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يأمل الألماني يورجن كلوب مدرب ليفربول، أن تمطر عندما يلعب فريقه مع ولفرهامبتون في اليوم الأخير من الموسم حتى لا يتمكن المشجعون من رؤية دموعه.

وسيغادر كلوب منصبه كمدير فني لـ ليفربول في نهاية الموسم الجاري، وتحدث المدرب عقب الفوز أمام توتنهام بنتيجة 4-2 مساء اليوم الأحد بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وقال كلوب إلى “سكاي سبورتس”: “لقد كانت مباراة جيدة حقًا، يمكن لتوتنهام الضغط على أستون فيلا مرة أخرى في المراكز المؤهلة لدوري أبطال أوروبا، في الأمور ذات الأداء العالي، تحتاج إلى شرارة”.

وأضاف: “أود أن أقول إن ثلاث نقاط كافية وهذا ما اعتقده الأولاد، كان آنفيلد مكانًا خاصًا اليوم، كنا متقدمين بنتيجة 4-0، وقمت بإجراء التغييرات وفقدنا التنظيم، أظهر توتنهام مدى جودتهم، كنت سعيدًا بالأداء”.

وواصل: “كنا جيدين تقريبًا في جميع المناطق هجوميًا، التمريرات كانت جيدة، كانت أشياء كثيرة جيدة، بقينا هادئين، لقد أحببت لعبتنا كثيرًا، وكانت الأهداف رائعة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كلوب عن أداء محمد صلاح أمام توتنهام: أظهر ما هو قادر عليه

وعن شعوره مع اقتراب نهاية الموسم ورحيله عن ليفربول، أفاد: “سأكذب إذا قلت إنني في قمة مشاعري لكن لدي مباراة أخرى، بعد أسبوعين هو يوم آخر، لقد قلت ذلك من قبل، أحب كل شيء في هذا النادي”.

وأردف: “سنرى كيف ستكون هذه المباراة، ربما تتساقط الأمطار ولا يمكننا البقاء في الخارج لفترة طويلة، ولن يروا دموعي بسبب الأمطار (مازحًا)”.

وأستطرد كلوب: “هذه المباراة مرآة للموسم إلى حدٍ ما، كنا كالقمامة ثم أصبحنا بخير مرة أخرى، إنها تلك الفترة، حيث نستقبل الأهداف بطرق مختلفة، في اللحظة التي تسمح لهم باللعب، ترى على الفور ما يمكنهم فعله”.

وواصل: “إذا لم تسمح لهم باللعب، فمن الممكن أن تؤذيهم، وهذا هو كل شيء، بعد أن تقدمنا بنتيجة 4-0، وقمنا بإجراء التغييرات، كان لدينا نفس الشيء مرة أخرى”.

وعن لاعبه هارفي إليوت، أتم: “هل لعب هارفي إليوت بما فيه الكفاية هذا الموسم؟ لست متأكدًا، هذا متروك لي، إنها لحظات قليلة مثل هذه و لقد كان رائعًا ومتميزًا ويجب أن يكون مسيطرًا كما كان اليوم، يا له من هدف أحبه، سأشاهده بالتأكيد وسأستمتع به”.

Tottenham Hotspur are making positive steps towards a permanent deal to bring Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet back to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Clement Lenglet leaving Barcelona?

The French centre-back still has another three years to run on his contract at Camp Nou, but having been sent out on a season-long loan to N17 during the previous campaign, that would suggest he’s not in Xavi’s long-term plans moving forward and could therefore be on the move this window, potentially going back to Spurs.

Speaking during a recent public interview, Ange Postecoglou was asked whether the club would be looking to sign a new central defender before September 1, to which he replied:

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely. We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible. I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen.”

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE…

The Lilywhites could well be aiming to secure the 28-year-old’s services for good after it was reported that he’s already agreed personal terms and a three-year contract to stage his comeback, and the following update would suggest that a deal is moving in the right direction.

Are Tottenham signing Clement Lenglet?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Spurs are taking "decisive steps" with Barcelona to reach a full agreement for the permanent sale of Lenglet. The Blaugrana want to finalise the defender's future "next week" and are getting "closer" to sanctioning his move to the top flight, though it's worth noting that a loan with a buy option has "not been ruled out".

The two clubs have "good relations" and the positive relationship is helping during negotiations, but the only "stumbling block" so far is the player's €15m (£12m) price tag.

During his 35 appearances at Tottenham, Lenglet was praised for his “strong” performances by Hugo Lloris and he was certainly a rock at the heart of the backline having averaged 2.6 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.5 tackles per top-flight game, via WhoScored, so it would be a huge boost should chiefs be able to secure his services once again.

The 6 foot 1 titan, who’s naturally left-footed, also ranked in the 94th percentile for progressive carries so loved to come out from the defence and push the team as high up the pitch as possible which resulted in him providing two assists and even netting a goal himself.

Furthermore, the Beauvais native has the ability to operate out at left-back alongside his usual role at centre-back so he would provide some welcome versatility should any unexpected injuries occur, making him a great option for the manager to have available.

Postecoglou hasn’t yet had the chance to personally work with Lenglet himself, but there’s no doubt that he would have taken a close look at his displays from last season and he must have been impressed to be pursuing a deal which sounds like it could be coming to fruition very soon, so this is definitely one to watch in the weeks ahead.

Derbyshire put up a much better fight in their second innings and Durham were grateful to their part-time bowlers for a couple of breakthroughts

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2017Luis Reece stood firm for Derbyshire•Getty ImagesLuis Reece’s second Specsavers County Championship century of the season kept Derbyshire afloat on the third day of their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.The former Lancashire left-hander batted until the 73rd over to make 106 as the visitors reached 305 for 6 after following on 316 behind.Derbyshire found conditions more favourable under clearer skies than when they were dismissed for 164 in two sessions in the first innings, and they were also able to take advantage of the absence of Paul Coughlin.The allrounder went for a scan on a side injury and with 18-year-old Matthew Potts unable to replicate the rich promise of his first four appearances Durham lacked resources.He did, however, take his first wicket of the match six overs from the close when he swung one in to have Alex Hughes lbw for 39.There was a period in early afternoon when Reece began to play with almost casual elegance, often stroking the ball straight to fielders. But any hint of lack of application proved misleading as he accumulated patiently to reach his century off 215 balls.He got there by pulling Potts behind square for his 12th four, having been struck on the helmet when trying the same shot on 69. That was a rare moment of discomfort at a time when Potts appeared to have been told to bowl short, which suggested Durham were running short of ideas.They might have been encouraged when two balls from Graham Onions shot along the deck in early afternoon, but there was no repeat on the placid surface.Reece finally pulled Keaton Jennings straight to midwicket and there was a wicket for another occasional bowler when Cameron Steel’s legspin accounted for Wayne Madsen with his third ball.Madsen contributed 48 to a third-wicket stand of 106 before being caught behind by Michael Richardson when attempting to sweep.Good running was a feature of an opening stand of 99, in which Ben Slater made an attractive 57, his first half-century of the season. He was yorked by a ball from offspinner Ryan Pringle, which drifted in to hit the off stump.Then for the second successive day Derbyshire lost a wicket two balls before lunch as Billy Godleman shuffled across and inside edged Chris Rushworth via his box on to the leg stump.Only one wicket fell in the second session, followed by three in the evening. Reece’s exit left Hughes and Matt Critchley to face 16 overs of the new ball, but in the sixth Critchley played back to a ball from Onions which moved in sharply to have him lbw.Hughes was beaten several times and lost his early fluency before Potts snared him to expose a tail which Durham should knock over on the final morning.

ScorecardSamit Patel produced the highest innings of his life•Getty Images

Thanks to Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire find themselves in a commanding position going into the final day against Gloucestershire. This match, for the most part, has hummed along like an old fridge: serving its purpose but giving little joy to no one. That was until Patel interjected to produce an innings of immense quality. The 31-year-old finished unbeaten on 257, a new first class record, on a pitch that has offered nothing to either discipline.To understand how dominating this knock was, consider this: it eclipses the 226 runs he has accumulated over all of his previous eight Championship innings this season. And of course, a bit of red ink does his average no harm.Patel’s unbeaten 257, which featured 23 fours and a towering six to midwicket off Jack Taylor, was brought up with a tapped single and fist pump that bumped a 256 against Durham MCCU in April 2013 down the list. The merits of classifying university matches as first class is another debate for another time, but that Patel was desperate to beat that score – “it was the most nervous I was the whole time I was batting” – underlines his desire for worthwhile contributions.The four through cover point that took Patel to his hundred summed up his innings: not even a Test batsman of the class of Notts’ number three Cheteshwar Pujara (the next highest scorer of the innings with 67), had been able to time as well or as often on this pitch. This was his first Championship hundred of the season, and his 25th in his first class career. It was also his second against Gloucestershire – that first, a score of 176 (his previous career best in the County Championship) coming way back in April 2007, at this very ground. It was in the back of his mind – “you always remember your best” – and he breezed passed it with two runs struck over the top of wide mid off.Both 2007 and 2017 Patel still have much in common. Time takes the shine away from much, but it does not seemed to have dulled any of the strokes he played with such relish as a 22-year-old. There remains an exuberance to his shot-making, most notable in the way that he used his feet to the spinners to hit them for boundaries inside-out over extra cover – the only region left open to him. Challenge posed, challenge accepted. The swagger after each boundary has, if anything, become more pronounced.Perhaps a 31-year-old Patel has learned the value of patience, though even that is simply an observation made in hindsight: he spent more than eight hours at the crease absorbing 452 deliveries, showing great restraint to not make the mistakes of those who fell before and during his stay at the crease. Most batsmen have been undone snatching at opportunities to score. Patel simply waited. And in waiting, he made up for lost time.”It reminds you of the bad days you have with the bat. The times you can’t score any runs and you’re searching. I suppose you’ve got to try and make use of it.”I’ve been training hard with Mooresy (head coach Peter Moores) and Pike (assistant coach Paul Franks) and my mindset has been pretty good for a few weeks now. I’ve just not been converting as much as I should have done.”On 185, he had a life: skipping down the pitch to the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren, he struck high towards long on, where the fielder in question looked to have taken a good catch. Patel thought he was out, but the catch was spilled – in fact, it have even gone for six. Instead, four was signalled. That was about as ungainly as his innings got. On 192, he struck the medium pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett for consecutive fours through cover point to take him to 200 from 379 balls. “I’ve been searching for a big one for a few weeks now.” Here it was.His supporting actors changed throughout the day. Michael Lumb looked as good as you could for 23 before he was trapped by a searing yorker from Chris Liddle. Riki Wessels came out to instigate the charge, scoring his first boundary with a trademark sweep to square leg off Neoma-Barnett. A third batting point came up an over later before Patel struck his 12th boundary to take Nottinghamshire past Gloucestershire’s first effort of 303.While Wessels was unable to last much beyond lunch, trapped LBW by Jack Taylor, Chris Read’s enterprising 40, which featured the game’s first six, clubbed crisply over long on, ensured Notts put on 126 in the middle session to go into tea with a comfortable lead of 136. Luke Wood tagged in for the evening, striking a composed 38 as part of a 95-run partnership with Patel that further demoralised Gloucester, taking the lead to 232 before Read called the innings off.More misery was to come for the hosts as Cameron Bancroft was struck in front second ball by Luke Fletcher, just as he was in the first innings. Unfortunately for him, this time the umpire raised his finger. The 24-year-old from Western Australia is now averaging 16.44 from nine innings: a return far below what is expected of an overseas player, let alone someone of Bancroft’s talent. The stodginess of this Bristol pitch is enough to make any Perth-dweller homesick. Chris Dent and Will Tavare reconvene tomorrow, 202 behind with bold ambitions to try and take Gloucestershire to safety.There was further reason to cheer for Nottinghamshire as Moores confirmed to BBC Radio Nottingham that James Pattinson will rejoin the squad for their Royal London Cup knock-out match on Tuesday against Somerset. He will then be available for the following two Championship matches before his deal expires at the end of June.

Sunderland have thrown their hat into the ring in the race to sign Sonny Perkins on loan this summer, according to a report from TeamTalk.

Who is Sonny Perkins?

The 19-year-old currently plays for Leeds United, having been poached from West Ham at the beginning of the campaign. Whilst he hasn't been a first-team regular for the Whites, he has already been handed his first-team debut for the squad and even has a goal to his name in his three appearances for them.

Before leaving, he was also given the same amount of action by the Hammers.

Whilst he is clearly highly regarded to have been thrown into the first-team squad at his age, he has had to make do with reserve team football for the most part. However, the player has thrived in those outings and has become even more impressive since his move to Leeds.

Having produced twelve goals in 23 games for West Ham's Under-21 team, he has now managed a further 13 efforts in 23 games for the Whites' Under-21 side. It's led to him being called up for England's Under-19 team, where he has continued to shine with five goals in just three games for them. In addition, he's featured for his country's Under-18, Under-16 and Under-15 outfits previously.

Are Sunderland signing Sonny Perkins?

Now, this form has caught the eye of several Championship sides who are prepared to give him that regular first-team action. According to a report from TeamTalk, Sunderland are one of the second tier sides who are keen to try and bring Perkins in on a short-term basis for next season.

It's a surprise that Leeds are prepared to let the 19-year-old leave on loan, considering that they too are back in the Championship, but it appears that the club are willing to allow Perkins to go and find more playing time and the Black Cats have "registered their interest".

He certainly looks like he could have the potential to be a real asset for Sunderland. Back when he joined up with Leeds, he was labelled as a "very interesting signing" and "on fire" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example, who highlighted how impressive he had been for both his country's youth team and West Ham United's.

If he can get regular football with the Black Cats, it could bring the same kind of form out of the player next season.

Manchester City have built an unbeatable squad over the last few years and it finally paid off for Pep Guardiola when his impressive side completed the treble, winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season.

It's hard to believe that the Sky Blues would be in the market this summer but the ruthless operation at the Eithad has been a testament to their success as they continue to acquire the services of some of the best talent in the world.

Mateo Kovacic became the first signing of the summer transfer window for City and will hope he can make the desired impact on his move to the North West, but it seems like the former Chelsea star hasn't been the only midfielder that Guardiola has been chasing.

The Premier League champions made an attempt to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, as reported by David Ornstein they made a massive bid to rival Arsenal earlier this week:

However, the Gunners upped their bid which quickly led to Man City pulling out of the race and now the England star is set to complete his move to the Emirates imminently.

Whilst Guardiola is unfamiliar with missing out on transfer targets, he could now be set to seek out a cheaper alternative this summer and recently linked Marcelo Brozovic could be the perfect short-term solution at the Etihad next season.

Should Man City sign Marcelo Brozovic?

The Inter Milan midfielder's future has been up in the air for the last few weeks with not only a move to the blue side of Manchester speculated, but has also earned interest from Barcelona and Saudi Arabian clubs.

Brozovic is now 30 years old and whilst he can't provide the longevity that Rice could have given to City, he could provide a great output in the centre of the pitch that would be valuable at the Etihad next season.

Over 28 Serie A appearances last season, the Croatian star – hailed "unbelievable" by journalist Dean Jones – scored three goals, registered five assists and successfully completed 63% of his dribbles, displaying solid attacking attributes in his versatile role.

When comparing Brozovic's output with Rice in league football over the latest campaign, the pair shared many similarities including their pass completion rate (87.7% v 86.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.95 v 2.75) and take-on success rate (59.3% v 55.6%), proving that the Inter Milan midfielder could be a worthy cheaper alternative for Guardiola.

With that being said, if reports are to be believed it would only cost €25m (£22m) to secure the services of Brozovic for next season which would be a steal in comparison to Rice and could make him one to watch for City this summer.

Leeds United are reportedly set to enter the final stages of their manager search this week and appointing the right man for the job will be essential in the club's pursuit to make an instant bounce back to the Premier League.

The Whites dropped back down into the Championship after suffering relegation on the final day of their 38-game campaign under Sam Allardyce's management and will now need to show strong resilience as they battle in the second tier to emulate Burnley's achievement of earning a return to the top flight in just one season.

Following a takeover, the 49ers will be working hard to make their first hugely important move to appoint a manager which will likely represent the first impression they give to the Elland Road faithful, so there is a lot of pressure riding on acquiring the right manager.

Daniel Farke, Scott Parker and Carlos Corberan were named by The Telegraph as short-listed contenders for the role last week, whilst speculated candidate Brendan Rodgers has now agreed to reunite with Celtic – thus whittling down the options available.

Marcelo Bielsa's former assistant, Corberan, would likely be the most favoured option for many Leeds supporters this summer as the manager is extremely familiar with the club culture and has already built relationships with many members of the squad.

Now the West Bromwich Albion boss could offer his former club a great asset this summer beyond his experience at the club, with his midfielder, Jayson Molumby, a potential transfer target for the West Yorkshire club this summer.

Should Leeds appoint Corberan?

Since leaving Leeds in 2020 to manage local rivals Huddersfield Town, the Spanish coach has gone from strength to strength in his step-up to first-team managerial roles.

Corberan – lauded for his "unbelievable desire" by West Brom chief Ian Pearce – famously led the Terriers to the Championship play-off final last summer against Nottingham Forest during his first season in charge but just fell short of promotion at Wembley Stadium, before a fleeting 11-fixture spell at Olympiacos.

Now the 40-year-old is delivering his attacking-minded philosophy in the Midlands with West Brom and since his arrival in October has transformed the club's fate from relegation contenders under Steve Bruce to finishing just three points shy of a play-off place last season – collecting 56 points, 17 wins and five draws over 33 games in charge.

Should the 49ers be able to convince Corberan to reunite with Leeds this summer, it could not only be a huge asset to improving the consistency of the attacking presence at Elland Road, but he could also bring Molumby with him.

The 23-year-old midfielder – hailed "very ambitious" by Graham Potter – has thrived under the Baggies boss; scoring four goals, registering four assists and tallying up an 86% pass completion rate over 43 league appearances, making him an ideal prospect to bolster the presence in Leeds' midfield ahead of next season.

With that being said, if Leeds can secure the signatures of both Corberan and Molumby this summer it would be a real statement of the 49ers ambitious intent to get the club back in the Premier League and playing attractive attacking football once again.

A round-up of the first day’s play of Group A games in the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2016

Seamers picked up all 23 wickets to fall on the opening day of the Group A match between Baroda and Bengal in Lahli. Baroda, who were dismissed for 97 in the first innings, finished the day with a lead of 84 runs after seamer Atit Sheth’s 7 for 36 routed Bengal for 76.Bengal grabbed the early advantage through Ashok Dinda’s 6 for 45. Baroda’s top score in the first innings was 17, from opener Aditya Waghmode. Only three other batsmen scored in double-figures, all of them making 13. Sudip Chaterjee top-scored for Bengal with 37, playing a lone hand as the side slumped from 25 for 1 to 52 for 8 within 14 overs. Six wickets in this period fell to Sheth, who had earlier dismissed opener Abhimanyu Easwaran in the second over.Mukesh Kumar and Amit Kuila, who had taken four wickets between them in the first innings, then quickly dismantled Baroda’s top order in the second innings before Kedar Devdhar stabilized the side with 34 not out. They finished the day at 63 for 3.Opener Priyank Panchal’s eighth first-class hundred led Gujarat to 246 for 3 at stumps against Mumbai in Hubli. Panchal and his opening partner Samit Gohel gave the side a strong start after Gujarat opted to bat, with a partnership of 172 runs. Gujarat lost Gohel, Bhargav Merai and Parthiv Patel quickly before Panchal added an unbeaten 43-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Manpreet Juneja. Panchal remained not out on 122 off 256 balls with 17 fours.Mumbai used eight bowlers but the only ones to get wickets were Vishal Dabholkar, who struck in successive overs, and Aditya Dhumal.File photo – Gurkeerat Singh led Punjab after Harbhajan Singh missed the game due to personal reasons•BCCI

Railways’ batsmen, particularly Nitin Bhille, dominated the first day against Madhya Pradesh in Delhi, taking their score to 249 for 2 at stumps. Bhille was unbeaten on 102, his third first-class century, while opener Saurabh Wakaskar and Arindam Ghosh scored 62 and 61 not out respectively. Wakaskar and Shivakant Shukla had added 50 for the first wicket, before Bhille and Wakaskar put on 67 for the second wicket. Bhille and Ghosh then added 132 runs for the unbroken third-wicket partnership. Offspinner Saransh Jain and left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma took the only two wickets to fall on the day.Three wickets from seamer K Vignesh, including two in one over – the 32nd of the innings, helped Tamil Nadu claw back and limit Punjab to 241 for 6 in Nagpur. Punjab’s openers had moved on to 97 for 0 in the 29th over before they lost three quick wickets for 10 runs. Vignesh dismissed Manan Vohra for 73 off the second ball of the 32nd over and sent back Mandeep Singh four balls later. Punjab recovered briefly through a 53-run partnership between Uday Kaul and Gurkeerat Singh, who led Punjab after Harbhajan Singh missed the game due to personal reasons. Tamil Nadu, however, reigned them in with two quick wickets before Vignesh contributed another one, through a run-out, which sent back Kaul for 56.

Manchester City are set to let Joao Cancelo leave this summer, but Bayern Munich will not trigger their €70m (£60m) option to buy the full-back, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Which Man City players could leave this summer?

Man City have a number of first-team players who could be set to leave this summer, and Ilkay Gundogan is still yet to commit to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of June.

Pep Guardiola "desperately" wants the German to stay, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, however, there are several teams vying for his signature, including Arsenal and Barcelona, with the latter club viewing him as their top target.

According to reports from Spain, Aymeric Laporte is looking to join a club where he will be guaranteed more regular game time, while 90min report City will not stand in Bernardo Silva's way, should the attacking midfielder ask to leave in the summer.

Another player who could be on the move is Cancelo, with Romano recently taking to Twitter to detail that the Portugal international has no future at the Etihad Stadium. The transfer guru said:

"Understand Manchester City are ready to sell João Cancelo this summer. He will return from Bayern, €70m buy option won’t be triggered.

"Arsenal appreciate Cancelo, he’s one of the names in the list. Barca have genuine interest since January but… depends on FFP."

Should Man City let Joao Cancelo leave?

Despite being hailed as "exceptional" by Guardiola, the manager allowed the Portuguese defender to join Bayern on loan in the January transfer window, having made a poor start to the season, losing his place in the starting XI.

The 29-year-old was benched for the games against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, which Man City went on to win, and they have continued to impress since his departure, still on course to win the treble.

It was a bold move from Guardiola to allow the £250k-per-week star to leave in January, but his side have not missed him by any means, and they are thriving in a 3-2-4-1 system, which the manager implemented to great success against Real Madrid in the Champion League semi-final.

Given that the Sky Blues have looked like a much-improved side since January, it could be wise to look to cash in on Cancelo this summer, but they should be hesitant about strengthening a direct rival, and possibly avoid selling him to Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a big boost in their pursuit of a new manager as they seek to swiftly move on from their Arne Slot disappointment.

What's the latest on Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to The Mirror, which offered an update on a potential move to appoint Ange Postecoglou.

Whilst Slot seemed to have emerged as the frontrunner, with the Dutchman having since been ruled out of contention, it will be music to Daniel Levy's ears to hear that the Celtic boss is reportedly open to a switch should the Lilywhites come calling.

The highly ambitious nature of the Australian means such an opportunity would be hard to turn down, especially after he has arguably achieved all he can in Scotland.

As Slot has since tied himself down in Feyenoord for the foreseeable, this marks an outstanding alternative that could leave fans questioning why he was not top of the list in the first place.

Is Ange Postecoglou a good manager?

Whilst it might have been appealing to snag the title-winning Slot, it is easy to forget the fine work that Postecoglou has done in reinstating Celtic's dominance over Scottish football.

When he came in, Rangers had just ended their monopoly over the SPFL in embarrassing fashion, and they needed someone to immediately take them back to the top. However, few would have envisioned the 57-year-old would do it in such an emphatic way.

His side would lose three games in his first season, scoring 92 goals in 38 games whilst conceding just 22. This season has been arguably more impressive as they retained the trophy at a canter.

His 4-3-3 system worked wonders, and a possession-based style with high-octane pressing may be something the Spurs faithful would enjoy based on the grievances some had during Antonio Conte's reign.

Former Wales international John Hartson was quick to laud such a swift transition as they went on to reclaim the title from Rangers, suggesting that the experienced coach had been "outstanding" having "united the club". Levy will see the latter as an absolute must for his next appointment.

Even though Slot may have guided his team to silverware, they are neither the top scorers nor the best defence in their division. Both boast title pedigree, but only one had a philosophy that truly dominated.

To further emphasise this gulf in class, Postecoglou has maintained a 2.30 points-per-game average across his 111 games at the helm of Celtic. Despite being in charge of his team for just 100 games, Slot's average is 2.15 in comparison.

Whilst the Lilywhites fanbase was quick to lambast the hierarchy for their failures in securing the Feyenoord boss, and deservedly so, it has since become clear that he was merely using their interest to spur on a new contract.

They need someone wholly committed to the cause, willing to take their time and transform this sinking club back into a force to be reckoned with. Given his work in doing so at Celtic, and his reported desire to make the move happen, Postecoglou surely marks a far better alternative to Slot anyway.