Oasis star Noel Gallagher made a bizarre commentary appearance as his beloved Manchester City went down 4-1 to Sporting CP in Ruben Amorim’s farewell match ahead of taking over at Old Trafford.
The new Manchester United manager immediately endeared himself to his new fans as his Portuguese side inflicted a third defeat in the space of a week on City to maintain their standing in second position on the Champions League table with ten points from four games.
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Amorim said pre-game that Red Devils fans might believe that “the new Alex Ferguson has arrived” if his team beat City, and he has poured fuel on the fire that is the Manchester derby.
LISBON, PORTUGAL – NOVEMBER 05: Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Sporting CP, is thrown into the air by his players to celebrate his last home match as manager at the end of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 05, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Pep Guardiola will get his chance for revenge on Amorim in the 39-year-old’s first Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium on December 15, but he has glaring issues to fix first.
Phil Foden opened the scoring for City in the fourth minute and it appeared they were back on track after a shock Premier League loss to Bournemouth at the weekend after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham mid-week.
Lifelong City fan Gallagher was even crowing about how easy things were on the pitch for his side, but almost as soon as the words came out of mouth, Sporting front man Viktor Gyökeres fired home their first goal in the 38th minute.
From then on despite City dominating possession (73%) and having more than double the amount of shots (20-9), Sporting had all the momentum on the counter and they rolled with it.
No more than 30 seconds into the second half they grabbed the lead courtesy of a great through ball picking out Maximiliano Araujo who was in on goal and smashed it home.
Former Brighton striker Gyökeres piled on the pain by slotting two second half penalties to ensure he took home the match ball.
At the other end, Erling Haaland had a chance to keep the game alive when City were 3-1 down but he blasted his penalty straight into the bar.
City’s injury issues still persist in defence and it was the first time they had conceded four goals in a Champions League match since Barcelona put four past them in 2016.
It was a painful return to Portugal for Lisbon-born Silva, who conceded City are mired in a damaging slump.
“It’s disappointing because we’re a bit in a dark place right now. Everything looks to be going in the wrong way,” he said.
“Even when we are playing well we don’t score our chances and we concede too easily.
“We need to get better very quickly otherwise it will be very difficult to come back from these losses.
“It’s difficult to find reasons for what is happening to us. It just looks like this team is going the wrong way now.
“Our injured players need to come back because we need them and it’s just not good enough tonight.”
Mariners salvage draw in AFC CL | 01:03
Ruthless Liverpool spoil Alonso’s return to Anfield
Xabi Alonso endured a miserable return to Anfield as Liverpool thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Tuesday, thanks to a Luis Diaz hat-trick, to go top of the Champions League table.
Cody Gakpo was also on target as the Reds maintained their 100 per cent record in Europe after four games.
Alonso, a Champions League winner during his playing days in the Liverpool midfield, turned his back on succeeding Jurgen Klopp to remain at Leverkusen after leading them to an unbeaten German league and cup double last season.
Liverpool, though, are not left wondering what might have been as Arne Slot continued his stunning start as manager with a 14th win in 16 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen remain on seven points from their opening four Champions League matches after another sobering night for their ambitions to match the heights they hit last season.
Alonso’s men sit fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich, and failed to master what Alonso described pre-match as a “beautiful challenge”.
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The Spaniard cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side struggled to get into the slick passing rhythm they have become famed for during his tenure.
The German champions, though, created the best of what chances there were in a first half short on goalmouth action.
Jeremie Frimpong saw appeals for a penalty waved away when he went down with a clear sight of goal under a challenge from Kostas Tsimikas.
Frimpong also had the ball in the net just before the break but handled before racing through to finish.
Liverpool’s best opening of the half came seconds later when Curtis Jones’ excellent pass finally found some space for Gakpo, but his powerful effort was repelled at his near post by Lukas Hradecky.
Just like in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Brighton that took Slot’s men to the top of the Premier League, it took until the second half for both Liverpool and the Anfield crowd to come to life.
Mohamed Salah should have done better when he sliced wide after a jinking run through the Leverkusen midfield by Ryan Gravenberch.
A cagey tactical battle was sparked into life on the hour mark by a moment of stunning quality.
”Ange Postecoglou blew my mind” | 01:18
Jones spun his marker before splitting the Leverkusen defence with a pinpoint pass for Diaz, who nonchalantly chipped the advancing Hradecky.
Moments later, Liverpool had killed the visitors off with another flowing move. Salah’s driven cross was headed in at the back post by the flying Gakpo. The linesman raised his flag to momentarily silence the celebrations, but a VAR review showed the Dutch forward was onside for his sixth goal of the season.
Victor Boniface headed wide with a huge chance to bring Leverkusen immediately back into the game.
Instead, Liverpool pulled further clear seven minutes from time when Diaz controlled Salah’s looping cross and fired home.
The Colombian then rounded off the scoring with his ninth of the season in stoppage time with another clinical finish after Darwin Nunez’s blocked shot fell into his path.
Liverpool’s return of 12 points means they are almost certainly already assured of a place in the knockout phase, but are closing in on sealing direct progression to the last 16 via a top-eight finish in the 36-team league.
New Man U coach sends warning to City | 01:18
AC Milan topple Champions League holders Real Madrid
Champions League holders Real Madrid fell to a 3-1 home defeat by AC Milan on Tuesday in the group stage with striker Kylian Mbappe unable to find the net again.
The 25-year-old France captain has scored once in his last six matches for Madrid across all competitions, including three losses for Los Blancos.
Malick Thiaw headed the Italian side ahead before Vinicius Junior levelled from the penalty spot for the hosts.
Alvaro Morata struck against his former side to restore Milan’s lead before the break and Tijjani Reijnders netted the third to secure Milan’s victory.
Madrid were unable to bounce back strongly from the 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona in late October, their last outing after Saturday’s La Liga match at Valencia was postponed because of devastating floods in the east of Spain.
‘Goal of the season’ secures Victory win | 00:57
Players from both sides wore t-shirts before the match reading “We are all Valencia” while in one stand a giant Valencia regional flag was unfurled for a minute’s silence.
Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Champions League twice as a player and then twice as a coach with Milan, only made one change from the Clasico humiliation, bringing in Luka Modric for Eduardo Camavinga.
Madrid may have been keen to set things right in front of their fans at the Santiago Bernabeu but fell behind in the 12th minute.
Thiaw’s near-post header from a corner flew past the helpless Andriy Lunin to earn the Serie A side the lead.
Mike Maignan saved from Mbappe at the other end as Madrid hit back, with Vinicius winning a penalty as he fell under a clumsy tackle from Emerson Royal.
The Brazilian, who finished as runner-up in last week’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris when he had been favourite to win, coolly dispatched it with a cheeky dinked Panenka effort.
Melbourne City snatch win from Glory | 00:53
Milan regained the lead in the 39th minute through former Madrid striker Morata, who reacted quickly to fire home after Lunin saved from Rafael Leao.
Mbappe, yet to find top form in a Madrid shirt since his move from Paris Saint-Germain and particularly frustrated in the Barcelona defeat, broke in again before half-time but Maignan saved his low effort.
Ancelotti took action at half-time, bringing on Camavinga and Brahim Diaz, and it opened up the second half for an end-to-end affair.
Lunin made a superb flying save from Leao’s header and the Portuguese forward wasted a couple of opportunities on the break.
Leao made amends by teeing up Reijnders at the end of a superb solo run to turn home for Milan’s third after 73 minutes.
Antonio Rudiger smashed home for Madrid after a poor Maignan punch but the goal was disallowed for a tight off-side against the defender.
Maignan made a fine late save to deny Diaz and it killed any Madrid hopes of a comeback, like in their previous Champions League outing against Borussia Dortmund.
Madrid have now lost two of their four matches and are in the middle of the table, provisionally 17th, one place above Milan.
Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
Murat Yakin’s supremely well-drilled side outplayed the flat two-time winners in the last 16 clash in Berlin and will face England or Slovakia in the next round.
Ruben Vargas teed up Remo Freuler for Switzerland’s 37th minute opener before curling home superbly himself right at the start of the second half to deservedly double their lead.
A new-look Italy, short on star power and without many of the key figures that led them to Euro 2020 glory, offered little in response to Switzerland’s energetic display.
“It hurts, it really hurts,” said Italy’s captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“We can only say sorry to everyone, we were disappointing today and they deserved to win. We struggled all game long.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, arriving at the Euros after a stunning season with German champions Bayer Leverkusen, pulled the strings as the Swiss rarely looked like letting the lead slip away.
“I’m at a loss for words, it was the most important game of my career,” said Swiss midfielder Fabian Rieder.
“Everyone played for each other, we worked well in defence and attack … we have an incredibly great team.
Remo Freuler scored the opener for Switzerland. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“We want to enjoy the moment now but keep working hard for the next game.”
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti dropped Jorginho after his worrying group stage performances, bringing in Nicolo Fagioli in defensive midfield among a hefty six changes which failed to bring the Azzurri to life.
Spalletti said the second goal had knocked the stuffing out of his side and their limitations had been exposed.
“Right now, for too many reasons, we are unable to do anything more than this,” he said.
Spalletti had called on his team to improve in the knockout rounds after they scraped into the Last 16 with a last gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Croatia.
However it was Switzerland who grew in confidence and pulled off their best display yet at the Olympiastadion in a sweltering Berlin, where a far more impressive Italy won the 2006 World Cup.
Donnarumma could not stop Freuler from firing Switzerland ahead after 37 minutes when the midfielder controlled Vargas’ low cross and drilled home at the near post.
Switzerland kept the ball for well over a minute in the build-up, stringing together 33 passes before Freuler, who plays for Serie A side Bologna, applied the finishing touch.
Italy have been knocked out of Euro 2024. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Donnarumma produced a fine save to tip Rieder’s free-kick on to the post before the break as the Swiss sought to equal their best ever performance at the last Euros by reaching the last eight.
Hosts Germany needed a late leveller to avoid defeat against the Swiss in the group phase, while in the previous edition they knocked out much fancied France in the last 16, so Italy cannot say they were not warned.
Spalletti hooked Stephan El Shaarawy at halftime for Zaccagni, but Italy gave the ball away from the kick-off and Switzerland doubled their lead just 27 seconds into the second period.
Augsburg midfielder Vargas, who started in place of the suspended Silvan Widmer but on the left of the attack, broke into the area and arced a superb curling shot over Donnarumma.
The closest Italy came to scoring was when Swiss defender Fabian Schar misjudged a header and hit the frame of his own goal.
The near-invisible Gianluca Scamacca also hit the post from close range, but appeared to be offside.
VAR DOES DENMARK DIRTY AS GERMANY MARCH ON
A Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala strike gave Germany a 2-0 win over Denmark as the host nation reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after a dramatic game that was delayed by almost half an hour in the first half due to a violent storm.
Havertz stroked home from the spot early in the second half in Dortmund following a handball by Joachim Andersen, the unlucky Danish defender who had a goal disallowed at the other end only moments earlier.
Musiala, of Bayern Munich, then ran away to stroke in the second goal midway through the second half as Germany’s class told.
At one point it looked as if the game could be abandoned as English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the 35th minute of the first half and took the teams off the pitch while a violent storm passed overhead.
Torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning caused a break in play of 25 minutes before the action could resume.
It made for a memorable night, and one that ended with the host nation coming through a stern test of their credentials to keep alive their dream of winning the trophy in Berlin on July 14.
The path is set to get much tougher from here, however, and Julian Nagelsmann’s team will now go to Stuttgart for a quarter-final next Friday against either much-fancied Spain or surprise package Georgia.
Havertz scored the opener for Germany from the penalty spot. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)Source: AFP
Meanwhile Denmark, who famously beat Germany in the 1992 European Championship final, go home without winning a game — they had qualified from their group with three draws.
Nagelsmann made three changes to the Germany side following their last outing, a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the suspended Jonathan Tah in central defence, David Raum came in at left-back, and Leroy Sane was preferred to Florian Wirtz on the right wing.
Schlotterbeck, of Borussia Dortmund, thought he had given Germany the lead inside four minutes when he headed in a corner in front of the enormous South Stand.
He ran off in celebration, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Joshua Kimmich.
It threatened to become a frustrating night for the home team as they were then thwarted on several occasions by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
He tipped over a rasping drive by Kimmich and turned a Havertz volley around the post as the Danes weathered the early storm.
Another one was coming, and when the action eventually restarted with the pitch now sodden, Germany quickly cranked up the pressure again.
A Raum cross from the left was met by the head of Havertz, but Schmeichel — whose father played in that 1992 final — was once again on hand to make a good save.
The Danes did pose a threat on the break as they attacked towards their own supporters, but Rasmus Hojlund hit the side-netting after catching Schlotterbeck in possession, and then saw Manuel Neuer come out and save at his feet.
Jannik Vestergaard cut a devastated figure as Denmark were eliminated. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The game was interrupted again for the half-time break, before Denmark — and Andersen in particular — were left to rue two VAR interventions at the beginning of the second half.
First, on 48 minutes, Andersen thought he had scored when he fired in as the ball broke to him in the box, but the VAR team told the referee to rule out the goal because of an offside against Thomas Delaney, who had provided the assist.
As soon as play resumed, Germany attacked and a Raum cross deflected off the outstretched hand of Andersen in the area.
The Crystal Palace player’s offence was penalised following another check, and Havertz scored his second penalty of the competition.
Havertz and Sane missed great chances to make it 2-0 before Musiala latched onto a simple ball over the top and ran through to net his third goal of the Euros to become the joint-top scorer alongside Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze.
Wirtz, on from the bench, had a late goal that would have made it 3-0 disallowed for offside, but Germany have momentum and will take some stopping now.
Ademola Lookman scored a stunning hat-trick as Atalanta ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run to win the Europa League final 3-0 on Wednesday and claim their first trophy for 61 years.
Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since 1975 to secure Atalanta’s first ever continental trophy.
The side from Bergamo have long lived in the shadow of nearby giants AC and Inter Milan.
However, they have enjoyed a golden era under Gian Piero Gasperini, reaching the Champions League on four occasions, and now have silverware to show for it.
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“To win it with Atalanta is perhaps one of the football fairytales that rarely gives scope for meritocracy,” said Gasperini.
“It doesn’t always come down to cold hard numbers or super leagues but shows teams without huge budgets can achieve big things.”
Leverkusen have made a habit of late fightbacks in their remarkable run to winning a first ever Bundesliga title without tasting defeat.
But this time they failed to dig themselves out of a hole created by a slow start.
“It’s a shame that the time it didn’t work out for us was in a final,” said Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka.
“It’s bitter, definitely, we lost a final today but we go on and we’ll make up for it on Saturday (in the German Cup final).
Atalanta’s more purposeful play in the opening stages was rewarded after just 12 minutes.
Davide Zappacosta got to the by-line and Lookman caught Exequiel Palacios napping to fire into the top corner at the back post.
The Nigerian has at times endured a nomadic career, bouncing around the lower reaches of the Premier League on loan spells at Fulham and Leicester after being discarded by RB Leipzig.
But Lookman has found a home in Bergamo, where he will now forever be a hero. “In the past few years I’ve been able to take my game to a new level and show that on a more consistent basis,” said Lookman.
“I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made but this is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this.”
DUBLIN, IRELAND – MAY 22: Borja Iglesias and Granit Xhaka of Bayer 04 Leverkusen look dejected following defeat to Atalanta BC during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 final match between Atalanta BC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Dublin Arena on May 22, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The 26-year-old’s second goal was fit to win any final as he nutmegged Xhaka before curling a powerful shot into the far corner.
For the fourth time in seven Europa League knockout matches, Xabi Alonso’s men found themselves 2-0 down.
Alonso has enjoyed a rapid rise to become one of Europe’s hottest coaching properties.
The Spaniard has rejected the advances of former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich to remain at the BayArena next season.
However, Alonso’s decision to start without a recognised striker did not work and he threw on Victor Boniface at half-time to give his side a focal point up front.
The damage, though, was already done as the German champions looked a side drained by their record run across three competitions.
“Normally it happens earlier but it is the first (defeat) in such a big game, it hurts for sure. We have to deal with this pain in a positive way,” said Alonso.
“It didn’t go as planned. We were not on our best level, so we will learn from today.” Atalanta were happy to soak up the Leverkusen pressure after the break and hit on the counter-attack.
The final blow was another fabulous finish from Lookman as he skipped past Edmond Tapsoba and this time blasted into the top corner on his weaker left foot.
Atalanta had lost all three of their previous finals under Gasperini, most recently in last week’s Coppa Italia defeat to Juventus.
But this time they were not to be denied their shot at history as they were roared across the finishing line by the thousands clad in blue and black that had made the trip from northern Italy to the Irish capital.
In doing so they became the first Italian side to win the competition since Parma lifted the UEFA Cup in 1999.
Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel said winning this year’s Bundesliga title was “not so realistic right now” after a loss on Sunday which left Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen eight points clear.
The 3-2 defeat at lowly Bochum was Bayern’s third reverse in a row, after a 3-0 thumping by Alonso’s league leaders and a 1-0 loss at Lazio in the Champions League.
The German champions have not lost three matches in a row since 2015, a run which included semi-final defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup.
Bayern also have not lost the Bundesliga since the 2011/12 campaign, which the Jurgen Klopp-managed Borussia Dortmund won.
Tuchel’s side were 1-0 up after Jamal Musiala’s opener, but ended up 3-1 down with 10 minutes remaining, Dayot Upamecano giving away a penalty and picking up a second yellow, having also seen red at Lazio when giving away a spot kick.
A late Harry Kane goal gave Bayern hope but Tuchel said “everything that could go wrong did go wrong” for his side.
Tuchel said his side would continue to fight to close the eight-point gap with Leverkusen with 12 games remaining.
Kane’s move to Bayern has not gone to plan. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP)Source: AFP
“Last season we believed right until the end and it worked out, so we will do that again.”
In the previous campaign, Dortmund were two points clear heading into the final round but drew 2-2 at lowly Mainz, allowing Bayern to claim their 11th straight crown.
Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka, who has never not won the league title since moving to Munich in 2018, told DAZN “it is difficult to say yes” when asked if his side could still win the Bundesliga.
“Everything speaks against us at the moment. But it’s the wrong question to ask ourselves.
“We need to find our game back — and win our matches.”
The Bochum-born Goretzka described his side’s week as “like a horror movie which won’t end”.
Leverkusen play at home to relegation-threatened Mainz on Friday, meaning Bayern could be as much as 11 points behind when they host RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Ciro Immobile gave Lazio a slender lead in their Champions League last 16 tie with under-fire Bayern Munich after netting the only goal in a 1-0 win in Wednesday’s first leg.
Italy forward Immobile slotted home the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 69th minute at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome to pile pressure on Bundesliga champions Bayern.
The spot-kick was won by Gustav Isaksen who was clattered by Dayot Upamecano with a rash tackle which earned the France defender a red card and left Bayern a man down for the final 20 minutes.
Immobile’s strike came days after he netted his 200th Serie A goal and allowed a raucous Lazio home crowd to dream of a first quarter-final in Europe’s top competition in 24 years.
Lazio won the Italian title in 2000, when they fell to Valencia in the last eight, and in order to emulate that star-studded team Maurizio Sarri’s side still need to hold out in Bavaria next month.
It would be an upset, given Lazio sit just seventh in Italy’s Serie A.
However Bayern are a club in a slump and a toothless display in the Italian capital will do nothing to help embattled coach Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel is under pressure as Wednesday’s defeat came after a 3-0 thumping at Bayer Leverkusen which left Bayern five points off the pace in the German title race.
The Champions League looked like Bayern’s last chance at a trophy this season but Immobile put those hopes in serious doubt.
The referee had no choice but to brandish a red card.Source: Getty ImagesBayern Munich’s French defender #02 Dayot Upamecano (R) reacts after he received a red card.Source: AFP
MBAPPE STRIKES AS PSG LOOK TO END CURSE
Kylian Mbappe scored the opener as Paris Saint-Germain took a big step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday.
The mediocrity of PSG’s first-half performance at the Parc des Princes may have had their supporters fearing another in a long line of disappointing results down the years in the Champions League knockout stages.
But Mbappe, who is expected to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires, broke the deadlock from close range just before the hour mark.
Bradley Barcola’s well-taken goal in the 70th minute then made it 2-0 to give the French champions a comfortable cushion to take to Spain for the return early next month.
“We were in great difficulty in the first half but we knew that would be the case,” PSG captain Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus.
“The coach gave us an earbashing at halftime and I think that helped because the attitude was much better in the second half.
“The first part of the job is done. We know how important it is to win at home but it is not finished. We need to keep the same mindset between now and then, keep playing well in the league and then go there and play well to secure our qualification.”
Mbappe opened the scoring.Source: AFP
There was big pressure on PSG coming into this tie after they had gone out in the last 16 of the Champions League in five of the last seven seasons.
Another early exit from the competition this season would be a monumental setback for the Qatar-owned club, especially as Real Sociedad were appearing in their first Champions League knockout tie in two decades.
They also made the trip to Paris having failed to score a goal while failing to win any of their last four games in all competitions.
In addition to that, they were missing captain and top scorer Mikel Oyarzabal as he recovers from injury.
PSG, who gave a Champions League bow at left-back to 20-year-old Brazilian January signing Lucas Beraldo, were aiming to extend a run of 16 games unbeaten in all competitions stretching back to early November.
PSG’s Spanish head coach Luis Enrique gave his team a halftime spray.Source: AFP
PSG eventually broke the deadlock on 58 minutes as Ousmane Dembele’s corner from the right was helped on by Marquinhos towards the back post where Mbappe turned it in.
It was a 31st goal of the campaign in all competitions, and a fourth in the Champions League, for the France captain who is widely tipped to move to Real Madrid after this season.
Luis Enrique’s side did find the net again 20 minutes from the end when Barcola collected a ball on the left, skipped away from Hamari Traore on his way into box and then slotted the ball past Remiro for his first ever Champions League goal.
La Real could not find a way back into the game as their run without a goal stretched to five matches.
They now have something of a mountain to climb when they entertain PSG in San Sebastian on March 5, although supporters of the French side will remain wary given the way they have collapsed at this stage of the competition in recent years against Barcelona and Madrid, among others.
Jurgen Klopp’s shock decision to step down at the end of the season leaves Liverpool looking for a new manager for the first time in nearly a decade.
Here are five of the contenders to replace the German next season!
Ange swerves Klopp question in presser | 00:15
Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen)
A former Liverpool midfielder, Alonso is the front-runner thanks to the remarkable job he is doing at German club Leverkusen.
Not since Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012 have the might of Bayern Munich been dethroned as German champions.
But that run is in danger with Leverkusen unbeaten in 27 games in all competitions this season and four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
The Spaniard is putting into practice an extraordinary football education having played under Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and Vicente del Bosque as a player.
Although Alonso is also admired by former clubs Bayern and Real Madrid, Klopp’s exit could allow Liverpool to swoop for the hottest coaching prospect in European football.
Bayer Leverkusen’s head coach Xabi Alonso. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)Source: AFP
Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton)
The Italian has earned rave reviews for both his results and style of play since taking over at Brighton in September 2021.
De Zerbi led the Seagulls into Europe for the first time in the club’s history last season and has reached the last 16 of the Europa League.
However, he was reminded of Brighton’s place in the Premier League food chain as Liverpool snapped up Alexis Mac Allister in the summer transfer window and tried to also land Moises Caicedo before he joined Chelsea for a British transfer record fee in August.
De Zerbi has rebuilt impressively with Brighton seventh in the Premier League table, but the chance to compete for trophies at Anfield would prove hard to resist.
Brighton’s head coach Roberto De Zerbi. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
Once the rising star of German coaching, Naglesmann’s meteoric rise after success at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig was knocked off course when he was sacked by Bayern after less than two years in charge in Bavaria last year.
The 36-year-old has since taken up the challenge of reviving Germany’s fortunes in time for Euro 2024 on home soil.
Friendly results so far have not been promising with just one win in four games, including defeats to Turkey and Austria.
No matter how the Euro goes for Nagelsmann and his nation, he may seek the day-to-day thrill that comes from club coaching next season.
Julian Nagelsmann could be a contender. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham)
Postecoglou’s mix of charisma and coaching ability has transformed the mood at Tottenham in a similar fashion to how Klopp’s arrival lifted the atmosphere around Liverpool nine years ago.
The Australian is barely six months into a four-year contract and Spurs would make it extremely expensive should Liverpool set their sights on Postecoglou.
But the 58-year-old has shown his ruthlessness in the past to jump ship when he has seen a better opportunity arise and what better opportunity than the chance to coach your boyhood club?
Postecoglou left Yokohama Marinos mid-season to join Celtic in 2021 and departed the Scottish champions last year after winning five trophies in two seasons.
Could Ange make the move? (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Steven Gerrard (Al-Ettifaq)
One of Liverpool’s greatest ever players, Gerrard would have been one of the favourites for the job just a couple of years ago.
However, the former England captain’s coaching career has gone backwards since leading Scottish giants Rangers to their only top-flight league title in the past 13 years in 2021.
Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa after less than a year in charge and has since seen his successor Unai Emery take Villa from relegation candidates to challenging for the Premier League title.
Last year he joined the influx of star names to the Saudi Pro League to take charge of Al-Ettifaq and only last week he extended his contract there to 2027 despite modest results.
At just 17 years old, Australian prodigy Nestory Irankunda is already a “freak” talent with “all the ability in the world”, according to the coaches and players around him.
After debuting for Adelaide United in the A-League Men’s at just 15, his star has rapidly risen thanks to an all-action style of play and a habit of scoring sensational goals and celebrating with multiple somersaults.
Now he’s landed a big-money move to one of the world’s biggest clubs, 33-time German champions Bayern Munich.
Here’s why he can be one of Australia’s brightest stars in the years to come – and why fans must be patient.
Irankunda is the latest in a long list of wonderkids touted as the ‘next big thing’ in Australian football, a moniker that brings with it an immense amount of pressure to succeed – a pressure that can weigh too heavily on a young career.
In the case of young ‘Nestor’, the expectations are perhaps higher than ever, if only because his potential is truly dazzling.
Adelaide United defender Javi Lopez, who played 250 games in Spain’s La Liga and captained Espanyol, earlier this year made a staggering claim about the 17-year-old’s skills.
“At his age, I only saw Messi and him at this level. The power, the skills. Never in my life at 17 years of age have I seen a player like him and Messi,” he told KEEPUP.
Socceroos great Robbie Slater labelled him a “super talent” on Fox Sports News, while Adelaide assistant coach and ex-Socceroos skipper Mark Milligan told The Players Pod in March: “Nestor has all the ability in the world.”
Already, the young winger boasts a blinding quickness to rival the world’s fastest players, a fierce determination to dribble past defenders and attack the goal, and a thunderous right boot that rockets the ball like a supersonic missile towards the back of the net.
It is a potent – if not outright scary – combination of skills for opposition defenders and managers to contend with.
That sledgehammer of a right foot has already banked the forward a highlight reel of stunning goals most players would struggle to match in an entire career. And though comparing young players to those in the past is an imprecise science – and often not helpful – Irankunda’s striking ability and power is a weapon that might just be unparalleled in recent Australian history.
Little wonder then that around a dozen elite European clubs were competing for his signature this year. But Bayern Munich was always at the forefront of that transfer race and this month concluded a deal for Irankunda to join the German giants next July.
He told the club website after the move: “I’m happy to have this all finalised and to be heading to one of the best clubs in the world — it’s a real dream come true.
“I’ve worked hard to try and make my family proud.”
Nestory Irankunda with his mother Dafroza Siyajali and father Gideon Rurandagaye at home in Adelaide with his new Bayern jersey.Source: News Corp Australia
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed the deal was worth three million euros upfront ($A5m) plus add-ons, which would easily break the record for an Australian player. That number has since come into question, with the initial fee more likely to be just under $2m but with significant potential bonuses.
That puts him near the Australian record for a transfer fee, broken first by Jordan Bos (just under $2m, Melbourne City to KVC Westerlo in May) then by Marco Tilio (well over $2m, Melbourne City to Celtic in June).
International transfers cannot be made until a player turns 18 (except in certain circumstances), which won’t happen in Irankunda’s case until February – meaning he’ll stay with Adelaide United until the end of this A-League Men’s season before jetting to Germany.
These next few months are a blessing in disguise for the youngster: a crucial opportunity for him to get match minutes under his belt, but also to prepare emotionally and professionally for the challenges of adapting to life and a career overseas.
As Bayern’s academy chief Jochen Sauer said in a statement after Irankunda’s signing was announced: “We’re convinced of his potential and that he’ll take the next steps with us. The experiences of the next months in the A-League will definitely be very positive for his further development.”
Although only 17, Irankunda has already featured 40 times for Adelaide United across three seasons, totalling 1,110 minutes on the park (equivalent to just 12.33 full matches). All of those came off the bench until this season, where he has started four times, with Adelaide carefully managing his workload as a youngster.
Adelaide United coach Carl Veart emphasised the importance of establishing yourself at the A-Leagues level before moving overseas, when he said last month: “We don’t want them to go too early and I think because we’ve seen that too many times that players go too early, go to leagues that are at a higher level.
“It’s important that we’ve signed a lot of the younger players to three-year deals so we can make sure we give them you know, 50, 60, 70 games before we send them off to a club where they can then be confident in what they do and achieve their next level.”
Adelaide has 22 league matches remaining this season excluding finals, so Irankunda could easily end up with 60 senior appearances under his belt before he hops on a plane to Germany.
Compare that to one of Australia’s other bright talents, Garang Kuol. Kuol similarly burst onto the A-League Men’s scene with a parade of excellent performances off the bench for the Central Coast Mariners.
He then signed for Premier League side Newcastle United aged 18, making the move in January this year. He left the Mariners having made just 22 senior appearances including four starts for a grand total of 669 senior club minutes (less than seven-and-a-half full matches’ worth).
Kuol initially struggled to adapt to life in Europe, barely earning any game time in a season on loan to Scottish side Hearts. However, he has since moved on another loan to Dutch side FC Volendam, where he is quickly finding his feet.
Garang Kuol put his name up in lights for the Socceroos at the 2022 World Cup but has struggled at club level after a highly-touted move to Newcastle.Source: Getty Images
Kuol’s experience is similar to many other talented Australian teens who move to Europe with limited match minutes under their belt and subsequently struggle – though there are many factors that make moving to a foreign country as a youngster difficult.
But as Veart indicated, Adelaide is attempting to set their youngsters up for overseas success by ensuring their players only move after establishing themselves as A-League regulars.
And if that wasn’t enough of a silver lining in his delayed move to Munich, Aussie fans can count themselves lucky to get to watch a supremely exciting (and downright fun) player before he hits the big time.
No doubt that’ll include a few more goals and a few more celebratory backflips, even if it makes his mother nervous.
Irankunda joked: “My mum doesn’t like me doing it though! She’s scared I’m going to get injured doing it.”
We never get tired of Irankunda’s celebrations.Source: Getty Images
WHAT MADE BAYERN SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE
Let’s start with the obvious one: Irankunda is quick – almost unbelievably so.
Last month he was recorded hitting a top speed of 37.02 km/h against the Central Coast Mariners.
To put that in perspective, the fastest recorded speed in the Premier League last season was Kyle Walker of Manchester City, who notched 37.31km/h.
Speed tracking data was first recorded in the 2019/20 season. Since then, no other player has reached 37km/h. Erling Haaland (Man City), Darwin Nunez (Liverpool), and Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) were all in the 36km/h range.
It’s an even more impressive speed when put into the context of Germany’s top flight. His 37km/h-plus top speed would comfortably be the fastest since statistics were published from 2019/20. The current record is held by Karim Adeyemi at 36.65km/h.
Crucially, Irankunda has the physicality to match his searing raw pace. He is able to outmuscle or fend off defenders and boasts excellent balance as well as a strong understanding of how to position his body.
Remember, he’s just 17 years old and still has plenty of room to continue to develop physically.
Here’s what Bayern’s Academy director Sauer said: “Nestory is an extremely quick winger who dribbles and shoots well, with real drive towards goal.”
Combine the pace with his dribbling ability and a constant desire to take on defenders one-on-one, and Irankunda is particularly threatening in transition or in open space. That’s exactly how Adelaide tend to deploy the star winger – isolating him against defenders and allowing him to run at (or breeze past) them. It also explains why he has largely been used as an impact substitute early in his career, as he can take advantage of defenders running on tired legs.
Irankunda celebrating a goal in March.Source: Getty Images
Then there’s the shooting. Irankunda has a truly lethal right boot, capable of producing thunderous power – but with a technique that is simple and repeatable enough to deliver accuracy and consistency.
In fact, Socceroos veteran Awer Mabil even joked that he’d asked the youngster for shooting tips while they were rooming together in Australian camp back in March.
Mabil struck a fizzing goal against Ecuador that looked straight out of the Irankunda playbook, and after the game told Channel 10: “I had to turn on my inner Nestor. I’m rooming with him – I asked him for some tips!
“I nearly broke the net but it’s credit to Nestor.
“I’ve been watching his videos. It’s inspiring to me how he shoots. That’s Nestor right there!
“I just couldn’t do the backflip,” he joked.
Many of Irankunda’s goals come from shots driven in from a tight angle. But his first goal in the A-League – back in January 2022 at just 15 years old, the second-youngest scorer in ALM history – was an unstoppable free kick against the Newcastle Jets.
Irankunda said after that match: “Last year I was playing under-15s and they put me on free kicks. I just felt like I was there at this moment, at my old club taking a free kick.”
He’s scored plenty of impressive dead-ball goals since then.
Adelaide coach Veart said recently: “He practices a lot, sometimes we have to make sure he comes in because he’s always out there practising.
“I don’t even know what you can call it because the ball does things that I’ve never seen it do when he strikes at times. He’s certainly a special talent, but he’s still got to keep working to get to where he wants to get to.”
In total, he has scored nine times in 40 appearances in all competitions for Adelaide, plus 11 goals in seven appearances for the Australian U17 team – including four strikes in a man of the match performance last October.
WHAT NEEDS TO IMPROVE
For all of his immense abilities, there are clearly areas of the teenager’s game that can improve. That includes his control of the ball in tight spaces, and his defensive skills and workrate off the ball.
But the biggest challenge facing the youngster in the months and years ahead is not to do with skills or physicality, but mentality – handling the demands of being a professional (and the added pressure and attention he receives, given his talents).
It’s well worth remembering that Irankunda has had a unique journey to professional football – and his meteoric rise understandably is a factor in the teenager having not yet fully developed the temperament and discipline required to reach the next level.
Irankunda was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania after his parents fled their home in Burundi due to civil unrest. They moved to Perth when Nestory – one of eight children – was three months old, before settling in Adelaide.
After taking up football aged seven, it was obvious even as a young teen that Irankunda was a special talent – so much so that his older brothers quit the game so the family could afford Nestory’s playing fees.
Playing a midweek game for the under-15s for NPL side Adelaide Croatia Raiders in 2020, he was spotted by Airton Andrioli, then working in South Australia’s development pathways.
Andrioli told KEEPUP: “He did what Nestor does. Exploded like a bomb. He also did some things that you knew you get both – the good and the other stuff that needs to be worked on.”
It’s the ‘other stuff’ – the mental side of the game, the demands of professionalism – that Irankunda truly needs to develop.
Andrioli soon took a role as Adelaide United’s head of youth and immediately brought Irankunda into the fold, where he blossomed on the field.
But Andrioli concedes that – like many youngsters – Irankunda hasn’t always consistently lived up to the standards of behaviour demanded of elite professionals.
“We had issues with him at the club and we had to be patient. People were thinking we can’t deal with that. It was a lot of pressure. The kid is young. His family background, the way he grew up, it’s a bit different,” Andrioli said.
Carl Veart with Irankunda.Source: News Corp Australia
Late last year, Irankunda was dropped by Adelaide United for a big match against rivals Melbourne Victory for repeated lateness to team meetings and failing to complete the menial chores demanded of young players.
Coach Veart told CODE Sports: “That hurt him, and it showed, but he’s had a good reaction from that. That’s part of coaching, putting an arm around him, getting him to understand.
“He has to keep learning what it takes to be a professional. Not long ago he’d go down the park to play with his mates for two hours before or after training.
“The body can’t cope with that.”
Opponents also often find it easy to get under the skin of the youngster, who has reacted poorly more than once.
In March, he was lucky not to be sent off for sparking an all-in melee against the Western Sydney Wanderers after twice lashing out at Calem Nieuwenhof.
After that match, Veart delivered a clear message to the youngster.
“Nestory needs to learn to be a bit more cool-headed,” Veart said. “He can’t react like that, that’s not how you should play football.
“He’s still young and he’s learning, that’s another thing he needs to learn from tonight because some of the other referees might have sent him off.”
Irankunda in action last weekend.Source: Getty Images
Earlier this month, Irankunda did get sent off after picking up two late yellow cards against Victory.
The second caution came his way for blowing up at referees after not having a (seemingly obvious) foul called in his favour.
While the red card was labelled “an absolute joke,” by pundit and Adelaide legend Bruce Djite on Paramount+, both Djite and coach Veart noted that Irankunda needed to better control his emotions.
Djite said: “The caveat (is): you’ve got to learn how to channel your emotions as well. It’s not always going to go for you,” Djite said.
“Referees make mistakes as well. (Irankunda) has got to learn not to lash out …”
Veart said: “Nestory has to be better, we’ve been working with him on his frustration and learning to control it better.”
Adelaide vice-captain Ben Halloran also said: “I think it probably was a foul on Nestor, and I think he probably did overreact. We don’t accept speaking to referees like that in our team and across the competition, so it’s a learning experience for Nestor.”
Irankunda’s brief career so far has been full of learning experiences – but there are signs that he is taking those lessons on board and slowly developing the kind of mentality that he’ll need to succeed.
After being dropped for his lateness last year, he worked tirelessly to earn back his place.
“I’ve been training my hardest to get myself back into the squad, and I’m happy that I have earned my spot,” Irankunda told the club’s website at the time.
Former Socceroo Robbie Slater told Fox Sports News: “He’s a wonderful young talent … he’s a kid, these kids are going to make mistakes. There’s a long way to go.”
Or as Milligan said: “I really believe he’ll end up where he needs to be but he very much needs his own time to find his way.”
One of the other reasons why his game-time was limited before this season was a tendency to drift in and out of games – showing flashes of brilliance but not consistency.
In February, even after scoring a winner for Adelaide against Brisbane, he revealed he was disappointed in his performance and showed a determination to improve.
Irankunda said: “I know I can score goals, I know I can sprint and everything. It’s my workrate – it’s something I have to work on obviously. I’m not too happy with my workrate. It’s the reason why I haven’t been playing much games.
“I’ve got to improve on it to become a top player I want to be. It’s my dream to be one of the best players in the world, an inspiration to the kids.”
Irankunda himself has said more than once that he’s still working on the mental side of his game.
But those around him are determined to do what they can to guide him along the way.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has taken a patient approach with the youngster, bringing him into the senior international side as a train-on player for a March camp – before injuries to other players nearly saw the teen tyro become the youngest-ever Socceroo.
In the end, Irankunda didn’t make it on the park against Ecuador and hasn’t received a call-up to the senior team since. Arnold is clearly avoiding rushing the player into the team and heaping more pressure on his young shoulders.
Arnold said at the time: “He’s got these special qualities (for) a kid at the age of 17 … the physique on him, the speed on him – it’s exciting.
“I want him to learn quickly and also to help Adelaide with that. That he sees what it takes from an Aaron Mooy or from a Jackson Irvine … to get to that level.
“It’s not only just on the field, it’s off the field, the behaviour but also how Maty (Ryan) and Aaron and these guys who have been professionals for a long time have achieved these things, (and) what it takes day to day to be a professional footballer.
“I think he will learn very quickly.”
He ended up rooming with Awer Mabil, a former Adelaide United star who Irankunda looked up to as a youngster.
He told A-Leagues All Access: “When I first started playing football here, I went to an Adelaide training session. Awer was training and I was really really small, I went to go shake his hand … [In Socceroos camp] I brought it up and he remembered, it was a really wholesome moment.”
Mabil, as mentioned earlier, ended up asking Irankunda for shooting tips.
Another Socceroos veteran, striker Mitchell Duke, summed up the attitude of the squad towards the young gun during that camp when he simply declared: “He seems to be a freak.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
There’s no shortage of professionals to look up to and learn from at both the club and domestic level. And when he does move to Munich, he’ll find a familiar face – his former Australian U17s captain Anthony Pavlesic. 19-year-old Pavlesic made the move from the Central Coast Mariners to Bayern in the middle of this year after a successful two-week trial at the German giants. He has adapted well to life in Germany, playing once for the reserve team so far and nine times this season for their Under 19’s.
But there’s a widespread belief that Irankunda will be given the chance to train with the first team when he arrives in the off-season.
Journalist David Davutovic told the KEEPUP podcast: “My understanding is that he will train with the Bayern first team when he gets there.
“He will have every opportunity to break into the first team. It’s not dissimilar to the deal that was done for [Canada star] Alphonso Davies.
“They are seriously looking at Nestory as part of their first team plans, so this time next year he could be playing in the Bundesliga … it’s extraordinary to think!”
Bayern Munich have regularly backed young guns to shine, including Jamal Musiala (20) and the aforementioned Davies (23), who made his league debut in January 2019 as an 18-year-old, just over a month after signing for the club. The pair have already entrenched themselves as mainstays in the team, while the first-team squad also features an 18-year-old striker in Mathys Tel who has made 17 appearances so far this season.
It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Irankunda get his chance in Germany’s top flight – and for Germany’s biggest team.
Alphonso Davies has become a megastar in Munich.Source: Getty Images
Adelaide’s youth head coach Andrioli told KEEPUP: “Even at training at times, you play a ball down the line for him to accelerate and put the cross in … if you go to a club like Bayern … I think he will catch people’s eye because of that.
“That might open the door to be given a chance. I know they have top players there too but being Nestor and the way he is and knowing what he can do, I wouldn’t be surprised if the opportunity is given to him that he doesn’t do similar things to what he’s done here.”
German reporter Kerry Hau reported this month that Bayern is currently planning for Irankunda to play for the club’s reserve side – but stated the club believe he may already be too good for that level.
A Bayern fan account quoted Hau on Twitter, writing: “As of now, Nestory Irankunda is planned for FCB II next season. Until then, the club will watch his performances with Adelaide United closely.
“There’s talk at the Campus that the Regionalliga may already be too small for him if he continues to perform the way he’s doing now. Bayern believe Irankunda has the quality to make a similar development to Alphonso Davies.”
A loan deal is also a possibility.
But for now, with his move to Germany taking a back-seat to his remaining time at Adelaide, Irankunda just needs to keep playing, keep developing – and keep having fun.
That’s the message from Awer Mabil, who told SMH in March: “We just have to let the kid enjoy his football.
“He’s a baby. We have to let him just grow and be free because I think football is best played when you’re free – especially if you’re an attacker. When you have a free mind, your creativity takes over.”
Irankunda’s Adelaide United teammate Ryan Tunniclife said: “I think he’s got a really good chance of being a top, top player.”
“He’s got all the athleticism that you need to be a top player. He’s got the natural ability, the one-on-one skills of a striker, so I think if he gets the mental side of it right, listens to the older boys in the team and keeps his feet on the ground, I think the world is his oyster.
“It’s up to us as a group to keep his feet on the ground and let him play with freedom.”
That includes freedom from too much pressure or the expectation that he’ll be a megastar.
After all, he’s only 17.
His journey is just beginning – but it promises to be a very exciting one.
Australian superstar Sam Kerr scored a superb 25-minute hat-trick for Chelsea as they easily overcame Paris FC 4-1 in their Group D fixture in the women’s Champions League.
Kerr opened the scoring in the 30th minute when she latched on to a perfectly weighted pass from Lauren James and made no mistake from six yards out.
But Paris hit back just eight minutes later when Thea Greboval headed a looping header into the back of the net from a corner as the two sides went into halftime locked at 1-1.
However, it didn’t take long after the restart for Kerr to put the hosts back in front.
Chelsea winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd whipped in a perfect cross that found Kerr at the back post and she dutifully prodded home.
But the Matildas captain saved her best for last in the 55th minute.
Blues goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger played a long ball in the path of Kerr, who lofted the ball over the rival keeper and into an empty net from 20 yards out.
Chelsea completed the rout via Sophie Ingle who struck in stoppage time.
Kerr was in red-hot form against Paris. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Elsewhere, Katariina Kosola completed Hacken’s comeback to stun Real Madrid 2-1 on Thursday and remain top of Group D.
Striker Signe Bruun had opened the scoring early on for the Spaniards before midfielder Rosa Kafaji equalised for the Swedish side just before the hour.
With less than a quarter of an hour to play, Finland defender Kosola claimed the winner in Gothenburg to continue Hacken’s unbeaten start to the campaign, after two games.
“We were very humble before the task we had, which was to win against Real Madrid,” Hacken coach Mak Lind said.
“We lifted ourselves in the second half and I’m very, very happy,” he added.
It was moved from the women’s side’s Kingsmeadow home as it fails to meet UEFA standards.
Roma lead Group C after beating Ajax 3-0 in Italy thanks to Valentina Giacinti’s double inside the opening quarter of an hour.
Midfielder Manuela Giugliano made sure of three points just after the break for the Italians.
In the other game in the pool, Sweden defender Magdalena Eriksson scored as German champions Bayern Munich edged Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the French capital.
Home fans carried out a pre-match protest against the early kick-off in the French capital, unfurling a banner reading “Prestigious game, amateur timing, welcome to UEFA.” On Wednesday, Salma Paralluelo netted twice as holders Barcelona beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 to remain top of Group A.
Tottenham earned their first Premier League win of the Ange Postecoglou era as Pape Sarr inspired an impressive 2-0 victory against Manchester United.
Postecoglou’s first home game as Tottenham manager served as the perfect introduction for the Australian, whose side played with the kind of flair sorely lacking from the north Londoners in recent years.
Senegal midfielder Sarr opened the scoring early in the second half with his first goal for Tottenham since signing from Metz in 2021.
Lisandro Martinez’s late own goal capped a dynamic Tottenham display that sealed Postecoglou’s first victory in his second game in charge.
After a draw at Brentford last weekend, Postecoglou will hope this eye-catching result against sloppy United can kick-start his reign.
Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, celebrates. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“It was good. Man Utd probably had the better of the chances at the start, but I like the fact we hung in there and worked our way into the game,” Postecoglou said.
“Second half, certainly in spells, it kind of showed the team we want to be. I keep saying we’re still a long way to go, but I really liked the belief and resilience the guys have. They were brave.”
Following Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho’s drab spells in charge, this was more like the ‘glory game’ that Spurs fans regard as their birthright.
But while Postecoglou earned plaudits for his success and attacking football in two seasons with Scottish champions Celtic, achieving similar feats with star-crossed Tottenham will be far harder.
Postecoglou has already had to deal with Harry Kane’s departure to German champions Bayern Munich, while also trying to erase the bitter taste of last season’s turbulent campaign.
After years of underachievement even with Kane in the team, Postecoglou’s first game in north London offered hope of life after the England striker.
In contrast to the sudden optimism around Tottenham, it has been a worrying start to the season for United manager Erik ten Hag.
Romero fumes after concussion sub drama | 00:48
United were unchanged from Monday’s scrappy 1-0 win over Wolves, although it was notable that Harry Maguire was absent from the squad following his decision to reject a move to West Ham this week.
Fortunate to beat Wolves in their opener, United weren’t so lucky this time as they paid the price for poor first-half finishing and a strangely lethargic second-half performance.
“It was a very good performance in the first half, except we have to score. We deserved a penalty. I don’t know why it’s not,” Ten Hag said.
“Then we switched off. The start of the second half was not good, it was totally unnecessary to concede the first goal.
“We didn’t collapse, but when you lose it’s never good. You always have to look in the mirror.”
Spurs’ tannoy announcer loudly declared “The Tottenham way is back” before kick-off and Postecoglou’s men lived up to the hype after a nervous start.
Marcus Rashford drew a smart stop from Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario after linking up with Antony to carve open the hosts’ defence.
James Maddison and Son Heung-Min celebrate. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Source: AFP
United appealed in vain for a penalty after Alejandro Garnacho’s shot hit Cristian Romero’s outstretched arm.
Bruno Fernandes was guilty of a shocking miss when the unmarked United midfielder headed woefully over from Luke Shaw’s cross.
And Pedro Porro nearly made Fernandes pay as he lashed a fierce strike against the bar before Sarr’s cross hit Shaw and deflected onto the post moments later.
Tottenham took the lead four minutes after half-time when Dejan Kulusevski was released down the right by Porro and his deflected cross looped off Martinez towards Sarr, who guided a clinical volley past Andre Onana from six yards.
United were inches away from an instant equaliser, with Antony curling against a post from Fernandes’s pass.
But Vicario preserved Tottenham’s lead with a superb save from Casemiro’s header after Fernandes’s free-kick picked out the Brazilian.
On a perfect day for Postecoglou, even his substitutes worked to perfection. After sending on Ben Davies and Ivan Perisic, Postecoglou watched in delight when Perisic’s 83rd minute pass reached Davies, whose scuffed shot deflected in off Martinez.
“That pass from Maddison. What came next was scrappy. But the Spurs fans don’t care,” Sky Sports reporter Peter Smith said at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Angeball has arrived!”
Gary Neville, meanwhile, described it as “embarrassing” from United, who he declared post-game “have a lot of work to do”.
“Manchester United were out-played, out-fought, missing in midfield, not good enough up front and at the back they gave away goals,” he said on Sky Sports.
“There will be some thrills here this season under Postecoglou,” Neville added.
In Ange Postecoglou’s first pre-season as a Premier League manager, he’s already faced several challenges he could have done without.
The chief headache; the seemingly-imminent loss of his best player. The London club accepted a bid of $AUD168 million from Bayern Munich for superstar striker Harry Kane on Thursday (AEST) with the striker’s switch on the verge of being made official.
There have been many other, more minor, setbacks. Wet weather forced Tottenham’s friendly against Leicester City in Thailand to be called off while Roma also pulled out of a pre-season clash, robbing Postecoglou of vital game time to drill his methods into his players.
Off the field, Tottenham owner Joe Lewis was charged with insider trading in the United States, adding yet another unneeded distraction for Postecoglou in what is his most important pre-season to date.
As the Daily Mail’s Matt Barlow pointed out, Lewis’ charges were the latest instalment in what many would describe as a very ‘Spurs-y’ welcome for Postecoglou.
“So here was one more cloud of uncertainty drifting across Postecoglou’s horizon since his arrival,” Barlow wrote.
“One he had no right to have expected. One more lesson in what has become a crash course in the perils of managing Tottenham.
“Things rarely go smoothly.”
Despite the uphill battles Postecoglou has already faced, there are early signs of promise his tenure at Tottenham could blossom into something brilliant.
He has seen an improvement from several players who struggled under his predecessors and a scintillating passage of play in a friendly shows the team have bought into his methods.
A lot has to go right for Postecoglou to succeed at a club where even some of modern football’s greatest managers have failed.
Yet the 57-year-old has proved all throughout his career that this is the environment in which he thrives.
THE UNWANTED SIDESHOW THAT COULD DERAIL SEASON BEFORE IT HAS BEGUN
It’s startling to think how low Spurs could have finished last season if it wasn’t for Kane.
The England captain contributed 30 league goals, the equal-most he has scored in a single Premier League season and 42.9 per cent of Tottenham’s total goals scored.
He also eclipsed Jimmy Greaves’ club record for most goals scored by a Tottenham player.
Safe to say, Kane has done it all for Tottenham except for one glaring, shiny, glorious exception: win a trophy.
Kane has been on the losing side of a final with Tottenham on three occasions: the Carabao Cup in 2014/15 and 2020/21 as well as the Champions League in 2018/19.
It is evident Kane desperately wants to win silverware with Tottenham but with one year remaining on his deal, he has arrived at a critical juncture in his career.
As it stands, Kane is leaning towards an exit after Tottenham accepted Bayern Munich’s bid.
Initial reports claimed the talisman was hesitant about leaving but the lure of silverware and guaranteed Champions League football may have proved too strong to turn down.
For Postecoglou, the fact this saga has dragged on until the eve of the season must have made it a frustrating sideshow.
Harry Kane is on the verge of a move to Bayern Munich. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But if Kane leaves, could it mean the expectations are slightly lowered and Postecoglou earns himself a little more time in one of the most cutthroat leagues in the world?
According to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, it might add on a few more weeks to the Aussie’s grace period.
“I can definitely see for Postecoglou there is a sense that he could start the rebuild and there might be a bit more patience,” Eccleshare told the Fox Football Podcast.
“I think the problem with the whole Kane situation is that if he does stay, which is obviously good, but then it’s going to be a bit of a cloud next season.
“So in some ways, it might be better for the sake of the rebuild to do it and then Postecoglou has a bit more time.
“I think there would be more of an acceptance that things would take a little while if you just sold the best player.”
There will be plenty of intrigue as to how Tottenham and Postecoglou navigate a world post-Kane.
Do they spend the money across the team or invest heavily in a single replacement, even if they could be forced to significantly overpay given teams know they have cash to burn?
Regardless, the pending loss of Kane already puts Postecoglou at a serious disadvantage, even if it might extend his grace period.
Will expectations change if Tottenham lose their talisman? (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
19 CHARGES OF INSIDER TRADING LATER …
Just when Postecoglou thought he didn’t have enough off-field distractions in pre-season, Tottenham owner Joe Lewis had to throw himself into the mix.
The 86-year-old was charged with insider training in late July, although he denied the 19 counts in a Manhattan federal court and has been released on bail.
Lewis was accused of gifting his employees and love interests with inside details on deals from 2013 to 2021, with the scheme reportedly securing millions for those involved.
If found guilty, Lewis could face several years in prison given the most serious of his securities fraud and conspiracy charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 and five years in prison respectively.
Despite the justifiable concerns surrounding the club’s owner, Postecoglou unsurprisingly played a straight bat when quizzed if it would alter his pre-season plans.
“Why wouldn’t they be?” Postecoglou said.
“The club’s already said it’s not a club matter. We’re not putting out a statement that’s not true so if it’s not a club matter it doesn’t affect me in terms of what I’m trying to do, so no-one’s said anything like that to me.
“If you think that’s what I’m involved in you don’t know what my role is here.”
As Postecoglou was at pains to point out, Lewis’ charges are not a club matter.
But it created an unnecessary side plot in a pre-season which the Tottenham manager could most certainly have done without.
Tottenham owner Joe Lewis was slapped with 19 charges of insider trading. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ANGE LIVES UP TO CHAIRMAN’S WISH, BUT WILL DEJA VU STRIKE?
For several years, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has stated his desire to see attractive football grace the turf at the club’s state-of-the-art venue.
But the appointments of Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte in recent years did not match up with that sentiment.
Yet in the club’s statement announcing Postecoglou’s appointment, Levy made a comment that sums up the Aussie perfectly and might actually reflect his wish.
“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play,” Levy said.
“He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club.”
That “fast, attacking style of play”, also described as ‘Angeball’, has been on display during Tottenham’s pre-season.
One example was in their friendly against Barcelona, where a clip of the team — largely made up of second-stringers — building out from the back early in the second half did the rounds on social media.
The Guardian’s Max Rushton wrote “Spurs just played more football in 30 seconds than in the previous 3 years,” while Football.London’s Alasdair Gold claimed Tottenham “suddenly seemed able to pass the ball around with a verve and confidence that the Barca fans were expecting from their own side.”
Spurs embrace SPICY chaos of ‘Angeball’ | 00:34
Even the Spanish media raved about Postecoglou’s side, with Mundo Deportivo journalist Joan Poqui claiming the London club “dominated the game” in an “excellent” and “aggressive” display.
Yet it is important to remember all of this has happened in pre-season where a win helps breed confidence, but is not the be-all end-all.
Once the Premier League gets underway, there are no bonus points for playing entertaining football.
There’s also the history of Postecoglou’s team suffering slow starts at the beginning of his reign.
At Celtic, the Aussie was already under pressure at the start of the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season as the Hoops lost three and drew one of their opening seven games, including a defeat to bitter rivals Rangers.
In his first season at Yokohama, Postecoglou won five of his opening 16 J1 League games and would end the campaign safe from a relegation playoff only on goal difference.
Granted, there were mitigating circumstances at both clubs.
He had overseen a significant player overhaul at Celtic as he moulded the squad to his liking while there was the obvious language barrier in Japan.
But, as history would prove, Postecoglou went on to enjoy tremendous success at both destinations.
The 57-year-old won the Scottish Premiership and League Cup in his first season at the helm before completing the domestic treble in his second year.
At Yokohama, Postecoglou ended the club’s 15-year drought for a J1 League title by finishing top of the pile in 2019, all while setting Japan alight with his eye-catching brand of football.
Eccleshare points out that based on Postecoglou’s past, it seems likely he won’t get off to a flying start in London.
But as his time in Glasgow and Yokohama proved, some patience is required.
The big question is: will he get it in a league notorious for lacking it?
“That to me is the crux of it,” Eccleshare said.
Postecoglou knows he must hit the ground running. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He probably will results-wise make a slow start. It’s a lot to try and implement in a short space of time.
“He has tended to have slow results early on at his other clubs. I just hope he is given time and patience by the fans, by the media, by the club in general.”
Even if Postecoglou doesn’t get the results he is after in his early days at the club, Eccleshare pointed to a clear example that highlights why it might not be as big a deal as it could be.
“One thing I would say is fans can generally tell if there’s at least a plan and the team is moving in the right direction,” Eccleshare said.
“Pochettino and Nuno’s first 10 games, the results were pretty similar points-wise.
“Nuno got the sack obviously and it was untenable because the football was dreadful and it was clear there wasn’t really a plan or they were moving in the right direction whereas with Pochettino, there was a lot more good will.
“I would hope that as long as it feels the team are moving in the right direction, the fans are a bit more supportive.
“I just hope there is a bit of a grace period where people accept it is going to take a bit of time for his methods to really bed in.”
Postecoglou has a mixed start to the season with an opening game at Brentford before they host Manchester United.
An easier run of Bournemouth (away), Burnley (away) and Sheffield United (home) awaits, but the Aussie will face tougher tests in the following two games.
Postecoglou’s first taste of the fiery North London derby against Arsenal (away) takes place on September 24 followed by a home fixture against Liverpool.
If the Aussie picks up a win against either of those two clubs or indeed both, it will buy him the most valuable commodity in the Premier League: time.
Even if he doesn’t, history has shown that when clubs back Postecoglou, he returns the favour in silverware, something Tottenham so desperately crave.
Is Postecoglou the man to end Tottenham’s wait for a trophy? (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)Source: AFP
WHY ANGE MUST DEFY SERIAL WINNER’S EXTRAORDINARY RANT
In the wake of Tottenham’s 3-3 draw against Southampton in March in which they tossed away a 3-1 lead, former boss Antonio Conte launched into an extraordinary tirade in his post-match press conference.
Conte claimed he saw “11 players that play for themselves” and a group who “don’t want to play under pressure” and “don’t want to play under stress.”
Whatever Conte thought of his former players, they are now under the tutelage of Postecoglou and he will have formed his own take.
In terms of departures, Harry Winks (permanent move to Leicester) and Joe Rodon (loan to Leeds) are the only official ones, although Kane’s move to Bayern is all but confirmed.
Tottenham also turned a pair of loan signings permanent in Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro, although the latter was an obligation
But Postecoglou also made a number of additions to his team that show he’s committed to changing the way Tottenham have played.
He’s brought in a new goalkeeper in Guglielmo Vicario, a relatively unknown quantity between the sticks but adept at having the ball at his feet, something Hugo Lloris struggled with.
There’s also the £40m addition of James Maddison who adds much-needed creativity into the midfield, while tricky winger Manor Solomon joined on a free and provides solid depth up front.
James Maddison is Tottenham’s marquee signing of the summer. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)Source: AFP
One area in need of desperate improvement is at the heart of defence and Postecoglou has moved to address that, signing Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg.
Postecoglou admitted he would like another centre-back through the door, stating “the potential is there” to do so, per Football.London.
But there is only so much Postecoglou can improve via the transfer window.
Much like Eddie Howe did to the likes of Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Fabian Schar at Newcastle, Postecoglou must find a way to unlock new levels in the players he already has at his disposal.
Tottenham is not a bad team by any stretch and their fourth-place finish in the 2021/22 season proves that, yet there is certainly some truth behind Conte’s absurd rant.
But under Postecoglou, unheralded players could have their moment to shine.
Take Oliver Skipp, for example.
The England under-21 star never quite looked at home in a 2-man defensive midfield pairing under Conte but has appeared strong in Postecoglou’s 4-3-3 formation and scored twice against Barcelona.
“He has been outstanding,” Postecoglou said of Skipp after the friendly.
“Obviously he didn’t have much of a break but since he’s been in he’s got bags of energy and he uses that really well. He maintains an intensity with and without the ball that makes him hard to contend with.”
Another is Giovani Lo Celso, who spent the last 18 months out on loan at Villarreal.
But Eccleshare tipped a £25m signing from last year to flourish in Postecoglou’s set-up.
Oliver Skipp could be one player who enjoys a new lease of life under Postecoglou . (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“A really important position for Ange would be that deep-lying No. 6 who can spray passes, kind of like Callum McGregor did [at Celtic],” Eccleshare said.
“I think (Yves) Bissouma could be really good for that. He did that a bit for Brighton.”
The 26-year-old’s passing numbers last season prove why he could be the metronome the Postecoglou system requires.
Per OptaAnalyst, Bissouma had the fifth-best passing rate of all Premier League players who logged at least 1,000 minutes.
Bissouma had a passing accuracy of 91.3 per cent, the best figure from a midfielder in the top flight.
The only players ahead of him were four centre-backs, three of which play for Manchester City who are known for passing teams to death: Manuel Akanji (93.3 per cent), John Stones (93.3 per cent), Victor Lindelof (93. per cent) and Ruben Dias (92.7 per cent).
Although Postecoglou could revolutionise Tottenham’s midfield, it is the defence which might give him more grey hairs.
Tottenham conceded 63 goals last season, their second-most in the Premier League era.
Signing Van de Ven won’t alleviate their defensive woes overnight and as is often the case under Postecoglou, his style can result in a worrying number of goals conceded.
Bissouma looms as a key player for Postecoglou in his preferred three-man midfield. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In his first season at Yokohama, Postecoglou’s side shipped 56 goals, the third-highest figure in the J1 League.
Part of the alarming figure of goals conceded is likely because Postecoglou employs a high defensive line and for some defenders, it can severely expose them.
Against Barcelona, Gold noted club stalwart Eric Dier “still does not look entirely comfortable with that high line.”
Gold also added “the fullbacks struggled with Barcelona’s balls over them and down the flanks” and singled out left back Sergio Reguilon as one who really battled.
Reguilon will likely be in direct competition for the starting left back role with 20-year-old Destiny Udogie, who spent last season on loan at Serie A club Udinese.
On the right side, Postecoglou has Emerson Royal who adopts a more defensive approach to playing and the attack-minded Pedro Porro.
The defenders on both flanks have had their chances to prove to Postecoglou why they deserve a starting berth, but from pre-season reports, none have quite done enough to nail down a spot.
If Postecoglou can tighten up Tottenham at the back, the rest will almost certainly take care of itself.
Postecoglou must fix Tottenham’s defence if he is to succeed this season. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)Source: AFP
With just days until Tottenham’s Premier League opener, Postecoglou will no doubt be itching to just get on the touchline and get the season underway.
The moment he takes his spot in the dugout is one that has been decades in the making from the day he began at South Melbourne way back in 1996.
Even if several factors have gone against him in his first pre-season at Tottenham, nothing can take away from the fact Postecoglou can say he is a Premier League manager.
Granted, he has arrived at a club in dire need of a major refresh and he could lose his best player early into the season, things you would most certainly not want for your first shot at the big time.
Yet all throughout Postecoglou’s career that has taken him from suburban grounds in Australia to the World Cup, he’s often been the underdog.
It’s just the way he likes it and why this pre-season has set the perfect stage for him to shine.
