TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur may now feel as if more should have been done of the summer transfer window to bolster their squad.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure in north London is coming under real pressure with Tottenham struggling to nail down any consistency.

Postecoglou has held transfer meetings with Johan Lange already ahead of the January transfer window amid Tottenham’s struggles.

And it seems there could be work done next month in advance of the summer window with free transfers on the radar at Hotspur Way.

TBR Football understands that Jonathan David and Angel Gomes are both on Tottenham’s radar and talks with representatives have taken place ahead of possible free transfers in the summer.

Tottenham hold Angel Gomes and Jonathan David talks

Spurs have been following both for a lengthy period and the chance to land both, is something the club are looking closely at.

Both players have confirmed to Lille they are leaving at the end of the season when their contracts expire.

It is believed, David is keen to join the Premier League in the summer when his contract with Lille comes to an end.

David netted his 100th goal for Lille over the weekend as he scored twice in their victory over Brest.

The chance of landing David and Gomes on free transfers is proving too enticing for many Premier League clubs to resist.

But Fabio Paratici has recommended David to Tottenham in the past as he could now provide competition for Dominic Solanke.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United also interested in Jonathan David

Tottenham are not alone in their interest in both players from Lille with a host of Premier League sides set to compete for their signatures.

Manchester United also appreciate the pair, and that could be firmed up with Christopher Vivell taking a more hands on role as he is known to be particularly keen on the duo. Likewise, Arsenal also like both players.

Indeed, England international Gomes is garnering more and more interest from around the Premier League and we understand that Manchester City and Liverpool are also monitoring his situation closely.

It has been a frustrating two weeks for Tottenham Hotspur who have seen their season hit some serious turbulence.

After emphatically beating Manchester City in the Premier League, Tottenham are now four games – across all competitions – without a win.

Questions are now beginning to be asked with Jamie O’Hara expecting Ange Postecoglou to be sacked sooner rather than later.

There’s a growing frustration around the club and that has seen Pedro Porro delete his social media accounts following a backlash from some Spurs fans.

But there is one constant in the struggles which Tottenham have endured and that remains Daniel Levy.

Tottenham received Daniel Levy warning 24 years ago

It has now been 24 years since Levy and ENIC have been at the helm in north London and there has been plenty of change.

The club’s infrastructure has been drastically improved, but the football has not necessarily done the same in recent years.

Speaking to One Football back in 2000, AEK’s chairman, Cornelius Sierhuis shared his concerns for Spurs fans after Enic’s takeover.

“Their investments in football clubs have failed, with the exception of Vicenza thanks to an exceptionally clever manager, and all largely because of an inability or unwillingness to fund in accordance with their stakes,” he told One Football (via The Guardian).

Now five years since the opening of the new stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains without naming rights.

And five years on from Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking, the Lilywhites look no better off having failed to get their hands on any silverware under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

What Jamie Carragher has told Levy to do at Tottenham

Alan Shearer slammed the attitude of Tottenham players following their capitulation against Chelsea on the weekend.

Sunday’s loss saw Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher call for change at the top as things look to be turning for the worse, as far as Postecoglou is concerned.

“So it might be a time for Daniel Levy – who I’ve been a supporter of because you look at the actual work that he’s doing – but now that work’s done, in terms of a stadium and a training ground, someone else needs to be in charge of this football club,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

Postecoglou refuses to change his attacking philosophy despite Tottenham’s struggles, which could cost him in the long run.

But Tottenham have won just one trophy in 24 years with ENIC at the helm, clearly, the issues lie deeper than all of the managers which have come and gone on the years.

Ange Postecoglou arrived at Tottenham Hotspur to attempt to carry on the brilliant success he enjoyed with Celtic in Scotland.

Postecoglou won five trophies at Celtic including a treble in the 2022/23 season, something that obviously wasn’t going to be possible at Tottenham immediately.

However, after such a fast start to his time in N17, Spurs were even being tipped for a title-challenge in the early months of last season.

Fast-forward to now and Tottenham are 11th in the Premier League and have lost more games than they have won.

Spurs are brilliant to watch, a team neutrals will now always tune in to see, but that wasn’t the entire brief for Postecoglou at the club, he was meant to also bring consistent success.

Ange Postecoglou was keen on Tottenham not conceding many goals

That being said, it’s now very interesting to read Postecoglou’s comments in his first interview as Tottenham manager back in July 2023.

At the time, Harry Kane was still Spurs captain and England international teammate James Maddison had just joined him at the club.

Postecoglou was very clear that he wanted to entertain the Tottenham fans, but was well aware that winning was the main priority.

He said: “I like to win, that’s the main thing, and I’ve done that wherever I’ve been.”

“The football is designed to bring success. Alongside that it’s really important to me that there is an element of what I think most fans and players want to be associated with, and that’s football that’s exciting, that people talk about, not just the end result but also the manner in which you played your football.

“That’s really important to me, because I think it’s a way to be successful and also secondly, because it allows people to grab onto those things that are most special about our game, those memorable moments.

“People want to see their team scoring goals, being exciting, not conceding goals, being aggressive in their approach, all these kinds of things that everyone seeks in their own football team.

“That’s what I want to try to provide. The basis of it will be that we want to be a team that wins things and, ultimately, entertains our fans.”

Should Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou?

Although his Tottenham side are struggling for identity and confidence right now, it still seems far too soon to get rid of Postecoglou.

The 59-year-old seems to have an incredibly high ceiling as a manager, but perhaps he just doesn’t have the players to properly pedal his message at Spurs right now.

Tottenham are eyeing one replacement manager according to reports, but that will depend on how things improve or not for their current incumbent.

After losing to Chelsea, Postecoglou seems very aware of just how important the January transfer window will be.

However, Tottenham will need to pick up their form and some wins beforehand in order to provide the necessary confidence that Postecoglou is the man to spend more funds at the club.

Tottenham Hotspur are far from where they were expected to be in their second season under Ange Postecoglou.

The levels of inconsistency in north London are really starting to see the top four pull away from Tottenham this season.

Defeat on the weekend has Spurs slumped 11th spot having taken a mere 20 points from the opening 15 games.

Alan Shearer is worried about Ange Postecoglou’s philosophy at Tottenham as he refuses to change away from his attacking beliefs.

But it seems as if there are already meetings going on behind the scenes in north London to try and find a resolution to these issues.

Ange Postecoglou holds Tottenham transfer meeting

Jamie O’Hara has suggested Postecoglou could be sacked if the results do not begin to improve for Spurs.

For now, it seems as if the Australian still has the support of the club as the January window nears.

According to Sky Sports, Postecoglou has been holding meetings at Hotspur Way with technical director Johan Lange.

This comes ahead of the January transfer window opening in a matter of weeks with Spurs clearly in need of some upgrades.

Postecoglou is standing firm on his methods at Spurs, despite the results this season suggesting it is not working.

The Lilywhites are well adrift in the Premier League with the cup competitions looking more important than ever.

However, there is still 23 games to be played and a big January window could transform Tottenham’s season.

Tottenham would be open to Yves Bissouma sale

According to Alasdair Gold, Tottenham would consider reasonable offers which were to potentially arrive for Yves Bissouma in the summer.

The Mali midfielder is just one example of where Spurs could look to improve over the coming months following a disastrous showing on Sunday.

After the game, Bissouma issued an apology on social media for his needless challenge to give away a penalty.

“I’m so sad for that mistake it’s burning me because we lost the game today from this mistake. I feel sorry for my teammates, staff and fans,” he said.

Bissouma was already on his final warning with Postecoglou after he let the club down with his off-field antics.

But it now seems as if the midfielder’s lack of leadership is causing some major concerns about his future with the club.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under pressure.

The Australian did a great job at Spurs after taking the role in 2023. He immediately changed the style of play and won over the fans. Tottenham supporters looked more united than they had been for years.

The North Londoners had a terrible end to the 2023/24 season and missed out on the top four. Fans were hoping for improvement this campaign, but Spurs have won just one of their last seven games and are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Postecoglou was involved in a heated exchange with Tottenham fans after the defeat at Bournemouth. Since then, there has been a lot of talk about his future.

Alan Pardew suggests Michael Carrick to Tottenham as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement

One win in seven games is a terrible return for any manager, and it’s no different for Postecoglou at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Aussie has had a lot of injury issues this season. That has really hurt him and his side, and it has played a big part in their recent results.

For now, TBR Football can confirm that Postecoglou’s job at Tottenham is safe, but football is a results game, and Spurs just cannot continue like this.

Jamie O’Hara claimed that Daniel Levy will sack Postecoglou if Tottenham are 10th or worse in the table at Christmas. There is a chance that could happen.

If Postecoglou is shown the door, it will be interesting to see who Spurs will go after to replace him. Alan Pardew has made a very interesting suggestion.

He said on talkSPORT: “Listen, I personally would go for somebody who is untarnished. You sometimes have to look at young managers and give them a chance.

“Michael Carrick I think is doing a great job at Middlesbrough, I really do. If I was a Premiership club, I would seriously have him on the list.

“But we are not there in that moment by the way, because Ange is still in the job.”

Should Tottenham sack Postecoglou and appoint Carrick?

Carrick is among the most talented young managers in England at the moment.

The 43-year-old did a great job when he took interim charge of Manchester United for three games, two of which were in the Premier League, and he hasn’t done badly at Middlesbrough by any means.

However, the jump from the Championship to the Premier League is huge, and it is very rare that we see success stories.

As good a manager as he is, the pressure of the Tottenham job could be too high for Carrick at the moment, especially if he starts in the middle of the season.

We think Tottenham should stick to Postecoglou and give him all the support he needs. Carrick could be one for the future, but right now, we think a big Premier League job is too early for him.

Tottenham Hotspur are having a really poor 2024/25 season.

Ange Postecoglou made it clear to everyone a few months ago that he always wins a trophy in his second campaign. Spurs definitely still have the chance to do that, but if their recent form is anything to go by, they will be winning nothing again.

Tottenham have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions. They are currently 11th in the Premier League and ninth in the Europa League, which is simply not good enough.

A number of Postecoglou’s players have underperformed this season. Jamie O’Hara has had a go at one of them now.

Jamie O’Hara blasts Tottenham captain Heung-min Son

Heung-min Son has been one of Tottenham’s best players for many years now.

The South Korean joined the club back in 2015, when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge. His first season wasn’t the best, but he has mostly been sensational since.

Son has played 424 times for Spurs in all competitions and has directly contributed to 255 goals, which is an excellent return for someone who has played out wide more often than not.

He will go down as a legend of the club, but Son has scored just five goals in 16 appearances this season in all competitions, and that has led to some criticism.

Back in November, Jamie O’Hara claimed that Son is not a world-class player anymore. Now, the pundit thinks he has been proven right.

He said on talkSPORT: “Listen, I said about Son a couple of months ago, maybe a month ago, he was world-class, he isn’t anymore. That’s just how it is.

“He has been a brilliant player for Tottenham, but I think we need to find a replacement. I got slaughtered by Spurs fans for saying it, and I’m right. He is not good enough anymore.

“He can produce moments still, I get that, he has got something to offer. But he isn’t the Son we have been used to watching for the last three-four seasons.

“He’s not that player anymore. He can’t go past someone, he hasn’t got the pace, he hasn’t got the sharpness anymore.”

What do the underlying stats actually say about Son?

Tottenham are on a really bad run over the last few weeks, so it’s easy to point the finger at one player and say he’s finished.

Son has definitely struggled this term, and injuries have not helped him. However, if you look at his underlying stats, he isn’t that far off his numbers from last season.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Son scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in the Premier League. He averaged 2.4 shots, 1.9 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game. He was also dispossessed 1.2 times every 90 minutes.

Since the start of this season, Son has scored four and assisted four in the Premier League. He averages 1.9 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per 90 minutes. He has been dispossessed just 0.8 times per game this term too.

Son’s goal contributions per game have seen a drop, but it’s still not awful by any means. He averaged a goal or an assist every 109.1 minutes last season, while his average this campaign stands at 117.75. (WhoScored)

O’Hara is entitled to his opinion, but we think it’s too early to write Son off. He still has what it takes to produce the goods at Tottenham.

While the Premier League’s international success in recent years has been extraordinary and delivered huge revenues for Tottenham and their peers, the league’s value is utterly dwarfed by the NFL.

The National Football League generates almost three times as much annual revenue as the Premier League. And, unlike the biggest and best association football league in the world, is profitable.

Tottenham have lost £220m over the last four financial years, although those losses are almost entirely attributable to the depreciation on their new stadium, which is not a cash expense.

Last night’s opponents Chelsea, who triumphed 4-3 despite Spurs having gone two goals up, are perhaps a better example of the excess that has gripped the Premier League.

They have lost approximately £367m since the Boehly-Clearlake takeover. More broadly, Premier League teams lost £836m in 2022-23, the last published financial year, alone.

The NFL by contrast is so profitable because there are concrete spending limits, a closed-shop franchise system, and a collaborative approach among owners in place.

Meanwhile Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s chairman and co-owner, wants the club to be self-sufficient and has supercharged revenue since the move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019.

The NFL contributed around £10m to the construction of the new stadium and have since established a close relationship with Spurs, staging the annual London Games in N17 in a lucrative setup for the club.

Levy has gone on record as saying it would be a dream for Tottenham to one day host the Super Bowl.

Even the club’s liaison with Amanda Staveley, who wants to invest in Spurs, has taken place against the backdrop of the NFL.

The former Newcastle United supremo was a guest of the club when they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars’ meeting with the Chicago Bears earlier this year.

The bond between the two institutions is tight and growing tighter.

Controversial Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was linked with buying Tottenham last week and, although those reports were denied by sources, the story was emblematic of the Spurs-NFL relationship.

Some have suggested that Spurs could even launch their own NFL franchise.

With the European League of Football, an off-shoot of the NFL, in a major growth phrase, could the club become the first English side in the competition?

As part of the search for minority investment, Levy is believed to value Spurs at £3.75bn. A full takeover at that price would be a world-record in football.

For context, however, Jones’ Dallas Cowboys are valued at around three times that.

But investors, particularly from the private equity sector, are increasingly interested in football as an asset class because of the value of clubs’ IP.

In other words, their potential as a vehicle to sell products and services.

Spinning out an NFL or equivalent franchise from an elite club like Spurs would therefore likely be a tantalising prospect for investors.

The NFL are clearly interested in ‘soccer’ too. They are currently part of a consortium alongside private equity giants Apollo looking to invest £1bn in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football.

And speaking exclusively to TBR Football, Liverpool University football finance expert and industry insider Kieran Maguire suggested that both Spurs and the NFL would be interested in launching a new franchise.

“Yes, I think there is scope,” he said.

“There would be complications but the NFL is always open to any relationship that will boost the overall value of NFL.

“The matches that have taken place at Spurs have proven A) that it is a sell-out product and B) there is not resistance to high prices.

“To have some form of expansion franchise or to shift an existing franchise to London to play at Spurs, also taking into consideration that Spurs now have approval to host 30 events per year, there is a lot of business alignment there.

“How that will ultimately be funded given that the NFL part would likely be as valuable if not more valuable than Spurs itself is the intriguing part of the relationship.

“Whether Spurs would be happy to be a minority partner in the franchise… I’m not sure Daniel Levy and ENIC have the resources or the desire to take over an existing or transfer franchise.

“But from an investment point of view, there is certainly scope. That could be beneficial for Spurs because, ultimately, you will get a return on your investment.

“That return is likely to be captured in the umbrella of commercial activities for Spurs, especially if it is more to do with promoting and housing an NFL team.

“That can help Spurs with financial and sustainability rules going forwards.”

Spurs using NFL and F1 partnerships to supersize revenue

As Maguire mentions, Spurs have recently acquired a license from Haringey council to almost double the number of non-football events they hold per season, from 16 to 30.

As well as the NFL, Tottenham are also now the home of a Formula One karting track as part of a 15-year deal. Levy is known to enjoy a good relationship with the motorsport’s executives.

They’ve also hosted rugby league and union matches and applied to stage the Hockey World Cup final a few years back, although that bid ultimately failed.

These facts paint a picture of a club who is making tentative steps into the multi-sport market.

That is not an alien concept in European football. Many clubs on the continent have basketball or hockey teams which, in some cases, are as passionately supported as the football outfit.

Spurs have already signalled their intent to become more of a ‘lifestyle’ brand in order to expand their market and potential customer base.

They are in the race with Chelsea to secure a partnership with Nike’s Air Jordan brand, which has propelled Paris Saint-Germain to new heights as a business in recent years.

The concern from supporters – and one that is entirely justified and valid – is that the owners value success in the commercial department above results on the pitch.

Spurs haven’t won a trophy since 2008 and, on current form, are not likely to end that drought this term.

Levy has said that increasing commercial income will lead to greater investment in the team, and that is true. To an extent.

But while spending has increased with revenue in recent years, investment in the playing squad is rising slower than turnover.

For bedrock supporters, the prospect of launching an NFL franchise would be perceived as a symptom of Levy and ENIC’s relentlessly commercial focus.

Whether that sort of reception would be enough to stop the owners from doing it is another matter.

Against Chelsea on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur recorded their seventh Premier League defeat of the season meaning they’re all the way down in 11th place.

More than a year into Ange Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham, there’s still no significant sign of improvement, even if Spurs’ games are now more enjoyable to watch for a neutral.

Of course, providing the masses with entertainment is not the purpose of Tottenham, nor something the club’s fans consider as a makeweight for their poor results.

Spurs want to win trophies, something Postecoglou has suggested that he’ll do in his second season.

Right now, it’s hard to agree, even if Tottenham are still brilliant for the odd one-off game.

Alan Shearer worried about the ‘rotten’ attitude of Tottenham players

Speaking on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast, both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer offered their thoughts on Spurs’ situation under Postecoglou.

Both have spotted some worrying signs of late, ones that suggest that it’s now an incredibly long and difficult road back for the former Celtic manager.

Lineker began: “The penalties they gave away were just daft. Bad decision making, almost lunging in in a panic situation.

“I don’t know, I suppose Ange must be under pressure now. You never know how a club feels about a coach but it’s generally the case that the coach gets the blame for these things.”

Shearer replied: “I was at the game on Thursday when they played Bournemouth and they were awful.

“You could chuck at them they didn’t look bothered on Thursday, particularly first half. There was a slight improvement in the second half but that was really worrying from a Tottenham point of view.

“Ange went over to confront the fans because they were booed off, and rightly so as they were that bad, and that for me I thought ooooh problems.

“You know when you look at players and their body language, Thursday it was rotten. They were awful. Yesterday they were better but it’s not a great sign.”

Jadon Sancho points out another big issue at Spurs

Speaking after Chelsea’s 4-3 win at Spurs, Jadon Sancho also alluded to the issues in N17 right now.

Sancho said Chelsea targeted Tottenham’s poor defence, explaining what Maresca had his players practicing in training.

Right now, Spurs are there to be beaten by any side which shows some kind of composure to bypass their midfield.

Postecoglou has spoken about the need to attack the January transfer window to improve things, but the Tottenham manager still has six crucial ties before then.

Anthony Taylor had a lot on his plate during the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Chelsea on Sunday.

The 46-year-old witnessed two potential red card offences when Moises Caicedo went in high on Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski elbowed Romeo Lavia, opting to dismiss neither player.

Taylor also gave Chelsea two penalties against Tottenham – both of which Cole Palmer converted – on what was a hectic day for the official from Wythenshawe.

However – writing on X – Richard Keys felt a “rank bad refereeing” decision was made.

Richard Keys cannot believe Anthony Taylor failed to send Dejan Kulusevski off

As aforesaid, the Sweden international managed to escape unpunished despite charging into Lavia – who Enzo Maresca admires – with his elbow in an unnaturally high position.

Taylor was staring right at the incident when it happened, but ultimately decided no action needed to be taken – not even a yellow card – and Chelsea ended up needing to substitute the Belgian at the interval.

Discussing the moment online, Keys wrote: “And how Kulusevski stayed on I’ve no idea. Taylor was actually looking at that one. It’s just rank bad refereeing.”

The Caicedo challenge on Sarr had actually come before the Swede’s elbow on Lavia, so it could be argued that Taylor was afraid to dismiss the Tottenham No.21 when question marks would then be asked about why the Ecuadorian also wasn’t dismissed for his lunge.

In many ways, we feel Taylor was evening things up – very little else could explain why a blatant elbow went unpunished, and it surprised us that VAR sided with the referee on this occasion.

Romeo Lavia shows his wounds after Tottenham 3-4 Chelsea

The Chelsea No.45 certainly wasn’t playacting after Kulusevski, who in fairness was brilliant aside from this moment, elbow-charged his head.

Lavia hopped onto Instagram after the London derby to show his wounds, posting a photo of a nasty, deep cut to the side of his head – which you can see below.

Fortunately, the Belgium international seems to have avoided a serious internal head injury – most likely because Chelsea substituted him, with little protection from Taylor or VAR on show to say the least.

Tottenham Hotspur were perhaps looking good for a dominant victory over Chelsea before Jadon Sancho struck to bring the game back to 2-1 shortly after Cristian Romero’s injury.

Both felt like a big turning points in the game, Tottenham’s defensive insecurities ensued and Chelsea and Sancho took full advantage.

Of course, from the perspective of the Spurs fans watching on in N17, the two penalties conceded for Cole Palmer to tuck home were probably the biggest frustration.

Neither Yves Bissouma or Pape Matar Sarr showed any composure when recklessly bringing down their man.

And in truth, had Spurs not let Palmer strike twice from 12-yards, they may have still won the game.

Jadon Sancho highlights Tottenham’s big weakness which led to Chelsea win

That being said, Sancho spoke to Optus Sport after the game and suggested that Chelsea were confident of exposing Tottenham regardless.

The winger revealed what Enzo Maresca had been telling his Chelsea players in training ahead of the game, highlighting Spurs’ defensive inadequacies.

Speaking in the interview, Sancho was initially asked: “You have so much attacking talent and you know, Spurs look a little bit defensively frail at the moment – you always would have felt that there were goals in for you?”

He replied: “Definitely, they’re very aggressive and we knew we would catch them if we broke the lines and beat their press.

“The gaffer always told us in training to stay wide, especially the wingers to create the one-vs-ones, you know the overlaps for two-vs-ones.

“So I’m just happy that we got the four goals today and the three points.”

Cristian Romero sums up Tottenham’s defensive woes

As mentioned, Tottenham’s defensive efforts became a lot harder after Romero’s injury in the first half.

Romero was slammed for a ‘ridiculous’ moment in the lead up to his departure, the kind of moment Spurs fans won’t have enjoyed.

All in all, it’s been a very difficult period for Tottenham who summarised their jekyll and hyde nature in both halves against Chelsea.

Perhaps Tottenham were robbed by a controversial VAR decision, but either way, Spurs also made plenty mistakes of their own.

Tottenham still have four more Premier League fixtures before the end of the year, and they can’t simply wait until January to improve once they’ve signed one or two more players.