Daily Mail

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp doesn't have much time for Tottenham stars who have showed public support for Ange Postecoglou following his sacking.

Postecoglou led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years in his second season but a dire Premier League campaign saw him lose his job.

There were joyous scenes in that part of north London after Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final last month.

However, Daniel Levy and Co chose to part ways with the 59-year-old two weeks later with the club's 17th-placed finish in the top flight the determining factor.

Spurs stars have taken to social media to show their support for Postecoglou in the time since while others have taken thinly-veiled swipes at ownership.

Micky van de Ven labelled the decision to part ways with Postecoglou 'strange' while Cristian Romero took to Instagram minutes after the appointment of Thomas Frank was confirmed this week, making reference to the many obstacles that exist at the club.

Yves Bissouma also revealed some emotional private messages between him and his former manager in which he expressed his gratitude.

Redknapp, however, isn't a fan of this public well-wishing after seeing the performances of the team throughout the majority of the campaign.

'That's football, that's what footballers do,' he said at a Soccer Aid training session on Thursday.

'Oh we love the previous manager well why didn't you try a bit harder you might not have finished fourth from bottom.

'It's the same old message you know. The king is dead, long live the king. That's football.

'They all come out and say the manager was great and then the new manager comes and he'll great.

'Then when he goes they're sorry to see him go. That's football, you mustn't take any notice of what they say.'

Redknapp managed Spurs between 2008 and 2012 and came close to guiding them to a trophy himself when they reached the 2009 League Cup final.

Thomas Frank has been confirmed as Tottenham's new head coach on a three-year contract.

Frank is moving across London after nine years at Brentford to succeed Ange Postecoglou, sacked last Friday, 16 days after his team won the Europa League.

'In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game,' said a Spurs spokesman. 'He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead.'

Brentford's director of football Phil Giles issued heartfelt thanks to Frank for his impact on the club he led to promotion in 2021.

'It has been a pleasure working alongside Thomas,' said Giles. 'From the moment he replaced Dean Smith, he understood what we were trying to build and his wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.

'There have been so many special moments with Thomas and nobody will ever forget the day at Wembley for the play-off final or that emotional first Premier League game against Arsenal.

'But it's not just what you see on the pitch. He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength.

'However, just as when a player leaves, it provides an opportunity for someone else to come in and make their own impact.

'We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential.'

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy had identified 51-year-old Frank as the man he wanted before sacking Postecoglou last Friday and has spent most of this week negotiating compensation for Brentford for him and several of his coaching staff.

Justin Cochrane will join Frank at Spurs although Brentford tried their utmost to keep him the 43-year-old, who spent nine years coaching career in Tottenham's academy.

Cochrane, who joined the Bees three years ago from Manchester United is on Thomas Tuchel's England staff and so highly rated that Brentford considered him among the candidates for the head coach role.

Also moving across London from the Getch Community Stadium are fitness coach Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton. Andreas Georgson will join the coaching team from Manchester United.

Postecoglou's assistant coaches Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo have all left Spurs with Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch remaining.

Postecoglou's success in delivering silverware, which he promised he would, means that the Dane will take charge of Tottenham in the Champions League, and he will want a squad that is able to compete at the top level.

Reports had claimed Tottenham were looking to hijack Manchester United's push to sign Frank's golden boy Bryan Mbeumo from his now former club.

However, sources have disclosed that Spurs are 'highly unlikely' to enter the race for the forward, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League last term.

Last month, Mail Sport's Oliver Holt played a couple of sets of padel at Brentford's Osterley facility with Frank and assistant first-team coach Kevin O'Connor.

During their day together, Frank explained what it takes to build a successful culture at a football club - like he has at Brentford and continue to improve it one step after another.

'We stand on the shoulders of others,' Frank told Mail Sport in an interview last month. 'And we build on foundations they have built for us. We need to acknowledge that every single time.

'It's all about the ego. So how fragile is it or how big is it? Some people need reassurance all the time and to say, 'The reason I'm so good is because of me and has nothing to do with these top players and good staff'. It depends who you are.

'So you need to believe in your own skill set, but be humble enough to know there's a lot of hard work and you're not the only one and all that. So I'm confident in myself and what I'm capable of doing. Also humble enough to know I can do nothing alone. No one can.

'Look, if you ask whether I'm tough, I think I'm extremely resilient. And I think we've all got a dark side. I've got five per cent dark side in me. Even my wife says that.

'You need that dark side, to have an edge and I have an edge. I'm extremely competitive, very determined, and you don't survive in this business if you're not tough.'

Whiteman has spent a decade at Tottenham after joining the academy in 2015

He enjoys a range of off the pitch hobbies including film reviews and even DJs

LISTEN: Was 'Fergie Time' real? Veteran Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg reveals all on the first episode of the Mail's brand-new football podcast Whistleblowers

Tottenham spent weeks deliberating on the exit of Ange Postecoglou after he led them to Europa League glory last month.

Eventually chairman Daniel Levy and the board took the decision to part ways, to the ire of many Spurs fans.

But while all eyes were on the Australian, long-serving goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman's departure was announced without any fanfare.

The 26-year-old joined Spurs a decade ago before being promoted to the senior team in 2017.

Two brief loan stints at Swedish side Degerfors followed but there were zero first team appearances, with the exception of eight minutes in the Europa League in 2020 under Jose Mourinho, for the former England youth international.

It was that competition which Whiteman was handed a winners medal for, as part of the Spurs squad who ended the club's 17-year trophy drought in Bilbao, despite not playing a single minute.

'The games are what people see, but the day-to-day you feel part of it,' he told The Times.

'It might not be in my appearances column on Wikipedia, but I don't think you get to a final if you're not one big team working to achieve something.

'I feel extremely lucky, but there is always that conflict because the dream is to be out there.'

Whiteman started for England at the Under-17 World Cup in 2015 alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, and despite his position as Spurs' fifth choice keeper, the desire to start has never died down.

While his playing stats are unremarkable, the Englishman's off the pitch personality has seen him grow a cult status.

Growing up just 20 minutes away from Tottenham's stadium, near the Broadwater farm estate, football was always his passion.

But away from the sport he splits his time as a DJ, portrait photographer, film club host, and even an actor.

After returning from the Europa League success in Bilbao, he watched Lilya 4-ever, a 2002 Swedish tragedy film about human trafficking and sexual slavery.

He then wrote about it Letterboxd, a film review website where he has left 188 ratings.

His latest was a one and a half star review for the 2001 war film Pearl Harbour, which he described as 'mostly rubbish apart from the action sequences of the actual attack on pearly harbour.'

In his review for Mission Impossible - Fallout, which he gave four out of five stars, he revealed that he shared an ankle surgeon with both Tom Cruise and Daniel Craig.

Before his reviews became public the 26-year-old had already started a film club at a cinema in Bethnal Green.

He has even published a self-portrait book and a series of his snaps will soon feature in an an exhibition.

'I've always kept my private life and football separate,' he told The Athletic.

'I feel the stigma of, 'You're a footballer, that's it, and anything else is a distraction', which I think is a complete fallacy. You need a broad range of things in life that stimulate you to be a rounded person.'

Whiteman's father was a jazz guitarist and the goalkeeper performs for NTS Radio, a local Hackney radio platform.

He has also played live sets at events by clothing brands New Balance and Arc’teryx, while last summer he was cast in a play at London's Bomb factory.

Spurs wanted to keep hold of a homegrown player - Premier League rules dictate there must be at least eight in a squad, and Whiteman came cheap, earning around just £5,000 a week.

He lasted five managers from Mauricio Pochettino, Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Nuno Espírito Santo to Postecoglou but he won't stay on as Spurs look set to confirm Thomas Frank.

Despite his off the pitch interests, Whiteman is desperate for more first team action.

But while he is yet to find another club, he certainly won't be short of hobbies to keep himself occupied in the mean time.

Ange Postecoglou was dismissed as Tottenham Hotspur boss earlier this month

Postecoglou won Tottenham's first trophy in 17 years with the Europa League

LISTEN: Was 'Fergie Time' real? Veteran Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg reveals all on the first episode of the Mail's brand-new football podcast Whistleblowers

Tottenham star Micky van de Ven has called the decision to part ways with Ange Postecoglou 'strange' after delivering the club's first trophy in 17 years last month.

The former Celtic manager was dismissed by Daniel Levy after a hugely disappointing Premier League campaign with Tottenham finishing 17th, however he did claim the Europa League final.

He beat a Manchester United side that had been almost as poor domestically, but it was not enough to save his job, as Spurs looked to part ways over the summer to give his replacement an opportunity to bed in and rebuild the side ahead of the new season.

'That was ultimately a choice from the club,' Van de Ven told Voetbal Zone of Levy's decision. 'We, as players, have little to say about that. Of course, he is the first coach in a long time who has won a trophy has had success at Spurs. So if you look at it that way, it is of course a strange choice.

'It is a choice from the club about which we have little to say, so we will see what happens now. Of course, we see some rumours about the Brentford head coach [Frank], who it will probably be. So yes, a choice from the club about which we have little to say.

'I think many of the players got along with [Postecoglou] well. And of course, what I say, he is the first coach who has brought success to Spurs in a long time. That also shows that he has a certain quality. That also means that he has a winning mentality. 100 per cent.

'From that, you would of course say that it is strange that he was fired. What we have shown in the Premier League is, of course, unacceptable. That would, of course, have multiple factors, but that would not only have been the coach.'

As Van de Ven mentioned, Spurs are expected to appoint Thomas Frank as Postecoglou's successor in the coming days, with the Brentford manager's release clause set to be paid out.

Mail Sport reported on Monday that Frank has a release clause thought to be around £10million, but those with knowledge of the situation believe it is heading towards a positive conclusion.

Negotiations have now started, with chairman Daniel Levy representing Tottenham and Phil Giles, Brentford’s director of football, in talks. Aside from the release fee, discussions are also likely to focus on Frank’s backroom staff, and the level of compensation needed to allow them to follow him from west to north London.

The Bees will demand suitable recompense for a manager who has been with the club for close to a decade and who has overseen a period of remarkable success.

Son Heung-min has spent a decade at Tottenham, finally winning his first trophy last month, but has been linked with a departure as his contract nears its end.

The South Korean international is captain at the club, and has been one of the most important players at the north London outfit, particularly during their more successful periods.

His partnership with Harry Kane saw the two combine for goals more often than any other duo in the league's history, but with the England captain's exit his own influence had begun to wane.

Now, reports from The Sun suggest that Son would be open to the idea of leaving Tottenham at long last on a high, having just sealed Europa League victory.

It would represent a rare opportunity to leave the club having added silverware to the trophy cabinet - something not even Kane managed - but at 32, and turning 33 in less than a month, his options are perhaps slimmer than those of his former team-mate.

His formerly prodigious pace has shortened up a touch, while he would appear to have lost his golden touch in front of goal.

Son managed only 11 goals in all competitions for 2024-25, his lowest tally since his first season at the club, though he did provide 12 assists.

Speaking after his country's 4-0 win over Kuwait, he remained coy when asked about his immediate future, rather than ruling out any departure.

'I still have one more year left on the contract,' he said.

'Rather than saying anything at this moment, I think we should all wait and see what happens.

'But no matter where I end up, I will always do the best I can. It will never change.'

It would be a bitter blow for Tottenham to lose their captain should he decide to leave the club, especially in such a crucial summer.

After finishing 17th in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou was sacked after winning the Europa League and securing a Champions League return for Spurs.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is widely expected to take over in north London, and faces a massive rebuild if he is to help Tottenham to be competitive in Europe after such a dismal showing last term.

Yet for Son, this disappointing season will still live long in the memory for the silverware it brought the club at long last.

'I think I've accomplished everything I've done while playing the football I wanted to.

'Football is about winning and only winners are remembered. Despite the difficult season, it was a really happy season for me because I experienced the trophy that I've been chasing since I was young.

'It was a year where I wanted to do better. I was so happy to be able to share that moment with so many people who cheered me on.

'I haven't been in good condition many times, but I think I'll be able to prepare for the new season in really good condition.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

Mail Sport understands that Spurs have made a formal approach for the Dane – and that an unveiling could take place in the coming days.

Frank has a release clause thought to be around £10m, but those with knowledge of the situation believe it is heading towards a positive conclusion and that Frank will soon be announced as successor to Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked on Friday.

Negotiations have now started, with chairman Daniel Levy representing Tottenham and Phil Giles, Brentford’s director of football, in talks. Aside from the release fee, discussions are also likely to focus on Frank’s backroom staff, and the level of compensation needed to allow them to follow him from west to north London.

The Bees will demand suitable recompense for a manager whom has been with the club for close to a decade and who has overseen a period of remarkable success.

Frank arrived at the club in 2016 as assistant head coach and was appointed manager in 2018. In his first full season in charge he led them to the play-off final and followed it up with promotion to the Premier League. Over the past four years he has firmly established Brentford as a top-flight club.

Frank guided the Bees to tenth place last season and has a long-standing relationship with Spurs' technical director Johan Lange, with whom he once shared an office at Danish club Lyngby. Lange is leading the search for Postecoglou’s successor.

A large number of assistants - Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo - exited on the back of the Australian’s departure, paving the way for Frank to bring in his own backroom team.

Meanwhile, Spurs are unlikely to enter the race for Brentford forward Bryan Mbuemo, who has been closely linked to a move to Manchester United. Reports had claimed Tottenham were looking to hi-jack the deal, but sources have disclosed such a prospect is ‘highly unlikely’.

Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs on Friday despite winning the Europa League

Bissouma has now shared a text exchange between himself and Postecoglou

LISTEN: Was 'Fergie Time' real? Veteran Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg reveals all on the first episode of the Mail's brand-new football podcast Whistleblowers

Yves Bissouma has posted on social media the private messages he shared with Ange Postecoglou after the Aussie manager was sacked by Tottenham last week.

Postecoglou was relieved of his duties on Friday, just 16 days after leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Many of the Tottenham squad - including captain Son Heung-min and James Maddison - were quick to post emotional messages of gratitude to Postecoglou, and Bissouma has now revealed his own text exchange with his former manager on Snapchat.

The conversation begins with Postecoglou writing: 'Hi Biss. Sorry I missed your call. I am very proud of you. It was an honour to share a dressing room with you and appreciate how much you believed in what we were trying to achieve.

'I wish you only the best for the future. I will always be following. Much love from my family to yours.'

Bissouma replied: 'Thank you gaffer and thank you really much for everything on and off the pitch I'll always be grateful. The way you believed me and trusted me was incredible.

'I'm gonna miss you but it's football life. Got a lot to be said but I think you know what I'm thinking about you already so I'm just wishing you all the best for the future and may God protect you and your family. #bigboss love.'

The exchange ended with Postecoglou responding: 'Always by your side Biss'.

The heartfelt farewell message from Bissouma indicates how popular Postecoglou was with his players who are reportedly furious with the decision to sack him.

Spurs finished down in 17th and suffered 22 league defeats in the 2024-25 season, but many felt Postecoglou deserved a chance to put their domestic form right after their Europa League triumph in Bilbao.

However, chairman Daniel Levy opted to axe Postecoglou, and the search to find his successor is gathering pace.

Mail Sport understands that the north London club are closing in on appointing Brentford boss Thomas Frank as their new manager after positive talks.

Spurs will have to pay a hefty compensation fee for the Dane, but appear ready to finalise a deal as they look to move on from Postecoglou quickly.

Robbie Williams divided north London on Friday night by trolling Arsenal fans with a pro-Tottenham joke while performing at the Emirates Stadium.

Former Take That band member Williams — who is now better known as a solo artist — supports Port Vale, having grown up in Stoke-on-Trent.

But the 51-year-old also has a soft spot for Spurs.

He showed this back in 2023 after James Black, a lifelong Spurs supporter who performs live music on matchdays at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, reworked the chorus of Robbie's 1997 mega-hit 'Angels' to create an ode to Ange Postecoglou.

It went viral on social media and caught the attention of Robbie himself, who joined Black to record a special version, which the popstar shared via Instagram.

During that video, after singing 'I'm Loving Big Ange Instead', Williams quipped: 'I guess I'm a Spurs fan now then.'

In response to this, Tottenham sent Williams and his wife Ayda personalised Spurs shirts with their names on the back.

Postecoglou famously went on to win the UEFA Europa League in his penultimate game as Tottenham manager last month.

Despite ending Tottenham's 17-year wait for a trophy and sealing a spot in next season's Champions League in the process, the Australian was sacked on Friday.

His dismissal was largely due to Tottenham's dreadful domestic form, which resulted in their lowest Premier League finish ever.

But although Spurs finished 17th — just one place above the relegation zone — many people have claimed that they actually enjoyed a more successful season than fierce rivals Arsenal, who came second in the Premier League after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Spurs have now won four major UEFA men's titles in their 142-year history — three more than the Gunners, who lifted the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.

Williams cheekily referenced this at the home of Arsenal on Friday.

He began the set-up to his joke by asking fans in the crowd to cheer if they supported Arsenal. He then encouraged those who did not support the Gunners to boo.

Next, Williams asked the crowd a question: 'How far away are Arsenal from a European trophy?'

He gleefully answered that question himself by declaring: 'Four f****** miles!' — the approximate distance between the Emirates and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Williams was quick to gesture that he was only kidding, urging any Arsenal supporters not to take his joke to heart.

But many Gunners fans hit back via social media, where they were keen to point out that Arsenal were the current holders of the UEFA Women's Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur sacked men's head coach Ange Postecoglou on Friday

On Sunday, Spurs women's head coach Robert Vilahamn also lost his job

LISTEN: Was 'Fergie Time' real? Veteran Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg reveals all on the first episode of the Mail's brand-new football podcast Whistleblowers

Tottenham women's head coach Robert Vilahamn has left the club after two years in charge, less than 48 hours after men's head coach Ange Postecoglou was seen to the door.

Vilahamn, who joined the club at the same time as Postecoglou, leaves after a disappointing second season in charge where Tottenham finished just one spot above the WSL relegation zone in 11th.

'There have been some special moments during Robert's tenure, including reaching the FA Cup final for the first time,' Andy Rogers, Tottenham Women's managing director, said.

'However, results and performances this season have not been to the level we would expect and now is the right time to make a change.

'We should like to thank Robert for his professionalism and efforts over the past two seasons, and we wish him well for the future.'

The 42-year-old Swedish coach joined Tottenham from BK Hacken and led them to a top-six WSL finish and the club's first ever FA Cup final – which they lost to Manchester United – in his first season in charge.

But this season Tottenham's performances suffered a dip, particularly towards the end of the season, and they finished the season with just five wins in their 22 total games, the last coming against the now relegated Crystal Palace in January.

When Vilahamn joined in 2023, he spoke about wanting to emulate Postecoglou's style of play and create a 'Tottenham identity' which runs through both teams.

He was handed a three-year contract extension last July, but only relegated Palace conceded more goals than his side in a disappointing season.

United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino has poured cold water on rumors that he could return to Tottenham to replace Ange Postecoglou.

On Friday, the Premier League giants announced they had sacked the Australian, despite him breaking a 17-year title drought for the club with Europa League success against Manchester United.

Answering a question from the Daily Mail after a 2-1 loss to Turkey in Connecticut, Pochettino indicated that the rumors were not realistic and that his name was one of many linked with the job.

'I think, since I left in 2019, my name has always been on the list [of rumors],' Pochettino said in the press conference.

'I've seen the rumors, we are 100 coaches on the list. Don't be worried about that. If something happens [in the future], you for sure will see, but I am so happy in this moment and we cannot talk about this type of thing.

'Today it's not realistic, look where I am, look where we are. The answer is so clear.'

While not an outright denial, it does indicate Pochettino's happiness with the USMNT - especially after a press conference where the manager praised his squad's performance in spite of the defeat to a full-strength Turkish side.

Pochettino is set to play one more tune-up game (Tuesday night in Nashville against Switzerland) before embarking on a journey through the Gold Cup - CONCACAF's premier international competition.

The Argentine was officially hired back in October 2024 at an event in New York City, making him the most well-renowned coaching hire in the history of the men's national team.

However, results have been inconsistent. Under Pochettino, the USMNT has won five matches and lost four, including both games in the CONCACAF Nations League.

Pochettino is highly regarded amongst many Spurs fans, having brought them to the 2019 Champions League final.

Since departing for other clubs, Pochettino has always been rumored to potentially return to White Hart Lane.

Those rumors have spiked back up again following Postecoglou's departure. Other betting favorites for the job include Brentford's Thomas Frank, Fulham's Marco Silva, and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner.