after Nottingham Forest claimed a 1-0 win to condemn Spurs to a fourth defeat from the last five Premier League matches. Spurs are 12th in the table, 11 points adrift of the top four, despite having the best attack in the division.

Injuries have taken their toll of late, but Postecoglou’s insistence on playing an open style with a depleted squad has drawn heavy criticism. Tottenham were thrashed 6-3 by Liverpool before Christmas, and although the Spurs boss retains the support of chairman Daniel Levy, a similar defeat in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on January 8 could see that change.

The Daily Mail reports that Postecoglou is safe for now, although the desire of the club to end their trophyless spell weighs heavily. Spurs haven’t lifted a trophy since winning the League Cup in 2008 and the same competition holds huge significance for Postecoglou, who is the bookies’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

The club hierarchy dream of consistency and the Australian has so far failed to deliver, with their reputation as the great entertainers not enough to satisfy. The man himself is not worried about his position as he looks forward to Sunday’s league game against Wolves, who climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Manchester United on Boxing Day.

“I get where people kind of look at my situation and think: ‘Jeez, he needs to do something or else he is in trouble’ but I don’t think that way. It’s not how I am wired,” Postecoglou said after the 1-0 defeat by Forest.

“I’m not concerned about that aspect of this role. Like I said, what excites me about this role and what I love about doing what I do is the possibilities you can create something special and that’s what I am going to try and do.

“I will keep doing what I am doing. It doesn’t add any pressure or I don’t feel any extra anxiety about anything. I firmly believe we will get through this and come out stronger and create the team we want to be."

Postecoglou has a history of winning trophies and will therefore be confident of delivering a first piece of silverware in 17 years for Spurs. He won league titles with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese championship with Yokohama F Marinos and the Scottish title in both seasons with Celtic.