Ange Postecoglou is likely to leave Tottenham even if they win the Europa League and qualify for next season's Champions League. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva and Scott Parker of Burnley are potential candidates to succeed Postecoglou. (Mail, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Ali Speechly
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesAs the Ange Postecoglou rollercoaster rattles on, the Spurs manager remains a man on borrowed time.
The high of last Thursday night's qualification into the semi finals of the Europa League was short-lived, with Spurs plummeting back to reality within the opening 16 minutes against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
I can understand wanting to focus on the one competition which might deliver silverware for the first time since 2008, and needing to rest and rotate players to give us the best chance of winning this trophy.
What I am less convinced by is how consecutive losses in the Premier League help us to prepare for victory in Europe.
Where is the momentum? Where is the motivation? Where is the morale?
We were not awful against Forest – or maybe I have just become numb to it now – but there are no prizes for the most crosses into the box.
I am confused by Ange's decision to bench the likes of Solanke, Bergvall and Johnson – clearly to rest them – only to bring them on in the latter stages to salvage something from the game. Surely players expend more energy chasing the end of a game than they do by starting it and controlling at least the first half?
Perhaps Ange had more faith in his revised starting 11 than he should have, and was forced into bringing on players who he would rather save for Liverpool and Europe.
Either way, the Premier League feels like a necessary evil for Spurs right now. Less of a pleasure and more of a chore.
If we can win the Europa League with a bang, I can forgive us ending the domestic season with a whimper.
As for Ange, I think his ride with us will be over soon regardless.
Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Tottenham fell to a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Here are some of your comments:
Rich: Woeful yet again. All huff and puff yet we get the same result. Ange Postecoglou is appalling and way out of his depth. Week in, week out we are getting worse. This is an unacceptable season for a Spurs team, and his arrogance is beyond belief. We are so much better than this!
Stewart: Expected. We are saving our best for Europa League. Just like Manchester United's loss to Wolves, it means nothing.
Roger: We no longer look like a team. We look like a bunch of individuals, with each player trying to do it all on their own. When we attack, everyone takes too many touches while the others stand and watch. We don't defend as a unit, and time and again Pedro Porro's poor defending has cost us a goal. Richarlison's ability up front is almost matched by the lack of real quality from our other forwards. There is something fundamentally wrong with the coaching.
Henry: We just need a bit more self confidence and focus from the lads, but other than that I think we did all right. Ange has just had an unlucky year with injuries and the squad now lacks any of the confidence it previously had. Our substitutes need to make more of an impact and somebody needs to step up as a leader because Son Heung-min hasn't turned up all season. However, credit to Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert, who took their men on and pretty much provided all of our chances against an organised Forest team.
Stephen: Ange needs to explain his team selection and substitutes, especially at half-time. For the first time, I thought his selection smacked of desperation or the 'I just don't care' mentality. Sadly, I think he knows he is toast and has given up.
Laura: Please someone put us out of our misery. It is the hope that kills you. That was one of the most frustrating performances I've seen as a Spurs fan. We couldn't get a break - but having good strikers would help! Most fans want the season finished already.
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham manager Ange Postecoglou to BBC Match of the Day: "It's disappointing. Another disappointing loss. A loss that, for large parts, was self-inflicted.
"We conceded two poor goals and gave ourselves a a mountain to climb. I still think we didn't deserve to lose on the balance of play.
"Our football was good, there's no denying that. We created loads of opportunities, we had them pegged in. But it was really disappointing to concede the two goals like we did.
"It's hurt us all year. We've let ourselves down. It's a game we should have won and it's another one this year. There shouldn't have been a slow start.
"From our perspective, there was some good game time for the guys that needed it. We were able to rest a few and that will help us.
"We have to accept the fact we haven't been at the level we should be. I don't like losing - we've lost too many games. We've got to keep working and try to rectify these things so the football we play gets the results it deserves."
Did you know?
Spurs have lost 18 Premier League games in 2024-25 under Postecoglou - only Ossie Ardiles in 1993-94 (19) has more defeats as Tottenham manager across a season in the competition.
Tottenham are weighing up a £30m summer offer for 21-year-old Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Renato Veiga. (Football Insider), external
Spurs and Manchester City are set to battle it out for 24-year-old Lazio centre-back Mario Gila, but the Premier League duo will face competition from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for the Spaniard. (Caught Offside), external
Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesRicharlison made his first start for Tottenham since mid-February after recovering from injury and his display was perhaps the main bright spot on a disappointing night for Spurs.
Their domestic season has been hugely disappointing yet they could still end the campaign with a trophy after progressing to the Europa League semi-finals last week.
Against Nottingham Forest, Spurs were guilty of missing a large number of chances, with Richarlison looking rusty in the first half as he sent two headers from decent positions off target.
But he finished strongly and might have singlehandedly produced a successful Spurs fight back as, before his goal with a header, he saw a decent effort saved by Matz Sels.
His goalscoring return could provide a timely boost as Spurs look to finish what has been a below-par campaign on a high.
Were you at the game or following elsewhere?
Have your say on Tottenham's performance
What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?
Come back to this page on Tuesday to find a selection of your replies
Nottingham Forest are the counter-attack kings and they have the tools to get another win like the one they got over Spurs at the City Ground in December, where they had 30% of possession but won 1-0.
Forest have hit a bit of a blip of late, though, and they don't appear to be quite the same force they were a few weeks ago.
They are desperate for a win to get their top-five bid back on track and Nuno Espirito Santo's would love to get it on his return to Tottenham, where he did not last long as manager, but a draw feels more likely to me.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League home game against Nottingham Forest (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On James Maddison: "It's fair to say he'll probably be a bit sore, so he's probably a doubt for Monday."
On Son Heung-min: "Sonny will still be out. He's been dealing with a foot problem for a while, so now is as good a time as any to give him the right time to to get over it. He'll definitely miss Monday."
On the rest of the squad's fitness: "The rest of the group, again, they all worked hard, so they'll be sore, but they should all be OK for Monday night."
On Thursday's Europa League win: "Fair bit of joy in the dressing room after. Obviously we had to pack up and get going pretty quickly. It's important you enjoy those moments when they come along.”
On potential changes to the line-up after Thursday: "It's fair to say it's been challenging, but I think part of that challenge is the rotation in the team and, to be fair, it's going to be similar on Monday night. We’re going to have to make five or six changes to the team because we want to make sure everyone is in the right space."
Tottenham's 2-1 aggregate victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League means Ange Postecoglou has guided Spurs into a major European semi-final, but could he still be sacked even if they go on to win that competition?
Former Premier League striker Jermaine Beckford tells The Football News Show why he believes the Australian is on borrowed time, while Tottenham supporter Patrick Tyrant outlines why Postecoglou's relationship with the fanbase is fractured.
Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer
Our Tottenham fan contributor Anna Howells gives her reaction to the Europa League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Find more from Anna at Spurs XY, external
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham have lost 17 Premier League matches in 2024-25, their most in a single season since the 2003-04 campaign (19). Ange Postecoglou is one of three managers to lose 17 or more games in a season, alongside Osvaldo Ardiles in 1993-94 (19) and Gerry Francis in 1996-97 (18).
Nottingham Forest have lost their past two Premier League matches, after winning three consecutive games beforehand. The Reds have only fallen to three defeats in a row once under Nuno Espirito Santo, doing so between February and March last season.
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham have a busy period after reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they will face Bodo/Glimt.
Tottenham v Nottingham Forest (21 April)
Liverpool v Tottenham (27 April)
Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt (1 May)
West Ham v Tottenham (4 May)
Bodo/Glimt v Tottenham (8 May)
Leading up to the first leg, Ange Postecoglou and co host a Forest side battling for Champions League qualification and visit a Liverpool team who may be looking to wrap up the title in front of their own fans at Anfield.
A London derby at West Ham is sandwiched between the first leg and second leg against Bodo/Glimt.
Tottenham will also have to battle against the artificial pitch used by Bodo/Glimt. With the second leg being played on this pitch, it may present an even greater challenge for Postecoglou's players.
Image source, Getty ImagesTottenham Hotspur are set to take on Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final of the Europa League.
The Norwegian club are second in the top-flight in Norway. They finished ninth in the Europa League table after having beat the likes of Besiktas and Porto, before conquering Olympiakos in the Round of 16 (4-2 on aggregate). Then they beat Italian club Lazio after penalties.
Bodo Glimt were in the second division less than eight years ago and have already beaten the likes of Jose Mourinho's AS Roma and Scottish giants Celtic during the 2021-22 season.
They are the first Norwegian side to reach a European men's semi-final, while they have won eight of their last ten two-legged European ties.
Speaking after his team's quarter-final penalty shootout win over Lazio, boss Kjetil Knutsen said: "I don't believe in miracles, I believe in our journey. Today, the magic was with us. We played an extraordinary match and we're incredibly proud to be in the semi-finals."
Image source, PA MediaFormer Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about Spurs' win in Frankfurt which saw them through to the Europa League semi-finals:
"They were hard to beat and the way they dictated the game was really pleasing to watch and very reassuring for the rest of the season. It was a very well deserved win for Spurs.
"For Tottenham at this minute, everything is on the Europa League, and regarding Ange Postecoglou as well - a lot of noise has been made around him. But he's still in the race and there's still a chance of silverware.
"There is some frustration when you're not playing at the level you should be playing and when you don't get results. It's how you handle it. It takes a lot to put your frustration to one side and not point the finger at somebody else. When you're under pressure like the Spurs players and manager are, it's even harder. That's one of the main challenges - how can you they keep it altogether, in order to get something out of this really bad season?"
On the potential of an all-English final against Manchester United: "That would be terrific, for the simple reason that both teams have had such bad domestic seasons. They've been nowhere near it but they could end up in a final.
"When you talk about scenarios and drama, that would be something the media would love because it gives them something to talk about. Hopefully Tottenham will end up on the winning side."
Image source, PA MediaWe asked for your thoughts after Tottenham's win over Eintracht Frankfurt, which sent Spurs through to the Europa League semi-finals.
Here are some of your comments:
Silvia: Haven't seen a performance like that since the Manchester City game! Tel and Udogie down the left were fantastic, as was Maddison before he went off, Romero leading from the back, Bergvall and Bentancur running midfield - all very proud of the guys.
JS: After everything the supporters have been through this season, at last a performance that we can be proud of from our team. Amazing effort from every single player... and the manager. A semi-final to look forward to.
Sam: Ange in. Give him a chance. Granted, we haven't played well in the league but we've had three good cup campaigns. The team clearly still plays for him and they clearly adapted their gameplan. We need a period of stability. Let's get behind the team.
Alan: Fantastic result, brilliant performance. Where has this been all season? This is what is so frustrating with this team! Dropped "Angeball", played the situation and won very well. Let's see what happens in the next game before breaking out the champagne.
Tim: A good display of what Spurs can achieve with a (mostly) fully fit team. It won't solve all the problems we have but will bring a badly needed morale boost to the squad. Will Ange get his "second season" trophy?
Dave: Where did that performance come from? Rode our luck towards the end but a proper gutsy display. I still have no faith in Ange. Seventeen league defeats is not all down to injuries and bad luck. The players are capable. We need a manager who is too.
William: On a night that was all about the result, Spurs gave us both a performance and result to be proud of. The spirit and resilience shown, particularly in the second half, bodes well for the coming rounds and a silver lining of our dismal league campaign is that Postecoglou can rest players to solely focusing on bringing the trophy back to N17!
Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesAnge Postecoglou, with his back against the wall, lives to fight another day.
We will never know whether Tottenham would have relieved him of his duties had they gone out of the Europa League on Thursday - but he was certainly under huge pressure heading into a game that was probably the biggest of his reign so far.
Victory buys the Australian some time - you can't see a scenario where Tottenham would sack him before the semi-final.
But while it keeps the wolves from the door for now, he is not out of the woods.
While Europa League success is a factor, it will not be the only consideration for Spurs when it comes to them deciding whether Postecoglou is head coach next season.
Their Premier League form, which has be extremely poor, will be taken into account, as will Postecoglou's connection with the supporters, which has been mixed to say the least.
With a win in Germany, Postecoglou has given himself a fighting chance, although this result alone is unlikely to be enough to keep his job safe in the longer term.
Image source, Telegraph, I and The Times
Catch up with all of the reaction on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur secure their spots in the last four of this season's Europa League.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
