In a match between the world No. 8 Japanese and No. 15 Aussies, it looked like it would have been a close match as the Matildas look to put a dire 2024 behind them.
Unfortunately, it was a horror show in the Matildas’ first match since December as Asia’s true powerhouse put the Aussies to the sword.
The result was the biggest ever loss by the Matildas to Japan and should have been much worse with some terrible shots, but what was worse was that the Aussies quite literally didn’t even fire a shot, with no shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes.
At halftime, the commentators were stunned by the 2-0 deficit, with calls for the Matildas to break out of their malaise.
Host Tara Rushton said it was “difficult to watch”.
“It looks like a team that doesn’t really know where they’re at with each other, and a little bit flat and bereft of energy.”
Aussie football veteran Andy Harper agreed.
“This was beyond less than acceptable. This is nowhere near good enough,” he said on Paramount+.
“Tom Sermanni came in, wanted to build stability with this first game, get off to a winning start. This team knows each other intimately. There’s almost 1000 caps spread across … this is so far away from being an acceptable first half of football from our national team in a preparation for an Asian Cup which we’re hosting.”
The Matildas were thrashed by Japan. Photo: Jack Gorman/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Former Matilda Grace Gill said the team would have to “take a good hard look at themselves at halftime”, hitting out at the team’s wasteful first half performance.
The only half chance the Matildas had a strong ball from Kyra Cooney-Cross that found an off-side Caitlin Foord but there was little else that could be considered a positive from a dire first half.
Even the Japanese goals were far from screamers with Mina Tanaka scoring off a weak strike after a failed header clearance from Australia.
The second was little more than a tap in after Clare Hunt and Alanna Kennedy ran into each other.
And the Matildas were lucky to not be further behind after a near-certain header clanged off the crossbar.
Gill said the goals were “easily preventable, easily fixed”.
“It was not controlling the ball, it was not settling things down, everything was going Japan’s way,” Gill says.
“Those (Japan) goals are easily defendable … it’s just defensively poor.
“It feels like the intensity is not there.”
But it was more of the same in the second half with the third goal five minutes after the break.
Despite a few positive moments from Japan showed the gulf in class with a sharp passing move giving Maika Hamano the easiest of tap ins.
At full-time, Harper called it “very very poor”.
“Disappointing doesn’t really come close to covering it,” Harper said.
“It was a morning which simply did not work.”
Hayley Raso reacts for the Matildas. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Gill said it exposed the “chasm” between the teams.
Harper said the loss exposed a hard truth for Australian football.
“We’re having the same discussion after a Matildas game against Japan as we have after a men’s game against Japan,” he said.
“This is not a team against another team, this is a system against another system.
“While Japan over five, 10, 15 years have made vast progress on a technical level with their players, we sit here sending out national teams out and the chasm between Japan and Australia technically seems to be getting wider, not narrower.”
Fans were quick to take aim at the performance, with criticisms focusing on the fact the Matildas still have an interim coach.
Sport broadcaster Daniel Garb slammed the performance.
“That’s a disaster for The Matildas with as strong a side as it can name at present. Heaviest ever loss to Japan. Concerning a year out from a home Asian Cup,” he said.
“Tom Sermanni is a great of the women’s game & is not to blame but they’ve got to get a move on with a permanent coach.”
The West Australian’s Ben Smith commented: “One shot on target. Matildas in dire need of a direction and a coach, because right now they’re just spinning the wheels. Sermanni in a tough spot, but there doesn’t feel like there’s any jeopardy for senior players.”
“This she believes cup was the perfect time to have a full-time coach in camp with the Matildas. Why there isn’t one yet is insane,” one fan said.
Another added: “The Matildas look seriously out of form and poorly organised. They are a metaphor for @FootbalAUS. We have NO coach and the classy Japanese have an Australian assistant coach. We have a thin bench and a porous defence. Reform is an urgent need.”
There was nothing to celebrate for the Matildas. Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Speaking after the game, defender Ellie Carpenter lamented a horrific day at the office.
“It was a bad performance from us and we need to regroup, refocus for the game against the US,” she said.
“I think we weren’t all on the same page with the press. But like I said, it wasn’t good enough tonight and we just need to refocus, regroup and focus on the next match.”
It gets no easier for the Aussies with the Matildas facing hosts and world No. 1 the US on Monday before finishing against Colombia next Thursday.
Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni has praised the “fantastic job” done by Steph Catley as Australia’s captain in the absence of Sam Kerr, saying it’s “irrelevant” whether the Chelsea star is restored as skipper when she returns from a long-term knee injury.
Kerr hasn’t played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in January last year.
Since then, star Arsenal left-back Catley has handled the captaincy with aplomb, while Kerr’s stocks have fallen after she was charged – and subsequently found not guilty – of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer after calling him “f***ing stupid and white”.
Despite the not guilty verdict, there have been calls to strip Kerr of the Matildas’ captaincy, with Football Australia in no hurry to make a decision on leadership as the star striker remains sidelined and not part of the national squad for the four-nation She Believes Cup in the United States.
When asked on Thursday if he would be comfortable with Kerr being reinstated as Australia’s captain, Sermanni didn’t give a yes or no response.
Sam Kerr remains sidelined with a knee injury. Picture: Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“That will be a decision that gets made when that happens, and whatever decision gets made, it gets made,” Sermanni said ahead of the Matildas’ clash with Japan in Houston on Friday morning (AEDT).
“How that decision gets made, who makes it, and whose involved in it, I really don’t know, because it’s really completely and utterly not part of our focus, because at this minute in time. Sam is injured.
“She’s been injured for 13 months, hasn’t played an international for 16 months, and the team is just getting on with its normal business, so it’s not part of the conversation.”
Sermanni said the priority regarding Kerr was getter her “healthy as quickly and as safely as possible, and to get her back on the field”.
“Particularly in relation to me, the captaincy issue is kind of quite irrelevant, because by the time she comes back into the team, I might not be here, so there’s really no point in me commenting on that,” he said.
Steph Catley leads the Matildas out for the second half of the game against Germany at the Paris Olympics.Source: Supplied
“Whoever comes in, whoever that coach is, who knows what’s going to happen, so really from my perspective, (and) from the team’s perspective, it’s something that’s really not that relevant at the moment, and to be honest, Steph Catley has stepped in as captain and done a fantastic job.”
Sermanni said he been in contact with Kerr since the end of her court case in London last week.
“We’ve checked in. We haven’t actually had conversations, but we’ve been in touch through text, so we’ve actually been in contact with each other,” he said.
“It’s been a pretty long couple of weeks for Sam, so the last thing she needs is people constantly badgering her at this time.
“We’ve had some contact. She knows what we’re thinking. Our physios are keeping in touch, (and) keeping in touch with Chelsea, so the lines of communication are very much open.”
Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni has praised Steph Catley’s work as Australia’s captain. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
He said he had yet to address the Kerr matter with the Matildas squad in the current camp.
“It hasn’t really come on the radar,” Sermanni said.
“We’ve just come into camp and really not had much time to do much. The team’s in good spirits, upbeat, and if there’s anything to be discussed about (Kerr), then, we’ll discuss it at some stage during this tournament.”
Sermanni was unsure whether he would still be in charge of the Matildas – who have been without a permanent coach since Tony Gustavsson’s departure following the team’s disappointing effort at last year’s Paris Olympics – for the two-match series in NSW against South Korea in April, when Kerr could be involved.
“I honestly don’t know. Basically I’m here as long as I’m required in the job, and if it finishes after this tournament, then so be it,” he said.
“At some stage, and probably I would suggest between now ad the middle of this year, there will be somebody else in the hot seat.”
Kim Jong-un has banned Tottenham Hotspur matches from being shown in North Korea.
The Korean dictator has outlawed the Premier League club, coached by Australian Ange Postecoglou, because the team is captained by South Korean star Son Heung-min.
As reported by The Sun, the rogue regime leader has banned all Premier League games from being broadcast in his country — if the team has a South Korean players on its roster.
It means the so-called tyrant’s favourite team — Manchester United — will also be blacked out in his country because the Red Devils play Tottenham on Monday morning (AEDT).
A report also revealed coverage in North Korea of last year’s Premier League did not include Wolverhampton Wanderers because of their South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan, or Brentford, who have his countryman, defender Kim Ji-soo.
Match coverage in the secretive state is shortened from 90 minutes to 60 and games are shown before news bulletins — and about four months after they are played.
Ange Postecoglou and Kim Jong-un. Photo: KCNA VIA KNS / AFP and Shaun Boterill, Getty.Source: SuppliedSon Heung-Min applauds fans. Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP.Source: AFP
With his team languishing 14th in the league, Tottenham fan Tom Bell said: “The way this season has gone for Spurs, North Koreans can count themselves lucky not being subjected to their games.”
The findings come in a report by the independent US think tank Stimson Center’s probe into North Korea.
State TV is rife with propaganda but sport is “one of the few moments each day when state TV is not trying to send an overt or underlying message to its viewers,” analysis found.
The Center’s Martyn Williams said: “We thought it was interesting.
“We just saw a lot of football on KCTV. It’s the main international sport they broadcast.”
The report says that in 2022, North Korean telly carried coverage of England’s top flight plus Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1 and Italy’s Serie A.
But the following year, KCTV settled the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup.
Ange Postecoglou (L) embraces South Korean striker Son Heung-Min. Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP.Source: AFPNorth Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency photo shows Kim Jong Un visiting the Ministry of National Defence.Source: AFP
English football has also found fans among other dictators.
Late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro was an Arsenal fan and Zimbabwe tyrant Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019, supported Chelsea.
Press coverage being diverted away from Postecoglou’s tenuous hold on his job will be a welcomed distraction for the club.
The former Socceroos manager’s second season with the London club has been a trainwreck with the side collapsing to be 14th on the Premier League table – as well as being knocked out of the League Cup and FA Cup.
Fans have turned on Postecoglou, but fans have been far more vocal in calling for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to be ousted.
As first reported by The Sun, Spurs fans have planned a mass protest for Monday morning’s game against United, where they will demand Levy to stand down.
Sam Kerr will always be remembered as one of the greatest women’s players to grace the game, but one drunken night out in London has raised questions over the Australian superstar’s reputation.
The 31-year-old Chelsea striker, who is mixed race, issued a public apology despite being found not guilty on Wednesday of racially aggravated abuse of a police officer in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
Kerr was recorded calling the policeman “stupid and white” but claimed she did not use “whiteness as an insult”.
The judge said after the verdict: “I take the view her own behaviour contributed significantly to the bringing of this allegation.”
In a statement, Kerr apologised for “expressing myself poorly on what was a traumatic evening”, with the case threatening to leave an indelible mark on an otherwise unblemished career.
Whether the case has a lasting impact remains to be seen. Kerr has not played football in over a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL).
Football Australia chief James Johnson refused to speculate during the trial on her future with the national team and whether she should remain captain and in a statement on Wednesday, FA was noncommittal on the matter.
“Football Australia invests heavily in building the behavioural standards and expectations of all involved with our game, especially for all our national team players, where leadership comes with added responsibilities on and off the field,” the statement read.
“Football Australia will reflect with Sam on learnings from this matter and we will continue to provide appropriate support for her moving forward.”
Interim Australia coach Tom Sermanni said last week he expected Kerr to be fit for selection when the Matildas host South Korea in April, but he too declined to comment on whether she was the right person to lead the side.
The Australian Financial Review’s Myriam Robin, in an opinion piece, wrote that Kerr’s suitability to be skipper “has more to do with public opinion, and its tolerance for entitled or idiotic athletes behaving badly”.
“That tolerance has, lately, been shrinking,” she added.
Meanwhile, Erin Smith of Code Sports was adamant Kerr should be “stripped of her Matildas’ captain armband and banned from any leadership roles”.
“If the captain of any of our national men’s teams, the Socceroos included, had been found drunk in a taxi, mid-season, and using deplorable language they would have been stood down from the role immediately,” she wrote.
“So why should Kerr get any special treatment?”
Kerr leaves Kingston Crown Court after being found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Well, The West Australian’s Kate Emery went some way to answering that question in an opinion piece where she argued the trial was a “waste of everyone’s time”, adding the not-guilty verdict was the “only good bit of news” to come out of the entire ordeal.
“An almighty mess of a bad night that should never have made it to the courts and turned into a two-year-long circus,” Emery added.
“Was Kerr, who has Anglo-Indian heritage, acting like a drunken prat when she said those four words to a police officer during a dispute over a taxi fare after a night out? Sure.
“Was she racially abusing the cop when she did so? Nope.
“And it seems like the jury that returned a not-guilty verdict agreed with me.”
Emery went on to write that it “would be a shame” if this incident, and the commentary that followed, “tainted” Kerr’s reputation in the long-term.
“Particularly given the drunken antics Australia’s male sporting heroes have long gotten away with, even been lionised for,” she added, arguing the double standards exposed by the Kerr saga with men often instead lauded for their “larrikin spirit”.
Emery also drew attention to the fact Kerr, and not her white fiancé Kristie Mewis, was arrested for criminal damage over the broken taxi window despite defence lawyer Grace Forbes stressing that Mewis told police “time and time again that she had broken the window”.
Kerr’s fiance defends her character | 00:55
“There is a broader point to be made here — one that came up at trial — which is that there is a difference between insulting a caucasian person for their race and insulting a non-white person for theirs,” Emery wrote.
“That difference comes down to one word: power. Racism is prejudice plus power. Historically, in our western world it is white people who have held the power and non-white people who have not. Overwhelmingly that remains true today.”
The same is also true for women’s safety concerns, as Sam Squiers wrote in a comment piece for foxsports.com.au. Nadia Russell of The Sydney Morning Herald also empathised Kerr’s situation while recalling her experience with one Uber driver who got lost and then instead of “apologising for the inconvenience” proceeded to “turn on” her.
“I’ve been in Sam Kerr’s shoes, and not only do I completely understand her behaviour during her infamous exchange with a constable in a Twickenham police station, I don’t have a problem with it,” she wrote.
Kerr has been at the centre of a media storm. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, former NZ Football Fern and Team Heroine Founder Rebecca Sowden asked on LinkedIn if anyone else felt “uncomfortable” watching the Kerr trial unfold.
“Before smashing a taxi window to ‘escape’, Kerr & partner, Kristie Mewis feared they were being kidnapped after the driver locked the doors & windows, drove erratically & wouldn’t stop (after Kerr spit-vomited out the window),” she wrote.
“Whenever I take a taxi/uber, particularly at night I study the driver ID & am on high alert. Sadly, I’m sure many women go through similar ‘fears’ when doing other ‘day-to-day’ activities (taxis, jogging, walking to your car at night…). Feeling afraid during daily activities should not be, but is the reality for many women.”
Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells also threw her support behind Kerr, saying “the more we find out about the incident the more you can understand why they’ve acted the way they have”.
“… Sam certainly has Australia behind her.”
But that isn’t necessarily the case.
Kerr audio from taxi played in court | 00:56
As The Guardian’s Kieran Pender wrote, the not-guilty verdict “does little to quell bigger questions about the ongoing reputational fallout, including Kerr’s future as captain of the national team and the face of women’s football in Australia”.
He mentioned the additional context that was brought up throughout the trial in Kerr’s favour, including the Matildas star telling the court that after she vomited out the window the driver allegedly acted “crazy” and refused to let them leave.
Kerr went on to tell the court that he locked the doors and started heading in an unknown direction, adding that she felt “terrified” for her life while Mewis feared it was a “kidnapping”
Pender also referenced Kerr’s citing of the Claremont serial killer, along with the fact she felt like she was treated differently by police because of “the colour of my skin”.
“For Kerr’s detractors, this wider context obscures the central point: here was an entitled millionaire footballer, drunk, vomiting in the back of a taxi, and then using rude language as police officers sought to de-escalate the situation,” Pender added.
“… As the evidence over the past week revealed, there are competing kinds of privilege at play here – with enough material for those on either side of the debate to claim vindication. The video footage is not flattering to Kerr; the context explains, even excuses, say her backers.”
So, the big question: what does this all mean for Kerr and her standing in women’s football?
What will come next for Kerr? (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Kerr made her Australia debut aged just 15 and has gone on to become one of the world’s best players.
She was the face of the 2023 World Cup on home soil after her profile soared to new heights when she moved to Chelsea in 2020 and steered them to the domestic double.
Australia’s all-time leading scorer, among men or women, with 69 goals in 128 appearances, Kerr has been shortlisted for the women’s Ballon d’Or and nominated for the Best FIFA Women’s Player consistently since 2017.
Named “Young Australian of the Year” in 2018, Kerr was hailed as “inspirational, well-grounded, professional and mature”, helping drive change in Australian football with a minimum wage now in place and players treated as professionals.
Pender wrote that “even before the verdict it was clear things will not be the same” for Kerr or Australian football.
“The extent to which this incident tarnishes a glittering career, or is relegated to a footnote, remains to be seen,” he added.
“For many, in these polarised times, the answer to that question was predetermined before the trial had even commenced.”
Kerr officer challenged over motives | 01:50
It is a similar point to the one made by the Australian Financial Review’s Hans van Leeuwen, who wrote that Kerr was “exonerated by the jury unanimously, but the court of public opinion remains divided”.
“Who was belittling whom? Who was racist to whom? Everyone has a view, and there’s no chance of a universal verdict,” he added, referencing the fact that while many women are “sympathetic” to Kerr’s situation, the “furious commentary” in reaction to the case suggests she has “lost a lot of admirers”.
Kathryn Batte, meanwhile, wrote in a column for The Telegraph UK that “it is up to Kerr now what story she writes next”.
“Australia’s golden girl, their sporting superstar and hero showed she was not perfect after all,” wrote Batte.
“Kerr showed herself to be human. A human who can make a mistake, just like everybody else. The question now is whether she can repair her damaged reputation off the pitch and rediscover her best form on it.”
The tight rope Ange Postecoglou is walking is getting narrower.
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That is to be expected when a big six club like Tottenham sits 14th on the Premier League table almost two-thirds of the way through the season.
This time last week Spurs were still in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and the Europa League.
Now, only the latter remains.
The results are not stacking up in the Australian’s favour, but there is an unshakeable feeling among his backers that if he was not an outsider in English football, he might be afforded more rope.
It has been highly publicised that Tottenham have been hit with an injury crisis in recent months.
“There’s got to be a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last two and a half months,” he said.
“It can’t be that people think that’s an excuse. That’s just not anywhere near close to objective analysis. That’s just agenda-driven stuff.
“If it’s to get rid of me that’s fine. Good on ya. Go for it a million times.
“But in terms of this group of players, what they’ve given over the past two and half months has been outstanding, it’s a credit to them, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
Yet, the questions keep coming despite the most glaring issue being clear for all to see.
Postecoglou has been repeatedly forced to put out a makeshift defence with first choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, centre back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, and left-back Destiny Udogie all spending extended periods on the sidelines.
Further afield, midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma have been regularly unavailable, while their goal scoring stocks have suffered the blows of injuries to Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison at various times.
Logically, it is no surprise that the losses have mounted.
Liverpool sink Spurs in run to final | 02:05
Just as they did for Newcastle United last season.
The Magpies lost ten of their first 21 Premier League encounters last campaign.
Undeniably, not good enough for a club with a lot of financial power considering its 80% per cent ownership by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, well-known for funding LIV Golf and spreading their wealth throughout the sporting world in recent years.
But manager Eddie Howe faced nowhere near the level of scrutiny Postecoglou has received.
It was widely accepted that the Englishman, who made his name by taking Bournemouth to the Premier League for the first time, had his hands tied by an injury-riddled squad.
The added pressure of mid-week European competition, Newcastle played in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, as well as cup fixtures and always demanding league schedule took its toll.
It sounds familiar to Postecoglou’s current predicament.
But unlike in Howe’s case, the English press, pundits, former players and fans have been baying for blood.
And despite sometimes justified criticism of Postecoglou’s polarising tactics, some of the reasons for doing so have not always been fair.
“Spurs’ Australian head coach is the latest target of the village idiots; the half-pint pundits and critics who prefer to laugh at the fact he finishes his sentences with ‘mate’ than listen to him contextualising his team’s problems,” football news correspondent for the UK Telegraph Matt Law wrote.
The mockery unfortunately goes hand-in-hand with the club Postecoglou is at.
Tottenham are repeatedly a laughing stock among rival fans courtesy of the well-documented absence of silverware in their trophy cabinet since 2008.
The regularity with which they sack managers, Postecoglou is their 12th permanent manager this century, is the bud of many jokes.
So too is the behaviour of their fans, who even wanted their own team to lose the penultimate game of last Premier League season at home to Manchester City, which they did 2-0, to deny arch enemies Arsenal the title.
Therefore, of course, when an Australian arrived in north London with tales of how he has won a trophy in his second season with Celtic, Yokohama F. Marinos, the Socceroos, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne, the punch lines were being written.
Add to that the fact he had shown an unwavering commitment to attacking football, even when times are tough. That was until their last Premier League outing, a 2-0 victory away at Brentford, as a more defensive approach broke a seven-game winless streak in the league.
Spurs sat deeper and gritted their teeth for 90 minutes, showing that they can be more resolute in defence, but Postecoglou is still spoken of as a madman.
There are choruses of laughter in pubs and football clubs across England at Postecoglou’s and Tottenham’s expense, and they have only grown louder in recent days.
Ange denies Tel initially rejected Spurs | 01:11
In the past week, another dismantling by Liverpool, in the form of a 4-0 drubbing at Anfield in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final after leading 1-0 following the first leg, was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
There is little shame in losing to the Premier League leaders, or Aston Villa have qualified for the Champions League Round of 16, but that did not prevent the pile on.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp was scathing on Sky Sports after the Liverpool loss, saying “I cannot remember a team in my lifetime go down with less of a fight with what Spurs did today”.
“Not having one shot on target in the semi-final of a second leg when you’re trying to change the course of your history?” he added.
Fellow former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who has been a very vocal critic of Postecoglou, took to X to call for his sacking.
“It’s time to go now, Ange is out of his depth. [Unai] Emery is on a different planet compared to him and his players bopped us off the park. Should have been five, we’re like reserve team playing in academy games that don’t matter, it’s crazy,” O’Hara wrote.
It did not help things for Postecoglou either that Liverpool great Jamie Carragher opted to rub further salt into Spurs’ wounds.
“It’s Tottenham!” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “When do Tottenham ever win a big game? When do Tottenham ever go and surprise, win against the odds?”
The last few months it must have felt like Postecoglou was being forced to play game after game at a casino where the house always wins.
With the injury crisis, the odds have been massively skewed against them, but the cup competitions kept the hope alive.
Now, only the European dream remains to fulfil the Postecoglou prophecy of winning yet another trophy in his second season in charge of a team.
Spurs finished fourth in the new look league phase of the Europa League with five wins, two draws and a loss to automatically advance to the Round of 16.
Awaiting them will be one of Midtjylland, AZ Alkmaar, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray but arguably more important than the opponent they face, will be the respite Postecoglou’s injury hit squad receive.
Their next European clash is not until March 6 as they will enjoy some much-needed breathing space between matches this month after a manic December and January.
Tension eases as Spurs advance in Europa | 01:57
Spurs played 17 matches across all competitions in that stretch as the casualty ward overflowed.
It was reported by the UK Telegraph on Monday that Postecoglou has implemented a much-needed reset by affording the squad two days off this week to recharge the batteries before facing Manchester United at home in the league on Sunday.
“The boys who are coming back, we’ll get the opportunity to give them a whole week of training, which is great,” Postecoglou said.
“By the time we get to the back end of the week we should have something resembling a squad of players to prepare for a big game. That then folds into the following week when, again, we’ve got seven days and no midweek game to prepare for the next game.
“So that gives us a real good opportunity to get some work into the guys who have been out for quite a while and give some rest to the guys who have been going at it. So by the time we get back to being in Europe and having midweek games we’ll be in a much better shape.”
Postecoglou will be hoping the refresh, along with the possible returns of Vicario, Udogie, Maddison, Johnson and Wilson Odobert will be the morale booster the playing group desperately needs.
Their frustrations came to the fore during the Villa loss on Sunday.
“Spence ripped off his sock tape, threw it on the ground and headed straight down the tunnel with Yves Bissouma at full time,” The Athletic’s Jay Harris wrote.
“Pedro Porro jumped up after being nutmegged and left in a heap on the floor by Marcus Rashford. He then brought Villa’s new striker down with a wild kick on the edge of the box and somehow escaped punishment. The Spain international received a yellow card in the final 10 minutes for a tackle on Ramsey.
“Bentancur was booked for dragging down Rogers. Bergvall jumped into a tackle on Rogers and then clattered into him later on. He eventually picked up a booking for a foul on Ramsey, too.
“These are the moments when Postecoglou needs his senior players, including the captain Son and Dejan Kulusevski, to calm everyone down.”
Jovial Ange jokes before crucial goal | 00:57
If the players can reset, they may be able to claw their way back to the days of Postecoglou’s honeymoon period at Spurs.
The 59-year-old was a breath of fresh air when Tottenham amassed 26 points in his first ten games in charge, a Premier League record, when he took over last season.
Most promising for Postecoglou is that the formula is still there.
“The statistics still tell us this Tottenham team, for all their struggles this season, play a little differently to everyone else. The principles of play that had Postecoglou’s Spurs five points clear at the top of the table early last season remain in place,” Sky Sports’ Adam Bate wrote.
“No team in the Premier League has won the ball high up the pitch more times than Tottenham. No team allows so few passes per defensive action. No team plays with more width than Tottenham. By design, it is supposed to be intense and expansive.”
The numbers are a promising sign that if the medical staff can get most of their stars back on the pitch, the performances may turn quickly.
Who knows what will happen in the Europa League knockouts, but for what it is worth, Howe’s Newcastle won nine and drew four of their final 17 Premier League games last season once the midweek grind subsided.
They finished seventh, and currently sit sixth, two points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea and one of the lucrative Champions League places.
Perhaps if Postecoglou is afforded the leniency of an Englishman, he may have the time to turn things around in a similar fashion.
Who knows, they still have one chance to fulfil his trophy prophecy.
Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday after a trophy-laden career.
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The 36-year-old spent 16 years at Spanish giants Madrid, winning six La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies.
“At 18, Real Madrid came knocking on my door and I arrived here,” Marcelo said in a video posted on social media. “Now, I can proudly say that I am a true ‘Madrileno’.
“What a journey. Real Madrid is a unique club.” Marcelo enjoyed a strong relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, lifting four Champions Leagues with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The pair both scored in the 2014 final victory over Atletico Madrid when Real ended a 12-year wait for their 10th European Cup.
“My brother, what an incredible career! We have lived a lot together, it has been years of achievements, victories and unforgettable moments,” Ronaldo said in a post on Instagram.
“More than a teammate, a partner for life.” Marcelo also won the Copa del Rey twice and the Club World Cup four times during his time with Los Blancos, for whom he made 546 appearances, scoring 38 goals.
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“One of the greatest left-backs in Real Madrid and world football history, and we had the privilege of watching him for a long time,” said Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in a statement.
“He is one of our greatest legends and Real Madrid is and always will be his home.” Marcelo was an unused substitute in the 2022 Champions League final when his compatriot Vinicius Junior scored the only goal against Liverpool.
“Thank you for your advice, for your reprimands, for the time spent by your side,” said Vinicius on social media.
“We were victorious on the field and we are friends off it.” Marcelo made 58 appearances for the Brazil national team, playing at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and winning the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Ange denies Tel initially rejected Spurs | 01:11
He was part of the teams that won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics and bronze in Beijing in 2008.
“Playing for my country since the youth categories has also been a great honour,” he said.
“In my memory I will always cherish two Olympic medals and a Confederations Cup.” Marcelo started his career with Brazilian club Fluminense before leaving for Real.
When he finally left the Santiago Bernabeu he joined Greek club Olympiakos but terminated his contract after just five months to rejoin Fluminense.
Marcelo helped his home team win the Copa Libertadores for the first time with victory over Boca Juniors in the 2023 final.
He left the club by mutual consent last November and has not played since.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s playing days may be numbered but his following is bigger than ever as he celebrates his 40th birthday in his adopted home of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
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The Portuguese great appeared to trade an end-of-career payday for football obscurity when he moved to Riyadh’s Al Nassr two years ago in a deal said to be worth $250 million.
But his influence became clear when he was followed by a parade of ageing superstars, including Karim Benzema and the perennially injured Neymar, to the big-spending Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia was then awarded the 2034 World Cup in December, the crowning glory for the oil-rich kingdom’s strategy of revamping its image through sports, tourism and culture.
Leading the charge has been Ronaldo, an ambassador for the Saudi World Cup and now an online phenomenon, with more than a billion followers across his social media channels.
When Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel in August, he gained one million subscribers in just 90 minutes and 20 million within 24 hours. He currently has 73.5 million.
While Ronaldo’s perfect white teeth, bulging torso and product promotions are ubiquitous online, he remains equally energetic on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team’s second goal from a penalty during the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al-Nassr and Al Wasl at King Saud University Stadium on February 03, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
He scored twice for Al Nassr on Monday, including a trademark leaping header, and berates his own and teammates’ mistakes as fiercely as if he was still playing El Clasico for Real Madrid.
“With age, one’s physical prowess diminishes hence it would have been easy for Ronaldo to take Saudi Arabian money and gently fade from view,” Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School, told AFP.
“However, the gusto and passion that he continues to display suggests a consummate professional, deeply passionate player, and a physically determined athlete, the likes of which we don’t commonly see,” he added.
Although World Cup glory has probably eluded him, unlike his Argentine rival Lionel Messi, records still dangle in front of the five-time Ballon d’Or and Champions League winner.
In September he passed 900 professional goals, an unmatched feat in official matches. Now on 923, and with a record 35 Saudi Pro League goals last season, the hallowed 1,000 is not too far away.
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Despite this prodigious form Ronaldo is yet to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, with the Arab Club Champions Cup of 2023 his only triumph with the club.
Questions now surround his future as his contract expires in June, with no confirmation on whether he will extend his stint in Saudi Arabia.
Stay, go or retire, he has indelibly changed football in the desert country, while managing to grow his own brand at the same time.
“Undoubtedly, his presence was key for the Saudi bid for the World Cup, especially with his constant positive talk about Saudi Arabia,” Egyptian TV football analyst Omar Nassef told AFP.
“Ronaldo’s presence opened the way for players at European elite clubs to come directly to the Saudi league.
“It’s not only about the amount of money, it’s also about going to play in a league that has one of the best players in the world.”
Brazilian superstar Neymar has left sections of the football world in meltdown with an announcement about his return to boyhood club Santos expected to be made within days.
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Saudi giant Al Hilal on Monday night released a statement to confirm the club had reached a mutual agreement to release the former Barcelona star from his mega-contract.
The Champions League winner shared a message on Tuesday night, saying goodbye to his Saudi Pro League fans.
“To everyone at Al Hilal, to the fans, Thank you,” he posted on X.
“I gave everything to play and I wish we enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you.”
Al Hilal’s Brazilian forward Neymar warms up. Photo by AFP.Source: AFP
Neymar’s deal was reported to have been worth a staggering $215 million (£129m) per-year, The Sun reports.
And after leaving following 18 months at the club, it meant he earned £193.8m in total.
That breaks down to an outrageous $4.1 million (£2.5m) per-week.
Combined with his transfer fee, Al-Hilal effectively paid $452 million (£271m) for Neymar’s single goal and three assists in seven matches.
Al Hilal’s nightmare isn’t even over yet.
Neymar will still pocket $87 million (£51.9m) of the wages he was owed for the remainder of the season, agreeing to give up just 15 per cent – which works out to $13 million (£8m).
That means by the end of the season, his single goal will have cost over $554 million (£322m), while each appearance will have been worth £46m.
If all that wasn’t enough, Neymar also raked in a cool £136m from commercial income, separate to his wage from Al-Hilal.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger played just seven times since joining the club in August 2023.
Neymar was the subject of what is still the biggest transfer in football history when he joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a fee of 220 million euros.
He followed fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the lucrative Saudi league.
But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in October 2023, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.
He returned for Al Hilal with two brief appearances in October and November but injured a hamstring and has not played since.
Club’s blunt Neymar statement as boyhood fairy tale nears
Al-Hilal’s statement confirming Neymar’s exit was short and sweet.
“The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career with Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career,” said a club statement posted on social media.
The decision to release Neymar came after boss Jorge Jesus admitted the player was no longer capable of the required physical demands.
He said: “Neymar can no longer perform at the level we are used to.
“Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
While Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States, reports in Brazil said Santos, the club where Neymar made his name, was in talks for him to return to his homeland.
A return to Brazil would likely be the last chance for a player who is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 127 matches.
Neymar scores for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
Club president Marcelo Teixeira took to Instagram to deliver the message to Neymar on Tuesday night but did not officially confirm the 32-year-old’s return to the club where he first broke through in 2009.
“The time has come, Neymar. The time has come for you to return to your people. To your home, to our beloved club,” said Teixeira.
“Welcome back, Ney boy!… Come and be happy again in the sacred jersey. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
“I know this will be my last World Cup, my last shot, my last chance and I will do everything I can to play in it,” he told CNN.
At the start of his career he was cast as the heir to Pele.
After scoring 107 goals in 177 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.
A year later he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men’s football gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).
He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020, but they lost to Bayern Munich.
PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.
Reports out of the British press suggest that Tottenham are sticking with the Australian as they focus their energies on signing “at least one player” before the January transfer window is shut.
It appeared as if Postecoglou’s time may have been up after their 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened Leicester City, who had lost seven straight matches coming in, on Sunday.
Spurs sit a lowly 15th on the Premier League table, winless in their last seven matches and picking up just four points in their last ten league fixtures.
The faithful are growing restless with Postecoglou stopping to express his displeasure at one fan who repeatedly shouted “we’re going down with you” as he headed down the race with boos echoing after the full-time whistle.
Postecoglou then responded to a question about whether he thinks he will still be at the helm when Spurs’ plethora of injured stars return to the park, with “who knows”.
It was the first time the former Socceroos and Celtic boss and publicly showed the writing may be on the wall, especially given Tottenham’s history of discarding managers.
Chairman Daniel Levy has had 16 managers in his 24 years in charge.
But with Tottenham’s injury crisis showing few signs of improving, Levy is reportedly changing tack and giving Postecoglou more time than he afforded the likes of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte when things went pear shaped.
Tottenham’s injury list has been in double digits for several weeks with Postecoglou unable to fill his entire bench against Leicester as James Maddison joined the casualty ward.
Goal scorer Richarlison also should have come off at half time with a groin issue, while the manager admitted Pape Sarr should not have played after picking up an injury in their mid-week Europa League victory against German outfit Hoffenheim.
With the medical team working over time, the lack of activity in the current transfer window has been perplexing.
Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky arrived from Slavia Prague for £12.5 million to cover for first-choice shot stopper Guglielmo Vicario who fractured his right ankle in Spurs’ 4-0 win at Manchester City in November.
But Kinsky is the only January signing so far, despite Postecoglou crying out for more outfield talent, especially in defence.
The most frustrating thing for Tottenham fans is that they have the money to chase new signings.
The Mirror’s Conor Mummery wrote that “Spurs have one of the lowest wages to turnover ratio in the league at 42 per cent. They have the biggest PSR [profit and sustainability rules] headroom in the league.
“And Daniel Levy and Co have sat on their hands all month and watched their club slide down the league table, picking up more injuries along the way with Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma joining the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario on the sidelines.”
Ange Postecoglou’s fiery fan interaction | 00:20
Those figures are why the fans have turned on Levy, and it appears he believes he would do further damage to his reputation by sacking another manager at this point in time.
Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold shed light on how strained the relationship has become between the owner and the fan base.
“It’s embarrassing no doubt for Levy to hear the loudest chants yet in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – his crowning glory – from thousands of supporters for him to leave his position at the helm of the club. The post-match music was cranked up loudly – Spurs fans have heard that before – but it could not drown out the chants during the match,” Gold wrote.
“It’s embarrassing that the club are currently in danger of repeating those two critical transfer-less windows that sucked the life out of the club and the manager in Mauricio Pochettino’s final full season, seemingly learning not a single lesson from a period that ended their hopes of building on what the Argentine had created and they’ve been flailing since. Recent reports detailing the far lower percentage Spurs spend on salaries compared to revenue in relation to all of their rivals, which will only have dropped further this season, have not exactly screamed ambition from the owners to the fanbase.
“It’s embarrassing for the club to see those couple of banners in the south stand. One read: “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy – time for change”. Another proclaimed: “Our game is about glory, Levy’s game is about greed”. That video footage appeared to show stewards trying to take down the first banner is equally embarrassing.”
In an attempt to ease some of the tension, Tottenham are reportedly showing heavy interest in a highly touted 18-year-old who has burst on the Premier League scene this season, and a 24-year-old Manchester United academy product who has found his way in France.
But neither deal may be done until the summer.
“Southampton winger Tyler Dibling and Lille midfielder Angel Gomes are two players Spurs have held talks over as they attempt to set up deals for the summer window, and they are also trying to secure at least one new outfield signing this month,” Matt Law, football news correspondent for The Telegraph, wrote.
“While Postecoglou has been relatively calm about Tottenham’s lack of business so far, it is understood there is frustration from staff behind the scenes that outfield players have not been brought in earlier to try to alleviate some of the Australian’s problems.
“Tottenham have been desperate to avoid rushing into a decision on Postecoglou’s future and the focus has been trying to support him, but pressure is growing following successive defeats by Everton and Leicester, and with his team stuck in 15th place, eight points above the relegation zone.
“It is understood that Spurs are understanding of the injury crisis Postecoglou has faced and believe that changing the manager again would leave the club in a difficult position as they attempt to build something lasting.
“Furthermore, the prospect of having to finish a third season with Ryan Mason in caretaker charge would be hugely embarrassing and provoke more criticism towards Levy.”
The allure of some much-needed silverware is seemingly also keeping Postecoglou safe in the short-term.
Mid-week fixtures are undeniably hurting Tottenham’s depleted squad’s ability to back up time and time again for league encounters, but they remain alive in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.
In fact, they lead Liverpool 1-0 after the first leg of their League Cup semi-final with the second leg to be played at Anfield next month.
They are sixth on the Europa League with a win at home against Swedish side IF Elsborg on Friday morning Australian time in their final league phase match guaranteeing them automatic passage to the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, an FA Cup fourth round tie away at Aston Villa also awaits next week.
Three opportunities remain for Postecoglou to fulfill his proclamation that he always wins a trophy in his second year in charge of a team.
He did it in the A-League. He did it with the Socceroos. He did it in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. He did with Scottish giants Celtic and despite things looking so bleak in North London, he remains optimistic that he can do it again.
Around the world, he has trophies in the bank and is not interested in trying to assure others that he can manage a football team
“It doesn’t really come into my consciousness about trying to convince people. I have been around long enough to know that some will just judge on where we are at at the moment and rightly so in some respects. It’s not good enough,” Postecoglou explained after the loss to Leicester.
“If people want to put context to that, they can. If not, so be it. From my point of view, I’m still very much stuck on the fact that the players are just giving everything they can.
“Even one more player coming in, just in the short term, will give us an opportunity at least to navigate these last 10 days to two weeks of what’s been a really hard slog for this group of players.
“They did on Thursday night (against Hoffenheim), they did today. There are probably at least two who shouldn’t have been out there. They were just desperate to try to turn our fortunes around.
“Hopefully over the next 10 days to two weeks we should get some significant players back which I think will help this group a lot. It will give them the boost they need.
“We have still got some fantastic opportunities this year to make an impact in the second half of this year and I’m sure that will happen.”
Whenever Postecoglou’s time is up at Tottenham, things may look brighter.
The Mirror’s football writers identified Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Fulham’s Marco Silva as potential replacements for Postecoglou at Spurs, but they would just be getting themselves onto the same merry-go-round.
Moving on from Spurs has reaped rewards for previous managers with The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson writing that Postecoglou may have more success elsewhere to look forward to.
“The good news for Ange Postecoglou is that it seems relatively straightforward to recover from being Tottenham manager: his two immediate predecessors, Antonio Conte and Nuno Espírito Santo, are top of Serie A with Napoli and third in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest respectively,” Wilson wrote.
“As the banner unveiled on Sunday by Spurs fans during the defeat by Leicester read: “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy”. Nobody really looks at Tottenham any more and thinks the problem is the manager.
Ange Postecoglou admitted he does not know if he will avoid the sack after Tottenham hit a new “low” with a dismal 2-1 defeat against struggling Leicester on Sunday.
Postecoglou’s side crashed to a sixth defeat from their last seven Premier League matches to increase the pressure on the under-fire Australian.
Richarlison’s 33rd-minute header gave Tottenham hope of a first top-flight win since December 15.
But Jamie Vardy levelled for Leicester less than 60 seconds after half-time before Bilal El Khannouss fired the winner four minutes later.
Furious Tottenham fans called for chairman Daniel Levy to quit throughout the match, while boos greeted full-time whistle after Postecoglou was jeered for substituting Richarlison.
Tottenham are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the relegation zone.
Postecoglou claimed his injury-hit squad — deprived of 10 players at present — are still behind him, but the former Celtic boss conceded he could not guarantee he would still be around when the walking wounded eventually return.
“Who knows. I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say ‘no’,” he said.
“When you are the manager of a football club, you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that.
“I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.”
A 3-2 win at Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday kept Tottenham on track for the last 16, while they hold a 1-0 lead in the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool ahead of the second leg at Anfield in February.
– ‘Very committed’ –
Postecoglou’s hopes of fulfilling his boast that he always wins a trophy in his second season lie with those competitions and the FA Cup.
But, after a run of one win in 11 league games, climbing away from the relegation zone is essential if Postecoglou is to survive the storm raging around his club.
“I really believe in this group of players. Even today, what I asked of them, some of the performances were outstanding considering what they’ve been through,” he said.
“To me that’s all positive, but ultimately, the fact that we’ve lost another game of football, the focus is on that.
“I have felt all along that the players are still very committed to what we’re doing. That’s important to me because I firmly believe in it.
“This is probably as low as we’ve been so far this year but I still think that in these last three months we can do something really special and I think these players believe that.
“Right now it’s very hard to visualise that when you think of the current circumstances we’re in.”
First-choice defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven returned to training this week, while Tottenham continue to chase additions in the transfer window.
“You just have to look at our absences today and they’ll all be back,” Postecoglou added.
“Even missing Madders (James Maddison) today, he was so good the other night.
“All these little things that are not allowing us to get any momentum, I’m sure will change and when they change, I’m really confident we can make an impact.”
– Son slams ‘sloppy’ Spurs –
Son Heung-min slammed Tottenham’s lack of focus after Sunday’s “painful” 2-1 defeat against lowly Leicester increased the pressure on under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.
Whether Postecoglou can survive much longer in a dismal second season in charge remains to be seen, but the Australian’s cause wasn’t helped by a scathing assessment of their performance from South Korea forward Son.
“It is very painful. Especially when you’re winning at half-time and conceding two goals in a short period of time. It let us down and is a very frustrating afternoon,” the Tottenham captain said.
“We can’t just say tiredness because we just came out of the second half. Maybe it was a little bit sloppy.
“It is just a lack of concentration and a bit of sloppiness and in the Premier League table any team can punish us.
“It was not good enough and sometimes we made the wrong decision in the final moment. It is very disappointing to not get three points and to concede goals like this.”
The prospect of Tottenham dropping into the second tier is unthinkable for fans who last saw their club play at that level in 1977-78.
Asked if Tottenham could be dragged into a relegation battle, Son said: “It is definitely not good enough. We’ve had way too many losses, but there are still a lot of games remaining and we’ll have a lot of players back.”
Tottenham are dangerously close to being sucked into the relegation battle and trips to Brentford and Aston Villa in their next two league games — either side of a League Cup semi-final second leg clash with Liverpool — could decide the Australian’s fate.
“It is a disappointing result, but at the same time I can’t ask anymore from this group of players. Some of them aren’t 100 percent but they are trying their hardest,” Postecoglou said.
“Things just aren’t falling for us. It is not an atmosphere where it is easy at the moment. We’ve got to get through this as united as possible.”
Tottenham hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg against Liverpool and a Wembley appearance could buy Postecoglou time to get his team back on track.
With 14 players absent for Thursday’s Europa League win at Hoffenheim, Tottenham’s injury crisis has led to criticism of Postecoglou’s tactics and the level of intensity in training.
The former Celtic boss accepts the blame for the rash of injuries, but his claims that Tottenham remain on the right path under his leadership look more questionable with each woeful result that edges him closer to the axe.
While Postecoglou fights to save his job, Leicester manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy can breathe a little easier over his own future.
Van Nistelrooy, who replaced Steve Cooper in December, had presided over seven successive league defeats before their much-needed success against Tottenham.
Leicester are now one place and one point above the relegation zone and Van Nistelrooy said: “It’s a massive win. The players are buying into it. I can only be very proud of this team.” On a filthy, rain-lashed afternoon, a protest banner against Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was unveiled by fans before kick-off with the slogan “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – time for change”.
– Penalty controversy –
Brentford benefitted from penalty controversy to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Thomas Frank’s team earned a 66th minute penalty when Marc Guehi made a hash of clearing and the panicked Maxence Lacroix fouled Nathan Collins.
Bryan Mbeumo’s spot-kick hit the post, but Palace’s reprieve was short-lived as VAR ruled Guehi had encroached before the shot.
The Brentford forward gratefully accepted his second chance by sending Palace keeper Dean Henderson the wrong way for his 14th goal this season.
Kevin Schade netted in the 80th minute for Brentford and Palace winger Romain Esse came off the bench to score with his first touch on his debut five minutes later.
Later on Sunday, troubled Manchester United travel to Fulham, while Aston Villa drew 1-1 at home to West Ham.
