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استطاع الأوروجواني داروين نوينز، إحراز الهدف الثاني لصالح ليفربول أمام نظيره بريستون، في المباراة التي تجمعهما اليوم، الأحد.

ويواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، نظيره بريستون، عصر اليوم، الأحد، في مباراة ودية ضمن تحضيرات الريدز للموسم الجديد 2025/2026.

وشهد اللقاء الوقوف دقيقة حداد من كل المتواجدين بالملعب على روح ديوجو جوتا، الذي فارق الحياة بسبب حادث سير، بأحد شوارع إسبانيا رفقة شقيقه.

وسجل نونيز، الهدف الثاني لليفربول في مرمى بريستون بالدقيقة 54 من المباراة، كما تمكن برادلي، الظهير الأيمن للريدز من إحراز الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 33.

ويرتدي محمد صلاح، جناح ليفربول وقائد منتخب مصر، شارة قيادة الفريق خلال مباراة اليوم أمام بريستون بعدما تواجد أساسيًا في اللقاء. هدف نونيز في مباراة ليفربول وبريستون اليوم

MatériaMais Notícias

da realbet： O Botafogo está escalado para enfrentar o Palmeiras às 20h desta segunda-feira, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela 29ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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da premier bet： +Botafogo: Patrick de Paula perde espaço com Luís Castro e sequer fica no banco contra o Palmeiras

Com novidades na linha defensiva pelas suspensões de Fernando Marçal e Victor Cuesta, Luís Castro confirmou uma equipe com mudanças em relação ao time que venceu o Goiás na última quarta-feira.

O Alvinegro está escalado com Gatito Fernández; Saravia, Kanu, Adryelson, Hugo; Tchê Tchê, Gabriel Pires, Eduardo; Júnior Santos, Tiquinho Soares, Jeffinho.

ONDE ASSISTIR
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A partida terá transmissão do SporTV e Premiere para todo o Brasil. O LANCE!/Voz do Esporte acompanha o duelo em tempo real com narração no YouTube e site do L!.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： Nesta quarta-feira, às 21h45, Atlético-MG e Palmeiras voltam a se enfrentar na temporada, desta vez pelo Brasileirão. Os recentes encontros entre os treinadores Cuca e Abel Ferreira renderam inúmeras polêmicas. O último, inclusive, contou com declarações fortes que perduraram até depois da partida.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras: Leila Pereira diz que ‘não escala’ Endrick e nega ter recebido propostas pela joiaPalmeiras27/09/2022BrasileirãoAtlético-MG x Palmeiras: onde assistir, prováveis times e desfalques do duelo pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão27/09/2022PalmeirasDudu projeta novo encontro com o Atlético-MG e analisa adversário: ‘Não vive um bom momento’Palmeiras27/09/2022

da wazamba： >Veja os uniformes das seleções lançados para a Copa do Mundo

Após o Verdão eliminar o Galo nas quartas de final da atual edição da Libertadores, o técnico do time mineiro lamentou o resultado e alegou que o jogo de sua equipe foi dificultado mesmo com dois atletas a mais. Na coletiva do português, entretanto, o comandante palmeirense explicou o que o adversário deveria ter feito para vencer o confronto.

– O Cuca é experiente, vai ver que tinha muita gente fora do nosso bloco, e tem que ter gente por dentro para atacar nossa linha. Ele tinha os pontas por fora, os dois laterais abertos, os zagueiros por trás, mas poucos jogadores por dentro do nosso bloco. Isso, para nós, foi mais fácil de controlar – disse o treinador alviverde.

Na partida seguinte, Cuca foi questionado sobre a “aula” do adversário e respondeu que, quando se vence, tudo é perfeito. O comandante do Galo ainda citou a ausência de Abel durante a decisão por pênaltis.

> Confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

– Quando você está vencendo, tudo que você faz é perfeito, bonito, maravilhoso. Se você sai para o vestiário e vai escutar música na hora dos pênaltis e ganha, vira moda. E se perdesse? Se a derrota vem para eles nesse jogo, vocês estavam cobrando as duas expulsões, as seis quedas do goleiro no mesmo canto, o treinador que não ficou para os pênaltis – desabafou.

Após alguns saírem em defesa de Cuca e outros ficarem do lado de Abel Ferreira, o treinador do Atlético fez questão de esclarecer o que disse em entrevista coletiva e reforçou que não houve nenhuma ofensa.

– Quando ele me pegou de surpresa naquela pergunta, eu respondi com a maior naturalidade possível que um cara pode falar, mas sem ofensa a ninguém. Eu simplesmente falei, e quis deixar entendido que a vitória te dá o direito de tudo e você tem razão. Na derrota, você não tem razão. Foi isso que eu fiz. Não tive maldade e nem ofensa para ninguém, nem para o Palmeiras, muito menos para o Abel – explicou Cuca.

Já o treinador palestrino, por sua vez, aproveitou a coletiva da última rodada do Brasileirão para também explicar o seu lado e dizer que não tem nenhum inimigo no futebol.

– Quando eu falo um minuto e vocês tiram 10 segundos para mostrar ao Cuca o que eu disse, vocês esquecem que eu disse que ele é um dos melhores treinadores. Ninguém quis saber disso, só foram falar outras coisas. Eu não tenho e nem quero ter inimigos. Não posso julgar pessoas que eu não conheço. Eu não tenho nada contra ninguém e nem quero ter – ressaltou o português.

Até o momento, foram oito duelos entre Cuca e Abel. Uma vitória do brasileiro, uma do português e seis empates.

Vale lembrar que, já que a derrota na final da Libertadores de 2020 aconteceu enquanto o atual comandante do Galo ainda estava no Santos, Cuca está invicto neste duelo pelo Atlético, com um triunfo e cinco resultados de igualdade.

Abel Ferreira, entretanto, não estará à frente da equipe alviverde nesta quarta. O técnico palmeirense foi expulso no clássico contra o Santos e cumpre suspensão. O auxiliar João Martins será o comandante.

continua após a publicidade

Ben Sawyer has been appointed head coach while Malolan Rangarajan and VR Vanitha are also part of the coaching staff

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2023

Sania Mirza has been roped in as mentor of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL), to be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26.On Wednesday, the franchise also announced the signing of Australian Ben Sawyer as head coach. Sawyer is the head coach of New Zealand Women and was part of the Women’s World Cup-winning side with Australia last year as the assistant coach.Malolan Rangarajan, the former Tamil Nadu offspinner and lead talent scout, has been named assistant coach, while VR Vanitha, the former India batter, will come onboard as fielding coach.Related

Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants to kick off WPL 2023

WPL – How the five teams stack up after the auction

They have also brought on board RX Murali as a power-hitting coach. Murali has built up an excellent body of work locally in Bengaluru, having helped train several Karnataka players, Mayank Agarwal among the more prominent names in recent times.Sania Mirza ‘excited’ to work on the mental aspects with young Indian talentMirza, the first Indian woman to win a major title – she finished with six across women’s doubles and mixed doubles – is expected to join the squad following the conclusion of the ATP Dubai Open, which is likely to be her last professional tournament. Mirza, 36, announced her decision to retire from professional tennis prior to the Australian Open, where she and her partner Rohan Bopanna finished runners-up in the mixed doubles.”I was a little surprised [at being offered a mentorship role], but I was really excited,” Mirza told RCB TV. “I want to make young girls believe sport can be one of the first career choices for them. I want to help the next generation into believing in themselves no matter how much the odds are against you, you can achieve your goals.”Mirza was particularly enthused about working with the younger Indian players and helping them deal with pressure. “The mental aspect of it is something I look forward to working with the younger girls,” she said. “I feel I can [help] bring in the mental steadiness, the mental belief, I can talk of the experiences I’ve had over 20 years of playing. Being the only [Indian] woman doing it for so many years has been lonely, but the pressure has been high, that kind of stuff is something I can truly help with.”Royal Challengers put together a star-studded line-up at the inaugural auction, headlined by Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Sophie Devine, Dane van Niekerk and Richa Ghosh.The team will open its WPL campaign on March 5, the second day of the tournament, against Delhi Capitals at Brabourne Stadium.

With the January transfer window edging ever closer, Tottenham Hotspur have now made an enquiry over an “unreal” attacker, according to a report from Sky Sports.

Tottenham transfer news

In light of the recent ankle injury which is set to rule Guglielmo Vicario out for months, Ange Postecoglou may have been expected to make a move for a new goalkeeper this January, but the Tottenham manager has been quick to praise back-up Fraser Forster, saying:

“Fraser is such a strong character within the group and ready to play.”

As such, a new goalkeeper might not be one of the manager’s priorities, but Postecoglou will no doubt be looking to strengthen other areas of his squad, and there is no shortage of potential options for the Australian in attacking areas.

Recent reports have indicated Spurs are running the rule over Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro, while Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo could be brought in as an alternative to James Maddison.

Tottenham eyeing "top" winger compared to Grealish ahead of potential move

The Lilywhites are running the rule over him.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 28, 2024

Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens is a younger player that Postecoglou is also currently considering, and there have now been reports that Tottenham could be looking at one of the Eredivisie’s top players to bolster their attacking options.

Tottenham make Tillman enquiry

According to a report from Sky Sports, Spurs have now made an enquiry over PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, but they may have to fend off competition from a number of other Premier League clubs.

Both Manchester United and Aston Villa are credited with a concrete interest in the PSV star, who recently scored a match-winning brace against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

There is a release clause which comes into effect this summer, meaning Tillman could be a very affordable target, as the clause is believed to be in the region of €30m-€40m (£25m-£33m).

Playing in the Premier League is said to be a major goal for the 22-year-old, and there is ample evidence that he could be a quality addition to Postecoglou’s squad, given his output for PSV so far this season.

The midfielder has weighed in with five goals in 13 Eredivisie games, and his goal-scoring ability in the Champions League has been equally impressive, amassing five goal contributions in as many games, including three goals.

The two most recent of which came in PSV’s 3-2 victory against Shakhtar, with the American inspiring a sensational comeback:

Lauded as “unreal” by ESPN writer Bill Connelly, the former Rangers man appears to be ready to realize his dream of playing in the Premier League, given that he is averaging a 7.39 WhoScored match rating in the league this season, the highest of any player.

Tottenham already have a breadth of attacking talent, but it is evident that they want to bring in additional reinforcements and Tillman has proven he is ready to take the next step in his career by signing for one of England’s biggest clubs, making this one to watch.

It is not just a new mindset on the field which is helping Eoin Morgan’s team, but signs of an enlightened approach in the dressing room and away from the game and a young squad is happier for it

George Dobell in Perth31-Jan-20150:48

‘Play the game, not the reputation’ – Buttler

Just over a year ago, the England team left Perth unable to deny the reality of their situation: the Ashes were lost and an era was over. They looked broken, in spirit and in mind. Several illustrious careers were ebbing away.They have returned an almost unrecognisable team. And, while they might not have players with the records or talent of Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann, they do not have the burden of their history and expectation, either. They are unscarred, by success or failure, and they are, with a few exceptions, relishing their first experience of a major global event. The schedule will, in time, weary them all. But for now, they’re living their dreams. These are their wonder years.It would be unfair to contrast the last days of Andy Flower’s period as coach with the relatively early days of Peter Moores second stint. There was a time, under Flower, when England harnessed enjoyment and excellence to play some of the best cricket in their history. His reputation is justifiably high.But, by the time England reached Australia a year or so ago, Flower was a changed man. England were tense, tired and tetchy. The joy and wonder had been lost and, in their place, was a relentless intensity ill-suited to a punch-drunk team with too many miles on the clock. It was time for a change.Moores, in partnership with his avuncular assistant Paul Farbrace, has revived England. He has identified players – characters as much as cricketers – who he feels can lead the rebuilding. Players with no baggage from the past and no agenda for the future other than to play to the best of their ability. The shoots of recovery are fragile at present but in Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler and James Taylor England should have the nucleus of a side that can serve them not just at this World Cup but at the next, as well.There are parallels here with Moores’ first period as England coach. Even in that largely discredited reign, he made key decisions that laid the platform for some of the success enjoyed later by Flower and co. It was, after all, Moores who made the decision to entrust James Anderson and Stuart Broad with the new ball; Moores who recalled Matt Prior; Moores who backed Swann. Whatever his failings – and he would be the first to admit he is a wiser man now – he was always a decent judge of a player.

A team that lives on the road as much as England needs to enjoy the journey. It needs to offer an environment which is relaxed but intense, personally ambitious but selflessly supportive, fearless but focused

Whatever happens on Sunday, everyone in the England squad will have four days off following the match. There will be no training, no sponsorship engagements and no media opportunities.Instead the squad, many of whom have their partners here, will be encouraged to explore this fine country. To embrace the beaches and breweries; the valleys and vineyards; the creeks and the cafes. Moores understands that, however good the dressing rooms and hotels, they become prisons if inhabited for 300 days a year.It is unthinkable that Flower would have allowed his team such freedom. And perhaps, because of that, it became unthinkable that they would play free and fearless cricket. Whether they were jaded or fearful of the reaction a dismissal might provoke, they became a team adept at playing the percentages. It was enough to take them to the brink of the Champions Trophy, but such a team has never won a World Cup.A team that lives on the road as much as England needs to enjoy the journey. It needs to offer an environment which is relaxed but intense, personally ambitious but selflessly supportive, fearless but focused. Moores has gone a long way towards creating that environment in the last few months.Pietersen’s memorable description of Moores as “the woodpecker” – a maddening presence whose constant intrusion upon the players became an impediment – may have been true in 2007. But there is no evidence to support it now.It does not matter hugely who wins this match. While it is a final in theory, it is the coda that became the overture. England will take confidence simply from reaching it and both sides will know that conditions in Perth bear little comparison to conditions in Melbourne, where they meet again on February 14. All the pressure is on Australia.In a perfect world, England would like to see Ravi Bopara contribute a little more and Stuart Broad continue to improve following his comeback. But with runs from Taylor, Buttler, Eoin Morgan and Ian Bell, with good spells from Woakes, Anderson, Moeen and Steven Finn, they have probably already gained more from this tri-series event than they could have expected. They’re improving.There is a concern about the pitch, though. Facing Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc on the same surface upon which Axar Patel, the left-arm spinner, saw his deliveries spit to head height, is not just challenging, it is potentially dangerous. Nobody wants to see a player ruled out of the World Cup with a broken finger.The groundstaff have worked hard since the end of Friday’s match to improve the surface. The floodlights stayed on past midnight as the pitch has been rolled endlessly from every angle. But those cracks are a worry and add just a hint of chance to an encounter that should be decided on merit.

“I want to see more consistency in terms of where you want to pitch the ball,” India captain says of the bowling effort

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20221:43

Takeaways: Mohammed Shami executes India’s final-over masterplan

There was no sign of Mohammed Shami till the last over of the Indians’ warm-up game against Australia. “This was always the plan,” Rohit Sharma said, explaining that the plan was to throw a challenge to Shami, who was returning after a long layoff. But when Shami came on, he made things happen. The Australians, favourites to win with 11 to get off six, lost four off the last four balls, with Shami getting three, to lose by six runs.”Honestly, he is coming back after a long time. So we just wanted to give him an over. This was always the plan from the beginning,” Rohit said on Star Sports. “He comes and bowls at the death. We know how lethal he can be with the new ball. We just wanted to give him a little bit of a challenge, coming and bowling that death over and we saw what it was.”Related

• 'Talk of having time to prepare for this World Cup started right after last one' – Rohit Sharma

• Rohit: Saving Bumrah's career more important than World Cup

• Shami-Kohli brilliance takes Indians to unlikely win over Australians

In the Australians’ chase of the Indians’ 186 for 7, Aaron Finch led the way with a 54-ball 76. The first-wicket stand between Finch and Mitchell Marsh was worth 64 – inside the powerplay – and for the most part, it looked like the Australians would win. But Harshal Patel got Finch with a lower yorker, Virat Kohli pulled off a stunning run-out – and then a one-handed catch backtracking at long-on in the final over – and Shami aced the final over to give India victory, a heartening one after the defeat to a Western Australia XI the other day.”There is definitely room for improvement,” Rohit said. “I am sure we are on it but I want to see more consistency in terms of where you want to pitch the ball. You know, when you play back home and when you play in Australian conditions, you have to change your tactics, change your lengths a little bit. Sometimes, keeping it simple and hitting the ball hard on the deck will be a good option.”It is something we’ve been working on, speaking to the guys about it. But overall, it was a good game for us. Like I said, it was a good pitch. They had a decent partnership in the middle, which put pressure on us a little bit. But our last three-four overs were really good.”Virat Kohli scored a direct hit and took a fantastic one-handed catch in the deep in the space of seven balls•ICC via Getty

The first half wasn’t too shabby either, as KL Rahul first and then Suryakumar Yadav hit quick half-centuries to put a good score on the board.”I thought we batted well. Just towards the end, we could have added 10-15 runs more,” Rohit said. “That’s something that we have been talking about. We want the set batter to bat as long as possible and till the end, which Surya did to some extent. Yeah, overall, it was a great batting effort. It was a good pitch to play on, nice bounce, we could trust our shots and that’s exactly what some of the guys did.”The large square boundaries at the Gabba was a new thing for at least some of the batters, too.”You have to be smart when you plan your batting on grounds like these. Hitting boundaries and sixes, of course, sounds nice, but you cannot forget pushing the ball in the gap, running between the wickets really hard and trying to get eight-nine runs in an over,” Rohit said. “[It’s] also a quite safe plan to have and it’s something we have been talking about.”When we played in Perth [against WA XI] as well, the practice game, one side of the boundary would be large and it was a great practice for us today.”

Instantly attempting to make his mark, new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim reportedly wants to show the door to as many as four players in a ruthless clearout in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

Amorim will arrive on 11th November with plenty of work to do. The Red Devils currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League following a disastrous end to Erik ten Hag’s tenure. Ruud van Nistelrooy has since taken Manchester United back to winning ways with a thumping 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, but that doesn’t take away from the extent of the new manager’s task.

The first job on Amorim and INEOS’s list may well be to clear out any deadwood from Old Trafford. The likes of Casemiro and Antony – whose arrival almost sums up the failure of Ten Hag’s time at the club – look set to be heading for the exit door alongside Christian Eriksen in a ruthless but needed shake-up.

However, those three aren’t the only players reportedly heading for the exit door. According to reports in Spain, Amorim also wants to show the door to Victor Lindelof to clear out a total of four players within his new squad in January.

The Swede has been at the club since 2017 without ever really standing out in Manchester United’s backline and could finally lose his place eight years later when Amorim gets his chance to mould his squad.

Man Utd now keeping tabs on "crazy" £337,000-a-week Champions League winner

This would be the deal of the summer…

ByTom Cunningham Nov 2, 2024

With Leny Yoro working his way back to full fitness and Matthijs de Ligt also arriving in the summer, it would certainly make sense to sell Lindelof in the January transfer window and cash in before his current contract comes to an end next summer. Whether Casemiro, Eriksen and Antony suffer such an instant fate remains to be seen, however.

Right time for "great" Lindelof to move on

As the beginning of a new era arrives at Manchester United, it’s the right time for Lindelof to seek a fresh start of his own. The 30-year-old will leave an FA Cup and Carabao Cup winner in a period of his career not without its struggles, but with some impressive silverware along the way.

After almost eight years, he wouldn’t be leaving without having made some fans within the club either, with centre-back partner Harry Maguire among them. The former Manchester United captain told reporters after their win over Luton Town last season (via Football365): “Victor is technically brilliant. You’ve seen over the years that he’s a great footballer. I’m really pleased for him, he was brilliant today.”

If Amorim does show the central defender the door, Yoro could be handed his place to finally make his mark at Old Trafford. The young Frenchman suffered an ill-timed injury on arrival in pre-season and didn’t even get the chance to make a Premier League appearance under Ten Hag.

Now, with Amorim to impress, he’ll be desperate to get back to full fitness and earn his place at the heart of United’s backline.

Looking to compete with some of Europe’s best both on and off the pitch, Monchi now reportedly wants Aston Villa to sign a player who’s been compared to John Obi Mikel ahead of Chelsea.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans proved in the summer that they’re here to stay when it comes to competing for a European place in the Premier League and they’ve since backed that up in the form of results. Losing just once in their opening seven league games – sitting fifth as a result – and even defeating European giants Bayern Munich in between in the Champions League, things can’t get much better for those at Villa Park.

They won’t want to stop there under Unai Emery, however. Whilst they’ve got the chance, there’s no doubt that Aston Villa will want to put their Champions League status to good use by adding further reinforcements to their side in 2025.

Aston Villa wonderkid who earns 3x more than Duran is "wasted" at new club

Aston Villa sold him in 2022

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 18, 2024

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Monchi now wants Aston Villa to sign Mario Dorgeles ahead of Chelsea after scouts compared the Nordsjaelland midfielder to former Premier League star John Obi Mikel. It’s not just Chelsea that the Villans will be competing against, however, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Brentford also reportedly keeping tabs on the 20-year-old in a busy battle for his signature.

Having won the race to sign Amadou Onana from Everton a few months ago, Aston Villa should be confident in their pursuit of yet another reinforcement and perhaps one that will complete Emery’s midfield once and for all. When 2025 arrives, Dorgeles will be one to watch.

Why Dorgeles is a man in-demand

After making an excellent start to the campaign at Danish side Nordsjaelland, Dorgeles has become a man in-demand around European football. At just 20 years old, his best is still to come in what is an exciting thought given that only four midfielders in world football managed better ball retention than the Ivorian in the 2023/24 season.

What’s more, if he is to follow in Obi Mikel’s footsteps, then swapping Scandinavia for the Premier League certainly makes sense with Villa left hoping that he decides to add a fresh twist by moving to the Midlands instead of Stamford Bridge.

It’s in the Midlands that Dorgeles could form an impressive partnership with current Villa star Onana. The Belgian has got off to the perfect start at Villa Park, quickly becoming one of Emery’s most important players, and could now receive a boost in the form of a midfield partner when 2025 arrives.

With so many of Europe’s top clubs keeping tabs on his progress, Dorgeles has the ultimate decision to make next year. Whether that ends in another vital addition to Emery’s ever-advancing Aston Villa project remains to be seen, however, as they continue to take strides on and off the pitch.

Sunday's 2-1 loss to Leicester has left Tottenham precariously sitting above the Premier League drop zone on the precipice of crisis

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And so it has come to this. Little over five years ago, Tottenham Hotspur were 90 minutes away from being crowned champions of Europe for the first time in their history. Even in eventual and perhaps predictable defeat, they had the hope of a bright future to look forward to having just moved into their new billion-pound stadium designed to close the gap on the elite.

Half a decade on, it's now a very real possibility that Spurs will soon be playing in the Championship. The fall from grace has been painful for all involved. Think of Homer Simpson attempting to fly across Springfield Gorge on Bart's skateboard, only for gravity to hurl him down the cliff-face, hitting every jagged rock on his way to the bottom. He's airlifted to an ambulance, which promptly crashes into a tree and he topples out the wrecked vehicle back down the same cliff-face on a stretcher. That's the state of Tottenham right now.

At the time of writing, the Lilywhites sit 15th in the Premier League table having accrued a mere 24 points from 23 games – a tally which they cleared during the first 10 games of last season upon Ange Postecoglou's arrival. Ipswich Town are the only other club in the bottom five to have not changed their manager to this point, and that's down to the credit Kieran McKenna has stored in the bank following successive promotions.

The problems in N17 go beyond the man in the dugout, however. Postecoglou is not blameless, but he is definitely not the main reason why Tottenham are side-eyeing the second tier.

• AFP
  

  Constant failure

  The first sign of Tottenham's decline ironically came around 12 months before their trip to the Champions League final, with the club going a year-and-a-half without an incoming. This was despite then-manager Mauricio Pochettino's desperate plea to help rebuild a playing squad he felt had hit the glass ceiling, and it's a minor miracle he was able to lead them to the brink of continental glory.

  "When you talk about Tottenham, everyone says you have an amazing house but you need to put in the furniture," said the Argentine, half-referencing the stadium move. "If you want to have a lovely house maybe you need better furniture."

  Chairman Daniel Levy has become notorious for shying away from the spotlight, particularly when Spurs seem to be in trouble. He did, at least, provide an explanation of this staggering lack of transfer activity at a meeting with the club's Supporters' Trust in October 2018. False presumptions that certain players would leave in order to free up funds and space was one reason cited, but concerningly, 'transfers were complicated with several variables' was another. This is the kind of remark that would leave Roy Keane flabbergasted and telling people to do their job.

  By the time Pochettino finally got some new faces through the door in 2019, it was too late. The cycle had ended with that team and he was the one who paid the price, with Levy hiring Jose Mourinho – a man he claimed to have been the second-best manager in the world at the time, despite that clearly not being the case.

  To the shock of no one, Mourinho didn't work out. He ought to have been sacked long before the 2021 Carabao Cup final, yet Levy chose until days before that showdown with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to axe him. After roughly two months of searching for a successor, the job landed at the feet of Nuno Espirito Santo, who lasted about the same timespan into the 2021-22 season before he too was unceremoniously fired.

  Then came Antonio Conte, the only manager to lead Tottenham to a top-four finish since Pochettino left. To the Italian's credit, he figured out how to get the best out of the Harry Kane and Son Heung-min duo without compromising at the other end of the pitch. He wanted to bridge the gap to the title contenders and fight for more than Champions League qualification. Just one player was signed in his only summer window that immediately improved the starting XI – Ivan Perisic, at this point in his mid-thirties – and three-quarters of the way into a challenging season professionally and personally, Conte lost his job after an astonishing 10-minute rant at a press conference digging out his players and the board.

  In Pochettino's five full seasons, Spurs finished fifth, third, second, third and fourth. Since then, it's been sixth, seventh, fourth, eighth and fifth. They still haven't won a trophy since 2008.

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  Levy's lost credit

  It can't be forgotten that Levy did well to build Tottenham up as a contending club again after spending the nineties and early-noughties in the wilderness, but it is equally as impressive how he's lost a large proportion of the fanbase since his crowning moment of the stadium move.

  At the start of the first coronavirus lockdown, there was significant backlash to the furloughing of club staff, so much so that this was quickly reversed. One year later, Spurs decided to throw their hat into the short-lived European Super League ring. More recently, soaring ticket prices in spite of a lack of success have been protested, as has the decision to remove concession prices. The sentiment among regular match-goers is they are being priced out for tourists.

  During Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester City, Tottenham supporters chanted against Levy, while a banner was unfurled in the single-tier south stand claiming it was 'time for change'. Levy has always been able to fall back on his prestige and expertise as a businessman, but as so many have pointed out, Tottenham are a club first and foremost, and that appears to have been forgotten.

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  Postecoglou's doomed reign

  Similarly to Nuno two years prior, Postecoglou was handed the head coach's job when other candidates, notably Arne Slot, decided against taking it. To make matters worse, the sale of Kane – a man whose quality was definitely taken for granted – to Bayern Munich was sanctioned on the opening week of the season. Had Tottenham plummeted into the no-man's-land of mid-table, it would have been understandable.

  Alas, Postecoglou managed to steer Spurs to a respectable fifth-place finish, only two points behind Aston Villa in the Champions League spots. There were signs of promise for this new era. Like Conte though, the Australian was afforded only one player to come straight into his starting XI, as well as three teenagers and an extended loan for Timo Werner.

  The squad needed surgery even prior to the injury crisis that has plagued their current campaign. Postecoglou's Tottenham are now on life support and he is hanging by a thread. After every defeat comes a new report that the board want to stick with the Australian and support him through this period, though all the while doing little to actually stand that sentiment up.

  Unlike his predecessors who weren't afraid to make their ill-feelings towards the board known, Postecoglou has dressed up his request for reinforcements in a dignified manner and more along the lines of a cry for 'help'.

  "I've said all along, the players need help and I've also said the club are working hard in that area to try to alleviate some of those problems," has been the constant message. "The players are going out there and giving everything they can because we can't call off games. We've got another game in three days' time that these players have to front up for. The injury situation will ease and I'm confident they will sort of help us. Even one more player coming in, just in the short term will give us an opportunity, at least to navigate these last 10 days, two weeks, of what's been a really hard slog for this group of players."

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  On-field problems

  Through the autumn, Spurs' main issue was their wild inconsistency. They were a team capable of winning away at both Manchester clubs with a combined score of 7-0, yet would be too easily undone when a game wasn't going their way – 12 of their 13 defeats in the Premier League have been by a single goal in matches where the opposition simply shut up shop.

  Those would be understandable teething issues for a project team at or close to full strength, but Postecoglou has not been afforded that luxury. A detailed report from into their spate of injuries this season did not necessarily blame the head coach, though did suggest his high-energy style in training as well as matches hasn't done much to relieve the strain.

  'Ange-ball' in full flight is breathtaking. It has made Tottenham one of the best watches in all of Europe and they have a clear identity again. But it's a style that often requires perfection in order to succeed, and at the moment, Spurs aren't even good enough to get lucky. There's been an absence of scrappy wins and draws, their penchant for late goals and comebacks from last season evaporating into thin air.

  Tottenham, under Pochettino or anyone else, have been unable to win major honours because when you scratch beneath the surface of the first XI, there has always appeared a serious lack of quality and options. Only now has that truly been exposed with Postecoglou's makeshift lineups which are coming potentially at the detriment of his players' careers, with several soldiering on through injury just to help the cause.