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Sometimes a press conference comes around and you just need to fly under the radar; that’s never been more apparent than at Tottenham Hotspur in the last six months.

As Spurs celebrated the Europa League, Ange Postecoglou triumphantly declared that season three is always better than season two. He was sacked just weeks later.

For Thomas Frank, he’s also found out that perhaps just staying quiet is the best form of approach in the media. Last week, he was asked about the club’s failed move for Eberechi Eze.

“Who’s Eze?” That was Frank’s reply, and although he said it with a wry smile and to make a joke, it’s come back to bite him.

He found out just who Eze is on Sunday as the boyhood Gooner scored a devastating hat-trick to seal a 4-1 win for Arsenal over their distraught neighbours.

Spurs came to frustrate but in doing so, failed to come up with any inventive attacking play. Their creativity was abysmal, and if it wasn’t for a brilliant yet flukey Richarlison strike, they’d have left the Emirates Stadium without a goal.

What went wrong for Spurs at the Emirates

On paper, Frank’s game plan in north London on Sunday made sense. They were the only team in the Premier League this season not to lose on the road. The Dane clearly knows what he’s doing when Spurs play away.

Yet, against Arsenal, if you’re putting all 11 men behind the ball, then it does rely on you frustrating your opponents for longer than the 36 minutes it took for Leandro Trossard to score the opener.

To Frank’s credit, Spurs had sucked the life out of the Emirates during the opening half an hour. Arsenal created openings, notably when Declan Rice was played in by Eze, but the visitors frustrated and made it difficult to play between the lines.

Yet, once the floodgates opened, there was no stopping Arsenal, particularly as Spurs had a total lack of creativity once again.

Despite scoring courtesy of Richarlison, they failed to create a single big chance, had just three shots and provoked only a solitary save from David Raya. Arsenal, by contrast, had 17 shots. Worryingly for Spurs, the home side simply wanted it more.

There were several folks in white to blame. In attack, Wilson Odobert and Mohammed Kudus were completely marked out of the game by Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Richarlison, for the most part, was bullied by William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. The Brazilian only completed five passes all evening and won just one of his five aerial duels.

In defence, Bukayo Saka regularly had the beating of Destiny Udogie down Arsenal’s right flank while Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were uncharacteristically poor. Van ve Ven notably completed just 71% of his passes and won only six of his 13 duels.

But, the biggest culprit of all was a man who, ironically, was sent off during the international break. He’s becoming something of a Serge Aurier to Frank.

Spurs' new Serge Aurier

Mention Aurier’s name around those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it’s likely to send a shiver down spines.

Signed for £23m in August of 2017, he arrived at White Hart Lane from PSG after a rough time in France, where he was handed a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer.

“You will see the real me,” he declared upon arrival. Well, if the real Aurier was a gluttony of mistakes, we certainly did.

The Ivory Coast international had another tricky stint at Spurs, but this time it was all unravelling on the pitch, rather than off it.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Where to even begin with the mistakes? The right-back committed a hat-trick of foul throws against Crystal Palace in 2018. While that may not have cost Spurs greatly, his clumsiness meant that he always had a moment of madness in him.

He notably gave away a penalty against Leicester City in December 2020 from which Jamie Vardy scored, but his most costly blunder came against Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final when he committed a needless foul on Raheem Sterling. The end result was a free-kick from which Pep Guardiola’s side scored the winner.

Speaking at full-time, Jamie Redknapp commented: “Aurier does well to start with – he follows the one-two and then just makes the most ridiculous and rash decision, which we see him do so often. Just stand up, don’t dive in, don’t give the foul away – elementary mistake.”

It wasn’t the first time the Ivorian had attracted criticism during his time in England. Two years prior to that moment, Rio Ferdinand stated: “As a defender I have never really rated Aurier. He’s rash and he’s let his team down far too often.”

Simply a giant liability in that Spurs team of back then, unfortunately, Frank has found another rash and unreliable figure in his team; Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguayan was signed for £22m from Juventus in January 2022 and has featured 131 times for the Lilywhites since.

However, while he’s flirted with some impressive performances here and there, for the most part, he’s been a letdown.

He has become a symbol not only for Spurs’ lack of creativity but their lack of robustness and dynamism from the middle of the park. Despite that, he has started nine times of the 12 Premier League games Spurs have competed in this term.

The fact of the matter is that he shouldn’t be starting with that regularity.

Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the beginning of the month saw him avoid a red card. In the words of the Daily Mail’s Kieran Gill, it was a “terrible” challenge.

Things went from bad to worse when Spurs visited Arsenal on Sunday. The tone was set when he brought down Saka on the edge of the box in the first half and was brandished with a yellow card as a result.

While he was nowhere to be seen as Mikel Merino clipped a delightful ball into the box for Trossard’s opener, he was particularly poor for Eze’s first.

Minutes played

66

Touches

27

Accurate passes

16/17 (94%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

2

Duels won

0

The attacking midfielder skipped beyond Bentancur all too easily as the Uruguay international went to ground inside the area.

He was handed a 3/10 match rating by The Standard as a consequence, with the publication writing he was ‘doing nothing to give Spurs some much-needed control’. The very fact that Guglielmo Vicario received 15 passes – six more than Palhinha and Bentancur combined (9) – in the first half said it all.

All that said, it’s perhaps no surprise that analyst Raj Chohan has described him as a “candidate for worst centre-midfielder at a big six club”.

Like Aurier, he’s a major underperformer. He’s a liability and a player that Frank cannot trust. He shouldn’t be starting regular games for Spurs any more.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 24, 2025

It’s a new week, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be gearing up for a return to Premier League action at the weekend, when his side travel to Arsenal.

Tottenham have been a mixed bag this season, certainly more secure and steely than last year under Ange Postecoglou’s leadership, but lacking the snap and verve that the fanbase associates with the core of the club. To dare is to do, after all.

Someone embodying that mantra right now is Troy Parrott, whose stunning hat-trick at the weekend saw Ireland defeat Hungary and seal a World Cup play-off spot, having only days before bagged a brace to sink Portugal.

The AZ Alkmaar centre-forward, 23, is shaping into quite the goalscorer, becoming the player Spurs knew he could be after he graduated from the academy.

Parrott's record at Spurs

In July 2024, Tottenham sold Parrott to AZ Alkmaar for around £7m. The Republic of Ireland international had made his Premier League debut aged 17, but only ended up featuring three further times across all competitions before leaving for good, having completed no less than five stints out on loan.

AZ Alkmaar

61

33

MK Dons

47

10

Preston

34

4

Excelsior

32

17

Ipswich

18

2

Millwall

14

0

Tottenham

4

0

In fact, each of the goalscorer’s four senior outings for the Lilywhites came during the 2019/20 campaign, and while Spurs knew when they sold him last year that he had untapped potential, it was clear he was going to struggle for minutes given the club’s attacking pecking order.

There was plenty of chatter regarding Parrott and his potential, even at that nascent stage. Of course, comparisons against Harry Kane were drawn, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has since praised him for his “incredible” performances over in the Netherlands, making good on that potential that was stunted by injuries.

There was always the promise of success. While he didn’t enjoy a prolific spell with Preston North End in the Championship, the player’s tenacity could not be questioned. His former manager Ryan Lowe said: “His work rate is phenomenal. For the size of him, he is a bit of a unit inside. He’s not massive, but very strong, uses his body very well & he got down the sides plenty of times.”

If this tells us anything, it’s that development in football is not linear, and it can take talented prospects a time to find their footing after showing initial promise at the foot of their professional career.

Tottenham must learn from their past mistake – if selling Parrott for a small fee could be called an error – and devote plenty of time to their new version of the Irish hero, who arrives in London at the start of 2026.

Spurs have a bigger talent than Parrott

Parrott is growing into his skin, so sharp and dynamic in the final third. There is an expectation that he should kick on and enjoy further success over the coming years, and Spurs may have to watch ruefully on as he makes headway.

However, that poignancy will be tempered and then some by the emergence of Mason Melia, who has completed a transfer rising to £3m last season, slated to join in January after the completion of the Irish league campaign.

Having idolised Kane and made his professional debut as a 15-year-old, the rangy striker is establishing himself as quite the hot prospect, with his former youth coach Hughie Nolan remarking that “nothing has fazed him” as he has raised his level again and again over his formative years.

The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill said after the announcement that he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”. Parrott left his homeland and signed for Spurs before he could make his senior bow, but Melia arguably has more hype around him, and still only 18, there is so much scope for growth.

Having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic, notching 25 goals and eight assists, Melia will provide an interesting dimension to a Tottenham side crying out for attacking inspiration. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have not provided the answer, for differing but equally concerning reasons.

Mathys Tel is a young and talented striker, beginning to show signs of the talent that Tottenham saw when bringing him over from Bayern Munich, but the jury is very much out and there are questions relating to whether the 20-year-old has what it takes to lead the line in the Premier League.

Moreover, he has recently emerged as a transfer target for Roma in Serie A, the Italians viewing him as an alternative option to Manchester United as the winter transfer window draws near.

With Parrott doing so well at the moment, it’s inevitable that wistful gazes will be cast toward the Irishman as he establishes himself as one of Europe’s most underrated strikers.

But while there’s a romanticism about a potential deal in 2026, bringing him back home, there’s little need when Tottenham have already signed a more talented Irish striker in Melia, who is now just over a month away from heading down N17.

Frank’s ability to nurture young prospects is well known in England, and Tottenham’s wider embracing of their youth suggests that Melia has made the right choice in moving to the capital and choosing white. He might be a “hidden gem” at the moment, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson, but Melia will soon establish himself as a major player in the Premier League, notably described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” for his effortless strike of the ball.

Will he need a bit of time? It’s more than likely. But the teenager is an aggressive and mobile striker, willing to make runs and connect play while simultaneously keeping one eye on goal at all times.

His wealth of experience, despite his young age, suggests that Tottenham may well hit the jackpot with his addition to the ranks. Parrott might be the talk of the town in Ireland right now, but in Melia, the Londoners have signed a young forward with the capacity to outstrip his older countryman and seal his place among Spurs’ finest forwards of the modern age, something Parrott was unable to do before leaving for a small fee.

Keown called Spurs star "embarrassing" in 2024, now they must "double" his wages

This Tottenham Hotspur star has turned his fortunes around after being called “embarrassing” last year.

ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

After another decent season with the Chicago Cubs, outfielder, designated hitter and first baseman Cody Bellinger appears set to stick around for another year.

Bellinger is opting into his contract for 2025, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The two-time All-Star will make $27.5 million next season, after which he will have to decide on a player option for 2026.

The 29-year-old initially signed with the Cubs in Dec. 2022 following a rough final three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bellinger slashed .203/.272/.376 from 2020 to '22 after slashing .278/.368/.559 from 2017 to '19; he had been the National League's Rookie of the Year in '17 and MVP in '19.

Starting from square one, Bellinger hit .307 and won a Silver Slugger for Chicago in 2023. He followed that up with .266/.325/.426 outing in 2024, hitting 18 home runs and driving in 78 runs.

The Cubs open their 2025 season on March 18 against the Dodgers in Tokyo.

India Under-19 collapsed after a 133-run stand between Malhotra and Mhatre

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Ralphie Albert sparked not one collapse but two in taking 6 for 53 as England Under-19 edged ahead in the rain-affected 2nd ‘Test’ against India at Chelmsford.The 17-year-old left-arm spinner reduced India from 170 for 1 to 181 for 4 before helping to secure the last six wickets for 37 as India were bowled out for 279 to trail by 30.This looked unlikely when Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra were compiling a dominant stand of 133 for the second wicket. Malhotra would go on to make 120 at nearly a-run-a-ball, but aside from this pair, only Harvansh Pangalia (28) and Kanishk Chouhan (23) reached double-figures, with five batters making ducks.England openers Ben Dawkins and Adam Thomas survived the odd scare to stretch that lead to 123 before bad light ended play 12 overs before the scheduled close.Rain delayed the start until 12.15pm before Malhotra and Mhatre dominated the pre-lunch session.Mhatre, dropped at cover on the second afternoon, was reprieved a second time when Alex Green failed to take a tough caught-and-bowled chance, but soon made the most of his good fortune, two sumptuous fours off the back foot and a huge six from the bowling of day-two centurion Ekansh Singh among the pick of his shots.Malhotra survived a big shout for lbw and being struck midships by James Minto. His cover drive off Green was a thing of beauty, and he raised the 100 of the innings with six over square leg. Another six took him to 50 as India scored 108 in the 75 minutes of play. England looked to be searching for wickets, and the result was too many four balls in a tardy effort.[File photo] Ralphie Albert triggered twin Indian collapses•Getty ImagesWhether it was harsh words from the coaches or an inspired lunch choice, England emerged a different side. Tighter bowling brought a breakthrough when Mhatre missed one from Alex French, which angled in and spreadeagled his stumps. He scored 80.Door ajar, Albert produced some spin wizardry to strike twice in as many overs, wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu bunting back a caught and bowled before Rahul Kumar edged low to Thomas at slip.India’s response was to counter-attack, Pangalia dispatching a long-hop over the longest boundary before driving and cutting for successive fours.At the other end, Malhotra’s 16th four took him to his hundred in 101 balls and at 242 for 4 the visitors were back in the ascendancy.However, Pangalia top-edged a cross-bat slog into the deep and RS Ambrish became the third duck on the Indian card when he drove to cover in Albert’s next over.The Surrey youngster was on a roll, Malhotra becoming his biggest prize when perishing to a catch by Ben Mayes on the midwicket fence. Albert wasn’t finished there, Henil Patel his fourth wicket in 13 balls courtesy of Thomas’ second smart slip catch of the afternoon.Thereafter, only Chouhan held up the hosts for a while, Albert’s fellow spinner Mayes (2 for 17) picking up the last two wickets – a due reward for a tight spell.Dawkins and Thomas were both on a pair and began nervously, the former given a life when dropped at first slip off Aditya Rawat on 7.Rawat’s searching examination survived, the pair prospered, Dawkins clearing the ropes at midwicket, while Thomas drove and cut well to reach 50 with seven fours in the last over before the light closed in.

India’s Test squad in England will be without head coach Gautam Gambhir for the start of the closed-door warm-up fixture against India A in Beckenham from Friday. ESPNcricinfo has learnt Gambhir left for New Delhi on Wednesday due to a family emergency.In Gambhir’s absence, Sitanshu Kotak and Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coaches, along with bowling coach Morne Morkel, will take charge of the group. Hrishikesh Kanitkar, meanwhile, is in charge of India A.The match in Beckenham offers the senior India side an opportunity to tune up ahead of the team’s departure for Leeds ahead of the Test series opener against England from June 20.Gambhir’s absence comes at a crucial time, with the team management set to deliberate on the batting order, something he had said would be decided in the run-up to the first Test. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have opened up at least two slots, with B Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair in the running to fill them.Of members of India’s Test squad who featured for India A in two unofficial Tests against England Lions, Nair, Dhruv Jurel and Abhimanyu Easwaran were among the runs. Nair top-scored in the series with 259 runs, including a double-century in the first game in Canterbury.Jurel, meanwhile, hit three half-centuries to score 227 runs, while Easwaran struck two fifties. KL Rahul, tipped to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Test series, made scores of 116 and 51 in his only outing in Northampton.The team management will also potentially be toying over who among Shardul Thakur and Nitish Reddy will play as the seam-bowling allrounder. Reddy picked up two wickets across 26.5 overs while Thakur got two wickets across 43 overs across the two first-class games against Lions. For the pace attack, it’s likely that two out of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna will join Jasprit Bumrah in the XI for the first Test.”All in all, very happy with the start so far,” Morkel said ahead of the warm-up game against India A. “I was a little bit nervous in terms of the lack of red-ball [cricket] we’ve played. But seeing how the guys are moving around and training the last three days, it’s a pleasing sight. There’s some quality energy in this group, and that’s what you need. You need to go into a Test series confident, you need to have that team spirit in the group, and I think so far they have done a great job.”The five-Test series marks the start of India’s new World Test Championship cycle as well as the beginning of Shubman Gill’s tenure as Test captain.

He may have finally left the club, but former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy often came under huge fire during his tenure for his actions off the field in North London.

The 63-year-old spent over two decades in the role, but was constantly called into question for his lack of spending to help improve the first-team squad.

He was undoubtedly part of the reason for the Lilywhites’ failures on the pitch, with the club even going 17 long years without a piece of silverware during his tenure.

Levy often became known for offloading key talents on the books of the club, something which once again led to anger from the supporters – especially given his lack of funding after such departures.

One player in particular was sold without an immediate adequate replacement being signed in the same window, which undoubtedly contributed to his demise in the role.

Levy’s decision to sell Harry Kane from Spurs

No Spurs fan would’ve predicted the success Harry Kane would have had for the first-team in North London, after he made his first Premier League start back in 2012.

The Englishman was an unknown quantity to many despite rising through the youth ranks, but rapidly adhered himself to the supporters with his form in front of goal.

He rapidly became a first-team regular, with his first major taste of success coming in the 2014/15 campaign, scoring 31 times in his 51 outings for the Lilywhites across all competitions.

Such a year would be the fourth-best of his time in North London, with his highest goalscoring year seeing him net a total of 35 goals – subsequently winning the Premier League golden boot that year.

As a result of his tremendous goalscoring record, the 32-year-old remains their highest ever goalscorer, with his total of 280 goals breaking the record set by the late Jimmy Greaves.

However, he was sold in the summer of 2023, subsequently joining German side Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of £82m – the second highest in their history.

Whilst they received a mammoth fee for his signature, no new centre forward was brought into the club until 12 months later, with Dominic Solanke costing a club-record £65m from Bournemouth.

However, the former chairman also made a huge mistake in allowing one other former player to depart the club, with the 63-year-old unable to land the reinforcements after his move away.

Levy’s biggest mistake whilst at Spurs

After such dismal years on the pitch for a prolonged period of time, it was hardly a surprise to see numerous top-level talents moving away for pastures new.

Just like Kane, numerous players caught the eye for the Lilywhites, including Kieran Trippier who has to depart and join Atlético Madrid to fulfil his ambitions of winning trophies.

The right-back racked up over 100 appearances in North London, but failed to win a single trophy – subsequently claiming the LaLiga trophy in his second year in Madrid.

He wasn’t the only player to move to Spain to take his career to the next level, with Gareth Bale making the leap and joining Real Madrid in a £85m deal in the summer of 2013.

His move remains a club-record fee received for a player, but such a deal left a huge hole in the club’s forward line and understandably so given his record in North London.

The Welsh international, who was dubbed “world-class” by John Hartson, scored 73 goals for the club before his big-money transfer, with his final campaign in the Premier League by far and away his best.

He netted 26 times in his 44 appearances for the Lilywhites, further highlighting the task the hierarchy had in trying to replace such a top-level talent.

In an attempt to do just that, Levy decided to fork out around £60m on the signatures of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela, but both ultimately failed to produce the goods in England.

The pair only scored 53 goals combined during their respective seasons at the club, with such a tally miles below the one Bale managed to achieve on his own.

Gareth Bale: Premier League Stats by Season

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

21/22

20

11

2

12/13

33

21

8

11/12

36

10

13

10/11

30

7

2

09/10

23

3

5

08/09

16

0

0

07/08

8

2

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

Given his tally of 15 major trophies in Madrid, the player himself certainly made the right call in leaving the club, but it’s safe to say owner Levy should have tried harder to keep hold of the winger.

After seeing the replacements brought in to the club, there’s no question that Levy made a huge mess of the transfer, with such a decision one of his worst at the club.

Related Spurs already have dream Son heir who's yet to play in the Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur could save themselves millions with a Heung-min Son replacement within their ranks.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 3, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed huge success in the transfer window over recent seasons, with their work massively contributing to their Europa League triumph last campaign.

Brennan Johnson scored the winner in the final against Manchester United back in May, topping off what was a fine individual season for the Welsh international.

He netted 18 goals in his 51 appearances for the Lilywhites throughout 2024/25, with his £47.5m transfer from Nottingham Forest now somewhat of a bargain given his success in the side.

However, whilst boss Thomas Frank has already completed multiple shrewd pieces of business by landing Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel – the new boss undoubtedly wants further additions to bolster his squad.

Numerous players have been touted with moves to North London throughout the ongoing transfer window, but one saga has been a huge talking point in recent days.

Spurs’ failed saga to land Eberechi Eze this summer

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been a huge target for Spurs over the last couple of months, with constant talks being held between the two sides over a £60m transfer.

At one stage, it appeared as though a deal would be completed without any fuss, even leading to the player himself being keen on a move to join Frank’s side for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond.

However, after talks which lasted around a fortnight, no deal was completed – subsequently handing North London rivals Arsenal an open-goal opportunity to land the 27-year-old’s signature.

Mikel Arteta’s men gratefully accepted, strolling into negotiations, and reaching a total agreement with the player and the Eagles – leading to a £60m up-front transfer fee being accepted.

It’s been reported by numerous sources that Eze is expected to complete his medical and be announced as an Arsenal player in the coming days – rubbing salt into the wounds of all associated with the Lilywhites.

Other targets will now have to be drawn up to avoid a complete disaster this summer, but the club do already have a hugely talented player on the books – one who’s valued more than Eze at present.

The Spurs player who’s worth more than Eze

As previously mentioned, Spurs have conducted some excellent business over the last few seasons – with not all of the work completed by the hierarchy negative in recent times.

Alongside Johnson, talents such as Pape Sarr have also showcased that they’ve been worthwhile investments, massively exceeding the expectations placed upon him after his move to North London.

The Senegalese star joined the Lilywhites from French side Metz back in the summer of 2022 after spending an additional year on loan at the side he started his professional career with.

However, in the last couple of years, he’s become an influential part of the first-team, racking up over 100 appearances for the Lilywhites – scoring nine times, including in the season opener against Burnley.

He’s not the only first-team member who’s endured somewhat of a rise in recent months, with Archie Gray another player on the books who possesses a whole heap of potential.

Eyebrows were raised last summer when owner Daniel Levy forked out £40m for the 19-year-old’s signature – especially after he had just ended his only previous year as a professional with Leeds United the season prior.

Given his tender age, he found consistent minutes hard to come by, racking up 46 appearances across all competitions – many of which were in unfamiliar roles such as right-back and central defence.

Archie Gray’s stats for Spurs in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	46
Minutes played	3243
Pass accuracy	89%
Dribbles completed	58%
Tackles won	50%
Aerials won	50%
Interceptions made	1.1
Recoveries made	3.6
Stats via FotMob

However, Gray, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by teammate Kevin Danso, was rewarded with a start in his natural central midfield position against Burnley last week, highlighting the trust new boss Frank has in the youngster.

Whilst he’s been limited as to how much he can showcase his talents in recent months, he’s still seen his market value soar since his arrival, now being valued at £61.5m by FootballTransfers.

Such a figure is higher than that of Eze, with the Palace star expected to cost £60m before his subsequent transfer to join Frank’s side fell apart in recent days.

It’s easy for the fanbase to lose faith in the ownership, understandably so, given the recent failure to land new talent and back the new manager.

However, it’s evident that the deals they have completed in recent years have been a success, with faith needed to put in the owner to find another top talent before the window slams shut.

Better signing than Eze: Spurs advancing talks for "incredible" £60m star

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making a move to land a top-level star instead of Eberechi Eze.

By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 22, 2025

Jose Mourinho is open to the idea of taking over at Glasgow Rangers and is now on the lookout for his next managerial position after leaving Fenerbahce.

Mourinho departs Fenerbahce after Champions League exit

It has been confirmed that Mourinho has left Fenerbahce after 14 months in charge of the Turkish side. The iconic 62-year-old manager was sacked just six games into the 2025/26 season, with Fenerbahce failing to qualify for the Champions League after a qualifier defeat to Benfica.

A serial winner who has been in charge of huge European clubs in Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma during his career, it doesn’t appear as if Mourinho has any plans to retire just yet.

FC Porto

Champions League

2004

UEFA Cup

2003

Liga Portugal

2003, 2004

Taça de Portugal

2003

Portuguese Super Cup

2003

Chelsea

Premier League

2005, 2006, 2015

FA Cup

2007

League Cup

2005, 2007, 2015

Community Shield

2005

Inter Milan

Champions League

2010

Serie A

2009, 2010

Coppa Italia

2010

Italian Super Cup

2008

Real Madrid

La Liga

2012

Copa del Rey

2011

Spanish Super Cup

2012

Manchester United

League Cup

2017

Community Shield

2016

AS Roma

Europa Conference League

2022

A move to Scotland has also been put to the ‘Special One’ in 2025, with Rangers going through more managerial struggles at this moment in time.

Mourinho actually faced Rangers in the 2024/25 Europa League Round of 16, with interim Gers manager Barry Ferguson getting the better of the Portuguese boss over two legs.

Jose Mourinho open to managing Rangers

Talking earlier in the year, Mourinho was asked if the possibility of asked of working in Scotland for Celtic or Rangers would interest him.

He was happy at Fenerbahce at the time but did admit he would be open to a move in the future, calling Rangers a “big club” with a “big fan base”.

Rangers currently have Russell Martin in charge at Ibrox, however, he has had a woeful start to life in Glasgow, with speculation surrounding his future after 10 games in charge.

The Gers also went out of the Champions League at the same stage as Fenerbahce, with Martin’s side humiliated by Club Brugge in a 9-1 aggregate defeat.

Mourinho is now available, so Rangers’ new owners the 49ers Enterprises may have the chance to offer him a move, should they part ways with Martin sooner rather than later.

Ruben Amorim came under fire for his tactical decisions at Brentford on Saturday as Match of the Day's Micah Richards slammed the Manchester United boss for the number of tactical tweaks he made in the second half. Richards detailed how Amorim repeatedly changed personnel without altering the formation, meaning some players played in several different positions within one half. The Red Devils ultimately went down to a 3-1 defeat, as Amorim's substitutes would make little difference.

• Amorim's confusing tactics as Man United lose again

  Speaking on Match of the Day, Richards explained how each of Amorim’s five substitutions led to a tactical re-jig, with players changing positions after sometimes just a matter of a few minutes. The former Manchester City defender explained how some players may have been left confused at what Amorim expected them to do in an often-unfamiliar role, as the Red Devils chased the game.

  Ultimately, make-shift wing-back Bryan Mbeumo was partially at fault as his former club Brentford broke forward to score a third goal deep in stoppage time. But Richards piled blame on his manager rather than Mbeumo, who had only been playing in the position since the 81st minute following the introductions of Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom took short turns in playing in the right-forward role.

  The lack of positional continuity reflects the stubbornness of Amorim when it comes to his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, believes Richards, as the Portuguese did not shift from that formation at any stage in the game.

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  Amorim may find his days numbered at Old Trafford as dire run continues

  The defeat ensured that Man United continued a run of never having won two consecutive Premier League games under Amorim. Just 34 points have been collected from 33 league games under the head coach, who has come under increased scrutiny amidst reports that a three-man shortlist has been drawn up for who should be his successor at Old Trafford. Former England manager Gareth Southgate might be an option, with Joe Cole deeming him the “perfect” man for the role.

  Victory against Cole’s former employers Chelsea last weekend represented a step forward, but subsequent defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium has placed even more emphasis on the fact that United scored both their goals against the 10 men of the Blues. Against an inspired Brentford side – who were in 17th place heading into the match but now find themselves ahead of the Red Devils on goal difference – Amorim’s side came unstuck, and the Portuguese did not have the tactical ability to change the game.

  Amorim looked a forlorn figure on the touchline, head in hands late on as he began to process yet another defeat. The longer that he keeps playing important players out of position and expecting them to do unfamiliar roles, the longer criticism such as that of Richards' will continue to come.

• Richards slams Amorim for tactical decisions

  Richards said: “[Amorim] has not got the personnel to play how he wants to play. I just want to have a look at how they started. Mainoo and Yoro come on for Maguire and Ugarte on 66 minutes, De Ligt has gone from right to centre, and Mainoo has come on in midfield.

  “Now [81st minute], De Ligt’s in the middle, Yoro has gone all the way to the other side. Dalot’s gone into the three at the back, Mbeumo has gone into wing-back and Mount has gone into No.10. Four minutes later, Zirkzee comes on for Dorgu, Mount goes into wing-back and Kirkzee goes into No.10.

  “I know as players, we are supposed to be adaptable and flexible. But how are you supposed to adapt to a situation when you’re changing it constantly? And sticking to the same formation. All he had to do was go into a 4-3-3.

  “For the goal which they conceded last, it was because Mbeumo is in a position where he doesn’t want to be! Yes, he has played wing-back at Brentford before, but he’s not a defensive player. You need him forward, and all these changes constantly are making it hard for the players to adapt to what he wants to because of so many changes.”

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  Which will change first – formation or manager?

  Amorim has stuck up for his formation time and again whenever he has been questioned during his time at Old Trafford. He has even joked that the manager will change before the formation. Unless things on the pitch begin to change soon, that may ultimately become the case.

Glasgow Rangers are leading the race to sign a young talent who has even been compared to Brazil superstar Neymar, with the player thought to have chosen a move to Ibrox despite a long list of suitors.

Martin expects more departures as Rangers ramp up business

Robin Propper’s time as a Gers player has reached its conclusion, with the centre-back returning to former club FC Twente after struggling to consistently impress at Ibrox.

Speaking over the weekend, manager Russell Martin admitted that there is interest in various other Rangers players, too, with plenty of outgoing business expected this summer.

While much focus is on the players who could leave Rangers in the coming weeks, new signings are also essential, and it looks as though the Scottish Premiership giants are in pole position to snap up a high level youngster.

Rangers set to win race for Mikey Moore

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, the Gers have won the race to sign Tottenham sensation Mikey Moore on loan despite competition from the English Championship.

Moore is such a gifted player with a big future in the game, so the idea of him spending the 2025/26 season at Rangers is a mouthwatering prospect.

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The 17-year-old winger has an incredible 32 goal contributions (19 goals and 13 assists) in just 24 appearances for Spurs’ under-18 side, also netting once for the senior side to date and being lauded as similar to Neymar by teammate James Maddison.

“From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing. He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless. [He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability, so I’ll be there as an older player, hopefully with some wise words to help along the way.”

Martin knows that extra firepower is needed if his Rangers side are to have a chance of winning the Scottish Premiership title next season, and in Moore they would be signing an extremely talented youngster with the potential to excel on loan, no doubt wanting to prove his worth to Spurs.