TBR Football

Jadon Sancho delivered one of his best performances of the season to date during Chelsea’s 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur, one Enzo Maresca was extremely proud of.

Whilst a lot of the focus was on Cole Palmer’s latest exploits for Chelsea at full-time, Maresca was keen to praise his wingers, too.

Both Sancho and Pedro Neto were incredibly industrious on the wings, two players who fully understood the demands of their manager.

After the win, Chelsea moved up to second spot in the Premier League demonstrating their remarkable progress under Maresca, an appointment which wasn’t popular at the time.

Jadon Sancho praises Marc Cucurella despite his Tottenham nightmare

That being said, when speaking to BBC MOTD at full-time, Sancho shared some praise for Marc Cucurella as well as lifting the lid on Maresca’s half-time message.

The winger hailed Cucurella as ‘fantastic’, even if he did cost Chelsea two goals early on owing to his poor choice of footwear.

Sancho began: “Going 2-0 down in the first half was not ideal but I knew we’d come back into the game when we got that first goal.

“Going in at halftime, the gaffer was telling us we were in the game. I have so much belief in the players so I knew we’d come out firing.

“They’re very aggressive and we knew we’d catch them if we broke the lines and beat the press. The gaffer told us to stay wide and create the one-on-ones.

“I’ve been working on my shooting a bit more. The staff and the players have been telling me otherwise.”

Then asked about Cucurella’s boots, Sancho continued: “They’re going in the bin after this game. After the mistakes, I thought he played fantastic. We believe in Cucu.

“We’ve got back-to-back games every week, we need this rotation in the squad. There’s one team and then another team. It gets rotated and it works.

“We’ve got so many talented players and we push each other. I’m thankful I’m here.”

Enzo Maresca spots Tottenham game plan

As mentioned, Sancho was brilliant himself against Spurs, and that was perhaps because the home team had their main attention elsewhere.

Yves Bissouma was man-marking Palmer, something Enzo Maresca spotted and then spoke about at his press conference.

In terms of their Premier League fixture list to come, Chelsea will surely feel as if they can win all four of their league games before the end of the year.

Palmer looks unstoppable right now, and Nico Jackson is also slowly improving each and every week.

A well built squad after a ton of investment, and one that Maresca is already getting the best out of.

After their dramatic 4-3 win away to Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea leap up above Arsenal to go second in the Premier League, only four points behind Liverpool.

Despite being 2-0 down in north London, Chelsea eventually won in a fairly comfortable fashion against Tottenham, even if the home side rallied late on.

Unlike Enzo Maresca, Ange Postecoglou will seriously be feeling the pressure in N17 – Spurs are now 11th and showing no sign of consistency.

Despite their strong start, Tottenham were easily carved open by the likes of Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho.

Perhaps Spurs will still feel fuming over a controversial VAR decision in the first half, one that could have swung the game.

Yves Bissouma failed to stop Cole Palmer from hurting Tottenham

That being said, Maresca discussed something he noticed Yves Bissouma doing when speaking at his press conference after the game.

Bissouma gave away a reckless penalty in the second half, a rash foul he eventually apologised for on social media.

But it wasn’t just Bissouma’s ill-timed challenge that caught Maresca’s eye after the game – the Chelsea manager also spotted how the midfielder was attempting to man-mark Palmer.

Of course, Palmer’s talent still shone through, a performance Maresca hailed as ‘fantastic’.

Maresca said: “Since we started, I have not seen Cole shooting penalties. In terms of the second penalty, it’s cold. It’s cold.

“The good thing about him tonight was Bissouma was marking him man-to-man, so he needs to learn how to play against a team that goes man-to-man with him, but he was fantastic.

“His pressing, his work off the ball. Nico, Cole and the two wingers.”

Tottenham still exposed Chelsea’s biggest problem

As Maresca alludes to, Bissouma’s efforts were eventually in vain – Palmer still found a way to decide the game.

Perhaps Chelsea’s biggest issue throughout the game was actually Marc Cucurella’s boots, which ended up in a bin in N17.

And whilst it was a mostly positive day for the away side against Tottenham, Jamie Carragher spotted one big problem at Chelsea, a player who could stop them challenging Liverpool for the league title.

In terms of Tottenham’s own prospects, Postecoglou pointed towards the January transfer window as a key point of the season when Spurs need to strengthen.

However, results will also need to improve before then, otherwise Postecoglou might not even be in charge to oversee those deals.

Question marks over Tottenham’s mentality remain after Spurs threw away a 2-0 lead to lose against Chelsea on Sunday.

The north Londoners eventually suffered a 4-3 defeat in the London derby, as goals from Jadon Sancho, Enzo Fernandez and a double from Cole Palmer made efforts from Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son redundant.

Aside from Solanke and Kulusevski – who were terrific – Ange Postecoglou will not have been pleased with his side, although there is one player who we believe has well and truly alienated the Australian now.

Yves Bissouma has surely put himself in Ange Postecoglou’s bad books

Yves Bissouma was already up against it at Tottenham.

The Mali international was told by Postecoglou that he needs to work for “redemption” after Spurs opted to suspend him back in August – when a video of the midfielder inhaling laughing gas emerged on social media.

As quoted by the BBC, the man born in Greece said: “You know what it’s like when you punish your child and they do everything right for the next two days? He’s first in the meetings, he’s doing everything right but there’s always temptation down the road, so we’ll see.”

Postecoglou also went “ballistic” at Bissouma back in May – not once, but twice – when the Tottenham No.8 failed to play Brennan Johnson in during a match against, coincidentally, Chelsea.

The nature of that fury suggests the Malian is a player who particularly stresses the 59-year-old out.

Now, we feel it is over for Bissouma at Tottenham after his utterly foolish challenge on Moises Caicedo, which allowed Chelsea to make it 2-2 from the penalty spot and ultimately take control of the London derby.

It was clear for all to see that the Ecuador international was going to reach the ball first, but nonetheless, the 28-year-old stupidly lunged in.

Chelsea then went 3-2 up just 12 minutes later, and Bissouma was promptly replaced by Lucas Bergvall in the 79th minute.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall could benefit at Tottenham

If we are correct, and Bissouma – who Troy Deeney does not rate – really has burned his bridges with Postecoglou now, two bright talents stand to benefit in the aforementioned Bergvall and Archie Gray.

The latter only has one Premier League start to his name this season following a £30m move from Leeds back in July, while the Sweden international is yet to start in the Premier League.

That has been a surprise given how highly rated the Swede is – Bergvall has even been compared to Jude Bellingham due to his power in midfield.

Whatever happens, we doubt Postecoglou will even want to look at Bissouma after his “braindead” – as Jamie Carragher called it – challenge on Caicedo.

Tottenham’s infuriating inconsistency continued this weekend as they were beaten by Chelsea in the Premier League.

Despite leading 2-0 early on, Tottenham capitulated once Cristian Romero went off injured and allowed the Blues to score four goals to seal the game.

It means that Ange Postecoglou’s side have failed to build on their huge win at Man City a few weeks ago and sit in the bottom half of the table.

Tottenham fans are getting all too used to the let downs of supporting the club.

However, Jamie Redknapp has suggested that there’s something the club can now do to take the pressure off and bring some joy to the club.

Jamie Redknapp calls for Tottenham cup win after Chelsea defeat

Speaking on Sky Sports about the predicament for Tottenham right now, former midfielder Redknapp has said that the club simply must prioritise winning a cup ahead of the top four.

“They have to win a trophy – that’s the stick they are beaten with. If they win a trophy this year it will give them confidence and belief that they can get top four. They need to change the history of this club,” Redknapp said.

“For too long they’ve had an attitude of not being successful and letting people down. Whereas if they win a trophy it will give Ange a bit of breathing space.

“They’ve got Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, they can win that. If you look at the winners of that trophy recently it’s either been Man City, Man Utd or Liverpool. Winning that is more important than finishing top four. The owners may disagree but it would great for the fanbase and the players.”

Same old Tottenham

There’s a reason why the club get tarnished as ‘Spursy’ and there’s so much evidence of it this season alone.

For Ange Postecoglou, the frustration is obvious and with the top four now looking out of the question, Redknapp has a point about winning a cup.

Winning breeds confidence and with that, it rids the club of the negative feeling that they always seem to come up short.

We’ve seen in the past how winning the League Cup can help a team and Tottenham have to go all out to win it now.

Cristian Romero was a surprise inclusion for Tottenham against Chelsea.

Nobody expected the Argentina international to be fit for Sunday’s London derby – nor Micky van de Ven – although both were in the starting XI for the visit of Chelsea.

That was despite Ange Postecoglou giving a worrying update on Romero in his pre-match press conference, so perhaps some mind games were at large in the Tottenham camp.

Unfortunately, the South American lasted only 15 minutes before pulling up and coming off in place of Radu Dragusin – and Jamie Carragher thinks he saw the “ridiculous” way in which Cristian Romero hurt himself.

Jamie Carragher goes berserk at Cristian Romero for backheel

Shortly after Tottenham went 1-0 up thanks to Dominic Solanke, Romero bizarrely opted to pass the ball to Kulusevski inside his own box with an audacious backheeled flick, instead of hoofing it clear under pressure from several Chelsea players.

The Sweden international took a few seconds to react – presumably because he was just as baffled as we were – although he managed to collect the ball and get Tottenham up the pitch.

However, it was still undoubtedly a moment of madness from Romero, who was fortunate that Kulusevski reacted quickest instead of a Chelsea player, and Carragher did not like what he saw whatsoever.

Speaking live on commentary duty for Sky Sports, the 46-year-old said: “Absolutely ridiculous. In a big game you need points from, and he’s hurt himself doing it (too).”

It seemed as if Romero, who Tottenham want to sign a new contract, suffered a calf injury in the opening 45 minutes – a problem Postecoglou will hope is only a minor one.

Tottenham No.17 does not seem to be maturing

Romero has been at Tottenham for almost four years now, and at 26 years of age, we would have expected him to phase these silly moments out of his game.

Just take a look at last season’s Premier League clash against Chelsea in N17, when the Tottenham No.17 foolishly flew into a studs-up challenge on Enzo Fernandez as Spurs led 1-0, getting himself sent off and allowing the Blues to make it 1-1 from the penalty spot all in one motion.

Tottenham eventually lost 4-1.

Of course, Romero was fortunate to get away with his unwise backheel against Chelsea on Sunday this time around, but Postecoglou will much prefer these sort of antics to stop.

Tottenham Hotspur have a point to prove this weekend against Chelsea with the gap to the top four beginning to widen.

It has not been the start to the season which Ange Postecoglou’s side will have been looking for as they sit all the way down in tenth spot of the table.

The January transfer window could offer Tottenham with an opportunity to invest in their side and bolster their options.

However, there could be tensions behind the scenes at Hotspur Way with Postecoglou saying he doesn’t need Daniel Levy’s support.

With the January window now just weeks away, Spurs have just learned whether one of their January transfer targets will be on the move.

Leon Goretzka will snub Tottenham to stay at Bayern Munich

According to Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka will not be leaving Bayern Munich in the January transfer window.

This comes amid interest from a number of Europe’s top sides with Napoli also credited by the Sky Sports reporter.

Manchester United also hold interest in the ‘world-class’ Goretzka, but it seems as if no winter move is on the cards.

They are not the only Premier League sides to be linked with the midfielder, as West Ham also showed interest in Goretzka earlier this year.

However, Goretzka is keen to remain in Munich and play his football under Vincent Kompany for the remainder of the campaign.

What Daniel Levy said about dealing with Bayern Munich

Last year, Spurs sanctioned the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in what was the biggest departure from N17 since Gareth Bale.

Daniel Levy was at the centre of the talks between the two clubs given the importance of getting the right deal for Tottenham.

“Dealing with Bayern Munich, they were gentlemen. The CEO of Bayern, I thought, was an exceedingly nice gentleman,” Levy said.

“We went out for lunch, we’ve become good colleagues now and I look forward to our next transaction together.”

Tottenham Hotspur need help in the January transfer window.

Spurs have had a really poor start to the season. They are currently 10th in the Premier League table and have won just one of their last six games in all competitions.

That is a really poor record, and it is clear as day that fans are far from happy with the performances of Ange Postecoglou and his men.

The January transfer window is not too far away now, and Spurs should dive into the market to bring one or two top players in.

Tottenham’s plan to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves

Matheus Cunha has had a fantastic start to the new season.

The Brazilian has scored seven goals and provided three assists for Wolves in 14 Premier League appearances so far.

That is a very impressive return, especially considering that the Wanderers haven’t had a great season at all – they are currently 19th and are at risk of going down.

Cunha’s performances have impressed many big clubs, including Tottenham. Football Transfers have now shared the latest on the situation.

As TBR Football exclusively revealed in November, the report says that Wolves and their manager Gary O’Neil are absolutely adamant that Cunha will not be going anywhere in January, but Spurs are not backing away.

It has been revealed that Tottenham have made Cunha their ‘key target’ and are determined to get him once the January transfer window opens.

Spurs’ plan now is to ‘engage with the Brazilian striker’s representatives’ to signal their interest in signing their client next month.

Wolves initially brought in Cunha on loan from Atletico Madrid in a deal that obligated them to sign him permanently for £44 million in the summer of 2022 (Guardian).

If Tottenham really want him, they will likely have to pay more than that figure in the winter window.

What Ange Postecoglou has said about signing a new striker in 2025

Tottenham decided against signing a replacement for Harry Kane when they sold him in 2023, and they only brought in Dominic Solanke in this summer’s transfer window.

Richarlison is still at the club, but injuries have really troubled the Brazilian, and he just hasn’t been able to be available consistently.

That is why Tottenham are being urged to sign a new striker in 2025, and Postecoglou has all but confirmed that he is planning to do just that.

The Spurs boss said recently, as per Football London: “There’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that front third over the next couple of transfer windows.

“Dom coming in has been great, but again we can’t overload him either, because ultimately, you know, even if he stays fit and nothing happens, performance will invariably drop if his energy levels drop.

“So it’s something we’re aware of and need to plan for.”

Tottenham Hotspur did not show the best version of themselves on Thursday night as they suffered their sixth league defeat of the season.

It has not been the start to the campaign which many would have hoped for at Tottenham as they go into the weekend in tenth spot.

Ange Postecoglou’s side do remain competing in all competitions, however, with Tottenham facing Tamworth in the FA Cup next month.

But there is a lot to improve on at Hotspur Way if Spurs are going to mount a real challenge for a piece of silverware this season.

Postecoglou confronted angry Tottenham fans following the full-time whistle on Thursday with the away end frustrated by the defeat.

And he has since provided a brutally honest message to those fans in the hours since.

Ange Postecoglou says he ‘doesn’t care’ amid Tottenham frustrations

The scenes after the defeat to Bournemouth were not exactly pretty from a Tottenham perspective with their manager receiving verbal abuse from the away end.

Speaking on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s game against Chelsea, the Australian admitted he was not going to shy away from the fans’ anger.

“Hopefully after 18 months, you’ve realised that I am who I am. I don’t really care. Whether people think I’m an easy target, soft target. I’m going to shy away from it. I’ve fought my whole life and I’m not going to race down the tunnel because some people feel like they need to give me some direction,” he said.

“I’m not going to change. It’s who I am, mate. I’ve been like that my whole career and I won’t change.”

Paul Merson warned Postecoglou ahead of the Bournemouth game with Tottenham losing as many games as they have won.

Some will consider the injuries which Tottenham are dealing with currently as Cristian Romero remains an injury doubt for the game against Chelsea.

But perhaps it would be wise for Postecoglou to consider some change given Spurs are suffering from the same issues time and time again.

Postecoglou is starting to lose the fans

Postecoglou has admitted he doesn’t need Daniel Levy’s support to carry on with his role in north London.

But his decision to be so blunt with the fans could a divisive one considering they are the ones who pay to watch their side in action.

As Postecoglou has already suggested, the fans are fans of the club and not the manager, but there is no harm in having the fans on your side.

TBR Football understands Tottenham are not looking to sack Postecoglou amid their recent struggles.

But it is starting to feel as if another defeat on the weekend could really stir the fans up even more.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under pressure.

The Australian deserves a lot of praise for transforming the club’s style of play after he joined them in the summer of 2023. He brought some belief back to Spurs.

However, after a terrible end to last season, Tottenham have had their struggles this campaign as well. They are currently 10th in the table and are closer to relegation-threatened Wolves than they are to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

After the disappointing defeat to Bournemouth, some Tottenham fans had a go at Postecoglou at the away end, sparking a debate over whether this could be the beginning of the end for the Australian at Spurs.

Now, a report has revealed who Tottenham are considering as Postecoglou’s successor if they decide to sack him in the coming weeks.

Tottenham eye Kieran McKenna as a potential replacement for Ange Postecoglou

Jamie O’Hara claimed that Daniel Levy will sack Postecoglou if Tottenham are still 10th at Christmas.

The mood around the North London club is not great at the moment, and Spurs have a tough game against Chelsea coming up on Sunday.

Postecoglou’s side also face league leaders Liverpool before Christmas, and they will struggle in those games if they play as badly as they did against Bournemouth.

As things stand, Tottenham’s plan is to stick with Postecoglou, but things could change very quickly in football, and Spurs are making backup plans.

That’s according to Football Transfers, who claim that Tottenham have shortlisted Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as a possible replacement for Postecoglou.

The report claims that the 38-year-old is the first choice if the Australian is shown the door at Spurs in the coming weeks.

The Ipswich boss was a wanted man in the summer. Chelsea tried to get McKenna, but he rejected them and decided to sign a new deal at his current club instead.

Kieran McKenna has a special connection with Tottenham

McKenna has done a fantastic job at Ipswich Town since taking charge of them in December 2021.

He helped the Tractor Boys achieve promotion in back-to-back seasons and brought them up to the Premier League last summer.

What many people may not know about McKenna is his special connection to Tottenham.

McKenna joined Spurs’ youth team as a teenager in 2002. He spent seven years at the club but had to retire as a player in 2009 because of an injury.

He was appointed as the club’s Head of Academy Performance Analysis and even managed Tottenham’s U18s team for a couple of years.

McKenna has come a long way since, but to return as Spurs’ first-team manager after his many years at the club would be a fairytale story for him.

Tottenham Hotspur take on Chelsea in what is a huge game for them in the Premier League.

The North Londoners have dropped down to 10th in the table after their disappointing defeat at the hands of Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth.

Spurs were nowhere near good enough on Thursday night, and Ange Postecoglou even faced the wrath of Tottenham fans after the game.

That defeat makes the derby against Chelsea all the more important, but there is some worrying news coming out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Cristian Romero has been out injured since November’s international break.

The Argentine hasn’t had the greatest season and has come under a fair bit of criticism for some of the mistakes he has made this term.

However, Romero is still a very important player for Tottenham. He is their leader in defence, and Spurs are desperate to have him back.

There was some hope that Romero would be back for the game against Bournemouth, but he didn’t make it.

Postecoglou was quizzed about his availability for the London derby against Chelsea, and the Australian didn’t seem too confident.

He claimed that even though Romero is close to returning, he is still not 100 per cent fit. That is worrying, especially with Ben Davies likely to be out after his hamstring injury.

Postecoglou said about Romero, as per Football London: “He just hasn’t been able to feel 100 per cent, but we’re closer now so there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.

“The first thing is that he feels more comfortable so hopefully, he’s available soon.”

When asked if he may have to push Romero to play against Chelsea even if he’s not fully fit, Postecoglou replied: “I don’t think I have to ask him.

“Cuti’s the kind of guy if he feels he can get out there and help us, he will. I won’t have to twist his arm.”

Who could start if three Tottenham defenders are ruled out vs Chelsea?

Injuries have been really cruel to Tottenham this season, especially at the back.

The North Londoners have players missing in other areas of the pitch as well, but to have both Romero and Micky Van de Ven out at the same time was a big blow.

To add to that now, Davies is also struggling with an issue, and there is a chance all three of them will be unavailable for the game against Chelsea.

That would make things difficult for Postecoglou, who would have to turn to young Archie Gray to fill in at centre-half alongside Radu Dragusin.