Tottenham Hotspur have taken a big gamble by appointing Ange Postecoglou as their new manager, but only time will tell whether Daniel Levy made the right call.
After guiding Celtic to back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles and helping the Hoops seal the Scottish domestic treble last weekend, the Australian boss is set to embark on a much more challenging mission.
Unlike the Glasgow outfit, Spurs had a hugely disappointing Premier League season by their standards, having had to settle for a sub-par eighth finish.
Missing out on European football for the first time in over a decade could be a blessing in disguise for Tottenham and their new manager, allowing them to focus on domestic duties and repair their image in England.
Bringing a dysfunctional club in order could be a mammoth undertaking for an experienced manager who has yet to test himself in Europe’s top-five leagues.
While at first glance, the 57-year-old may not be the ideal candidate to oversee the imminent rebuild, a scratch under the surface indicates he has the credentials to complete the job.
Spurs’ squad requires a significant overhaul, and it will be up to Postecoglou to sort out summer dealings, with numerous players likely to be shown the door following a stomach-wrenching campaign.
Indeed, starting with long-serving captain Hugo Lloris, Tottenham will likely part with several first-team stars in the coming months as part of the club’s bid to return to the Premier League elite.
Let’s see what the future holds for the players under the Australian’s reign.
Goalkeepers
Lloris’ contract in London runs out in 2024, but he will likely say goodbye to the club in the summer after 11 years, having filed a transfer request.
His deputy Fraser Forster hasn’t been as reliable as Tottenham would’ve wanted, meaning a new goalkeeper could be an immediate priority for Postecoglou.
While he can still call upon Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, Spurs will, in all likelihood, land a new No.1 and potentially even a new backup option, depending on the manager’s stance on Forster.
Defenders
Despite occasional slip-ups, Cristian Romero has an almost guaranteed place in the starting XI after proving dependable and trustworthy in an otherwise horrendous season for Tottenham.
However, a constant lack of support from his defensive colleagues, namely Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, often saw the Argentine’s dark side overshadow his rock-solid showings.
Romero possesses the potential to become one of the league’s leading defenders, but Tottenham must give him a reliable partner to get the best out of him.
On the flanks, Emerson Royal has defied the expectations after a mediocre first year in the Premier League, showing he could be a huge asset for Postecoglou.
Pedro Porro’s first six months in London haven’t provided the whole picture, yet there’s a feeling the Portuguese wing-back can excel at this level with the proper guidance.
But as for Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon, it’s hard to say whether they have a future at Tottenham.
Midfielders
In addition to omnipresent Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Spurs enjoyed having Rodrigo Bentancur bossing the midfield in the first half of the season before picking up an injury.
While the two will likely play prominent roles in Postecoglou’s set-up next term, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr must prove their value to the new manager during the off-season.
Oliver Skipp had a decent second half of the 2022/23 campaign and could be staking his claim for a starting berth if Spurs fail to secure midfield reinforcements in the summer.
Given Tottenham’s creativity problems, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Postecoglou enters the market for upgrades.
Forwards
It would take a bold man to walk into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and immediately green-light the departure of the club record goalscorer, yet that could highlight Postecoglou’s early days in London.
Harry Kane’s future at Spurs is hanging by a thread after the club failed to qualify for European competition, with Real Madrid reportedly plotting a £100 million bid to lure him to La Liga.
From Levy’s standpoint, the 29-year-old is unmovable, though if the player wants to leave, there’s not much he can do to prevent his exit, as he did in 2021.
Kane’s potential transfer would leave Postecoglou with Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski as the only high-profile attacking options.
But while the latter lived up to expectations in his first two years in the Premier League, the former two did little to earn fans’ gratitude in 2022/23.
Son still has plenty of credit with the Tottenham faithful for his impressive exploits in previous years, but Richarlison has a point to prove after underperforming upon his £60m switch from Everton last summer.