Must admit I don’t understand how it works with a team sliding down the tables but at the same time wins the Europa Cup. Are teams playing in multiple competitions simultaneously.
Either way, Postecoglou is a quality person.
Go Ange !
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Nearly half of Premier League teams play in 4 competitions, also League Cup, FA Cup and European competitions if they qualify.
His record this season seems to indicate he is not a great manager at this level and he may still get sacked. Good fortune to be playing the worst Man U side in 50 years and arguably the only team worse than them currently in the PL.
Man U are even further up shit creek without a paddle this morning.
In addition to a huge hole in next season’s transfer budget, they now have no European football to entice the top talents the team needs to start clawing its way back up the league.
If I was one of the lowly paid backroom staff Sunny Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t
fired yet, I’d be updating my CV ahead of his next restructuring.
The Glazers must be laughing their socks off at how much he forked out
to be their patsy.
Nice gesture by AP to go over and commiserate with the Man U
players at the end.
Decency would ensure he was allowed to stick around and take a shot at the Champions League, problem is decency isa quality Levy is totally lacking in
Hard to argue with any of that. That’s saved some typing for a lot of folk, I imagine.
As a City fan was of course rooting for Tottenham last night and like Palace last Sat I would think that Spurs was the neutrals choice. Amorim does look like a tortured individual who knows he’s made a terrible mistake, and I’m sure the Jim Reaper’s ears pricked up at his offer to leave without a payoff if the club want him to go.
According to the Gruan, Amorim has just been given £100 million to start a rebuild.
That will buy half a decent player these days
@Dai it is his first year with Spurs isn’t it?
Back to these comps. Down here we have a league, all the clubs in the league play each other every week for 22 rounds.
How are multiple simultaneous comps managed? What about rest? What about scheduling clashes ? What about travel ?
Everything is run by television hence the money hence the ruin of the Great Game. The standard of football has never been higher but unless your team is owned by an Arab Sheikh or a corrupt zillionaire..
The way scheduling works is if UEFA and/or FIFA are still able to find any gaps in their already wall-to-wall schedule, they dream up new tournaments to fill them
Concerns such player wellbeing and the economic burden on fans are of little consequence to the likes of Infantino
Yay! Donald J Trump’s Club World Cup™️ incoming!!
It is his 2nd year and they went down about 10 places in the league. Roughly speaking Premier League games on weekends, League Cup and European games midweek. FA Cup rounds are normally on weekends when there are no Premier League games at least in the early rounds.
There are also international breaks several times in the season where players go off to play for their countries in meaningful or meaningless competitive. Players for successful teams could conceivably play 50 or 60 games in a season, but most top teams will rest/rotate players for domestic Cup games.
It’s a tough schedule, but the players are extremely well rewarded
Though not as physical a game, baseball MLS players fit in 162 matches in a regular season of six months. Several players play every match each year.
Yes but as you hint at, they are not running up to 10K every game. (Ice) Hockey players also play many more games in a regular season
Ange is a decent manager – no more. He focused on the Europa League when it became apparent that they were not going to qualify for European competition via the Prem. This last throw of the dice paid off.
Spurs are the 17th best team in the Prem. They are underperforming in most games this season.
Last night they defended well against a very poor Man U team. It didn’t say a lot about Spurs as a team to be slightly better than Man U.
Ange needs a convincing win at home against Brighton this weekend to have a chance of continuing as Spurs manager I think. That seems unlikely.
Decent mananager with a want to play good football. But it seems he has no real Plan B. When he arrived at Spuds he said “I always win something in my second year” and he has delivered on that promise.
It’s an achievement. Then again, Spurs arguably only beat one good team ( Frankfurt) in the whole competition. The understandable decision to stop teams dropping from the Champions League into the Europa League has left the latter looking very weak.
As a fan of a newly promoted team, I welcome the 12 points we’ll get playing those two sides next year*.
I missed it due to watching a far more important game: the mighty Southend winning on pens to earn a trip to Wembley for the Bananarama National League playoff final. Go Shrimpers!
I hear it was an awful match anyway.
*sarcasm, but tinged with a dash of hope
As a long suffering Spurs fan I am walking on air this morning as we celebrate our first trophy in 17 years and first European trophy in 41. Pleased for Ange and above all for the great Son Hueng-min.
But as others have said it was a terrible game between two poor teams. Any Spanish or Italians watching must have been utterly bemused – ‘this is the great Premier League?’
But despite the result I think Ange is toast – Spurs have been terrible and were so even as they won last night. I like the guy and can’t stand Levy but it would be hard to argue with a decision to sack Ange. At least now he can go with his head held high.
Yeah – Sonny is now the 16th highest goalscorer since the inception of the Premier League and the fifth highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Watching a highlights video of his best goals is a real treat.
It’s instructive to look at the list of otherwise ‘average’ teams who have one something since Tottenham’s last cup win. From memory that’s Portsmouth, Birmingham, Wigan, Swansea, Leicester and West Ham. Spurs ( and Palace) fans will doubtless be hoping they don’t end up heading th3 same way as those clubs.
I dont follow the round ball game as you might have gathered. But an Aussie does good always gets plenty of coverage down here.
I recalled him being made coach of Celtic and that being mocked. Then they won five trophies (including two league titles) in two seasons.
So is the Scottish league so different that he can, seemingly, be an excellent coach there but “ average” when he heads south?
Yes, in short. The top division in Scotland is, by some distance, dominated by Celtic and Rangers. The last time a different team won was Aberdeen 40 years ago, managed by Alex Ferguson. Even when Rangers were punished for financial shenanigans by being forcibly relagated for a few seasons, no one else could get a look in.
There is occasional talk of the two big clubs joining the English Premier League, but it’s far from certain that either would survive.
I think it’s certain they would survive given the TV money it would generate. Both have huge fan bases and would fill their stadiums every game. Only problem is there’s no incentive for English clubs to let them board the gravy train
I meant competitively rather than financially. I would say that they would, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
As a St Mirren fan, I like a lot of fans of Diddy teams would love them to go to the English Prem. It would get rid of the sectarian nonsense, their entitlement & endless conspiracy theories about how the referees are biased against them.
Also known as the Ugly Sisters & Two cheeks of the same arse.
Not sure if ‘Diddy teams’ is the best phrase to use at the moment…😉
Especially if your typing is slightly off and you input r rather than t
Quite. It’s an old Scottish slang word & I’m not quite as up on his trial as perhaps I should be
Point of order here – ‘Rangers’ weren’t forcibly relegated for financial shenanigans at all. The club was subject to liquidation and therefore a ‘new’ Rangers was (quite rightly) made to start again from the bottom rung of Scottish football.
And I’m not sure about ‘Rangers’ but Celtic would more than survive in the EPL, given they would then be aboard the EPL gravy train (and all the TV cash, etc., that entails) and as a club they are run far better than the majority of EPL clubs.
Celtic would be starting from a similar position to someone like Aston Villa a year or two after promotion. They should do well in the premier but, probably will be able to reduce the shelving in the trophy room in the future. Rangers would struggle to stay in and could be an excellent yo-yo club unless they are managed and run better than they appear to currently.
Yes I couldn’t remember the circs but I knew it was financial and decided that “shenanigans” was a catch-all word.
No probs at all – it’s the relegation thing that normally annoys me, as they weren’t relegated at all, they had to start again as a new club due to the old one being liquidated
If you look at European form Celtic would likely be a bottom half team. You need a lot more money to be successful in England compared to Scotland. But not sure how anybody can feel content winning title after title year on year with only one rival.
If you took that form and added the prem money, they would be comfortably top half (as long as they avoided relegation in the first season or two).
Higher than Leeds? Maybe 😉 They are a well supported club which helps so could be comfortably top half season after season like Man U. Oh wait a minute ….
They should be higher than Leeds but Leeds should be higher than Leeds.
Given the TV money & support I’m certain as long as they stayed up the first season, they’d buy better players and be pretty well up the table from then on. But that’s all a pipe dream – can you imagine Leeds or Burnley saying “Nah, that’s alright, well just stay in the Championship another year or three….”
I think Burnley should….
Blackpool tried that – or rather their nasty chairman Owen Oyston did – the club has never really recovered.
Reading didn’t, and whilst momentum saw them through the first season, they quickly went back down the next.
Rather than run up debt by overspending in the Premier League, they sold out to a Chinese Businessman who very nearly buried the club.
How do you think Leeds will do next season @leedsboy?
I’m an Ipswich fan and 3 of my mates are season ticket holders at Elland Road. They ate reasonably confident of (just about) staying up. I’ve been telling them how hard it is. All the teams that you used to think you could get points off are now very good in comparison ( Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Fulham, Wolves, Forest, ) There are very few gimmes.
I think we have a decent chance but it’s going to be a challenge. Farke seems to be able to work out how to use his resources well. I think the core of the squad is decent and there seems to be money to invest. If the right kind of players are bought in (keeper, striker and a creative midfielder) then we should have a chance. I think we are better balanced than last season and we have a few players capable of playing in the Prem (Rodon, James, Bogle, Ao). I’d be happy for Solomon and Rothwell to join on permanent contracts.
Well, you make it sound so easy! I guess this time last year after almost 2 years of continuous success, I was feeling equally optimistic!
We just need to be better than three other teams so that’s the other two promoted teams and one from Man United and Spurs 😉
It just shows how important ownership strategy is compared to team management when the dream and ambition of promoted teams is to “do a Brighton”. They did have an advantage in that their owner “lent” them hundreds of millions of pounds he doesn’t expect to be repaid but the fact remains is they’ve spent that very very well. I hope that 49’ers enterprises herald a refreshing new financial dawn in sharp contrast to the various clowns we’ve suffered under in the last 25 years.
Amen to that. When you consider that Cellino was a massive improvement on Bates, that says it all.
When Ange went to Celtic, he made use of his knowledge of the Japanese and Australian leagues to bring in players who improved the team significantly. When he moved south to Spurs, that hack was of much less value as the players available in the Scottish, Japanese and Australian leagues typically will not be of the quality to provide a significant upgrade to a team challenging for European places in England. I don’t think that is the main reason he has had issues but it hasn’t helped.
I think the main difference between a minor league like the one in Scotland, and a major league like the one in England, is that in the former, the quality of the teams drops off significantly after 1-3 teams. This is not a uniquely Scottish thing, the same thing applies in Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands. This is not the case in a major league like England, where about 80-90% of the teams will be difficult to beat. This can be seen in the current finale to the Italian league where neither Napoli or Inter can secure the necessary points to wrap it up because teams like Parma and Lazio are no pushovers. So managing a team in one of the major leagues is fundamentally different than managing a team in a minor league. Even if – or perhaps especially if – that minor league team is a very good one like Celtic.
Spurs fan here. Feeling quite delighted this morning, not caring that it was a rotten game.
And feeling grateful to Ange, but also that he shouldn’t be in charge next season. They put in way too many poor performances this season and I get the feeling he can’t motivate the team for the (almost) two games a week they play.
2 games a week. I suppose it is less of a contact sport, so less demanding. But still. Seems punishing enough.
In the absence of DD, does that mean Spurs now have more trophies than the Clash had hits?
That’s who I was thinking of when the final whistle blew last night. Does this mean one less arrow in the quiver, or is our man going to redefine success now that the Spurs have something to place in their trophy cabinet..?
I dunno, but the answer probably includes something about Dodgers.
@fentonsteve
He’ll be moaning that the goal was jammy
Well, it made me laugh.
Didn’t see the goal. Why would I? I go to live sport.
And if they have one trophy then yes, that is more hits that the no-hits by definition.
Regardless of who won – the woeful Manure or Spuds, can anyone actually spot the difference? – I already had this match in my top three pointless sports events of all time, nestling in at No. 3 below Beckham’s goal v. Greece (No. 2) and Lara’s 400 v. England (No. 1). I forgot it was even on, I was at the cinema.
It’s now miraculously displaced Kevin Pietersen’s worthless double-century for Surrey v. Gloucestershire when Piers Morgan (I’m not making this up) was trying to get him back into the England team and Andrew Strauss told both of them to royally f*** off… and I didn’t think anything could do that.
Went to a pub quiz the day after and most people couldn’t name who scored the Spuds’ goal… less than 24 hours after it was scored! I actually think that we were the only team that knew, and it wasn’t me, although I was good on the Play-Doh section. 6/6! I did a cat.
Anyway, shouldn’t we be laughing at Manure or Arsenal or Man. City? That’s how football works and it’s the real tragedy of supporting a big club as opposed to a Wimbledon, Orient or Millwall… everyone knows your business, and they’re always the saddest looking fans on the train. Always have been.
Best sporting event this month? Eze and Palace winning the Cup.
Shhh. Don’t mention him
Thought this was going to be about the French prog band Ange, imagine my disappoint.
Presumably once in Premier league it is easier to attract players too as they want to play on the big stages.
You’re getting there, Junior. 😉
And, once in the Champions League, you can attract even better, which is why Man u are so deflated. They have no European competition at all next season and need some really good players to get back.
The knock on effect will even impact revenues from merch/shirt sales in the massive (and massively lucrative) Asian market where fans tend to support successful clubs.
When I lived in HK, almost all of the guys I worked with either supported Liverpool or Man U – then perceived as being the biggest and most glamorous clubs. I remember wearing my Coventry City shirt to work one weekend and no one knowing who Coventry City was
Groing to be interesting to see if Man U can lift themselves up on Sunday. With Villa needing a win to be in with a shout of European football next season themsvlves, Man U are going to have a tough game
Another Spurs fan here, so obviously thrilled by this result. The team was virtually dictated by the injuries to Maddison, Kuvulevski and Bergwall, so it was always going to be that sort of performance.
As for Ange, he must surely be given the chance to follow this up next season. He deliberately targeted this trophy at the expense of league position, and achieved this with a thin squad, many of whom are young and inexperienced. This has been the policy of the club – get in young players with real promise, and there IS plenty of promise in the likes of Bergwall, Moore and Gray who would have learned a lot this year. Bergwall, Romero and Vicario have all signed new contracts before last night, and there is no hint of any dissent from players or any disillusionment with Ange from them, so let him carry on.
As Ange said last night, something along the lines that it was better to win a trophy and get used to winning things, rather than just finish 3rd in the league and win nothing. I agree.
Have you noticed that the Europa League trophy has a pretty cheap looking base? They could at least have covered up those screws or whatever they are.
It’s a dangerous weapon as well. I noticed when Sonny was being interviewed that he seemed to have a bump on his forehead. Turns out in the enthusiastic celebrations some of his teammates pushed him forward when he was holding the 15kg cup up and he managed to crown himself on the aforementioned base.
It’s still the same hunk of metal as when it was the UEFA Cup and, as someone pointed out, there used to be a lot of prestige attached to winning the non-Big Ears European trophies in the old days..
How many free pints has Tony Parks had since 1984?
The UEFA Vup was often competed for by the current top teams in the top European leagues that season. So arguably the hardest to win.
Unfortunately the richest clubs didn’t want the inconvenience of finishing top of their league in order to compete in Europe’s premier competition.
I was there, behind the goal when Parks made that save. Still my all time favourite Spurs moment. But I’ve also enjoyed watching the live stream of Spurs’ victory parade this afternoon and the sheer joy for the players, the fans, and Big Ange. James Maddison spoke well when interviewed on the bus, not least on what an impressive guy he thinks Son Heung-min is and how much he loves him. And Ange, bless him, told the crowd that the third season of any good tv series is always better than the second. Not sure that’s true but he’s clearly pitching to be retained, and maybe now he just could be – there was a lot of love in the crowd for him and the players seem to like him as well.
There seems to be a lot of love / respect between players and manager on display at Spurs currently. And the players seem to be happy in each other’s company. Something not seen there since the days of Pochettino. It would be great if the club could capitalise on this – but it, judging how it ended with Poch, it doesn’t have a good track record.
So why are their league results so terrible? I watched Liverpool beat them 5-1 to win the title, they looked the poorest team Liverpool had played this season.
And totally hammered at home today to secure 17th place. I wonder if he will still be there next season
Well the predictable let down, soon after winning this other cup. ( still think it is weird) and nothing to play for so far down the table. Not sure that’s a fair measure @Dai
A disgruntled fan on the BBC Sport website points out that Spurs have lost 34 of their last 66 league games.
22 of their last 38
The squad isn’t deep, unlike Liverpool Man City. There were significant injuries early on in the season. Suddenly, they were having to catch up playing kids out of position. Ange made a strategic decision to focus on Europe. There were never any relegation worries as the bottom three were toast at the halfway point. They relaxed and played in flip flops, especially on the last day
As promised, he’s won a trophy in season two. The better players should be back in a strengthened squad for next season. Watch out!
I’m not a Spurs fan
To offer you the alternative POV, Fulham, Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth achieved a great deal more with no greater depth, and without the luxury of being able to buy in forwards like Solanke, Ricarlson, Tel or even Werner as well as Son and Maddison in midfield. He had an amazing run at Celtic but I think he’s out of his depth now.
Keep the chat up lads, I’m after a hamper to go with Ange’s cup.
They will be eliminated in the Champions League qualifying round and he will be toast. No doubt accepting his large payout with grace,
Interesting to contrast Amorim apologizing to the crowd after Man U’s last game and Ange’s answer on MOTD saying that Spurs had an “outstanding” season despite losing 22 times with 38 points – usually enough for relegation. He seems endlessly petulant about having his future questioned despite their dismal form.
Levy fired Conte after getting them to 4th in the PL and into the Champions League – it’s beyond me why a win in the Europa League would be enough to keep him. I’d punt £10 on Thomas Frank being there for next season if he can be persuaded away from Brentford.
Endlessly petulant about being endlessly questioned about his future.
Wouldn’t you be pissed off too?
Given how piss poor their form was, what else did he expect? It was as if he’d never faced the press before. He’s paid to coach them to win, something he was demonstrably failing to do and seemed mortally offended when, not unreasonably, it was pointed out to him.
However pissed off he was, getting so publicly chippy about it suggests he thinks he’s above criticism. Amorim at least apologized to the MU fans.
Fair point
A 1-4 home loss after being a goal up is text book poor. If I were a Spurs fan, I wouldn’t be gutted if Ange got the boot. If he were to make some points about adopting the Europa League approach in the Prem (actually looking like he has learned something this season) I would possibly give him a chance. He appears to be getting his compensation negotiation stance clear with his pronouncement of it being an outstanding season. His task is to improve the footballing performance of the team. He definitely didn’t do that.
The decision won’t be made on one match only but that was a piss poor way to end the season. If they’d got a positive result it would have played to Ange’s narrative that Spurs are much better than their league position suggests because he totally prioritised the Europa League. Instead it was a salutary reminder of just how poor Spurs have been. I think he’ll survive for now if Levy hasn’t got a credible replacement lined up but I strongly suspect Levy doesn’t think he’s the right man to lead a serious charge on the premiership (never mind the Champions League). And sadly, because I like Ange and really want him to be a success, if that’s what Levy thinks I reckon he’s right.
Seems opinion is split between “Go Ange!” and “Go, Ange!”
🙂
I find his assertive interview style tiresome. It would be fine if he was knocking it out of the park. He comes across as a bit of a bully. Albeit bullying bullies.
He’s Australian. Sounds assertive but as gentle as a lamb really.
Apparently Spanish police were worried about Tottenham fans bringing flares to the game last week – because that was what they were all wearing last time they won a European trophy…
Boom tish
@Black-Celebration
That joke is the very definition of pants
That was 1984 though! The only person wearing flares by then was Neil off of the Young Ones.
I’m a positive guy, now Chelsea have won a much-coveted trophy (look it up on Google if you don’t know what it is).
Well done to these wonderful ambassadors of our great nation, it means so very much.
I’ve laundered me socks, laundered me pants and laundered me shirt in their honour.
And, as I’ve got time on me hands, I haven’t been russian.
So when will it be decided if he gets the sack or carries on?
Depends what kind of mood the Owner is in. Never know with Levy , he could sack him this afternoon or give him a pay rise (before sacking him next week). Mercurial he is.
According to football365, it seems Mr Levy may have got out of bed on the wrong side this morning
https://www.football365.com/news/postecoglou-sack-decided-tottenham-leading-target-revealed-announcement-imminent
Or the right side, depending on your pov. Frankly, it would have been inevitable if we hadn’t somehow won that game in Bilbao, so sentimental me says stick with him, but you know exactly what will happen if we do…10 games in and struggling in the league again and we would face a rescue mission without the availability of anyone decent to bring in. He’s toast.
Of course, Ange could still win a treble if he stays in post. All Spurs have to do is beat Liverpool and PSG.
Hey @junior-wells
https://news.sky.com/story/tottenham-sack-manager-ange-postecoglou-despite-europa-league-win-13292599
None more Spursy
Wonder who’ll be stupid/venal enough to risk his are in Levy’s ejector seat next
Walks away with £2mil in compensation and he got a big bonus for winning the Europa League – nice work if you can get it. As a manager of a big club you can’t lose – succeed and you get bonuses, fail and you get paid to go away. How stupid do you need to be to take a job like that?
Depends on how far up the greasy pole you want to climb
Spurs seems to be something of a dead end careerwise
It hasn’t ended the career of Nuno, Mourinho or Conte…!
Never said it ended their careers just that it was a dead end.
Compare the kind of managerial posts N, M and C got before and after working under Levy
Yeah, my point was that it doesn’t actually matter much for managers – they get another job anyway.
I worked with a relative of Lou Macari who managed at West Ham and Man U amongst others. He told me that as the only thing a manager could be sure of was that at some point he’d get the sack, most contract negotiations start with the compensation fee.
In Ange’s case it would (allegedly) be nothing after 3 years, so Levy had the option of not spending the £2m, and chancing a better finish in 25/26. Given the difference in payment from the Prem League for finishing 17th vs 5th is over £30m, I can see how paying £2m makes sense.
If I were Thomas Frank, watching the bids roll in on 2 of the best forward in the Prem, I might be tempted to start thinking about a payoff figure as well as a tidy bump in pay that would surely come for moving across London.
I refer to my comment above.
Obviously the right decision, but sad for the sport in that if he’d just finished a mundane 4th over the next two decades, he’d have a job for life.
Heard a Spurs podcaster (aged mid-30s?) saying the same thing just now… erm… hold on, junior, you have never known anything other than the Premier League!!! Mug Central.
Remember, one turn-up (Leicester City) in 33 years… and 4th ‘IS’ everything.
I don’t think Ange can’t complain. I don’t think Levy will hire better.
With fans getting sick of Steve VpClarke, Ange could well find himself in the frame to replace SC as Scotland manager…
Ange and Scotland is not going to end well.
Recent history shows that Scotland and anyone tends not to end well
We probably could just use the word history?
Sold to the man wearing the Billy Bremner fright wig
Would any of this year’s top six EPL clubs hire Ange ? I doubt it.
In fairness, I doubt if any of them would have hired him on the basis of his track record with Celtic as Spurs did.
My head says it is the right decision but my heart says no, and I’m sad he’s going. From his point of view though he leaves with his reputation as a trophy winner enhanced and I reckon he’ll be back in the premier league at some point.
As for Spurs I hope the Thomas Franck chat is right; he’s impressive.
Levy has burned though something like 13 managers excluding caretakers – some relatively early in their career, some with extensive UK experience, some major international figures. When they all seem to be deemed to be not good enough then it points to the problem not being them but being in the leadership of the club.
Bad news for me. Frank to Spurs, Kieran McKenna to Brentford if the rumours are to be believed…
The Rumour mill is spinning – a return for Pochetino has been mentioned.
Plus the names always recently mentioned whenever a vacancy arises of Steven Gerrard and Gareth Southgate
Such is the way of the managerial round-about
Someone – often a high-profile former player becomes a manager and does quite well until diinishing returns results in their getting hessian-bagged – Peter Reid at Sunderland and David O’Leary at Leeds are classic examples.
Once out of work their names are invariably “linked” with every managerial job going. Sometimes they even get one of them (Reid at Leeds and O’Leary at Villa) but they rarely ever achieve the same level of success they did early on
After that, mention of their names falls off a cliff and they end up buggering off overseas – Reid with the Thai national team and O’Leary in the UAE.
The only manager who seemed to be able to consistently buck the trend was Fat Sam and when was the last time he got mentioned in conjunction with any jobs?
Can’t see Stevie G getting any more high profile jobs. That said, I said the same thing about Fat Frank and was mightily aggrieved when he toolk control of the Sky Blues.
Happily ate my words when he got us to the Championship play offs
Would work equally well for Amorim at Man U