An action-packed mid-week slate of mouth-watering Premier League fixtures delivered with Liverpool extending their lead as several other results shook up the top four race.
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Manchester City overcame a wasteful Tottenham 1-0 courtesy of an early goal from Erling Haaland upon his return to the starting line-up, while Arsenal and Nottingham Forest drew as Manchester United overcame some horrific defensive blunders to earn a come-from-behind win against 18th placed Ipswich Town.
LIVERPOOL MARCH ON
Liverpool now sit 13 points clear of Arsenal, with a game in hand, as they overcame Newcastle 2-0 at Anfield despite suspended manager Arne Slot having to watch from the stands.
Dominik Szoboszlai buried an 11th minute goal after being fed through by Luis Diaz to open the scoring, and Alexis Mac Allister rifled home the second in the 63rd minute after a one-two with Mohamed Salah following a Newcastle turnover in midfield.
Liverpool continue to hog the Premier League spotlight as an almost-flawless campaign approaches a memorable climax.
The Reds look certain to win the Premier League for the first time since 2020, which will move them level with Manchester United on a record-equalling 20 English titles.
Having won 2-0 at fading champions City on Sunday 24 hours after Arsenal lost to West Ham, Slot’s men kept their foot on the gas to turn the title race into a procession.
Szoboszlai netted with a clinical finish in the 11th minute and Mac Allister’s fine strike in the 63rd minute made it 20 wins and just one defeat from 28 league games this term.
In his first season after replacing Jurgen Klopp, Slot has made an astonishing impact, which could yet include Champions League and League Cup glory as well.
The Reds play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 first leg next week and face a rematch with Newcastle at Wembley in the League Cup final on March 16.
TOP FOUR RIVALS STALEMATE
Second-placed Arsenal and third-placed Nottingham Forest played out a scoreless draw at the City Ground, allowing Liverpool to extend their lead at the top.
The Gunners had the better of the match, statistically, registering 13 shots to six and having 65% possession as their midfield controlled the match.
But only one of Arsenal’s shots was on target, compared to two from Forest.
The hosts defended resolutely to make it appear as if the game would never break open, and they also never seriously threatened in attack.
A point is enough to keep Forest in third, ahead of defending champions Manchester City.
Arsenal’s title chances have been hampered by injuries suffered by Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.
Midfielder Mikel Merino was retained by Arteta in a centre-forward role despite failing to impress in a shock 1-0 home defeat to West Ham on Saturday.
In the absence of fit and in-form attackers, Arsenal have been reliant on defenders coming up with big goals and Riccardo Calafiori nearly obliged.
The Italian international came closest to scoring for the visitors when his first-half effort came back off the inside of the post.
Merino forced Matz Sels into his only serious save with a header from a corner early in the second period.
Arsenal did at least limit Forest to precious little as an attacking threat. Chris Wood had the hosts’ only chance 20 minutes from time but Forest’s talisman fired too close to David Raya.
However, after three defeats in their last four league games, Nuno Espirito Santo may see this as a point gained in his side’s challenge to reach the Champions League for the first time, having last played in the European Cup in 1980.
UNITED SURVIVE DEFENSIVE HORROR SHOW
Meanwhile, Manchester United came from behind to pick up a 3-2 win at Old Trafford against relegation battlers Ipswich Town.
The visitors scored after just four minutes courtesy of a defensive breakdown by the hosts.
United defender Patrick Dorgu ran down a long ball over the top and tried to touch it back to André Onana, but the goalkeeper had come out to collect the ball himself and Dorgu’s touch took the ball behind Onana.
The blunder was a gift for Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene who ran onto the ball and tapped it into an empty net.
United hit back with two goals in the space of just four minutes to take the lead, however.
An own goal off Ipswich captain Sam Morsy’s head from a United free kick levelled the scores before defender Matthijis de Ligt scrambled home a rebound from a corner in the 26th minute.
But then things got chaotic again with Dorgu’s horror night ending via a red card after a dodgy tackle that missed the ball and collected Omari Hutchinson’s shins.
Reduced to ten men, United then conceded an equaliser in added time with Philogene scoring his second to head into the sheds at 2-2.
The script flipped again three minutes after the break, with Harry Maguire heading home United’s third goal, all of which have come from set pieces.
Elsewhere, Brentford drew 1-1 at home to Everton with Yoane Wissa scoring on the stroke of half time for the hosts before Jake O’Brien found an equaliser in the 77th minute.
Liverpool took a giant stride towards the Premier League title on Sunday as a 2-0 win over Manchester City opened up an 11-point lead at the top of the table over Arsenal.
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Mohamed Salah was again Liverpool’s star performer as he opened the scoring with his 30th goal of the season before setting up Dominik Szoboszlai to double the lead before half-time.
Just days after exiting the Champions League to Real Madrid, this was another sobering defeat for the dethroned English champions, who are now 20 points adrift of the leaders.
So often during Pep Guardiola’s glorious reign, Liverpool have come up just short in English football’s great rivalry of recent years.
However, their time to match Manchester United’s record of 20 English top-flight titles now appears just months away in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
Arsenal’s shock 1-0 home defeat to West Ham on Saturday had eased the pressure on Liverpool, that had built after dropping points in two of their last three games at Everton and Aston Villa.
Newcastle hold on in SEVEN goal thriller | 01:18
A trip to the Etihad has for so long been the stiffest test of all, but City’s defensive frailties were easily exposed and they also badly missed the presence of the injured Erling Haaland in attack.
Liverpool, by contrast, had their talisman fit and firing as Salah took his staggering tally this season to 25 goals and 16 assists in 27 Premier League appearances.
The Egyptian fired the visitors in front on 14 minutes thanks to a brilliantly executed set-piece routine.
Alexis Mac Allister’s corner was flicked by Szoboszlai into Salah’s path and his shot deflected off Nathan Ake past the despairing dive of Ederson.
At the other end, City’s own Egyptian international showed his ability to finish, but Omar Marmoush had strayed off-side before being played in by Phil Foden.
City winger Jeremy Doku was skipping past Trent Alexander-Arnold at will, yet the Belgian consistently failed to deliver a telling cross or shot.
Salah was not so forgiving as he raced onto a long ball over the top and teed up Szoboszlai to wrong-foot Ederson.
The final outcome could have been much more humiliating for City had Liverpool had been as accurate on the counter-attack after the break.
Curtis Jones had a third goal ruled out by a VAR review for off-side after Szoboszlai just failed to time his run through the heart of the City defence.
“We didn’t hit the levels today!” | 01:02
Ederson was forced into a stunning save from Luis Diaz and only a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Abdukodir Khusanov denied Szoboszlai a second.
Marmoush scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Newcastle and remained a lively threat as he flashed another effort across the front of Alisson Becker’s goal.
But City lacked the end product to make nearly 70 per cent possession count. Despite an eighth league defeat of the season, Guardiola’s men remain in fourth and will be confident of securing their place in the Champions League next season with a top-five finish likely to be enough.
However, after an unprecedented run of four consecutive titles, City look like yesterday’s team with Liverpool now champions in waiting.
– ‘We need another title’, says Salah after ‘special’ Man City win –
Mohamed Salah said Liverpool’s veterans need another Premier League title after inspiring a 2-0 win at Manchester City to surge 11 points clear at the top of the table.
Salah was central to a statement win for the Reds as he opened the scoring and then teed up Dominik Szoboszlai to double Liverpool’s lead before half-time.
Arne Slot’s men are in a commanding position to secure a record-equalling 20th English top flight title, although second-placed Arsenal have a game in hand.
City, who have won the last four Premier League titles, are now 20 points behind the leaders down in fourth.
Spurs win 3rd straight – Gunners choke | 03:05
“It is incredible. It is a very hard place to come and play here,” said Salah after Liverpool’s first league win at the Etihad for a decade.
“They are a tough team and they have an incredible manager I am glad in the end we won the game. It is special. Especially when you are in the title race, it is incredible.
“Hopefully we keep calm because sometimes the pressure gets to us.”
Salah took his tally for an incredible season to 30 goals and 21 assists and said he is enjoying his football more than ever despite speculation over his future.
The 32-year-old, captain Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were all part of the Liverpool side that ended a 30-year wait to win the title in 2020.
And Salah reiterated his belief that they need another Premier League winner’s medal to burnish their legacy.
“Maybe people prefer my first seasons or now but I prefer now because winning the league, helping the young players, it is special,” he added.
“We need another title. Me and the big guys in the team, we need another title.”
– Forest felled by Isak as Newcastle bolster top four bid –
Newcastle blew Nottingham Forest away with four goals in 11 minutes as Alexander Isak’s double inspired a vital 4-3 win in the race to finish in the Premier League’s top four.
Eddie Howe’s side recovered from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s early opener to run riot with a first half goal spree at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Lewis Miley bagged Newcastle’s equaliser, sparking an astonishing spell of dominance as Jacob Murphy put the hosts ahead.
Isak netted twice in less than two minutes to reach 50 Premier League goals and leave Forest in tatters.
The Sweden striker has 19 league goals this season, taking him level with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in second place behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in this season’s scoring chart.
Nikola Milenkovic and Ryan Yates scored for Forest in the second half, but it was too late for an incredible escape act.
After three defeats in their previous four league games, fifth-placed Newcastle are back in the hunt to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish.
The Magpies are behind fourth-placed Manchester City on goal difference, with third-placed Forest just three points above them.
“I’m trying to control my thoughts and stay positive. We won the game and that’s what we needed to do,” Howe said.
“It was a great performance in the first half, then a couple of frailties showed in terms of defending set plays.
“We can reflect on that. There are things we can do better. We pride ourselves on getting the details right.”
Leicester lose 6th straight game | 01:21
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo added: “In the first half I didn’t recognise our team. In the second half we were much better.
“We made mistakes. It was two totally different halves. We started well and then they just rolled over us.” Newcastle keeper Nick Pope made his first league start since early December in place of Martin Dubravka.
But Pope was partially at fault as Newcastle gifted Forest the lead in sloppy style after just six minutes Jacob Murphy lost the ball in his own half as Hudson-Odoi pressured the Newcastle midfielder into conceding possession.
Hudson-Odoi wasn’t closed down quickly enough by Dan Burn and the winger unloaded a powerful low drive that caught Pope out of position as it flashed into the net.
Miley ensured Newcastle’s strong response to that early setback was rewarded in the 23rd minute.
– Newcastle hold on –
With Forest’s usually rock-solid defence slow to react, Miley had time to control Lewis Hall’s pass inside the penalty area and drill his shot through a sea of legs past unsighted keeper Matz Sels.
Murphy made amends for his earlier mistake to put Howe’s team ahead two minutes after Miley’s equaliser.
Hall’s driving run was the catalyst as the defender took Isak’s return pass and hit a deflected cross that looped over Sels for Murphy to bundle home from virtually on the goal-line.
Newcastle were firing on all cylinders and they struck again in the 33rd minute. Ola Aina used his arm to block Hall’s cross, conceding a penalty that Isak dispatched past Sels with an audacious lofted effort that left the keeper sprawled on his back as he tried in vain to claw it out.
Forest had no answer to Newcastle’s intensity and it was no surprise when they conceded a fourth just 60 seconds later.
Joe Willock raced unchecked through the Forest midfield and slipped his pass to Isak, whose shot from 12 yards took a deflection on its way past the wrong-footed Sels.
Newcastle eased up in the second half and Milenkovic reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute, flicking Chris Wood’s cross past Pope from close-range.
When Yates steered home in the 90th minute, a nervous hush descended on St James’ Park, but Newcastle held on by their fingernails.
Ange Postecoglou has been the Premier League manager in the firing line in recent months, but some of the heat is now starting to be directed Ruben Amorim’s way.
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Postecoglou’s Tottenham claimed an important 1-0 win against Amorim’s Manchester United on Sunday to add to the torrid time the Portuguese manager is having at Old Trafford.
Amorim is overseeing, statistically, the worst United team of the Premier League era.
They have lost twelve of 25 matches, with a points tally of just 29.
They have scored only 28 goals and sit 15th on the table, 12 points clear of the relegation places.
They are on track for their lowest points tally, and the least amount of goals they have scored, in a Premier League season.
The numbers are grim.
Normally, such dire circumstances would have led to a manager already being shown the door.
But this mess is not of Amorim’s creation.
United sacked Erik ten Hag in October and replaced the Dutchman with Amorim in November.
The 40-year-old was seen as a breath of fresh air.
A young manager, who would impart modern thinking on the club.
Amorim was even hailed as the club’s saviour after winning two league titles and impressing in European competition for Sporting CP in his home city of Lisbon.
Such was his popularity at this former club that Amorim was chaired off the pitch after demolishing Manchester City 4-1 in a home Champions League match, which doubled as his farewell game.
Before that mid-week affair, Amorim stated that United fans would think he is the new Sir Alex Ferguson if he orchestrated a defeat of their fierce rivals.
It is doubtful that any Red Devils supporter would think that now.
“It was everything” – Spurs sweep Man U | 01:49
WORST UTD BOSS OF MODERN ERA
United have lost eight, won four and drawn two of Amorim’s 14 Premier League outings in charge.
His overall record of nine losses, nine wins and three draws is better courtesy of an unbeaten run in the Europa League’s league phase.
But Amorim’s win percentage of 43 is the worst of any permanent United manager since Ferguson’s reign.
Louis van Gaal (48%) was next lowest, but Jose Mourinho (52%), David Moyes (57%), ten Hag (67%) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (71%) all had significantly superior records in all competitions from their first 21 matches at the helm.
Clearly, things are not going according to plan.
Yet, Amorim’s head is not being called for repeatedly like Postecoglou’s.
There is a widespread acceptance that none of this is Amorim’s fault.
Discontent among fans towards the club’s ownership has seemingly grown annually with a lot of anger directed towards the American Glazer family who have been majority owners for more than two decades.
In 2023, six of the Glazer children sold a quarter of their 68% stake in the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and now some of their frustrations have been sent his way.
Selling off tickets among season ticket holders at Old Trafford to away fans, and the roof leaking because of a reluctance to spend on stadium refurbishments have generated outrage.
The most anger is directed towards squad building however, as the majority of the current team have been brought on massive dollars but flopped as their rivals have snapped up stars, and they missed opportunities to sign the likes of England captain Harry Kane when he departed Tottenham.
The resentment towards the club hierarchy has allowed Amorim to strategically push several excuses to keep the heat off him.
In January, he said he is in charge of “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United”.
If they get relegated, like the team who dropped out of the English top flight in 1974, the “maybe” could be dropped from that quote.
Following the weekend’s loss to Tottenham, United’s third of the season to Postecolgou’s side, Amorim said “my job is so, so hard here”.
One of the things he was referring to was the growing casualty ward, which is causing the manager serious headaches.
‘Bigger club with bigger pressure” | 00:46
‘WELCOME TO MY WORLD’
The demanding schedule of midweek games throughout December and January caused Amorim to lament that he could not spend enough time on the training ground, implementing his play style on the squad.
Last week he finally got some clear air.
There were eight days between their fourth round FA Cup victory at home against Leicester City and their trip to north London to face Tottenham.
Ample time to refresh and dive deeper into the demands of his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but they lost six players in that time.
United’s top goal scorer this season Amad Diallo, England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer all suffered injuries, and Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen fell ill.
Diallo has been ruled out for the season, joining Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Jonny Evans as being sidelined for the long-term.
It forced Amorim to field a bench with eight teenagers, none of whom had made a first team appearance, and 17-year-old striker Chido Obi coming on for a debut with three minutes remaining was the only change made for the match.
The predicament prompted Postecoglou to say “welcome to my world” after he has struggled with an injury-riddled squad for several months, which led to an eight games winless run in the league.
To make matters worse, United fans watched on as academy product Marcus Rashford made an inspired start to life at Aston Villa.
Fellow attacker Antony, who was signed for £82 million in 2022, also started promisingly in Spain follow his departure from Old Trafford in the recent transfer window.
No replacement was brought in for either forward, instead entrusting Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho as a front three that have produced eight goals between in the league this season.
Meanwhile, Rashford came off the bench twice for Villa and breathed life into the game, including playing a part in Ollie Watkins’ equaliser in their draw with Ipswich.
But rubbing the most salt into the wounds is that Antony has scored three times in four matches for Real Betis.
That is more goals than United have scored this February so far, and matches the Brazilian’s tally from 38 appearances for the Red Devils last season.
Perhaps, there is something in players being rejuvenated once the are freed from United’s shackles.
GREATS BECOMING RESTLESS
In the aftermath of the Tottenham loss, several greats of the Ferguson era piped up to spell doom and gloom for their former club.
Six-time Premier League winner with United Rio Ferdinand spoke on his YouTube channel about how he believes relegation is a real possibility.
“Manchester United are absolutely struggling at the moment. Only Wolves and West Ham separate my club from the relegation places. Do you realise we’re that close?” Ferdinand said.
“Someone said we need 11 points just to stay up and I’m starting to think like that. I’ve got the fixture list here and I’m looking at the game and I’m being serious here. Go through it.
“Everton away, Ipswich at home, Arsenal, Forest away, Man City, Newcastle away, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester.
“The only place I potentially see us getting anything – and I’m not even saying a win – is Leicester. We’ve slapped up Leicester a couple of times already this season so we’ve got their number.
“Normally you look at the fixture list and you can see where the points are coming from.
“We just looked at the fixture list and I’m not seeing outright wins, I’m not looking at it thinking there’s three points here and there’s three points there. That’s the problem.”
Ballon d’Or winner and Ferdinand’s former United teammate Michael Owen said that he cannot see the current situation “getting any better”.
Meanwhile, another star of United’s golden years, Gary Neville, turned his attention on the manager.
Neville thought Amorim’s tactics were “absolute madness” during the defeat to Tottenham, particularly in midfield.
“The distance between the two centre midfielders for United is all wrong,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “Look where Fernandes is, look where Casemiro is. It breaks all rules of football.
“It’s absolute madness. The structure of the team is awful. The two in midfield are split. It’s embarrassing. You wouldn’t see this in under-nines football. Look at that space in midfield. Shocking.”
It was not the first time Amorim’s midfield set up has been ridiculed.
In a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in December, Amorim embarrassingly subbed off attacker Joshua Zirkzee after just 33 minutes to make up for his misstep of partnering Eriksen and Casemiro in midfield, who are not blessed with pace, against the Magpies’ electric trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
Now, critiques of Amorim’s tactics are mounting up.
AMORIM SHOULD BE ABLE TO DELIVER MORE
Three at the back, four in midfield and three up front.
That is what Amorim likes his teams to look like.
But being one player lighter in defence is something foreign to the current United squad.
They have failed to get up to speed with the reconfiguration, and it has now been long enough that it is reflecting poorly on Amorim.
Arsenal great Martin Keown described his tactics as “flawed”, and was confused as to why other Premier League managers have been able to make a more immediate impact with seemingly lesser squads.
“Whereas look at Everton, in the same amount of time for David Moyes, a former United manager, are getting results. You could argue his players maybe aren’t quite as good, but this once-great club is now falling from a great height,” Keown said on TalkSport after the Tottenham loss.
“The panic button is close to being pressed. You can’t keep performing as they did yesterday.
“The tactics are flawed; we’ve been saying it for weeks now. The midfield, Casemiro sitting on his own, Spurs exploiting that with two players in those pockets. James Maddison ran the show. Fernandes was a boy lost on the pitch.”
Concerningly for Amorim, there seems to be no relief coming in anytime soon.
Gary Neville believes “it’s going to be a minimum of two to three transfer windows” before the manager and the recruiting staff can “adapt this squad into a 3-4-3 squad”.
United are also going to be limited in their spending because of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules – which are designed to stop clubs blowing out their balance sheets by limiting what they can spend, dependent upon the money they generate.
The bad news for United is that they have lost £300m in the last three years, and in the background of their poor performances on the pitch, was 250 employees being made redundant last summer as part of cost-cutting measures.
It is also reported that more redundancies are likely.
“There will be no great infusion of cash to rebuild the squad in the summer; United are already under pressure to avoid breaching PSR regulations,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
So with their hands somewhat tied financially, there is demand for Amorim to extract more out of what they have.
And at present, that does not look like happening.
“You can blame injuries all you like, highlighting the fact that United’s bench was so stacked with 17 and 18-year-olds that it resembled a sixth-form holiday camp. But Amorim, if he is truly as talented as his extravagant send-off in Lisbon suggests he is, should be summoning a tune out of those he has available,” The Telegraph’s chief sports writer Oliver Brown wrote after the Tottenham defeat.
“The problem is that the players are all hopelessly confused by the tactics he is asking them to follow. Maguire was the most obvious rabbit in headlights this time, bizarrely stopping dead in his tracks as a dangerous cross swung in towards Son Heung-min. Casemiro was all at sea, not even watching Bruno Fernandes at times and crumpling to the turf pleading for a free-kick even when nobody was near him.
“The doubts are starting to be publicly expressed. Gary Neville witheringly argued that Amorim’s midfield, with Casemiro and Fernandes creating yawning chasms through their lack of connection, would not even have been seen at under-nines level. While that might be hyperbolic, it does illustrate how the fundamentals at United have collapsed.
“The defence is shot to pieces, the midfield is makeshift, and supposed target man Hojlund has not scored in his last 15 appearances.”
WILL HE SURVIVE?
As is the case for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, and as was the case for Amorim’s predecessor ten Hag, the allure of silverware offers salvation.
Ten Hag bought himself more time with a shock FA Cup triumph against rivals City in 2023, while United, along with Spurs, are into the Europa League’s Round of 16.
The hierarchy at Old Trafford would be desperate for a trophy, but it is not a condition to Amorim keeping his job.
There is little doubt that he will be given a summer to shape a squad in his image, and not judged too harshly for the failures that emerge from trying to do so on the fly, mid-season.
But football is a ruthless game, and bookmakers across the UK have slashed their odds on Amorim being the next Premier League manager to be shown the door.
Reports emerged out of Spain that United are already exploring alternative options, including current US men’s team manager, as well as former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The dilemma Amorim is facing, which is the case of many bosses of rebuilding teams across any sport, is that losses stockpiling may do too much damage.
“The danger is that, even if Amorim is the right man, his reputation will be so tarnished by the end of the season that he will never be able to inspire the belief successful management requires,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski is convinced Ange Postecoglou is the “right man” to salvage their troubled season despite a disastrous run of results.
Spurs slipped to a sixth loss from their last seven Premier League games against relegation-threatened Leicester on Sunday and are languishing in 15th place in the table.
Postecoglou said after the dismal 2-1 home defeat he was uncertain over his future as pressure mounts on the former Celtic boss.
The Australian has battled a severe injury crisis over the past two months and will be without 12 players for Thursday’s Europa League match against Swedish side Elfsborg.
But he has repeatedly stated his belief that Tottenham — who are still in three cup competitions — can enjoy a “special” season.
“Yeah, I agree with him,” said 24-year-old Kulusevski, who has scored nine goals in 35 games in the current campaign.
“It’s easy to focus on the league, but we’re doing really well in the cups.
“This is an important game (against Elfsborg) and if we win we go to the next round. I think we can do big things in these last four months.”
Spurs to be patient before ‘Ange call’ | 01:38
A win against Elfsborg in their final Europa League group fixture would guarantee Tottenham a place in the last 16.
They won the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Liverpool 1-0 and are through to the FA Cup fourth round.
Asked why Postecoglou is the right man, Kulusevski told reporters on Wednesday: “Because we had games when we showed perfect football — football that not many teams can play in the world.
“We played beautiful games against (Manchester) United (wins in the Premier League and the League Cup), against (Manchester) City 4-0, so I think he is the right man.
Even Cup wins won’t save Ange? | 06:57
“We play for him. We want to win for him and to be honest we have similar ideas.
“I am very positive as a guy and I always want to play the football he wants. I have to fight for him because I believe in that football too. Yes, I think he’s the right man.”
Bosnich ‘Ange only has self to blame’ | 01:06
Kulusevski admitted Spurs had made mistakes but said they were suffering. “We are 10 to 11 fit players in four competitions and that’s not OK and that’s why the team is paying that price in the league especially,” he said.
“You can look at the manager and the players but it’s bigger than that, it’s everything involved.”
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.
Alexander Isak fired Newcastle into the Premier League’s top four on Wednesday, scoring twice in a 3-0 cruise against Wolves as David Moyes endured a miserable return to the Everton dugout.
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Red-hot Isak found the net for the eighth league match in a row as the Magpies leapfrogged faltering Chelsea into fourth spot in the table.
The Swedish international put the home side ahead in the 34th minute when his shot took a huge deflection off Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri, leaving Jose Sa wrong-footed.
The striker is just the fourth different player to score in eight successive Premier League appearances, after Jamie Vardy (twice for Leicester), Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice for Manchester United), and Daniel Sturridge (for Liverpool).
Isak doubled Newcastle’s lead shortly before the hour mark, controlling Bruno Guimaraes’ pass before firing home for his 15th league goal of the season and Anthony Gordon added a third.
Eddie Howe’s men, who have now won six straight league games, have recovered strongly from a lengthy poor spell to make a powerful case for a Champions League spot next season.
Taking advantage of the faltering form of Manchester City and Chelsea, they are just three points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – JANUARY 15: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at St James’ Park on January 15, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
– Villa ruin Moyes’ return –
Moyes, in the first game of his second spell in charge of Everton, watched his toothless side lose 1-0 to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.
Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, slotting past England teammate Jordan Pickford after he was sent clear by Morgan Rogers.
Everton huffed and puffed but showed a lack of creativity — unsurprising for a team who have scored just 15 league goals in their 20 matches this season.
The result lifts Unai Emery’s Villa to seventh in the table but Everton remain in deep trouble, just one point above the relegation zone in 16th spot.
David Moyes’ return as Everton manager failed to muster a response from the toothless Toffees in a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.Source: Getty Images
The Liverpool club’s new owners, the American-based Friedkin Group, sacked Sean Dyche last week and brought back 61-year-old Moyes, who enjoyed success during an 11-year stint at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013.
But the Toffees, ever-present in the top flight since 1954, have battled relegation for the past three seasons and are once again in deep trouble.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester suffered their sixth straight league defeat, losing 2-0 to Crystal Palace to leave the Foxes second from bottom of the table.
Jean-Philippe Mateta put the visitors ahead early in the second half and Marc Guehi made the points safe with a late second.
Arsenal, winless in three matches in all competitions, are hosting injury-hit Tottenham in the late kick-off on Wednesday.
Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham needed extra time before seeing off non-league Tamworth 3-0 in their FA Cup clash on Monday morning (AEDT).
Tottenham, currently 12th in the Premier League, are 96 places above Tamworth, who sit 16th in the fifth-tier National League.
The supposed gap in quality was rarely apparent as Tottenham’s dismal display took them to the brink of a historic humiliation.
A part-time team whose players work day jobs alongside their football careers, Tamworth matched their highly-paid and supposedly superior opponents for long periods on the Lamb Ground’s sloping artificial pitch.
They should have caused one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets in normal time but their missed chances proved crucial.
Nathan Tshikuna’s extra-time own goal and late strikes from Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson sent Tottenham into the fourth round.
Tottenham last won a major trophy in 2008, but the under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou boasts he always wins silverware in his second season at a club.
Having beaten Liverpool 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, Tottenham remain in contention for a domestic cup double despite a troubled season.
“They made it hard for us, with the surface it was about us staying calm and being persistent. In the end, we got the job done,” said Postecoglou, whose team travel to Aston Villa in the fourth round.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Greek-Australian Head Coach Ange Postecoglou gestures on the touchline during the English FA Cup third round football match between Tamworth and Tottenham Hotspur at The Lamb Ground in Tamworth, central England on January 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /Source: AFP
MAN UTD PROGRESS
Ten-man Manchester United beat Arsenal 5-3 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round.
Defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League in December, FA Cup holders United exacted revenge on their return to the Emirates Stadium to extend their revival after last weekend’s impressive draw at Liverpool.
Ruben Amorim’s troubled side took the lead through Bruno Fernandes, who smashed a superb strike into the far corner from the edge of the area in the 52nd minute.
United defender Diogo Dalot was sent off for a second booking after fouling Mikel Merino nine minutes later.
Gabriel Magalhaes grabbed Arsenal’s equaliser in the 63rd minute, the Brazilian defender swivelling to hit a low shot that took a hefty deflection off Matthijs de Ligt.
But Arsenal wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead when Harry Maguire’s soft challenge on Kai Havertz was ruled a penalty.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 12: Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, gestures during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Manchester United.Source: Getty Images
The furious United defender and teammate Manuel Ugarte were involved in a melee with several Arsenal players before Altay Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s spot-kick.
Havertz missed a host of chances to win it and the German was culpable again in the shootout as his effort was saved by Bayindir, setting up the much-maligned Joshua Zirkzee to stroke home the decisive kick.
“We deserved to pass through this round because we all suffered together and showed character,” said Amorim, whose side host Leicester in the fourth round.
“A few weeks ago Joshua was in a difficult moment, now he was a game-changer. Life has these beautiful things.” It was another painful result for Arsenal after Tuesday’s 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg and last weekend’s damaging league draw at Brighton.
“In a thousand games like this you lose one,” said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who hasn’t won a trophy since 2020.
“It’s unbelievable. We deserved to win the game by a mile. But the reality is we are out and the only thing that’s going to be judged is that.”
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has questioned the “choices” of those close to forward Marcus Rashford, whose time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end.
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The 27-year-old England international sat out a third straight game on Sunday as United slumped to a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth.
Rashford was also omitted from the squad for the derby win at Manchester City earlier this month and Thursday’s League Cup quarter-final defeat by Tottenham.
Two days before the Spurs loss, Rashford said in an interview that he was “ready for a new challenge and the next steps” of a career that began in the United academy.
“It is a hard situation but I understand that this kind of player have a lot of people around them, and making some choices that sometimes is not the first idea from the player,” Amorim told Sky Sports on Monday.
“They chose to do that interview because it’s not just Marcus. I understand that so for me as a coach I’m just focused on the performance, the way he trains.
“The rest, I think, is better for me and the club to deal with that when the times comes.”
Amorim also expressed his support for Rashford, who is under contract until 2028, and is keen for the player to stay at United.
The Portuguese said he can “separate” his relationship with Rashford, who has scored 87 goals in 287 appearances for the club, from the decisions of the people advising him.
“At the moment I’m just focused on improving Marcus,” added Amorim. “We need a lot in this moment, (from a) talented guy like Marcus, and I forget for now the interview. I just see what I see on the pitch.”
A Manchester United fan holds up a sign in support of Marcus Rashford during the Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Sunday December 22, 2024. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock believes the situation is far more complicated than Amorim’s justification of performance and training standards.
The 27-year-old is United’s joint top-scorer in the Premier League this season alongside Bruno Fernandes with four goals, while he has netted three more goals across the Europa League and Carabao Cup, but has been ridiculed for his lack of intensity without the ball.
That is not the real issue, according to Warnock however, with Rashford, who scored three goals for England at the 2022 World Cup, is being “made a scapegoat” for other issues at United.
“What we’ve seen behind the scenes is there’s been a lot of cost cutting,” Warnock said on Sky Sports. “But what we also know is, he’s potentially their biggest earner.
“Now, is that the ownership coming in going ‘absolutely not, we’re going to set wage structure and make sure we bring that down. He’s the first one that’s got to go or we’re going to have to do something about it’.
“How do you do that? You frustrate a player. You make life difficult for him.
“I’ve been in that situation where someone’s come in and gone ‘you’re not a player for me, so what I’m going to do is, I’m going to make life hell for you. I’m going to make it really embarrassing for you. I’m going to change the way we do everything. You’re training and I’m going to leave you out of the squads, and I’m going to make it so that you train all the week but you get no reward at the end of it’.
“I get that sense at the moment that he’s in that, sort of, place at the moment where he’s being made the scapegoat.”
EPL Wrap: Cherries spark Man United | 01:15
Meanwhile former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has all but given up hope that the issues between Rashford and the club can be resolved.
For Neville, who spent his entire career at Old Trafford and made 400 appearances for the club, the Rashford problem tugs on his heart strings as he too was an Academy player at United and was part of a generation of remarkable success under Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1990s and 2000s alongside fellow academy graduates like his brother Phil, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Rashford is Manchester and born-raised and has been a much-loved figure in the city in England’s north for his charity work helping feed children in poverty who were no longer receiving their free school meals during Covid-19 lockdowns, as well as donating essential items to homeless people.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2020 for his ongoing efforts, and Neville is saddened by the rift that has emerged between the club and a player who has been an outstanding part of the community in which it is based.
“I don’t think academy players, who have great talent like Marcus, should ever leave the club,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
“You want to see players at the club who have been there since they were eight stay there forever.
“But I think now in the past few days, it’s got to the point where it may be better for both parties for it to end quite quickly.
“Who knows, it might resolve itself. Ruben Amorim is saying that right things but I suspect behind the scenes it’s difficult.”
United’s defeat by Bournemouth left them 13th in the Premier League, their lowest position in the top flight at Christmas since 1986.
Amorim’s side return to action at Wolves on Boxing Day before hosting Newcastle next Monday.
Ange Postecoglou has threatened to stop answering a certain type of question from reporters after Tottenham were battered 6-3 at home by Premier League leaders Liverpool.
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The Australian manager never shies away from this attack-first philosophy, a cornerstone of which is his side’s high defensive line, despite recent criticism and an injury-hit, fatigued defence.
Postecoglou made no changes to the starting XI that overcame Manchester United 4-3 in a thrilling Carabao Cup quarter-final with first-choice goal keeper Guglielmo Vicario as well as centre back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven still on the sidelines.
Arne Slot’s side meanwhile was full strength, and there was a sense of the inevitable before kick-off when Postecoglou joked on Sky Sports that “it’s got all the hallmarks of a 0-0, mate”.
Liverpool came out ruthless as they routinely capitalised on Tottenham’s defensive frailties as they produced 24 shots on goals with Luis Diaz and Mohammed Salah scoring braces, while Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also got on the score sheet.
“Spurs stayed high, caution to the chill wind. Liverpool simply ran through them,” The Guardian’s David Hytner wrote at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was such a dominant display that Reds’ legend Jamie Carragher declared on Sky Sports that they “could’ve got ten” into the back of the net on Sunday.
‘Painful one for us’: Ange dejected | 01:06
The insistence from Postecoglou to stick to his guns despite being regularly exposed, as they also conceded four goals in a home loss to second-placed Chelsea earlier this month, has copped widespread criticism.
When he was asked yet again by the BBC whether Spurs’ injury woes were to blame for their issues at the back, Postecoglou responded in fiery fashion, showing that he is fed up with condemnation.
“I’m just going to stop answering these questions,“ he said.
“If people can’t see the obvious I‘m not going to point it out. Make of it what you want, yes we’re conceding goals.
“If you want to discount the fact we’re missing a goalkeeper, two centre-backs and left-back and that hasn’t coincided with what we’re doing… I don’t know what to say anymore.
“I think people make up their mind in their own way. They either think what I’m doing is good or bad, and that’s fine.
“It’s fairly significant [losing injured players]. If you took out Liverpool’s goalkeeper, two centre-backs and a left-back – or any team other than Liverpool – they’d find it tough going as well.”
Slot defends Postecoglou despite loss | 00:59
Not everyone agrees with the injury struggles being the root cause of the fact Tottenham will sit 11th on the Premier League at Christmas Day despite scoring more goals than anyone else in the league.
Carragher said post-game that “nobody has ever won anything playing like that”.
“Not that I expect Tottenham to win the Premier League but nobody has ever won anything playing like that,” the Sky Sports pundit said after the game.
“It was almost Kevin Keegan-like. The other team I could associate with that was almost Brendan Rodgers with Liverpool, where it was just end-to-end, 6-3, 5-4, and at the end of it they just come a little bit short.
“You’ve got to respect the opposition, you’ve got to respect the defensive side of the game.
“I get the idea. It’s not about a style of play. If everyone’s fully fit and he wants to do things slightly different – every manager who comes in has got a little different way of doing things.
“You’ve got to have something that’s a little bit different, that makes you special, that makes you start off in Australia and get yourself to the Premier League. It’s a brilliant journey he’s been on, and he’s got a way about that.
“But when you’ve got your best team, not when you’re down to the bare bones.”
EPL Wrap: Cherries spark Man United | 01:15
One of the key points of conjecture in Tottenham’s defensive set-up has been goal keeper Fraser Forster.
The 36-year-old has never been particularly comfortable playing out from the back, as Postecoglou, likes to do and it led to Forster making two absolute howlers to concede goals against Manchester United mid-week when the Spurs’ defenders passed the ball back to him.
Forster’s confidence was clearly rattled as in the third minute of the game, he passed the ball straight to Salah but that was one of the chances that went unpunished, and supports Carragher’s “could’ve got ten” view.
The former England shot stopper found himself an ally in legendary Manchester United goal keeper Peter Schmeichel, who slammed Postecoglou post-match.
“It’s on [Ange Postecoglou]. He’s playing to his principles. Today it was crazy, the high-line, the space they left behind, they’re not playing with a ‘keeper who’s comfortable cleaning up behind. You can’t play a system the players can’t play because of principle. For that they’ve conceded three on Thursday [in the League Cup] and six today,” Schmeichel said.
“When you look at the table, they’re not on the front page, they’re on the second page. Tottenham are not supposed to be on the second page, it’s because of the way they play.
“The stubbornness of wanting to play that way, they got what they deserved and it could have been a lot worse.”
Man City’s top 4 dreams take ANOTHER hit | 03:29
The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew was similarly scathing of Postecoglou, and Tottenham as a club more broadly.
He labelled them “unserious” on a day when Spurs’ fans protested against club chair Daniel Levy.
“Tottenham are not serious about this. They win spectacularly, and then they lose spectacularly, and it doesn’t really matter because over the past couple of years they have engendered a culture in which progress is basically divorced from outcomes,” Liew wrote.
“League positions are of no consequence. Champions League qualification is not a target, because the entire success of this multi-billion-pound operation is geared around whether a middle-aged Australian man feels his ideas have taken root this week or not.
“There are clear and tangible advantages to this approach. Most importantly, it’s a lot of fun. This is expressive football with no compromises, a young and essential energy, and occasionally the ultimate rush. When it destroys the quadruple champions or puts seven past Manchester United in two games, it feels like total vindication, and who doesn’t love one of those? This is the entertainment business, there are Tunnel Club packages to be sold, and being the Premier League’s top scorers is a pretty persuasive pitch if you’re not really fussed about who wins.
“But there are also disadvantages to being an unserious team, and perhaps you glimpse them most sharply when you come up against a serious team. A team that don’t take a weird solace in denying their rivals the league, or entertain bizarre superstitions about maybe winning the FA Cup when the year ends in a one. A coach who believes his job is to make his players look good, rather than the other way around.”
Not all in the British press have been as brutal.
The UK Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt wrote from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that it would cruel to judge Postecoglou too harshly given the fact he has a second-choice goal keeper in Forster, 18-year-old right-back Archie Gray and 22-year-old back-up Radu Dragusin as his centre back pairing, as well as the forgotten Djed Spence at left back.
While Spurs supporters might be tearing their hair out, neutral observers are getting value for money, as evidenced by Postecoglou jokingly asking “are you not entertained?” in a post-match interview after their Carabao Cup win against Manchester United.
“There must be sympathy for Ange Postecoglou, especially given how bravely he continues to demand his team play, but it does lead to criticism of its own. They give up simple goals at times and so it proved,” Burt said.
“The fact Gray, at 18, is playing at centre-half highlights how stretched Spurs are, of course, but no-one can deny their spirit – they never take a backward step – and desire to score and they claimed two goals as firstly Kulusevski volleyed in after a fine link-up with Dominic Solanke and then Solanke also guided the ball home from a header by substitute Brennan Johnson.
“But it only served to annoy Liverpool as they swiftly bewildered Spurs again for Salah to slip a pass through to Diaz who finished with a powerful angled shot. And with that there was a thumbs-up from Slot who took the pair off. It showed just how ruthless they can be and their work was done. And, yes, we were entertained.”
The rollercoaster will roll on for Spurs with more crunch fixtures to come either side of New Year’s.
A Boxing Day trip to the feel-good story of the season, fourth-placed Nottingham Forest will be difficult.
They then face relegation-threatened Wolves and seventh-placed Newcastle at home, before hosting Liverpool once again in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on January 6.
That will be a fascinating test of how they can change in a short-space of time, but Postecoglou will not shy away from his attacking philosophy.
He never has, and he has always been up front about the fact that he is not going to.
“I’ve been really patient the last 18 months, answering the same questions over and over again,” he said post-match.
“If people want me to change my approach, it’s not going to change.
“We’re doing it for a reason, we’re doing it because we think it’ll help us be successful.”
Premier League basement club Southampton on Sunday sacked manager Russell Martin after an embarrassing 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham.
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The club said in a statement they had taken the “difficult decision to part ways” with Martin after just one win in 16 games.
Southampton, promoted last season, are rooted to the bottom of the table, nine points from safety.
“We can confirm that we have taken the difficult decision to part ways with our men’s first team manager Russell Martin,” the club said.
“Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.
“However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.”
Current Under-21s boss Simon Rusk will take charge of the team on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is announced.
Southampton conceded five first-half goals to Tottenham in the Sunday evening kick-off.
“I was hurt in the first half,” Martin told TNT Sports after the match.
“We did not respond very well to the setbacks as a group.
Ange’s Spurs strike in under 37 seconds | 01:11
“We have seen that all too often this season. After the first goal, our response was very poor.” Speaking about his future, the 38-year-old former Scotland international said: “We have no choice but to keep working and fighting. It’s what I have been doing in this job and I will continue doing it until I am told not to.”
