Bergwijn has flattered to deceive since making a €31.25m (£27m) move from Spurs to Ajax in the summer of 2022.

Although the winger has posted some decent numbers so far this season (five goals and two assists in 10 Eredivisie games), there has been some speculation over recent weeks that the Dutch club could offload him to Saudi Arabia in January (Voetbal Zone).

Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Premier League return on the cards for Bergwijn

If De Telegraaf’s latest update is to be believed, Bergwijn could soon be back in England, with West Ham said to be plotting a move for the winger.

The report explains that the Hammers have reached out to the 26-year-old’s camp to discuss a potential switch to the London Stadium in January.

The outlet adds that while the East London club have not contacted Ajax, the Eredivisie side are aware of their interest and would be willing to cash in on Bergwijn for €40m (£34.7m).

Spurs Web Opinion

Bergwijn did quite well at Spurs whenever he got opportunities (which were few and far between under Conte) and he certainly showed that he is more than good enough for the Premier League. 

David Moyes likes attackers who are quick, strong and have a good engine, which is why it is not surprising that the Hammers are considering a move for the former Tottenham man.

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Gimenez has been one of the most prolific strikers across Europe since the start of 2023 and the centre-forward shows no sign of slowing down in front of goal.

Several outlets over the last few weeks have indicated that the 22-year-old is at the top of Tottenham’s wishlist in January as the Lilywhites seek a number nine to fill Harry Kane’s shoes (CaughtOffside).

However, Spurs are not the only ones thought to be eyeing a move for the striker, with Real Madrid (Fichajes) and Barcelona (Sport) also rumoured to be among his admirers.

ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS – OCTOBER 8: Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord Rotterdam looks on after the Dutch Eredivisie match between PEC Zwolle and Feyenoord at MAC³PARK Stadion on October 8, 2023 in Zwolle, Netherlands. (Photo by NESimages/Raymond Smit/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

West Ham could enter the race for Santiago Gimenez

The Mirror have now stated that David Moyes is ‘itching to add another centre-forward’ to his squad after failing to replace Gianluca Scamacca in the summer and with Danny Ings also potentially on his way out in January.

The outlet reveals that while Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke is West Ham’s top target, the Cherries are unwilling to let the player leave.

It is alleged that the Hammers could thus turn their attention to Gimenez, having tracked him for ‘some time’, with the report also naming Spurs and Arsenal as clubs who have scouted the Mexican.

Spurs Web Opinion

Signing a number nine would not be a priority for Tottenham in January, with a wide-forward, a centre-back and a midfielder (if Hojbjerg leaves) likely to be at the top of their agenda.

However, if Spurs sense that they risk losing out on Gimenez by waiting until the summer, they might perhaps be convinced to make a move for the Feyenoord man in January.

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Gimenez has become one of the hottest properties across European football as the striker has been unable to stop scoring since the start of the calendar year.

Tottenham are one of the club’s clubs across the continent thought to be eyeing a move for the striker (90 min), while Real Madrid (Fichajes) and Barcelona (Sport) have also been named as the 22-year-old’s admirers over recent weeks.

More recently, W Deportes suggested that Spurs might face competition from their London rivals Fulham for Gimenez’s signature, with the Cottagers said to have identified the Mexican as the ideal option to fill the shoes of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Meanwhile, The Daily Mirror reported last week that West Ham are looking for a new number nine to upgrade on Michail Antonio and that the Feyenoord star is a popular name among the Hammers’ transfer committee

ZWOLLE, NETHERLANDS – OCTOBER 8: Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord celebrates his goal during the Dutch Eredivisie match between PEC Zwolle and Feyenoord at MAC³PARK stadion on October 8, 2023 in Zwolle, Netherlands. (Photo by Peter Lous/BSR Agency/ Getty Images)

Gimenez is more likely to join Spurs than West Ham

Jones has now told GiveMeSport: ”Santiago Gimenez is causing all sorts of fuss at the moment, and a lot of recruitment teams across the Premier League are tracking his situation. 

“From what I have been able to gather so far, a move to Tottenham would be a lot more plausible than a move to West Ham or Fulham because this is a player who is already used to the Champions League and feels he has a place at the very top of the game.

“But there are big teams that Spurs are also going to have to win over if they make their interest firm, including Real Madrid.

“I’m told they are more likely than Barcelona as a landing spot at this moment and, when we start talking about these sorts of things, it’s pretty clear why a club like Fulham might have their work cut out to sign him.

“He’s also going to cost big money – I think somewhere towards £60million. But Feyenoord don’t even want to talk about that until the season is over.”

Spurs Web Opinion

If Richarlison does not turn a corner soon and find his scoring boots, Postecoglou could perhaps decide that signing another goalscorer is a priority in January as we would potentially be in deep trouble if there is an injury to Sonny.

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The beef between Richarlison and Antonio dates back to last season, with the Tottenham star being mocked by Antonio and Callum Wilson on The Footballer’s Football podcast (via The Daily Mail).

The pair joked that the Brazilian should perhaps wait to make sure he was not offside before taking his top off to avoid embarrassing bookings.

Richarlison hit back at the duo, asking on his TikTok how many goals the West Ham and Newcastle strikers had scored at the World Cup. Antonio subsequently defended his joke to the BBC Sport, insisting that it was nothing more than banter.

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Antonio’s Richy joke is coming back to haunt him

The 33-year-old has had a poor start to the season, having found the back of the net just twice in 13 appearances across all competitions for David Moyes’ side (Transfermarkt).

Antonio drew another blank on Saturday as West Ham fell to a 3-2 loss at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Agbonlahor did not hold back on his criticism of the striker.

The former Aston Villa man told talkSPORT: “He’s [Antonio] on a podcast every week talking about how he’s desperate for goals, he was sliding in because he’s desperate for goals, because he wants to talk about it on his podcast next weekend. 

“It’s embarrassing it is. You can’t be coming for Richarlison and then you’re not banging in goals yourself.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I feel that Antonio’s initial comments about Richarlison were completely blown out of proportion by the media owing to a misinterpretation. 

If one listens to the original episode, it is clear that neither Antonio nor Wilson were making fun of Richarlison’s struggles in front of goal. 

They were joking about the forward continuing to risk a booking by taking off his shirt after scoring despite having multiple goals ruled out in a similar fashion in the preceding weeks and months.

I guess this is the problem when active footballers have a podcast like this one as their words will be twisted and reported without context.

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Hardly anyone would have expected the Lilywhites to go into the October international break sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League but that is exactly what Ange Postecoglou’s men have managed, having won six and drawn two of their first eight games.

Even though Spurs fans have largely not entertained talks of a title challenge, it is a topic that has been widely discussed by the media over recent weeks.

Several pundits, including the likes of Gary Neville (on his Sky Sports podcast), have insisted that Spurs do not have the squad depth to sustain a title challenge and that they will eventually fall away.

However, the likes of Ian Wright (PL Productions via The Metro) and Louis Saha (King Casino Bonus) have suggested that the Lilywhites cannot be written off from the race just yet.

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Do Tottenham have to be considered title contenders?

Nolan agrees with Neville, stating that Postecoglou’s men are not quite ready despite their impressive start.

The 41-year-old told talkSPORT (16/10/23): “Tottenham have made a fantastic start But I don’t think they are quite there yet.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Barring a few extremely optimistic Spurs fans, I do not think most supporters are expecting the club to sustain a title bid this season. Most fans acknowledge that this is a transitional year and that a top-four finish would be an excellent achievement.

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As soon as Southampton went down last season, it was clear that Ward-Prowse would be leaving St Mary’s in the summer, with the only question being which Premier League side he would move to.

While West Ham appeared to be favourites for the 28-year-old’s signature right from the start, there were also suggestions that Spurs could swoop for him, with The Daily Star claiming at the start of August that the Lilywhites were considering hijacking the Hammers’ move for the midfielder.

The report revealed that scouts from Tottenham watched the 28-year-old in action several times towards the end of last season and that the North London club had identified him as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

However, in the end, Hojbjerg stayed put at Spurs while David Moyes’ men secured Ward-Prowse’s services for £30m, with the England international hitting the ground running at the London Stadium.

O’Hara wishes Tottenham signed Ward-Prowse

When asked about the former Southampton’s captain ability on set-pieces, O’Hara told talkSPORT: “He’s so much more than that as a player. He gets labelled as a set-piece specialist, but genuinely, he’s got so much more to his game than people think.

“I think he’s fantastic, I really do. I wish Tottenham had signed him.”

Spurs Web Opinion 

Ward-Prowse is a decent player but I would not say he is outstanding in open play. He has a good engine, vision and passing range, and one can argue that he would have been a decent addition to the squad. 

However, I am not convinced he would have improved our starting eleven. There is a reason why none of the top sides seriously considered a move for the 28-year-old.

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Postecoglou came to Tottenham with a reputation for playing, possession-based, front-football football and Daniel Levy even admitted in the fan forum on Tuesday that the Australian’s famed style of play was one of the main reasons behind his appointment.

Most Spurs fans expected some turbulence at the start, given that Postecoglou’s teams have a reputation for starting slow at the beginning of his tenure.

(Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham are even impressing their bitter rivals

However, the 58-year-old has managed to implement his ideas quite rapidly, with the Spurs players looking extremely comfortable in the system and seeming to be fully aware of their roles.

It remains to be seen how Tottenham will fare in the bigger tests that are to come soon, with clashes against Arsenal and Liverpool on the horizon, but Antonio is certainly quite impressed with what he has seen from the Lilywhites so far.

The West Ham striker said on The Footballers Football Show: “Tottenham are flames. The football they are playing right now is ridiculous. This manager has them playing unbelievably.”

Spurs Web Opinion

One of the reasons why there will likely not be a meltdown from Spurs fans if and when the team goes through a bad run is precisely because of the attractive football the side is playing.

The supporters will be far more accepting of some poor results if they feel that the team is trying to get forward and score goals than they would be if Spurs were just sitting back with men behind the ball.

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Gallagher was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham earlier this month, with The Telegraph reporting a couple of weeks ago that the Lilywhites had moved into pole position for the midfielder’s signature ahead of West Ham.

However, the 23-year-old has started all three of Chelsea’s Premier League games so far this season and it has been suggested by some outlets recently that Mauricio Pochettino wants to keep the England international at Stamford Bridge (Metro).

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – JULY 19: Conor Gallagher of Chelsea passes the ball during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Chelsea FC and Wrexham at Kenan Stadium on July 19, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

West Ham weighing up a late offer for Gallagher

Football Insider have claimed that the Hammers could now test Chelsea’s resolve by making an offer for Gallagher before the transfer window shuts this week.

The outlet explains that the East London club have already had an offer of £40m rejected by the Blues for the midfielder but are now contemplating making an improved bid.

The report asserts that Chelsea would consider letting their academy graduate leave the club for the right fee but the player’s priority is to remain at the club and fight for his place.

Spurs Web Opinion

I think Tottenham’s interest in Gallagher likely cooled when it became clear that Atletico Madrid are unlikely to meet the asking price for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With Sarr’s emergence and with Bentancur still to come back, an addition in the middle of the park is no longer a priority for Postecoglou.

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It has been widely reported over the past few weeks that Tottenham have identified Gallagher as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is expected to complete a switch to Atletico Madrid this summer (Daily Mail).

However, it is Spurs’ London rivals, West Ham who made the first move for the Chelsea star but the Hammers’ offer of £37m plus add-ons was turned down by the Blues, and it was suggested that could be the end of their bidding (Jacob Steinberg).

It was subsequently claimed by The Telegraph that with West Ham now potentially out of the picture, Tottenham had moved into pole position to secure Gallagher’s signature.

West Ham remain in the picture for Conor Gallagher

However, if Football Insider’s latest update is to be believed, West Ham remain Tottenham’s main competitor for Gallagher.

It is explained that Newcastle also previously explored a deal for the England international but they have now dropped out of the race, leaving the two London sides to battle it out for the player.

The outlet adds that Moises Caicedo’s move to Chelsea might necessitate Gallagher’s exit, with the West London side now needing to offload players to comply with the FFP regulations.

Spurs Web Opinion

I fully expect Tottenham to push ahead with a move for Gallagher over the coming weeks but the North London club might wait until Hojbjerg seals a move to Atletico Madrid before making an official offer for the Chelsea academy graduate. 

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Wahi is widely viewed as one of the best young attacking talents in French football, with the striker scoring 19 goals and providing six assists in Ligue 1 for Montpellier last season.

Following Harry Kane’s departure, it was reported by Foot Mercato that Tottenham are now ‘very hot on the file’ of the 20-year-old and could decide to go ‘concretely on the offensive’ for the player.

The publication revealed that Chelsea have already had a €28m (£24.1m) offer for Wahi turned down by Montpellier while Eintracht Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain have also explored a move for the youngster.

(Photo by Flaviu Buboi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

West Ham join Spurs in the race for Elye Wahi

If TEAMtalk’s latest update is to be believed, Spurs might also face competition for Wahi from London rivals, West Ham.

With Gianluca Scamacca joining Atalana and with Michail Antonio hoping to move to Saudi Arabia, the Hammers are thought to be keen on bolstering their forward line before the transfer window closes.

It is alleged that the club’s technical director Tim Steidten has set his sights on Wahi as he believes that the Frenchman is one of the best young strikes in Europe.

Spurs Web Opinion 

Tottenham would have no trouble beating West Ham to Wahi’s signature if they are keen on the Montpellier star.

However, based on the various reports over the last week, it does appear as if the North London club are prioritising a deal for Gent’s Gift Orban over the France Undee-21 international. 

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A couple of days ago, we relayed a report from The Daily Star which claimed that Spurs were ready to hijack West Ham’s move for Ward-Prowse.

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

The outlet claimed that the Lilywhites had identified the Saints star as an option to bolster their midfield since Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele are expected to depart the club.

The report revealed that scouts from Tottenham watched the 28-year-old in action several times towards the end of last season.

West Ham looking to finalise deal for Ward-Prowse

However, if Fabrizio Romano’s latest update is correct, it appears that it is too late for Spurs to make their move for the England international, as he is close to signing a Hammers contract. 

Spurs Web Opinion 

I would not have any complaints if we signed Ward-Prowse as a squad player, given his vast Premier League experience.

At the same time, I certainly would not be too disappointed if we missed out on him as he is perhaps not at the level required to be a regular starter for a club with Champions League aspirations.

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Tottenham have already strengthened their midfield ranks with the acquisition of James Maddison from Leicester City this summer but there is expected to be more turnover in the middle of the park before the transfer window slams shut.

Reports over recent weeks have indicated that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is expected to complete a switch to Atletico Madrid (Football Insider) while Tanguy Ndombele has been backed to complete a move to Galatasaray (Daily Mirror).

(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Spurs set to move for James Ward-Prowse

According to The Daily Star, the North London club have identified Ward-Prowse as a target to bolster their midfield ranks.  It is explained that scouts from Tottenham watched the 28-year-old several times towards the end of last season.

With West Ham’s approach for Ward-Prowse being knocked back by Southampton last week, it is alleged that the Lilywhites are now ready to make a move of their own for the player.

The report adds that while the Saints are willing to offload the England international following their relegation, they will not sell him on the cheap.

Spurs Web Opinion

There is no doubt that we would need to sign a midfielder if both Hojbjerg and Ndombele leave, particularly with Bentancur potentially missing the first couple of months of the season.

Ward-Prowse would be a safe bet and would not need a bedding in period, given his vast Premier League experience.

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The report provides an update on Real Betis’ efforts to re-sign Lo Celso, stating that the Argentine is a player the La Liga club ‘especially like’.

(Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)

It is said that the 27-year-old looks destined to leave the North London club this summer following two loan spells away at Villarreal.

Betis allegedly reached out to Lo Celso’s entourage during the middle of last month to find out if the player would be open to returning to the Benito Villamarin Stadium.

However, Estadio Deportivo add that the Spanish side will have to act fast if they wish to sign the Tottenham man as Aston Villa are ‘very interested’ in his services while Napoli are now thought to have moved into pole position for the player’s signature.

Spurs Web Opinion

I do not think Tottenham would be in a hurry to get rid of Lo Celso as Postecoglou might want to take a closer look at the Argentine during pre-season.

While the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Joe Rodon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have seemingly already been transfer listed, I believe there could yet be a way back for Lo Celso at Spurs if the midfielder is willing to stay and fight for his place.

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Tottenham dominated proceedings from start to finish, registering 32 shots on goal to the Hammers’ seven but ended up on the losing side, partly owing to some lapses at the back.

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The Lilywhites could have also emerged comfortable winners if their forwards had been a little more clinical in front of goal but the likes of Harry Kane, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison were a little rusty in front of goal, which is perhaps to be expected in their first outing of the summer.

Udogie came on at half-time and delivered a promising display, with the 20-year-old even finding the back of the net with a perfectly placed glancing header in the 71st minute.

Positives to take for Tottenham, says Destiny Udogie

The left-back insisted that the performance was more important than the result in the first pre-season game of the summer and added that this gives something for the players to build on.

Watch Udogie’s interview on Spurs Play following the final whistle at the Optus Stadium:

“We played our football, the fans enjoyed it — we start from here.”

Goalscorer Destiny Udogie shares his post-match thoughts pic.twitter.com/Rd3YxhGko8

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 18, 2023

Spurs Web Opinion

I was quite impressed with Udogie, who showed that he has the technical quality and tactical intelligence to play as an inverted full-back in Postecoglou’s system.

It is still extremely early days but it feels like we might have a gem on our hands.

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Despite Tottenham falling to a 3-2 defeat against West Ham at the Optus Stadium, Spurs fans have a lot to be excited about on the back of the team’s performance in Postecoglou’s first game in charge.

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

One of the most noticeable aspects of the Lilywhites’ play was the fact that they tried to play through West Ham’s press without resorting to hoofing the ball up the pitch, even when they were surrounded by multiple opposition players.

Even the likes of Davinson Sanchez, who is not known for his technical ability, successfully managed to play out from tight situations, which often opened up space for Spurs to launch attacks.

Postecoglou wants Tottenham to play risky

Postecoglou admitted that he is trying to remove any fear of failure from the Spurs squad and is encouraging them to take risks.

When asked about his side successfully playing out from the back from several dangerous situations, the Spurs head coach told Football.London: “You know there are consequences if we don’t get that right but I’m trying to provide security and a structure to the players to encourage them to release that fear and play that kind of football.

“That’s the kind of team we want to be. At the moment there will be missteps along the way – that’s only natural. But I’m trying to make sure the players understand that veering away or shying away from that will mean us playing the kind of football that I don’t want us to play.

“So we have to be all in on this stuff. For the most part, I think they were trying to be that, but obviously, at times it didn’t flow as well because we weren’t really sure about what position to take up, but the good thing is that at least we’ve got moments there where we can show them that under extreme pressure, you can get these kind of outcomes, which allows us then to work on it.”

Postecoglou insisted that he would not have been happy had the players decided to play safe and emerged from the game with a 1-0 win.

The Australian coach added: “There’s enough in that game for me to show back to the players and give us a foundation to work on. We could have played this game and won 1-0 and not shown any of that.

“That would be hard for me, because that means we haven’t made any impression as a coaching staff in the first 10 days.

“The fact that we’re seeing some of it is what I was hoping for tonight. We’ll sit down with the boys, we’ll show them where there could have been even more moments like that, opportunities we missed, we’ll work on aspects of the game where we weren’t as strong as we needed to be.

“But all that comes from the evidence of the fact that they were trying to play our football, so that’s the main thing for me.”

Spurs Web Opinion

I have to admit that I did not expect to change such sweeping changes to our style of play in our first pre-season game of the season, given that a safety-first approach had been drilled into the players under Mourinho and Conte.

This is certainly a very encouraging start to Postecoglou’s reign and the combination play will only get better as the players get more accustomed to the system over the coming weeks.

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Although Spurs dominated proceedings from start to finish at Perth’s Optus Stadium, they were caught out a few times defensively, particularly in the first half, with the Hammers taking a 2-0 lead against the run of play through two goals from set pieces.

On both occasions, Tottenham defenders fail to pick up the players in the box, with Danny Ings heading in the opener in the 18th minute and Divin Mubama doubling the lead through another headed five minutes later.

Spurs did respond to going two goals behind though, clawing their way back through strikes from Giovani Lo Celso and Destiny Udogie in the second half.

However, David Moyes’ men had the last laugh, with Gianluca Scamacca scoring the match-winner in the 78th minute after being played through on goal.

Postecoglou takes the blame for set-piece rust

Despite the defeat, there were certainly plenty of positive signs for Tottenham at the start of the new era, and Postescoglou took the blame for West Ham’s first two goals.

When asked about his side’s defensive lapses, the 57-year-old told Football.London: “The goals we conceded are partly on me – we haven’t done loads of work on those kind of defensive areas and structures around set-pieces and stuff.

“I can’t expect the guys to take everything on board. I thought for the most part defensively the pressure was really good and we didn’t allow too many chances as you said. But we don’t want to be conceding goals with them producing a small number of chances.

“But that’s not the sort of stuff worked on. There are still things in our structure where we could have moved the ball quicker and guys aren’t in exactly the position they need to be.

“And there are a few things we need to keep developing, as is only natural as they get fitter to play this kind of football.

“We’re still in the early stages. At the same time we only have three or so weeks to get ready for the first game so we’re working hard.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is a refreshing change to see the manager take the blame in order to ensure that the pressure does not get piled on the players as we have seen the likes of Conte and Mourinho do just the opposite.

Having said that, it is only pre-season and the real test of Postecolgou’s extremely brave tactics will come when the campaign gets underway.

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Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Passing centre-backs – 

It only took a few minutes to see how much emphasis Postecoglou puts on the passing abilities of his two central defenders. With both fullbacks pushed up into central positions, it is up to the centre-backs to find incisive passes through the middle of the pitch.

Give the ball away, and you’re in trouble, which we saw a few times today. Yet another reminder that Spurs need to invest in at least two of these kinds of defenders before the transfer window shuts.

Debut performances – 

There were a few debuts out there today. Vicario made a very nice low reaction save to keep West Ham out in the first half. James Maddison was handed a floating number ten role and occupied pretty much every position in the final third. He was also allowed to take set pieces.

Manor Solomon was arguably the bright spark of the first half, setting up two great chances before going close with a long-range effort. Destiny Udogie scored with a flick-on from a corner and looked really comfortable in the centre of the pitch.

Lots of chances at both ends – 

Spurs may have lost 3-2 but the Lilywhites had the majority of the ball and created a bunch of good chances throughout the 90. Unfortunately, none of them fell to Harry Kane and it’s the start of pre-season so everyone is a little rusty in front of goal.

Oliver Skipp, Manor Solomon, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Emerson Royal, Cristian Romero, Yves Bissouma, and more all had good chances to find the back of the net.

Of course, with the attacking style of Postecoglou, Spurs were also caught on the counter every time they gave the ball away in the middle of the park. They also looked very weak when defending set pieces. Is 3-2 a scoreline we are going to see a fair bit next season?

Giovani Lo Celso – 

Perhaps the biggest head-scratcher from this first pre-season friendly was Giovani Lo Celso, arguably Tottenham’s best player on the pitch. He picked up some great pockets of space and used them effectively to set up the likes of Richarlison. He also made good runs into the box and grabbed a goal for himself from Sanchez’s knockdown.

While all the talk has been about Tanguy Ndombele’s redemption story, could Lo Celso get a second chance under Postecoglou too?

Captains for the day – 

It was no surprise that Harry Kane was handed the armband for the first half, with Hugo Lloris not in the squad. After all, he was the vice-captain last year and seems the obvious choice to take the armband next season if he stays.

In the second half, Postecoglou gave it to Ben Davies. Probably as a long-serving and experienced player who has a good head on his shoulders. In the second 45, the only other sensible candidates would have been Hojbjerg or Perisic really.

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Despite falling to a 3-2 defeat in their first of five friendlies this summer, Ange Postecoglou was able to give 22 different players a run out against the Hammers.

Let’s take a look at how the second-half XI got on:

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Brandon Austin – 5 – Didn’t really have a save to make. Nothing he could do for West Ham’s only goal of the half either.

Emerson Royal – 6 – Looked full of energy down the right and seemed comfortable when stepping infield, as Postecoglou likes from his fullbacks. A little late in some challenges.

Davinson Sanchez – 6 – A rusty performance at the back. Sanchez let Scamacca run in behind to win the game for West Ham, but he did also set up Lo Celso’s goal with a knockdown.

Ben Davies – 6 – A pretty uneventful half apart from a half-hearted penalty appeal late on. Davies covered as the left centre-back in the second half. Captain for the second half too.

Destiny Udogie – 7 – Looked really comfortable on the ball when coming into the middle of the pitch and showcased a couple of nice runs. A lovely flicked header into the far corner for his debut goal too.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7 – Looked class in the engine room today. Hojbjerg was spraying balls out left and right for fun to the likes of Perisic, Richarlison, and Devine. A different side to his game.

Pape Matar Sarr – 7.5 – Really impressive 45-minute cameo. Sarr was first to every 50/50 ball and was a driving force for the entire half. Deserves to get more minutes this season.

Giovani Lo Celso – 8 – Has to go down as the player of the half and perhaps the Man of the Match for Spurs. Lo Celso picked up some great pockets and threaded plenty of balls through to Richarlison. He even lashed home a goal of his own and looked a constant threat. Something to think about.

Alfie Devine – 7 – A really tidy performance on the right of a front three. Devine looked after the ball very well and clipped in some dangerous crosses. Went close with a shot from a tight angle too.

Richarlison – 7 – Looked pretty sharp, all things considered. Some impressive number 9 hold-up play and was constantly looking to get in behind. All that was missing was the final finish.

Ivan Perisic – 7 – It looked like Postecoglou may prefer Perisic as a forward if he does stick around this summer. The Croatian was a consistent threat down the left and crossed in some devilish balls. Assisted Udogie’s headed goal from a corner too.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break against the Hammers currently 2-0 behind, however, have had plenty of chances of their own to get back into the match.

Guglielmo Vicario: Put the ball behind for a corner which proved to be costly with West Ham scoring from the resulting set piece.  Had hoped to see him being more comfortable with the ball at his feet in that situation.  Saved well from Bowen just before the break. 5.

Pedro Porro: Should have looked to have closed down Bowen’s cross for the goal rather than hold his ground. Had no awareness that Mubama was behind him to head home. 5.

Cristian Romero: No yellow card, needs to be doing more to boss the backline. Had half an opportunity to pull a goal back when he scuffed Kane’s powerful pass some distance away from the goal. 5.

Japhet Tanganga: Gave away an early couple of fouls on Mubama.  Later, he let the same player ghost in front of him to double their advantage. 5.

Sergio Reguilon: Played a nice chipped pass to find Solomon for the Skipp chance. Defended poorly for the West Ham goal when he tried to clear with his foot rather than challenge for the ball with his head. 5.

Oliver Skipp: Made a good forward run to get on the end of Solomon’s pass but was denied by Fabianski.  Has been given the licence to look to look to join the attack over Bissouma. 6.

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Yvves Bissouma: You can see what his role will be in the side with the midfielder splitting the central defenders to get the ball and pushing the full-backs further up.  The more defensively-minded of the two central midfielders.  Had Tottenham’s best chance when he made a rare run forward and played the ball to Skipp, backheeled and Kane’s dummy saw Bissouma’s shot pushed wide by the keeper. 6.

James Maddison: His first half was summed up when he hit his free-kick straight at the wall.  Had a header saved 8 minutes before half time. 5.

Manor Solomon: Set up Skipp for the first opportunity of the game and did equally well to tee up Kulusevski. Cut in and unleashed a fierce shot with his right foot with Fabianski had to beat away. Should have had a penalty on the cusp of half time when Bowen chopped him down in the area. 6.

Harry Kane: Has looked sharp and still looking to drop slightly deep to receive the ball in Ange’s new system.  Has had limited chances in front of goal but his awareness was there to see when he dummied Skipp’s pass for Bissouma’s chance 6.

Dejan Kulusevski: Will be disappointed not to have found the back of the net but could only fire his shot straight at the keeper. 6.

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Postecoglou is back on home soil for his first taste of life on the touchline as head coach of Tottenham having been named as Antonio Conte’s successor early last month.

David Moyes’ West Ham are further ahead with their preparations ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign having already secured back-to-back wins over Perth Glory and Boreham Wood in their summer friendlies so far.

(Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Spurs team news vs West Ham in Perth

The Australian is without club captain Hugo Lloris, who has remained back in London to sort out his future away from North London while Rodrigo Bentancur, Fraser Forster, Bryan Gil, Troy Parrott and Ryan Sessegnon all missed the trip due to their own respective injury issues.

The notable absentees from the match day squad are Heung-min Son and Tanguy Ndombele.

This is the team that takes to the field in Western Australia, today:

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Tanganga, Reguilon, Skipp, Bissouma, Maddison, Solomon, Kane, Kulusevski

Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Royal, Sanchez, Udogie, Davies, Sarr, White, Devine, Hojbjerg, Perisic, Lo Celso, Richarlison

Football is back

Ange's first starting XI

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 18, 2023

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