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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is fast earning plenty of admirers for his work at N17 so far, and some players have gone up another level since his arrival.

Thomas Frank slowly transforming Tottenham after Ange Postecoglou era

Ange Postecoglou, despite a torrid 24/25 season in the Premier League, had his own loyal section of Spurs supporters after the Australian helped to end Spurs’ 17-year wait for a major trophy last season.

Postecoglou also endeared himself to members of the Lilywhites fanbase with his personality, memorable quotes and ‘no-nonsense’ demanour, whilst those within the Spurs squad appeared to have a very strong relationship with Frank’s predecessor, including Yves Bissouma, who described the tactician as a father figure.

The likes of Pedro Porro, Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-min, Guglielmo Vicario and more posted emotional tributes to Postecoglou after ex-chairman Daniel Levy and the board made the decision to part company, but since his departure, Frank has begun to steadily transform Tottenham.

Matches

9

Wins

5

Draws

2

Losses

2

Points

14

Points per game

1.89

Tottenham’s fragility defensively was a key complaint of Postecoglou’s tenure, and there is little denying that the north Londoners look far more assured in that respect under Frank.

Spurs have conceded just six goals in Frank’s first nine games in all competitions, and two of them came against European champions PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Bar a disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, Tottenham have displayed real character when under the cosh too — mounting comebacks in each of their last two Premier League games against Brighton and Wolves.

Their very convincing 2-0 win away to Man City, where summer signing Joao Palhinha dominated the midfield, and 3-0 trouncing of London rivals West Ham were only overshadowed by the performances of some star players.

Barcelona are still regretting their botched deal for Lucas Bergvall, according to reports in Spain, with the midfield sensation, Palhinha, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Pape Sarr and others standing out among Tottenham’s best-performers of the season thus far.

A special nod also must go to Richarlison, who struggled with injuries under Postecoglou last season but has since found a new lease of life.

The Brazil international boasts three goals and an assist from his opening six league matches, replacing the injured Solanke with real aplomb, but Spurs chiefs may soon need to make a key call about his future.

The 28-year-old’s contract expires in 2027, meaning that Tottenham could be forced to sell on the cheap unless they agree an extension.

Richarlison could join Crystal Palace from Tottenham in £20m deal

As per BolaVip and journalist Alexsander Vieira, as relayed by Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are seen as a realistic destination for Richarlison if Spurs opt to sell — and the striker could go for around £20-25 million.

A return home to Flamengo is also touted, but Palace are seen as the likelier option, with Richarlison also having one eye on a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup next year.

Frank has already made his stance on Richarlison crystal clear, and the player himself has apparently expressed his commitment to Spurs.

However, given Richarlison’s contract situation, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham and the new-look Spurs boardroom could take the decision out of both their hands.

With Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah among those to depart Parkhead in recent times, Celtic have frustratingly had to witness some of their best and brightest move on to pastures new, instead of sticking it out for the long haul in Glasgow.

Those who have moved on haven’t always enjoyed the best of fortunes, however, with the club’s record departures a case in point.

Indeed, Kieran Tierney – sold to Arsenal back in 2019 – has returned to Scotland this summer after six injury-hit years at the Emirates. Jota, meanwhile, is also now back on the books after enduring a miserable time in Saudi Arabia and France.

Celtic’s record sales
Player	Club	Fee
Matt O’Riley	Brighton	£25m
Jota	Al-Ittihad	£25m
Kieran Tierney	Arsenal	£23m
Moussa Dembele	Lyon	£19m
Nicolas Kuhn	Como	£16m
Odsonne Edouard	Palace	£14m
Kristoffer Ajer	Brentford	£13.5m
Virgil van Dijk	Southampton	£13.5m
Victor Wanyama	Spurs	£12.5m
Figures via Transfermarkt

In the case of Matt O’Riley, the elegant playmaker has joined Marseille on loan after just a solitary season at Brighton. Kuhn, now at Como, is yet to start a Serie A game since his £16m switch.

Even Kyogo – who departed for Rennes in January in the hope of securing a more prominent role for Japan – has found himself now operating in England’s Championship rather than the Champions League, with the grass certainly not always greener.

That being said, there are those who go on and flourish elsewhere after leaving the Premiership side, with young Ben Gannon-Doak proving a prime example.

Ben Gannon-Doak's display in numbers vs Belarus

Every club has a tale of ‘one that got away, with Gannon-Doak the most prominent name in recent times with regard to Celtic and their academy production line.

Handed two senior appearances by Ange Postecoglou as a mere 16-year-old, the flying winger could not be tempted to stay put in Scotland, instead moving to Premier League giants Liverpool for a compensation fee of just £600k.

While the intense competition at Anfield has seen the now 19-year-old move on to Bournemouth this summer, the nature of the £25m price tag emphasises just what a talent he truly is – a fact that he again showcased on Monday night away at Belarus.

The man who previously tormented Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol, Gannon-Doak is emerging as a real outlet for Steve Clarke and for Scotland despite his relative youth, with new Cherries teammate Ryan Christie highlighting just why he has become such a firm favourite for the Tartan Army:

That positivity was on full display on Monday, with Gannon-Doak – unleashed from the start by Clarke – proving a constant menace down the left flank, having been the away side’s ‘brightest creative spark’, according to GIVEMESPORT.

In his 74-minute outing, the youngster notably completed three of his four attempted dribbles, enjoyed a 93% pass accuracy rate and registered one key pass, as per Sofascore, having produced a performance of real authority off the left.

There was also steel to match the silk, however, a fact emphasised by a crunching challenge on the halfway line, that resulted in a yellow card, as he also notably won seven of his 11 total duels.

A player who looks like the complete package, Celtic will rue having let him slip from their grasp. That is in the past, however, with there now a new shining light to enjoy at Parkhead…

Callum Osmand could be Celtic's answer to Gannon-Doak

Too often in recent times have Celtic had to watch as their academy products have been snapped up by top-flight clubs south of the border, with teenage goal machine Daniel Cummings notably making the switch to West Ham United this summer.

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That being said, there are times where the Hoops are able to get their own back, with Brendan Rodgers and co memorably poaching a young Moussa Dembele from Fulham back in the summer of 2016.

Such a coup looks like it could well have been replicated this summer too, with the Scottish champions having managed to prise another teenage striker from Craven Cottage, in the form of Callum Osmand.

The 19-year-old may have yet to enjoy a taste of senior football in west London, although he has flourished at youth level in recent years, scoring 23 goals in just 38 U18 games, alongside netting 20 times in 35 games for the U21 side.

In one outing for Celtic ‘B’ team, the prolific teen has already got off the mark, emphasising just why he is so “highly-rated”, in the words of Rodgers:

Having discussed the potential move with another Fulham product, O’Riley, the Welshman will be looking to try and emulate the playmaker’s impact in green and white, with a starting berth seemingly up for grabs amid the uncertainty surrounding Celtic’s number nine berth.

Much like Gannon-Doak, the rapid talent appears to have that fearless quality to his attacking game, a point that has been emphasised by Fulham expert Jack Kelly:

While Celtic have had to witness Gannon-Doak flourish at international level, perhaps they could well get their own back with the case of Osmand, with it set to be intriguing to see if he can make a first-team impact under Rodgers this season.

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By
Ben Gray

Sep 9, 2025

After Thomas Frank’s appointment earlier this summer, no Tottenham Hotspur fan could’ve envisaged the perfect start the side has made to his tenure.

The Lilywhites have won both of their first two Premier League matches, scoring five times and keeping two clean sheets – a third of their tally from the previous campaign.

Their victory over Manchester City has undoubtedly been the best victory of the Dane’s spell in charge – restricting Pep Guardiola’s side to limited opportunities at the Etihad.

However, the 51-year-old is still hunting for further reinforcements in the transfer market, especially after missing out on Eberechi Eze to North London rivals Arsenal.

Numerous players have been on their radar over recent days, potentially offering the new boss the talent he craves in such a position for 2025/26 and beyond.

Spurs’ hunt for a new attacking midfielder

Over the last couple of days, Spurs made a £61m offer for Como star Nico Paz, highlighting the hierarchy’s ambitions of improving the squad before the September 1st deadline.

However, the offer for the Argentine was swiftly rejected by the Serie A side, with the player himself wanting to stay at Cesc Fàbregas’ side for the time being.

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As a result, the Lilywhites have moved on to different targets, resulting in Leicester City talent Bilal El Khannouss once again appearing on the club’s radar ahead of the end of the window.

According to GIVEMESPORT, Frank’s side have made the decision to enter the race, after Crystal Palace made a move to land the 21-year-old.

It’s been reported that he’s set to leave the Foxes before the end of the window, with a £22m transfer fee being mooted to prise the youngster away from the Foxes.

The playmaker had been widely expected to move to the Eagles but is now giving thought to moving to Spurs.

It’s alleged that ‘there is a serious possibility that he will choose’ Tottenham over Palace when he makes a decision on his future this week.

Why Spurs’ £22m target would be perfect for Kudus

Earlier this summer, Spurs landed the signature of Mohammed Kudus, costing £55m from West Ham United – becoming the first major signing of Frank’s tenure at the helm.

The Ghanaian, who can operate in numerous positions, has started both of the club’s Premier League outings – cementing his place at the top end of the Lilywhites squad.

Whilst he’s failed to get himself on the scoresheet, the 24-year-old has registered two assists in his first two outings – both of which came in the triumph over Burnley in North London.

His direct dribbling and ability to create carnage within the final third has already caught the eye of the supporters, potentially being a bargain despite his big-money transfer fee.

However, despite Kudus’ impressive start to life under Frank, he could reach the next level in the months ahead if the side land a deal for El Khannouss in the coming days.

Despite relegation from the Premier League last season, the youngster produced numerous impressive figures that would bring the hierarchy’s hunt for a new attacking midfielder to an end.

El Khannouss, who’s been labelled “exceptional” by analyst Ben Mattinson, ranked in the 90th percentile for passes into the final third (3.7) and the 86th percentile for progressive passes (5.3).

Games played

32

Goals & assists

5

Pass accuracy

75%

Progressive passes

5.3

Passes into the final third

3.7

Key passes made

1.7

Progressive carries

3.1

Carries into the final third

1.9

Take-on success

57%

Both figures would allow the Moroccan to provide countless chances for Kudus within attacking areas, helping the former Hammers star build on his impressive start to life at the Lilywhites.

He also completed 57% of the take-ons he attempted, whilst making 1.9 carries into the final third per 90 – having the ability to glide past the opposition and cause problems for the opposition in dangerous positions.

Such numbers are impressive, but the end product is just as important, something which El Khannouss has demonstrated by his tally of five combined goals and assists in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.

Given the Eagles’ interest in landing the 21-year-old, Frank and the Spurs hierarchy need to act quickly to make a move for his signature to avoid missing out on yet another summer target.

If they do land the youngster, it would be a bargain transfer and one that could hand Kudus the platform to reach the next level in his career during his stint in North London.

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“Don’t care who coaches the team, who captains the team, just want English cricket to get back to where it should be”

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2025Charlotte Edwards has offered to help the ECB during its review into England’s 16-0 Women’s Ashes drubbing at the hands of Australia.Edwards, the former England captain turned decorated coach, has not ruled herself out of taking over the head coach role if it becomes available in the aftermath of the review, saying in an interview this week that she felt better equipped than she was two-and-a-half years ago, just before Jon Lewis replaced Lisa Keightley at the helm. But she was even stronger on lending her support to the ECB’s inquiry.”I’m certainly more prepared because of some of the experiences I’ve had in the last few years,” Edwards told the BBC’s Stumped podcast. “I just want to help at the moment because I feel like this review’s taking place and I think they’ve got to ask people within the game what they think. I’ve got great experience across county level, working in the WBBL, that hopefully someone will pick up the phone and ask what we need to do to get better.”That’s all I care about at the moment. I don’t care who coaches the team, who captains the team. I just want English cricket to get back to where it should be. And I think we’ve got to use people who know what’s going on to help and I feel I’m in a position to help and hopefully support the ECB in that process.”Related

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Edwards would be a leading candidate as England Women’s head coach should the role become vacant given her outstanding success in the world’s top franchise leagues and at domestic level.Having initially said she was interested in taking the England job in September 2022, Edwards decided against applying a couple of weeks later, saying she was enjoying her burgeoning franchise coaching career with Southern Brave in the Women’s Hundred and WBBL side Sydney Sixers, as well as leading Southern Vipers in the domestic women’s competition, which included a T20 competition named in her honour.Edwards has led Southern Vipers to five titles, including two Charlotte Edwards Cup victories – the second as part of a domestic double in 2023 – and Southern Brave to three Women’s Hundred finals, winning the 2023 edition. She also led Sydney Sixers to the WBBL final in her first season in charge in 2022-23.During that time, her franchise coaching portfolio expanded to include Mumbai Indians, who are about to begin their campaign for a second title in three years under her guidance, having won the inaugural WPL trophy. She has also been appointed head coach of Hampshire Women under the new domestic structure in England and Wales beginning this season.Edwards said she watched much of the Women’s Ashes, where England were thumped by more than 50 runs in three white-ball matches and by an innings in the Test, with a sense of “real disappointment”.”Hopefully this will be a moment, a line-in-the-sand moment, for the team and for the ECB to have a look at where we’re going with the women’s game because there’s a lot of good things happening and I think that’s what makes it sad for someone who’s involved in the system,” Edwards said. “There’s a lot of good things happening within the counties and the regional structure and it hasn’t necessarily been portrayed with the England team, so that’s a worry, I guess, and something that needs to be looked at.”Lewis described England’s group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup in October as a “line-in-the-sand moment” and his position has come under increased pressure following that performance, most notably England’s shocking fielding display against West Indies, which knocked them out of the tournament.During the Ashes, there were few signs of improvement in the field, which along with some poor decision-making with the bat and a failure to adapt under pressure from the Australians, saw England unable to pose any real challenge other than in the rain-affected second T20I, which they lost by six runs on the DLS method.Since the T20 World Cup, England’s fitness has also come under scrutiny after commentator and former spinner Alex Hartley said that a handful of players were “letting the team down” with their fitness levels.While Lewis has stood firm in his defence of England’s work in training, even suggesting that Australia’s outdoor lifestyle gave them an advantage in producing athletes, Edwards said there was plenty of ground to be made up to match Australia physically.”I think if you do a comparison, they are more athletic and they are fitter and that’s what we need to now aspire to be like,” Edwards said. “That’s part of our jobs at county level is to now support these players to be fitter, to be more athletic so that we can compete with Australia, so there aren’t those question marks when we play them because that was the hardest thing, wasn’t it? Having that kind of noise in the background when it’s not just all about the cricket.”I think we can turn this around. I don’t think it’s as big a gap as people make out that there is. I know that’s probably quite a stupid thing to say, having been beaten 16-nil, but we are talented, we have a lot of talent in our country, and I think now hopefully this moment we will be a moment we’ll look back on with, I guess, real positivity.”The ECB review is expected to release its recommendations in the coming weeks.