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Tottenham Hotspur have been called a “hot mess” amid reports Celtic manager Ange Postcoglou is a leading contender for the Spurs job.

What’s the latest on Ange Postecoglou to Spurs?

The Lilywhites still have a fair few names on their managerial shortlist to succeed Antonio Conte, who left north London over two months ago.

Indeed, Marco Silva of Fulham, Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and free agent Graham Potter have been mentioned most recently, with chairman Daniel Levy also personally holding Luis Enrique talks.

Former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers and ex-River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo are being linked too, but it appears Postecoglou is a name gathering more and more momentum.

Relible outlets have suggested in the last few days that the 57-year-old has become a leading contender for the Tottenham job, coming as he chases a domestic treble north of the border.

Celtic face off against Inverness at Hampden Park this Saturday, a game which will go some way to cementing Postecoglou’s status as one of their most successful managers of recent years.

However, despite his great success at Parkhead, members of the media are not exactly thrilled by his potential Tottenham appointment this summer.

Journalist Oli Gamp of The Daily Mail, writing on Twitter, believes Spurs hiring the Australian would be the worst decision made by Levy in the last five years.

Pulling no punches in his damning assessment of Spurs, Gamp brands the club a “hot mess” in response to Postecoglou’s links to N17.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Going off his entertaining brand of football and silverware accumulated at numerous sides, whatever the quality of division, we believe Gamp’s assessment of Postecoglou is a slightly harsh one.

Revered for his “beautiful” style of attacking play, the former Brisband Roar boss has won 10 pieces of silverware across an impressive career, and could well make it 11 this weekend.

Snooker legend John Higgins is certainly aware of Postecoglou’s impact at Celtic since being appointed in the summer of 2021, giving this glowing assessment on him to STV (via The Celtic Way):

“Ange Postecoglou has been amazing for the club he has come in and everybody just loves him, so for as long as he stays at Celtic I think we can look forward to more games like the weekend for, hopefully, years to come.”

The tactician is a beloved figure at his current club, and for good reason, so Spurs critics certainly shouldn’t discount him so quickly.

Given Sri Lanka’s growing injury concerns, the national selectors will pick a squad ahead of each Test for their upcoming three-match series against Australia, which begins on July 26

Sa'adi Thawfeeq17-Jul-2016

Given Sri Lanka’s growing injury concerns, the national selectors will pick a squad ahead of each Test for their upcoming three-match series against Australia, which begins on July 26.Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya and co-selectors Romesh Kaluwitharana, Eric Upashantha and Ranjith Madurusinghe face a dearth of fast-bowling options after injuries to several first XI players. Dhammika Prasad’s shoulder injury is likely to keep him out of the Test series, while Dushmantha Chameera and Suranga Lakmal, who will undergo a fitness test on Monday for a hamstring strain, will be assessed later. Shaming Eranga’s suspect action leaves Nuwan Pradeep as the only seamer available for selection from the recent tour of England.”It is very difficult times as a selector to pick a balanced squad with so many injuries,” Jayasuriya, who is in his second stint as chief selector, said. “It’s a bit tough but we will try and pick the best possible team. I hope the players picked also know what is expected of them and that they will do their best.”Whoever is fit and whoever is doing well in the Sri Lanka A team, we’ll have to give them the opportunity. It is the feeding place for the senior side. If we feel there is somebody who is very good in the Sri Lanka A, emerging or Under-19 squads, we will not hesitate to pick them.”I am really happy the way some of the Sri Lanka A players have been performing in England. Fast bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando, batsmen Dhananjaya de Silva and Roshen Silva are quite a few players.”When we play in Sri Lanka we have a better chance of performing than when you are overseas. I am confident they can do well. But it’s a lot of hard work to come out and show their character.”Jayasuriya said despite the bowling concerns, Sri Lanka’s young batting core is headed in the right direction.”Our main concern is the bowling but this is also a good time for a youngster to put his hand up and perform and show his character,” he said. “The batting line-up is a fairly good one and stable. If you see the way they progressed in the Tests the batting was really good. It’s the one key department we can think that we are on the right direction.”With players like Kusal Mendis, Kaushal Silva, Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, the batting line-up did really well. Some of the innings of 20s and 30s, I would like to see them go and get a big 100 or 200.”The unfortunate thing about the Test series in England was that we had a very good bowling line-up but we started getting injuries from the first Test onwards and before long our main three fast bowlers – Prasad, Chameera and Eranga – were out of the scene. We were basically left with only another two fast bowlers Pradeep and Lakmal to run through the rest of the games. If not for those injures we would have done really well. But injuries are part and parcel of cricket and you have to face them.”Jayasuriya also felt the increased workload of international cricket was responsible for Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling injury crisis.”At the moment, they are playing a lot of cricket – Tests, ODIs and T20Is. In our days, our cricketing life span would have been about 15 years but now it has come down to about eight years.”In the present context if you play for 10 years you will have played more than 150 Tests and almost 300-400 ODIs on top of T20Is. A human body cannot take such a workload. The main thing is how the player manages and rehabs himself. It is easy to come and say ‘I am injured’. To play with the pain is the key. No fast bowler can play without any pain. They have to play with niggles here and there. We are currently working on the players with one of the best trainers, Michael Mann, who has been trying to get them into shape.”Jayasuriya said Chandimal will continue to be Sri Lanka’s designated wicketkeeper during the Test series with Kusal Perera as a middle-order batsman.”At the moment Chandimal is the better keeper, Kusal is a bit out of touch. Chandimal normally bats at No. 4 but because of the conditions in England, we pushed him to No. 6 and it was successful. We will discuss with him what position he is comfortable batting, he is flexible.”Although many Australian players have not played a Test in Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya warned against complacency.”They (Australia) have come early and started practice to get to know our conditions and they have hired (Muttiah) Muralitharan to get information about Sri Lankan conditions and pitches. They are very smartly doing their homework. At the end of the day they are also professionals, their coach has played here. We can’t take things lightly.”

Wahab Riaz has said that England’s middle order is “fragile” ahead of the first Test at Lord’s and believes Pakistan can put pressure on them

Andrew McGlashan10-Jul-2016Wahab Riaz has said that England’s middle order is “fragile”, ahead of the first Test at Lord’s, and believes Pakistan can put pressure on them.Wahab felt much rested on the shoulders of Alastair Cook, and Joe Root, who has been promoted to No. 3, with the next two positions being filled by James Vince and the recalled Gary Ballance.Vince managed just 54 runs in four innings in his debut series against Sri Lanka, while Ballance is set to play his first Test in a year, having earned a surprising call-up as England reshuffle their order.”We know that England is struggling with their middle order, Joe Root is one of their best players and he has to take the responsibility, so that’s why he is at No.3,” Wahab said. “But I think the other batting is fragile. If you get Cook and Root quickly, you can really put pressure on them, but you can’t take things easy against them.”While Wahab, who went a long way in cementing his Test spot with a fiery spell of reverse swing on the second afternoon against Sussex, is correct to pinpoint the uncertainty around the No. 4 and 5 positions heading into the series, England’s lower middle-order has been prolific of late. However, they are likely to be tested more by Pakistan’s attack – sharp left-arm pace complemented by the legspin of Yasir Shah – than they were by the Sri Lankans.Jonny Bairstow, who has been in stellar form, has led the way, while Moeen Ali struck a career-best 155 against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street. Moeen will be followed by Chris Woakes who has made half-centuries in Tests and ODIs this season. Ben Stokes, who was left out of the squad for the first Test as he continues his return from knee surgery, is expected to be back for the second Test at Old Trafford.The statistics back up the recent divide between England’s top order and the security provided by those lower down: since May last year, their average for positions 1-5 is sixth in Test cricket (Pakistan’s batsmen average 14 runs more per wicket, albeit in far fewer Tests, and all of them in Asia) but for positions 6-11, England are top of the pile.Ahead of the squad being named, there was a suggestion that Stokes could be included to play as a batsman while Jos Buttler’s name was also linked to a batting position following his impressive limited-overs form. Buttler subsequently broke a finger playing for Lancashire, so will now not be an option during the Test series, but Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur said he had been preparing for that duo to be in the line-up.”We obviously looked at the squad with a lot of interest,” Arthur told ESPNcricinfo. “Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler are guys that can take the game away of us, so, though it’s not a relief, we were preparing for an England middle order of Bairstow, Stokes and Buttler. But the guys that have come in have earned their opportunity and must have done something right, so certainly won’t take them lightly.”

A dramatic Yorkshire collapse gave Somerset hope of pushing for victory on the final day if the weather stays clear

David Hopps at Taunton17-May-2016
ScorecardAdam Lyth reached his hundred but few other Yorkshire batsmen prospered•Getty Images

“If the cockerel’s arse is in the grass then it’s going to rain.” So revealed one of the Taunton stewards, gesturing at the weather vane on the top of St James’ Church which had its back firmly turned on the exertions below on the County Ground. “That was one of the first things I was ever told when I started working here. It sounded quite rude at the time.”When the cockerel swung round just enough for play to resume under sullen skies it presaged a remarkable passage of play in which Somerset claimed five wickets for 11 runs in 29 deliveries with the second new ball. Tim Groenewald stood out on a freshened pitch, only for Yorkshire to refuse to yield in a felicitous, unbroken last-wicket stand of 69 between Steven Patterson and Jack Brooks. Somerset still lead by 256 – the follow-on seemingly inevitable – but failure to make inroads into Yorkshire’s second innings has undermined their chance of victory.Presumably such an unexpected twist would have disappointed the cockerel which can be presumed to retain a Somerset affinity, even if its roost came under attack in 2003 when Ian Blackwell, one of the cleanest hitters in the county’s history, struck the church tower during the fastest first-class 200 ever made by an Englishman.This slice of Somerset folklore will prey on a few minds on the final day. The forecast is for more prolonged bursts of rain and it won’t require too many “gurt big clouds” heading for the square for Yorkshire to escape with their unbeaten record intact.For all the late excitement at Taunton, weather interruptions combined with too many dead pitches can be expected to deliver another collection of the draws that are dominating the Championship season. Every victory stolen from this Summer of Stalemate takes on huge importance. Warwickshire won it under Nick Knight’s captaincy with five wins in 2004 and a repeat could be on the cards.Since choosing to bowl and conceding 562 for 7 Yorkshire’s only task has been to save this game. Although they began this diligently enough, with 127 for 1 logged by the close of the second day, and although Adam Lyth went on to complete his hundred before lunch before edging Lewis Gregory to slip on 106, none of the other left-handers who fill Yorkshire’s top five looked in form and there followed calamity against the new ball after tea before Patterson and Brooks plotted an escape route.Lyth often prospers at Taunton and an uppercut six against Jamie Overton which damaged a chair in front of the Colin Atkinson pavilion and a cover drive against Peter Trego completed the transformation of his overnight 80 into a hundred. Others struggled: Will Rhodes fell hooking Trego and Andrew Gale’s edge to slip gave left-arm spinner Jack Leach his only wicket of the day.Regular interruptions then held the day captive, stealing 36 overs in all. It all seemed to leave Julian Cattanach, Somerset’s PA announcer, somewhat disorientated. Resumptions of play were twice announced an hour later than actuality, so encouraging the theory that he was on European time, some sort of gesture perhaps towards the forthcoming EU elections. Cattanach was asked if this perhaps revealed his voting intentions, but he responded in Latin so nobody was any the wiser.Making the best of it during such stoppages is a county cricket thing: how can it not be with the English climate and the dead tramp of contracting media coverage? If you want to change the world then Cattanach’s happy knack for impromptu impressions – Margaret Thatcher morphing into Chris Eubank with barely a pause for breath – might not adequately fill your day, but it passed the time for those of lesser ambition before the skies lightened and, in what had appeared to be the dregs of the day, Somerset revived their chances of victory in a trice.Lewis Gregory began the collapse, treating Jack Leaning to a successive lbw appeal and play and miss before having him caught at the wicket. Adil Rashid was sent back looking for a third by Gary Ballance as Tom Abell, from backward point, retrieved at third man. Tim Groenewald then took 3 for 5 in 8 balls in a controlled burst, Ballance and Liam Plunkett caught at the wicket, pushing defensively and Andrew Hodd cleaned up, middle stump.More seemed sure to follow; nothing did. Cattanach, whose forefathers were on the wrong side at Glen Coe, left with the expression of a man inured to disappointment.

Leeds United centre-back Diego Llorente could join Roma on a permanent basis at the end of the season, according to a fresh transfer update.

Is Llorente impressing on loan?

The 29-year-old joined the Serie A giants on loan during the January transfer window, having struggled to be a regular at Elland Road during the first half of the season. He hasn't managed to become a key part of Jose Mourinho's plans, however, starting only three league matches and making only five appearances in the competition overall.

Llorente has still done his bit for the cause, though, starting twice in the Europa League and helping Roma reach the semi-finals, with a tie against Bayer Leverkusen to look forward to in the next few weeks.

His current Whites deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, should Roma decide against retaining his services beyond this season, but the Italian outfit do have an option to sign him permanently at the end of the season.

Could Roma sign Llorente permanently?

According to Giallorossi.net [via Sport Witness], Roma are "already in contact" with Leeds over Llorente's future. Although they are hesitant to pay the full €18m (£15.9m) release clause fee, they are "ready to negotiate" a lower amount in order to keep him at the club.

It is claimed that the Spaniard is "happy to stay" at his current temporary club and end his time at Leeds, having racked up 59 appearances in a Whites shirt and proven to be an important figure at times despite injury woes, helping them remain in the top flight last season.

In truth, an Elland Road exit makes the most sense of all parties moving forward, even though Llorente has been hailed as "heroic" by BT Sport commentator Dave Farrar recently, and is clearly someone who could still benefit Leeds. At 29, he isn't getting any younger, meaning more youthful long-terms and less injury-prone options should be looked at instead this summer.

The money received for Llorente can also go towards new signings, while the fact that Roma are offering him European football means he is likely to perfectly content with moving away from Leeds for good.

Should the centre-back depart, he should still be remembered as a solid servant who produced some accomplished performances at the heart of the Whites' defence, averaging 2.5 clearances and 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League back in 2020/21.

Leeds United boss Javi Gracia will not hesitate to continue to make surprising team selections in light of his choice to omit Junior Firpo from starting in the Whites' defeat against Fulham last weekend, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Junior Firpo and Javi Gracia?

Last Saturday, Gracia opted not to select Firpo to play against Fulham at Craven Cottage, instead fielding Maximilian Wober on the left-hand side of the defence in what ended up being a disappointing 2-1 defeat for the Yorkshire outfit, as per BBC Sport.

Before the clash in west London, Firpo had started Leeds United's last 11 Premier League matches, as per Transfermarkt, meaning that his omission may have come as a surprise to the away support.

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old's form has dipped of late, none more so than in Leeds United's 6-1 loss to Liverpool at Elland Road last Monday. As shown on WhoScored, Firpo endured a torrid time in the affair and picked up a match rating of just 5.35/10 for his exploits.

Gracia has already been recently been pressed on his selection choices of late, particularly that of his failure to field Wilfried Gnonto from the start in their last three matches.

As cited by Leeds Live, the Spaniard spoke about the youngster's fitness before his side's match against Fulham last weekend, stating: “Gnonto is ready. He had a little issue, he had some problem, but now he's ready. He's training from the last weeks and, in the beginning when he came back, it's true I tried to protect a little bit, but now he's ready and available."

Journalist Jones is adamant that Gracia will continue to pick whoever he sees best fit to help Leeds United claim the results they need to secure Premier League survival.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "I mean, they've made a lot of changes like that [Firpo omission]. I haven't seen enough of Firpo directly to know whether he would have made any difference in that precise game.

"But Gracia hates the fact that he keeps getting questioned on his team selection. He says I know what I'm looking at, there are different teams for different scenarios."

Can Javi Gracia keep Leeds United in the Premier League?

It looks right now like it could go down to the wire; nevertheless, Leeds have a huge opportunity to put some distance between themselves and their relegation rivals when they face off against Leicester City at Elland Road on Tuesday night.

Securing all three points would take the Whites four points clear of the relegation zone while would also boost morale massively following a three-game losing streak in the Premier League.

On the other hand, losing out to the Foxes at home could have severe consequences, as not only would Leicester leapfrog them in the table, but Everton could also plunge the Yorkshire side into the relegation zone with a victory over Newcastle United on Thursday evening.

Realistically, it's all to play for at this point and events during this midweek round of English top-flight fixtures may go a long way to deciding who manages to avoid the drop come the end of this term.

Newcastle United are still interested in potentially signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer, according to a recent transfer report.

The Lowdown: Gallagher on the periphery at Chelsea

The 22-year-old stayed put at Stamford Bridge last year after a loan spell at Crystal Palace but he has struggled to nail down a regular place in the team in west London.

Gallagher has only started 10 of his side’s Premier League matches in 2022/23 so far, in what was often been a frustrating campaign for him.

It could be that the Englishman moves away for good during the summer transfer window, and Newcastle have been linked with signing him in the recent past.

The Latest: Newcastle keen on signing Gallagher

According to Football Insider, the Magpies’ interest in Gallagher ‘has not diminished’, having wanted to snap him up in January.

A transfer in the summer reportedly feels ‘possible’, and it is believed that Chelsea would be willing to sell the midfielder for a fee of around £30m.

The Verdict: Exit seems likely

At this point, it does feel increasingly likely that Gallagher could jump at the opportunity to leave Chelsea in order to be a regular starter elsewhere.

There is no denying that the four-cap England international is a very capable player – Thomas Tuchel once called him ‘extraordinary’, while he was Player of the Season during his loan spell at Palace – but he is arguably not quite at the level required to be a star man for the Blues.

There is an abundance of quality ahead of the 22-year-old in the pecking order in Chelsea’s midfield and it is difficult to see that changing, especially with more signings possibly arriving in the summer.

Newcastle could be an ideal place for the £50,000-per-week Gallagher to continue his career, with Eddie Howe more likely to be able to make him a focal point in the team at St James’ Park, one which looks far likelier to be playing Champions League football than Chelsea next season.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in the race to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, with Borussia Dortmund now out of the race for the 20-year-old, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Tottenham eyeing a striker

Spurs are considering potential new centre-forward options, with Harry Kane yet to commit to a new contract beyond 2024, and Spanish sources have recently linked Romelu Lukaku with a move to north London (via The Boy Hotspur).

Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias is also being targeted by Spurs, with Antonio Conte keen to bolster his attacking options, while Wahi has recently been watched by the club’s scouts.

The Latest: Dortmund end Wahi interest

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Falk has revealed that Dortmund are out of the race for the Montpellier forward, which means that both Tottenham and Arsenal’s chances of signing him have received a boost amid winter transfer links with Wahi.

The journalist also took to Twitter to state that the Lilywhites have the 20-year-old on their transfer wish list, should Kane leave the club in the summer.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Judging by Falk’s comments on Twitter, it appears as though the striker will only be targeted if Kane leaves, and surely no Spurs fan would want to see the club’s all-time record scorer departing.

However, if he does move on, then there are plenty of signs that Wahi would be a good long-term replacement. He has already reached double figures across a Ligue 1 season, netting on ten occasions last term, while he has struck eight times during the current campaign.

The youngster has been lauded by former Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo as a ‘powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills’, which would suggest that Wahi has the requisite attributes to go on and become a star.

That said, he is not currently at the level to replace Kane, and Spurs will surely be more concerned about the England captain signing a new contract this summer than looking for a replacement.

Leeds United have approached Feyenoord manager Arne Slot ahead of a potential Elland Road move, according to The Independent.

The Lowdown: Slot speculation

The Whites haven’t had much luck in their search for Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor, reportedly failing in moves for Raul, Carlos Corberan and Andoni Iraola.

There has been speculation over a swoop for Slot, with Graeme Bailey suggesting he is on the club’s radar. Sky Sports’ Tim Thornton stated on Wednesday that the Dutch manager, who shares the same agency as Manchester City forward and Leeds boyhood fan Erling Haaland, actually wasn’t on the list, but a new update has now emerged.

The Latest: Leeds proposal

Miguel Delaney, chief writer for The Independent, shared a story on Thursday morning regarding Leeds and Slot.

He stated that a proposal has been made to the manager by the Whites, with Slot now seemingly the preferred candidate to take over. Delaney added that ‘Leeds feel his intense and aggressive approach fits what the club want in this post-Marcelo Bielsa era, and are intent on taking their interest to the next stage’.

The Verdict: Wise target?

Slot boasts an impressive managerial record, winning 83 games from a possible 143. He likes to play a 4-3-3 system and appears to be going from strength to strength in the dugout, with his Feyenoord side currently top of the Eredivisie.

The 44-year-old also has experience of managing in the Europa League and has won two games against Erik ten Hag, a manager Leeds come up against once more on Sunday.

The Whites, and by extension owner Andrea Radrizzani and Paraag Marathe, the president of investors 49ers Enterprises, who have the key say when it comes to managerial decisions, appear to think his style of play would work in Yorkshire following Marsch’s dismissal, and after a number of setbacks, they could be on to a winner, should a move materialise.

A positive development has emerged regarding the fitness of Sunderland defender Niall Huggins as he recovers from a minor knock…

What’s the latest on Niall Huggins’ injury?

Black Cats manager Tony Mowbray has revealed that the full-back is back on the training pitch but will not be rushed back into action as the team prepares to play Bristol City in the Championship this weekend.

Speaking at his press conference, the Sunderland boss said: “We’re trying to manage the players’ workload at the minute and assessing a few – it’s about getting the balance right. Niall Huggins was back on the grass, but we’ll be easing him back in with a week’s training.”

Mowbray then provided an update on the rest of the squad, saying: “Lynden Gooch will hopefully be ready in another couple of weeks – he’s still in the treatment room, but fingers crossed it won’t be too long before he’s back involved.

“We have the longer-term absentees in Corry Evans, Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart, but apart from that everyone seems okay.”

Big boost for Sunderland

The return of Huggins in the coming days and weeks is set to be a big boost for Sunderland, as the 22-year-old is a quality versatile option for Mowbray to call upon in the final three months of the campaign.

With the likes of Gooch, Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese all missing for periods through injury this season, it is important for the club to have depth in the full-back positions, and the Welshman can play on either side of the pitch.

In his short career so far, the youngster has played an equal number of matches at left-back and right-back, demonstrating has the versatility to play on either flank, which means that he can cover multiple positions for the manager.

The Wales under-21 international, who made his Premier League debut for Leeds in 2020/21, played at left-back in the Black Cats’ 2-1 win over Birmingham earlier this season and caught the eye with four clearances, one interception and two tackles. In two games in League One last term, the defender averaged 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match and completed 80% of his attempted passes.

Huggins also showcased his attacking quality in the Carabao Cup last season by creating three chances and setting up one goal in two appearances, whilst also making 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game.

These statistics show that. when fit, the 22-year-old has the ability to offer plenty to the team both offensively and defensively, and that is why the dynamo’s return will be a big boost for Mowbray.

The Sunderland boss will surely be pleased to have a player as versatile as Huggins in order to provide strong competition for places, while it also means that an injury or two to the current first-choice options would not overly derail the team.