Football League World

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believes that Tottenham Hotspur loanee Manor Solomon needs to relax a bit on the pitch in order to refind the form he had prior to his hamstring injury.

Saturday was a frustrating day for Leeds. They travelled to an emotional Ashton Gate to face Bristol City, who were welcoming back their boss Liam Manning after he took a leave of absence from the club following the passing of his young son, Theo.

The Robins were able to hold off the visitors, with the game ending 0-0, and earned a strong point for their boss, while his opposite number was left feeling irked by his side's inability to find the back of the net.

A number of players can take responsibility for Leeds' inability to score on Saturday. Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto both had good chances to score but failed to do so, as did substitute Mateo Joseph.

The Spanish forward wasn't the only man brought on with the hope that they could change the game. Patrick Bamford and Solomon were also introduced later on in the game, but the Whites still couldn't find a breakthrough, with the Israeli international looking particularly off it.

Daniel Farke's Manor Solomon claim

In the wake of the game, Farke said that he wants Solomon to relax when he goes on the pitch, and claimed that he can sometimes try to do too much in his pursuit to help the team rather than doing the simple things.

The German used a condiment-based analogy to summarise his thoughts on the Spurs loanee's substitute display on Saturday. "Sometimes like a bottle of ketchup, you shake it and you want it too much and all of a sudden it happens," said Farke, via Leeds Live.

"When he first came he played with so much confidence, rhythm and so much confidence, then the injury stopped him from going on international duty and he has to do his rehab.

"Such a proud player to play for his national team, it was a sucker punch for him. He worked so hard to come back and the feeling is of course he can't be there with 100 per cent, he needs a bit of time.

"He works so hard in training and he always adds some additional stuff in training and in the game. He wants it so much. So sometimes you want him to relax a bit. Play a bit less complicated and it will come.

"We're fully convinced of his quality. Out of good intention he forces it a bit too much. You don’t have to prove what a good player you are, do what you've done your whole career and your quality will shine.

"I'm pretty sure it will happen soon. Keep in mind a bottle of ketchup."

Leeds need Manor Solomon to rediscover his old self

Hamstring injuries are often the most hampering injuries, long-term, in football. You just can't quite open up your legs and be fully mobile when you have a problem there. So, even though he is now fit again after recovering from that type of knock, this could explain why he hasn't hit the ground running again straight away.

Of course the Whites will need to be patient with him, as Farke alluded to, but with Largie Ramazani confirmed to be out for four to six weeks with an ankle injury, Leeds need to get Solomon back to his pre-injury self pretty quickly.

With the Belgian out for an extended period, the depth that Farke has to work with in wide attacking areas has been fairly significantly reduced. He's now without 25% of his potential starting options in this area of the pitch, while 50% of them (James and Solomon) are only just returning from absences due to fitness issues.

Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta is reported to have 'asked about' the availability of Archie Gray in January.

The decision to let midfield maestro Gray leave to go and join Tottenham Hotspur this summer was a bittersweet one for Leeds, but probably more bitter than sweet.

They did receive in the region of £40 million for the 18-year-old, and it helped them to secure the return of loanee Joe Rodon on a permanent basis, but it, of course, meant losing one of their prized possessions.

It was reported at the time by The Athletic that had Leeds been able to move on Crysencio Summerville, who they eventually sold to West Ham United for £25m plus add-ons, before they sold Gray, then they maybe would've been able to keep the talented teen.

Alas, Gray ended up electing to go to Spurs over Brentford, who were also in the hunt for the reigning Championship Young Player of the Season, although his ultimate preference would have been to stay at Elland Road, were that a viable option.

Since making the move to north London, the midfielder hasn't been handed a tonne of opportunities. He has started both of Spurs' Europa League games, but he is yet to make his full debut for the club in the Premier League.

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise given the fact he wasn't necessarily bought with the vision of him making an immediate impact on the team - it was a deal done with the future in mind - but he will need to keep getting regular minutes in order to develop.

Thus, a loan in January may be on the cards.

Ex-Leeds United figure Victor Orta enquires about Archie Gray availability for Sevilla

As much as Leeds could do with having their old player back right now given their midfield injury issues, there have been no reports directly linking the club with making a return move for Gray.

Instead, they are looking in the free agent market, with Christopher Kramer, Cheikhou Kouyate, Joshua Guilavogui and Francis Coquelin all being linked with moves to Leeds as short-term measures to cover Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev's injuries, although Leeds Live have said that Kouyate or Guilavogui are much more likely options than the other two.

One club that are said to be looking into the idea of getting Gray is Sevilla, whose sporting director, Orta, formerly held the same position at Elland Road.

Spanish outlet Mucho Deporte have stated that Orta is "already asking about" the availability of Gray, whose rise through the ranks at Leeds is largely credited to the former United chief by the outlet.

Sevilla currently sit 13th in La Liga after 10 matches played, but they have no European competitions to distract themselves this year after not qualifying for any competitions.

January exit from Tottenham Hotspur is unlikely for Archie Gray

As much as the thought of acquiring the 18-year-old on a short-term basis may be mouth-watering for a lot of teams, including Leeds, it seems unlikely that Spurs and Ange Postecoglou will sign off on letting him leave the club on loan in the new year.

The game-time that he seems very likely to get in European competitions will be a big reason for him, personally, to want to stay put, and also, if any more injuries pop up in the middle of Tottenham's team, then he may be primed to come in and slot into a starting spot.

Stoke City made waves by deciding to sign Peter Crouch from Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the 2011/12 Premier League campaign, and it turned out to be inspired business.

Tony Pulis' side were embarking on their fourth season in the top-flight, having finished the previous campaign in 13th position while booking their place in European competition for the first time ever after making it all the way to the 2011 FA Cup final, where they were narrowly defeated by Manchester City.

It all meant that Stoke had begun to cement themselves as a Premier League staple. They were able to take calculated risks in the transfer market and had a certain degree of pulling power, which they used to lure Crouch to the Potteries on transfer deadline day back in the summer of 2011.

Stoke City's signing of Peter Crouch from Spurs

Stoke made something of a splash at the time by making Crouch their club record signing in a £12 million deal from Tottenham Hotspur.

Crouch, who was 30 when he signed for Stoke, had already enjoyed a remarkable career, scoring 22 goals for England from just 42 caps and proving himself among the most potent and memorable strikers at Premier League level with the likes of Liverpool and Portsmouth.

It was an impressive capture there and then, make no mistake about it.

Crouch was lauded upon completing his move to the Bet 365 Stadium, with Stoke's chief executive Tony Scholes labeling the signing as a statement of intent. "These fantastic deals are a statement of this football club's intent," said Scholes.

"The club has made incredible strides forward over the past five years and to attract players of this calibre shows our ambitions as we look to continue that progress this season and beyond that."

Meanwhile, Pulis added: "There has been a real buzz of excitement around the city about where this club is going since we reached the FA Cup final and then started our Europa League adventure.

"These signings certainly add to that great sense of anticipation.

"Peter has an excellent goalscoring record at the highest level. His goals-per-games ratio for England is remarkable and he scored seven goals in 10 Champions League games for Tottenham last season, which gives you an idea of his pedigree."

Peter Crouch's Stoke City career

Crouch proved an instant hit at Stoke, hitting double digits for league goals and scoring on 14 occasions across all competitions throughout his first season with the club.

His debut campaign in the Potteries set the tone for the remainder of his career there. Crouch went on to lead the line for a number of years and proved a constant threat to opposition defenders with his aerial prowess and link-up play.

Although the towering striker never scored 10 or more Premier League goals in a single season again, he compensated for the steady decline in his output in front of goal by offering an outball and a new dimension to Stoke's attack.

He even joined the Premier League's illustrious '100 club' in February 2017. The then-36-year-old netted in a 1-1 draw at home to Everton to become the oldest player to score 100 goals in the Premier League, while emerging as only the 26th player to hit that milestone at the time.

The evergreen striker continued to flourish deep into his thirties and it was a blow for Stoke when he finally moved on at the ripe old age of 38 to join Burnley in a swap deal involving Sam Vokes in January 2019.

Crouch, who left Stoke after scoring 61 goals and making 22 assists from 261 games across an eight-year period, only spent a matter of months at Turf Moor before deciding to hang up his boots once and for all.

Teen sensation Archie Gray departed Leeds United during the summer for Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League, despite some expectation that he would continue playing regularly with the West Yorkshire outfit.

However, that doesn't mean he has stopped speaking to some of his former Leeds teammates, with the 18-year-old revealing to the Yorkshire Evening Post that he remains close with many of the players that took Daniel Farke's side to a third place finish and the play-off final.

Gray caught the eye last season in the Championship, in what was his breakout campaign for a club he had come through the academy of. He predominantly played at right-back next to Joe Rodon at right-sided centre-back or in midfield alongside Ethan Ampadu.

He remains close to both, despite since joining Tottenham. He penned a six-year deal with Spurs, after they agreed a fee of around £40 million with the Whites for Gray, with Rodon returning to Leeds in the other direction for around £10 million on a permanent basis, having been a hugely successful loan signing last year.

The Leeds starlet ended up being one of the stories of the 2023/24 Championship campaign, making 52 appearances in all competitions for the Whites, meaning he missed just three of their games all season.

Archie Gray makes Leeds teammate admission

Speaking via the Yorkshire Evening Post, Gray has outlined the three Leeds players who he remains in close contact with since leaving the club in the summer. He also explained that he was able to say farewell to many of them at the training ground before leaving to join Tottenham.

He said: "Yeah, of course, I got to say goodbye to them all. And you know, I still speak to quite a few of them, like Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Mateo [Joseph].

"I played football with them last year, but not just that; I'm really good mates with them off the pitch as well, so keeping [those] connections with them is really important because they've got loads of experience, and it's just really good to have them as good mates."

He was particularly vocal in his praise for Joseph, with the pair coming through various age groups in Leeds' academy together. He added: "Mateo is doing brilliant. He scored a hat-trick [against Kazakhstan U-21s], I think it was last night.

"He's doing well for Leeds. We came through the ranks together since U-18s. And you know, I'm still really close with him, really good friends, and I'm always looking out for him, [and] how he's doing.

"It'd be amazing to play against him and I'd really enjoy it."

Archie Gray's potential at Tottenham Hotspur

At such a tender age, Gray is already a well-rounded player. His ability to carry the ball and his first touch is already top drawer, and he is a player that is mature beyond his years and capable of imposing himself on a game at either right-back or in his preferred central midfield role.

His versatility should be a huge plus point for Tottenham, as should his potential over the coming seasons in North London. The ability to slot into multiple positions has already been a feature of his game in the first six games of his career with Spurs, having also played as a central defender.

So far, his Spurs career includes two 90-minute appearances against Qarabag FK and Ferencvaros in the UEFA Europa League, in which he played right-back and centre-back, respectively. He has been a substitute in midfield during Premier League outings.

First-team football is paramount for him to realise his enormous potential, especially as he was a player who was almost ever-present with Leeds during their promotion push last season. Three substitute appearances totalling just 31 minutes in the league is not nearly enough for Gray to become the player most expect him to be one day.

However, early signs are promising for both Gray at Spurs and for Leeds this season in the Championship. Many would perhaps have predicted the Whites would struggle after losing Gray, Crysencio Sumerville, and Georginio Rutter but that has not been the case so far.

The deal between Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur for Archie Gray last summer earned the Yorkshire outfit £40 million, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

It was reported in the summer of 2019 by the BBC that Jack Clarke’s move to north London cost £10 million, amounting to £50 million in total between the two academy graduates.

Though it was very good transfer business from the Whites, making big profits on young stars after giving them their breakthrough into senior football, but many were gutted to see the rising stars go.

The moves show the value of a strong academy system and why it’s so important for the club to maintain it in the years to come, instead of focusing all their attention on making big-money signings of their own.

Gray and Clarke both excelled at Elland Road - earning their moves to the Premier League after just one campaign of first-team football under their belts.

Leeds United supporters’ frustration at Clarke and Gray exits

However, it must be frustrating for Leeds supporters that those deals came to fruition so early in both players’ careers.

Clarke made 22 appearances for the club in the Championship prior to his permanent switch to Spurs, with his return on loan underwhelming as it led to just one more game in the team (all stats from Fbref).

Gray fared even better, debuting at the age of just 17 and immediately cementing himself as a crucial part of Daniel Farke’s side, making 44 regular league appearances.

Clarke struggled following his move to Spurs but rebuilt his career at Sunderland and is now competing in the Premier League again at Ipswich Town.

Meanwhile, Gray has already earned his place in Ange Postecoglou’s first team plans, making his top-flight debut off the bench against Leicester City in the opening fixture of the season, also appearing in their Europa League campaign.

It was clear from day one at Leeds that the pair possessed a lot of potential, but supporters never really got the opportunity to enjoy the most of it.

Exciting academy players help strengthen the bond between the team and the fans, so losing them both at basically the first opportunity was a blow, even if they were both deals that were too good to turn down.

Leeds must work to keep hold of future stars

More exciting young players will come through at Elland Road in the years to come, potentially as soon as this season.

Charlie Crew could be the beneficiary of Leeds’ current injury issues, with Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu both set for the sidelines over the next several weeks.

The 18-year-old midfielder has already been an unused substitute in the Championship in Farke’s side and is surely nearing a senior debut.

If he can make that breakthrough into the first-team squad and prove that he’s ready to play at this level, then Leeds must fight to keep hold of him.

While he has a contract until the summer of 2028, a similar long-term deal didn’t prevent Gray from departing earlier this year either.

The £50 million the Whites earned from the two sales to Spurs made business sense, but the club must consider supporters’ frustration at losing such exciting academy talent so quickly in the future.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leeds United supporters will always wonder what could have been with Archie Gray, who left for Tottenham Hotspur over the summer after just one season in the first-team fold.

The Whites ultimately fell short in their ambitions of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking last season, losing out in the Championship play-off final to Southampton. Leeds' player retention power was subsequently weakened tenfold, with Gray departing in a hectic summer transfer window alongside the likes of Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

A member of the vaunted Gray dynasty at Elland Road, the teenager had long been poised for a glittering future during his progression through Leeds' academy system and eventually vindicated just that.

He enjoyed a stunning breakout season during the 2023/24 campaign and made 52 appearances across all competitions, the majority of which came at right-back as opposed to his favoured central midfield position.

Gray, who was just 17 years of age for the majority of his first and only season in the Whites' first-team, promptly earned a move to Tottenham Hotspur at the start of July. The deal was reported to be worth £30 million, with Joe Rodon heading the other way on a permanent basis after spending the previous season on loan with Leeds - the entire package was said to be worth around £40m to Leeds.

Leeds United, Archie Gray regret claim

We caught up with our resident Whites fan pundit, Kris Smith, to ask if there was one past player he wished to have seen more often for his club.

"I think a player every Leeds fan wishes they saw more of before he left was Archie Gray, because there's no telling how far he could go in the game and how little we're actually going to end up seeing of his career," Kris explained to Football League World.

"£40 million is obviously an awful lot of money in the Championship and you can't really turn that down, especially in our position after missing out on [promotion through] the play-offs.

"But he's going to be worth a hell of a lot more soon enough if he keeps developing the way he is. He's already showing his quality at Tottenham in any position he's played in, whether it's left-back, right-back or even in central midfield.

"The fact we only got to see him for one season is such a shame, and it was a season where he was playing at right-back instead of central midfield as well, and he was 17 for most of it.

"There's a strong feeling of jealousy with Leeds in terms of watching on and seeing him play for Tottenham at the moment.

"I think it comes from the fact that we know we could and should have been in the Premier League this season and having Gray developing as one of our own into someone that is destined to play for England and start every week."

Leeds United will regret 23/24 promotion failure

The Whites are sure to be among the promotion reckoning once again this time around, but their failure to complete the objective last term dealt them with devastating consequences.

Of course, there can be no absolute guarantees that they would have been able to retain the likes of Gray, Rutter and Summerville had they achieved promotion. However, Leeds undoubtedly would have stood a much better chance.

They would not have been forced into generating as much money in player sales as they did, while having a status as a Premier League team could well have convinced their prized assets to stay put in West Yorkshire.

The optimists may attest that Leeds deserve credit in the first place for developing talent and returning profits in the first place, and that line of thinking is far from false. However, supporters will always be haunted by the nagging thought of what could have been, which may only ring harder if Gray develops according to expectation at Spurs.

Leeds United's summer transfer window witnessed several high-profile player departures following their Championship play-off final loss last campaign.

Perhaps Whites supporters will have been most upset by the exit of youth academy product Archie Gray, who left for Tottenham Hotspur, while fellow key player Georginio Rutter joined Brighton for a fee of £40m, a new club record for the Seagulls.

Rutter took centre stage on Sunday as the Seagulls locked horns with Spurs in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Sunday and will have been disappointed at half-time as his side trailed 2-0.

But by the 58th minute, Fabian Hurzeler's men found themselves level as Rutter scored to make it 2-2 before former Manchester United man Danny Welbeck completed the comeback just eight minutes later.

Leeds fans will look at Rutter's Spurs exploits with frustration

After playing his role in the Seagulls' remarkable comeback against Spurs, the 22-year-old has shown his ability to make a major impact against high-profile opponents in the Premier League, a feat he also managed last month as he opened the scoring during his team's 4-2 loss at Chelsea.

But this is not a quality he showed during his time in the top-flight with the Whites, which may frustrate the Elland Road faithful who saw the former France Under-21 international feature in a Leeds side who were relegated to the Championship.

Rutter arrived in West Yorkshire in January 2023 from German outfit Hoffenheim for a fee of £35.5m, according to Sky Sports, and the then Premier League Whites would have hoped that he could help them stave off the threat of relegation.

Rutter had scored two goals and provided two assists for Hoffenheim in 15 Bundesliga appearances during the 2022/23 season, prior to making his move to England, but was unable to deliver in the Premier League during his Elland Road days.

In fact, the 22-year-old failed to score a single goal in 11 top-flight outings for the Whites, who finished in the bottom three at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Meanwhile, he seemingly struggled to adjust to life following his transfer and was handed just one league start by his then new club, prior to relegation to the Championship.

But the Seagulls are currently witnessing a much more clinical version of the attacking midfielder, who has now managed two goals in six league appearances for his new club.

The Whites faithful will believe that they may have avoided relegation from the Premier League in 2023 if Rutter was able to establish that sort of form two seasons ago.

Rutter performed well for the Whites in the Championship

Despite failing to make an impact for the Elland Road outfit in the top-flight, the attacking midfielder almost made up for it last campaign, and found himself scoring goals and creating assists on a regular basis.

Rutter scored seven Championship goals last campaign, while creating a more impressive total of 15 assists in the second tier as the Whites landed a top-six spot.

The former Hoffenheim man provided the Whites faithful with plenty of positive memories last campaign, including a goal he scored during an impressive 4-0 win over Norwich City in last season's play-off semi-final.

But sadly for Rutter and the Whites, their chapter together did not receive a happy ending as the West Yorkshire outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May, before the creative ace joined Brighton in the summer.

The Whites fans will now be frustrated to see their side's former star man performing well in the Premier League, having failed to do so consistently in his Elland Road days.

Wilson Odobert joined Tottenham Hotspur from Burnley during the summer transfer window following the Clarets' relegation from the top-flight.

The wideman scored three goals and produced two assists in the Premier League last season, and also scored during his solitary appearance at the beginning of the current Championship campaign prior to his move to Spurs in a deal worth around £25m.

Odobert is a product of the Paris Saint Germain youth academy, and represented the Ligue 1 giants in the UEFA Youth League during the 2021/22 campaign, and scored three goals in just six appearances, as per FotMob.

However, the 19-year-old never played for PSG at senior level, but did make 32 league appearances for fellow French outfit Troyes, then of Ligue 1, during the 2022/23 season, and scored 4 goals as well as creating two assists in the process.

Odobert's contributions for Troyes earned him a move to Burnley, while just a year later he now represents Spurs, and will be hoping to help the north London club achieve success both domestically and in the Europa League.

Odobert's Spurs salary

Since the teenager left the Clarets to join Spurs, it has become evident that he is held in high regard by his new boss Ange Postecoglou, as he earned Premier League starts against both Everton and Newcastle United in late August and early September respectively, while he also made a substitute appearance during his side's mid-September meeting with bitter rivals Arsenal.

According to Capology estimates, Odobert is earning a weekly wage of £25,000 per week, which adds up to a yearly salary of £1.3m.

This is more than double the amount he was earning with the Clarets, according to Capology, who estimate the winger was on a weekly wage of £10,000 with his former club.

Odobert will hope to hit the ground running with Spurs soon

The fact that Odobert managed just five goal contributions in 29 Premier League outings last term does not exactly paint the picture that he is a prolific attacker.

However, he did well considering the context that he was just 18 when he joined the Clarets, who managed just five wins in the top-flight last campaign.

Furthermore, the former Troyes man began the current season with a clear eye for goal, as he scored for the Lancashire outfit as they hammered Luton Town 4-1 at Kenilworth Road during the opening weekend of Championship action.

The fact that Odobert was named in Postecoglou's starting 11 during two of his first three Spurs appearances, demonstrating how highly rated he is by his new boss.

The 19-year-old will hope to find the scoresheet for the north London outfit as soon as possible, while an upcoming home fixture in the Premier League against Brentford, who Spurs will fancy themselves against, could prove fruitful.

Europa League clashes on the horizon with Azerbaijan-based side Qarabag as well as Hungarian champions Ferencvaros could also see Odobert finding himself in goalscoring positions, if he is selected by Postecoglou.

Given that the former Clarets man is still a youngster, it is clear that Spurs invested in him with future potential in mind, but Odobert will clearly want to score and assist as often as possible for his new club.

Tottenham Hotspur starlet Archie Gray only joined the North London club this summer from Leeds United, and he showed that he still has the Whites on his mind in the aftermath of Spurs' late 2-1 win over Coventry City in the EFL Cup last night.

The 18-year-old joined Spurs from Leeds in July for a fee believed to be around £30m, and has seemingly settled into life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium relatively well with three appearances from the five games that the club have played so far this season.

He was deployed as a midfielder by Ange Postecoglou in his first two Premier League appearances as he came on as a late substitute against Leicester City and Everton in the opening games of the campaign, and was handed his first Spurs start last night in the third round of the EFL Cup against Mark Robins' Sky Blues.

Archie Gray makes Leeds mishap in post-match interview

Gray completed a stellar 90 minutes at right-back as Postecoglou's men battled back from going a goal behind to win in added time courtesy of Brennan Johnson's neat finish, but he had a slip of the tongue in the post-match interview at the CBS Arena that proves he still holds the Whites close to his heart.

Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of their late win, Gray explained how he knew facing Coventry would be a tough clash, having played against Mark Robins’ side twice for Leeds last season, but in doing so accidentally referred to Elland Road as "our ground."

He said: “It's a difficult place to come, you know. I played here last year, and even at our ground last year when I was playing, they always bring a tough game and (have) lots of transitions.

"They did well in this game and the fans got behind them. Credit to them.”

Despite his slight mishap that shows that Leeds is still important to him, it is no surprise that Gray refers back to those previous encounters against the Sky Blues in the aftermath of another hard-fought game.

In the two games that Mark Robins' side faced off against the Whites last season, Leeds failed to win either match and picked up just one point across the two encounters, with a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in December, and then a 2-1 loss at the CBS Arena in April as the 18-year-old played a full 90 minutes in both games.

Gray is Leeds through-and-through

It should hardly come as a shock that Gray still has the Whites on his mind, as they are his boyhood club and he has grown up around everything Leeds for his whole life up to joining Spurs.

Gray joined the club at under-nine level, and featured across all youth levels before he made his senior debut for the club in the opening game of the Championship season last year, then went on to play 52 times throughout the campaign and pick up the Championship Young Player of the Season, and was named in the Championship PFA Team of the Year.

His dad, Andy, played for the club 38 times across two spells in his career, while his grandad Frank, and his great-uncle Eddie both starred for Leeds in their glory years of the 1970s and 1980s, while the latter was voted as the third-Greatest Leeds player of all time in 2000.

To this day, Archie's three younger brothers all still play for the Whites' academy, and could follow in his footsteps to come through and play for the senior team in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur will be bitterly disappointed by Sunday afternoon's home defeat in the North London Derby against fierce rivals Arsenal.

But Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou remained in a bullish mood following his side's loss, and indicated that this will be a good season for him, insisting that he 'always' wins trophies in his second season.

One of the available pieces of silverware for Spurs is the EFL Cup, a competition they won in 2008, the last time they lifted a trophy.

Tottenham's EFL Cup campaign gets underway on Wednesday night, as they travel to Championship side Coventry City, who have not won a second tier game since mid-August.

But Mark Robins' side know how to cause upsets in domestic cup competitions, as proven by their improbable run to the FA Cup semi-finals last term, where they lost to eventual champions Manchester United in dramatic circumstances, so it will not be an easy task for Postecoglou and co to defeat the Sky Blues.

Football League World predicts Spurs' starting 11 to take on Coventry:

Goalkeeper: Fraser Forster

Spurs' usual number one, Gugliemo Vicario, has proven to be a solid presence between the sticks since his arrival from Serie A outfit Empoli in 2023.

But we can expect Vicario to be rested for the EFL Cup clash with the Sky Blues, just as he was during last season's round two tie with Fulham, when he was replaced by Forster.

Forster has been on the bench during three of Spurs' four Premier League games this campaign, and we could see him step up to the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Right-back: Archie Gray

The Sky Blues faithful will be familiar with Tottenham's summer signing Archie Gray, who lit up the Championship while plying his trade for Leeds United last season.

While Gray was undoubtedly impressive during his first season in senior football last term, there is a gulf in class between the second tier and the Premier League, which is why we haven't seen the 18-year-old handed a start by Postecoglou just yet.

But Wednesday's fixture with familiar opponents offers the Spurs boss the perfect chance to hand Gray the opportunity to play a full 90 minutes for his new club.

Centre-back: Radu Dragusin

After joining Spurs from Serie A side Genoa back in January, centre-back Radu Dragusin, who impressed during the Euros with Romania, has only started five Premier League games for the north London outfit.

An EFL Cup clash against Championship Coventry seems like the ideal scenario for Postecoglou to select a talented player who has not enjoyed as much game time as he would have liked.

Centre-back: Micky van de Ven

After publicly sharing that he 'always wins' trophies in his second season with a football club, Postecoglou will be intent on backing up this claim with Spurs, and the EFL Cup is a competition he should be targeting.

As such, the Spurs boss will want to maintain a strong lineup heading into the Coventry clash, and the selection of regular starter Micky van de Ven could help ensure that his side can retain their usual defensive solidity.

Left-back: Djed Spence

While Tottenham will be keen to progress in the EFL Cup, Postecoglou will also use this test against lower league opposition to take a closer look at players in his squad who do not play week in, week out in the Premier League.

So far this season, Spence has made two top-flight appearances, but both of them have come from the bench, while he could be named in the starting 11 on Wednesday night.

Central midfield: Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur is the metronome at the heart of the Spurs midfield, and boasts an illustrious career 2hich includes the three Serie A titles he won with former club Juventus.

It is highly likely that we will see Bentancur in the Spurs starting 11 come Wednesday, while the Sky Blues midfield will find his presence tough to deal with.

Central midfield: Pape Sarr

Similarly to Bentancur, Pape Sarr is key to Tottenham's ability to retain possession, while the fact that he did not start on Sunday could be indicative that he is likely to be named in Postecoglou's 11 on Wednesday.

In fact, since being named in Spurs' starting 11 for a 1-1 draw with Leicester City during the Premier League's opening weekend, Sarr has only appeared as a substitute since, so it will be important for him to earn plenty of minutes against Robins' men.

Lucas Bergvall

Spurs signed 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall from Swedish outfit Djurgarden for a fee of around £8.5m during the summer, and so far he has made three Premier League appearances, but hasn't made a start.

During the recent international break, the youngster appeared for Sweden in Nations League match-ups with both Azerbaijan and Estonia, which showcases his potential.

Postecoglou should be keen to hand Bergvall a starting 11 opportunity in the EFL Cup, while the Spurs faithful will be excited to see the starlet in action.

Right-wing: Brennan Johnson

Brennan Johnson adjusted well to life at Spurs following his move from former club Nottingham Forest during the summer of 2023, and scored five goals as well as creating 10 assists during 32 Premier League outings last term.

During his final top-flight campaign with Forest, he scored eight goals and provided three assists, but he is still yet to find the prolific form he established with the east Midlands outfit in the Championship.

An EFL Cup tie with second tier opposition could prove fruitful for Johnson, who is capable of causing the Sky Blues plenty of problems.

Striker: Timo Werner

While Germany international Timo Werner performs better for Spurs out wide than as an out-and-out striker, he could be set to be given the nod up front on Wednesday night, as Postecoglou is unlikely to select recently injured new signing Dominic Solanke.

Furthermore, now that Heung-Min Son is 32 years old, Tottenham could look to manage his minutes this campaign more so than in previous seasons.

Should Johnson also be selected, then both Werner and the former Forest man could interchange between the wing and the central role, which could prove tough for the Sky Blues to cope with due to the duo's pace.

Left-wing: Wilson Odobert

Wison Odobert produced a return of three goals and two assists in the Premier League for eventually relegated Burnley last term, a feat Spurs were clearly impressed by as they opted to buy the wideman for £25m.

The 19-year-old is yet to make a goal contribution for his new club in three top-flight outings and two starts, so Wednesday evening's meeting with Coventry could see him get off the mark for Postecoglou's men.