Football London

It feels like I've written this before, but once again Tottenham Hotspur's season comes down to the next week of action.

Forget West Ham on Sunday - which seems inconceivable to say given the nature of the rivalry - because in this disastrous of all disastrous seasons for Spurs, that London derby has little consequence whatsoever.

In fact, next Thursday's trip to Norway will mean very little if Spurs do not get the job done at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.

It's Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final tonight and it means everything.

We Spurs fans have been starved of success for much of the Premier League era. Two League Cup wins are the only silverware we can look back on in the last 34 years.

As one of the so-called big six in the Premier League, that is unacceptable.

Bodo/Glimt have won the Norwegian league for the last two seasons, but they are the first team from Norway to ever reach the last four of a European competition. That is what Spurs are up against.

It should not be a tough assignment, but Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio all would have thought the same, all having fallen in Bodo/Glimt's wake.

There is no question that Tottenham will not take this lightly, after all, we're 16th in the Premier League table. The Norwegians are probably looking at it and thinking the hard work was done against Lazio and this is a far easier contest.

While things domestically have not gone to plan, particularly at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs have impressed, particularly at home, in the Europa League.

A 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the last 16 was followed up by a 1-1 draw with Frankfurt in the quarter-finals - a draw that could easily have ended in a two or three goal margin of victory for the Lilywhites.

That was possibly one of the performances of an otherwise dismal campaign and the return in Germany - a 1-0 win to see them into this stage of the competition - was a performance full of grit and determination not often seen this year.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou and the players have spoken about still being able to achieve "something special" this season and that is very much the case. Winning a trophy, any trophy, is something Spurs supporters have craved for years. It would be special, that is for sure, but it should not save the Australian from the sack.

Will it make up for the season we've had in the Premier League? Absolutely not. It's been a complete shambles. And it should end with Postecoglou being relieved of his duties.

The players need the crowd tonight, although I can almost guarantee an incredible atmosphere, despite the apathy towards the team this season. But on the flip side, the crowd need the players to step up and be counted.

After a dismal season, it all comes down to these two - hopefully three - games in Europe. The supporters deserve more, much, much more than the head coach and the players have given them this season. Tonight is the night to show it.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season rests on the Europa League. There’s no other way of putting it with a semi-final against Bodo/Glimt now just hours away.

Spurs have had a season to forget on the domestic side. They are out of all the cup competitions and sit in a lowly 16th place in the Premier League table.

A 5-1 away loss against Liverpool over the weekend was less-than-ideal preparation for Thursday night’s first leg. It was Spurs’ third Premier League defeat in a row, following losses against Wolves and Nottingham Forest the previous two weeks.

But, however disappointing the domestic campaign has been, success in the Europa League would go a long way to reducing the campaign. Winning the tournament wouldn’t just bring some much needed silverware to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but it would also mean that Tottenham would be playing Champions League football next season.

That would be a big boost both financially and as well as attracting players in the summer transfer market. Concentration for the final weeks of the season will therefore be on Spurs’ European games, despite there still being four Premier League games remaining.

For Tottenham, the first of those is at the London Stadium against West Ham United on Sunday (2pm kick-off). The game sees Spurs come up against the team directly below them in the league table.

It’s hardly an ideal scenario for Ange Postecoglou in between the two legs of their semi-final vs Bodo/Glimt. It leaves the Spurs boss with a dilemma over his team selection for the game against West Ham.

In an ideal world, Postecoglou would make wholesale changes to rest players for the second leg. But, if that happens and Spurs lose, a fourth loss in a row, would see them drop down to 17th place in the Premier League table.

That is bound to increase the pressure on the Tottenham boss amid talk over his future, and not help the mood around the club., especially if that fourth loss in a row comes against the club's London rivals.

West Ham's supporters would love to beat Spurs and leave them only one place above the relegation zone. However, Spurs will also want to avoid injuries and make sure that key players are fresh for the second leg against Bodo/Glimt.

Unlike Tottenham, the Norwegian side are not in action next weekend, meaning that they have a full week to rest, recover and prepare for the second leg.

While that’s something Spurs would love, they will instead have to strike the right balance at the London Stadium, which is not always easy to do.

"No, he won't feature tomorrow night."

The first words from Ange Postecoglou's press conference ahead of Tottenham's huge UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg with Bodo/Glimt.

Those words were in response to a question about captain Son Heung-min's fitness. The Spurs skipper will miss the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having missed the previous four matches with a foot injury.

Son has missed defeats to Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool in the Premier League as well as the solitary win since he has been out - the Europa League quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.

His absence will leave Postecoglou with a decision to make in his front line against the Norwegian side on Thursday night. football.london takes a look at how Spurs could lineup.

Tel again

Mathys Tel is really starting to have an impact in games now he has got a run of matches under his belt, scoring in the defeat to Wolves and looking a threat

The Frenchman has started every game on the left of the front three in Son's absence and is the likely choice to get the nod again against Bodo/Glimt.

He is still looking for his first Europa League goal and his first assist in Spurs colours.

Odobert or Richarlison

Waiting in the wings are Wilson Odobert and Richarlison. Both back from injury, the duo have shown they can play off the left-hand side, although Richarlison would prefer to be through the middle.

Postecoglou could decide to go with a bit of pace in choosing Odobert, who caused AZ Alkmaar all sorts of trouble in the last 16 encounter.

Alternatively, there is the strength and hold-up play of Richarlison in a wider position.

Two strikers

Looking for goals late on against Forest, Postecoglou made the decision to go two up top, with Dominic Solanke joining Richarlison, with it being a four-pronged attack with Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel on the flanks.

It almost worked too, with the all-out attack approach seeing Richarlion head home a pinpoint Pedro Porro cross. Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski also had big chances in the match that could have delivered a point.

Spurs have hardly played two up top all season, however, and it would seem an unlikely match in which to start playing that way, even if the Australian's other system has struggled to work in a disappointing campaign.

Mathys Tel could be in line for a fifth successive start on Thursday evening when Tottenham host Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League. Son Heung-min will once again miss out due to a foot injury and that looks set to play into Tel's hands as Spurs attempt to gain an advantage going into next week's second leg in Norway.

The Frenchman has certainly not set the world alight since joining Tottenham on loan from Bayern Munich but he has looked much sharper and better for an increase in pitch time of late. The 20-year-old did more than play his part in the Europa League win at Eintracht Frankfurt last time out as he contributed both in defence and attack to Spurs recording a memorable victory in Germany.

In his following game at home to Nottingham Forest, the attacker took the game to the East Midlands club and was involved in eight of his team's ten attempts on goal in the first half of the 2-1 defeat. As things stand at present, he has three goals in 14 appearances for Tottenham since joining from Bayern Munich.

However, his most important contribution to date could just be around the corner. Tottenham have six games in the campaign remaining, with a seventh added to the calendar if they reach the Europa League final, and that gives the player ample time to strengthen his case for a permanent transfer to N17.

As part of the loan agreement with Bayern, Tottenham have the option to sign the France Under-21 international for £45.7million in the summer if they so wish. Whether they do or not in the months ahead remains to be seen.

Ange Postecoglou does have plenty of options when it comes to the wide areas in his team on Thursday evening amid the absence of Son. Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison and Mikey Moore are all available to the head coach in addition to Tel.

Postecoglou's past four team selections would seem to suggest that the loanee will be his choice on the left. Another start for Tel will give him the chance to build on the relationship he is currently forming with James Maddison.

As Tottenham's No.10 operates on the left side of the pitch for Spurs, he has the opportunity to link up with Tel and try and influence things in the final third as they look to shoot the team to Europa League glory. Maddison was in fact in front of the media at Hotspur Way on Wednesday afternoon and he was asked about Tel's development and whether he would pay the required money to sign him permanently.

"I haven't got £45million," quipped the attacking midfielder. "He's been very good since he's come in, I think. When he first came in, we had a few injuries, so he was playing as a No.9 and he's played off the left as well.

"Direct player. He's got good feet and he's very tricky. He can definitely be someone who scores goals. Sometimes you see wide players who are goalscorers and wide players who are one-v-one specialists. The top players have both. I think he's definitely a goalscorer, he can be a threat. And I think he's done well.

"He hasn't played an awful amount but recently he's been in the team more. For myself playing from that left side of midfield in central, we've grown a little bit more of a relationship and understanding of what kind of player he is. I know Sonny, I know what Sonny's going to do there, what I expect from him. I think that's grown with Matty off the left. I think there's a real good player there."

Goals are going to prove crucial on Thursday evening and the hope will be that Tel can contribute to that as Tottenham look to seize the initiative in the first leg. Amid the question marks surrounding who he will be playing for come August, Tel may have three opportunities to write his name in Spurs folklore as the team target a Europa League triumph in Bilbao this month.

Ange Postecoglou is facing a number of Tottenham team selection calls for the Europa League semi-final first leg against Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs have endured a nightmare 2024/25 season but it could, ultimately, be looked back on as being successful if their 16-year trophy drought is ended. Having beaten AZ Alkmaar and Eintracht Frankfurt, Postecoglou's squad find themselves in the last-four of a European competition.

Bodo/Glimt, meanwhile, defeated Olympiacos and Lazio while Athletic Bilbao and Manchester United will contest the other semi-final. Owing to freezing temperatures in Norway, the Scandinavian side are at the very start of their domestic season.

Given what awaits away from home, the Lilywhites will be aiming to secure a huge lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before heading over to the arctic circle - to play on an artificial turf that Bodo/Glimt have not lost on since last November.

However, Kjetil Knutsen could be without some key players due to injury with Ole Blomberg, Daniel Bassi and Odin Bjortuft all suffering issues lately, but there is optimism some returns can occur. "We're testing them today [Wednesday], either they are ready to play or be ready to be part of the squad," he revealed at a press conference.

"If they aren't ready then someone else will play, that is football, you will have to [wait and] see." As for Patrick Berg, Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen, they are all suspended for the first leg.

Postecoglou has no players that are banned due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but club captain Son Heung-min will remain absent through injury.

Mathys Tel has impressed off the left in his absence - and will likely continue there - but Postecoglou is still facing some big decisions at full-back and on the opposite wing. Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro are vying for two spots while Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert are battling for one.

While the final decision won't be confirmed until around 7pm this evening, some of those selections have been hinted at by the club on social media.

In their pre-match graphic, posted to both X and Instagram, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie are all pictured. The latter's inclusion suggests he will be at left-back, while Pedro Porro - rested against Liverpool - will be deployed at right-back.

Maddison and Kulusevski being included also hints the Swede will be on the right while Maddison pulls the strings in midfield likely in front of Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur.

It is hardly confirmation of those big calls but that structure and personnel does seem to be the strongest set-up Postecoglou can put out with the likes of Spence, Odobert and Johnson on the subs bench.

Tottenham go into tonight's huge UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg clash with Bodo/Glimt grateful that a number of players are not walking a suspension tightrope.

It is a massive game in Tottenham's campaign and history as they face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.

With the Lilywhites in 16th place in the Premier League, the Europa League is the only thing that can save the season now and potentially Ange Postecoglou's job with the north Londoners.

The Australian has been under increasing pressure in N17 given Spurs' horrific domestic form and there are reports he could be sacked even if he does win the Europa League later this month.

Apart from captain Son Heung-min, Postecoglou should have a pretty strong squad from which to choose in the first leg, and that has been helped by a lack of suspensions going into the semi-final double header.

Under UEFA rules, Article 52.04 states: "All yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals."

That means that all yellow cards were wiped out at the conclusion of the Eintracht Frankfurt quarter-final. Spurs had headed into the second leg with the German side with three players on a tightrope, having already picked up two bookings.

Yves Bissouma, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall had been shown two yellows in the competition, but avoided being shown a third during the second leg clash with Frankfurt, therefore avoiding a suspension for this semi-final first leg clash.

The UEFA rule also helped out Rodrigo Bentancur.

While in the Premier League suspensions happen at the five, ten and 15 mark for yellow cards, in European competitions they happen at the three, five and seven mark. Receiving three yellow cards typically results in a one-match suspension.

Bentancur has already served a ban in the Europa League this season after picking up three cautions and he picked up a fourth during the quarter-final second leg against Frankfurt.

Those four have now been wiped out, however and he is not in any danger of a ban for a fifth yellow card. The only way players can be banned now is for being sent off in one of the encounters.

Bodo/Glimt could end up being without five key players for the impending Europa League semi-final clash against Tottenham. The first leg will take place this evening at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the second leg scheduled for the following week in Norway.

In the lead up to that European clash, Bodo/Glimt have been dealt a far worse hand than Spurs regarding injuries and suspensions. Radu Dragusin has already been ruled out for the rest of the season but there was a tense wait on Son Heung-min.

The Tottenham captain has missed the last few games with a foot issue and will remain absent - as confirmed by Ange Postecoglou - despite returning to outdoor training last week.

"No, he won't feature tomorrow night," the Spurs manager admitted in a press conference. "He's training, but he's still separate from the group. He is improving and hopefully we can get him back sooner rather than later."

In terms of positive news, meanwhile, Postecoglou has welcomed Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Kevin Danso back into the fold, while also keeping Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven fit. It has been a vastly different story for the Norwegian champions, however, with a triple blow already confirmed.

During their quarter-final second leg against Lazio in Italy, captain Patrick Berg and fellow central midfielder Hakon Evjen both picked up yellow cards which will see them suspended for the fixture in north London.

Andreas Helmersen, who scored the crucial goal in extra-time to send the clash to penalties, was also sent off which means he will be forced to serve a one-match ban. Four days on from that huge victory, another major concern arrived.

Just 14 minutes into their Eliteserien clash against Molde, Ole Blomberg was forced with a foot injury and he was later seen leaving Aker Stadium with a protective boot on. He unsurprisingly missed the next two games and fresh concerns arrived in both of those.

Though a rotated starting XI was deployed for the 5-1 cup victory over Junkeren, some key players were involved with right-back Daniel Bassi forced off at half-time. This past Sunday, he was absent from the squad that beat KFUM Oslo at the same time Spurs were put to the sword by Liverpool.

Fifty-three minutes into that 3-0 win, another integral part of Bodo/Glimt's spine became a major doubt as central defender Odin Bjortuft was taken off with an injury. However, the prognosis on those issues is not as bad as first feared with Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen issuing a rather cryptic update

"We're testing them today [Wednesday], either they are ready to play or be ready to be part of the squad," he revealed. "If they aren't ready then someone else will play, that is football, you will have to [wait and] see."

The suspension blows are very clear, however, with Berg, Evjen and Helmersen, all set to miss out and therefore it was no surprise that all three started at the weekend but star striker Kasper Hogh was on the bench.

The Bodo/Glimt talisman has struggled with injury in the past and was therefore rested but he came off the bench and even scored a seven-minute brace.

Tottenham Hotspur take on their biggest game of the season so far when they host Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Spurs will need to put on a big display in front of what is set to be a noisy crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the suspension and injury-hit Norwegian side come to town. Tottenham in contrast have only captain Son Heung-min out along with long-term absentee Radu Dragusin.

"No, [Son] won't feature tomorrow night. He is out training but is still separate from the group. He is improving and hopefully we can get him back sooner rather than later," head coach Ange Postecoglou said on Wednesday afternoon.

That still gives Postecoglou a near full complement of players to choose his side from with a bench set to be packed with plenty of stars who can change the game as well. Spurs need to restore the good feeling around the club after a poor result at Liverpool continued their rotten form in the Premier League during this campaign.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon Postecoglou will select to face Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night in a big semi-final clash in north London:

Yves Bissouma has had a watching brief from the substitutes' bench in four of Tottenham's last five games. In the match he played, the Mali international was hooked on 55 minutes during the 4-2 defeat at Wolves.

That has unfortunately been the story of Bissouma's season. He has gone from an undroppable in Ange Postecoglou's team to a bit-part role.

That may well result in an exit from north London as this summer will see him enter the final year of his contract. Apart from the first few months of Postecoglou's Tottenham tenure, Spurs have never seen the very best of the player who wowed at the heart of Brighton & Hove Albion's midfield.

It is a move that just hasn't work out and it will likely take a transfer away to get back to his previous levels. The head coach's team selection in Tottenham's past two Premier League outings has said an awful lot about the 28-year-old's current status in north London.

Heavily rotating his team with Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt in mind, Bissouma was the only outfield player involved in the past two matchday squads not to get a single minute of action to his name against either Nottingham Forest or Liverpool. Antonin Kinsky was the other player not to feature as a result of Postecoglou sticking with Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks.

It paints a very bleak picture for Bissouma at Tottenham currently. After missing out on minutes against Forest, Bissouma was again named on the bench at Liverpool as Archie Gray started in the holding role.

It was only Gray's second Premier League start in midfield for Spurs and it proved to be a torrid afternoon for him as he really struggled coming up against arguably the league's best midfield trio. The 19-year-old was replaced at the break as Pape Matar Sarr entered the fray and Dejan Kulusevski replaced James Maddison.

Despite Liverpool's superiority in the game and their ability to create chances at will as they looked to add to the three goals they had already scored, Postecoglou had the option of bringing Bissouma on to shore things up but he elected against that change. It has been some fall for Bissouma during the Australian's Tottenham reign as he has gone from playing near enough 90 minutes week in, week out to a severely restricted role.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the former Lille ace started 26 of his 28 appearances for Tottenham. It is a different story altogether this season as he has started 23 times from 37 games. What is even more damning is that he has only completed the full 90 minutes in three of his 24 Premier League outings.

There have been a handful of occasions where he has started and duly made way at the break having not done enough in his game time. A lack of match sharpness and poor form may have contributed to that scenario constantly playing out but he is simply not performing in his minutes to remedy the situation and put an end to it for good.

Tottenham have six games remaining in the 2024/25 campaign as things stand at present, with an extra game set to be added to the calendar providing they beat Bodo/Glimt to reach the Europa League final. Quite how much football Bissouma plays in that time remains to be seen.

Sunday's game at West Ham will present Postecoglou with the opportunity to rotate his team after the Bodo/Glimt first leg fixture and the same goes for the following weekend when they host Crystal Palace in N17. Going on his past two team selections, there is certainly no guarantee that Bissouma is handed any minutes if the Forest and Liverpool picks are anything to go by.

As has been the case over the past month, the midfielder may have to contend with a watching brief from the bench once again.

James Maddison has stressed the importance of creating a positive environment for Tottenham's youngsters in wake of Sunday's 5-1 humbling at Liverpool. Spurs did take the lead early on at Anfield through Dominic Solanke but they were well beaten on the day as the Reds secured the Premier League title in style.

Tottenham's defeat was their 19th of the Premier League campaign and it leaves them one point above West Ham in 17th with four games remaining. Now preparing for their biggest game of the season as they host Bodo/Glimt in a Europa League semi-final on Thursday night, Maddison is well aware of the role he has in the squad given he is vice-captain.

Due to Ange Postecoglou having a very young squad at his disposal, Maddison has opened up on the need to inject some positivity and not dwell on what was a very "embarrassing" result at Liverpool

"It's a balancing act and it's part of my role as a senior player. You want to feel the hurt and the embarrassment of how Sunday went. Because losing any game 5-1 is a little bit embarrassing and Liverpool obviously won the Premier League on the day, so it was a very negative day for us as a club," said the attacking midfielder in his pre-match press conference.

"But my job as a senior player is to not accept the fact that we were poor and we can't go forward like that, because the league is important - it gives you the momentum to take into Europe. But also just trying to put it to one side and I said that post-match. Especially because we have a lot of young players you need positivity.

"You need them to be feeling good and ready to go into Thursday. If we're dwelling on Sunday for too long, it's a quick turnaround, it's only a few days' preparation. So yeah, trying to get them feeling positive again and get a nice feel about the group.

"So like I said it's a balancing act. You want to feel the hurt of Sunday but it's a quick turnaround so it's my job as a senior player to get the positivity back into us as a group so we're ready for Thursday and can go in confident."

When he was asked how he feels after a bad result like the one at Liverpool, he added: "I don’t feel personally responsible because it is collective. It is everyone. No-one in the whole club - from top to bottom - can be satisfied internally, to be satisfied with where we are.

"It definitely hurts. The hurt, it is a tough one. Like I said, I had to do an interview at Liverpool on Sunday and we have lost 5-1. It is a little bit embarrassing, I am a bit embarrassed myself and you have to go and talk.

"And I know no-one actually wants to hear what I have got to say because they want to see the reaction. And get the reaction. And that is the chance we have on Thursday night which is the beauty of the quick turnaround because we can go and put it right on Thursday if we get a good result.

"And then in seven days time we have got another massive game and if we get through that, we are in a European final so there are positives there. But we have got to go and do it and we have got to show them we are just as hungry as they are to win something."