The Boy Hotspur

Graeme Souness has slammed Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou for being too ‘naive’, mistaking braveness for stupidity.

Postecoglou has now been in charge of the Lilywhites for 16 months and there’s no doubt he has improved them during that time, leading them back to the Europa League with a fifth-place finish last season.

However, Spurs have also been prone to defensive collapses, most recently throwing away a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 3-2 against Brighton before the international break.

To say Postecoglou’s rein has been a rollercoaster would be understating it.

Reflecting on Postecoglou’s time in charge so far, Souness has accused the Australian of naivety, especially when it comes to his selection of backroom staff.

“He’s walked into Tottenham without bringing any of his own staff,” Souness said (via Spurs Web).

“Is he so naïve as to think he can trust any of the coaching staff he’s inherited not to go to the chairman with their tittle-tattle?

“I would not take a job and think I can just walk into it – it’s madness – you need to go in with people you trust because being a manager is lonely.”

Ange Postecoglou ‘lucky not brave’, says Souness

Souness also harked back to Tottenham’s 4-1 defeat at home to Chelsea last season.

Despite taking an early lead, Spurs were pegged back when Cristian Romero was shown a 33rd-minute red card, with Cole Palmer netting the resulting penalty.

Things got much worse from there, with Destiny Udogie being shown a second yellow card in the 55th minute, leaving Spurs facing over half an hour with just nine men.

Chelsea went on to score three more goals to seal an emphatic victory and, in reality, should have won by more.

Souness has slammed Postecoglou’s refusal to be pragmatic in that game, with Spurs instead still trying to take the game to Chelsea whenever they got the chance.

“When I think of Ange Postecoglou, I go back to that game against Chelsea where they got two players sent off and he still had them playing right up to the halfway line,” said Souness.

“The only time you can do that is when you’ve got 11 players on the pitch and the ball is constantly under pressure.

“The minute someone can get their head up, you’re in trouble. They could have conceded four or five more goals that game – I thought that was naïve. It’s naïve to talk like that and say that the more open the game is, the better it is. If they’d lost that game seven or eight goals to two, you’ve lost the players as a manager. He wasn’t brave that day, they got lucky.”

Darren Bent believes Dominic Solanke would have been a ‘hit’ had he signed for Arsenal instead of Tottenham Hotspur over the summer.

Spurs shelled out £65m (per BBC Sport) for Solanke over the summer after the striker netted 21 goals across all competitions for Bournemouth last season — including 19 in 38 Premier League appearances.

After an initially slow start with Spurs, disrupted by an ankle injury, Solanke has found his rhythm, notching three goals and two assists in his last four starts across all competitions.

Solanke’s form has earned him a recall to the England national team, making his first appearance for the Three Lions since 2017 in their 2-1 defeat to Greece on Thursday.

Despite the disappointing result, Solanke was able to provide the assist for Jude Bellingham’s equaliser just 15 minutes after coming on.

Could Dominic Solanke have been successful at Arsenal?

Everything appears to be trending in the right direction for Solanke at Spurs.

However, according to former Tottenham striker Darren Bent, the 27-year-old could just as easily have proven successful at fierce north London rivals Arsenal, who have reportedly been in the market for some time now.

“Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal. For sure,” Bent told talkSPORT (via TBR).

“Because he has got the right temperament, looks like he wants to continue improving, I have never heard any stories about him being a bad egg. Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal.”

The good times keep on rolling for Brennan Johnson, who has scooped Tottenham Hotspur’s Goal of the Month award for September.

Johnson was looking destined to become a Spurs failure but has re-ignited his career with six goals in six games after deciding to delete his social media in the face of online abuse.

One of those goals came after just three minutes to open the scoring as Spurs ran riot in a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Johnson’s chance arrived at the end of a barnstorming surge forward from centre-back Micky van de Ven, who tore the United defence open and put it on a plate for his Welsh teammate.

Brennan Johnson scoops Spurs award

Van de Ven’s role in the goal was what grabbed the headlines but ultimately, it was Johnson who put the ball in the back of the net.

As such, it’s Johnson who has been given Tottenham’s Goal of the Month award for September after Son Heung-min scooped the award in August for a strike against Everton also set up by Van de Ven.

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Johnson has scored another two goals since that United strike, helping Spurs beat Ferencvaros 2-1 in the Europa League before opening the scoring to give them a 2-0 half-time lead at Brighton.

Of course, the Lilywhites conspired to throw that lead away, losing 3-2 at the Amex Stadium.

Up next for Spurs is a home clash with London rivals West Ham United following the international break.

Michael Dawson has hailed the form of Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson following his recent goalscoring run.

Johnson looked destined to be a flop with the Lilywhites and took the decision to delete his social media following the abuse he received following the 1-0 defeat to north London rivals Arsenal in September.

But since then, Johnson has come to life, netting six goals in six consecutive appearances across all competitions, three of which have been opening goals.

If Johnson can continue in this fashion for the rest of the season, he may well save his Spurs career and establish himself as one of the Premier League’s most potent wingers.

Dawson praises in-form Spurs star Brennan Johnson

Johnson’s form has certainly caught the attention of ex-Spurs centre-back Dawson, who is thrilled with the ‘confidence’ being shown by the Wales international.

“This is something we haven’t seen an awful lot from Brennan Johnson in a Spurs shirt,” Dawson reflected following Johnson’s recent goalscoring performance in the 3-2 defeat to Brighton (via Spurs Web).

“He can come in off that right, he can end up in the middle of the 18-yard box and I think that showed a player full of confidence. Six in six.

“We saw him in the north London derby and after the game he got an awful lot of criticism on social media. He deleted that and, for me, it seems like it’s the best thing because he has gone on to score six in six. Brennan is off that and we are starting to see what I saw an awful lot at Nottingham Forest. He was scoring goals and playing with confidence – a very good return for him.”

Club insider Paul O’Keefe has shared an update on summer signing Wilson Odobert, who has been out with a hamstring injury during the Carabao Cup tie against Coventry City last month.

The injury saw the young forward leave the pitch after just 18 minutes, and he has subsequently missed six games since.

Paul O’Keefe last week shared an update on Odobert’s condition, explaining that the winger is facing a longer recovery period, suggesting that he could be out for another six weeks.

However, his latest update is a positive one. He has now claimed on X that there is hope that the 19-year-old could return to training with the squad next week.

Odobert, who joined Spurs from Burnley earlier in August for a reported fee of €29.3 million, made an impressive debut in a 4-0 victory over Everton, showcasing glimpses of his talent and future potential. However, he has been unable to build on that performance due to his injury setback.

He expressed his disappointment in a recent interview and stated that he is working hard to recover.

Tottenham’s next game is against West Ham after the international break and Spurs will hope to bounce back from their shock defeat to Brighton with a win against Julen Lopetegui’s side.

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has highlighted a key tactical flaw in the team’s defensive approach.

After a slow start to the season, Tottenham had managed to turn things around with five wins in a row across competitions. Just when it looked like Ange Postecoglou’s team were back at their best, they suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton.

The fact that they had a 2-0 lead at half-time and still ended up on the losing side has been hard for the fans to digest and the international break couldn’t have come at a worse time as they have been left mulling over that defeat. Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle has pointed out a major issue at the back that could have played a big part in their defeat to Brighton.

In a recent Premier League Productions appearance, the football pundit said via SpursWeb: “The full-back is advanced of [Timo Werner]. If you lose that ball now, then you are in trouble. [Destiny] Udogie is trying to get back. He gets back, fortunately, and they win the ball again. But that happened quite a lot in the second half.

“Then they have handed the ball over again and your fullbacks are all out of position – for me, the two full-backs going in works when the ball is further up the pitch, in the middle third and the attacking third. I can understand how that catches people out.”

Hoddle highlighted the fact that Spurs full-backs tend to push up the field and get into advanced positions even when the ball is deep in their own half. While it can surely catch opposition defences by surprise, they can find themselves in deep trouble if they end up losing the ball while trying to play it out from the back.

During the second half against Brighton, Tottenham lost the ball on quite a few occasions with both their full-backs in a very advanced position and they did pay the price. It is quite understandable to see the full-backs join the attack when the ball is in the middle third or the attacking third but Spurs tend to take way too much of risk which has led to their own downfall. While a slight tactical adjustment could help, Postecoglou doesn’t seem to be the kind of manager who will change his style irrespective of the results.

Tottenham are considering a January move for Espanyol star Javi Puado.

The North London club have had a mixed start to the new season. They haven’t been able to take the next step under Ange Postecoglou despite making some key additions to their team during the summer. Now, the club could look at the winter window to reinforce their squad.

According to Football Transfers, Tottenham are closely monitoring Javi Puado’s situation at Espanyol and could make a move to sign him when the window reopens in January as they consider adding more firepower to their attack.

Puado played a massive role in helping Espanyol gain promotion to La Liga and now he has been doing wonders for them in the Spanish top flight. The 26-year-old left-winger has three goals in his eight outings and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. The Spanish international’s contract situation has played a big part in all the interest in his services.

His deal runs out at the end of the season and Spurs are looking at him as an option to reinforce their attack in the short term. While they have their eyes on Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo, the duo are unlikely to be available in the winter. But with Puado’s contract running out, they can knock on Espanyol’s door with a low-ball offer and test their resolve.

The 26-year-old could be a cost-effective option in the upcoming window and he could turn out to be a long-term replacement for Son Heung-min who will be 33 before the start of next season.

Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Jacob Ramsey’s situation at Aston Villa.

Jacob Ramsey has come up the ranks at Aston Villa. He made his debut for them at the age of 17 when they were still in the EFL Championship. The English attacking midfielder has gone from strength to strength over the years but his future at Villa doesn’t look certain.

The club could look to cash in on him next summer and according to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are one of the clubs that are closely monitoring his situation and would pounce on a chance to sign him.

While the North London club already have James Maddison in their squad, they want to bring in someone who can compete with him for a place in the starting XI. Ramsey’s versatility could be a huge boost as he can even feature as a central midfielder or on the left flank when needed. He is only 23 and will only get better with time which makes him an ideal fit for Spurs’ new project that has been focusing on signing young players with huge potential.

While Ramsey has had an incredible rise at Villa, he is not yet a regular feature in their team and they are considering cashing in on their homegrown star. With his contract running out in 2027, they consider the next summer window to be an ideal time to make the most out of a potential sale. They want to raise around £50 million from his departure. While he will still have two years left on his deal next summer, Villa do not want to see his value depreciate.

Tottenham are keen on his signature but they will have to compete with rivals Newcastle United and Arsenal who are also interested in the English youth international.

Napoli have been urged to forget about Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin and sign free agent Sergio Ramos instead.

Former Spurs manager who now manages the Italian giants is reportedly keen on bolstering his defence with the signing of the Romanian international.

Conte has spent nearly €150m on transfers since taking over the Napoli job, signing the likes of Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku Billy Gilmour, and David Neres among others.

And he has eyes set on more signings in the January transfer window, with the Tottenham defender one of the names reportedly being considered.

However, Italian journalist Enrico Fedele believes Conte should sign Sergio Ramos, who is available on a free transfer and will bring in much more value and experience than Dragusin.

Speaking on the Marte Sport Live programme, he said (via Area Napoli):

“Would I think about Radu Dragusin, who plays little at Tottenham? Too young, I would go for someone experienced,”

“Who? It’s a former Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos. Hasn’t played for months? He would come to bring his character traits; he would do like Burgnich of the past. In Napoli I don’t see charismatic players, like Reina and Albiol could have been in the past, for example.”

Tottenham signed Dragusin in the January transfer window, beating Bayern Munich to his signature. However, he has found regular game time hard to come, given that he is behind Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero in the pecking order.

He did start in the Europa League match against Qarabag in the absence of the suspended Romero, but it was a nightmare game for him as he was sent off inside the first 10 minutes.

While his talent is unquestionable, it is very unlikely that he will get regular playing time ahead of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. This could perhaps prompt him to seek a move away in the near future. Whether Antonio Conte raids on his former club or not remains to be seen.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly set their sights on Viktoria Plzeň’s talented attacking midfielder, Pavel Sulc, as per TBR Football.

The 23-year-old has been turning heads across Europe, attracting attention from both Spurs and fellow Premier League side Aston Villa with his stellar performances this season.

Sulc has swiftly become a standout player in the Czech league, known for his ability to both score and create goals. During the 2023-24 campaign, he enjoyed a breakthrough season, scoring 22 goals and providing 8 assists in 49 matches. This standout season cemented his reputation as one of European football’s rising stars.

This season, Sulc has continued his impressive form, already notching 6 goals and 3 assists in just 16 appearances.

His contributions have been vital for Viktoria Plzeň, helping the club maintain its competitive edge, and catching the eye of top clubs looking to bolster their attacking options.

Plzeň manager Miroslav Koubek has recently acknowledged the potential of Sulc being sold, hinting that the club could be open to negotiations for the right price.

With the Czech midfielder entering the penultimate year of his contract, Tottenham may see an opportunity to secure his signature next summer.

As Spurs continue to strengthen their squad under Ange Postecoglou, Sulc’s versatility and impressive goal-scoring record make him an attractive prospect.

His addition could provide Tottenham with increased creativity in midfield and an extra attacking edge as they aim to push for success in the upcoming seasons.