'Nobody needs to pick me up' - Postecogloupublished at 22:43 6 February
22:43 6 February
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Liverpool were too good for us tonight. We didn't get into the game in the way we wanted to. We allowed them to get control of it.
"When they get into a rhythm, we didn't give ourselves an opportunity to get a foothold in the game.
"We were way too passive in terms of our football with and without the ball. I think it is a lesson there for us. We cannot shy away from the football that we want to play."
On saying he always wins a trophy in his second season: "We have given up a good opportunity tonight and we cannot shy away from that.
"We were in a good position to get to the final.
"Nobody needs to pick me up, I just need to pick up the players."
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham - send us your thoughtspublished at 21:59 6 February
Gossip: Kane's Bayern Munich release clause dropspublished at 07:42 6 February
07:42 6 February
The release clause in 31-year-old Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane's contract will decrease from £67m to £54m over the next year. (BILD - subscription required), external
Should any club trigger Kane's release clause, Tottenham Hotspur would have to decide whether to match the bid and hope he preferred a return to north London. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
Finally, Chelsea failed in a late attempt to hijack Tottenham's loan signing of 19-year-old Bayern Munich attacker Mathys Tel on deadline day. (L'Equipe - in French), external
Postecoglou on new signings, philosophy and facing Liverpoolpublished at 14:59 5 February
14:59 5 February
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Postecoglou confirmed new signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel are both available. However, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will miss the tie as they need to be "conservative" with both players.
He added that it is "disappointing" to lose Radu Dragusin for the remainder of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury so they do not want to take "risks".
Despite defensive unavailability, the Spurs boss said he is "not sure" if Danso will start the match as they have another game three days later. He said the players currently filling in at the back are "handling it well" but Danso is "ready" to come in for however many minutes he plays.
On what he said in his phone call with Tel to persuade him to join: "It's a simplistic way to look at it. People need to understand that you are talking about a 19-year-old player who has a major decision in his career. It's not that he rejected us or anyone - he was getting as much information as possible. I think he just wanted to be comfortable with his decision."
He added: "I had a conversation with him purely around football. I think he will find a good place here for his career. He will get an opportunity here - the way we play will suit him. What we have in the next few months and, more importantly, beyond, I thought he would be perfect for that next step."
Postecoglou said that Tel taking his time to decide made him "100%" confident they were getting the "right mentality and right player" who is "very ambitious".
The Spurs boss did not hold "frustration" about the late nature of signings and said he did not feel they were simply "reactive" buys as a result of their injury situation: "We wouldn't be signing 19 and 20-year-olds reactively. If it was reactive, I would be signing 35 year olds. The nature of the players we have signed shows they are not just about now, they are about us continuing to build."
Liverpool will not be "any less anxious" for the game than Tottenham as it is a "big occasion for everyone" and these are the games you want to play in otherwise "you would be at home on the couch watching instead".
On if he will tweak his philosophy for this match: "It depends what you think our philosophy is. My philosophy is to try and win games of football. If people haven't understood my philosophy after 26 years of management, I don't think anything I say now will change that."
The arrival of Ange Postecoglou did not help, despite the Australian's desire for a high line and attacking full-backs seeming to play to his strengths.
Two further unspectacular loans at Leeds United and Genoa in 2023-24 underlined his career was stalling.
But this year it has been different - with the Carabao Cup run to the brink of the final an instrumental part of it.
Beleaguered Spurs were heading out at the third-round stage until substitute Spence clipped home a crucial late equaliser at Championship side Coventry City, sparking a late turnaround.
He grabbed an assist against Manchester United in the quarter-finals and, as Tottenham's defensive injury crisis tightened, found himself regularly in the starting line-up.
He has even been playing out of position - fielded at left-back to fill in for Destiny Udogie when he is more naturally a right-back.
Admittedly, there have been plenty of defeats on his watch, but Spence has held his own and the stats bear witness to his impact.
Among defenders, only the combative Cristian Romero has a better duel success percentage this season in the Premier League for Tottenham - from exactly the same number of duels (the joint-third most for the team).
Even more striking is the number of times he has been dribbled past - or not.
His record of being beaten only three times is the best of any Tottenham defender.
Compare that with his full-back rivals Udogie and Pedro Porro (even though they have played more minutes than Spence), and his ability in one-on-one situations is emphasised.
That was fully evident against lethal Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo on Sunday and will be tested to the extreme by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah on Thursday.
After all, Salah is one of the most prolific dribblers in the Premier League and gets past his opponent almost 50% of the time.
Not that Spence is at all intimidated by the division's top scorer. "I back myself against anyone," the 24-year-old said earlier this week.
And after overcoming his Tottenham challenges to become a key fixture in their backline, maybe we should not bet against him.
'I back myself against anyone' - Spencepublished at 10:48 5 February
10:48 5 February
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham defender Djed Spence says he backs himself "against anyone" as he looks to "nullify" Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
The 24-year-old has become a regular feature for Spurs over the past two months as boss Ange Postecoglou contends with a long injury list, including Radu Dragusin, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Micky van de Ven.
Spence helped Spurs take a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their semi-final but will once again have his work cut out against the Premier League's leading goalscorer Salah.
"I back myself against anyone," said Spence. "[Salah] is a great player and he is in good form but you have just got to nullify what he's good at really."
Tottenham beat Brentford on Sunday to end a run of one win in 11 league games, but with the club 14th in the Premier League, pressure remains on Postecoglou.
"It's been difficult but we fight for the manager, we fight for the club and we all believe in what he wants to do," Spence said.
"We have got to be confident and we have got to be ready to fight and hopefully we make it to the final."
Irish teenager Melia in 'record' transfer to Spurspublished at 21:31 4 February
21:31 4 February
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Melia has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at various age-group levels
Teenager Mason Melia has agreed to join Tottenham Hotspur for what St Patrick's Athletic have announced is a "record transfer fee for a League of Ireland player".
The 17-year-old made his senior debut in May 2023 and became the youngest scorer in league history aged 15.
The County Wicklow native has made 54 appearances for St Pat's, scoring 10 times, and earned his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad in October 2024.
In 2023, he became the youngest player to play in an FAI Cup final when he helped his side defeat Bohemians to lift the trophy.
St Pat's manager Stephen Kenny praised Melia's ability as a goalscorer, with the former Republic of Ireland manager adding that he believed the striker will enjoy a fruitful international career.
"Mason is a terrific talent with an exceptional attitude and a real appetite for hard work," Kenny told the club's website.
"He has had a dramatic impact for one so young, his performances in our Conference League games playing as a central striker against high calibre opposition were of real quality.
"Mason has repeated those performances at international level for Ireland and has a bright future ahead for his country."
'Right now, we've got more options'published at 18:09 4 February
18:09 4 February
Ali Speechly Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
What a difference a transfer deadline day makes. After initially rejecting us, Mathys Tel is on his way to N17.
It would appear Ange Postecoglou put his regularly criticised and apparently controversial communication style to positive use and persuaded the France forward to make the loan move from Bayern Munich.
Earlier in the season, I wrote about our need for another striker. Months later, injury to Dominic Solanke has forced Daniel Levy's hand and, although this is only a loan move, it is a relief to know we have some support up front, at least until the end of the season.
It is an even bigger relief to have reinforcements in defence. Kevin Danso will join us from Lens, also on loan but with a commitment to buy in the summer.
With Radu Dragusin now out, Danso could have an immediate impact against Liverpool on Thursday.
January is such a long month that it would be easy to forget we had already secured a deal in the transfer market weeks before the deadline.
Obviously, Antonin Kinsky is still very young, but he already looks like a solid investment for the future and I have been impressed with his performances in goal since he joined us from Slavia Prague.
So, would I have liked another defender or defensive midfielder and a striker on a permanent deal? Of course. Were there more appealing players on the market? I am sure of it.
However, as I have stated more than once this season, it is important to work with what you have, not what you wish you had. Right now, we have more options at Spurs than we did a week ago.
Let's hope we can make the best of those options for the rest of this season.
'I know Tel will have a fantastic time' - Kanepublished at 17:30 4 February
17:30 4 February
Image source, Getty Images
Mathys Tel's loan switch from Bayern Munich to Tottenham is "a great move for both parties", says former Spurs captain Harry Kane.
The 19-year-old forward made the move to north London on transfer deadline day on an initial loan with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.
Tottenham's record goalscorer moved the other way in the summer of 2023 and realised Tel's potential while playing alongside him in Germany.
"It is a great move for both parties. Mathys is a great guy, really hard-working and full of potential," said Kane.
"It will be important for him to get some minutes under his belt, get some regular game time and hopefully develop, keep improving and fulfil all the potential that he has.
"It's great for Tottenham to have a young, hungry player with loads of talent to hopefully score some goals and help push Tottenham as far as possible.
"I wish him all the best and hopefully he has a fantastic time there, I know he will. I am sure all the fans will make him feel really welcome as well."
Tel has also revealed he spoke to Kane before the move and the England striker suggested Spurs would be a great environment in which to develop as a player.
"He told me this is a big club with a lot of very good people," Tel said.
"The pitch is very nice. The training centre is very good and if you go there, you can enjoy it. So everything was positive from Harry Kane.
"It is a new challenge for me, a new chapter to open. I'm very excited about it. I'm young, I've started to grow up and this was the best option for me and I'm very happy."
'Football teaches you how to fight when things get tough' - Dragusinpublished at 15:37 4 February
15:37 4 February
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham centre-back Radu Dragusin has posted on Instragram that he will "come back stronger" after it was revealed the Romania international will miss the rest of the season due to injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The 23-year-old wrote: "Football gives you incredible moments, but also challenges - some harder than others. Unfortunately, I now face one of those challenges: a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my right knee.
"That being said, one of the many things I've learned from this sport is that behind every obstacle hides an opportunity to learn and grow. Football doesn't just teach you how to win - it teaches you how to fight when things get tough. A difficult period lies ahead, but I will come back stronger, and I will work hard every single day during my post-surgery recovery to make that happen.
"Even though I won't be able to be on the pitch with my team-mates, I will support them with all my heart - both at Tottenham and with the national team. I have no doubt that they will keep fighting with determination to achieve our goals.
"I want to thank you all for your messages of support after my injury - those mean a lot and give me even more motivation. Also, yesterday was a special day for me, and the overwhelming number of birthday messages I received truly surprised and touched me. Thank you all for your kind words!"
Spurs' season now about 'rebuilding' but 'future is bright'published at 15:03 4 February
15:03 4 February
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Tottenham's injury crisis and your opinion on where you think their season will go after new January additions.
Jon: The timing of the Danso move could not have been better. With Van de Ven due back soon, plus Romero a bit behind that and with Ben Davies and Archie Gray providing cover we should be OK for this season. Ideally, we can come back for Guehi in the summer, which would give us a strong squad with sufficient depth going forward. Bergvall and Gray will only continue to get stronger and better in midfield. This season is now about rebuilding. But the future is bright.
Steve W: Over the last few months Ange and the squad have been extremely unfortunate with the number and severity of injuries. The Dragusin situation is a prime example of how an innocuous situation can result in a serious injury. The new signings are great, but they needed to bring in two centre-backs and leaving it until the last few days of the window did the team no favours in January. The lack of cover has probably contributed to additional injuries.
Ben: Are the physios not looking after the players or is Ange running them to hard in training? Something must be going wrong to have this many injuries.
William: I always try and avoid using injuries as an excuse, as they affect all teams, albeit Spurs have been ravaged this season. However, it has given Postecoglou the chance to blood more youngsters earlier than anyone expected and if we win a trophy, alongside further signs of progress when injured players return, then I think it will have been a successful season, despite the injuries.
Chelsea and Spurs face difficult Uefa squad decisionspublished at 14:30 4 February
14:30 4 February
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Five of the six senior players let go in the transfer window by Chelsea were in the Conference League squad but only a maximum of three changes can be made for the knockout stage.
Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia were left out of the League Phase squad because of the sheer size of Chelsea's squad - along with Ben Chilwell - but can now be added.
But Chelsea have also signed young midfielder Mathis Amougou and recalled defenders Trevoh Chalobah and Aaron Anselmino from their loan spells.
It means at least three players will miss out on European football, and potentially glory in a competition for which Chelsea are strong favourites.
Spurs, meanwhile, signed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, defender Kevin Danso and forward Mathys Tel.
But they may also want to add either Djed Spence or Sergio Reguilon to their Europa League squad after needing to play Archie Gray at left-back in several matches since Destiny Udogie's injury.
It means two of Ange Postecoglou's five players will be left out when picking his squad before Uefa's deadline at 23:00 GMT on Thursday.
Hopefully that cleared things up, rather than making you more confused.
'The most talked-about name of the window'published at 13:11 4 February
13:11 4 February
Constantin Eckner German football writer
Image source, Getty Images
What Tottenham fans can expect from Mathys Tel is an energetic and sometimes wild attacking player, who is great at tricking defenders with some real moments of skill.
His first touch is among his greatest strengths, while his decision-making and defensive awareness leave room for improvement.
He can create magic with the ball at his feet but he can also be out of position at inopportune moments.
If Tottenham decide to use him as a winger, they might field him mostly on the left side, as the right-footed Tel can drive into the middle of the field from there.
He is also keen on sprinting down the wing, but his ball control at a high tempo might not be crisp enough to avoid turnovers against talented full-backs.
Postecoglou could be tempted to try Tel as a striker but he would need a sturdier targetman alongside him, so he can pick up rebounds and occupy spaces that open up while his partner keeps the centre-backs busy.
It is still hard to tell how high Tel's ceiling really is.
When he played regularly last season, his performances were inconsistent, though that was not surprising given his tender age and limited experience at the highest level.
Considering the finances that have been discussed in recent days, Tel still has it all to prove.
'A bit of Mbappe about him' but Tel's position 'was lowest priority for Spurs'published at 13:10 4 February
13:10 4 February
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Tottenham signing France Under-21 forward Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich on loan.
Here are some of your comments:
Nick: Tel makes it look a little better, but we really needed more defensive additions, more creativity in the middle and, importantly, more leadership. I don't understand why we try to do all our business at the end. Had we spent a little more to bring in signings at the beginning of the window, we'd get a few weeks longer to assimilate and reduce pressure on the already exhausted squad. Perhaps we could have even cut short Timo Werner's purgatory (ours and his) too.
Andy: I was hoping for a proven goalscorer in the Premier League. That's what we need. Liam Delap would have been perfect for us. Or Matheus Cunha. But no complaints regarding Tel. He is obviously top quality. There's a bit of Kylian Mbappe about him.
Rishi: Tel is a good prospect and the loan is a reasonable move for Spurs. But it makes no sense to pay £45m for another prospect when we have Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Mikey Moore, with Manor Solomon doing well at Leeds. The plan may be to use him centrally but his numbers suggest he is not great there.
Dom: On the surface, a well-negotiated deal by Levy for a promising, young player. My concerns: 1) Less than half a season simply isn't enough time to judge or justify £45m for an inexperienced teenager from abroad. Big money transfers of similarly aged players have failed spectacularly in the past, eg Anthony Martial, Fabio Silva, Joao Felix etc. 2) Tel's position was the lowest priority for this Spurs team which struggles defensively even without injuries. Moreover, the Elfsborg game proved we already have several talented young forwards in our academy who deserve a chance. 3) Tel rejected the chance to join us at first, despite his club agreeing to the sale and him being a young player lacking regular first-team football. Is that the kind of attitude we want at Spurs.
Tottenham's injuries - the numberspublished at 13:04 4 February
Of the 24 Tottenham players to start a Premier League match this season, not including goalkeeper and January arrival Antonin Kinsky, only five have not missed a game through injury during the campaign.
Right-back Pedro Porro and midfielders Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall are the only first-team regulars to not miss a Tottenham game through injury. Goalkeeper Brandon Austin and defender Sergio Reguilon have also not missed a game due to a listed injury.
In all competitions, Tottenham have played 37 matches this season. Five players have missed over half of them, while seven have missed 10 or more.
Here is a full list of every Tottenham player who has started a league match (not including Kinsky) and how many games they have missed in all competitions this term.
Guglielmo Vicario: 19
Fraser Forster: 4
Cristian Romero: 19
Micky van de Ven: 21
Radu Dragusin: 1
Ben Davies: 11
Destiny Udogie: 9
Djed Spence: 8
Rodrigo Bentancur: 4
Yves Bissouma: 4
Pape Matar Sarr: 1
James Maddison: 3
Son Heung-min: 6
Timo Werner: 8
Mikey Moore: 14
Brennan Johnson: 5
Wilson Odobert: 30
Dominic Solanke: 7
Richarlison: 24
Did a 'dour defensive smash and grab' please fans?published at 11:40 4 February
11:40 4 February
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
I did have a little moan about lack of entertainment from Manchester City this weekend but the vexed question always arises: do you want entertainment from your football team or just a win no matter how it is achieved?
I suppose the answer partially depends on where you are in the league. Many Evertonians couldn't care less if they played on a ploughed field this season, as long as it delivers the right outcome and they stay up. They will, however, expect better entertainment in the long term.
Spurs fans have become accustomed to more entertainment than most lately, even if that entertainment would sometimes look more at home in a circus ring than a 21st century football super-stadium.
So what did those Tottenham fans of flair, those acolytes and aficionados of attacking football, think of that dour defensive smash and grab down at Brentford? Even if one or two will not want to own up to it, they absolutely loved it. At that end of the table, beggars simply can't be choosers and I do not blame them for a millisecond.
Dragusin injury confirmed - send us your thoughtspublished at 10:52 4 February
10:52 4 February
Image source, PA Media
Tottenham have confirmed that defender Radu Dragusin will have surgery after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Romania international hurt his right knee in last week's Europa League win against Elfsborg.
Tottenham have not given a timescale for how long Dragusin will be out of action, but said he "will be assessed by our medical team to determine when he can return to training".
Spurs added defender Kevin Danso to their squad towards the end of the transfer window and were reportedly seeking further reinforcements on deadline day.
With Dragusin out, are you happy with the defensive options available to Ange Postecoglou or are Tottenham still light in that area?
And - given how extreme it has been - how would you sum up the injury crisis?
Gossip: Tottenham may return for Guehipublished at 06:34 4 February
06:34 4 February
Tottenham and Newcastle could revive their interest in Crystal Palace's England defender Marc Guehi, 24, in the summer when he enters the final year of his deal, after Spurs had an offer rejected late in the January window. (Sky Sports), external
Image source, Getty Images
