Daily Mail

Tottenham face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night

Spurs boss Postecoglou insists he will not underestimate the Norwegian side

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Why Jude Bellingham's move to Real Madrid paid off for Liverpool

Ange Postecoglou was quick to dismiss the notion Tottenham might kill off the threat of Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night in London, with the Norwegians depleted, and removing their artificial pitch from the equation.

'You try and do that anyway,' said the Spurs boss. 'Playing at home in Europe for every club has its advantages, and you want to try to take that advantage.

'Bodo away is a difficult challenge. But we played really well against Frankfurt at home and should have won by three or four. We ended up drawing. Frankfurt away wasn't easy. Their record is just as compelling as Bodo's.

'I don't think you just go in thinking you're going to kill off the tie then. Semi-finals for the most part tend to be pretty tight. And I expect that.'

Postecoglou required no introduction to this Norwegian team from the Arctic Circle who have made an artform out of embarrassing prestigious opponents from all corners of Europe.

Bodo/Glimt dumped his Celtic team out in a Conference League play-off round in 2021-22, a season when the Scottish champions managed to complete an ignominious full house by exiting of all three UEFA competitions at the stage they entered.

'You'd love us to think you're a small club we don't rate,' he told a Norwegian reporter at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, where he spoke pointedly of Bodo's 'stability' and 'clear style'.

The Spurs boss knows they are dangerous opponents and not only in next week's second leg when they return to the synthetic grass of home.

Bodo/Glimt have won nine of their 10 home games in this European campaign which started in July, in the Champions League qualifiers, with Red Star, Porto, Besiktas, Twente, OlympiaCos and Lazio among those humbled at various stages in the Aspmyra Stadium.

OlympiaCos, winners of the Conference League last season, were furious with the state of the pitch and made their feelings known to UEFA after losing 3-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie in freezing Arctic conditions in March.

'It is an advantage,' agreed Lazio boss Marco Baroni after losing 2-0 at Bodo in the first leg of their quarter-final. 'There was a lot of speed on the pitch in the close and short exchanges due to the synthetic pitch.'

The Italians have been wary of the Aspmyra plastic ever since Jose Mourinho's Roma were beaten 6-1 by Bodo in the Conference League in October 2021.

It was the result that made European football sit up and take notice of a new force rising from a remote fishing town with its population of 55,000, less than the capacity of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

'That's the beauty of football,' said Postecoglou, savouring similarities in his own journey from the footballing backwater of Australia.

'Irrespective of where you come from, or the size of the place that you come from, if you're ambitious and if you have a clear plan, especially in our sport, you can create unique opportunities and create fantastic moments.'

Formed in 1916, Bodo/Glimt have a long and colourful history of ups and downs but nothing to compare with their success since promotion in 2018, harnessing data-led recruitment to win three Norwegian titles in five years under Kjetil Knutsen, the 56-year-old head coach linked in the past with the Brighton job and currently reported to be on the Leeds radar.

'I know he enjoys being in Bodo, enjoys working at this club,' said the technical director Havard Sakariassen of interest in Knutsen. 'He's probably had some really good offers along the way and should he for some reason decide to do something else I think we should applaud him to the airport and say thank you.

'I'm not afraid of that at all. I think that we will work here for more years to come – but who knows.'

There is more to the Norwegians than the dodgy pitch and yet they arrive at Spurs without some key men.

Three are suspended, captain Patrick Berg, his central midfield partner Hakon Evjen, and forward Andreas Helmersen.

Ole Didrik Blomberg, another forward, and centre-half Odin Bjortuft are doubtful after suffering injuries against KFUM Oslo on Sunday.

All of which seems to intensify the sense of opportunity for Postecoglou's team and the importance of seizing some sort of initiative in this first leg as the failed to do against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter final, when they drew the first leg at home and produced a fine display to win 1-0 in Germany.

Both he and James Maddison spoke on the eve of the tie about the 'parallel worlds' of an atrocious Premier League campaign and the chance to win a European trophy for the first time in more than 40 years.

With Postecoglou, rotating his team, suffering more defeats. 'Embarrassing,' as Maddison called the 5-1 beating at Liverpool on Sunday. Suffering even more damage to depleted reserves of self-esteem in exchange for a extra freshness in the legs of the players, some of whom are still on the way back from injuries and other who were overplayed in midseason.

All while trying to maintain the belief that this atrocious season can still end in glory in Bilbao. 'How often will you be in this position?' said Postecoglou. 'History tells you not that often, irrespective of how strong you are as a club, even the strongest clubs in terms of Europe.

'Ask any Tottenham supporter what's furthermost in their mind right now, what's going to happen next year or us hopefully trying to get to a final in Europe and the opportunity to win some silverware, I think the answer would be just concentrate on the now and that's what I'm doing.'

Ange Postecoglou has claimed Tottenham winning the Europa League would be bigger than Manchester United winning the FA Cup.

The Spurs boss hit out at critics he said wanted to belittle his club's bid to lift a first trophy since 2008 and a first European title since the UEFA Cup in 1984.

'People are always trying to diminish it,' said Postecoglou, ahead of tonight's semi-final first leg at home to Bodo/Glimt of Norway. I've heard people say, "well, it's the equivalent of Man United winning the FA Cup". No, it ain't. I'm sorry, not on any planet is it the equivalent.

'Others, suggesting maybe we're not worthy of Champions League. I mean, again, they're things designed to diminish what's ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity.'

With Postecoglou under pressure after an awful Premier League campaign, comparisons have been drawn to Erik ten Hag last year, keeping his job as Manchester United boss after winning the FA Cup, only to be fired and replaced by Ruben Amorim five months later.

'Irrespective of how this season's gone we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else,' said Postecoglou. 'To share again with the people that they love, a special moment, supporting their football club.

'So, this season could have gone a lot differently and we could be flying in the league, but it wouldn't make this opportunity any different, the opportunity is the same.

'I've made that clear to the players. We're disappointed obviously with Sunday at Liverpool. We were nowhere near the level needed, but that's something we need to deal with separately.

'What we have before us is a semi-final of a European competition with an opportunity to get to a final, win a trophy, Champions League football. For the players and everyone involved at the football club, it's a brilliant opportunity.'

Son Heung-min was absent for a fourth game in a row on Sunday as Tottenham fell to a 5-1 defeat at Liverpool.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou made eight changes to his starting XI, with his focus seemingly fixed on Thursday's Europa League semi-final clash with Bodo/Glimt.

There was no place in the squad for captain Son, who has been missing since the first leg of Tottenham's Europa League quarter-final victory over Frankfurt.

Postecoglou revealed last week that Son, who has been hampered by a longstanding foot injury, had returned to training.

However, speaking after Sunday's thrashing at Anfield, Postecoglou suggested that the 32-year-old could still be unavailable for Tottenham's next European mission.

Postecoglou told BBC Sport: 'It'll be touch and go for Thursday.'

Postecoglou added: 'He'll try hard. If [he's not ready] for the first game we think he'll be ready for the second game.'

The second leg will take place on a plastic pitch in Norway on May 8.

In between the two games against Bodo/Glimt, Spurs travel to West Ham in the Premier League next Sunday.

A loss against the Hammers would leave Spurs 17th in the table.

Sunday's defeat at Liverpool, which secured a 20th league title for the Anfield outfit, was Postecoglou's heaviest loss as Spurs boss.

His side took a shock lead in the 12th minute when Dominic Solanke headed home from a James Maddison corner kick.

But Liverpool were 3-1 up by half-time thanks to strikes from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo.

Mohamed Salah scored Liverpool's fourth before a Destiny Udogie own goal completed the rout.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Liverpool welcome Tottenham to Anfield in the Premier League, knowing a win or a draw seals them the 2024-25 league title.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

Virgil van Dijk has issued a rallying cry to his team-mates and supporters on the day Liverpool could win their 20th league title.

The Reds captain will be crowned a Premier League champion should his side avoid defeat against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

And Van Dijk has asked his team to give one final push after a historic season in which new manager Arne Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp and led Liverpool to the title against the odds. ‘One more push,’ said the Dutchman. ‘One more job to be done. One more big effort needed, from each and every one of us. One more.

‘All season long I have been speaking about the need to focus only on the next game, the next challenge. That mindset has been so important for us as we have chased our goals. We deal with what’s there in front of us rather than getting carried away with the bigger picture, with the outside noise.

‘Sunday, of course, is going to be a little more difficult in that respect. Because while we are still going to be concentrating on the task in front of us, which is a tough game against Tottenham Hotspur, we also know what the day means for everyone associated with the club.

‘And, well, it means everything. To win the Premier League is special, however and wherever you do it. But to do it at Anfield, in front of the most incredible supporters in the world? That’s something else entirely. It’s our dream, it’s your dream, and our aim on Sunday is to make sure that dream comes true.

‘We can only do that, however, by doing the things that have put us in this position in the first place.’

Meanwhile, tickets to watch Liverpool attempt to win the Premier League title on Sunday afternoon are selling on the black market for up to £3,250 with the club adamant touts will receive serious punishment.

Fans are scrambling for the chance to be there to witness one of most momentous days in the club’s history — with some paying extortionate fees.

Resale website LiveFootballTickets is listing seats around the ground with the most expensive one being a staggering £3,248.70 in the Main Stand bottom tier, where face value for an adult ticket is £61. That is 53 times higher than the original price.

Liverpool have invested money and human resources into anti-touting measures over the past 12 months, with 75 lifetime bans and 136 suspensions handed out last season for those breaching ticketing rules.

The vast majority of those bans were handed down for unauthorised selling of season tickets, memberships or hospitality tickets, in breach of terms and conditions.

Plenty of fans have been stung by fake tickets, too, with digital tickets being cloned or faked. Liverpool employ three full-time staffers who oversee touting issues.

The matchday operations team are also on red alert for Liverpool fans buying tickets in the away end — on LiveFootballTickets these are on sale for prices between £447.20 and £1,290.90. Being caught doing so will be treated as an offence and could lead to ejection.

There will be an added police presence on the streets before and after the match with parties expected to go on long into the night if the Reds are confirmed as champions.

Police horses and sniffer dogs will be patrolling. Flares, smoke bombs and pyrotechnics are illegal and taking these into the ground could result in prosecution and banning orders.

This is the moment British cruiserweight Cheavon Clarke walked out to 'North London Forever' at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - before losing to a Spurs fan.

Hardcore Arsenal supporter Clarke couldn't help but smile as the anthem played before matches at the Emirates blared out around the ground of their fiercest rivals.

But it was Viddal Riley, who follows Tottenham, who took the bragging rights after outpointing Clarke across a gruelling and slippery 12-round contest.

The unbeaten Riley even outfoxed his opponent while wearing Spurs' white and navy on his shorts to claim the British cruiserweight title in style.

In the end, the scorecards read 116-112, 117-111 and 115-113, confirming Riley's unanimous triumph in the biggest bout of his career at the home of his beloved team.

Both fighters struggled to keep their footing at points but tangled frequently in front of an enthralled crowd, with Riley edging his way into the ascendancy.

Having got the better of Clarke over the opening exchanges and found his range, Riley looked to press home his advantage and boxed cleverly.

The bout was brought to a brief halt during the ninth for the floor to be mopped and the two men took another tumble the following round after a Riley hook.

Clarke had looked to bounce back from his first professional loss against Leonardo Mosquea in December but couldn't outwhit Riley over the marathon contest.

Piling on the misery for the 34-year-old, 'Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur' rang around Spurs' stadium as Riley was announced the winner.

The fight took place on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr's showdown against Conor Benn - but it was Eubank Sr's sensational reunion with his son which stole the headlines.

Eubank Sr, the former middleweight champion, insisted he would 'never' be in his son's corner after branding him 'disgraceful' for hitting Benn with an egg during a press conference.

He even called for the bout to be cancelled over concerns the fighters were putting themselves at risk making weight, telling Mail Sport it was 'against the law of boxing'.

But Eubank Sr shocked the sporting world when he emerged from the same car as his son at the stadium before shadow boxing with him during his preparations.

Twenty four hours before Chris Eubanks Jr and Conor Benn throw down at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou came out swinging himself.

Postecoglou claimed that this week’s ‘hysteria’ around his job security is all part of a ‘narrative to set this club up for some sort of fall’.

Tottenham visit Liverpool on Sunday needing a win to delay the title party and on Thursday face Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. But this week’s news cycle has been dominated by reports that Postecoglou is set to leave the club even if he does deliver Spurs’ first trophy since 2008.

‘We finished fifth last year. But it’s not a good story. A better story is my tenure has been a disaster and it continues to be,’ said the 59-year-old Australian, whose side sit 16th after a dismal season which could yet end in European triumph.

‘I just think the hysteria surrounding what’s happening at the moment is all premeditated for a certain outcome. Hopefully we can defy that.

‘If you asked any Tottenham supporter what’s the most important thing for them right now: who is going to be the manager next year or whether they win this thing? One hundred per cent of them would say, “Just make sure we give ourselves the best opportunity to make some history”.

‘The rest of it doesn’t matter. It will all take care of itself. The worst thing you can do is focus on what may or may not happen and miss this unbelievable opportunity that’s before us.’

Challenged on this sense of me against the world - when it seems many neutral fans enjoy Postecoglou’s gung-ho style and gruff honesty - he replied: ‘I don’t feel like it’s them against me. It’s more about the club.

‘I’m trying to change the perception of the club.

‘I do think there is a narrative of trying to set this club up for some sort of fall, consistently.

‘And there is no allowance for any kind of building of foundations for something a bit different than before.

‘The one thing you do know is you know what doesn’t work here.’

That last was perhaps a reference to the defensive style of Postecoglou’s predecessors Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. Say what you like about Postecoglou but he is certainly not defensive.

‘I’m trying to do things very, very differently,’ he said. ‘It hasn’t all worked out, for sure, some of it has gone disastrously wrong, I accept that.

‘But I said from the start, we need to chart a different course if we are ever going to break the cycle that this club has been in.

‘Bizarrely, we’re still in that position where we can do that.

‘I’ve never taken it personally, I’ve never taken it as against me, even if it was against me.

‘But I think there is a kind of narrative around that this club has been on some sort of downward spiral again or going down the same rabbithole it has in the past.

‘Whereas I think this is totally different and there has been very little acknowledgement of that.

‘Some of it is me poking the bear a bit as well, mate. Maybe it’s my Aussie humour but it certainly gets lost a great number of times when I say things tongue-in-cheek.’

After 18 defeats this season, Tottenham supporters would be forgiven for feeling a change in fortunes is further away than ever - the shot at a European trophy notwithstanding. Postecoglou likes an analogy, and he reached for a parable which is ascribed to Danish-American journalist Jacob Riis.

‘I talk to the players a lot about the stonecutters’ creed,’ he said. ‘The stonecutter … only the 101st blow cracks the rock. But no-one sees the other 100 blows. And they think it’s the last one that does it. It’s not. So time will tell whether what I’ve tried to do over the last two years gets us to crack that stone.’

If the last blow of Big Ange’s pickaxe falls in Bilbao on May 21 and Spurs crack the Europa League, will that buy him another year to continue chipping away? Or would silverware offer the perfect opportunity for him to step away with head held high? As Postecoglou said when asked about his impact on the club: ‘Only time will tell.’

Tottenham are already planning for Ange Postecoglou's replacement in a dismal campaign.

Spurs sit 16th and are on course for their worst-ever Premier League finish after Nottingham Forest handed them an 18th defeat in the competition.

Only Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have lost more games, despite Spurs having a +10 goal difference.

Despite their domestic disaster, Spurs have reached the semi-finals of the Europa League after a shock away win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

If they beat Bodo/Glimt over two legs, they will face either Athletic Bilbao or Manchester United in the final for a shot to enter next season's Champions League.

As Mail Sport has reported, Postecoglou is likely to leave even if he wins a trophy. Who Daniel Levy appoints as his successor will be pivotal.

Andoni Iraola – Bournemouth

The Spaniard has lit up the Premier League since his arrival at the start of the 2023-24 season, turning Bournemouth into giant-killing, energetic upstarts.

As a student of Marcelo Bielsa, his play style incorporates attacking football which requires intense pressing from his players.

His humble personality means he tends to let his football do the talking, with Bournemouth experiencing their best-ever season in the Premier League and already breaking their points record.

The Cherries have beaten the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham this campaign, highlighting Iraola’s incredible work.

The Spaniard’s 4-2-3-1 formation has allowed attacking players Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo to dominate the final third, as well as developing Milos Kerkez who is linked with a move to Liverpool.

Similarly to Spurs, Bournemouth have endured tough periods of the campaign with extensive injuries, yet Iraola has continued to get a tune out of his squad unlike Postecoglou

Iraola would be a like-for-like swap for Postecoglou to continue Spurs’ attacking approach whilst being a likeable character who can resonate with fans.

Bournemouth are expected to be raided for their players and, if Iraola is not assured of backing in the summer transfer window despite having them on the cusp of European football, he would surely consider a move to North London.

Marco Silva – Fulham

A manager with extensive experience, the Portuguese knows what it takes to compete in the Premier League.

Having earned his stripes with Estoril, Sporting Lisbon, and Olympiacos, Silva joined Hull in 2017 before moving to Watford.

He started the 2017-18 season well but, after interest from Everton, form dipped as fans blamed his lack of focus for their poor form.

Coincidentally, Silva was dismissed in January 2018 and eventually joined the Toffees before the start of the 2018-19 season but endured a miserable season. he therefore arrived at Craven Cottage in 2021 with something to prove.

However, during his tenure with Fulham, Silva has made the Cottagers a resolute Premier League side, already breaking their points record this campaign.

Operating predominantly in a 4-2-3-1, Silva utilises pressing, discipline and structural fluidity to dominate matches, relying on key wide players to deliver balls into the box. His style would certainly suit Spurs and their abundance of wingers including Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson.

An area for concern would be Silva’s personality. On the one hand, he is an ambitious manager who is not afraid to take risks to further his goals. But he is also an opinionated manager who is demanding of not just his players but also the club hierarchy to get him the players he needs.

Levy is famously tricky to work with and him and Silva may butt heads when it comes to transfer strategy and youth development.

Yet Silva would be a solid choice to steady the ship and return Spurs to being a more consistent side, as he has done with Fulham.

Scott Parker – Burnley

Perhaps what Spurs need is a man who has played for the club and knows what it means to the fans. Parker could be the man for the job.

The current Burnley boss played 50 times for Spurs between 2011-2013 and was a fan favourite known for his tough tackling.

Parker’s often calm and collected persona has brought him success by helping Fulham, Bournemouth and now Burnley to be promoted from the Championship.

Yet, it remains to be seen if the Englishman can push himself to the next level after he was sacked by Bournemouth less than a month into the Premier League 2022-23 campaign, while he suffered relegation with Fulham.

He voiced his concerns regarding the Cherries transfer strategy that they were 'unequipped' for the campaign.

Parker employs a pragmatic style with a defence-first approach as exhibited by Burnley’s resilient defensive Championship form this season with 29 clean sheets, including a run of 12 in a row.

This style has split opinions, and his appointment would be seen as returning them back to the pragmatic days of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

Additionally, Parker has failed to prove himself as a capable top-flight manager, giving Levy doubts about him as a long-term appointment.

Whilst fans would welcome Parker as a familiar face to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his play style could anger the home faithful who want to see expansive attacking football.

Thomas Frank – Brentford

One of the most impressive managers in recent years thanks to his establishment of Brentford as a top-flight side, Thomas Frank has many admirers.

Following their promotion to the Premier League in 2021, Frank has transitioned the Bees from a resilient, counter-attacking, set-piece-focused side to an expansive attacking unit.

The Dane has also performed exceptionally well under difficult circumstances including an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign and the glaring omission of suspended Ivan Toney for the bulk of last season.

Moreover, Frank has been key in the development of integral players of past and present including Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa.

He also has a very likeable persona. Often light-hearted and transparent in post-match interviews, there are few that don’t take a liking to the Dane.

Brentford fans have been excitied by their attacking development this season. They have frequently put three or more past opponents, hitting teams with fast transitions, and as a result they sit 11th and in with a shout of European football.

The play style is remarkably similar to Postecoglou’s and could see Frank embed his vision swiftly.Additionally, Frank is tactically flexible unlike the Australian, switching between 3-4-1-2 and 4-3-3 formations depending on the opponent compared to Postecoglou’s gung-ho approach.

Known for quickly building relationships, Frank could be an underdog to the Spurs job and could be the positive energy the club needs.

Mauricio Pochettino – USA

The nostalgic appointment would be the return of Pochettino, a prospect which would excite most Spurs fans.

The Argentinian managed Spurs between 2014 and 2019, consistently overperforming with a young squad as well as taking them to a Champions League final in 2018-19.

Another disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, Pochettino’s high-intensity, expansive football was popular amongst Spurs fans.

His tactics saw him push Spurs to new heights in the 2016-17 season, finishing second with their highest ranking since 1962-63 under Bill Nicholson.

Following the end of his Spurs tenure, Pochettino went on to manage both PSG and Chelsea with mixed success.

A common theme of Pochettino’s managerial positions are his fallouts with the directors and the ownership of the club, including his mutual departure from Chelsea following disagreements over strategy and squad management.

Yet, Levy and Pochettino seem to have a strong relationship since his departure with the Argentinian stating he would like to manage Spurs again one day.

In the immediate term, this seems unlikely given he has been with the USA squad for less than a year with a deal running until July 2026.

He could be a candidate Spurs target in the long-term if their next appointment fails to impress.

It is undeniable that Pochettino would be the dream signing for Spurs fans as a manager who knows the club well, but whether his appointment will come to fruition is another matter.

Aussie football identity Mark Bosnich has declared it will be 'extremely harsh' if Tottenham part ways with Ange Postecoglou.

'Aussie Ange' has guided Spurs to the semi-finals of the Europa League - but it is their woeful form domestically which has him seemingly on borrowed time in north London.

For a club of Tottenham's size, to be sitting in 16th spot in the Premier League after 33 games is unacceptable.

Postecoglou's attacking mindset has been entertaining, but he knows as well as anyone it is results which count.

Speaking on SEN Radio, Bosnich is adamant Postecoglou should remain in charge.

'Sometimes the rumours are actually put out by the clubs themselves to give the manager and team a kick up the pants,' the former Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea goalkeeper said.

'It has been a poor season no doubt about that....18 defeats for a team of Tottenham's stature is not good enough.

'But I will say this to all Spurs fans....forget about the (Premier) League right now. You are not going to get relegated.

'And in terms of Ange, if he's going to go down, he's going to go down fighting. I think sacking him would be extremely harsh (even if they win the Europa League).

'I can understand the hurt and disappointment, but they have just got to stick with it until the end of the season.'

Bosnich also pointed out if Spurs win the Europa League it ensures a spot in the Champions League next season, which is 'big biccies' for the club.

Meanwhile, the likes of Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva have been touted as possible replacements for Postecoglou.

Scott Parker, who guided Burnley to promotion from the Championship, also has admirers within the club.

Parker played for Spurs, was well-liked by supporters and also coached within the club’s academy set-up.

Tottenham are next in action on May 28, when the tackle Liverpool at Anfield.

A win for the hosts will seal the Premier League title for the Reds - and heap more misery on Postecoglou.

Tottenham suffered their 18th league defeat of the league on Monday night

Postecoglou has come under immense criticism amid the side's dismal run

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Chris Sutton explains why Trent Alexander-Arnold might be better off staying at Liverpool

In isolation, Tottenham were not horrendous against Nottingham Forest. They were undone by two early mistakes which allowed Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to sit back and defend a record number of crosses.

Ange Postecoglou’s big problem, however, is that Monday’s 2-1 defeat is far from an isolated occurrence. It was Spurs’ 18th league loss of the season, which is why he seems set to leave.

Despite scoring only once against Forest, creating chances has not been the issue for Spurs. It is in defence where they are still all over the place. Though keeper Guglielmo Vicario can be blamed for at least one goal, that doesn’t hide the fact it took Spurs nearly half an hour to get to grips with Forest.

When Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White came inside, Tottenham’s midfielders and full backs did not know whether to stick or twist. There were no instructions from the side or leadership on the pitch and, within 16 minutes, Forest led 2-0.

It has been a recurring theme. You don’t lose that many matches if you are organised properly, an aspect that sometimes only takes simple coaching to achieve.

Being difficult to play through is one of the easiest things to work on. Blocking space, condensing the pitch and protecting your goal should not be difficult for the quality players at Spurs, but they have not done it.

It is not just a case of being naive - it feels as if Tottenham don’t go into games with a defensive plan. They simply have an idea of how to try to hurt opponents and think that will be enough. At Premier League level, it is not and teams are working them out. I saw Nuno work them out and Wolves did the same. Spurs lost 4-2 at Molineux and, while Postecoglou said they played well, that was only true with the ball. Without it they were awful. They were outnumbered in parts of the pitch and didn’t fix the problem.

Tottenham have rarely changed tactics. Postecoglou did pair Dominic Solanke and Richarlison up front late on against Forest which was unusual, but it was desperation. By then, it was too late. Nuno has been flexible and made changes even when leading. It contrasts with how rigid Postecoglou has been.

This latest loss was not particularly bad. Richarlison had two good chances before scoring late on. I know James Maddison stayed on the bench, but I could see the logic. Forest defended so deep there was no room in behind for him to thread his passes.

If Postecoglou is to leave, he can still do so on a high note by winning the Europa League.

He has a big decision to make over Vicario before the semi-final, because when a goalkeeper is gifting goals like he is, the dressing room loses confidence.

We can’t forget the excitement Postecoglou has brought to my former club. But while neutrals love watching Spurs, opponents love playing against them, too.