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Tottenham Hotspur seem to have a pattern with senior head coaches. In the summer of 2023, Ange Postecoglou and Robert Vilahamn both arrived - and both departed weeks apart this year. Now, Thomas Frank and Martin Ho are the new boys at Hotspur Way.

And much like his predecessor, Ho came into the role as a relative unknown from a club in Scandinavia.

The Liverpudlian, who has previously been assistant at Everton and Manchester United, had enjoyed great success at Norwegian side SK Brann, leading them in their first Women's Champions League campaign, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Barcelona - an experience Ho says he wished he had enjoyed more.

He may get that chance again with Tottenham. They currently sit third in the WSL table with four wins and one defeat so far. "If you'd offered me 12 points out of 15 [before the start of the season], I'd have snapped your hand off," Ho adds.

In many metrics, Tottenham are already performing better per game than they did under Vilahamn last term, so just how has Ho gone about revitalising a team that were in danger of relegation last season?

Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, he says: "I don't want to be here just to turn up and take part. I want to make sure we take over in our own way and that's us fighting against ourselves to make sure we can be better.

"That starts first and foremost with me. My behaviours and passion has to fall on the players and we've started to see a lot of that on the pitch.

"It has to be a real baseline and minimum requirement for us that nothing but the best should be there every single time and we should give absolutely everything.

"Then, making sure we're hard to beat. We're a team that when people come up against us, they know they're in a real game and they're not going to be given it. If we have that foundation, I believe we can build a really strong house on top.

"I also want to make sure that we're exciting to watch, we play with individual and team expression, but also we're high intensity and people want to come and watch us. That's the best part of football is when people are entertained by what you do.

"We've done that in small spells. Everton was probably more the complete performance where we were good with the ball and we were very efficient off it.

"We've had moments in the other games - Leicester, I thought we were very good first half, but we defended a very resilient second. Brighton, I thought we were very good in the first half and had some moments second, but not as many.

"At West Ham, we were good in the first 20 to 25 minutes, but we were better in the last 25 minutes.

"So there's lots of moments where we've put together some really solid parts of the game, but we're just waiting for that consistency to really kick in. That takes time when you're trying to change a totally different kind of playing style and identity.

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"You've also got to have the patience and the belief to do that and we do. But I can't ask any more of the players and staff. They work tirelessly to make sure that we can keep improving.

"You also have to do that by building relationships on the pitch and we're starting to do that a bit more, as well as improving the players individually, technically, tactically and physically. There's lots of avenues to keep pushing on."

If the season ended now, Spurs would be competing in Europe for the first time, and earn vital bragging rights over local rivals, Arsenal. Tottenham currently have a four-point lead over the Gunners.

But of course, there remains a long way to go, with a trip to WSL holder Chelsea Women on Sunday, live on Sky Sports - one of the league's toughest tests. There will be a point to prove for Ho and his team too after a 5-1 thrashing by second-place Man City a few weeks ago.

"When you play the top teams, if you want to call it, it's more important that you focus on yourself and you don't over-convince yourself about them," he says.

"We respect them, because I will respect every team we play against and I'll make sure the players respect every opposition. But we have to focus on what we can control and that's us as an individual or a collective.

"We need to go into that game and better our performance from Manchester City, but also better our performance from when we played Brighton.

"When you play the teams that are up at the top of the table, you need to make sure the moments you get, you capitalise on because it's very few and far between and also nullify their threats as much as we can.

"And between both boxes, we have to be better. We've defended the box quite well, but between both boxes we need to be more robust and organised. You need to concentrate for longer spells because small moments can hurt you.

"Then with the ball, we've got to be more efficient and more effective technically and tactically, so there's lots of work to do in that area. But if we're on our game and we're highly concentrated, we give ourselves a good chance."

Ho also speaks passionately about his love of player development. "The individual development part will always be there for me because I'm so big in supporting and helping people," he describes.

One player who is reaping the benefits of that is Cathinka Tandberg. The Norwegian has four WSL goal involvements in five games (three goals, one assist), and is proving to be a shrewd summer signing.

Ho explains: "I'd known her from when I was in Norway and I tried numerous times to get her signed up and failed. It's third time lucky now I get her here at Tottenham and she's a big Tottenham fan.

"She has wonderful quality, she's still very young, she has a lot of maturing to do as a player and we've helped her with that.

"It'll take a little bit of time for Cathinka to really settle into this league. She's settled in quite well with scoring, but she knows she expects more of herself. We expect more of her too because we know what she can do.

"She's had a very good impact in the short term now and I believe she'll have a big impact in the future."

For Ho, any good attack comes from a solid defence, and Tottenham are doing just that. They have kept three clean sheets in their opening five WSL games, having kept just two in the whole of last season, while four of the backline - Clare Hunt, Toko Koga, Amanda Nilden and goalkeeper Lize Kop - have played every minute so far.

"It's important," the Spurs boss said of his team's defensive work so far this season. "We know that we have the stability and organisation away from the ball to be able to attack.

"The way I try to think of it, the game starts as a draw... Can we make sure we're resilient enough to defend that goal? That starts with the hard work, the effort, the commitment, the desire to want to defend and not allow many opportunities.

"If you have that, you give yourself the best chance to attack and be more open and be more direct. I feel you can coach people in certain defensive aspects, but you can't give someone the hunger and passion to want to defend.

"I think that part of the game may be starting to slide where everyone is more attack-minded and you maybe don't pay as much attention to that robustness of defending.

"I'm really big on how organised we are, how we press, when we press, and the commitment and desire you need to be able to maybe put your head where someone's boot is and take a couple of bumps. If you're willing to do that, I believe it goes a long way in football.

"I believe, actually, it probably gets you over the line in a lot of games and it might pull out some big results for you. We've shown that in abundance in the games so far."

It's clear that the building blocks are in place for Ho, with the head coach having a clear vision for Spurs. With time and finesse, Tottenham's future only looks bright.

The cost of greatness in the NFL can be despairing memories of what once was when it finally departs.

It can prompt rash short-term decisions some may later come to regret, and unfair comparisons that hinder the prospect of any forward progress. It can end in finger-pointing and messy splits. Yes, we are still talking about football.

Successors to NFL greatness are greeted by an impatient yearning for immediate results and an unrivalled pressure to retain said levels of greatness. Often, it cannot be replaced. At least not like for like.

The New England Patriots have limped through life since Tom Brady, while the Indianapolis Colts have floated in quarterback purgatory since Andrew Luck's shock retirement. The Los Angeles Rams turned to a concoction of Jared Verse, Byron Young, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner in their bid to compensate for the loss of Aaron Donald. The Philadelphia Eagles have seemingly struck gold in plucking Jalen Carter and Cam Jurgens as their long-term answer to losing Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelce. And the Green Bay Packers have smugly hopped from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love.

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The Denver Broncos have encountered their own Hall of Fame-calibre voids at two of football's most defining positions in Super Bowl 50 champions Peyton Manning and Von Miller. One an all-time great five-time MVP quarterback that guided Denver to two Super Bowl appearances in four seasons with an X-Ray talent in deciphering defenses, the other an all-time great pass rush with a demon ghost-move and capable of single-handedly flipping a game while holding the franchise record in sacks.

Neither can be replaced, but in Bo Nix and Nik Bonitto the Broncos believe they have found their new stalwarts at either position.

Baby Von?

For some time there was a sense it might be, the now-departed, Baron Browning who would take the mantle as the next talismanic Broncos quarterback-hunter. But instead it is Bonitto who has evolved into the face of Vance Joseph's stifling Broncos defense since being drafted as a second-round pick in 2022.

He managed just 9.5 sacks across his first two seasons before igniting his NFL career with 13.5 sacks to spearhead one of the league's best defenses in 2024. In doing so he earned himself a four-year $106m extension to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in Broncos history. He is already justifying those mammoth numbers.

Bonitto now arrives in London leading the league with seven sacks and in pressure rate through five weeks ahead of Sunday's matchup with the New York Jets at Tottenham. That includes 2.5 in last weekend's victory over the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, making him the first Broncos player to record multiple sacks in three straight games since Miller in 2014.

"He's been top of this league for a while," Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper told media in London. "His instincts are off the charts. His get off, the way he plays the game, the way he approaches. He's smarter than what you give him credit for. He's smart out there. He's a great team-mate. He's a great dude. You live right and you do things right (and) the success comes. For everything that he's doing, more power to him. I couldn't be happier."

Bonitto is on pace for a record 23.5 sacks in 2025, while being on course to break Miller's franchise record of 18.5 set back in 2012. He is a picture of speed, bend and agility armed with spin, swim and ghost moves capable of collapsing pockets both outside and inside as the chief enforcer of Joseph's prized four-man rush, which thrives off stunts, simulated pressures and disguised looks out of mugged fronts. He is the leader of the pack, and there may be no pass rusher playing better football in the league right now.

"He's a super pass rusher," Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Bonitto after Sunday's win over the Eagles. "You guys have seen the confidence just grow and grow with him. It's a good offensive line [in Philadelphia]. It's a quarterback that's hard to sack. So I'm glad he is on our team."

Coincidentally, Bonitto was selected out of Oklahoma with the 64th overall pick in 2022 - the same pick the Broncos acquired during the trade that sent Miller to the Los Angeles Rams. Quite the full circle moment.

He now takes on a Jets team that has allowed 16 sacks (tied for fourth-most in the NFL) on Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor across five games. Denver arrive in London ranked first in sacks, first in pressure rate, second in scoring defense, fifth against the run and eighth against the pass.

Payton's protégé

Premium pass rush succession can be a game-changer, but nothing quite defines entire eras like the job of finding a long-term answer at quarterback. Particularly when it comes to the Peyton Mannings of the world.

The Broncos have seen 14 players start at quarterback since Manning's retirement in the wake of Super Bowl 50 glory, 13 if not including running back Philip Lindsay's wildcat appearance in 2020. Denver believed they had ignited their next chapter of contention by handing Russell Wilson a $245m contract in 2022, only to discover the prime Russell Wilson of Seattle was no more as Sean Payton resorted to a conservative playbook designed to veil his deficiencies.

Payton had famously springboarded the career of Drew Brees while head coach of the New Orleans Saints some years ago, unlocking questioned talent to forge an all-time NFL quarterback great. He sought to finding his next Brees story at the 2024 NFL Draft when the Broncos turned to Oregon's Nix with the 12th overall pick, making him the sixth quarterback selected in the first round. Caleb Williams had gone at No 1, followed by Jayden Daniels at No 2, Drake Maye at No 3, Michael Penix Jr at No 8, J.J. McCarthy at No 10 and then Nix at 12.

"I've said this before - I think we've found that player that can lead us and be what we need relative to having the success we're used to having. I think we've found it," said Payton this past offseason.

He didn't offer the physical dynamism of a Williams, a Daniels or a Maye, but Nix had appealed to Payton through his efficiency and shortage of negative plays or mistakes in college. He had largely been the epitome of clean football, tied in which some aggressiveness downfield and off-script.

Early question marks arose in response to a rookie that looked fidgety and uncertain in the pocket, with Nix tossing four interceptions and no touchdown strikes over his opening three games before managing just 60 passing yards in a Week Four win over the Jets.

The game slowed down, and a different Nix emerged. Over the next eight games he threw 15 touchdowns and two interceptions as Payton unleashed him in a more complex, creative system in which he began to dictate and control with tight-window throws and anticipation as opposed to reacting.

He would lead Denver to their first playoff berth since their Super Bowl 50-winning campaign after finishing 376 of 567 passing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in addition to 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Nix's rookie season eventually ended when the Broncos were beaten 31-7 by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, but there was a sample bulging with evidence of the most promising quarterback situation yet since the days of Manning.

"He's a scrambler, a competitor, and throws the ball in tight places. He runs their offense really well. Sean's done a great job bringing him along," said Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio prior to their Week Five game this season.

"They got their QB for the future. They looked long and hard for many years, and they got one."

Both Nix and the Broncos endured some early stutters this season after defeats to the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers, only to have since sparked their playoff charge into life with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Eagles. His response to setbacks had been indicative of Payton and general manager George Paton finding as fierce a competitor as there is at the position in the NFL.

Such is the case that Nix enters Sunday's game with a refusal to take the Jets lightly despite their 0-5 start.

"I think in the league, quite honestly, it's a little disrespectful to consider anybody a trap team," Nix told reporters. "They're an NFL team, and they're going to have some really good players on their defense, and it's not really a trap game.

"I think any game you can walk in and slip up and lose, that's just the league. If you're not careful in a way, all of them could be because they're that good of an opponent."

The Broncos are ascending as one of the league's most polished operations, Nix feeding the career resurrecton of Courtland Sutton and J.K. Dobbins ranking fifth in rushing yards behind one of the best offensive lines in football, while Bonitto fronts Joseph's dominant defense. They are no Manning and Miller, not yet, but Payton's dynamic duo could prove pillars to a return to contention.

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The top stories and transfer rumours from Thursday's newspapers...

THE SUN

Tottenham's stunning stadium is being lined up to host a future Super Bowl - in what would be a historic first outside of North America.

Harry Maguire is hopeful of signing a new Manchester United contract before 2025 is out.

Manchester United are keeping tabs on Bayern Munich star Dayot Upamecano, who is set to become a free agent.

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DAILY MAIL

Ange Postecoglou's prospects of staying on as Nottingham Forest boss are improving, with the club leaning towards sticking with the Australian for now.

Former Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech has failed in his latest bid to reinvigorate his career after being snubbed by Romanian side CFR Cluj.

Joshua Zirkzee wants out of Man United

Jadon Sancho is set to resume full training with Aston Villa ahead of their trip to Tottenham after the international break as he tries to kickstart his career at the club.

THE TIMES

Thomas Tuchel insists England must embrace 'underdog mentality' to win first men's tournament since 1966

THE ATHLETIC

Manchester United are set to appoint Brentford's chief operating officer Ameesh Manek as their new director of football operations, starting in 2026.

THE GUARDIAN

A soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told the Associated Press.

SCOTTISH SUN

Rangers will formally open talks with Steven Gerrard in the next 48 hours over a stunning return to Ibrox

DAILY RECORD

Rangers will have to pay Hearts around £500k if they want to make Derek McInnes their new gaffer.

Axed Rangers boss Russell Martin let off steam with a very public sauna and dip in Loch Lomond in the wake of his dramatic sacking.

Sunday Supplement on Sky Sports News

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Dharmesh Sheth is joined by the best journalists from the Sunday papers to offer their expert insight.

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Ndamukong Suh says he has no doubt that the NFL will host a UK-based Super Bowl at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the near future.

Tottenham hosted its 11th regular season game on Sunday as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Cleveland Browns, and will lift its tally to 12 games since 2019 when the Denver Broncos face the New York Jets in Week Six.

It remains the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of North America and the official home of the NFL in the UK.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently underlined his support for a prospective and historic international Super Bowl as the NFL shows no signs of slowing in its thriving chapter of global expansion.

"Without question," said Sky Sports NFL's Super Bowl-winning Ndamukong Suh. "There's no doubt in my mind that's on the table, and I would be willing to be bet in the next five years it happens.

"The world is their oyster where games go."

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London is staging three games as part of a record seven international matchups to be played in the 2025 season, with Dublin, Madrid and Berlin entering as new territories following a return to Sao Paulo in Brazil in kickoff week.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently underlined the aim to reach 16 international games per season, with a view to every team playing at least one international game in a campaign. Paris and Asia are on the horizon, while the league is gearing up for its Australian debut with a game in Melbourne next year.

"The Super Bowl is an experience, right? 'Were you at this city? 'Did you do that?' Imagine that here. That's exactly why we'll end up here," said Sky Sports NFL's Jason Bell.

"It's a unique experience, different to anywhere else in the States, never been done.

"I think they'll go everywhere, they've got all the research, where the fans are. If they have the extra game, it's going to be international every week."

The Broncos face the Jets at Tottenham at 2.30pm on Sunday, before the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium on Sunday October 19, both live on Sky Sports NFL.

Harry Kane has revealed that his desire to play in the Premier League again has cooled, as he suggested he is open to extending his Bayern Munich stay.

Last month, Tottenham boss Thomas Frank had opened the door for a potential Kane return to north London from Bayern Munich.

Sky Sports News reported earlier this year that Kane has a release clause in his Bayern contract, which would have allowed him to leave for £67m in January 2025 and drops to £54m in January 2026.

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Sky Sports News understands Spurs have a 'first option', so if Bayern accept a bid or a release clause is met, then the club have the option to match it.

It is then up to Kane to decide. The first option does not guarantee a Spurs return, but it does give them a chance to put an offer in front of him. Before his departure earlier this month, former chairman Daniel Levy confirmed the first option arrangement.

But Kane, who is second on the all-time Premier League goalscorers list on 213 goals, 47 behind Alan Shearer's tally of 260, has dampened the idea of a return to English football and therefore Spurs.

The 32-year-old said on England duty: "In terms of the Premier League, I don't know.

"If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

"Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn't say I would never go back.

"What I have learnt in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern."

'I'd be willing to have new contract talks with Bayern'

Kane is in fine form this season, having scored 19 goals already for club and country, while he has reached 100 goals for Bayern in record time.

He has two years left on his Bayern deal but is "willing" to discuss fresh terms at the German side, where he ended his personal trophy drought by lifting the Bundesliga last season.

"In terms of staying longer (at Bayern), I could definitely see that," said Kane.

"I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

"Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else."

He added on a new Bayern contract: "If it happens, it happens. I don't think there is any need to rush anything on both parts. Obviously, we are only two months into the season. If there is going to be an extension, it has to work for everyone and it has to have a clear vision on where we see the club.

"Personally, I don't want to rush into anything. The conversation I am sure will be one we have and then we will go from there.

"I am extremely happy there, my wife and kids are happy to stay and as you get older that a big part of any decision you make.

"But, as always, you never know what is around the corner. I am not going to put my eggs in any basket. I am going to enjoy what I am doing and right now that is at Bayern Munich, definitely for this season and probably next season that is going to be the way."

Kane has, however, ruled out a move at this stage of his career to the United States, where his former Tottenham team-mate Heung-Min Son now plays after he joined MLS side LAFC.

Speaking ahead of England's friendly against Wales on Thursday and the World Cup qualifier at Latvia next Tuesday, Kane said of a move to the USA: "I think MLS is too early for sure - the way I feel right now, the way I am playing right now.

"The MLS would be something later in my career when I am thinking about the last couple of years or so."

Kane targets more silverware

Bayern Munich are keen to extend Kane's stay in Bavaria and sporting director Christoph Freund recently said his side are "probably witnessing the best version of Harry Kane there has ever been".

Kane revealed winning the Bundesliga with Bayern - his long-awaited first major trophy - saw him reach a crossroads in his career.

But that success has driven him to improve and he has outscored Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe so far this season.

"When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, 'OK I've done what I wanted to achieve'," Kane admitted.

"But it's given me more motivation to do more and be better. I think I've shown that this year.

"I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. Obviously, there's still a lot more I want to achieve in terms of other trophies and bigger trophies for sure.

"But I think it was always just, in my head, what I was going to feel like after I did achieve winning my first one.

"But for sure, I pushed myself the other way, in terms of being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym. Just trying to get the most out of what I've got right now.

"I do eat clean anyway. It's just whether the cheat meals after games are not so much, or when you're out with the family, not having as much ice cream. Just things like that. Small details."