Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from the Europa League clash between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham plus updates from Chelsea vs Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League.
Troy Deeney insisted that Tottenham are in dire need of a summer clear out if they are to have any hope of bouncing back next season.
Spurs currently find themselves in the midst of a historic slump, with the club languishing in 15th in the Premier League table following a dismal run of results.
Injuries to key players throughout the campaign have severely limited Ange Postecoglou's options, and the Aussie has been largely forced to put his faith in youth to plug the gaps in his squad.
Postecoglou's position at the club has appeared increasingly tenuous in recent weeks, with Thursday's Europa League clash with Frankfurt appearing to be a pivotal moment in the 59-year-old's reign in north London.
Speaking on Tottenham's ongoing woes former Premier League striker Deeney insisted several players will likely need to move on to facilitate a rebuild at the club.
'For me, he's done a good job blooding the younger players and giving them the confidence to go and score a lot,' Deeney told talkSPORT.
'Brennan Johnson, what is he on, about 16 goals now? I think they're in a transition period, I think you could see the likes of Son [Heung-min] move on.
'Potentially [James] Maddison, [Yves] Bissouma, Richarlison, these guys will start moving on. And then obviously they have a lot of young players like Mikey Moore, but I still think they're a little bit like Chelsea.
'They need one, maybe two, older pros just to be like, "We don't do that here, this is how you win things". And that's the bit I think that they're missing.'
Postecoglou has faced criticism throughout the season for a perceived tactical inflexibility for his attempts to mould his squad to fit the system that served him so well in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic.
However, Deeney insisted that the overriding issue for Spurs is a lack of leaders in the dressing room resulting in a lack of identity from the club as a whole.
He continued: 'Every time they lose, it's like, "Is he going to be sacked?"
'I'll say this again. What are Spurs? They've been trying to win a trophy forever. I don't know what the plan is, they've got loads of young talent, no real proper leaders as what I would describe as a leader.
'I look at Ryan Yates at Forest, while Morgan Gibbs-White is the [stand-in] captain, Ryan Yates is the heartbeat of that team.
'And when he plays, he's got the emotional connection with the fanbase, the players respond, he knows he's not the best player, but he's probably the most important to how they play. If you look at Spurs, who is that?'
Man United and Tottenham have grossly underperformed expectations this term
Red Devils will set new Premier League low, while Spurs have lost 17 matches
LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Is it fair for Man United or Tottenham to go straight into the Champions League if they win the Europa League?
Tottenham and Manchester United face season-defining Europa League ties on Thursday night after both enduring awful seasons by their high standards.
Man United host Lyon at Old Trafford following Andre Onana’s calamitous errors which allowed the French side to claim a 2-2 draw.
For Ange Postecoglou’s side, they travel to the Frankfurt fortress after a disappointing 1-1 stalemate in the first leg.
After 32 games, Spurs and Man United sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table, 15th and 14th respectively in a horrendous domestic campaign.
This leaves both Ruben Amorim and Postecoglou under pressure and fighting for their jobs, relying on European glory to avoid the sack.
Since Amorim’s arrival in United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich back in November 2024, only West Ham, Tottenham, Southampton and the soon-to-be relegated Ipswich and Leicester are below the Red Devils. Here, Mail Sport compares just how bad the two managers have been in the 2024-25 season using statistics from Opta in all competitions since November 23.
Spurs and United have remarkably both won 12 matches, with Amorim having the lowest win percentage of any Red Devils manager in the Premier League (29 per cent).
Yet, Postecoglou has lost three more games than Amorim (14 v 11), highlighting how poor the Lilywhites have been this season.
Spurs have endured an injury crisis far worse than the 2023-24 season, yet. with nearly the full first team back, they are still struggling to win games with excuses running out.
Tottenham fans are falling out of love with Postecoglou and Daniel Levy with the ‘Time for Change’ protests ramping up with every game they lose this campaign.
The 2024-25 campaign has been disastrous with Postecoglou’s tactics and man management causing issues on and off the field, becoming flustered in post-match interviews in contrast to his usual calm demeanour.
This has led to a shaky relationship with fans, who initially welcomed the former Celtic boss, as exhibited in their 4-2 loss to Wolves where Postecoglou opted to not approach fans.
Despite their underwhelming league form, Amorim has managed to maintain United’s undefeated status in the Europa League, potentially boding well for their chance to progress into the semi-finals.
Despite winning two trophies in his two previous campaigns, Erik ten Hag's poor start to the campaign condemned him to the sack, paving the way for the former Sporting Lisbon manager to take his place in the United dug out.
Ten Hag and his backroom staff received £10.4m following their dismissal while Sir Jim Ratcliffe forked out £9.25m to release Amorim from his contract with the Portuguese champions.
Amorim has been completely honest about Man United and their current troubles in what is set to be a big period of transition for the club.
The Portuguese has been frank in describing the club as ‘maybe the worst’ team in the 147-year history of the club.
Meanwhile, although they languish in 15th in the Premier League table, Tottenham have a +11 goal difference, better than the likes of Aston Villa, Fulham and Brighton who are all in the top half of the table.
Postecoglou’s free-flowing attacking side have scored 59 goals in all competitions, 10 more than United.
Interestingly, the Lilywhites have massively outperformed their expected goals (47.8) whereas Man United are performing as expected (49.3).
United’s shots per game (14.3) dwarfs Tottenham (12.3), but the Red Devils’ shot conversion rate (10.7) is a concern for Amorim and a reason for their woes in front of goal.
Rasmus Hojlund has been criticised for being goal-shy this season, scoring just eight times in 43 matches in all competitions.
In terms of creativity, Tottenham are superior to Manchester United across the board especially in open play crosses where Spurs have nearly 100 more crosses, likely down to Postecoglou’s play style.
Spurs average 12.5 crosses per game, 2.2 more than Man United, yet the latter has a better crossing accuracy of 21.2 per cent.
Tottenham also get more passes into the final third and into the box, although United have had marginally more touches in the box with 917 to Spurs’ 900.
Both sides have come under fire for their weaknesses at the back this season, particularly with shaky performances from both sets of keepers.
Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir have both made mistakes in United’s recent games against Lyon and Newcastle whilst Guglielmo Vicario had a shocker in Spurs’ 4-2 loss to Wolves.
Tottenham and Manchester United have conceded 53 and 48 goals respectively, conceding 1.6 and 1.5 goals respectively per 90.
Postecoglou has come under fire for his poor defensive record which is supported by his whopping 60.6 expected goals against, proving the Lilywhites have been fortunate to not have conceded more.
Tottenham vs Man United compared
Wins:
Losses:
xG
Shots per game:
Crosses per game:
Touches in the box:
Goals conceded:
Tackles per game:
Errors leading to goals:
Tottenham
Manchester United
The damming defensive statistics continue, with Spurs facing just over 100 shots more than United.
United win more tackles per game (20.1) than Spurs (17.3), hinting at why they have conceded less than the North London side.
Spurs have also produced a huge 38 errors leading to shots, 14 more than the Red Devils - proof of their tendency cede possession in their defensive third through sloppy passes and poor decision-making.
The Tottenham high line is the likely cause for the extortionate number of chances they give to their opponents, a style Postecoglou has refused to adapt given their defensive issues.
Amorim’s pragmatic back five has seen better defensive results than Spurs but still an alarming number of mistakes is undoing the good work they strive to produce.
This was evident in United’s 4-1 loss to Newcastle where both Noussair Mazraoui and Bayindir were directly at fault for two of Newcastle’s goals.
The Europa League offers an opportunity for these stumbling managers to attempt to restore faith in their tenures at their respective clubs.
Many pundits feel Postecoglou will leave the club regardless of winning the Europa League with Jamie Carragher saying the Frankfurt game could be the nail in the coffin.
Manchester United manager's Premier League win percentage
Manager
Ruben Amorim
Ralf Rangnick
David Moyes
Louis van Gaal
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Erik ten Hag
Jose Mourinho
Alex Ferguson
Games
Win percentage
Speaking on Sky Sports he said, ‘I think if they go out to Eintracht Frankfurt in the cup, it probably would be a shake hands and move on to something different for both parties in terms of the manager and the club.’
For Amorim, the Europa League could offer hope to potential long-term success for the Red Devils.
Given the Portuguese has not had a full summer to arrange his squad, inheriting a group of players he didn’t ask for, winning the Europa League would be a huge boost to his backing.
Tottenham have been dealt a blow to their hopes of reaching the Europa League semi-finals ahead of their game away at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ange Postecoglou revealed that captain Son Heung-min has not travelled for Thursday's last-eight second leg.
Spurs were held to a 1-1 draw last week at home, a game in which Son started and played 79 minutes before being hooked for Pape Sarr.
Winning the Europa League would spell the end of Tottenham's 17-year trophy drought, having last won the EFL Cup in 2008.
But Postecoglou's hopes of bringing silverware back to N17 have taken an unfortunate set-back.
He said on Wednesday: 'Sonny didn't travel in the end. He's the only one who misses out. He trained yesterday but didn't feel right.
'We've left him out and rest is the best way of recovery. It is only Sonny that misses out.'
Son has made 41 appearances for Spurs this season, scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists in those games.
In the Europa League, the South Korean is their joint-top scorer (three goals) alongside Brennan Johnson.
As well as Son, Radu Dragusin is, of course, absent for the visitors as he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered in February.
Meanwhile, Kevin Danso is not expected to return until next Monday at the earliest, when Spurs host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
If Spurs progress against Frankfurt, they would face either Bodo/Glimt or Lazio in the Europa League semi-finals.
Glory in the competition would end a three-year absence in the Champions League for Tottenham, as it would secure them automatic qualification to Europe's biggest club contest in 2025-26.
Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from Lyon vs Manchester United and Tottenham vs Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.
Postecoglou has conceded there is a 'general sentiment' he will leave the club
Tottenham host Eintracht Frankfurt in their Europa League quarter-final first leg
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Ange Postecoglou has hit back at critics for what he sees as continued negativity towards Tottenham - and vowed to continue fighting for however long he is in charge of the club.
Spurs languish in 14th place in the Premier League after a disappointing season, with glory in the Europa League their only chance to end the season positively. They host Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday in the first leg of their quarter-final.
Negative rumblings came to a head when Postecoglou was asked about a discussion between Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel over who would take a late penalty kick against Southampton on Sunday.
Tel scored to secure a 3-1 victory, but the Australian was angered by a perceived shift towards a negative narrative after a positive day for his side.
‘We scored, we won. Delighted. It's incredible, it's just... literally turning gold into c*** when it's Tottenham,’ Postecoglou said.
‘Seriously. If we're 2-1 up against Frankfurt and get a penalty in the last minute, I want the best penalty taker to take it.
‘The winner's mentality in the last minute of the game is to score a goal. We scored a goal. And yet somehow in this ultimate universe where everything Tottenham does is wrong, that's come out as a negative.’
Postecoglou's future has been under the microscope for months, with speculation that the 59-year-old’s time at the club is likely to end this summer.
However, he insisted he would not use negativity as motivation to defeat Frankfurt.
‘I think someone wrote that even if we win it, I'm gone anyway. That's not having a go, that's just saying the general sentiment of people. So if you're trying to use that as a motivation, you're not going to win that anyway.
‘There's got to be more in it for us and for us what is the most important thing as a group is that we've been through a really tough time but we're still in a position where we can make an impact - and you don't know how often you get those opportunities.’
Tottenham fans were livid after Lucas Bergvall's goal was ruled out on Sunday
The VAR took five minutes to say if Cristian Romero was offside in the build-up
LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! The signs that Ruben Amorim's Man United side are getting there
Tottenham fans were left incensed on Sunday after Lucas Bergvall's goal against Southampton was ruled out following a five-minute VAR check.
The midfielder fired home from close-range after Cristian Romero nodded the ball into his path from a free-kick.
But Romero was adjudged to have been a fraction offside as he won the header, which led to the VAR ruling out Tottenham's goal.
The assistants at Stockley Park took an egregious four minutes and 53 seconds to decide that Romero was offside.
The Premier League released a statement shortly after the incident to explain the decision.
They wrote on their @PLMatchCentre X account: 'VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and established that Romero was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed.'
However, fans were not necessarily frustrated at the outcome of the review, but rather how long it took the VAR to make a decision. Supporters took to social media to vent their frustrations around the incident.
One fan wrote: 'Absolute joke. VAR is such a shambles.'
Another ranted: 'Absolutely joke implementation of what VAR should be and is in other leagues. English reffing is the problem. A stinking club of protectionism, above all.'
A third commented: 'Absolutely ludicrous.'
Sunday's incident came just days after Ange Postecoglou said football was no longer the sport he knew and that he expects to watch fewer games and 'find another hobby' when his career is over.
The Australian had celebrated his side's second-half equaliser against Chelsea in an animated fashion before it was ruled out following a VAR review. Spurs went on to lose the game 1-0 on Thursday night.
'I am falling out of love with the game because I loved celebrating goals,' Postecoglou said the next day.
'Last night I did, and I'm paying a massive price for it. I'll make sure I don't do it again, but I think that's kind of sad.'
Tottenham were able to cruise to a 3-1 victory over Southampton, which saw them climb up to 13th in the table.
Meanwhile, the Saints' relegation was mathematically confirmed following the result.
Spurs next face Frankfurt in their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday.
Glory in the competition would end a three-year dry spell in the Champions League for Tottenham, as it would secure them automatic qualification to Europe's biggest club contest.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has come under fire from supporters amid their dismal form this season.
Before Ange Postecoglou's side hosted Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, fans were protesting against Levy outside of the ground.
'Time for change,' read many flags, while the message on another was: 'Built a business, killed a football club.'
Another flag read: 'Enough is enough, ENIC Out!' aimed at ENIC Group, who bought a controlling stake of the club in 2001 from Alan Sugar.
A popular tune in honour of Sweden midfielder Dejan Kulusevski was altered to take aim at the 62-year-old chairman.
'We don't care about Levy, he don't care about me, all I care about is [Dejan] Kulusevski,' fans sang, referencing recent ticket-price hikes and plans to scrap some concessions.
Other chants went: 'We want Levy out,' and 'Daniel Levy, get out of our club.'
There are set to be more protests during the match, with fans urged to hold up their protest scarves in the 24th minute, denoting 24 years of ENIC ownership, and again in the 61st minute, as a nod to the fact the club were last champions in 1961.
Change For Tottenham, a fan-led group who aim to bring about change at the club, said: 'Many lifelong Tottenham supporters feel alienated by the club's ownership and direction.
'The New Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a state of the art facility, but at what cost? Ticket prices are among the highest in the Premier League, forcing many fans, some of whom have supported Spurs for decades, to give up their season tickets or attend fewer games.
'For years the team has lacked investment in key areas, particularly in defence, while transfer windows have felt reactive instead of proactive. The result? Another trophy-less season looms, extending a drought that has lasted since 2008.'
Ahead of their clash with Southampton, Postecoglou called for Spurs to be ‘more vocal’, which was a pointed reference to the silence from the boardroom and their former players on the punditry circuit.
‘The only voice you hear is me,’ he said. ‘When we’re talking about the bigger clubs, there seems to be a lot more voices.
'And not always defending. You need scrutiny and constructive criticism as well. We definitely get enough of that but never get any of the other stuff.
‘It seems with Tottenham wherever there’s a sore there’s a real pile-on to stick a finger in that sore and then we kind of accept our fate.’
Levy has spent over £1bn on transfer arrivals since the club last enjoyed silverware, when they won the EFL Cup in 2008.
However, with their fourth permanent manager in six years, they still languish in the bottom-half of the Premier League table.
PLUS: Why Tottenham shouldn't sack Postecoglou despite mounting pressure
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In keeping with Ange Postecoglou’s philosophy, no team have drawn fewer games than Tottenham this season. They have also scored more than Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, who are both in the Champions League spots.
Yet Spurs have also lost 16 league games, which is unacceptable, and that commitment to being non-stop, gung-ho is going to be the manager’s downfall unless they pull off the unlikely trick of winning the Europa League.
While Angeball is good on the eye with its high intensity, it is unsustainable to play that way all the time. There are patches of brilliance, like the 4-0 win at Manchester City, but usually the better teams pick Spurs off.
It’s not a weakness to take the opposition into account. When Liverpool played Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, we put Emile Heskey on to Ashley Cole on a couple of occasions. When we faced the great Manchester United team, the gameplan was different depending on whether the game was at Old Trafford or Anfield.
The best managers allow their players freedom to make decisions on the pitch because they can sometimes feel the match situation better than is possible from the sidelines. But Djed Spence said recently on a podcast that the Spurs players had to do things Ange’s way.
Postecoglou’s unwavering philosophy might just be understandable if all his players were fit. But we saw him continue the same approach even when his defence was decimated by injury. For me, it defied logic.
I was in the stadium when Spurs lost 6-3 to Liverpool. I couldn’t believe Liverpool’s full-backs were allowed to run beyond Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min. It was no surprise Trent Alexander-Arnold set up the first goal and it was carnage after that.
Unless Postecoglou changes, I don’t see how Spurs can improve. I’d like to see a different outlook against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday but I don’t see it coming.
In Europe, you have to take into account the opposition and the nature of a two-legged tie. You can’t let your ego get the better of you and stick to Plan A for 180 minutes regardless.
The mood from fans towards Postecoglou has shifted in the last week or two, particularly after cupping his ear to the away end at Stamford Bridge. When Spurs were in three cup competitions, there was an acceptance to overlook the league but no longer.
Ange, so likeable last season, has started getting agitated and snapping back at questions. That doesn’t help with fans who want to hear solutions being offered.
The manager can’t take all the blame. Recruitment has been questionable. How many Spurs forwards would be wanted by Liverpool, or even Newcastle, right now? Maybe Kulusevski, but that’s about it.
Some are calling for Ange to be sacked now so a new manager bounce helps them win the Europa but it’s not my gut feeling unless there is a Jurgen Klopp available with the CV to make a difference. To draft in someone less experienced doesn’t make sense. New managers need time to impose their ideas.
There is still a chance Spurs could win the Europa, of course, primarily because the quality of the other quarter-finalists is not world-beating.
But if they continue to play like this, they are asking to be hurt. They have to improve their game management. If there are periods where they are being pressed, there is nothing wrong with playing a percentage ball to Dominic Solanke.
I don’t think Spurs players have downed tools. I see a group trying to do it Ange’s way but who are too fatigued and lacking energy at times to make it work.
It’s made Spurs very one-dimensional and too easy for other teams. They have been worked out, hence the 16 losses.
In the last two domestic cup finals, Manchester United and Newcastle have departed from their normal game to beat Manchester City and Liverpool. Ange doesn’t have to rip up everything he’s introduced at Tottenham but unless he starts showing flexibility, it’s curtains.
Tottenham duo Richarlison and Pape Sarr locked horns in traffic earlier this week, as the Brazilian shared a video on social media of the two arguing at a junction.
The clip was shared as a joint post on both players' Instagram accounts, and was uploaded just a day after their side's 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on Thursday evening.
Richarlison jumped out of his £140,000 Corvette to slap the bonnet of Sarr's Mercedes, before shouting expletives and putting up his middle finger.
Meanwhile, Sarr filmed the incident from his point of view and was in hysterics. The Senegalese midfielder honked his horn at a junction while stopped behind Richarlison.
Despite his frustration in the moment, Richarlison later saw the funny side of the incident, taking to Instagram to write a light-hearted caption.
He said: 'Tag your friend who has no patience in traffic!!!' followed by some laughing emojis and tagging Sarr.
Richarlison was driving his Corvette E-ray - a car which is not officially sold in the UK and must be imported.
It is likely that he paid up to £140,000 for the V8 motor, which boasts a top speed of over 180mph, and can do 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds - quicker than a base Ferrari Roma.
Meanwhile Sarr was motoring around his Mercedes G Wagon which, from what the interior looks like, is likely a G400, G450 or G500 model.
One of these models would run the 22-year-old anywhere between £110,000 and £150,000.
The two-and-a-half ton G Wagon has a top speed of just 130mph, and can do 0-62mph in around 6.4 seconds.