Tottenham has snapped a seven-game Premier League winless run with a 2-0 victory at Brentford that eases pressure on Ange Postecoglou, who chose to depart from ‘Angeball’ tactics for the crucial win.
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Spurs banished fears of being dragged into a relegation battle and eased the pressure on Postecoglou’s job thanks to Vitaly Janelt’s own goal and a late Pape Sarr strike to move 10 points clear of the bottom three.
The Bees were left to rue a number of missed chances against an injury-ravaged Tottenham defence.
Yoane Wissa’s header came off the bar as Brentford pushed for an equaliser. But Spurs picked them off on the counter-attack when Pape Sarr prodded through Valdimarsson’s legs from Son’s pass.
Victory lifts Tottenham to 14th and 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
The win came with Postecoglou ditching his trademark ‘Angeball’ style with the Australian finally adopting a more defensive approach for his injury-ravaged, and fatigued squad.
“Difficult place to come, difficult place to win at and difficult place to keep them out,” Postecoglou said.
“The lads were brilliant. Our second goal was outstanding and we were always a threat when we had it.”
Speaking about what happened to Angeball, he added: “They’re human beings, not robots.
“People want to dismiss it. They want to talk about excuses but that’s the reality. I know the reality. These guys are giving everything.
Relief for Ange but more work ahead | 01:09
“We knew we couldn’t go out there and dominate. Brentford had a week to prepare. We had 50-something hours. With the same group of players. With that context, the performance was outstanding.”
Tottenham can now concentrate on a huge week in the domestic cup competitions. They travel to Liverpool defending a 1-0 lead in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Thursday, before a visit to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round.
The club announced the signing of centre-back Kevin Danso from Lens before Sunday’s game and are expected to make further additions on the final day of the transfer window.
“It’s the same group of players who have to play Thursday and Sunday and you can’t get away from the fact that playing Thursday and Sunday consistently without being able to rotate takes a toll,” said Postecoglou.
“The Premier League is relentless and you’re meeting teams who’ve had seven days’ break and we’ve had 48 hours.
“From that perspective the pleasing thing is that we had Micky (Van de Ven) back on Thursday, Djed (Spence) in today and we’ve signed Kevin. The group now are getting encouragement and energy from getting some help and I have no doubt they’ll assist us in addressing our position in the league.”
Fowler scores double in City loss | 00:14
Spurs hijacked a deal Wolves had in place to sign Danso, who joins initially on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season for 25 million euros (£21 million, $42 million).
Postecoglou’s first-choice centre-backs Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have missed a large part of the season, while their backup Radu Dragusin is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi is also reportedly on the verge of a move across London before Monday’s transfer deadline.
“It’s great to get Kevin in, we desperately needed a defender,” added Postecoglou.
“Getting him is great because he’s a great fit for us. He’s had a strong career and he’s at an age now (26) where he wants to kick on and he has all the attributes we look for. We’re really pleased and it will be a lift for the whole group.”
Ange Postecoglou admits Tottenham’s “vicious cycle” of injuries has hampered his attempt to get the troubled club back on track.
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Postecoglou is under severe pressure after a miserable run of seven Premier League games without a win, with six defeats in that dismal spell also triggering fan protests against chairman Daniel Levy.
Ahead of Sunday’s game at Brentford, Postecoglou’s side are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the relegation zone.
The Australian earned a little breathing space on Thursday when a 3-0 win against Elfsborg booked Tottenham’s place in the Europa League last 16.
But Postecoglou is battling a lengthy injury list that threatens to stop the north Londoners ending their malaise.
Postecoglou was already without Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, Timo Werner and James Maddison.
Romanian defender Radu Dragusin became the latest to be bitten by the injury bug when he was forced off against Elfsborg, although centre-back Micky van de Ven played 45 minutes on his return from a hamstring problem.
United remain undefeated in group stage | 00:50
“We’ve had to deal with a real extreme situation, which unfortunately once we got hit, it is then very hard to rectify on the run,” Postecoglou told reporters on Friday.
“We obviously got some significant injuries early on, which hampered our progress, and then we had to rely on a small group of players to get us through and that then burdened them.
“It has been this vicious cycle. The volume of games that clubs are playing, we’ve been in an extreme situation but a lot of clubs are facing similarities in Europe.”
It is a vital week for Tottenham, who travel to Liverpool holding a 1-0 lead in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals on Thursday before heading to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round on February 9.
Injuries forced Postecoglou to turn to youth academy graduates Dane Scarlett, Mikey Moore and Damola Ajayi, who all scored their first goals for the club against Elfsborg.
Now the former Celtic boss is desperate to avoid any further fitness setbacks as he bids to end a Tottenham trophy drought stretching back to 2008.
“Every time I’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s usually been an oncoming train,” he said.
“We seem to be losing players as we get them back. We don’t want to lose anyone else, but again, best laid plans.
Jovial Ange jokes before crucial goal | 00:57
“You can’t plan for these things. We’ve got a big week coming up, starting Sunday.
“We’re going to have to do it with this core group of players, so we’ve just got to be careful about how we go about it.”
Spurs’ terrible injury crisis has spurred the club’s usually frugal chairman, Daniel Levy, into action in the transfer market.
However, their attempt to strengthen the Australian’s options, and deepen his squad, have taken a major dent with Bayern Munich teenager Mathys Tel’s decision to reject a move to the club, according to Sky Sports.
A deal reportedly worth £50m had been struck between the two clubs for the highly promising Frenchman, whose game time has been limited since joining the German giants in 2022.
It is believed the French U-21 international has knocked back the chance to unite with Postecoglou in London in favour of a loan deal to one of Manchester United, Aston Villa, or Chelsea. Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli are also interested in the highly-rated attacker, who is capable of playing across the front line.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Show, Arsenal legend Paul Merson doesn’t believe Tel’s decision is a major blight on Spurs, given the disparity between Bayern’s position and Tottenham’s.
“I wouldn’t say it’s embarrassing for Spurs. He’s coming from Bayern Munich, he’s not coming from a lesser team. No disrespect to Tottenham, but he’s coming from a huge team. He’s got to get the right move,” Merson said.
Given injuries to Solanke, Odobert, Johnson, and Werner, as well as captain Heung-Min Son’s form struggles, Tel’s decision is a major blow for Spurs. However, Sky Sports are reporting the 19-year-old isn’t the only talent pursued by the club in the final days of the January window.
According to the publication, the club are in advanced talks with AC Milan to sign former Chelsea centre back Fikayo Tomori, a move that would bolster Postecoglou’s depleted backline options.
The 27-year-old, who was integral to Milan’s league title back in 2020-21, has struggled for minutes this season, having played just 826 for the Italian giants, who sit 7th in Serie A.
Despite this drop in game time, Tomori would be a worthwhile asset for a Spurs side who’ve utilised teenager holding midfielder Archie Gray at centre back at various points this season, with the five-time England international’s recovery pace a key part of his game.
However, according to Arsenal legend Ian Wright, a few new additions to Spurs’ squad mightn’t be the silver bullet many expect, given their current injury record.
“Even if they bought three players now, they might lose more,” Wright said on a recent episode of The Overlap.
Wright believes Tottenham’s loaded schedule, which sees them play four times in the next 10 days, the constant game time the likes of Son and Dejan Kulusevski have had to ground out, and the period of adjustment most new signings require, could lead to further players being sidelined.
Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer stressed the impact new faces can have on a squad, even if they don’t take the field.
“When a couple of new players come through, it gives everyone a lift,” the 39-year-old said.
While Postecoglou’s managerial future is on the line in the coming weeks, Rooney stated his wish for the Australian to maintain his post, regardless of the outcome of their next few games.
“I hope he survives. I like him. I like his demeanour. I think, how honest he is, sometimes you can be too honest, and sometimes that comes back to kill you,” he told The Overlap.
Ange Postecoglou admitted he does not know if he will avoid the sack after Tottenham hit a new “low” with a dismal 2-1 defeat against struggling Leicester on Sunday.
Postecoglou’s side crashed to a sixth defeat from their last seven Premier League matches to increase the pressure on the under-fire Australian.
Richarlison’s 33rd-minute header gave Tottenham hope of a first top-flight win since December 15.
But Jamie Vardy levelled for Leicester less than 60 seconds after half-time before Bilal El Khannouss fired the winner four minutes later.
Furious Tottenham fans called for chairman Daniel Levy to quit throughout the match, while boos greeted full-time whistle after Postecoglou was jeered for substituting Richarlison.
Tottenham are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the relegation zone.
Postecoglou claimed his injury-hit squad — deprived of 10 players at present — are still behind him, but the former Celtic boss conceded he could not guarantee he would still be around when the walking wounded eventually return.
“Who knows. I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say ‘no’,” he said.
“When you are the manager of a football club, you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that.
“I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.”
A 3-2 win at Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday kept Tottenham on track for the last 16, while they hold a 1-0 lead in the League Cup semi-final against Liverpool ahead of the second leg at Anfield in February.
– ‘Very committed’ –
Postecoglou’s hopes of fulfilling his boast that he always wins a trophy in his second season lie with those competitions and the FA Cup.
But, after a run of one win in 11 league games, climbing away from the relegation zone is essential if Postecoglou is to survive the storm raging around his club.
“I really believe in this group of players. Even today, what I asked of them, some of the performances were outstanding considering what they’ve been through,” he said.
“To me that’s all positive, but ultimately, the fact that we’ve lost another game of football, the focus is on that.
“I have felt all along that the players are still very committed to what we’re doing. That’s important to me because I firmly believe in it.
“This is probably as low as we’ve been so far this year but I still think that in these last three months we can do something really special and I think these players believe that.
“Right now it’s very hard to visualise that when you think of the current circumstances we’re in.”
First-choice defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven returned to training this week, while Tottenham continue to chase additions in the transfer window.
“You just have to look at our absences today and they’ll all be back,” Postecoglou added.
“Even missing Madders (James Maddison) today, he was so good the other night.
“All these little things that are not allowing us to get any momentum, I’m sure will change and when they change, I’m really confident we can make an impact.”
– Son slams ‘sloppy’ Spurs –
Son Heung-min slammed Tottenham’s lack of focus after Sunday’s “painful” 2-1 defeat against lowly Leicester increased the pressure on under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.
Whether Postecoglou can survive much longer in a dismal second season in charge remains to be seen, but the Australian’s cause wasn’t helped by a scathing assessment of their performance from South Korea forward Son.
“It is very painful. Especially when you’re winning at half-time and conceding two goals in a short period of time. It let us down and is a very frustrating afternoon,” the Tottenham captain said.
“We can’t just say tiredness because we just came out of the second half. Maybe it was a little bit sloppy.
“It is just a lack of concentration and a bit of sloppiness and in the Premier League table any team can punish us.
“It was not good enough and sometimes we made the wrong decision in the final moment. It is very disappointing to not get three points and to concede goals like this.”
The prospect of Tottenham dropping into the second tier is unthinkable for fans who last saw their club play at that level in 1977-78.
Asked if Tottenham could be dragged into a relegation battle, Son said: “It is definitely not good enough. We’ve had way too many losses, but there are still a lot of games remaining and we’ll have a lot of players back.”
Tottenham are dangerously close to being sucked into the relegation battle and trips to Brentford and Aston Villa in their next two league games — either side of a League Cup semi-final second leg clash with Liverpool — could decide the Australian’s fate.
“It is a disappointing result, but at the same time I can’t ask anymore from this group of players. Some of them aren’t 100 percent but they are trying their hardest,” Postecoglou said.
“Things just aren’t falling for us. It is not an atmosphere where it is easy at the moment. We’ve got to get through this as united as possible.”
Tottenham hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg against Liverpool and a Wembley appearance could buy Postecoglou time to get his team back on track.
With 14 players absent for Thursday’s Europa League win at Hoffenheim, Tottenham’s injury crisis has led to criticism of Postecoglou’s tactics and the level of intensity in training.
The former Celtic boss accepts the blame for the rash of injuries, but his claims that Tottenham remain on the right path under his leadership look more questionable with each woeful result that edges him closer to the axe.
While Postecoglou fights to save his job, Leicester manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy can breathe a little easier over his own future.
Van Nistelrooy, who replaced Steve Cooper in December, had presided over seven successive league defeats before their much-needed success against Tottenham.
Leicester are now one place and one point above the relegation zone and Van Nistelrooy said: “It’s a massive win. The players are buying into it. I can only be very proud of this team.” On a filthy, rain-lashed afternoon, a protest banner against Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was unveiled by fans before kick-off with the slogan “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – time for change”.
– Penalty controversy –
Brentford benefitted from penalty controversy to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Thomas Frank’s team earned a 66th minute penalty when Marc Guehi made a hash of clearing and the panicked Maxence Lacroix fouled Nathan Collins.
Bryan Mbeumo’s spot-kick hit the post, but Palace’s reprieve was short-lived as VAR ruled Guehi had encroached before the shot.
The Brentford forward gratefully accepted his second chance by sending Palace keeper Dean Henderson the wrong way for his 14th goal this season.
Kevin Schade netted in the 80th minute for Brentford and Palace winger Romain Esse came off the bench to score with his first touch on his debut five minutes later.
Later on Sunday, troubled Manchester United travel to Fulham, while Aston Villa drew 1-1 at home to West Ham.
Waddingham, who only completed his transfer to Portsmouth from the Brisbane Roar last week, came off the bench in the 57th minute and slammed one home from close range in the third minute of added time as Pompey slumped to a 5-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion.
“I’m really pleased for him,” Portsmouth coach John Mousinho said after the game.
“For him to come on and make an impact so quickly, I think he’ll be absolutely thrilled.
“To get a taste of the level as well is probably a really, really important thing.
“He probably could’ve had a couple and, yeah, he took his goal well.”
The goal continues the 19-year-old’s incredible rise after he found the back of the net 15 times in 40 appearances for the Roar across the A-League and Australia Cup before Portsmouth came calling. Waddingham, a product of the Roar’s NPL program, only made his debut for Brisbane in August of 2023.
While it’s still early days for Waddingham in England, the fact the forward was not only included in a matchday squad so soon after his arrival but also got on the field for just over half an hour, speaks volumes about the regard in which he is held at Fratton Park.
The speed with which the Cairns born product has been thrown into the first team, while still a teenager, is slightly unusual for Australian players making their way to the second-tier Championship.
If he’s able to continue to feature for Portsmouth it could provide a somewhat unlikely answer to one of the most pressing questions facing Socceroos coach Tony Popovic ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers in March against Indonesia and China.
Popovic lacks depth in the striking role with Kusini Yengi, who is also on the books of Portsmouth, not expected back from a knee injury until late February, 34-year-old Mitch Duke scoring just three-times in 20-games in green and gold since the start of 2023 and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos continuing to struggle with a calf injury after a rich run of form at Motherwell in Scotland. 31-year-old Adam Taggart is trying to make a late run with three goals in his last six games for Perth Glory.
Even if Yengi is integrated straight back in Portsmouth’s first team following the completion of his rehabilitation, he’ll still be a little short of match fitness ahead of the clash with Patrick Kluivert’s Indonesia in Sydney on March 20. It leaves the door ajar for a new name.
In an expansive interview with reporters last week Popovic laid bare what it would take for players like Waddingham to thrive after making the move to Europe.
“Physically the demands are extremely high and what you do one day in training; that’s expected every single day and if you can do that, well then you can make the jump,” Popovic said.
The Socceroos boss is currently keeping an eye on a talented crop of young strikers, including Archie Goodwin, Jed Drew and Noah Botic, who are turning in impressive performances in the A-League, but Waddingham could pull away from the trio in the pecking order with a big few weeks.
“Now the question is, in three or four years’ time, can we be watching one of them playing in the bigger leagues in Europe? That is the question,” Popovic said when asked about Goodwin, Drew and Botic.
“Can they take their game to another level? The level they are at now is not good enough to play in Europe. That’s just the reality.”
Waddingham has shown his level is good enough to play in Europe and if he can back it up then he would’ve formed a strong case for a call-up to the Socceroos.
The 34-year-old Walker will join Milan for the remainder of the season in a deal that could become permanent in the summer.
Walker endured a difficult campaign as City captain and had not started a game since their derby loss to Manchester United on December 15.
He ends his long association with City, whom he joined from Tottenham in 2017, after winning six Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League under Pep Guardiola.
“Manchester City… where do I start? Signing for this incredible club in 2017 was a dream come true,” Walker wrote on social media.
“Seven years later, winning 17 trophies, including the Champions League and the famous treble is something I could only have dreamt as a child.”
Milan are a distant eighth in Serie A but are on course for automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 after five straight wins in Europe.
In a separate social media post, Walker — who will be reunited with other England internationals Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek at the San Siro — spoke of his excitement in joining the Italian giants.
Football wrap: Spurs boost, Man Utd joy | 03:26
“I’m delighted and proud to sign for AC Milan!” he said.
“A club with such rich history, one I’ve followed since I was a kid. It’s an honour to join and I can’t wait to pull on the Rossoneri shirt and get started.
He added: “A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, both on and off the pitch. See you soon! Forza Milan.”
His signing helps compensate for the loss of Emerson Royal, who picked up an injury midweek that could rule out the Brazilian right-back for up to two months.
Walker’s exit from the Etihad Stadium comes as part of a City rebuild, with Guardiola’s side currently 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool following an unprecedented run of four successive English titles.
Egypt forward Omar Marmoush joined City from Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an initial fee of £59 million ($72.6 million) with add-ons worth a potential £4 million.
He is City’s third signing of the January transfer window following the arrivals of defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.
From the minutiae, to next-gen stars not pulling their weight, Socceroos coach Tony Popovic and his team of assistants are poring over every detail of his tenure so far.
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Whether they have held too many meetings, or too few, and the length of the meetings. The content of training sessions and how messages are delivered during those sessions … they all form part of the discussions at Football Australia’s new headquarters in Sydney.
Popovic, who took charge of the side for the first time during the October window last year, has six points from four games in charge; which sees the Socceroos sitting in second place in Group C during the third round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Everyone involved knows staying there for four more games will deliver automatic qualification for football’s showpiece event. Yet failure to do so will force the side into the fourth and possibly fifth rounds of qualifying, where the path to the first ever 48-team World Cup gets slimmer and slimmer.
In two months, the wild ride to the biggest-ever edition of the tournament resumes. Indonesia, with newly installed coach Patrick Kluivert (yes, the Dutch legend) at the helm, travel to Sydney; where anything less than three points for the hosts will set alarm bells ringing.
It’s no wonder Popovic is looking into every crevasse to ensure nothing gets missed.
While discussing intricate details this week, Popovic also chose to address something a little larger.
Asked about one-time wonderkid Daniel Arzani and where he was at in his journey, the Socceroos boss lined up the Melbourne Victory winger like he did to opponents during his glittering playing career.
“I know Daniel well and he’s got potential,” Popovic started, while shifting in his seat.
“We talk about him with potential and I think we’ve been talking about that since he was 18.”
Tony Popovic on the sideline for Australian in Bahrain.Source: Getty Images
Arzani has carried the tag of “the next big thing” in Australian football since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with a flurry of dribbles, assists, goals and awards for Melbourne City in the A-League.
His dazzling feet, smart decision-making and ability to glide past defenders earned him a shock spot in Bert van Marwijk’s Socceroos squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he came on as a second-half substitute in group stage games against France, Demark and Peru in a side that exited the tournament with two defeats and a draw.
A transfer from Melbourne City to Manchester City followed straight after the tournament and he was loaned to Scottish giants Celtic after barely having time to unpack his bags. After a few false dawns since the era of the golden generation, it appeared Australian football had finally (no, really) found its next big thing; only for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on his Celtic debut to send the trajectory of Arzani’s career on another path.
Loan spells in the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium followed, before he landed back in the A-League with Macarthur after a four-year spell that felt more like a cyclone than sport.
A move to Melbourne Victory a year later, with Popovic then at the helm, saw Arzani rediscover some of his best form.
Now 26, the winger might feel singled out by what his former club boss, now in charge of the national side, shared next; though it’s nothing Popovic hasn’t told Arzani to his face, and really about something bigger than one player.
It is about the clamour for a player with Arzani’s skillset – and there have been several over the years – to be given every opportunity to shine even if they might not be ready. It’s about the desperation from fans to see the national side play a brand of football that you might find on a street in any city in Brazil. Adjacent to that noise is a coach who sees every minute of every game, training session and moment in between, with and without the ball. Instead of flashy social media clips, they form a fuller picture. Perspective is everything.
Daniel Arzani (2nd L) isn’t at the top of Tony Popovic’s selection list currently.Source: Getty Images
Arzani has seven Socceroos appearances to his name. Six of those came prior to his ACL tear in 2018. If not for that misfortune, he’d probably have many more caps on his resume, but good form with Victory saw him picked for the final window of the second round of qualifying in June last year. He’d miss selection for the first window of the third round in September – which turned out to be Graham Arnold’s last in charge before stepping away – but Popovic re-ignited the relationship in October.
What he saw left him underwhelmed and Arzani didn’t get on the field.
“When he doesn’t play everyone questions why he doesn’t play, but he needs to raise his level,” Popovic said bluntly.
“Doing one good dribble or doing one good trick or setting up one goal should not be enough to play for the Socceroos.”
From the outside, and with goals hard to come by during a difficult qualifying campaign, a player like Arzani would appear to be the perfect answer with dribbles, tricks and assists.
But Popovic chose to lay bare the other side of what you could call the ‘next big thing’ conundrum.
“It wasn’t good enough in October,” Popovic said referring to Arzani’s efforts away from the spotlight.
“His level was really poor in training. Now maybe for him it’s OK, but it’s not enough, so every player needs to raise their level.”
A similar weight of expectation fell on the young shoulders of striker Garang Kuol, now struggling to break through at Premier League side Newcastle United after transferring from the Central Coast Mariners, and another winger in Nestory Irankunda.
Popovic on the hunt for Aussie talent | 01:00
Without the monumental injury setback, Irankunda’s footballing story and that of Arzani’s isn’t too different.
A kid who bursts onto the scene with breathtaking skill in the A-League, followed by a call-up to the national team while still a teenager and then a move to a mega-club that seemed before its time.
German giants Bayern Munich came calling for 18-year-old Irankunda. The former Adelaide United star has been on the right and wrong ends of selection calls when it comes to the Socceroos as well, with first Arnold and then Popovic having to defend themselves in the court of public opinion for not picking a player on the books of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
In search of senior minutes, after being part of the youth team set-up at Bayern, Irankunda recently secured a loan move to Swiss Super League club Grasshoppers — but Popovic insists that might not be enough to earn a recall in March.
“Just playing a game because someone has got some minutes at Grasshoppers, for example, that can’t be enough,” Popovic said.
“They need to be at elite level at Grasshoppers, then they are elite for the Socceroos and then they can help us get in the top two.
“In our last two World Cups we went through the play-off system, but we keep expecting to make top two.
“That’s good, but if we expect to come in the top two then we must raise the level, we must raise the bar.
“Your expectation and my expectation should be higher because history shows we don’t do that often. We don’t go automatically to World Cups, but that is something we should aspire to. We shouldn’t shy away from that.”
Nestory Irankunda needs to be playing at a high level with his new loan club, Tony Popovic says.Source: Getty Images
Not picking very good players is an odd way, on the surface, to solve that problem, but Popovic clearly thinks betting the farm on human highlight reels isn’t the answer. The “expectation,” in his words, needs to be higher and only “elite” commitment to everything the coach sees as sacred is likely to be rewarded with regular minutes.
Popovic has spoken multiple times about his admiration for Japanese football, but also his desire for Australia to match and then overtake their regional rivals.
The gap to Japan, who lead Group C, is nine points. The Samurai Blue have won five of their six games in this phase to be on 16 points, which is the joint-highest total across the three groups with Iran. One more win from four remaining fixtures will ensure they seal automatic qualification. That is certainly something to be envious of.
Japan, from Popovic’s perspective, are the current standard bearers and he believes its possible for Australia to “raise the bar.”
In the coach’s eyes, Australian football should hold every player, even the absurdly talented ones, to the highest standard. If Popovic can find a way to marry that talent to his standards, then something special is truly possible.
An international footballer has been sacked from his A-League team after he threatened to kill police officers who tried to usher him out of a bar following a day of heavy drinking.
Dino Arslanagic, 31, shouted that he would shoot and kill police officers outside Merivale venue Jam Bar in Sydney’s CBD just after midnight on December 19.
He had spent the day of December 18 drinking in the Hunter Valley wine region, dining at well-known restaurant Totti’s, and attending a concert before he decided to end the night at Merivale venue Jam Bar with his fiancee Vasilisa Artemova.
On Wednesday, his lawyer Kiki Kyriacou told Sydney Downing Centre Local Court that Arslanagic “freely admits having consumed a significant amount of alcohol that day”.
A-League footballer Dino Arslanagic pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and intimidating police after failing to leave a bar. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki ShortSource: News Corp Australia
A bar manager told police he watched the Macarthur FC centre back becoming progressively more intoxicated before an incident occurred which prompted him to ask the footballer to leave.
The court was told Arslanagic became aggressive after another man inappropriately touched Artemova while she was dancing.
Police escorted the couple out of the venue and took the bottle of champagne Arslanagic had been clutching in his hand.
According to the agreed facts, this infuriated the two-time Belgian Cup winner.
“Do you want to f***ing go?” he asked one of the officers while getting close to his face.
He continued to resist police directions and bat their hands away as Artemova attempted to move in between her fiance and the police.
According to the court documents, Constable Caleb Hansford deployed capsicum spray towards the footballer out of fear of an imminent assault.
“You spray my eye, do you know who I am? I play football,” Arslanagic yelled at him.
“I play A-League football.”
He then pointed his fingers in the direction of Constable Talon Bolton-Plimmer and gestured as if he was pulling the trigger of a gun.
“I’ll shoot you,” he told the police officer.
He threatened to kill and shoot police during the December 19 altercation. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki ShortSource: News Corp Australia
After threatening to slap another constable, the Belgian national turned back to Constable Bolton-Plimmer and said: “I will kill you.”
“Come to my country, one bullet in your head, you’re dead,” he told the assembled officers.
According to the agreed facts, Artemova positioned herself in between her fiancee and the police but he continued to try and push around her.
She then put her hand on Constable Hansford’s shoulder and pushed him before he engaged in a violent wrestle with Arslanagic, who was finally handcuffed by two officers.
The footballer looked sombre in court as he pleaded guilty to being an excluded person who failed to leave a premises when required, intimidating a police officer in execution of their duty and resisting a police officer in execution of their duty.
His lawyer told the court Arslanagic had lost his contract with Macarthur FC as a result of the nasty incident, which “brings disrepute to the club”.
“There’s no ill feeling between him and the club. They’ve been supportive of him in these circumstances,” Mr Kyriacou said.
“It’s a professional sport, people are required to conduct themselves in a particular way.”
He explained the couple intend to leave the country to return to Europe because they have “no more business in Australia” after Arslanagic’s football contract was terminated.
Arslanagic and his fiancee Vasilisa Artemova faced court on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki ShortSource: News Corp Australia
The couple have never been in trouble with the law before, Mr Kyriacou said, and they were “ashamed” and “embarrassed by their offending”.
The police prosecutor pushed for a conviction, noting the police officers were “just doing their job” when they were threatened and intimidated.
Magistrate Daniel Covington emphasised the seriousness of the threats to kill and shoot, which were repeated throughout the confrontation.
“It seems obvious from the facts that all police wanted was for them to go home … but they didn’t,” he said.
“It’s clear from the facts that alcohol played a factor.”
The magistrate accepted that the incident in the Jam Bar had “led to (the couple’s) moods being elevated” before the altercation with police.
He acknowledged they were both apologetic and had pleaded guilty as soon as possible.
Mr Covington convicted Arslanagic of all three offences and fined him $1500.
Artemova was convicted of assaulting and resisting a police officer in execution of their duty and fined $1100.
Neither of them spoke as they left the courthouse on Wednesday.
It comes less than four months after Arslanagic signed with Macarthur FC after playing for top European clubs in his home country and a Saudi Arabian side.
As Tottenham slumped to lowly 15th place on the Premier League table with their 12th loss of the season, one person felt the wrath of Spurs’ fans and it was not Ange Postecoglou.
There is no denying that the Australian is under the pump, but the travelling fans who took the train north to Liverpool to watch their side concede three goals in the opening half to Everton, who had only scored 15 goals in 20 league games prior, knew the mess was not entirely Postecoglou’s fault.
The former Socceroos boss admitted to making tactical blunders post-match as Tottenham started the game with a change of formation, a 3-4-3, that was unstuck by positioning issues and defensive errors.
For the second half, Postecoglou changed the shape of the team to 4-2-3-1 with Richarlison coming off the bench to play alone in front of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevki and Son Heung-min, while the defence was bolstered with Djed Spence and Pedro Porro playing as full backs either side of Archie Gray and Ben Davies.
But Postecoglou was merely moving deck chairs on the Titanic, as the saying goes.
Postecoglou: ‘Spurs need reinforcements’ | 01:11
With first choice goal keeper Guglielmo Vicario, and three of Postecoglou’s preferred back four in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, sidelined with injury, things were always going to be difficult.
Proven goal scorers Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson as well as midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma are also in the casualty ward.
Postecoglou did not even have the likes of much-maligned forward Timo Werner and defender Destiny Udogie, who signed for €20 million back in 2022, to call upon.
So, where were the reinforcements?
That question is why Tottenham chair Daniel Levy copped the wrath of Spurs fans, not Postecoglou.
The away end at Goodison park sung ‘we want Levy out’ and the Sky Sports cameras panned to the English businessman after every Everton goal and nervy moment for Spurs.
Levy has been the boss at Tottenham since 2001, making him the longest serving chair in the Premier League.
During his time in charge, the 62-year-old, who made his fortune in property development and investment banking, has become renowned for sacking managers and a reluctance to spend big in transfer windows.
Levy has sacked 13 managers during his 24-year stint, including the likes of Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino, Harry Redknapp, Glenn Hoddle and Nuno Espirito Santo, who is now in charge of this season’s fairytale team, Nottingham Forest.
But Levy has changed his tune on managers in recent times, publicly declaring the need for stability during Postecoglou’s tenure, but he has been quiet recently despite reports he was recently spotted meeting with former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.
The change fans are most desperate for however is to bring in some new signings this January transfer window.
Tottenham have been linked to Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, who had a loan spell at Brighton last season, 17-year-old Irish prodigy Mason Melia and PSG centre back Milan Škriniar.
Postecoglou admitted they were interested in Juventus-bound, on loan, PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani.
But with the clock ticking, the only signings Spurs have to show so far is 21-year-old Czech goal keeper Antonin Kinsky and 18-year-old South Korean forward Yang Min-hyeok, who actually put pen to paper in July but waited until January to join the club after the K-League season.
They are crying out for defensive support, but are yet to see them.
According to Deloitte, Tottenham generated €631.5 million in revenue last year which was the eighth most of any football club in the world, and fourth most in the Premier League behind Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
But one of their star players, Romero, expressed his frustrations last month that Spurs are not spending like those clubs.
“Manchester City competes every year, you see how Liverpool strengthens its squad, Chelsea strengthens their squad, doesn’t do well, strengthens again, and now they’re seeing results. Those are the things to imitate,” he said.
“You have to realise that something is going wrong, hopefully, they [the board] realise it.
“The last few years, it’s always the same – first the players, then the coaching staff changes, and it’s always the same people responsible.
“Hopefully they realise who the true responsible ones are and we move forward because it’s a beautiful club that, with the structure it has, could easily be competing for the title every year.”
Postecoglou said after the Everton loss that he expected the closing days of the transfer window to be action-packed for Tottenham.
“There will be urgency but it doesn’t need me to say it, everybody can see that,” he told Sky Sports.
“I have no issues with how the club are going about it, they are working hard and trying to find solutions. These players need help that is for sure and hopefully over the next 10 days or so we’ll find a solution. It is really tricky, we’re not the only ones in the market. The club are trying hard.”
But fans are expecting more reluctance from Levy to spend money, and miss out on players that go on to shine at other clubs.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is one such example in recent times.
The Swede has scored 15 goals this campaign to sit third in the golden boot race, three behind leader Mohamed Salah, and former Tottenham scout Bryan King told Tottenham News that the club could have had Isak.
“It is the same with Isak – Tottenham could have signed Isak when he was at AIK Fotboll,”
King said.
“I spoke to scouts at Spurs who had put dossiers together on Isak. Again, the recruitment staff at Tottenham at the time obviously ignored the possibility that Isak could be a successful player in the Premier League.
“Borussia Dortmund then came in and paid good money for him – around £6 million. I was at Aston Villa and sat with people at Tottenham who were watching him, as I was. You might have thought he was a bit lightweight, but he was a good size, very quick and as far as I knew, Tottenham were far more interested than Aston Villa were.”
To avoid Deja vu, Spurs fans will be hoping Levy adapts his strategy to support their spiralling Premier League campaign in the short-term.
The League Cup, in which they lead Liverpool 1-0 after the first leg of the semi-final, the Europa League and the FA Cup remain Postecoglou’s great white hopes, but without reinforcements Tottenham will go down in flames in those competitions as the current crop of players are stretched beyond their limits.
Therefore, there is a lot to play out in the coming days in north London.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said it is his responsibility to turn around a miserable Premier League season after a 3-2 defeat to Everton on Sunday (Monday AEDT), which helped the Toffees pull clear of the relegation zone.
Previously goal-shy Everton tore through Spurs’ under-strength backline to net three times before the break through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an Archie Gray own goal.
A first win in seven league games takes David Moyes’ men four points clear of the bottom three.
Tottenham’s 12th Premier League defeat of the season leaves them just four points above Everton in 15th and ramps up the pressure on manager Postecoglou.
However, it was chairman Daniel Levy, not the Australian, who felt the fury of the travelling support as they chanted for change at the top of the club.
“This is not about me, but what is about me is I have a responsibility to the players I do have. For me to focus on anything else is abstaining from the responsibility I do have,” said Postecoglou, who was without 10 first-team regulars due to injury.
Everton did bite the bullet to sack Sean Dyche earlier this month and it was like the Goodison days of old for Moyes as he enjoyed a first win of his second spell in charge.
“Really pleased we could give everyone something to shout about,” said Moyes. “We played ever so well in the first half, scored three and could have scored more.”
Ange Postecoglou (R) consoles Archie Gray after defeat at Goodison Park.Source: AFP
Moyes’ homecoming fell flat in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, after which the former Manchester United boss said he was aware of the task he faces to preserve Premier League status due to a lack of firepower.
Calvert-Lewin had not scored since September but did not look like a striker short on confidence as he turned Gray and Lucas Bergvall before firing in the opening goal on 13 minutes.
To compound the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and three of Postecoglou’s preferred back four in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, Tottenham were also without club record signing Dominic Solanke.
Captain Son Heung-min stepped in to start as a makeshift centre-forward and should have levelled when he shot too close to Jordan Pickford from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross.
But Tottenham looked likely to concede every time Everton sprang out on the counter-attack.
Calvert-Lewin should have had a second but for a heavy touch that allowed Antonin Kinsky to block before the Czech goalkeeper turned Orel Mangala’s effort onto the post.
David Moyes applauds Toffees fans after Everton beat Tottenham.Source: AFP
Everton had scored just 15 goals in 20 league games prior to kick-off, going goalless in nine of their last 11.
What little inspiration there has been from the Toffees this season has come from Ndiaye.
The Senegal international produced a moment of magic to double the lead as he skipped past the statuesque Radu Dragusin before slotting high past Kinsky.
Gray’s own goal compounded a terrible first 45 minutes for the visitors as their frailty from set-pieces was again exposed when the 18-year-old could only turn Calvert-Lewin’s flick into his own net.
Kulusevski’s classy chip over three scrambling Everton defenders pulled a goal back before Richarlison turned home at the back post in stoppage time.
Postecoglou’s men remain alive in three cup competitions, but Levy has a decision to make on whether the quest for a first trophy since 2008 would be better served by a change of manager.
“We’re still in all four competitions. Our league position is not great to say the least but eventually our players will come back. Significant talent will come back,” added Postecoglou.
“I’ve got great motivation to get through this so when we do get our players back we can get something significant out of our season.”
A Premier League juggernaut has extended its lead atop the table, while its main title challenger has been held at home in a shock result.
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Elsewhere, Newcastle’s winning streak has been snapped in comprehensive fashion in another surprise outcome.
REDS STEADY SHIP TO REIGNITE TITLE CHARGE
Darwin Nunez struck twice in the final minutes as Liverpool got their Premier League title charge back on track with a dramatic 2-0 win against Brentford on Saturday.
Arne Slot’s side were in danger of enduring a third successive league draw after wasting a host of chances at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Of all the candidates to end Liverpool’s wobble, Uruguay striker Nunez would have been low down the list given his struggles over the last two seasons.
But he rode to Liverpool’s rescue with a stoppage-time brace that lifted the Reds’ seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal.
The Gunners can close the gap back to four points with a win against Aston Villa in Saturday’s late game.
But Liverpool will hold a game in hand on Arsenal and have the destiny of the title still firmly in their grasp thanks to the much-maligned Nunez.
Slot had admitted he couldn’t find a way to get the best out of the former Benfica star earlier this week.
The 25-year-old had scored just four goals in 26 games in all competitions prior to his unexpected double in west London.
Slot will gratefully take Nunez’s contribution as Liverpool’s first win in three league games kept them on course for a first title since 2020.
Since the turn of the year, Liverpool had only won one game in four in all competitions, beating minnows Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round.
They had drawn their previous two league games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, while also losing 1-0 at Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final first leg, making this victory essential to steady their nerves.
Brentford kicked off with the joint-best home record in the Premier League, an impressive statistic they underlined by scoring twice in the closing stages to draw 2-2 with Manchester City on Tuesday.
Postecoglou: ‘Spurs need reinforcements’ | 01:11
GUNNERS COUGH UP 2-0 LEAD IN COSTLY DRAW
Liverpool now holds a six-point Premier League lead over Arsenal, who blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Gabriel Martinelli gave the Gunners a deserved first-half lead when Emi Martinez failed to prevent his effort crossing the line.
It was a similar story for Arsenal’s second as Martinez got a touch to Kai Havertz’s shot but could not keep it out.
Just when Mikel Arteta’s men seemed to be cruising, Villa hit back through Youri Tielemans’ header.
The Belgian midfielder then hit the post with the chance to level for Villa seconds later.
The visitors did equalise 22 minutes from time when Ollie Watkins cushioned in Matty Cash’s cross off the underside of the crossbar.
Arsenal thought they had a late winner, but Mikel Merino’s effort deflected in off Havertz’s hand and the goal was ruled out by a VAR review.
Haaland signs monster deal with City | 01:21
CHERRIES STUNNER TO SNAP MAGPIES’ STREAK
Justin Kluivert’s stunning hat-trick snapped Newcastle’s winning streak in style as Bournemouth stormed into the Premier League’s top six with a rampant 4-1 win at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
The Magpies were looking to set a club record with a 10th consecutive victory in all competitions but were thoroughly outplayed by the Cherries, who are themselves now on an 11-game unbeaten streak.
Kluivert, son of former Newcastle striker Patrick Kluivert, was the star of the show before Milos Kerkez fired in a fourth in stoppage time.
Defeat leaves Newcastle still in fourth but now just one point clear of Bournemouth in the race for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Bournemouth have never qualified for European competition before and Kluivert said that is the goal for an ambitious squad.
“Why not dream big and let’s see where we can end up,” said the Dutch international.
“Our run is also beautiful and that’s what we showed here today; that we are here to make an impression.” Alexander Isak’s hopes of matching the Premier League record scoring streak of 11 matches also came to an end on a humbling afternoon for the Magpies.
The Swedish striker had struck in eight consecutive games but was barely given a sniff of a chance by a brilliant Bournemouth display.
Andoni Iraola’s men flew out of the traps and never let up to move above defending champions Manchester City in the table.
The visitors should have led inside four minutes when Dango Ouattara’s shot was saved by Martin Dubravka and Antoine Semenyo blasted the rebound over.
Bournemouth had to wait just two minutes more to take the lead when Semenyo’s cut-back was swept into the far corner by Kluivert.
Newcastle were shellshocked in the early stages but looked to have restored some order when Bruno Guimaraes headed in Lewis Hall’s corner.
Yet the home side headed in at half-time behind once more after another classy finish from Kluivert to turn in Ouattara’s pass.
Bournemouth should have been well out of sight before they did finally get the third goal in stoppage time.
Ouattara had a goal disallowed by a VAR review as the ball had gone out of play before the Burkina Faso international prodded home.
David Brooks’s inventive backheel was then denied by a combination of Dubravka and the post.
Bournemouth were robbed of a famous victory in midweek when Reece James’ stoppage time free-kick rescued a point for Chelsea in a 2-2 draw.
This time, though, they were not to be denied of three thoroughly deserved points.
Kluivert took aim from outside the box to complete his second hat-trick of the season.
However, all three efforts this time came from open play after his trio of penalties downed Wolves in November.
The impressive Kerkez, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Manchester United, then drilled in the fourth to rub salt into Newcastle wounds.
