Matildas veteran Emily van Egmond faced a grilling over Sam Kerr on Tuesday, declaring the 31-year-old superstar should remain Australian captain despite calls for her to stand down.
Van Egmond fronted media the same day that Socceroos legend Robbie Slater slammed Football Australia’s “weak” punishment of Kerr ahead of her Matildas return.
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On Monday, FA finally ended weeks of speculation over possible disciplinary action that followed her highly-publicised UK court case, announcing that Kerr was clear to return to full duties with the Matildas.
The team has upcoming matches against the Korea Republic in Sydney and Newcastle, beginning on Friday.
Matildas vice-captain Van Egmond said that Kerr “definitely shouldn’t be stepping down”.
“As teammates and a team we are in full support of her and we are looking forward to the game on Friday,” Van Egmond said.
Van Egmond had to face a repeated line of questioning about Kerr before a FA press officer appeared to step in and ask for questions to be focused on the game.
Van Egmond said: “The FA put out their statement and it speaks for itself.”
The saga comes after Kerr was found not guilty on one charge of racially aggravated harassment in February after she called a police officer “f***ing stupid and white”.
Slater called for Kerr to stand down as the Matildas captain in the lead up to the friendly international matches.
“Football Australia has failed in its role as guardians of the game in this country,” he wrote for CODE Sports.
“The best thing that Kerr can do when she returns to action is to decline any offer to again captain the Matildas.”
Slater hoped Kerr would now “do the right thing and she simply cannot captain the national team again”, saying the decision not to rescind her captaincy means FA have failed to hold players accountable to the national code of conduct.
‘No further action’ Kerr joins Matildas | 03:38
In response to the frenzy surrounding her court case, Kerr spoke of her “regret” over the incident.
“I want to express my sincere regret for how events unfolded,” she said in Football Australia’s statement.
“I recognise that leadership means being mindful of our actions both on and off the pitch.
“I’m proud of the Matildas, the role I have played as a member of that team, and everything we stand for, and I’m committed to learning from this experience.”
Emily van Egmond at her press conference, and Sam Kerr outside court.Source: Getty Images
FA chairman Anter Isaac said that the incident shouldn’t overshadow Kerr’s contribution to the game.
Kerr also has full support from her teammates, Van Egmond said.
Kerr has rejoined her teammates in a non-playing capacity. She has not played since tearing her ACL during a Chelsea training camp in January last year.
Steph Catley has captained the Matildas in Kerr’s absence and will continue for the Korea Republic friendlies.
The Matildas named a 23-player squad to face South Korea, with midfielder Katrina Gorry withdrawing due to an ankle injury suffered in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on the weekend.
“Now it’s time to get on the field and let the football do the talking,” Van Egmond said.
Manchester City came from behind to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for a record seventh consecutive season with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but victory came at a cost as Erling Haaland hobbled off injured.
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Haaland had seen a first-half penalty saved before Evanilson put the Cherries in front.
His replacement, Omar Marmoush, took just two minutes to score the winner from a second assist by the impressive Nico O’Reilly as City booked a semi-final clash against Nottingham Forest.
“Seven times in a row reaching semi-finals in the FA Cup…this is outstanding. This generation of players, they have done this,” said City boss Pep Guardiola.
City have been a shadow of the side that won four consecutive Premier League titles this season and Guardiola said prior to the game that even FA Cup glory would not save a miserable season.
The English champions’ collapse in the Premier League began at Bournemouth back in November with a 2-1 defeat that kicked off a run of six defeats in eight games.
But Guardiola hailed the difference in attitude in his side between then and now.
“We came here (in November) with the flip flops on against a team that if you don’t compete, it is impossible,” added Guardiola.
“In football you have to run. People say about my teams ‘how good they play’ but no, it is how much we run, how much we fight and for many games this season it didn’t happen.”
– Haaland’s hat-trick of misses –
Haaland should have punished a makeshift Cherries defence missing the suspended Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez with a hat-trick before half-time.
He headed wide his first chance from Matheus Nunes’ driven cross. A Tyler Adams handball then gifted City the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.
But for the third time in his last six spot-kicks, Haaland failed to find the net as Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save.
That miss seemed to be still in Haaland’s mind when he dinked over Kepa and over the bar with just the Spanish goalkeeper to beat moments later.
City were then hit with a sucker punch by Bournemouth on 21 minutes. Nunes, deputising in an unfamiliar right-back role, gave the ball away to David Brooks, whose cross was turned across goal by Justin Kluivert and bundled in from point-blank range by Evanilson.
Guardiola responded by introducing 20-year-old midfielder O’Reilly as a makeshift left-back.
O’Reilly made an instant impact with a rampaging run down the left and inch-perfect cross as this time Haaland did not miss for his 30th goal of the season.
Moments later he was forced off in concerning scenes for Guardiola with City still involved in a battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League in their last nine Premier League games.
But City’s January transfer window move for Marmoush is already looking a shrewd deal.
The Egyptian has now scored six times in 11 appearances since a £59 million ($76 million) transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
If Kepa was a Bournemouth hero in the first-half, he was at fault for the winner as Marmoush’s effort slipped through his grasp from O’Reilly’s pass.
“First half we played very well but second half the game was definitely for them,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
“We couldn’t keep the same intensity second half, we were a lot more passive and lacking in energy, especially up front.”
– Rashford double fires Villa into FA Cup semis –
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa inspired a 3-0 win against Preston that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years on Sunday.
Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four.
Villa will face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley on the weekend of April 26-27.
Revitalised since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that made him one of England’s brightest stars prior to his steep decline over the last two years.
Amid concerns over his attitude and off-field behaviour, Rashford was deemed expendable by United manager Ruben Amorim, after also clashing with former Old Trafford boss Erik ten Hag.
The 27-year-old hadn’t scored since netting for United against Everton on December 1.
Deployed in the central striker’s role that often seemed to dent his confidence at United, Rashford was too dynamic for second-tier Preston to handle in the latest sign that his career might not be destined to end in disappointment after all.
“It’s a great feeling, I feel like I’ve been getting fitter and playing better football since I’ve been here. It’s always nice for a forward to get a goal so hopefully it continues,” Rashford said.
“I missed a lot of football before joining up with Villa. It’s step by step. My body feels good and I’m enjoying my football for now.
“We’re very ambitious. We’ll see where it takes us.” While struggling United have been mired in turmoil, Rashford has benefited from moving to upwardly mobile Villa.
– Memorable climax –
Unai Emery’s side have enjoyed a memorable run to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they face Paris Saint-Germain in April.
They also have an outside chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Rashford could be part of a memorable climax to the campaign for Villa, who haven’t won the FA Cup since 1957, with their last final ending in defeat against Arsenal in 2015.
“His commitment to work, to adapt quick is very important, and he’s doing it,” Emery said.
“To feel comfortable, playing in his best level, there is still work but today he did one step forward, getting confident, scoring goals.
“He was obviously getting better but this was one more step in his adaptation and helping us.” Emery added it was “not yet” the right time to discuss whether Rashford might make a permanent move to Villa in the close season.
Rashford’s free-kick forced Preston goalkeeper David Cornell into action before Ezri Konsa’s glancing header whistled just wide from Marco Asensio’s cross.
Stefan Thordarson wasted a golden opportunity to give Preston a shock lead when he poked wide.
Villa broke the deadlock in the 58th minute as Rashford timed his run perfectly to meet Lucas Digne’s low cross with a clinical finish from 12 yards.
Morgan Rogers was denied by Cornell moments later as Villa went for the kill. And it was Rogers who earned Villa’s penalty in the 63rd minute when the England midfielder was tripped by Andrew Hughes.
Rashford stepped up to send Cornell the wrong way with a nerveless spot-kick. Ramsey put the result beyond doubt eight minutes later, surging towards the Preston area and drilling a powerful strike past Cornell for his fourth goal this season.
Sam Kerr has joined the Matildas in camp for their upcoming matches against South Korea in Sydney and Newcastle after Football Australia ruled that no further action should be taken against the star striker after she was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
Kerr, who hasn’t playing since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in January last year, met with the FA board in relation to its code of conduct.
An FA statement said that Kerr acknowledged her actions which led to her arrest were “not her best moment and recognised the broader impact it had”.
“Knowing how Sam feels about the events, along with the additional context we’ve learned, has added vital perspective that the general public may not be aware of,” Football Australia chairman Anter Isaac said in explaining the decision to take no further action against Kerr.
“Setting aside those difficulties, this one incident should not offset the incredible contributions she has made, both publicly and privately, on and off the field for more than 15 years.”
The FA said the circumstances “warranted no further action” against Kerr.
Sam Kerr was found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment. Photo: Peter Nicholls/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
Chelsea’s Kerr said she wanted to express her “sincere regret for how events unfolded”.
“It was an incredibly difficult period for me, my family, my club, my teammates, and especially for the fans whose support means so much to us,” she said.
“I recognise that leadership means being mindful of our actions both on and off the pitch.
“I’m proud of the Matildas, the role I have played as a member of that team, and everything we stand for, and I’m committed to learning from this experience.
“Moving forward, I’m focused on doing my part to ensure we grow even stronger together, and I look forward to having the opportunity of rejoining the team once I’m fit and ready.”
Sam Kerr has joined the Matildas for a training camp. Photo: Izhar Khan/AFP.Source: AFP
FA board member and chair of the football development committee Heather Garriock said Kerr remained a “valued member of the Matildas, recognised by her teammates for her leadership qualities”.
“We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming her back once she is fit and ready, and we fully support her ongoing journey in Australian football,” Garriock said.
“The team will continue open dialogue to ensure we all grow and learn together.
“In light of these events, Football Australia is also refining its guidelines and training at every level to reinforce accountability, address potential reputational risks, and explore policy enhancements that will help prevent similar incidents and support everyone involved in the future.”
While she won’t play for the Matildas against South Korea on Friday in Sydney and next Monday in Newcastle, she may take part in “selected training activities” and will continue her rehabilitation under the supervision of the Matildas’ performance support team.
Manchester City have been accused of a “cover-up” over a bizarre encounter between star goalscorer Erling Haaland and a club mascot.
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According to reports in The Telegraph and The Sun, Haaland allegedly caused a woman working as club mascot “Moonbeam” with a head injury after “playfully hitting her”.
The clash between the Norwegian and the costumed alien-like character supposedly from the planet Blue Moon took place before City’s home game against Southampton on October 26.
City cleared Haaland of any wrongdoing as CCTV footage showed the incident to be only a “gentle touch”, but the university graduate, who wants to be unnamed, did not have her contract renewed and accused the club of a “cover-up” as a result.
She also lodged a complaint with the police about Haaland hitting her while posing for her photo before the match.
She had initially thought, she had been struck by an errant football.
“My head was thudding and I think I was in shock,” she told The Sun. “I later realised he’d come behind me and hit me on the head and then leaned on my head.”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 3: Manchester City mascot Moonbeam wears a rainbow lace during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on December 3, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
City’s first-team doctor advised she go to hospital after claiming she had vomited and was suffering neck and head pain.
“I asked if anyone had spoken to Erling and he said, ‘No, they don’t want to distract him,’” she said. “I was offended because I was the one hurt but I was being asked all the questions.
“I’m sure Erling would have apologised to me if they had given him the chance. But they just wanted to sweep it under the carpet.”
A CT scan at the Salford Royal hospital, showed no signs of damage but notes taken by hospital staff confirmed her symptoms.
A City spokesperson said: “Manchester City refute the complaint that was made in this regard.
“The club fully investigated and found that none of the evidence, including video footage backed up the claim that an injury was sustained in the manner alleged.
“We’re also aware a complaint was made to Greater Manchester Police and no further action was taken by them either.”
Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni wants the Matildas “performing at the level required” after naming his star-studded squad for two home fixtures against Korea in the wake of the poor showing at the SheBelieves Cup in February.
Injured star Sam Kerr remains sidelined having failed to return for Chelsea in two fixtures across the weekend, but her team did topple fellow Matildas star Mary Fowler’s Manchester City overnight.
Fowler was included in the 23-player squad, with midfielder Clare Wheeler set to make a return to the squad after being absent for the last two international windows due to injury.
Young defenders Courtney Nevin and Jamilla Rankin have both earnt recalls off the back of their recent club form in Europe, with Steph Catley to again wear the captain’s armband.
Mary Fowler has been named in the Matildas squad. Picture: Oli Scarff / AFPSource: AFP
The clashes with Korea in first Newcastle and then Sydney next week loom as crucial in preparation for the 2026 Asian Cup after a failure against rivals Japan in the February tournament in the US.
“This squad selection is about achieving the right balance – reintegrating players returning from injury and rewarding those who have been playing consistently well in clubland. It’s important to create continuity while also bringing in players who have earned their place through strong performances,” Sermanni explained.
Sam Kerr is yet to return for Chelsea. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“We are fortunate to have a core group of players competing at the highest levels, whether it’s in the UEFA Women’s Champions League or major domestic competitions.
“Every match leading into the Asian Cup is an opportunity to finetune our approach, build cohesion, and ensure we are performing at the level required to take on Asia’s best during next year’s tournament.”
Kerr has not played for the Matildas since 2023 after suffering an ACL injury.
Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor confirmed that Kerr would not play for the team leading up to the international break and was unavailable to play for the Matildas.
“We will assess her on a week-by-week basis, and hopefully, after the international break, we will have a clearer understanding of her return,” Bompastor said.
Kerr injured her knee at a Chelsea training camp in January, 2024.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Tegan Micah, Mackenzie Arnold, Chloe Lincoln
Chelsea’s challenge for a place in next season’s Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday (Monday AEDT) as Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0 — with Ange Postecoglou giving a stinging assessment of one player.
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Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers at Craven Cottage.
Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva’s men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five.
A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe’s top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.
Spurs, though, have struggled to handle the burden of Thursday nights when it comes to their Premier League form.
Postecoglou’s side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek Europa League fixture.
“It’s been a difficult campaign for sure,” said Spurs captain Son Heung-min. “But I feel we’ve lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games.”
Postecoglou was unimpressed with Mali international Yves Bissouma’s performance.
“I feel Biss sometimes lets the game drift by him, he needs to be more dominant,” Postecoglou said, per the BBC.
“Today, we needed more in that position. I had needed him to play because he hasn’t played a lot.
“At the same time, I need him to perform. It is safe to say maybe Biss and a few guys lack a bit of confidence but at this stage of the season we need people to perform.
Son Heung-Min and Ange Postecoglou look dejected after defeat at Fulham.Source: Getty Images
“A disappointing outcome obviously. A tight game, it was always going to be a tight game, there wasn’t really much in it,” Postecoglou added.
“I thought, especially in the second half, I thought we were growing to the game, I thought we had the better chances at 0-0 to get ahead and then we gave them a really soft goal and then the game just got away from us.
“So it’s another day where we’re disappointed to lose. I don’t think Fulham really created much, I think Vic [Guglielmo Vicario] had a save to make and we had a couple of big chances to go 1-0 up.
“But we’ve done that a fair bit this year, conceding a soft goal and when you do that, especially away from home, then it just gives the opposition a chance to grow into the game.”
Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira’s pass.
Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on.
Spurs remain down in 13th, now 10 points off the top half.
Ange Postecoglou speaks to Yves Bissouma (L) earlier this season.Source: Getty Images
CHELSEA POOR AGAINST GUNNERS
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.
Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.
The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth within four points of Enzo Maresca’s team.
Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break. Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.
“We did enough to deserve to win the game,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “Now we have the international break so let’s take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully.”
Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s goal.Source: Getty Images
Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.
The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard’s delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.
Chelsea barely threatened but were nearly gifted a route back into the game when David Raya fumbled Marc Cucurella’s shot and the ball trickled wide.
At the other end, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal’s lead with the best effort of the second half.
But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca’s style of play among the Chelsea support.
“There was not a big difference in the two games between us,” said Maresca. “Given the injuries, we fought until the end.”
Manchester United are in action later on Sunday when Ruben Amorim’s team visit lowly Leicester.
Newcastle ended their 56-year trophy drought in stunning style as Dan Burn and Alexander Isak sealed a 2-1 win against Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
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Eddie Howe’s side made history at Wembley with a superb display that left the runaway Premier League leaders shell-shocked.
Burn put Newcastle ahead late in the first half and Isak’s 27th goal in all competitions doubled their lead after the interval.
Federico Chiesa got one back in the closing seconds, but Newcastle held on for their first major silverware since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
That success in the predecessor to the Europa League is a relic of a bygone era, but this long-awaited triumph will be forever etched in the memories of the Newcastle fans who turned one half of Wembley into a roiling sea of black and white with their ecstatic celebrations.
It was also Newcastle’s first major domestic prize dating back 70 years to the 1955 FA Cup.
Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams had won silverware, while Liverpool had clinched 38 major trophies in that time.
But after losing the 2023 League Cup final against Manchester United, Howe’s team returned to Wembley and set the record straight at last.
Newcastle had endured five relegations to the second tier since their last trophy, with club legends like Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Malcolm MacDonald failing to win silverware in their time on Tyneside.
Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s self-styled “entertainers” challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.
All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly hired Howe as their manager.
Thanks to Howe’s astute leadership and the Saudi financial backing, Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to silverware winners.
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes said the win was the “best day of my life”.
“It’s all for these fans,” Guimaraes told Sky Sports. “They deserve everything. When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history.
“We can now say we are the champions again. This is one of the best days of my life.
“I don’t have any words. It’s the best day of my life. For them (the fans) it’s like the World Cup. People have grown up and not seen us as champions. My first year as captain of this club and it’s one of the best days. This is unbelievable.
“This is my second home. We are making history. Some day when I leave this club I want the fans to sing my name the way they do to Shearer. He texted me before the game. I’m so emotional today.”
Dan Burn of Newcastle United lifts the Carabao Cup Trophy.Source: Getty Images
The defeat was another painful blow for Liverpool just days after their Champions League last 16 exit on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.
But despite failing to win their first trophy under boss Arne Slot, Liverpool still sit 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League, within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title.
Liverpool are 23 points ahead of sixth-placed Newcastle in the league and hadn’t lost to them for 17 games dating back to 2015.
But Howe’s men were in no mood to be cowed by past failures Newcastle fans unveiled a banner before kick-off urging their team to “write your name in the history books”.
They rose to the challenge in spectacular fashion, snapping into tackles and counter-attacking with purpose, while Liverpool were sluggish and sloppy in possession.
Bruno Guimaraes had a golden opportunity to reward Newcastle’s enterprising start when Burn headed Kieran Trippier’s corner towards the Brazil midfielder, but he nodded at Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher from close-range.
Goalscorer Alexander Isak celebrates with the trophy.Source: AFP
Newcastle’s desire and drive was clear to see when Joelinton tracked back from midfield to stop Jarell Quansah in his tracks and celebrated with a fist-pumping roar.
Despite nearly being caught out by Burn’s aerial prowess once before, Liverpool failed to heed the warning as the towering centre-back put Newcastle ahead in the 45th minute.
Bizarrely left unmarked, with only the diminutive Alex Mac Allister anywhere near him, Burn was allowed to rise unchallenged to meet Tripper’s corner as he thumped a powerful header into far corner from 12 yards.
Burn’s goal — Newcastle’s first in a cup final since 1976 — capped an incredible week for the journeyman centre-back, who received his first England call-up on Friday.
With Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah completely anonymous, the lethargic Reds had no answer as Isak put Newcastle into dreamland after 52 minutes.
Jacob Murphy met Tino Livramento’s cross with a header that found Isak, who drilled a superb first-time finish past Kelleher from 10 yards.
Chiesa’s stoppage-time strike set up an anxious finale, but good things comes to those who wait.
And all across Wembley, Newcastle players and fans celebrated with abandon as a party over half a century in the making got into full swing.
The defining moment of Ange Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham has arrived.
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Spurs host Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar on Friday morning Australian time in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, needing to come from behind to keep their hopes of winning a trophy alive this season after losing the first leg 1-0 in the Netherlands a week ago.
Postecoglou’s statement back in September that “I always win things in my second year”, in reference to titles with Celtic, Yokohama F. Marinos, the Socceroos, Brisbane Roar and South Melbourne, has seemingly become a rod for his own back during his second season in north London.
It is a quote that is brought up constantly, and when asked about it again in his match eve press conference, he passionately defended his words once again.
“I wasn’t making anything up. I was asked the question, and I answered it,” Postecoglou explained.
“Critics have used it for their own purposes, suggesting I’m making a bold claim, but I was stating a fact.
“Usually in my second season, I win things.
“That’s the whole idea. The first year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully, the second year is going to win things.
“If that doesn’t happen this year, then I can’t say that anymore. What am I supposed to say? I’ve always won in the second year; I have in the past, everywhere I’ve been, but here (at Tottenham) it won’t happen.
“Is that what people want to hear? People can twist these things, use them, and you know what, maybe we defy all the odds and we do win something.”
With the FA Cup and Carabao Cup gone, and Tottenham sitting a lowly 13th place on the Premier League table, Postecoglou is all-in on the Europa League.
Spurs won five, drew two and lost one of their league phase matches to avoid a playoff and gain automatic passage to the Round of 16.
But a second poor showing in the first knockout stage would end Postecoglou’s stunning second-year streak and the knives are sharpening in preparation.
Tottenham are winless in their past three matches in all competitions despite clearly playing better football as the cavalry returns following their injury crisis.
Key players getting out of the medical room and back on the pitch built positivity, which was boosted by a hat-trick of league wins before an arguably unlucky 1-0 loss to Manchester City started their current winless stretch, but the discontent, that has bubbled away for several months, quickly resurfaced.
Spurs salvage draw against Bournemouth | 01:30
Reports from Italian outlet TuttoSport emerged this week that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is keeping a close eye on Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi as a possible replacement for Postecoglou.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe revealed to TalkSport that he and other coaches at Spurs in 2023 wanted now England manager Thomas Tuchel appointed instead.
The Athletic’s Tottenham-focused podcast, ‘The View from The Lane’, spent much of their most recent episode debating whether Spurs would be more likely to win the Europa League if they moved on the Australian now.
Former Tottenham and Barcelona striker Gary Lineker also poured fuel on the fire, suggesting on the Rest is Football podcast that Postecoglou may have had a falling out with attacking midfielder James Maddison because he started on the bench in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Sunday.
Defender Cristian Romero made his return from injury in the same game, having not played since December, but the World Cup winner increased speculation of unrest by thanking the Argentinian physiotherapists, and not Tottenham’s, on Instagram for getting him back on the park.
But despite the huge amounts of negativity swirling about, Postecoglou is pushing ahead with trying to orchestrate a memorable comeback victory.
Son Heung-min started on the bench along with Maddison against Bournemouth, in a call seemingly made to ensure they are fresh for this European clash.
Romero played a little over an hour before making way for Micky van de Van, who has also returned from injury to offer Postecoglou the chance to start his preferred pairing in central defence.
But midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur, after a third booking in the competition, and Dejan Kulusevski, foot injury, will be absent because Tottenham could not possibly have their first-choice team available at the same time this season.
The key addition that Postecoglou is most counting on, however, is a supportive home crowd.
Reds fall in penalty shootout to PSG | 03:28
Tottenham fans are routinely ridiculed for their negative antics, and Postecoglou has experienced a testy relationship with the supporters.
It was all sunshine and roses when they sat atop of the Premier League table ten games into the Australian’s maiden season at the helm.
He was serenaded with “I’m loving big Ange instead” to the sounds of Robbie Williams’ hit Angels upon the full-time whistle after home wins, but by the end of the season, Postecoglou blasted the club’s fragility as fans pleaded for the team to lose the penultimate game of the season to eventual champions Manchester City to deny rivals Arsenal the title.
The tension increased throughout the current campaign as Postecoglou clashed with verbally abusive fans on several occasions after disheartening losses.
He was also met with choruses of boos instead of jubilation upon the final whistle as well as calls for his sacking on social media and talkback radio.
But the 59-year-old has asked the faithful to channel their passion into supporting the team rather than ridiculing.
Postecoglou believes the players need a vibrant crowd to feed off rather than becoming engulfed by an anxious one.
“Yeah, look, again I said before, I can’t sort of dictate to people how they sort of interact, but, AZ’s crowd certainly helped them on Thursday night,” he said after the Bournemouth match.
“We need our crowd to get behind the boys on Thursday to make it an atmosphere where maybe we lose some of that nervousness and anxiety within our game.
“But the reality is, we as a team have to respond irrespective of the atmosphere and one may follow the other. If we start the game strong, it’ll get the place nice and loud, which will help us.”
Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24
Tottenham have undeniably been a team of moment throughout the Postecoglou era.
When they are good, they have ran over the top of teams and piled on goals, proven by the fact only league leaders Liverpool have scored more goals than them despite such an underwhelming campaign.
When they are poor, the reverse is true. Unable to stem any bleeding with defensive frailties causing unrest in the stands.
An early goal would be a nightmare for Postecoglou’s side, while like Liverpool in their Round of 16 defeat to PSG in the Champions League, the fans would scarcely be able to handle the drama of a penalty shootout.
But the reality of the situation is that the feeling of impending doom will not disappear if they can advance to the quarter-final.
Tottenham have infamously not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and their European drought dates back to the 1984 UEFA Cup, the precursor to the Europa League.
Patience has not been Tottenham’s strong suit in the 17 years following their 2-1 triumph against Chelsea at Wembley, with Postecoglou their eighth full-time manager since Spaniard Juande Ramos, who lifted the trophy that day.
The nerves will likely get greater if they can make it deeper into the competition, but that is far better than Postecoglou being given his marching orders.
In a media blitz, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has repeatedly claimed that the club would go “bust by Christmas” if he did not execute a controversial cost-cutting plan.
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United have made 450 staff redundant, 39% of the club’s workforce, so far this financial year as penny pinching methods including scrapping staff lunches and ending legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2 million-a-year ambassador deal have been implemented.
Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of British multinational conglomerate Ineos who bought a 28.94 per cent stake in the club from the Glazers a year ago for £1.25 billion with a commitment to inject a further £232 million, has total control over football operations and has copped flack for the redundancies in particular.
But in separate interviews with the BBC, UK Telegraph as well as with club great Gary Neville for Sky Sports and The Overlap podcast, Ratcliffe reiterated that United had “gone off the rails” and his measures were necessary to get the club back on track.
“In super simple terms the club has been spending more money than it has been earning for the last seven years, including this year,” he said.
“If you do that for a prolonged period of time it ends up in a very difficult place and, for Manchester United, that place ended at the end of this year. At the end of 2025, Manchester United would have run out of cash. There would be no cash at the end of this year. That is the first time we have ever said that in public, but that is the fact of the matter.
“It [United] goes bust at Christmas [without change]”.
“Do you want to run an organisation as the press would like you to run the organisation or run the organisation the way you think is the best?” Ratcliffe added.
“My mother would say: ‘You look after the pennies, the pounds look after themselves.’
“[The club can say to staff] ‘We’ll give you free lunches, we’ll give you all these perks and we’ll pay for your first-class train fare. We’ll give you a free taxi for this, but we’re going to cut back here [elsewhere].’ It’s not coherent.
“I know I’m getting a tough time in the press for being brutal, unpleasant, all those sorts of things.
“People [think], ‘Well, you know the directors are doing this, in that case I can do that [in terms of spending]. That sort of thing, you can’t be half pregnant. You either get it sorted out or not.
“I mean it [United] goes bust at Christmas.
“To be clear, if we hadn’t implemented the cost-saving projects and [even] if we bought no players in the summer then it would have run out of cash at Christmas.
“However, we reduced the cost of running the club by about £125 million so that transforms the club. And £125 million is a lot.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Manchester United co owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe with Sir Dave Brailsford (L) and Sir Alex Ferguson (R) before the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The dire financial state that Ratcliffe has outlined is the result of astronomical spending on a massively underperforming squad.
United have lost £410 million over the past seven years on the transfer market and are required to spend £100 million this summer in fees for players they already own.
Despite all that spending, the Red Devils sit 14th on the Premier League table and need to beat Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie on Friday morning Australian to keep their last remaining hope of winning silverware this season alive.
Such a lowly standing in the league prompted Ratcliffe to label some of the recent signings “not good enough” and “overpaid” but he defended manager Ruben Amorim, who is having a torrid time since replacing Erik ten Hag in November.
Ratcliffe stated that the squad the Portuguese boss is dealing with is a “fraction” of Liverpool or Manchester City’s.
“If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest,” Ratcliffe said.
“I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He’s an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time.”
Utd coach full of praise for Fernandes | 00:48
Ratcliffe was also reluctant to point the finger at his co-owners.
The Glazers have been the bane of Manchester United fans throughout the club’s downward spiral, and Neville pointed out that United had “the best stadium in the country, the best training ground in the country, the best team in the country and were debt-free” roughly 20 years ago when the American family took charge.
But Ratcliffe insisted that past administrations were at fault for United’s current woes, rather than the Glazer’s.
“If you look at some of the other characters in English football that are owners, and you know them very well, they’re heavily involved in all the running of the club,” Ratcliffe said.
“They [The Glazers] gave management an awful lot of rope, too much rope, obviously. But the previous two teams of management have to take a lot of the blame for the decisions they made.
“They have to, I’m afraid. It’s not just the Glazer family. They’ve not been involved in a level of detail.”
Neville was angered by the Glazer’s stepping back from the intricacies of how the club was run, labelling their actions “negligence”.
“You’re involved in the level of detail and you’re having to correct their mistakes,” Neville said to Ratcliffe.
“If they’ve not overseen the club in the last ten years to the point where it’s run out of cash, that’s negligence.
“You know that better than anybody.”
Premier League wrap: Arsenal fall behind | 03:13
Ratcliffe avoided the debate going further and instead also took the chance to look to the future.
One of the biggest gripes among United fans for many years has been the state of Old Trafford.
As rivals have unveiled shiny new stadiums or redeveloped their traditional homes, ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ has remained much the same, a relic of a bygone era, fitting of the club’s downfall.
A roof leak at the famous Stretford End last year was a particularly embarrassing moment for the iconic venue, while rival fans love to chant ‘Old Trafford is falling down’ to taunt United supporters.
All the while ticket prices have risen and away fans have gained easy access to sit among season-ticket holders, causing clashes, at several Premier League and European fixtures this season.
But despite the cost-cutting measures, Ratcliffe revealed that a new-look Old Trafford is among his plans to make United the most profitable Premier League club within three years.
“It’s definitely deliverable but I think it needs to be set in context again,” Ratcliffe said.
“If you take the view that it’s the greatest football club in the world, then if it’s going to build a new stadium it should be a new stadium that’s befitting the greatest club in the world.
“And also a stadium that befits the greatest league in the world because the Premier League is the greatest league in the world.”
Ratcliffe wants to emulate Real Madrid’s Bernabeu which was renovated from 2019 to 2024.
The stadium in the Spanish capital can hold up to 83,000 fans and boasts a retractable playing surface to easily swap out the football pitch for stages to host concerts.
It also has a retractable roof to ensure matches are always played in sublime conditions, as the club spent more than US$1 billion on the project to make the venue look out of this world.
“At the moment, if you look at the Premier League, we’ve got some great stadiums, but we don’t have a Bernabeu, do we? And we don’t have the new Nou Camp. We don’t have that in the Premier League,” he said.
Tottenham conceded in the 42nd minute when Marcus Tavernier applied the finishing touch to Milos Kerkez’s pin-point cross after Pedro Porro carelessly conceded possession.
Bournemouth struck again in the 65th minute as Evanilson raced onto Justin Kluivert’s pass and lifted a composed finish over Guglielmo Vicario.
But Pape Sarr reduced the deficit two minutes later, the Tottenham midfielder catching out Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a misjudged cross that somehow dipped in at the far post.
Tottenham completed their escape in the 84th minute as Kepa conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge on Son Heung-min.
Son calmly slotted home from the spot for his first goal in 10 games, taking him to 11 in all competitions this season.
– Spurs must show fighting spirit against Alkmaar: Postecoglou –
Ange Postecoglou urged Tottenham to replicate the fighting spirit that salvaged a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth when they return to action in Thursday’s crucial Europa League tie with AZ Alkmaar.
Postecoglou’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat in the last 16 first leg at AZ on Thursday and looked set for another loss when Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth a half-time lead on Sunday.
Cristian Romero’s return after a three-month injury absence did little to improve Tottenham’s fortunes as Evanilson doubled Bournemouth’s advantage after 65 minutes.
With the atmosphere turning toxic in north London and the pressure mounting on Postecoglou, Tottenham showed some much-needed character to scramble out of trouble.
Pape Sarr’s miscued cross crept in to give Tottenham a fortunate lifeline and Son Heung-min converted an 84th-minute penalty that the South Korean won himself.
Languishing in lower mid-table in the Premier League, Tottenham can now turn their attention to the visit of AZ on Thursday in the second leg.
“Chaotic game, for sure. We added to the chaos and it was a little bit self-inflicted, especially in the first half. Just with the ball, we were really careless with our passing,” Postecoglou said.
“At 2-0 down, it would have been very easy, particularly with the atmosphere as it was, for the boys to just let the game get away from us, but credit to them, they found a way to get back into the game and we got something out of it.
“I don’t think it was a case of being open because we were throwing men forward, we just kept giving the ball away. We certainly need to be better in the way that we execute that part of our game for Thursday.
“You can imagine the noise around if the players didn’t respond. Thursday is obviously a massive game for us.
“At least from that perspective – and even for the players themselves – we’ve obviously got a challenge, but they overcame a fairly big challenge today and hopefully we show the same kind of mindset.”
Adding to Postecoglou’s woes, Romero’s first appearance since December was followed by a pointed social-media post where he thanked the medical staff of Argentina and not Tottenham on his X account.
Micky van de Ven also returned for his first league fixture in three months and lifted a nervous crowd, which Postecoglou conceded could lead to more tension among his players in the AZ clash.
“I can’t sort of dictate to people how they sort of interact, but AZ’s crowd certainly helped them on Thursday night and we need our crowd to get behind the boys,” he said.
“To make it an atmosphere where maybe we lose some of that nervousness and anxiety within our game.
“The reality is, we as a team have to respond irrespective of the atmosphere and one may follow the other. If we start the game strong, it’ll get the place nice and loud, which will help us.”
ARSENAL HOPES ALL OVER
Arsenal’s fading hopes of winning the Premier League suffered a fresh blow as Manchester United held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw, while Chelsea boosted their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Leicester on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
After Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Southampton moved the leaders 16 points clear at the top on Saturday, there was no margin for error when Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford 24 hours later.
But United captain Bruno Fernandes put the hosts ahead with a superb free-kick in first half stoppage-time.
Declan Rice’s clinical finish from just inside the United area hauled Arsenal level in the 74th minute.
But Mikel Arteta’s second-placed side couldn’t find a winner and now sit 15 points adrift of Liverpool.
Despite holding a game in hand on Liverpool, Arsenal look certain to miss out on the title yet again after finishing as runners-up for the last two seasons.
Liverpool are bidding to win a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020 in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
The Anfield club need a maximum of 16 more points from their last nine matches to ensure they clinch the silverware.
Not for the first time, Arsenal have faded as the title pressure mounts, with a run of three league games without a win effectively gifting the trophy to Liverpool.
Troubled Manchester United are down in 14th place, with just one win in their last six games in all competitions.
Adding to the gloom around Old Trafford, thousands of United fans staged a pre-match protest against co-owners the Glazer family and Jim Ratcliffe.
At Stamford Bridge, Marc Cucurella struck with a long-range rocket in the second half to lift Chelsea above Manchester City into fourth place.
The Blues are two points ahead of City in the race for the top four finish that guarantees a Champions League berth.
It was only Chelsea’s fourth victory in their last 12 league games as they responded to boss Enzo Maresca’s challenge to win all their remaining home matches.
Maresca believes that should be enough to ensure Champions League action, but Chelsea will have to improve on a spluttering performance against second-bottom Leicester.
– Cucurella lifts Chelsea –
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer missed the first penalty of his career and was later substituted, making it seven league games without a goal or assist for the England forward.
Second-bottom Leicester have lost five successive league games and sit six points from safety as they slide towards relegation.
Victor Kristiansen’s clumsy challenge pole-axed Jadon Sancho, earning Chelsea a first half spot-kick.
Usually such a ruthless penalty taker, Palmer seized the ball, only for Mads Hermansen to deny him with a superb save.
Chelsea finally took the lead in spectacular fashion on the hour when Spanish defender Cucurella drilled into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
