TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur are Europa League champions, and while the celebrations from that triumph are still ongoing, behind the scenes, Tottenham are in a strange situation.

Indeed, Ange Postecoglou was set for the sack heading into this summer, but after winning the Europa League, it’s increasingly more difficult for Daniel Levy to justify sacking the manager.

However, Spurs do still sit 17th in the Premier League and there’s clearly something not quite right at the moment.

Speaking on The Tottenham Way Podcast, Tom Allnutt has been discussing Ange Postecoglou’s future at Spurs, and he’s shared an interesting insight into how the Spurs squad now feel about their manager.

How Tottenham’s squad feel about Ange Postecoglou

According to Allnutt, there is a split in the Tottenham squad on Ange Postecoglou.

The journalist says there are three or four players who are very much behind the manager, while three or four other players are in the opposite camp.

However, the majority of the squad are somewhere in the middle, not completely behind the manager, but not entirely against him either.

“I think that is revising history. Like, the way we have seen some players play in the last few months, well, to be honest, we’ve heard and we know, I think there are, you know, some players in the squad who had checked out with Ange, and he had checked out with them. Yes, players will say things, of course, because they get asked questions,” Allnutt said.

“And I think, I have no doubt, there are three or four players who are very strong on Ange. There are probably three or four at the other end of the spectrum. There are quite a lot of other ones in the middle.”

Managers who were sacked after winning trophies

Ange Postecoglou has just delivered Tottenham their first trophy in 17 years, and it does feel harsh to sack the Australian at this point.

However, other managers have been in similar situations in the past only to lose their jobs, despite better performance in the league as well.

Simply put, finishing 17th in the table as Tottenham is unacceptable, and while it would be a difficult decision to make, Daniel Levy would be totally justified if he decided this was the end of the road for Postecoglou at Spurs.

The Tottenham squad are still split on their manager by the sounds of things, and that’s not a great footing heading into next season.

It may be time for Tottenham to reset and go forward under a new manager in a fresh direction.

Harry Kane is undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers in football history.

Kane is a world-class player, he’s England’s record goalscorer, he’s Tottenham’s record goalscorer, and now, he can even call himself a Bundesliga champion.

Harry Kane is an incredible forward, and speaking to Goal, the Bayern Munich star has been building what he believes to be the ‘perfect’ striker made up of a number of key attributes.

Kane has played with and against some remarkable strikers over the years, but when he was asked to name the best finisher he’s ever seen, he gave an interesting answer.

Harry Kane names Jermain Defoe as the best finisher he’s seen

Kane was asked to name the best finisher he’s ever seen when building his perfect striker.

Kane has played on the same pitch as the likes of Luis Suarez, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in recent years, but according to the England captain, Jermain Defoe is the best finisher he’s ever seen.

Defoe was a brilliant striker for Tottenham for a long time, and at just £9m, he’s one of the best signings Spurs ever made as well.

Defoe doesn’t quite match up to Kane statistically, but he was still a fantastic finisher.

Harry Kane’s perfect striker

Kane made some other interesting claims as he built his perfect striker.

The England star, inevitably, picked Kylian Mbappe for his speed, while Edinson Cavani and Peter Crouch also got special mentions here.

Kane may be a Bayern Munich player these days, but there’s clearly still an element of Tottenham bias at play here as Defoe and Crouch got special mentions.

Of course, Defoe and Crouch were both brilliant at finishing and heading, but it’s something of a stretch to suggest they’re the best of all-time in these respective categories.

Superstar players such as Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba certainly belong in these sorts of challenges, but Defoe and Crouch are much more left-field picks, clearly born from Kane’s love for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur have ended a difficult season on the highest of notes as they secured their first trophy in 17 years along with Champions League qualification.

Tottenham can’t finish any higher than 14th in the Premier League table and there’s a good chance they could finish 17th in the table, just one place above the relegation zone.

However, none of that matters, because Spurs have won the Europa League and, as a result, will play in the Champions League next season.

And despite Tottenham’s struggles in the league, they have shown they can comprehensively beat anyone on their day, suggesting the club is on the right track.

Chris Sutton has now made a confident prediction regarding where he thinks Spurs will finish in the top flight next season.

Chris Sutton confident Tottenham will finish in Premier League’s top six next season

Sutton, speaking on BBC 606, spoke about both Tottenham and Man United in the wake of their Europa League final clash.

He described losing the final as a “catastrophe” for Man United.

Meanwhile, Sutton spoke of how the benefits for the winners will extend into next season thanks to Champions League qualification.

Sutton then said he was “absolutely certain” that Tottenham would finish in the top six at the end of the 2025/26 season.

“Because the winner – Champions League football, the money which comes with the Champions League,” said Sutton.

“The loser, it’s a catastrophe because, you know, the lack of finance which they will get in.

“But the recruitment is going to be key for Manchester United over the summer.

“Same for Tottenham, but I’m absolutely convinced Tottenham will finish in the top six next season.”

How much money Tottenham could make from winning the Europa League final

Tottenham’s immediate financial reward for winning the Europa League outright is around £10.9million in prize money from UEFA.

However, this pales in comparison to how much Spurs stand to make as a consequence of winning the Europa League next season.

Tottenham are guaranteed to earn £16million just for reaching the group stage of the Champions League, according to BBC Sport.

However, this could climb to about £50million with additional prize money awarded based on league position and for victories and draws.

The report then says Tottenham would also be able to generate millions from tickets, broadcasters, and sponsors.

The additional pulling power of being able to promise Champions League football to potential new signings will also stand Tottenham in good stead when it comes to the summer transfer window.

Tottenham finally ended their 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League on Wednesday night.

A first-half Brennan Johnson goal sealed a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the final, earning Spurs their first European title in 41 years.

Despite a difficult domestic campaign that saw Spurs sit 17th in the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou kept his word, delivering silverware in his second full season just as he had promised.

Ange’s future at Tottenham was uncertain going into the final, with certainty that he would be sacked if they lost the final.

But with the manager ending Tottenham’s trophy drought, there are suggestions that he has done enough to save his job for now.

Gary Neville on Ange Postecoglou’s future

Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has now suggested that Postecoglou might rethink his future at Tottenham due to the criticism he and his players have faced from fans.

Although he believes the club will likely want to keep him, Neville noted that the harsh treatment could lead Postecoglou to leave on his terms, potentially opting to quit on a high and look for a new challenge elsewhere.

Speaking on the latest episode of It’s Called Soccer podcast, Neville said: “From a Tottenham perspective, I don’t know. I think you’re right, I think they will more than likely try to keep him now because of what’s happened, but he’s had some horrific stick.

“The Tottenham fans have been harsh at times towards the players and him. Maybe he will think he’s had enough. I think it was a special moment for him.

“If they lost that, there’d be no doubt that they would sack him, wouldn’t they?

“Maybe he looks at that and thinks ‘I won’t wait for you, I’ll take control of my own destiny and take on a challenge somewhere else’.

Fabio Paratici could decide Ange Postecoglou’s future

Several changes are expected at Tottenham this summer, not only in player transfers but also within the club’s hierarchy.

Spurs are reportedly set to reinstate their former managing director, Fabio Paratici, who is expected to take charge of the managerial replacement decisions going into next season.

It was previously reported that Paratici has drawn up four-man shortlist for Tottenham, as he prepares to replace Ange in the summer.

Reports suggest that Paratici has recommended Francesco Farioli, the former Ajax manager who recently left the Dutch club, to Daniel Levy.

Tottenham’s shortlist also includes current Premier League managers like Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva, as well as former Barcelona boss Xavi.

However, as Neville noted, the club is likely to continue backing Postecoglou, especially after he delivered a major trophy, which top managers in the club’s recent history have failed to achieve.

Declan Rice may not be a boyhood Arsenal fan, but he’s certainly ingrained into life at the Gunners now.

Indeed, there have been calls for Rice to become Arsenal captain in recent times, and while he’s only been at the club for two years, he certainly gets what it means to be an Arsenal player.

Rice is a world-class player at this point, and he’s very much beloved by Arsenal supporters.

Speaking to Wonderland Magazine, Rice has been playing a game of Word Association in which he had to describe a number of football-related things using just one word.

Inevitably, Rice was asked about Tottenham, to which he gave an interesting response.

Declan Rice responds to Tottenham Hotspur question

The Arsenal star was asked to describe Tottenham in just one word.

The midfielder took a moment to think before refusing to even answer the question, saying ‘no comment’ when asked to discuss Spurs.

‘Tottenham?” Rice was asked.

“No comment,” Rice said.

Declan Rice’s record vs Tottenham Hotspur

Rice certainly isn’t a popular player in the white half of north London.

Indeed, as a West Ham academy graduate who is currently starring for Arsenal, Rice isn’t a player who is too well-liked by Tottenham supporters.

Rice has played a number of games against Spurs over the years, and he doesn’t actually have the best of records against Tottenham.

Rice has never lost a north London derby since signing for Arsenal, but during his time at West Ham, he was on the wrong end of a few poor results.

Rice has also never scored a goal against Tottenham, and that’s something that he’ll surely be looking to change in the coming years.

Interestingly, despite not being a big fan of Spurs, Declan Rice is very close friends with James Maddison, so there’s not a huge amount of bad blood here in the way there used to be between certain rival players.

Rice will certainly be looking to pick up a couple more wins against Tottenham next season as Arsenal look to battle for the Premier League title again next term.

Thomas Tuchel has named his latest England squad, and there were some interesting selections here.

Indeed, Tuchel has decided to recall Ivan Toney to the England squad, while Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker have retained their places.

That meant there were some notable absentees too.

Jarrod Bowen has been brilliant recently, but he missed out, while there are a few other notable omissions.

Another player who missed the cut on this occasion was Dominic Solanke.

Solanke has had an up-and-down season, but after winning the Europa League last week, he’s currently on a high.

The Tottenham striker was left out of the England squad, and speaking on TalkSPORT, Troy Deeney has claimed that Solanke should be really angry with this decision.

Dominic Solanke should be fuming with England squad omission

Deeney spoke about Solanke’s omission from the England squad, claiming that he’d be fuming if he was in Solanke’s shoes.

The Spurs striker was involved in the last England squad, but, on this occasion, he was left out as Ivan Toney returns.

“I think as well, Solanke can feel very disappointed. He never got any time last time out. He’s just come off a huge win, winning a trophy and then Ivan is in,” Deeney said.

“It’s an interesting squad, but if I was Solanke, I’d be fuming.”

Dominic Solanke stats this season

Solanke has missed out on a place in the England squad, and while Troy Deeney thinks the striker should be fuming, it’s hard for him to have too many complaints.

Yes, Solanke has just won the Europa League, but, make no mistake about it, this has been a disappointing season for the £65m man.

Indeed, since making his club-record move to Tottenham, Solanke hasn’t been at his best, as his stats this season show.

Eight goals in 26 games for a team set to finish 17th in the Premier League is hardly befitting of an England striker.

Yes, Ivan Toney is playing in Saudi Arabia, which, admittedly, is a lower standard, but he’s still scoring at a fantastic rate, something that Solanke can’t quite say at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for a big summer transfer window, having just secured the prize money for winning the Europa League and qualification for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham secured £10.95m for winning the Europa League, plus all the extra bits that will come from qualifying for Europe’s elite competition.

The North London club will also be able to attract the best players again by being able to offer them the chance of playing in the Champions League.

Daniel Levy and the Tottenham board now need to make this moment count and plans for the transfer window should already be in motion.

Daniel Levy needs to bring Eberechi Eze to Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur must ensure this is the year they finally bring Eberechi Eze to North London. Tottenham have been linked with Eze since at least 2020, when the winger was playing for Queens Park Rangers.

The Lilywhites never acted on their interest in Eze who instead joined Crystal Palace for £21m in 2021. But now, with Champions League football in the bag and Eze’s release clause set at £60m, they need to pounce and make him a Spurs player.

Ange Postecoglou made Eze a top target for this summer, although despite winning the Europa League, the Australian’s future at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains unclear. His team could have done with a creative player like the Palace forward for the final having been without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Eberechi Eze’s stats prove why he is a must-sign for Tottenham

Eze’s stats this season for Palace have been a big reason why the Eagles managed to end their long wait for a major piece of silverware. He netted the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Man City, having also scored in the quarters and semis.

The England international has 25 goal contributions in all competitions. He also managed more goal involvements than both Maddison and Kulusevski, who reached 23 and 21, respectively.

Marc Guehi has been a target for Tottenham Hotspur for a long time.

The Crystal Palace defender helped the Eagles win the FA Cup against Manchester City recently, and he is now expected to move to a bigger club.

Guehi will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and multiple sides in the Premier League are interested in securing his services.

Tottenham remain one of them, and there is now more good news for Spurs fans following their Europa League win.

Tottenham are confident about signing Marc Guehi

Tottenham tabled a £70 million bid to sign Guehi during the January transfer window.

Palace rejected that offer, and the England international did not force a move through despite the potential riches of a transfer to a bigger club.

Spurs’ interest, however, has not gone away, and following their Europa League triumph, they are set to try their luck again with Guehi.

That’s according to GiveMeSport, who claim that ‘Tottenham have fresh confidence over their ability to win the race to sign Guehi after adding to their trophy cabinet’ in Bilbao.

It has further been revealed that there have been ‘indications’ that the centre-half would be open to a move if Palace agree to sanction his exit.

The report also claims that Guehi would be willing to listen to what Tottenham have to say in potential negotiations in the coming weeks.

Palace are expected to part ways with Guehi this summer, because if they don’t, he will be able to walk away on a free transfer in 2026.

How much will Marc Guehi cost Tottenham?

As we mentioned above, Tottenham were ready to pay £70 million for Marc Guehi in January.

That would’ve made the England international defender Spurs’ most expensive signing of all time, but a deal did not materialise.

Now, the report claims that Palace could entertain bids below £50 million for their star defender this summer to avoid losing him for nothing 12 months later.

Reports elsewhere have claimed that Guehi will be available for just £40 million, which would be a bargain for a player who is still only 24.

Tottenham, however, could face competition from the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Liverpool for the defender’s signature.

The UEFA Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United was a strange affair.

Very rarely – if ever – have we seen two clubs sitting in the bottom five of their domestic league partake in a European final, but that is exactly what happened in Bilbao as Spurs defeated the Red Devils.

Tottenham currently sit 17th in the Premier League while Manchester United are 16th.

Therefore, it was a very odd spectacle to witness, and Graham Roberts noticed something else “strange” after the final whistle.

Lack of medals supplied by UEFA baffles Graham Roberts

The man born in Southampton, who made 278 appearances for Spurs, spotted that Heung-min Son, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur all failed to receive a medal during the presentation.

Roberts – who hailed Romero – wrote on X (previously known as Twitter): “Fantastic support from our great, super supporters. You are the best and showed it last night, you got behind the team and helped us win the trophy. Also, did anybody notice that UEFA never had enough medals as Sonny, Romero, and Bentancur never got medals. I’m sure they will, but strange.”

What UEFA said in official statement after Tottenham trio were not given medals

UEFA have already addressed this “strange” moment in an official statement.

They said: “To our great displeasure, we did not have enough medals available on stage during the trophy ceremony presentation due to an unexpected discrepancy in the player count, as more team members – including injured players – participated in the ceremony than initially anticipated.

“The missing medals were promptly delivered to the winning team in the dressing room, along with our sincerest apologies for the oversight.”

Ange Postecoglou – who tried to stay out of the celebrations – was clearly keen for each member of his squad to be recognised with a medal, regardless of how little they actually contributed to the achievement on the pitch.

That is the correct approach, as despite the fact some who received a medal barely appeared in this Europa League campaign, everyone plays a part behind the scenes on a daily basis, and deserves recognition.

Tottenham Hotspur have won the Europa League, and a number of key doors have been opened heading into next season.

Indeed, a Europa League win brings with it qualification for the Champions League, and, in turn, that brings huge financial benefits.

With the summer transfer window on the horizon, a boost to the bank balance is great news for Tottenham.

Spurs have been linked with a few exciting players ahead of the summer.

Angel Gomes has been linked to Tottenham, while Spurs are also keen on Rayan Cherki.

Justin Kluivert has been linked to Tottenham recently, and speaking on the Premier League’s YouTube channel, the Bournemouth attacker has made a claim that may interest Spurs fans.

Justin Kluivert is friends with Micky van de Ven

Kluivert was asked to name who he believes are the 10 fastest players in the Premier League.

Micky van de Ven is the fastest player in the Premier League, and Kluivert picked him as his number one.

Interestingly, Kluivert also noted that he’s good friends with Van de Ven, picking him as the quickest player in the division.

“He’s a good friend of mine, and I’ll put him for sure at number one,” Kluivert said.

Justin Kluivert’s record alongside Micky van de Ven

Justin Kluivert says he’s good friends with Micky van de Ven, and of course, both players know one another well from their Dutch connection.

Both players are similar ages, and coming through in the Netherlands, they will have played against each other on numerous occasions.

On top of that, Kluivert and Van de Ven are international teammates too.

However, they’ve never actually shared the pitch together, but they have been in the same squad on two occasions.

The Netherlands are yet to win a single game in which Van de Ven and Kluivert are in the same squad, and that perhaps doesn’t bode too well for Spurs and their potential transfer plans.

Kluivert is a target for Tottenham, and he may well find it easy to settle in at Spurs if he arrives due to his close friendship with Van de Ven.