Latest news with #DanielLevy
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Tottenham begin reinstalling iconic stadium feature after 10 years locked away in storage
TOTTENHAM have announced White Hart Lane's iconic Bill Nicholson Gates will be reinstalled at their new ground. The Premier League club aim to get the gates up at their new home, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, for their opening match of the new season against Burnley on August 16. 4 4 4 The gates are named after former Spurs player and manager Nicholson, who had a 38-year association with the club and won eight major trophies in his 16 years in charge. Nicholson became synonymous with the gates thanks to Peter Robinson taking a photo of him holding them in the 1970s. The gates stood until 2015, when they were placed into storage ahead of building began on Tottenham's new stadium - but now they are set to be brought back out for use. In a statement announcing their return, the club said: "Generations of fans, players and staff followed in Bill's footsteps through the gates on the way to White Hart Lane and we recognise their significant cultural and historic value. "As such, we have taken our time in finding the most appropriate location to reinstate the gates within the new stadium environs - mindful of the significant levels of construction and change the area has seen over the past decade. "Working in close consultation with our Fan Advisory Board (FAB), we have identified a location - within PAXTON17, between the Ticket Office and historic buildings at the north of the stadium - at which the gates will be reinstated. Club chairman Daniel Levy said the club did not want to rush deciding where to put the famous gates. He said: 'The Bill Nicholson Gates are such a significant part of our Club's heritage and I am extremely proud they will be returning home this summer. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'We were never going to rush into a decision as to where they should be reinstated, given the huge amount of works that have taken place in the area over recent years. 'We have undertaken a carefully-planned process, working with our architects, construction partners and Fan Advisory Board, and I believe we have found a fitting solution. 4 'We look forward to welcoming fans back to the stadium for the coming season - as well as Bill's family members and former players - to see the gates and feel that close connection between our Club and its rich history." Nicholson is the club's most decorated manager, winning the League Cup and FA Cup double in 1961. Two years later, Spurs became the first English side to win a European title when they picked up the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. He was also a key player in Arthur Rowe's trailblazing 1950/51 League title winning side. Nicholson passed away at the age of 85 in 2004.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Frank and open: early observations as Dane's Spurs tenure begins with friendly win
It is rarely wise to read deeply into pre-season fixtures. Especially the opening one. Yet when it is the first game for a manager at a club, the temptation is there. How can it not be? The initial glimpses offer the outline of the plan. Thomas Frank got his Tottenham tenure under way with a 2-0 win over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He played different XIs in each half and the goals came early in the second period from Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic. For the latter, it represented the gloss on an eye-catching first appearance. With the chair, Daniel Levy, looking down from the directors' box, flanked by the technical director, Johan Lange, whose profile is fast on the rise, Spurs had too much for their League One opponents, who are also at the start of a new era, Rob Couhig having taken over as the owner after the turbulent tenure of Dai Yongge. The stadium was sold out, with the 3,000 or so visiting Spurs fans keen to proclaim themselves as 'champions of Europe' after May's Europa League triumph. Expect to hear that on repeat in the coming months. There was plenty to pick over. The short answer was in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Frank is all about flexibility and there were a number of takeaways, particularly in possession. He started with Mikey Moore on the left wing but the teenager was given the licence to drift inside to connect with the No 10, which at the outset was another youngster, Alfie Devine. This created the space for Destiny Udogie to push high up from left-back, with Spurs building in a back three. On the other wing, Brennan Johnson played high and wide. Of the central midfield pair, Rodrigo Bentancur sat and Pape Sarr pushed up at times. The approach with the ball was similar after the interval, although this time it was the right-winger, Mohammed Kudus – on his first appearance after signing from West Ham – who roamed inside, allowing the right-back, Djed Spence, to overlap. Out of possession, Spurs broadly pressed in a 4-4-2, with the No 10 squeezing high. Frank brought a 26-man squad and there were notable absentees – above and beyond the injured Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin plus James Maddison, who is only part-training with the squad after an injury of his own. Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel were given additional leave after their involvement in the European Under-21 Championship and did not travel, Frank preferring that they stayed at Hotspur Way to train in the morning. Richarlison did likewise. The striker was involved with Brazil up to the second week of June and he is taking care with his return in light of previous injury problems. As an aside, Richarlison is understood to be keen on staying at Spurs; only if something exceptional showed up would he consider leaving. Kota Takai, the new Japanese signing, was not in Reading. He has a minor contact injury. It was certainly striking to see Spurs practise corners and free-kicks on the pitch about 20 minutes before kick-off, with all the outfield starters defending the deliveries from the youngster George Abbott, who would be an unused substitute. Attacking them were members of Frank's coaching staff. He enjoyed great rewards on set pieces at Brentford and the early signs here were positive, both goals coming after corners from Kudus. The taker in the first half had been Pedro Porro. The opener followed a header by Vuskovic for Lankshear to nod home from close range and the second came after Kudus crossed low for Vuskovic, Reading having withstood the first phase of the move. There were no long throws, albeit there were minimal opportunities for Spurs to try one. The towering 18-year-old Vuskovic, who played the second half at right centre-back, with Micky van de Ven to his left, agreed to move to Spurs from Hajduk Split in September 2023. There has been a lot of noise about his potential, a lot of expectation as he starred on loan at Westerlo in the Belgian top flight last season where he weighed in with seven goals. What an impact he had. The Croatian had already clattered into one challenge and just about got away with a play-out-from-the-back move when he teed up Lankshear's goal. His finish for the second was a beauty, a first-time left-footed drive, low into the far corner after Kudus's pass. The Danish manager is blessed with centre-halves. Behind Cristian Romero and Van de Ven, he has Kevin Danso, Dragusin and Takai. Vuskovic would not be short of loan options if he were to sense he will not get the minutes he needs; Hamburg would be one in the Bundesliga. He wants to play at Spurs. If it was easy to be drawn in by Vuskovic, it was impossible to ignore Kudus. Yes, it was only League One opposition, but the £54.5m new boy wowed with his sharpness and balance, his work in tight spaces, the impression he gave of always being in control of the ball and the situation. There was an explosion up the wing that led to a big chance for Jamie Donley, some lovely spins and time-buying feints, and the overall feeling that he seriously enjoyed himself.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Reading 0-2 Tottenham: First looks at Kudus and Vuskovic, big changes at set-pieces
The Thomas Frank era is officially underway, with Tottenham Hotspur's new head coach having taken charge of his first game against Reading on Saturday afternoon. There were some bright spells in the first half but it was the introduction of new signings Luka Vuskovic and Mohammed Kudus at half-time that sparked Spurs into life. Will Lankshear opened the scoring from Kudus' outswinging corner before Vuskovic's excellent left-footed finish sealed a 2-0 victory. Chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Johan Lange were in the crowd to witness the start to Frank's reign. Advertisement Frank used an entirely different XI in each half. Cristian Romero started as the captain while Son Heung-Min took the armband after the break. The Dane is still experimenting with the team's shape but it appeared that they were in a 4-3-3 which sometimes morphed into a 4-2-4. For example, in the first half Alfie Devine operated in an advanced central midfield role ahead of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr but out of possession he stepped up alongside striker Dominic Solanke. Here, The Athletic breaks down the key talking points from Tottenham's first pre-season game… In the 88th minute of Tottenham's victory, Kudus produced a jaw-dropping piece of skill. The ball was pinged towards him in the middle of the pitch and he flicked it with the back of his heel while he was in mid-air, finding Jamie Donley. On another occasion, he effortlessly pirouetted past Jacob Borgni then, having been squeezed into a tight space on the touchline, managed to shimmy through a crowd of players, keep the ball in play and set up Donley, who should have scored but took too long to get a shot away. Kudus was involved in both goals and created other chances too. Spurs spent £50m on the Ghana international for these moments of magic and it is why the fanbase are so excited. Frank praised his 'unpredictability' before the game because he offers a different dimension in attack. Solanke, who featured in the first half so did not share the pitch with Kudus, will relish playing with him. Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski may be worried about the extra competition on the right. Spurs have had to wait a long time to get their hands on Vuskovic. They completed a deal to sign the centre-back from Hadjuk Split in September 2023 but he could not officially join them until after his 18th birthday earlier this year, which meant he didn't arrive at Hotspur Way until the start of this pre-season. Advertisement It was a memorable debut for the teenager, and one that was worth waiting for. He offered a glimpse of his quality during a passing drill in the warm-up when he appeared to be backed in to a tight corner until he flicked the ball over Lucas Bergvall. Not long after coming on at half-time, he took a heavy touch and clattered into one of Reading's players, but he quickly made a positive impact. The Croatia international flicked the ball on from Kudus' corner to set-up Lankshear with a simple header at the back post. Kudus and Vuskovic combined again a few minutes later; Kudus receiving the ball just inside the box towards the left wing and finding Vuskovic, who swept it first-time past Joel Pereira. It was perhaps a surprise to see the defender pop up in the box but nobody was complaining. A few minutes later, he then blocked a header from Andre Garcia which was headed towards the bottom corner. There were a few sloppy moments when his positioning was not perfect or he mis-hit a pass, but on the basis of these very early glimpses, it seems like Spurs have found another gem. Ange Postecoglou made his disdain for reliance on set-pieces clear on multiple occasions, even comparing them to a rugby scrum. Brentford have consistently had one of the best records from attacking set-pieces over the last few years and Frank is keen to make the most of them with Spurs. Set-piece coach Andreas Georgson led a drill in the warm-up which saw the backroom staff attacking the ball while all of the outfield players stood in the box to defend the deliveries from George Abbott. Spurs regularly went short from corners under Postecoglou but Porro and then Kudus kept whipping the ball into the box against Reading and it paid off with Lankshear's goal. The only disappointing thing was that, despite holding long throw-in auditions earlier this week, Spurs did not launch the ball into the box from a throw-in once. When The Athletic asked Frank on Friday about who was successful in the auditions, he was uncharacteristically coy. It appears he wants to keep the exact identity of who will be his new throw-in specialist secret for a little longer. Guglielmo Vicario was originally named in the starting line-up but was switched with Antonin Kinsky before kick-off. The Italian was Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper last season and they suffered when he was unavailable for three months with a fractured ankle. However, he does not always look comfortable in possession. Advertisement Kinsky, who joined Spurs in January from Slavia Prague, stayed extremely high off his line in the first half against Reading. There was one moment where he played a clever reverse pass despite being pressed by multiple players. The 22-year-old is intelligent and knows when to go short or hit it long. Vicario was more erratic after he came off the bench. He raced off his line to clear the ball but only managed to send it spinning high up into the air and then he was nearly tackled in his own box by one of Reading's forwards. Stylistically, Kinsky is more similar to David Raya and Mark Flekken who were Frank's goalkeepers with Brentford in the Premier League. Vicario is more experienced and has emerged as not just an incredible shot-stopper but also a real leader during his two years with Spurs, but could we be set for an interesting battle to be No 1? Top photo:
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED from Thomas Frank's Tottenham bow: How new £55m man Mohammed Kudus got on, the star who could be fearing for his spot, and where they NEED signings after 2-0 win over Reading
Thomas Frank 's Tottenham reign started with a 2-0 win in a preseason friendly at Reading before a crowd of more than 22,000. Frank used 22 players who each had 45 minutes. It was goalless at half-time and Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic scored the goals, early in the second half, watched by chairman Daniel Levy in the front row of the directors' box, sat next to technical director Johan Lange. Here are five things we learned. 1) A shape of things to come The first glimpse into Frank's tactical plans came from the shape and he used a 4-2-3-1 formation in both halves, with fairly orthodox full-backs, two deep in midfielder and a number 10. Alfie Devine, 20 years old and back from a season on loan at Westerlo in Belgium, was deployed as the number 10 in the first half. After the break it was Jamie Donley, also 20, also back from a season on loan, in his case at Leyton Orient. But it is easy to see how James Maddison or Morgan Gibbs-White, if they can complete his signing from Nottingham Forest, might slot into that role. Maddison, who missed the end of last season with a knee injury, was among those absent at Reading. He is still behind others on the preseason training schedule. Dejan Kulusevski might eventually come into this equation, too, but he is recovering from a serious knee injury and will miss the start of the new season. For the record, the line-ups… First half: Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Danso, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Johnson, Devine, Moore; Solanke. Second half: Vicario; Spence, Vuskovic, Van de Ven, Davies; Bergvall, Bissouma; Kudus, Donley, Son; Lankshear. 2) New faces looking the part There has been an excitable preamble to the arrival of teenage centre half Vuskovic from Hajduk Split via loan spells in Poland and Belgium, and fans were not disappointed as the 18-year-old centre half marked his first appearance in a Spurs shirt with a goal and an assist. The tall Croatian, who made his senior international debut in June, flicked on a corner by Mohamed Kudus for Lankshear to head in the opener, then advanced to sweep in the second with his left foot from a pass by Kudus. Vuskovic, who played only the second half, deployed in tandem with Micky van de Ven, scored seven from central defence for Westerlo in Belgium last season. Kudus was involved in the goals and sharp on the ball. The first flash of him in full flow came 12 minutes from the end, jinking past a couple of challenges inside his own half and, with a change of pace, carrying the ball forward down the right win before picking out Donley, who fired wide. 3) Serious about set-pieces After all the criticism of set pieces during Ange Postecoglou's tenure, Frank wants us to know this is an area he is very serious about. A lengthy part of the pre-match warm-up routine involved the entire starting XI defending set pieces delivered from various angles by teenager George Abbott, one of four unused subs, with the Spurs coaching staff mimicking the attacking side. Still, Reading's main threats came from set pieces, one scare with a free kick delivered by Charlie Savage in the first half and a cluster of corners in the second half. Tottenham broke the deadlock directly from a corner, taken by Kudus, flicked on by Vuskovic and headed in by Lankshear at close range. The second came from a recycled corner, with Vuskovic still lurking up front in the penalty area. 4) Looming tug of glove We shouldn't at this stage to read too far into Antonin Kinsky starting the first half rather than Guglielmo Vicario because this was a large squad swirled up into two teams to play 45 minutes each, but Frank has a decision to make in goal. Kinsky certainly looked comfortable with the ball at his feet here, and Frank clearly asked his team to play out from the back where possible. Vicario struggled and was prone to mistakes after returning from a broken ankle last season. He has also had his well-documented problems from set-pieces but is one of the dressing room leaders and made a terrific save in the closing stages at Reading. It is a big call for the new boss and he won't want to rush into it. 5) Still lacking up front Richarlison was the most notable absentee and a reminder that there is no obvious cover for Dominic Solanke at centre forward. Richarlison must be the first option but cannot be relied upon to be fit and available. Lankshear, 20, is a natural centre forward who made little impression on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the second half of last season but found the target here soon after coming on. Mathys Tel did not look entirely comfortable as a centre forward last season. Kudus will provide another option although is probably not a natural in that role as they found at West Ham last season. Son Heung-min, another with experience in the role, could be gone before the end of the transfer window. Frank did nothing to quash the theory when he spoke on Friday. Son was one of the last to report back for training and looked sluggish when he came on for the second half, especially compared with the zip of Kudus on the opposite flank. Son's touch was heavy and he miscued a volley he might have taken when at his sharpest. Lucas Bergvall also looked rusty, making errors on the ball deep in midfield in the second half. But these things won't worry the new boss as he experiments with combinations and partnerships in different areas of the team to find out where there is chemistry and understanding to carry out his instructions. P.S. Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Tel are all on a delayed schedule after being given more time off following their roles in the U21s Euros and trained at the training ground. Kota Takai has only recently received his work permit and started to train after a move from Kawasaki Frontale in Japan, so is not fully integrated. Maddison is not yet training with the team after his knee ligament injury at the end of last season. Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are some way behind after serious knee injuries this year. Bryan Gil, who has no future at Spurs, is in Spain undergoing rehab on an injury. Manor Solomon and Dane Scarlett were also absent.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Thomas Frank refuses to put timeline on Tottenham's Premier League title quest
Thomas Frank has no issue with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy calling on the club to win the Premier League, but is not ready to set a deadline on when he will achieve the improbable dream. Spurs claimed Europa League success in May to end a 17-year wait for silverware, but Levy ruthlessly dismissed Ange Postecoglou after a difficult domestic campaign where the club finished one place above the relegation zone. Advertisement Despite Tottenham's Premier League struggles after an injury-ravaged season, Levy made the bold claim last month that they 'need' to win the title. Frank said: 'I share his ambitions for the club. A club of this size should have that ambition. 'How far away we are is probably very difficult to say, but we should throw it forward and go for it. 'No doubt that needs to be the aim for the future. What are to odds for us winning the PL this season? Advertisement 'I'm not allowed to gamble either, so I think we're probably not the favourites. Probably three teams at least ahead of us but we will do what we can to build a strong and competitive team.' Brave. Aggressive. Attack. Thomas lays down his principles 👊 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 18, 2025 During a busy first press conference as Spurs boss, Frank regularly stated his desire to improve the robustness of the squad to ensure they can handle four competitions. There were also plenty of questions about the future of key duo Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero. Son achieved his own goal of winning silverware at Tottenham in May and there has been a suggestion if he wanted to leave the club would not stand in his way. Advertisement But Frank, who refused to confirm if Son would remain captain, insisted: 'It's always tricky situations like that. Speculation has been rife surrounding captain Son Heung-min's future (John Walton/PA) 'If a player has been at a club a long time, then there will always be a decision for the club to take of course. 'And of course, the head coach and the guys who are in charge and this case will be with Daniel and Johan (Lange), because there is something in it if someone wants to leave at a certain stage, then there can be something there, but the club will always decide in the end.' Postecoglou's first summer at Spurs was overshadowed by Bayern Munich's protracted pursuit of Harry Kane, which eventually ended a day before the start of the season. Advertisement Frank would not want a repeat, but added: 'First and foremost, he's (Son) here now. I'm not worried too much about it.'
