Football London

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has had a disastrous season in charge in North London.

Currently lying in 16th, they are on track for their worst-ever Premier League campaign, worsening the 15th-placed finish they achieved in 1993/94 under Argentinian legend Ossie Ardiles.

Spurs were limp in a crushing 5-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield and must now regroup before the biggest game of their season so far.

Thursday’s visit of Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg represents Postecoglou’s final chance to save the season and potentially his job.

It is still plausible that the Australian could depart in the summer even if his side go on to claim the Europa League title and secure Champions League football.

Fan anger has so far been largely directed at the club’s hierarchy but patience for persistent poor performances is fast running out.

Here football.london takes a look at five managers who could be in the N17 hot-seat come August if Postecoglou is, as expected, relieved of his duties this summer.

Mauricio Pochettino

After leaving the club six years ago, Mauricio Pochettino is being tipped by bookies for a grand return to North London.

The Argentine, who has cemented himself as Spurs’ most successful manager in recent history, is currently in charge of the US national team but could be tempted by a return to the Premier League and to the club that he took all the way to the Champions League final.

The European run in 2019 which included amazing comeback victories against Manchester City and Ajax, seems a far cry from the state the club are in now.

Perhaps Pochettino is the man to reverse their fortunes and get this young and talented side moving in the right direction.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi Hernandez is another name that has been linked to any potential vacancy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The former Spanish midfield legend was most recently in charge of Barcelona, where he made more than 500 appearances as a player, and has been without a job since departing the Catalan giants last May.

A serial winner as a player, Xavi would certainly be able to call upon his playing experiences to help Spurs compete at the right end of the table.

However, his lack of managerial and Premier League experience would be a worry, and it is hard to see Daniel Levy taking a gamble like this.

Andoni Iraola

Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola is a name that will be on managerial shortlists across Europe.

The Spaniard’s work at the south coast club has been excellent. They play an attractive possession-based style of football and find themselves in a tight battle for European football next season.

His project at the Vitality Stadium is clear and well established and it remains unclear if an approach by Spurs would be enough to tempt him away from a club that is moving in the right direction.

Marco Silva

Fulham’s Marco Silva has also been touted for a move to North London following the steady progress he has made at Craven Cottage.

The Portuguese’s work in the Premier League is well documented with his sides known for their patience and control. He has a proven track record of improving players and would work well with a talented squad in need of guidance.

Again, much like Iraola, Silva has established a clear way of working and is in the middle of a successful project. Any move may not be straight forward.

Thomas Frank

Thomas Frank is the Premier League’s second-longest serving manager after Pep Guardiola and has been in situ at Brentford since 2018.

The club’s rise in that time has been remarkable; gaining promotion, moving to a new stadium and firmly establishing themselves in the top-flight.

The Dane has been the perfect man to oversee this long-term project. His calm and structured approach has allowed his side to steadily grow and adapt to the demands of the league.

The West London club have a unique way of approaching recruitment relying heavily on data insights to identify targets. Frank is used to this way of working and it remains to be seen how would adapt to working in a different environment.

Antonio Conte may not have guided Tottenham to silverware but he is in an excellent position to achieve that feat with Napoli. Taking on the hotseat at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last June, the Italian side are now top of Serie A heading into the final four games of the 2024/25 season.

His former club Inter Milan were previously leading the way for the Scudetto but it is now Napoli in the driving seat following what could prove to be a decisive weekend in the campaign. Playing prior to Napoli's home encounter against Torino on Sunday, Inter succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat against Roma following Matias Soule's first-half strike.

A result that gave Napoli a huge lift going into the evening game, they didn't pass up the opportunity to take pole position in Serie A as a Scott McTominay double helped them claim three precious points. The Scudetto could now be heading to Naples for only the fourth time after their previous successes in 1986/87, 1989/90 and 2022/23.

It will be some achievement from Conte as well if they do claim the title after such a dreadful title defence 12 months ago that saw Napoli finish 10th in Serie A. The former Chelsea boss even said on the eve of the season that it could take at least sixth months for his new club to be competitive again.

However, with four games left to play they hold a three-point lead over their title rivals. The remaining fixtures look extremely kind to Conte and Napoli as they do not play a team higher than 13th in the standings in their final four games.

It's hard to see them passing up their lead and allowing Inter to come from behind to triumph, especially with Conte having a wealth of experience in getting his teams over the line. The Nerazzurri's run to the Champions League semi-finals could also have an impact on their title chances as they will be targeting European success after losing the final to Manchester City two years ago.

Amid Tottenham's struggles to get their hands on silverware after last winning a trophy back in 2008, there is a long list of players who have enjoyed success elsewhere having departed N17. That list could become even bigger next weekend with Harry Kane and Eric Dier on course to win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich as they hold an eight-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen with three games remaining.

Managers have also triumphed since departing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Conte in line to win Italy's top prize in his first season since returning to club management following his Spurs exit in March 2023. His departure followed an incredible press conference at Southampton where he pulled no punches as he let fly at his team and the club after surrendering a two-goal lead late on to draw 3-3 with Saints.

“I think it’s better to go into the problem, we are not a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch," he stated. "I see selfish players, players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart [into it]. This season compared to last, now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team you cannot improve.”

He later added: “It is easy in this way [playing without pressure or importance]. Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here.”

Napoli's 2-0 win over Torino came on the same day when Ange Postecoglou, Conte's Tottenham successor, saw his team thumped 5-1 at Liverpool. Tottenham remain 16th in the Premier League table after their Anfield embarrassment but the Australian, who is under huge pressure right now, does still have the chance to buck the trend of the Spurs head coaches before him failing to win a trophy.

The full focus in what remains of the season is on Tottenham winning the Europa League, with the first leg of their semi-final showdown against Bodo/Glimt coming in north London on Thursday night. Spurs can still finish the season on a positive note by winning the trophy in Bilbao but it's hard to escape from what has been a truly dreadful season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Conte, on the other hand, has enjoyed a remarkable campaign in Naples since a heavy defeat on the opening weekend at Hellas Verona and it may well end in Scudetto success.

There are set to be a number of absences from the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday night as Tottenham Hotspur host Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs' season will be defined by what happens in the Europa League and whether their campaign is purely remembered for their dismal Premier League form or whether 2025 becomes the year in which Ange Postecoglou led the north London club to finally end their trophy drought with a first piece of silverware in 17 years and what would be their first European trophy in 41 years.

Both sides will be hoping to go into Thursday evening's match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with their best possible starting XI but that already will not be the case for Boro/Glimt. Here's what players look set to be missing for Spurs and their Norwegian visitors for the first leg clash.

Tottenham

The main doubt for Spurs going into the game comes with captain Son Heung-min. The South Korean star's foot injury has kept him out for four matches now, including the victory in Frankfurt that took Tottenham into the semi-finals.

While Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday's defeat at Liverpool that Son was improving and was back in training, he kept things a bit more vague after the game, saying that the skipper was "touch and go" to face Bodo/Glimt in the first leg but should be available for the second leg in Norway the following week.

On the other players in the squad, Postecoglou added: "Yeah everyone is good. The ones who played all got through it ok. So in terms of Thursday, everyone should be fine."

That means only the injured Radu Dragusin and unregistered Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner will otherwise be unavailable as Postecoglou waits on the fitness of Son.

Bodo/Glimt

The visitors have problems galore when it comes to unavailable players and potential further ones out of action for Thursday night's match.

The Norwegian outfit have three players missing through suspension as captain Patrick Berg is out due to an accumulation of Europa League yellow cards as is his midfield partner Hakon Evjen. On top of that, forward Andreas Helmersen, who scored a big goal against Lazio, is also banned after he was sent off in that same game.

Manager Kjetil Knutsen has further worries as winger Ole Blomberg picked up an injury this month that meant he missed Sunday's 3-0 league win against KFUM and he will be a doubt for Thursday night's match.

Then in that victory on Sunday, centre-back Odin Bjørtuft was forced off in the 54th minute and left the pitch holding his groin. The 26-year-old has been a near ever-present for Bodo/Glimt this season and a key component of their successful Europa League run.

His team-mate Ulrik Saltnes spoke to reporters after the victory about the defender and said: "He was disappointed and told me that his groin was painful, but you can feel pain without that necessarily meaning it is something [bad]."

Knutsen added: "I do not know anything. I never enjoy a player laying down, but the medical staff are looking into it."

All eyes will be on what team Bodo/Glimt are able to put out in N17 on Thursday night.

We could well see an all-English Europa League final. Tottenham play host to Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their semi-final this Thursday, with Manchester United travelling to Bilbao to take on Athletic Club.

It is a huge opportunity for both Premier League sides to end what has been a dismal domestic campaign on a high.

Manchester United sit 14th in the Premier League with four games to go, while Spurs are two points and places behind in 16th. It has been a truly miserable season for both so-called big six sides and the Europa League is their only saving grace.

United have already got something of an advantage over Tottenham when it comes to the fixtures in the semi-finals.

Firstly, Ruben Amorim's men have the second leg at home at Old Trafford, something which is always seen as important when it comes to two-legged affairs.

Then, there's the fact that Spurs' opponents play on a 3G pitch - something Premier League clubs are not used to and will be a huge leveller in the Lilywhites' second leg clash.

There's also the fixture situation before the potential final showdown. United are currently set to travel to Chelsea on Friday, May 16 rather than having a weekend game. That would currently mean a two-day advantage over Tottenham, who are due to play Aston Villa on Sunday, May 18, should both teams make it to the final.

And now there's been another potential boost for United - there is a huge power cut in Spain right now.

Huge swathes of the country are without power on Monday, with reports coming in from Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, Sevilla, Bilbao and Cadiz that there is a complete blackout.

That is likely to have hit Bilbao's training plans hard, potentially throwing their plans into disarray ahead of their meeting with United on Thursday and they will be hoping it is resolved sooner rather than later.

Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham can now fully focus on Thursday's Europa League semi-final tie against Bodo/Glimt. While of course Spurs have had one eye on the European match ever since achieving a place in the final four earlier this month, the team have had two Premier League fixtures to contend with over the past week.

The second of those came on Sunday afternoon as Liverpool hit the north London club for five to wrap up the Premier League title. Postecoglou made a total of eight changes for the match at Anfield and even elected to leave Rodrigo Bentancur out of his matchday squad, which was a repeat of his decision involving Destiny Udogie last Monday against Nottingham Forest.

Tottenham did take the lead at Liverpool through Dominic Solanke but they were well beaten on the day as the Reds ran riot. Now having a few days to prepare for the Bodo/Glimt fixture, Son Heung-min will be the main topic of focus as he once again missed out due to a foot injury.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Postecoglou issued a fresh injury update on his player and discussed his potential participation in the fixture. "It'll be touch and go for Thursday," he said on Son. "He'll try hard. If [he's not ready] for the first game we think he'll be ready for the second game."

It's been an often-used criticism of the Premier League that they do not help their teams in Europe like other leagues across the continent do but they risk a number of problems if they do not look at rescheduling Tottenham's game against Aston Villa next month.

First off and to be clear, there's no presuming when it comes to Tottenham, especially during this otherwise dreadful season. It's certainly a big if over whether Spurs will get to the Europa League final because they face a Bodo/Glimt side in the semi-finals that, while facing up to five or six key players missing the first leg, has toppled plenty of big clubs this season in the competition with their football and their Aspmyra Stadion in particular proving to be a fortress.

However, the possibility of the north London side managing to seal their place in the final must be planned for in case it occurs and with Aston Villa losing their FA Cup semi-final to Crystal Palace so the Premier League game between Unai Emery's side and Spurs currently remains set for Sunday, May 18.

That would give Tottenham just three days to recover and prepare for a potential Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.

In a statement released on Sunday, Spurs said: "We should like to inform supporters that we are in discussions with the Premier League regarding a change in date to our away Premier League match against Aston Villa, currently scheduled for Sunday, 18 May."

Spurs are understood to have suggested a number of alternative dates in order to allow for a larger block of days to mentally and physically prepare for a potential showpiece final.

Villa are said to have opposed a move, having played matches every three to four days in April due to their Champions League and FA Cup games and they are also chasing a top five spot in the Premier League so want to prepare fully for the Spurs game. May's matches for Villa are all spaced out currently with one every seven to eight days.

A cynic might suggest that Villa will be well aware that if the Spurs game goes ahead on May 18 then Ange Postecoglou is likely to name a complete shadow XI of fringe players and young players, in order to protect the team he wants to play in the final. While that would benefit the home side at Villa Park, it's not exactly going to go down well with the others in the top five chase. It's diluting the Premier League product.

Villa's objection also reportedly includes an issue that the match, which is Villa's final home game of the season, is set to include a number of pre-planned family activities which will not be possible if it was to be an evening fixture.

Teams in other European leagues often get fixtures moved by their authorities to help them give their best in continental competition, because ultimately it reflects well on the domestic league if they succeed. AZ Alkmaar had similar assistance from the Eredivisie last month before playing Tottenham in the round of 16.

Athletic Club look set to get similar aid from La Liga if they can get past Manchester United in the other semi-final next month. The Bilbao side currently have a game at Valencia slated for May 18 but it is listed as 'to be determined'. Reports in Spain suggest La Liga could move that fixture a day back to Saturday May 17 at the least, and their previous game against Getafe would be pushed back as well.

The Premier League are often criticised by managers for not helping their teams when in Europe, with fixtures before and after games often in close proximity, and if they do not step in this time then they will also allow a situation where the Premier League schedule favours Manchester United should Ruben Amorim's side and Spurs both manage to reach the final in Spain.

That's because United are currently set to travel to Chelsea on Friday, May 16 rather than having a weekend game. That would currently mean a two-day advantage over Tottenham should both teams make it to the final, meaning the Premier League would have allowed one of their teams to have an advantage over another in a major European final, which would open them up to plenty of criticism.

Tottenham can propose a change and Villa can offer up their objections, as both appear to have done, but ultimately it is down to the Premier League to decide. Common sense must prevail.

Ange Postecoglou's excitement about the future for Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray was brought crashing back to reality in the present during the heavy defeat at Liverpool.

Postecoglou selected a team for Sunday's match that showed his focus is mainly on this Thursday night's Europa League semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt. Within the starting XI, the Australian named two teenagers in the midfield trio in Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray- in what could be a long-term future pairing for the club - alongside vice-captain James Maddison.

Dominic Solanke's header from James Maddison's corner early in the game gave Liverpool a shock but Spurs had just four minutes to hold their lead before Luiz Diaz scored from close range following a VAR offside check. Liverpool surged ahead through Alexis Mac Allister's powerful strike and Cody Gakpo's clinical finish.

Mohamed Salah's low effort and a Destiny Udogie own goal in the second half completed the demolition as Liverpool won the title in their own back yard.

For Tottenham it was a case of men against boys with the two midfielders both showing their inexperience at times against Arne Slot's side.

Our Spurs correspondent Rob Guest was at the match and handed Gray a three in his player ratings with the review: "Handed a rare chance in midfield and found it very tough at times against one of the Premier League's best midfield trios. Szoboszlai ran off him to tee up Diaz's opener and then he was outmuscled by Gravenberch for Mac Allister's goal midway through the first half, although it's fair to say it wasn't a great pass from Mathys Tel. Replaced at the break.£

Bergvall got a five with the report: "Active in midfield but produced a poor header from a corner that resulted in Gakpo making it three for the hosts. Kept going despite the scoreline as he tried to get the team moving forward."

Tottenham fans have been calling for Gray to finally get a chance in midfield, having spent much of the season filling in at centre-back during the absence of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, while also turning out as a full-back on both flanks at times.

While he impressed for Leeds in the midfield last season in huge games like the FA Cup tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, on this day it was a tough ask against the new champions and Postecoglou admitted that when speaking about his rejigged side for the encounter.

"We knew the challenge today was going to be a big one," said the Australian. "We had a really young midfield with Lucas and Archie and you're asking a massive task of them. Change three of the back four, all of these kind of things logically tell you it's going to be a tough day, but when you're facing the best team, and on such a massive occasion, it was always going to be a huge ask for us and it proved too much."

The young duo are not ready yet to pair up and the problem for Postecoglou is that Tottenham's recruitment strategy is one of signings teenagers for the future, and it's something he has publicly endorsed.

While there's no doubting the potential of teenage signings like Bergvall and Gray, or Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, or players like Luka Vuskovic and Yang Min-hyeok, Spurs cannot be expected to compete at the same level as a team like Liverpool right now if that is going to be their main policy.

Gray was Tottenham's second most expensive transfer of last summer but at £40m is very much still a work in progress at only 19-years-old. That Postecoglou knew it would be a tough day with two teenagers in the midfield, with another on the left wing, shows that £108.5 million of talent at Spurs means a very different thing than at other clubs who buy players for the now, rather than as a project.

The need to call upon inexperienced youngsters, who will naturally take time to settle into the level required of them and learn what it requires, means a longer path to success than many of Spurs' rivals.

When Postecoglou said recently that the club got it wrong with their squad earlier this season, leading to the injury crisis, you have to wonder whether he meant the type of transfers - although he continues to back the teenage squad overhaul - or whether he should have made more use of certain players remains to be seen.

For now, Postecoglou will have to make allowances for a young midfield that looked overawed and overmatched at Anfield and it could be a future manager who enjoys the benefit of Spurs' current transfer policy.

It was always going to be a case of how long Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham could keep Liverpool at bay following Dominic Solanke's surprise opener at Anfield. The striker's header against his former club was not in the script on a day when the Reds only needed a point to wrap up the Premier League title.

Putting in the work to win a corner off Ibrahima Konate in the 12th minute, the Spurs ace lost Luis Diaz as James Maddison swung in a pinpoint delivery and he found the corner of Alisson's goal in style. Tottenham would only hold the lead for a total of four minutes as Diaz restored parity from close range after a VAR check.

Dominik Szoboszlai took in Mohamed Salah's pass after running off Archie Gray far too easily, with Kevin Danso not spotting Diaz's run off his shoulder as the Colombian tapped home into an empty net. There would be some more poor Spurs play for Liverpool's second of the afternoon that was scored by Alexis Mac Allister.

Ryan Gravenberch outmuscled Gray in the box after a poor pass from Mathys Tel and the ball fell kindly into the path of the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man. Mac Allister duly did the rest with a rasping drive from the edge of the box that gave Guglielmo Vicario no chance.

Cody Gakpo was then to get in on the act prior to half-time after Spurs failed to clear a Mac Allister corner properly. Gakpo made light work of Brennan Johnson as both competed for the ball in the box and Solanke should have done better when sticking a leg out to stop the Dutchman prior to letting fly.

Salah was to have his say on the big occasion just past the hour mark as Liverpool countered at speed after substitute Dejan Kulusevski had lost possession on the edge of the Reds' area. The Swede was in a very good position but he continued to dally on the ball and in the end he was robbed of possession.

Djed Spence had put himself into a good area on the overlap down Spurs' right but he was ignored by his teammate. The full-back made his feelings perfectly clear at the time as Kulusevski elected against feeding him and then he did likewise after the hosts had sprinted all the way upfield and Salah found the bottom corner of Vicario's goal.

Spence was just over the halfway line at the time of Salah's goal and he put both his arms out in front of him and gestured angrily to his teammate that he should have passed him the ball. The 24-year-old was not impressed one bit and it was a decision that proved costly.

Spence was in no mood for the party celebrations that happened a bit later in the second half as a number of balloons made their way on to the pitch. A silver balloon in the shape of the Premier League trophy crossed his path and he duly burst it by stamping on it.

Liverpool fans didn't take too kindly to his actions and he was roundly booed by home supporters and the same actually happened to Wilson Odobert who repeated the trick on the other side of the pitch. It was the Reds who had the last laugh, though, as a Destiny Udogie own goal completed the scoring and saw Arne Slot's men crowned Premier League champions in convincing style.

Spurs' defending on the day was extremely poor and Liverpool could have actually scored more than the five they managed considering the amount of space they were afforded at times in key areas of the pitch. It remains to be seen if Spurs would have fared any better had Postecoglou opted to start first-choice duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven rather than resting them.

Making a total of eight changes to his Tottenham XI with Thursday's Europa League tie against Bodo/Glimt in mind, it proved to be another dreadful day for all connected with the club. Postecoglou was asked in his post-match press conference just how much of a concern is it that his team can produce a stunning performance like they did at Eintracht Frankfurt but then aren't able to compete in the same way when he changes his team in the league.

"It's not easy, it's not easy on the players because if you sort of look at Liverpool's line up you can almost pick it on a weekly basis," said the Australian. "I had made a lot of changes but I just felt it was necessary.

"A lot of our players have missed a lot of this season with injuries and it wasn't just about bringing them back but managing their minutes because obviously we want them ready. Guys like Micky and Romero today could have played but they've missed so much of the season that we've just got to be really careful about when we use them. Guys like Pedro [Porro] and [Rodrigo] Bentancur have played a lot this year.

"It has been a juggling act for sure and that hasn't helped the team, hasn't helped the players and when you're facing the best you pay that price."

Tottenham paid the price at Anfield on Sunday afternoon and they have to ensure that is not the case on Thursday when they host Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. Postecoglou will again make changes to his Spurs XI and that will likely see Romero, Van de Ven and others come straight back into the team.

If they are to get their hands on the Europa League trophy come Wednesday, May 21, they will have to defend so much better than they did at Anfield.

Has anybody counted if Tottenham are actually playing games with 11 players or not? They leave that much space across the pitch that it would be genuinely believable if you were told that they were a man down each week.

Such is the way that Ange Postecoglou sets his team to bomb forward at the first sign of possession, leaving huge gaps to attract opposition bodies before trying to carve through them, Tottenham manage to chuck players up front but remain totally exposed without offering much threat. Despite spreading around the field, there is never anybody close to the ball.

When the talent differential is so close in the Premier League and individual skill alone cannot carry a team through games, giving away this much room is a recipe for disaster. Tottenham simultaneously appear entirely disconnected and separate to themselves. In a sense it is the club as a whole.

Postecoglou is fighting (and also creating) fires in the public, calling out systematic failures and attacking the very fabric of English football (for right or wrong) whilst supporters hit out at the board and, specifically, Daniel Levy. The figures taking to the grass are barely extensions of this confusion.

At Anfield, as has been the case all season, Guglielmo Vicario threw his arms up, James Maddison ghosted around, Dominic Solanke tried to wrestle defenders on his own, and teenagers were left to try and glue it all together. Take injuries out of this for a second, Tottenham just look horrendously set up.

Who is this system benefiting? The backline is left with acres to cover, often one-on-one (at best, it's often an attacking overload) whilst the midfield sprints back - sometimes - after being sliced open. Liverpool, with more control and patience than under Jurgen Klopp, now have the perfect balance to exploit this.

They play through you and around you. They will, can, and do bulldoze when necessary. That wasn't needed here because Tottenham surrendered. Much like in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg earlier this season, Spurs simply folded.

Sure, they run hard (at times) and will at least try to attack relentlessly. Sometimes this causes carnage enough to get a goal. Maybe it shocks you but after 18 months of Postecoglou, this is not enough to remedy the issues it has created elsewhere. Not for long enough to win games.

When the principles of play and the system - the methods - are everything, there is nothing to build around or go off if confidence goes and quality leaves. Nobody expected Tottenham to do anything here and in a brutal way, scoring first and then capitulating was more on brand than merely rolling over.

The gutsy elements of the performance from Frankfurt would be needed tenfold at Anfield when the order of the day was title celebrations. In this charged atmosphere, there was a narrative to overwrite and then the rest.

Tottenham were never likely to actually make a difference. The day was not about them and bigger things are on the horizon. There is still a way to salvage this horrible season but only just. The Europa League will not excuse what has happened to any extent.

Postecoglou's personal stock has plummeted. There are Leeds United supporters saying he would be a downgrade on Daniel Farke (and a lot of them are not enamoured with him despite securing promotion this season), after links to taking over at Elland Road this summer.

When his team puts out a display like this it isn't hard to see why. The midfield, not only left to deal with Liverpool's own much more energetic, experienced, and dynamic trio, were hung out to try.

Archie Gray came in having played as a defender (either at right-back or in the middle) for most of the season. He is good in the tackle and composed on the ball but placing him at the base was a mistake.

Lucas Bergvall is the most comfortable when progressing from deep. He can take the ball with his back to goal and turn forward, passing through the lines or slinking between opponents himself if needed. The decision to have these two in different roles did not help Tottenham as they went up against Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch.

They cost £35million, £60million, and £35million again respectively. They played like a £130million midfield as well; they have done all season.

This is squad building and elite coaching at its most obvious. James Maddison, meanwhile, spent more time trying to help Destiny Udogie on the left side than linking with Mathys Tel.

In fact, Tel himself was back doing the dirty work but without much success. He and Maddison both played a part in Mac Allister's goal to complete a quick first-half turnaround. Maddison dribbled and turned around in his own third, by the touchline, Tel couldn't get it under control properly and fluffed his own clearance. Gray was out-muscled and then Bergvall was too slow to close down the shot.

It was a collection of errors and losses that summed up Tottenham on the day and in the season. Postecoglou was not too harsh afterwards. There are more important battles ahead.

"Look, we knew the challenge today was going to be a big one," he said. "We had a really young midfield with Lucas and Archie and you're asking a massive task of them. Change three of the back four, all of these kind of things logically tell you it's going to be a tough day, but when you're facing the best team, and on such a massive occasion, it was always going to be a huge ask for us and it proved too much."

Rodrigo Bentancur was left out of the squad ahead of the home semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday. That is what the season has come down to. Pape Matar Sarr came on at the break, as did Dejan Kulusevski. Maddison and Gray were the ones hooked.

The nice way to describe this would be resting and protecting them for Thursday. Maybe that is what it was anyway. The reality is that in Gray and Bergvall, Tottenham have two exceptional young players who are being asked to step up in an environment which does not support them.

It empowers them, but also makes them look monumentally silly at points. That is not the way to help them develop. They show personality and character but are also vulnerable to the system and their own teammates. It is damning that so much has been laid at their feet this season.

The lack of depth in midfield and defence means that a squad constructed by Daniel Levy and Johan Lange has turned to kids to try and mop up. They have done their best but these sorts of matches are wounding. They are harmful and too much, as this season has been, can be detrimental.

Tottenham have to hope this is not the case and that two extremely blessed footballers come out the other side stronger. Postecoglou has let them down. Tottenham have too. Levy is at the head of it. Lange is culpable as well. The whole thing is a mess and Liverpool hardly had to sweat in making a laughing stock out of it all.

Arsenal face a defining nine days after missing out on the Premier League title for the third consecutive season with Liverpool crowned champions after beating north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

The Gunners have sat second for the majority of the 2024/25 campaign with inconsistent results allowing Arne Slot's side to win the league with four games still to play. The Champions League has subsequently become the focus for Mikel Arteta and his players with a semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon.

New sporting director Andrea Berta will have also undoubtedly started working on deals for the summer transfer window. Viktor Gyokeres appears a main priority for Arsenal with a new Sporting CP message sent.

Matheus Cunha is another attacker of interest but there are numerous other potential suitors with an update on Manchester United's pursuit of the Wolves star revealed. With that in mind, football.london has rounded up the latest Arsenal transfer news and rumours.

Gyokeres message

Just hours after Arsenal watched Liverpool win the Premier League title, Sporting CP beat Boavista 5-0 in Portuguese league action on Sunday evening and unsurprisingly Gyokeres was on target.

Heading into the weekend, the Swede was on a staggering 48 goals for the season and he has now surpassed a half century by scoring four times. Arsenal undoubtedly need a goal-scorer and it is quite clear, regardless of where he is doing it, Gyokeres is exactly that.

football.london says: It is starting to become quite clear that Gyokeres and Arsenal are a perfect fit for several reasons.

Firstly, the low asking price makes it a very tempting deal to pursue especially as it looks increasingly likely that Alexander Isak will remain at Newcastle. Secondly, his scoring rate is simply ludicrous and there will likely be a desire for him to also prove he can do it in the Premier League.

Sporting are expected to sell and with other interested suitors focused on other matters, Arsenal could have a free run at signing him.

Cunha update

Manchester United look set to win the race for Cunha ahead of Newcastle United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal.

After signing a new contract at Wolves back in January, the Brazil international now has a release clause valued at £62.5million with Relevo claiming a verbal agreement has already been reached between him and United

football.london says: Cunha appears set for a move to Old Trafford and Arsenal are probably better off not hijacking that deal.

Firstly, it is difficult to see where he would fit into Mikel Arteta's tactical set up, whereas he would be perfect under Ruben Amorim. His poor discipline has also been on show this season with Arsenal likely wanting to avoid that alongside Arteta sanctioning moves for players that only want to join Arsenal.