The former Tottenham boss only moved to replace Nuno Espirito Santo at City Ground on September 9 following the opening three games of the Premier League season.

During Postecoglou’s winless eight-match reign in the Forest hotseat, the club suffered six defeats and drew twice.

Four of those defeats came in the Premier League, with Postecoglou losing his first match in charge against former rivals Arsenal in a 3-0 loss, while they also lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland and 2-0 against Newcastle United, before a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea at home was the final straw for Evangelos Marinakis.

During that time, Forest were also dumped out of the Carabao Cup after a 3-2 defeat against Championship side Swansea City.

Pressure really began to mount on the Australian when Forest were beaten 3-2 at home to FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League, their second league phase game.

After leading Tottenham to Europa League glory last season – ending the north Londoners’ 17-year wait for major silverware – he got his personal defence of the trophy underway with a 2-2 draw on the road against Real Betis.

Despite being in the job for less than a month, a four-match losing streak against Sunderland, Midtjylland, Newcastle and Chelsea spelt the end to his latest post, as Marinakis did not hesitate to pull the plug on his time in charge.

After a poor start to the season for the team that finished in an impressive seventh place in the Premier League last campaign, they now languish just above the drop zone in 17th.

They have amassed just seven points so far, with former boss Espirito Santo picking up four of those with an opening day win over Brentford and a draw against high-flying Crystal Palace before the Portuguese was ultimately sacked following a 3-0 defeat against his new employers West Ham.

Marinakis will now look to replace his second manager of the season, with Sean Dyche now the odds-on favourite to take over at the City Ground and try and turn Forest’s fortunes around.

Forest welcome Porto on 23 October as they search for their opening win in the Europa League before facing Bournemouth away the following Sunday.

Postecoglou was appointed on Tuesday, with the club sacking Nuno Espirito Santo late on Monday after 21 months in charge at the City Ground.

The Australian returns to management three months after he was sacked by Tottenham following a dismal Premier League season, in which they finished 17th.

However, Postecoglou ended Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought by leading them to the Europa League title in May.

The 60-year-old was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented at Spurs, but he was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his high-intensity principles as Spurs lost 22 of their 38 league matches last season.

Asked if he wanted to prove doubters wrong, Postecoglou said: “I don’t see it as a point to prove. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.

“I do like my teams to play exciting football and score goals and get fans excited. I make no apologies about that, that’s just the way I am.”

He joked that he would find out “who the true Ange believers” are as he makes the switch from Spurs to Forest.

Postecoglou’s first game in charge will be on Saturday as Forest travel to Arsenal.

‘I might have to win trophy in first season’

Tottenham endured their worst-ever Premier League campaign last term, but the win over Manchester United in the Europa League final secured Spurs’ first major trophy since 2008.

It also backed up Postecoglou’s claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club.

He won the Australian title with both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese league with Yokohama F Marinos – all in his second season or second full season in charge. He also won trophies in both of his seasons at Celtic.

Asked about his second-season promise in his first news conference as Forest boss, Postecoglou pointed out that he has also won titles in his first season at a club.

“I won the double with Celtic in my first year. I may have to [win a trophy this season] to have a second year here,” he said.

“I’ve said already I want to win trophies and that’s what I’ve done my whole career and that’s what I want to do here.”

Postecoglou explained that he didn’t expect his time at Tottenham to come to an end after winning a trophy, but he said he “must have done something right”.

“There is no Spurs supporter I come across now who doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner,” he said.

“I love creating things that are lasting. Every club I’ve been to, I’d like to think I’d be welcome back because I left a mark.”

The Australian manager, who previously rejected approaches from Al Ahli and was linked with Brentford after Thomas Frank’s departure, brings Premier League experience to the City Ground.

Postecoglou spent two seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, taking charge of 101 matches in all competitions, winning 47, drawing 15, and losing 39, giving him a 46.5% win rate. He guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his first season (2023/24) but endured a disappointing 2024/25 campaign, finishing 17th — the club’s worst-ever Premier League position.

Despite league struggles, he ended Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought by winning the 2024/25 Europa League trophy with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

At Forest, he succeeds Nuno Espirito Santo, who led the club to a seventh-place finish last season and secured Europa League qualification after Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Conference League, marking Forest’s first European appearance in 30 years.

Forest have collected four points from their opening three games of the 2025/26 campaign and currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.

Postecoglou will be seeking his first win when his side face Arsenal in their next fixture.

The Australian was relieved of his duties just 16 days after a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the final in Bilbao secured Spurs’ first major trophy for 17 years.

Postecoglou paid the price for a poor domestic campaign in which his side finished 17th in the Premier League, with former Brentford boss Thomas Frank brought in to replace him.

“I don’t regret appointing Ange, I’m very grateful to Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in his second we were over the moon to win a trophy,” Levy told the club’s media team.

“But we need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change.

“Emotionally it was difficult but we feel that we’ve made the right decision for the club.”

Levy has held his position at Tottenham for more than 25 years with Frank becoming the 13th permanent manager in that time.

“I’ve got very broad shoulders,” Levy said.

“Failure is not an option, the desire [is] to succeed. And because it’s so difficult, I want to succeed even more.”

Levy and newly-appointed Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham were both involved in the process of bringing Frank in after he spent seven successful years at Brentford.

The 51-year-old Dane has signed a deal that will keep him in charge at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2028.

“We ran a really, really thorough process – at speed,” Venkatesham said.

“We defined 10 characteristics that we think are important to be a successful manager at Tottenham Hotspur, we analysed in real detail, through our technical staff, more than 30 candidates.

“We had a lot of time with the shortlist and Thomas was absolutely the number one candidate.

“We could not be more excited to have him join the club.

“Personally, one of the things I’ve excited about is that he is an outstanding developer of young players so I really look forward to seeing what he can do with the squad we have here.”

Levy added: “Whenever you have a new coach, it’s always a fresh start. [They] always have different ideas but we want to build on the success of winning a trophy last season.

“One of the things that stood out to me with Thomas was that he is clearly highly intelligent, a great communicator, super human being plus all the technical aspects which are obviously important.”

The 51-year-old Dane replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked earlier this month despite leading Spurs to victory in the Europa League final in May.

Frank spent seven years in charge of Brentford, guiding the club from the Championship to the Premier League in 2021.

He is Tottenham’s fourth permanent manager since June 2021.

Spurs finished 17th in the top flight last season, losing 22 of their 38 matches and finishing seven places and 18 points below Brentford.

However, they have qualified for next season’s Champions League after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao – their first major trophy for 17 years.

Justin Cochrane will join Frank at Tottenham as the Dane’s assistant, despite efforts from the Bees to keep hold of the England coach.

Frank has also brought head of performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him from Brentford, while another assistant coach, Andreas Georgson, arrives from Manchester United.

Bees thank Frank for ‘incredible impact’

In a statement, Brentford said everyone connected with the club “would like to thank Thomas for the incredible impact he has had on the club’s history”.

Bees director of football Phil Giles said: “From the moment he replaced Dean Smith, he understood what we were trying to build and his wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.

“But it’s not just what you see on the pitch. He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength.

“We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential.”

An hour after the appointment of Frank was confirmed, Spurs captain Cristian Romero posted a message, external to his former boss Postecoglou.

It included the line: “You paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist,” which some supporters have viewed as a shot at Spurs owner Daniel Levy, who chose to sack Postecoglou despite winning the Europa League.

Postecoglou, 59, was sacked on Friday just over two weeks after ending the club’s 17-year wait for silverware with victory in the Europa League final.

Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League after losing 22 out of 38 matches.

“Gaffer. You’ve changed the trajectory of this club,” Son posted on Instagram.

“You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.

“You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life.

“You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close. I am a better player and a better person because of you.

“Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate.”

The South Korea winger was not alone in paying tribute to Australian Postecoglou.

Goalkeeper Vicario said: “Boss, I just want to say a massive thank you for everything you have done for me and for all of us.

“From that very first call, right from the beginning, you always showed so much belief in me.

“Giving me the opportunity to be part of the leadership group… those moments, and many others, will stay with me forever.

“You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I’ll always look up to.

“What we achieved TOGETHER will stay in the history books.

“Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more.

“Thank you, Boss. Forever grateful, Vic.”

Defender Micky van de Ven said: “Gaffer, Thank you for everything!

“Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us.

“Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it.

“All the best.”

Forward Dominic Solanke said: “Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy.

“Won’t ever forget the convo we had before I signed and we achieved a dream! All the best in your next adventure.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said the vast majority of fans will will “love Ange forever” although league results were a “long way short” of expectation.

The fans group called for Postecoglou’s replacement to be “fully supported” by the club’s board in order to build on the “cup success that Ange has lain”.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou, while Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino are also linked with the vacancy.

A 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao brought Spurs a first major trophy for 17 years.

However, it came towards the end of their worst Premier League season, with the London club finishing 17th after losing 22 of their 38 matches.

The Australian had told fans “season three is better than season two” as they gathered at a victory parade to mark European success in his second campaign.

Despite that, the 59-year-old’s time in north London ended two years to the day after Spurs announced he would join them from Celtic on a four-year contract.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been tipped as a leading contender to replace Postecoglou. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino – now managing the United States – are among the other candidates to have been considered.

Spurs said Postecoglou would be remembered for delivering “one of the club’s greatest moments” in becoming only the third manager in their history to win a European trophy.

But they added they could not base their decision on “emotions aligned to this triumph” and felt a change was necessary after a “review of performances”.

Tottenham finished fifth in Postecoglou’s first season in charge before he kept his promise to provide silverware in his second year.

“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime,” he said in a statement.

“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.

“There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.”

Their 17-year trophy drought is over and, pertinently, they are back in the Champions League.

With that, swings open certain doors. Finances are stronger; you can attract players – or managers in Spurs’ case – who wouldn’t have necessarily given your club a second glance.

The Champions League is where the elite players demand to perform. It’s the platform the best emerging talent dream of reaching.

Life’s easier in the Champions League and Daniel Levy can take solace in that before what is gearing up to be a busy summer.

Here we look at their to-do list, from the manager’s future, to recruitment plans and the bonuses for European glory.

To keep Postecoglou or not?

Of course, the biggest development this summer will inevitably be the identity of their head coach.

Ange Postecoglou etched his name into Tottenham folklore on Wednesday night, yet his position heading into next season remains uncertain.

Whether the euphoria of what unfolded in Spain changes the direction of travel regarding Postecoglou’s future should become clear in the immediate future.

Prior to this week’s success, the expectancy was that Postecoglou would leave before next season; the Australian ultimately paying the price for a dreadful domestic season.

BBC Sport understands the club are some way down the line in the process of identifying potential replacements for Postecoglou.

So with that in mind, if Spurs have the strength in their initial convictions then Postecoglou may still be on borrowed time.

That said, how do you dismiss a manager who has just led you to such glory?

However the next few days unfold, what is clear for Tottenham is that they must execute the change in leadership, if there is to be one, smoothly – certainly more professionally than their previous managerial search that saw them lurch from candidate to candidate before finally resting on Postecoglou.

Among the contenders are believed to be Thomas Frank – who has a relationship with technical director Johan Lange – Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner.

All may have had reservations about joining Tottenham prior to Wednesday night. But with Champions League football to look forward to, Spurs have become a significantly more attractive option.

The potential re-appointment of Fabio Paratici must also be considered.

Paratici, who left his position as managing director of football in 2023 after an appeal against a two-and-a-half-year Fifa ban for alleged financial irregularities dating back to his spell at Juventus was rejected by Italy’s highest sports court, is in talks over a return when his suspension is lifted in July.

How influential could he be in the decision over Postecoglou and his possible replacement?

How would Paratici – who also has some interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia – and Lange co-exist in relatively similar roles?

If Paratici does complete a return, does that mean current chief of football Scott Munn’s days are numbered particularly with Vinai Venkatesham already confirmed as the club’s next chief executive?

But before all that, the bonuses

In the short term, Levy will sign off a £2m bonus to Postecoglou for lifting the club’s first European trophy since 1984.

The players will also split a performance-related package of around £3m for their success, though it is understood that automatic pay increases for Champions League qualification are not universal across all personal contractual agreements.

Either way, you’d imagine Levy will have no qualms with paying for his club’s historic success.

We shouldn’t, however, expect the Tottenham chairman to continue spending lavishly this summer. History tells us it’s not his style.

But building on Wednesday night’s euphoria will come at significant expense.

Forming a squad capable of competing in the Champions League is an altogether different proposition from seeking to improve a team that could yet finish 17th in the league.

Experience the goal for recruitment

BBC Sport understands that the sense within the club’s recruitment team is that their young squad should be supplemented with more experience.

For instance, an established central midfielder is believed to be on the club’s radar this summer.

If they lose vice-captain Cristian Romero to La Liga, they will look to replace the Argentina international with a ready-made replacement.

Spurs tried to sign Crystal Palace and England international Marc Guehi in January and remain interested in the centre-back.

They will be at pains to keep the experience already at the club. Rodrigo Bentancur, whose current deal expires next year, has held initial talks over an extension.

The club have already exercised an option to extend captain Son Heung-min’s contract until the summer of 2026.

That isn’t to say Tottenham will abandon their remit of signing young talent with Southampton’s teenager Tyler Dibling a target.

And whoever is the manager will have a massive say as you’d expect.

Not for the first time, it’s gearing up to be an interesting summer at Tottenham.

The winners of Wednesday’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham in Bilbao could be the lowest league finishers ever to win a major European trophy.

And they will certainly become the lowest team to ever qualify for the European Cup or Champions League.

United sit in 16th place in the Premier League, with Spurs 17th – and a combined 39 league defeats.

The only league games either have won since 2 February have been against sides who were relegated – or each other.

Their points tally could have had them relegated in some previous seasons.

“I can’t remember such a game which was so highly pressurised for both teams,” said former Celtic striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.

And yet one of them will celebrate glory – and a return to the riches of the Champions League next season.

Who has had the worse season?

BBC Sport senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel and chief football news reporter Simon Stone, who will both be at San Mames for the final, have had their say on whose season has been worse.

Mokbel on Spurs: “Underperformed, underachieved, unacceptable. Domestically, at least.

“While Tottenham will cling on to hope of somehow turning a catastrophic season into a historic one, there can be no running away from the fact that results and performances have been largely disastrous.

“Twenty-one defeats in the Premier League and counting. Of course, all that will be forgotten if Spurs lift the Europa League trophy on Wednesday night.

“Whether that is enough to keep Ange Postecoglou in a job, however, is the million-dollar question with all the indications pointing towards the Australian departing regardless of the outcome in Bilbao.

“The fact Postecoglou’s tenure in north London looks set to end imminently illustrates just how pitiful their domestic campaign has been.

“In their defence, injuries have debilitated Tottenham’s season. They have lost key players for long periods of time.

“But this is an expensively-assembled Tottenham squad – one that includes the club-record £65m signing of Dominic Solanke.

“United are in a season of transition, having changed managers midway through the season.

“It’s different for Tottenham. Following Postecoglou’s encouraging first season in charge, in which Spurs finished fifth, this was a team set up to compete for Champions League qualification.

“Instead, they could finish one place above the relegation zone. That’s undeniably poor.”

Stone on United: “Manchester United have been worse because much of the damage has been self-inflicted.

“United were the ones who reflected on Erik ten Hag’s tenure, both in the wake of their 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last May, then after the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, and decided to stick with him.

“United gave him money to spend, specifically on Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee in the summer, then sacked him after nine games.

“And United told Ruben Amorim he had to start immediately, not wait until the summer to join from Sporting.

“Now, the safety net is Bilbao and then that United hit the ground running at the start of next season, which would justify the refusal to wait for Amorim.

“But, in the here and now, United have been woeful.

“There have been periods in games when they have looked fluid and their passing triangles have worked.

“However, Rasmus Hojlund has not looked a threat at one end of the field and basic mistakes have undermined them at the other.

“With six minutes left of extra time in their Europa League quarter-final against 10-man Lyon, it was not easy to strike a single optimistic note on United’s behalf. Somehow, they rescued themselves.

“Since then, United have got one point from five Premier League games. No-one has done worse than that.

“By any measure, this is United’s worst season since the 1973-74 relegation campaign. And they announced financial losses of £113.2m last September.

“To spend so much and be so bad really takes some doing.”

Who are the worst European winners ever?

Only two teams have won a European trophy after finishing below 12th in their domestic league.

That includes the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup, Uefa Cup, European Cup, Champions League, Europa League and newish Conference League.

The lowest-ranked team yet was West Ham just two seasons ago when they finished 14th in the Premier League but won the third-tier Conference League.

The highest Manchester United or Spurs can finish is 14th – with several results having to go their way.

The other lowest finishes have all come in various iterations of the Europa League.

Inter Milan finished 13th out of 18 teams in Serie A in 1993-94, only staying up by one point (in the old system of two points for a win), but won the Uefa Cup.

And a team finishing 12th have won it three times – Arsenal in the 1969-70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Schalke in the 1996-97 Uefa Cup and Sevilla in the 2022-23 Europa League.

That Sevilla team are the lowest-placed to have ever qualified for the European Cup or Champions League – until now.

Former Chelsea player Sutton said: “There’s not going to be a great deal of quality on show.

“Both sets of players will be apprehensive and nervous.”

On Amorim and Postecoglou making changes in recent Premier League games, he added: “I don’t understand why they are gripped by fear. Both managers want to go into the cup final with momentum.

“That really adds to the occasion and the pressure.”

Europa League finalists and their league position

Source: Opta

The sixth all-English European final

This will be the sixth all-English final in European competition – with all of those involving either Tottenham or Chelsea.

England is the first country to have so many in Uefa competition (excluding the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup).

Tottenham beat Wolves for the 1972 Uefa Cup final and Manchester United defeated Chelsea to win the 2008 Champions League.

In 2019, both finals were all-English – with Liverpool beating Tottenham in the Champions League and Chelsea seeing off Arsenal in the Europa League.

Chelsea beat Manchester City to win the Champions League in 2021.

Who has the best trophy record?

Both managers are looking for their first trophy in charge of an English club – but they have won silverware abroad.

Postecoglou, 59, has the bigger trophy haul, although he has been managing a lot longer than his 40-year-old opposite number.

Image caption: Excludes Super Cups, finals to decide the Australian league champions – plus those with Australia youth teams

An important game for different reasons

Both sides will be desperate to win this match, but their incentives are quite distinct.

For Tottenham, this would be a first trophy since the 2008 Carabao Cup and their first European trophy since 1984.

It would vindicate Postecoglou’s early-season declaration that he always wins a trophy in his second season.

And somehow their worst domestic season since the 1970s could turn out to be their best in years.

“I’m sure if that happens on Wednesday night Ange will be smug walking off the pitch and say ‘see you later, I’ve told you what I do mate’,” said former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given.

Sutton reckons if Spurs lose, Postecoglou may not even be in charge for the final game of the Premier League season at home to Brighton on Sunday.

“If Postecoglou wins he’ll be hailed,” said the former Blackburn forward. “But just imagine the atmosphere against Brighton if Tottenham lose.

“I suspect he might not be in charge if that happens because that will be as toxic as anything.”

For Manchester United – who have won domestic cups in the past two seasons – Champions League qualification is the ultimate goal here.

“Financially, it’s the most important match in the club’s history,” says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Sutton feels the game is a potential “get-out-of-jail-free card” for Amorim.

The Portuguese, who is hoping to oversee a summer rebuild, said: “I think [qualifying for the] Champions League is more important for everything, to prepare the next season.

“We are supposed to be in the Champions League and the Europa League here is not enough, you have that feeling here. The best way to help us get to the top in a few years is the Champions League.”

The key stats

• Opta’s supercomputer says the game will be extremely close – giving Spurs a 50.3% chance of winning.
• Not only have Tottenham won all three meetings so far this season, but they have led for 90% of game time. United have yet to go ahead in any game.
• Since Ange Postecoglou took over as Spurs boss, only Brentford have dropped more points from winning positions in the Premier League.
• Three of the past four Europa League finals have gone to penalties.
• In the Premier League, Spurs’ shot conversion rate of 12.8% is the sixth highest in the division. United are second bottom with 8.4%.
• Only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (34) and Radamel Falcao (30) have scored more goals in the Europa League than United captain Bruno Fernandes (27), while he is top for assists (19) and total goal involvements (46).
• United keeper Andre Onana has been responsible for five errors leading to goals in all competitions this season. Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario has only been responsible for one in his two seasons.

In Norway, boss Ange Postecoglou took aim at Tottenham’s critics after they reached the Europa League final as he remained on course to continue his record of winning a trophy in his second season.

Spurs eased past Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in the second leg of their semi-final in the Arctic Circle to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sent Spurs to the final, where they will face Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League after a poor domestic season and are chasing their first major trophy since 2008.

Postecoglou has come under huge criticism for Tottenham’s form, despite losing a number of senior players to injury. They won in Norway without James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall – both out for the season – with Son Heung-min also missing.

At times he has been mocked after stating, accurately, he wins trophies during his second season at a club.

In the Aspmyra Stadion, minutes after seeing his team reach the final, he came out fighting again.

“It’s going to upset a lot of people isn’t it,” Postecoglou said. “The debate’s now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they’re just going to take a team photo because we’re not worthy.

“I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? It’s a separate thing. It’s got nothing to do with league form.

“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there.”

It is Tottenham’s sixth European final – their last was in 2019 when they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League.

Since winning the 2008 Carabao Cup Spurs have lost three finals and been beaten in three semi-finals. They have also reached four FA Cup semi finals without progressing.

The club has not lifted the Europa League in 41 years, since beating Anderlecht to win what was the Uefa Cup at the time.

“I’ve said all along that this is important,” Postecoglou continued. “What’s happening now is people are fearing that – that it actually might happen, and let’s see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it’s been a poor season and we don’t deserve this or we don’t deserve that, or somehow comparing us to Man United.

“Maybe if we had Man United’s success then maybe I’d have a different view. So, of course it’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.

“We’ve given them some real hope and something to dream about that we can do something special this year.”

‘Postecoglou’s Spurs career depends on one result’

Postecoglou’s comments about winning a trophy in his second season looked like they might come back to haunt him at times, but he is now just one game away from delivering the goods.

“Be careful what you dream for,” former Spurs midfielder Glenn Hoddle told TNT Sports.

“He has come out and said it and his players have come out and responded. He’s saying ‘I always win something in my second season’ and he believes it, the players are believing it and now the fans are believing it. Anything can happen.”

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robison, part of the BBC ‘s commentary team in Norway, believes winning the Europa League is more important to Postecoglou than it is to Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

“If Tottenham don’t win he won’t be in charge next season,” Robinson said.

“Ange Postecoglou’s whole season and Tottenham career depends on that one result. You cannot underestimate how big that game is for Tottenham to win the final.

“Champions League football, yes, and the finances that come with it, but not having to go through a whole restructure. If they don’t win that final they are back to square one. It’s massive for Tottenham.”

The Australian directed a brief clap towards the furious travelling away fans from near the halfway line following his side’s 1-0 loss at Chelsea but, by then, it could be argued the damage had already been done.

Enzo Fernandez’s second-half header was enough to inflict a 16th defeat of the season on Tottenham and leave them 14th in the Premier League – 10 points away from the top 10 – and the signs are growing some fans have had enough.

Chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” came from the away end after midfielder Lucas Bergvall was replaced by Pape Sarr in the 65th minute.

Remarkably, Sarr found the net with an excellent long-range strike just four minutes later, leading Postecoglou to cup his ear and turn to the away end, only for VAR to then rule out the goal for a foul on Moises Caicedo.

When asked about the incident after the match, Postecoglou said: “Jeez mate, it’s incredible how things get interpreted. We’d just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we’d been through a tough time, and I thought it was a cracking goal.

“I wanted them to get really excited. I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side]. It doesn’t bother me. It’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions. That’s fine, they’re allowed to do that.

“But we’d just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement. If people want to read into that that somehow I’m trying to make a point about something, like I said, we’d been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there.

“If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them.”

It’s just the latest in a season of incidents between Postecoglou and sections of the fanbase.

There was the recent exchange with an angry supporter after defeat by Fulham just before the international break, another similar back and forth happened after defeat at home to Leicester and he confronted the away end after they criticised players after losing at Bournemouth in December.

He added when asked if he was alienating the fans: “You know what, I am at such a disconnect with the world these days, that who knows? Maybe you’re right. I don’t know. But that’s not what my intention was.”

This just compounds the lack of progress on the pitch, especially with almost a full squad of players available, as Spurs look to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp put it plainly when he said on Sky Sports: “Tottenham were awful. It could have been so much more. Not good enough in any department from Tottenham. Chelsea were so much better.

“When Sarr scored, it looked like Ange cupped his ears to say: I know better. There’s a disconnect between the two [Tottenham fans and Ange Postecoglou] at the moment.

“It’s not ideal for the manager. He’s got some big games ahead. He’s got to keep his head up, got to keep going, working hard and believing in what they do.”

Are Spurs heading for worst Premier League season ever?

Postecoglou is the first Spurs manager to lose his first four matches against Chelsea, while they have fewer points in London derbies this season than any of their neighbours – and the bigger picture offers no solace.

With eight games left, Spurs are 14th, and could well finish outside the top 10 for the first time in 17 years. They are now battling to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era.

• Tottenham’s lowest Premier League finish remains 15th in 1994 under manager Ossie Ardiles – when survival was only ensured in their penultimate match.
• They have now lost 16 league games this season – their record in a 20-team league is 19, set in 2003-04.
• Since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, only six times have Spurs lost 16 or more league matches in a campaign.
• Spurs’ lowest points tally in a Premier League season – and in fact since three points for a win was introduced in 1981 – is 44. They need 11 points from their final eight games to pass that tally.
• With 16 defeats in 30 matches, Spurs’ loss percentage this season is 53% – and they haven’t lost more than half of their league matches over a whole season since 1934-35. They lost exactly half of their league matches in 1953-94, 1974-75, 1976-77 – when they were relegated – and 2003-04.
• Postecoglou has only won 44 points from his past 39 league matches in charge – stretching back over the end of last season.

Postecoglou’s future under threat?

Reports suggest Postecoglou is under severe pressure. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Brentford’s Thomas Frank have all been linked with his job.

The 56-year-old, who became Spurs boss in June 2023 and is contracted to the club until 2027, even suggested in midweek there were plenty of outstanding candidates to replace him.

However, Spurs are expected to at least wait until the culmination of the Europa League campaign – a chance not only to win a first trophy in 17 years, but also to qualify for next season’s Champions League. They host Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their quarter-final next Thursday.

A club source indicated before the match that they weren’t expecting any managerial changes before the end of the season.

Redknapp, again speaking to Sky Sports, said after the match: “I think for Ange Postecoglou, it feels like he’s going to make history or be history.

“When you lose 16 games in a season as Tottenham manager, still having great players at your disposal, it’s not going to wash with the fans. The performances haven’t been good enough.

“If they can win some silverware, it’ll be unbelievable for them.”

Vice-captain James Maddison, reacting to the fan frustration, said: “They have every right to be an angry bunch at the moment.

“I don’t really want to be here talking and I’m sure the fans don’t want to listen to me. It can still be a very special season if we lift silverware. We need them as much as they need us, so the message is to stick together.”

Like Postecoglou, chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy has faced criticism from the fans.

But Levy has given the head coach resources to shape a squad. Postecoglou has spent £214.8m, with the most recent arrivals signed in January – forward Mathys Tel, defender Kevin Danso and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

That extra spend was an attempt to salvage the season while alive in three cup competitions, but after elimination from the domestic cups, it is Europa League or bust.

It will be Spurs’ last chance to live up to Postecoglou’s comment early in the campaign that he “always wins a trophy in his second season” – having done so in Scotland, Japan and Australia.

With little to play for in the Premier League, a end to the Spurs trophy drought would end the season on a high.

‘It’s killing the game, mate’ – VAR upsets Postecoglou

On another night, Postecoglou’s post-match rant about VAR would have taken the headlines. On Thursday, it was a footnote.

Tottenham thought they had equalised when Sarr struck home from distance.

The celebrations followed but were cut short as VAR checked for a possible foul. After a lengthy delay, the goal was ruled out.

Postecoglou told BBC Radio 5 Live he “hated VAR to his core”, that there was no point in having referees – and that there would soon be AI officials.

Postecoglou, who has often criticised VAR, become embroiled in a lively post-match interview with Sky Sports.

Here is what he said in full:

“It’s killing the game, mate. It’s not the same game it used to be.

“We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV [when Everton’s James Tarkowski was not sent off for a high challenge on Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister] and I guarantee you if Jarred Gillett was VAR last night, it would’ve been a different outcome, so you just don’t know what we’re going to get.

“You are standing around for 12 minutes. It’s just killing the game, but no-one cares about that. They just love the drama and controversy and I’m sure there will be 24 hours of discussion about it and that’s what everyone wants – they’re not really interested that it’s killing the spectacle of the game.

“If a referee sees that and he needs to see it for six minutes, what’s clear and obvious about it?

“Last night we were all sat on our couches and saw one replay and thought: ‘Oh my God.’

“Tonight we sat there and were waiting for six minutes for something that VAR official Jarred Gillett thought was clear and obvious – it’s crazy, it’s madness.

“We accept it and have to take the fall out from it. Clear and obvious? What does that suggest? That it’s on the first replay. That’s why the game is going the way it is.”

Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at Emirates Stadium leaves Spurs 13th with 24 points, 14 off Newcastle in fourth but just eight above 18th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There would be a brief moment of cheer for Tottenham fans in the game when Son Heung-min fired them ahead in the 25th minute, but that was to be the last time they managed a shot on target as Arsenal scored twice in four minutes to win.

“We were nowhere near the levels we needed to be at today,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said after the game.

“The fact we went out in the first half in such a big game and were so passive, it was unacceptable. And we paid a price for it.”

Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer believes Tottenham’s form will be a worry for the club’s supporters.

“Without doubt the Tottenham fans have to be concerned,” he said on Match of the Day.

“I know they have injuries but you can’t go up against your rivals and your manager come out at the end of the game and say that the team were nowhere near their levels.

“That is unacceptable.”

• Tottenham have lost 11 games in the Premier League this season; their joint-most at this stage of a single campaign in the competition (also 11 in 1997-98, 2003-04 and 2008-09).
• The only sides who have lost more in the league this season than Tottenham are the three teams currently in the relegation zone – Wolves, Leicester and Southampton.
• Since beating Aston Villa 4-1 on 3 November, Tottenham have lost eight, drawn four and only won five of their 17 games in all competitions, although three of those victories have been against Manchester City (4-0 away), Manchester United (4-3 home) and Liverpool (1-0 home).
• Tottenham have failed to win in their past five games in the Premier League; their last joint-longest winless streak was 6 November to 7 December 2023.
• Spurs have lost 18 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season – only Fulham (19) have lost more.
• Tottenham have won just one of their past nine Premier League matches (drawn two, lost six), with that victory coming at bottom side Southampton (5-0). Indeed, since the start of this run only Leicester (four) and Southampton (one) have earned fewer points in the Premier League than Spurs (five).
• Spurs have not finished outside the top 10 in the Premier League since 2007-08 when they came 11th, but did win the League Cup.

‘Defeats hurt me – it has to stop’

After Tottenham lost to Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season back in September, Postecoglou defiantly declared he “always wins a trophy” in his second season.

They were comments aimed at allaying fans’ fears of a trophyless season, but instead they have been used to – as Postecoglou has said himself – mock him after a bad result.

Silverware does remain on the cards with Tottenham in the Europa League and holding a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

But Postecoglou knows results must improve soon.

He added: “Of course the defeats hurt me. Not acceptable. Too many losses this year. Too many games getting away from us.

“It needs to stop.”

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown feels pressure is mounting on Postecoglou, saying his style of play is at times proving costly as they continue to play a high-pressing game.

“Tottenham took so many risks and Arsenal took advantage – the game was so open,” Keown said on TNT Sports.

“Manchester United will probably go above Spurs. A difficult moment for them and the manager is skating on thin ice.”

Former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon added: “One win in nine – it’s not good enough at all.

“This puts a lot of unrest in that [Tottenham] camp. If they weren’t in the Carabao Cup semi-finals there would be big problems.”

Son said the players also need to stand up and be counted.

“It’s up to the players as well,” the striker said. You have to listen to what we want to do. I think we were not disciplined enough.

“We have to do better in every aspect. When you look at table it’s not good enough.”

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand criticised Tottenham’s defending, saying: “It’s like watching an academy under-18s game when the kids are working it out for themselves.

“I would be screaming at my goalkeeper, my defenders. Play over the press, not into the press.”

‘Adaptability would be sensible’ – injuries hampering Tottenham

Allowances do have to be made for Tottenham’s injury list – they went into the north London derby with nine players ruled out.

Their defence in particular has taken a hit with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies all sidelined.

But despite that, Spurs fans will feel they still have enough in the squad to be battling further up the table.

Former Tottenham and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch said on TNT Sports: “We all know the injury problems, but the two 18-year-olds [Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray] were the best players.

“If I’m a more experienced player I feel embarrassed. I look at Son, he has had a disappointing season.

“They need players back – that team out there is not good enough in the league. I don’t see them catching the top teams.”

Ferdinand believes Postecoglou needs to become more flexible with his approach to games.

“Maybe he has to be more adaptable with his tactics,” he added.

“I understand and respect Ange’s principles but, with the injuries, surely you have to adapt them. Adaptability would be sensible at this time.”

Next up for Tottenham is a trip to David Moyes’ Everton on Sunday (14:00 GMT), a match Postecoglou knows is hugely important.

“No other way of looking at it,” he said.

“If you give up now, there’s no point. Right now we have a big game against Everton this weekend. That’s our focus.”

Spurs are set to face the Reds in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday (20:00 GMT), during a difficult run of form.

Tottenham have lost three and drawn one of their past four matches, including a 6-3 Premier League defeat by Liverpool on 22 December.

Egypt international Salah scored twice in that game and has netted 21 goals from 27 appearances in all competitions during a particularly eye-catching campaign.

However, under-pressure Postecoglou believes even having an “unbelievable player” in Salah at his disposal would have done little to improve their fortunes.

“Mo is a world-class player, but if you put him in our team now I’m not sure he’ll have that same level of performance because of the situation we’re in as a group,” said the Spurs boss.

“His attacking play, who do you need? You need a team that’s kind of in good form, creating opportunities, playing on the front foot, having a really solid foundation of a defence that is cohesive. None of these things exist at the moment.”

Spurs head into the match against Arne Slot’s side with the news that captain Son Heung-min will stay at the club until at least the summer of 2026 after activating an option to extend his contract.

Son has scored 169 times in 431 Spurs appearances, including seven goals in all competitions this season.

Postecoglou felt the South Korean’s form does not reflect his true ability when compared with fellow 32-year-old Salah.

“You’ve always got to give context. He [Salah] is playing in a fantastic team that are flying at the moment,” he explained.

“I’d hazard to say that if you put Son Heung-min in Liverpool’s team, I reckon his goalscoring return would be decent. It’s hard for our players at the moment, they’re trying awfully hard to be the best they can be.

“But when we’re at our best, I still think you’ll see Sonny’s return, in terms of his ability to score goals and be really effective for us. I don’t think that’s diminished at all.”

The 59-year-old has been criticized for his tactics during an inconsistent campaign where he has stuck to his principles of high-intensity attacking football.

Spurs were on a winless run of five matches in all competitions until back-to-back victories over Southampton in the Premier League and Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

They were 3-0 up against United with less than half an hour to play in the quarter-final before having to come through a chaotic finale to seal a 4-3 win.

“You kind of feel that 26 years of hard graft [as a manager] should get you a little more respect and I’m not the only one,” said Postecoglou.

“I have seen it happen to [Aston Villa’s former Arsenal manager] Unai [Emery] and Nuno [Espirito Santo] when he was here [as Tottenham boss].”

Postecoglou previously said being Spurs manager was harder than being the Prime Minister because of the short-term thinking involved.

Tottenham are 10th in the Premier League, despite only the top two sides, Liverpool and Chelsea, having a better goal difference.

Postecoglou added: “I get that not everyone will be a fan of the way I do things and even the way I play people will have different opinions.

“That’s normal, that’s healthy but some of it has been pretty dismissive.”

Spurs host Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday and will face them in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Postecoglou’s side are a “joy to watch” and he hopes Spurs can win a trophy as reward for their attacking football.

Postecoglu responds to Carragher criticism

Slot’s praise was in contrast to former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher, who said on Sky Sports’ coverage of Thursday’s game that Postecoglou’s side “never change how they play no matter what the game state is”.

Carragher added: “I don’t think football should be played the same from minute 1-90.”

In response, Postecoglou said: “People tell me he likes me so that’s a good thing. They say, ‘did you hear what he said? But he likes you as a person,’. So, that’s important to me.

“It’s all valid but I don’t need validation from anybody to do what I do.

“Whether you agree with my approach or not, there is validity in both and I don’t have an issue with that. I love the fact people are talking about our games and analysing our games.”

Postecoglou said he accepts pundits are paid to have opinions but believes some of the criticism is “offensive” towards him and he will “call it out” when appropriate.

He added: “Maybe I don’t take things as seriously as people want me to and I’m fairly dismissive of them, but that’s all right.

“I love my life and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”

Spurs are 10th in the Premier League after an inconsistent campaign and, although Postecoglou has been criticised for his team’s tactics this season, he recently said “in tough times you double down on your principles”.

Slot was heavily linked with taking over as Tottenham manager in 2023 before staying at Feyenoord, and takes his side to play the London club on Sunday (16:30 GMT).

Liverpool have also been drawn against Spurs in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, with Tottenham progressing after a rollercoaster 4-3 win against Manchester United.

“It’s great work that Ange is doing. I hope, hope, hope that he (Postecoglou) wins a trophy – not the League Cup but I am completely a fan of his team for the Europa League,” said Slot.

“People talk about trophies, trophies, trophies and that is so important. For me, his brand of football is so much more important.

“If he can combine it with winning something that would be so good for football in general because then people can stop talking about ‘is it too attacking?’ How on earth can you play too much attacking football?”

Slot added: “I think it is a privilege to be a season ticket holder at Tottenham and to be a fan of them at the moment because they play such a great style.”

Tottenham are the second highest goal scorers in the Premier League this season with 36 – just one behind Chelsea – having won seven and lost seven of their 16 top-flight games.

“I really have to give them credit,” said Slot. “They have always been a certain brand of football for me and a certain identity and Ange Postecoglou gives them that identity back completely.

“Every time, it is a joy to watch them. Once in a while results go against them but I think they are one of the teams to beat Manchester City like us.”

The German forward, 28, lost possession 16 times, did not win any of his five duels and only completed 69% of his passes.

Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson, covering the game for BBC Sportsound, said at the time: “Timo Werner’s final decision on the ball so far has been abysmal.

“I’ll be amazed if he’s not hooked at half-time.”

Werner was indeed replaced before the players came out for the second half by Dejan Kulusevski, who went on to score a 75th-minute Spurs equaliser after Hamza Igamane had given Rangers the lead two minutes into the second half.

“When you’ve got 18-year-olds [in the squad], it [that performance] is not acceptable to me,” said Postecoglou.

“I said that to Timo, he’s a German international.”

Former Chelsea forward Werner, who is on loan from RB Leipzig, has only scored once in 19 appearances. This was his eighth start.

Tottenham forwards Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are currently sidelined and Postecoglou added: “In the moment we’re in right now – it’s not like we’ve got many options – I need everyone to at least be going out there and trying to give the best of themselves.

“His performance in the first half wasn’t acceptable.

“We need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don’t have the depth to leave people out if they perform poorly. I expect a level of performance from some of the senior guys, and tonight wasn’t that.”

The draw at Ibrox left Tottenham with only one win in their last eight games in all competitions.

Werner’s struggles

Werner has failed to excel since arriving from Leipzig last January.

The loan deal was initially until the end of last season – and then extended to cover this campaign too.

Werner scored twice in 14 games in the second half of 2023-24, but has netted only once in 19 appearances this season, with his struggles evidenced in the price built into his temporary deal.

Under the first arrangement, Spurs had the option to sign him for £15m – but it is now an £8.5m option to buy.

Werner has 24 goals from his 57 Germany caps, but last played for his country in a friendly defeat by Belgium in March 2023.

He also scored 23 goals in 89 appearances during a two-year spell at Chelsea, winning the 2021 Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup, before rejoining Leipzig in 2022.

Spurs led 2-0 within 11 minutes but ended up losing with Cole Palmer netting two penalties – both for fairly needless fouls by Tottenham players.

Postecoglou’s side have only won one of their past seven games in all competitions, losing four of them.

They are in the bottom half of the Premier League table, sitting 11th after 15 games.

Postecoglou is the fifth manager, including caretakers, that Argentina centre-back Romero has played under since arriving in 2021.

The Australian manager has had success at most clubs he has been at – including Celtic – but Tottenham have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

Romero told Telemundo: “He’s a great coach. We saw it in the first season. In this second one we’ve suffered a lot of injuries.

“Players are the first one to be criticised, then if we lose 10 games, the staff can be changed, but nobody talks about what is actually happening.

“We are very happy with this staff, me and my colleagues. We love how they work and the football they try to play. We’ll try to move on quickly.”

Tottenham, whose chairman has been Daniel Levy since 2001, started last season brightly under new boss Postecoglou but ended up fifth.

Spurs players’ desperation ‘cost us’ – Postecoglou

Postecoglou always stands by his attacking philosophy even though it often costs his team goals.

It is an approach that has seen him win trophies with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos, Celtic and the Australia national team.

“It was good enough to get us ahead in the game so I am not sure why we should change our approach,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live of their quick start on Sunday.

Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski goals had them looking in control until Jadon Sancho started the comeback in the 17th minute.

Palmer scored twice and Enzo Fernandez also found the back of the net.

“It was a game of big moments. If we score at 2-2 and go 3-2 ahead then the pressure is on them and they have to open up like we did when we conceded,” the Spurs manager continued.

“Their penalties were poor from our behalf. We didn’t need to make those challenges and it was hard for us to claw it back.

“I think sometimes when you are in this position we are, you are desperate to do the right thing.

“You probably need a calmer approach. The guys are desperate to do the right thing and unfortunately it cost us.”

‘We’ve got to stick together in such difficult moments’

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, who scored an injury-time goal to make it 4-3, says the players need to “step up”.

“We’ve got to stick together in such difficult moments,” the 32-year-old South Korean told Sky Sports.

“It’s very important and it’s why we need big support. The players are very young and they need support more than before and more than we had.

“The fans were always supporting amazingly but I think it’s time the players also need to step up. We need some big support and big cheering up.”

In the immediate aftermath of their 1-0 loss at Vitality Stadium, Postecoglou pointed at a group of Tottenham fans who were voicing their anger and marched across the pitch towards the away end to confront them.

Words were exchanged before a steward attempted to defuse the situation by waving the 59-year-old Australian away.

“They’re disappointed and rightly so,” said Postecoglou in his post-match news conference. “They gave me some direct feedback, which I’ve taken on board.

“I didn’t like what was being said because I’m a human being but you’ve got to cop it.

“I’ve been around long enough to know that when things don’t go well you’ve got to understand the frustration and disappointment. And they’re rightly disappointed because we let a game of football get away from us. But that’s OK. I’m OK with all that.

“All I can say is I’m really disappointed and I’m determined to get it right and will keep fighting until we do.”

Tottenham’s defeat by Bournemouth leaves them 10th in the Premier League table, one place below the Cherries.

It was Spurs’ sixth league defeat this season, with only five sides in the top flight having lost more games than them.

“It comes down to us as a collective being a lot more determined to control a game of football and not let the opposition take control,” added Postecoglou.

‘Jekyll and Hyde’ Tottenham were ‘terrible’

Tottenham have only won one of their past six matches, a 4-0 victory at Manchester City – which now feels like an outlier.

“I now know what people mean when they say Tottenham are like Jekyll and Hyde,” said former Stoke boss Tony Pulis on BBC Radio 5 Live. “They have been really poor tonight.”

Spurs managed 12 shots, four on target – about half the total of Bournemouth – but their expected goals was only 0.58, compared to Bournemouth’s 3.31.

Former England striker Les Ferdinand, who played for Spurs between 1997 and 2003, said on Amazon Prime: “Tottenham didn’t look like they could score today.

“I thought Spurs could only be better in the second half and they were slightly better, but there was no urgency. We didn’t know what Spurs was going to turn up tonight – and that wasn’t the Spurs we wanted.”

Bournemouth also had a goal disallowed for offside and hit the post in a game they should really have won by more.

Former England striker Alan Shearer called it “a terrible performance” from Spurs.

“I was really surprised they came out with the same team after half-time because they needed some energy and freshening up,” he said. “I never felt they were ever going to score tonight.”

Spurs were 2-0 up after 37 minutes and heading for their sixth successive win in all competitions after goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but conceded three times in the second half as Brighton took the three points.

“It was disappointing and I’m absolutely gutted with that,” said Postecoglou.

“It’s an unacceptable second half – we were nowhere near where we should be. Maybe we got carried away with how we were going.

“We kind of accepted our fate and it’s hard to understand as we’ve not done that while I’ve been here. We usually fight for everything, and when you don’t you pay a price.”

Spurs missed the chance to go sixth in the Premier League and are ninth with three wins, one draw and three losses from their seven matches.

Postecoglou criticised his side’s mentality and spirit, adding: “Maybe things were travelling on too smoothly. Football and life will trip you up if you get too far ahead of yourself and that’s what it looked like in the second half.

“It’s a terrible loss for us, as bad as it gets, and there’s only one way to fix it and that’s my responsibility.

“We lost all our duels, we weren’t competitive and if you’re not competitive, irrespective of what you do tactically, it is not going to work.”

‘We lost complete control of the game’

Maddison scored his second goal of the season three days after he had been left out of Lee Carsley’s England squad for the Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland.

The midfielder called Spurs’ loss “a couple of steps back” after gaining five consecutive victories – against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup, Premier League wins over Brentford and Manchester United and victories in the Europa League versus Qarabag and Ferencvaros.

“Brighton are a good side and have good players but when the first goal went in, in adversity in the Premier League you have got to stay strong and weather the storm. The best teams do that but we definitely didn’t,” added Maddison.

“We just couldn’t deal with the momentum shift. We lost complete control of the game after the first goal went in. We dealt with momentum very poorly when they were coming at us. It felt like it was attack after attack, we couldn’t deal with it and they scored three goals.

“We were saying all the right things of not being complacent, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t go out and show it.”

‘Important to stay positive’

Brighton moved above Spurs into sixth, and manager Fabian Hurzeler said: “My team deserved to win. They worked hard and focused on the things they could control.

“Tottenham always have a great start. They play with intensity and we were not ready for that. We also created chances but defensively we have to improve. We focused on the positive things – the second important thing was to win the duels to build self-confidence. The players worked hard to gain flow and they used it.

“In general I learned nothing new – this is always possible in football. When you are 2-0 down it is not easy, but it was important to stay positive and I’m really happy for the players.”

Gabriel scored the only goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a header from a corner to send the Gunners into second spot.

Spurs, though, have only won one of their four Premier League games this term.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou is in his second season at the club, having led them to fifth place in 2023-24.

After the disappointing loss, the Australian was asked about a pre-season interview where he said “usually in my second season I win things”.

He told Sky Sports: “I’ll correct myself – I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing’s changed.

“I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Postecoglou added he “absolutely” thinks Spurs can challenge for silverware this season, with their last trophy the 2008 League Cup – the only competition they have won in the 21st century.

He won the Australian title with both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese league with Yokohama F Marinos – all in his second season or second full season in charge.

Postecoglou also won the Asian Cup two years after becoming Australia boss – and the Scottish championship in both seasons with Celtic.

The 59-year-old did not see out two seasons in charge of the three clubs he failed to win anything at – smaller clubs Panachaiki and Whittlesea Zebras, and Melbourne Victory, whom he left after 18 months for the Australia job.

Former England defender Matt Upson, watching the game for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “Tottenham are so susceptible defensively that it’s a real problem.

“They are not being clinical enough either which is what the real hammer blow is.

“If you’re going to be that offensive and that open and free, you’ve got to bang the ball in the back of the net and they’re not doing that.

“The pressure is going to start to build a bit on the manager.”

Postecoglou, 58, insisted he is only focused on being the Spurs boss following Gareth Southgate’s resignation on Tuesday.

Southgate, who was appointed in 2016 and had five months left on his deal with England, stood down less than 48 hours after Spain beat the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.

“I’ve got no idea, I’ve been preparing for a game,” Postecoglou told BBC Scotland when asked about the links after his side’s 5-1 pre-season victory over Hearts.

“I’m the Tottenham manager. That’s where I stand.”

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou took over at Tottenham at the start of last season and guided them to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Despite missing out on qualification for the Champions League, the Australian, who coached his national team from 2013-17, was praised for his attacking style of football.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is the leading contender to become England’s next manager, but Magpies chief executive Darren Eales has said they will resist any approaches from the Football Association.

England are next in action when they face the Republic of Ireland on 7 September in the Nations League.

An interim manager will be in charge if the FA are still to appoint Southgate’s successor at that point.

Spurs host Manchester City on Tuesday in a match which could prove crucial to the outcome of the title race.

A win or draw for Tottenham against Pep Guardiola’s side would put north London rivals Arsenal in pole position to finish ahead of defending champions City.

The Gunners currently hold a one-point advantage at the summit but have played a game more than City, who would return to top spot with victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with one game remaining.

Spurs, meanwhile, are chasing fourth-placed Aston Villa, who they trail by four points, with a Champions League place on the line.

It has left some Tottenham fans with mixed feelings heading into their penultimate game of the season but Postecoglou was clear with his views.

“I understand rivalry. I was part of one of the biggest ones in the world in the last couple of years with Celtic and Rangers,” the Spurs boss said.

“But I’ve never, and will never, understand if someone wants their own team to lose. That’s not what sport is about. It’s not what I love about the game.”

Postecoglou believes “100% of Spurs supporters” want his side to win against City but acknowledged “people are allowed to feel the way they do”.

The 58-year-old Australian, however, said he has not “lived my life” taking “pleasure from other people’s misery”.

He added: “Real success looks like trophies. Anything else in between, bragging rights, whatever, it is absolutely meaningless to me.

“What do you think is going to happen? What do you think we are going to do as a team, or any team on this planet? Aren’t we going to just try to win? It’s a simple premise. How that makes people feel, I’m not really fussed and I don’t really care.”

Spurs host the Gunners on Sunday when Mikel Arteta’s side will enter the game with a one-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

While Spurs have top-four ambitions of their own, they know that victory against Arsenal would dent their rivals’ title challenge.

“We understand the importance of being at home in these kind of games to not let our biggest rival win in the biggest derby for us,” said Postecoglou.

“We understand the consequences of that. I am not going to dictate how our fans feel and what they feel is important.”

Spurs have beaten Liverpool and Manchester United at home this season, and Postecoglou says Sunday presents another chance for his side to measure themselves against a rival.

Should Arsenal get the win, however, they would at least briefly pull four points clear of chasing City, who play at Nottingham Forest later on Sunday.

Arteta, who spent five years at Arsenal as a player, says there is an even greater incentive to win the derby as a manager.

“There’s more motivation, if anything,” said Arteta. “You know what you can give to your people, which is a lot of joy and happiness if we manage to win the game.

“Obviously, when you have the chance to do that and that’s in your hand, you really want to make the most of it to try and make it happen.”

Manchester City’s 4-0 win against Brighton on Thursday trimmed Arsenal’s lead, with Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions having a game in hand.

The Australian, 58, is also the first manager to claim the first three monthly awards from the start of any Premier League season.

Spurs had wins against Luton, Fulham and Crystal Palace in October, earning recognition for their manager.

His side have won eight games from 11 and drawn two so far this season.

Spurs were reduced to nine men in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday, a result that dents Postecoglou’s chances of matching Pep Guardiola’s record of four consecutive awards.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou became the first Australian to take the Manager of the Month award when he was rewarded for a fast start in August, which continued into September and October.

Only Antonio Conte, Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp had previously won the award in three consecutive months.

The Australian, 58, has guided Spurs to the top of the table.

Tottenham have had an unbeaten start to the season, winning six games from eight and drawing two.

The last manager to win two consecutive awards was Jurgen Klopp in 2019-20, when Liverpool won the Premier League.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou also won the award for August, becoming the first Australian to do so.

Tottenham’s captain Son Heung-min has won September’s Player of the Month award.

Spurs benefited from VAR officials failing to overturn a wrongly flagged offside decision when Luis Diaz scored for Liverpool with their match at 0-0.

Postecoglou’s side won last Saturday’s game 2-1 after an injury-time own goal.

Asked whether he would get rid of VAR, the Spurs manager said: “I would, in its current form. I just don’t think that technology’s ready for our game.”

Referees’ body PGMOL released the audio of discussions between the match officials around Diaz’s disallowed goal on Tuesday.

Video assistant referee Darren England said the check was “perfect”, before swearing when he realised a mistake had been made.

From this weekend, PGMOL said VARs will confirm the outcome of any decisions with their assistant VARs before notifying the on-field officials to prevent a repeat mistake.

“I’ve got absolutely zero against goalline technology, that’s a no-brainer because that’s quite significant, but it works for our game,” added Postecoglou.

“I just think our game is unique and I know people say, ‘well, let’s get referees explaining their decisions’. Oh my God. Seriously? Could you imagine sitting there listening to a referee explain every decision on the game.”

Postecoglou drew a comparison between refereeing in football and how NFL officials communicate, and how long that can take.

“I’m going to the gridiron on Sunday, I love it, I love American football,” he said. “It’s three and a half hours mate. Do you want to sit through three and a half hours of listening?

“I just think with VAR at the moment, we think it’s going to eliminate [errors] and the more we use it, I think the worse it’s going to get.

“It was there for the clear and obvious error. It seems like everything now. Yellow cards, fouls, corners, everything’s getting scrutinised. It’s not our game.

“We’re not rugby, we don’t have those stoppages. What I always loved about England was the frenetic pace of football.

“Why are we trying to take that out? Now, I think part of the consequence of last week was that none of us liked it when they were taking so long to make a decision and it sounded like last week they were rushing into a decision.

“That suggests to me that I don’t think the technology in its current form is suitable to our game, but I know I will be in a minority with that and my role within that is to accept that whatever my feelings are on it, ultimately, there’s still going to be an arbitrator of decisions.”

What does Postecoglou think of a replay against Liverpool?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said replaying the game against Spurs would be “the right thing to do” because of the unprecedented nature of the mistake made by the VAR.

BBC Sport understands there is no prospect of the Premier League considering a replay.

“I think Jurgen’s said that and maybe that was taken a little bit out of context,” said Postecoglou.

“My view is when you’re talking about a replay, there’s got to be some sort of threshold and I don’t think a mistake is a threshold for that.

“It was a unique mistake, people have used an unprecedented mistake and I agree with that, but it was still a mistake.

“So, if your threshold for replays is mistakes by individuals, that’s 365 games a year, I reckon.”

Postecoglou, 57, leaves Celtic after winning successive Scottish Premiership titles in his two seasons in charge.

He is Spurs’ fourth permanent manager since Mauricio Pochettino led them to the Champions League final in 2018-19 and follows Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

“We are excited to have Ange join us,” said Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our club,” he added.

Spurs have been searching for a new manager since Conte’s departure in March, with Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason both taking charge on an interim basis.

Postecoglou – the first Australian to manage in the Premier League – arrives at Tottenham after winning a domestic treble in Scotland, where he has claimed five of the six trophies available to Celtic during his two campaigns with the club.

He is one of only five managers – along with Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon – to secure a domestic clean sweep with Celtic.

“It has been a pleasure working with Ange, a great football manager and a good man. He has served the club with such energy and determination and delivered a phenomenal level of success,” Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson said.

“Of course, we wanted Ange to stay at Celtic and while there is real disappointment we are losing him, he has decided he wants to look at a new challenge, which we respect.”

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The Australian, 57, has just finished his second season at Celtic, leading them to the Scottish title both years and the domestic treble this term.

Spurs have been looking for a new manager since Antonio Conte’s exit in March, with Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason taking interim charge.

The final elements of the deal are being finalised before an announcement.

Athens-born Postecoglou’s only experience in Europe before joining Celtic in 2021 had been a spell in charge of Greek lower league side Panachaiki in 2008.

He has won the Australian title with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar, Japan’s top flight with Yokohama F Marinos and also led the Australian national team to victory at the 2015 Asian Cup.

Postecoglou takes over a Tottenham side who finished eighth in the Premier League and face a first season without European football since 2009-10.

He becomes the London side’s fourth permanent boss, after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte, since the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.

Postecoglou has won five trophies from a possible six since arriving in Scotland in the summer of 2021, re-establishing Celtic as the dominant force in the country.

He admitted he was seen as a “joke” when he took over, with Celtic having just finished 25 points behind Rangers.

But he becomes one of only five managers – along with Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon – to secure a domestic clean sweep for Celtic.

Postecoglou became a hugely popular figure with the Celtic fans, with his recruitment and attacking football catching the eye.

The 57-year-old would not discuss his future after Saturday’s Scottish Cup final victory over Inverness.

That victory saw Postecoglou’s Celtic side complete a domestic treble.

Tottenham are refusing to comment on the situation, however, well-placed sources have told BBC Sport Postecoglou is likely to join the London club.

It is anticipated Spurs officials will outline their plan for the future and explain to Postecoglou why they think he is the right man for the job.

The Premier League club are wary of being seen to be too optimistic given the speculation that grew around their interest in Feyenood’s Arne Slot, only for the Dutchman to decide he wanted to stay with the Eredivisie champions.

But Spurs are also keen to avoid a repeat of the saga of 2021 when they spent weeks trying and failing to land a succession of targets to replace Jose Mourinho.

They eventually appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who was promptly sacked after just 17 games in charge.

Postecoglou’s reputation growing

Postecoglou confounded early scepticism by winning five out of six domestic trophies during his two seasons at Celtic.

In the process, he has become a crowd favourite at the club.

The Greek-born former Australia boss would enter the Premier League with a burgeoning reputation and a recent CV that is laden with success on different continents.

Postecoglou has emulated Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon to secure a clean sweep of domestic honours for Celtic this term.

And despite his limited experience of coaching in European football, he has won admirers for the style of football Celtic have played.

Postecoglou’s impressive rebuilding job at Parkhead saw him topple a Rangers side that finished 25 points clear in the 2020-21 season and win two league titles. It matched the two A-League championships he collected at Brisbane Roar before taking charge of the Socceroos in 2013.

A four-year tenure saw Postecoglou take the Australian national side to the 2014 World Cup, win the Asia Cup in 2015 and then steer them to Russia in 2018 before resigning. The following year he led Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos to their first J League title in 15 years.

His arrival in London would end chairman Daniel Levy’s very public and frustrating search for a new boss.

Antonio Conte left the club in March, while Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason also took charge in a turbulent end to a campaign that saw Spurs miss out on European football next term.

Since Conte’s exit, a host of high-profile managers have been linked and then distanced themselves from the Tottenham job.

The Italian’s 16-month spell ended with Conte criticising his own players and the club’s culture after a 3-3 draw against bottom-side Southampton.

Stellini, who had been named interim boss, then departed after a 6-1 thrashing at Newcastle as Spurs concluded the season by winning just three of their final 11 matches.