Every word Lloris said in branding Spurs players effort ‘a disgrace’ (video)

Hugo Lloris
Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images
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Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is sounding more and more like his angry boss as Spurs drop big games, perhaps none bigger than Thursday’s massive blown lead at Dinamo Zagreb to bow out of the Europe League.

First, let’s go back to the weekend: Spurs manager Jose Mourinho said “players were hiding” in the North London derby and understandably those comments hit the headlines.

[ MORE: Three things from Zagreb-Spurs ]

But Spurs fans paying attention to the whole team would’ve noted that their captain said something similar, saying that every attacker other than Lucas Moura failed in their work at Arsenal.

So come Thursday, Mourinho lambasted the effort, ambition, and intensity of players in blowing a 2-0 first leg lead via a 3-2 extra time loss in Croatia, saying the players failed at “the basics of life — which is to respect our jobs and give everything.”

What did Lloris have to say? In some way, it was worse. The captain used the word “disgrace” on three times during a frank and damning verdict on Spurs’ attitudes.

“We are more than disappointed,” Lloris said. “It’s a disgrace. I just hope everyone in the training room feels responsible for the situation because it’s a disgrace. What can I say more about it?

“The taste of defeat is more than painful and we are all responsible for that.”

Lloris ripped into players for saying the right things for the cameras and microphones but not bringing that effort to training.

It seems to point at some high-profile players who do not start every match. And it doesn’t reflect well on anyone, though it will surely have Mourinho nodding along and maybe buying Lloris a dinner.

[ MORE: Mourinho tears into Spurs effort ]

“It’s accumulation,” Lloris said. “We are a club full of ambition but the team at the moment is a reflection of what’s going on in the club. We have a lack of basics, fundamentals, and all of our performances are in relation of that. Mentally we should be stronger, more competitive. Today I didn’t feel that on the field unfortunately, When you are not ready at this level, you pay right away. If you don’t respect the opponent, it’s punishment and that’s what happened today. They played the game full of belief but the blame is on us. All the team. All the club. We are guilty.”

“It’s not possible. The way we play is just not enough. Not enough. One thing is to come in front of the camera and say I’m ambitious. The other thing is to say every day on the pitch. To behave as a team is the most difficult thing in football. Whatever is the decision of the manager, you have to follow the way of the team. If you follow the way of the team only when you’re in the Starting XI, you’re going to pay in your season. We had a great moment in the past because we could trust the togetherness in the team. Today I’m not sure about that.”

“The message from the manager was clear, to attack the game, to score one goal as quickly as possible to make the game easier but it happened the opposite. Dinamo started to believe again and if you don’t kill the opponent, they are going to come. They scored an amazing goal and then the game was opponent. We never felt like the game was under control and that we were the dominant team. We were far from that.”

“Anything is possible in football. If you look at all the experience that we got as players, we all had that experience from one leg to another, everything can turn if you make the perfect game. What is more painful is the feeling that we came here without the desire to kill the game. When you are a competitor, you cannot behave in that way.”

“The confidence was back inside the Zagreb team and the game became even harder but this is the story of the game. We cannot change it unfortunately. It’s a disgrace from us and we can only feel sorry for the fans because every year they are full of hopes and this competition would mean a lot but now we have to get back to basics and fight to get back into this competition next season.

“I think we all belong to the team. Football is not about individual players, that there are 2, 3, 4 players who are going to step up. We need more than that. On the bench there’s an influence to have to push the others. In training sessions the same. It’s not stay on your side and complain because in the end, what we have to respect is the badge. It’s over all the players in the place. We have to respect the badge.”

Wow.

Look, it’s simultaneously okay to recognize that Mourinho is sleeping in the bed he made whenever his words get amplified to the heavens, but Spurs absolutely have had issues in this room with effort.

Dele Alli and Gareth Bale are the names that will leap to the forefront and perhaps they should. Bale had his issues with Zinedine Zidane that were forgiven back home but now perhaps they are appearing in front of a domestic audience. Dele didn’t come off well in the Amazon show behind the scenes at Spurs, and Lloris would surely know he’s not giving any player cover with his words.

Maybe Mourinho’s at the root of Tottenham’s problems. Maybe. But even if he is, if you’re not Harry Kane, Lloris, or Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, there are real questions about the attitude in North London. And they’ll have to answer them after flying home from Croatia to meet a hungry and angry Aston Villa.

Tottenham Hotspur hires Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou as next manager

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Tottenham Hotspur finally has a new boss: Ange Postecoglou has left Celtic to become the next Spurs boss.

Celtic granted permission for Spurs to speak with their trophy-collecting boss, and things progressed quickly as the 57-year-old looks set to oversee the club’s big rebuild.

Postecoglou will take over the club on July 1, and Spurs boss Daniel Levy issued high praise for the veteran manager.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”

[ MORE: Recalling Zlatan’s “unicorn” career ]

Spurs suffered through an inconsistent 2022-23 season with Antonio Conte at the helm, followed by Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason in interim stints.

Tottenham will not have European football this season and is at risk of losing legendary center forward Harry Kane. The club has eight players including Kane going into the final year of their contracts, including Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, and Hugo Lloris.

Spurs finished eighth last season, 15 points off the top four despite spending much of the season inside of it. The club’s finished fourth just once in the past four seasons despite qualifying for the Champions League the previous four seasons.

Ironically, Celtic is being linked with pursuit of Brendan Rodgers and Jesse Marsch in the wake of Postecoglou’s departure

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou, 57, was born in Greece and moved to Australia at a young age, starring for South Melbourne as a player and earning for caps for the Socceroos.

He is coming off a domestic treble with Celtic and won five of six trophies available to him in his two seasons with the Bhoys.

At Celtic, Postecoglou played with a 4-3-3 for much of the first half of his tenure but played a lot of this campaign in a 4-2-3-1.

Postecoglou won trophies as a manager with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, and Yokohama F. Marinos, claiming the Asian Cup during his stint as Australia national team coach.

He said he expects tricky early times wherever he goes.

“Wherever I’ve been, the initial part is always rocky, because my ideas are… well they’re not extreme to me but I can see how they can be seen as extreme from the outside. It takes a while. Usually it can take me six months, it can take me a year to really bed them in, depending on how many opportunities I have to change the playing squad and the staff and all those kinds of things.”

Fiorentina vs West Ham: How to watch live, team news, updates

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Fiorentina and West Ham lock horns in the UEFA Europa Conference League final at the Eden Arena in Prague on Wednesday, June 7 and the Hammers are the favorites.

[ LIVE: Fiorentina vs West Ham live ]

The east London side have only won one major European trophy in their history (they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup back in 1964-65 and were one of three winners of the now also defunct Intertoto Cup in 1999). In total it is their fourth European final.

David Moyes has seen his West Ham side struggle through the Premier League season as they finished 14th in the table but they prioritized winning the Europa Conference League and after winning 13 of their 14 games in the competition so far, they’re just one win away from winning the competition and thus securing a spot in the UEFA Europa League group stage for the 2023-24 season. If the Hammers do prevail in Prague, there will be eight Premier League teams playing in European competitions next season.

As for Fiorentina, the Florence-based club have had a decent season in Serie A but they will finish outside of the top seven so the only way they can qualify for European competition next season is by winning this final. Fiorentina narrowly lost to Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia final in recent weeks as they last won a trophy in 2001 when they won the Italian Cup. Like West Ham, La Viola have only won one major European trophy in their history, also the Cup Winners’ Cup back in the 1960-61 season.

Here is everything you need to know on Fiorentina vs West Ham.


How to watch Fiorentina vs West Ham live, stream link and start time

Dates: 3pm ET June 7, 2023
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+


West Ham team news, lineup options 

David Moyes has a very good idea of his starting lineup as Alphonse Areola has been his goalkeeper for European competition this season, while Declan Rice will captain the Hammers in midfield in what could be his final game in a West Ham shirt. Tomas Soucek (playing in his homeland of Czechia) will partner Rice in midfield.

Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma are certain to start in attack, with Lucas Paqueta also a nailed-on starter. In defense Kurt Zouma will be the main man, with Aaron Cresswell, Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer completing the defensive line. Gianluca Scamacca is the only injury absentee for West Ham with Danny Ings, Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini very good options off the bench.

Fiorentina team news, lineup options

The main men to look out for are Arthur Cabral up top, while Moroccan star Sofyan Amrabat in midfield and Argentina winger Nicolas Gonzalez are key. Fiorentina also have the likes of Luka Jovic and Jonathan Ikone to call on in attack.


Premier League transfer news live, today! Latest updates on the summer window

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We are all set for a very summer transfer window, as the latest transfer news keeps flooding in and plenty of big names are expected to be on the move.

[ VIDEO: Premier League analysis ]

The 2023 summer transfer window opens on June 14, 2023 for Premier League clubs and it will close at 6pm ET on September 1, 2023.

From superstars like Declan Rice, Harry Kane, and Jude Bellingham in-demand, to speculation around the future of Lionel Messi and plenty of money set to be spent by the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, this will be a fun summer.

Plus there are Americans to watch as Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, and Weston McKennie are all high-profile USMNT players who could make a summer move.

[ TRANSFER NEWS: Arsenal | Liverpool | Chelsea | Tottenham | Man City | Man United

Below we roundup the latest transfer news, done deals, reports and rumors and give our analysis on what’s going on as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic last few weeks of the window.


Transfer news live today! Latest from the summer window, so far…

June 6 – Christian Pulisic views Chelsea return but ‘a lot of things can happen’

Christian Pulisic has been linked with Juventus and AC Milan as things have not gone according to plan at Chelsea over the past season-plus.

But that doesn’t mean he’s absolutely skipping town this summer, Pulisic told reporters in California this week.

“Obviously, it’s been an interesting journey at club level for me. I thought it was a great couple years and the last couple years just haven’t gone at all how I’ve planned them to be,” Pulisic said. “And right now my focus is obviously here with the national team. I’m just excited to get back playing and just enjoy myself and do what I love to do out on the field. And from there, this summer, we’re obviously going to have to see what happens. It’s obviously very early. As of right now I’m a Chelsea player and I plan to go back. But a lot of things can happen. A lot of things can change.” (NM)


June 5 – Real Madrid contact Tottenham over Harry Kane

Harry Kane scoring goals in a white shirt is very familiar, but might the England and Tottenham striker do so next year in another country?

Marca report says Real Madrid is ready to pay over $100 million to Tottenham for the veteran forward, who scored 30 goals this Premier League season.

Kane as it stands now is in heavy pursuit of the Premier League record for goals but he’s also getting deeper into his career without a trophy and Real certainly has a reputation for collecting trophies.

Throw in the fact that Spurs are not going to be competing outside of England this year, and that Daniel Levy is thought to be leery of selling to another Premier League rival, and might Madrid make sense for Harry? (NM)


June 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool closing in on marquee targets

Reports from Fabrizio Romano say that breakthroughs are near for Chelsea and Liverpool when it comes to marquee midfield additions.

Chelsea is nearing a deal to acquire standout Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte for around $65 million, with Romano saying there are “key hours ahead” in the race to fend off Paris Saint-Germain.

And the father/agent for Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister is expected to arrive in Liverpool to hammer out final personal terms between the Reds and the World Cup winner. Then it’ll go to Brighton and Liverpool, with a fee not thought to be an issue. (NM)


June 3 – In-demand $40M back name checks Liverpool

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven has had a dream to play at Anfield since attending a game there as a youngster. An excellent ball progressor, Van de Ven is viewed as a $40 million target and reports have said Jurgen Klopp is an admirer. So it’s a mutual appreciation society.

“I once went to the Liverpool stadium with my dad,” he told AZ WAZ. “That was over Christmas on Boxing Day. Liverpool vs Arsenal. That was madness. Then when ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ comes [on] – that’s a goose bump moment, that was very cool. It’s a dream to play there.”

The 6-foot-4 Van de ven turned 22 in April and has served as the captain of the Dutch U-21 national team. He moved from Volendam to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2021 and became a full-time starter in his second season, occasionally swinging to left back. (NM)


June 2 – Man United in ‘detailed talks’ for young forwards

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have been in ‘detailed talks’ over the signing of Randal Kolo Muani and Rasmus Hojlund. The young forward duo are both being chased by the Red Devils as Erik ten Hag wants to add one of them and a more experienced striker. Per the report, John Murtaugh has spoken to both Eintracht Frankfurt and Atalanta multiple times about Kolo Muani and Hojlund respectively and United are hoping to move on with chasing summer targets despite uncertainty surrounding their ownership status as the Glazer Family continue to explore the option of a full or partial sale of the Premier League giants. Kolo Muani and Hojlund both fit the mould for the type of player Erik ten Hag wants and if United can land one of them and somehow pull off an unlikely move for Harry Kane (unlikely due to Daniel Levy’s unwillingness to do business) then it will be a heck of a summer for the Red Devils. (JPW)


June 2 – Gvardiol wanted by Manchester City

According to a report from The Times, Josko Gvardiol is at the top of Pep Guardiola’s wish-list this summer. The Croatian defender, 21, is thought to be valued at $108 million by RB Leipzig and although the German giants don’t want to sell, it is believed Gvardiol is keen on a move to City. The report says that City plan on moving on at least one of their center backs and all of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake seem certain to stay with Aymeric Laporte perhaps the most likely to move on. Gvardiol has long been linked with a Premier League move and his power in the air as well as his pace and ability on the ball is a perfect fit for the Premier League and City. Josko Gvardiol also got a good look at City this season as Leipzig were hammered by Erling Haaland and Co. in the UEFA Champions League. We’ve seen this season how Guardiola’s side dominated the final months of the season not only due to their incredible goalscoring exploits but largely thanks to a solid defensive unit. Having mobile center backs who can slot in at full back and step into midfield is key to the way they play. Gvardiol can do that. (JPW)


June 1 – Manchester United move to front of queue for Mason Mount

A report from ESPN says that Manchester United have moved to the front of the queue when it comes to signing Mason Mount this summer. Mount, 24, has just one year left on his contract at Chelsea and is expected to move on this summer. Mount has been linked with moves to United and Liverpool but the report says that Mount is keen on heading to United although the Red Devils have some reservations over the $75 million transfer fee Chelsea are asking for. Per the report, clubs are waiting for later in the summer to try and buy Mount as they known Chelsea will have to move players on due to the enormous squad Mauricio Pochettino has inherited and will have to trim. Does Mount to United make sense? It does. He can slot in anywhere in Erik ten Hag’s midfield and is the perfect kind of player to add depth to their squad and be a great 12th man or step in when key midfielders are injured or need a rest. His time at Chelsea is clearly coming to an end and even though Mount has struggled this season at Chelsea, his quality is proven in the Premier League in recent years and on the international stage with England. (JPW)


May 31 – Liverpool eye Bundesliga midfielder

Bild says that the Reds are turning to the Bundesliga to address their midfield. Jurgen Klopp will turn to Borussia Monchengladbach’s Kouadio “Manu” Kone this summer, as Liverpool has reportedly told the player that it will be approaching Gladbach. Kone, 22, has been linked with several big clubs including a late March report regarding Manchester United interest. A ball progressor who reads the game very well, Kone is said to carry a price tag of more than $40 million. (NM)


May 30 – Chelsea all-in on Ugarte

Chelsea are in talks to sign Manuel Ugarte, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Uruguayan and Sporting Lisbon holding midfielder is admired by new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino. Romano says PSG are in the race for Ugarte too. Ugarte, 22, is exactly the kind of player Pochettino loves as he will dig in, win the ball and get it to others to create. Alongside Enzo Fernandez, Ugarte will add extra defensive stability to Chelsea’s midfield and improve the balance of their squad. Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports says that Ugarte has a $65 million release clause in his contract. (JPW)


May 30 – Declan Rice linked with Bayern Munich

Our partners at Sky Germany say that Bayern Munich are very interested in signing Declan Rice from West Ham. Bayern, who won their 11-straight Bundesliga title on the final day of the season, have made Rice, 24, their top target as Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of the England international.

Here is more from Sky Germany reporter Uli Kohler: “Tuchel had a phone call with Rice. I don’t know what they were talking about – maybe money, maybe about what he can expect here [in Munich]. Bayern is keen on him. They need a strong defensive midfielder but everybody knows there are a lot of other clubs interested in him. Bayern could afford it. They would like to keep it below €100m [£86.4m]. They have to look at their accounts very closely but I think they can afford it.”

Rice has long been linked with a move to Arsenal or Manchester United but it is believed that West Ham’s asking price for their captain and central midfielder (who is out of contract next summer) is putting up Premier League clubs. Bayern appear to be ready to pay close to the $120 million West Ham want for Rice. Is he worth it? He is. There is perhaps no better two-way central midfielder under the age of 25 in Europe and Rice’s ceiling is extremely high. (JPW)


May 25 – Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Mason Mount are summer targets for Man United

A report from our partners in the UK at Sky Sports says that Manchester United are trying to sign a trio of England internationals: Harry Kane, Mason Mount and Declan Rice.

“Manchester United will try to sign Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Mason Mount this summer. Their No. 1 target is Kane. He is the player Erik ten Hag wants most. It is unlikely they will sign all three players and everything depends on what happens with the takeover. Kane, Rice and Mount are exactly the kind of characters Ten Hag wants in his dressing room.”

It is clear Kane will be the top target for United as Erik ten Hag has spoken about signing a new striker and that is their main transfer need. It is tough to see Tottenham selling Kane to a direct top four rival in Manchester United for anything less than $130 million, even with Kane’s contract winding down. That said, do you take that money this summer and use it to rebuild? Or let him go for free in the summer of 2024?

Next up, Declan Rice will surely be their next main target, as all three of these players have just one year left on their contract. Rice, 24, is just the type of player United need alongside Casemiro in central midfield and the England international has become one of the best two-way central midfielders in Europe under the age of 25. Rice’s close friend is Mason Mount and the latter clearly doesn’t want to sign a new contract at Chelsea, so he could be the cheaper option of the three. All of this hinges on Manchester United’s takeover but if, as expected, they qualify for the Champions League, then signing two of these three players would be a huge upgrade on their current options and gives them quality, depth and experience in midfield and attack. First choice would be Kane and Rice but Kane and Mount would still be pretty decent. (JPW)


How many times has a team won the treble? Man City goes for history

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There’s been a lot of treble talk these days, talk that’s found a new level of buzz since Manchester City moved within one win of joining the club.

It’s an elite club, by the way, of teams that have won their domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Nine times in history has a team won the treble, and only once has it been done by a Premier League club.

[ MORE: Recalling Zlatan’s “unicorn” career ]

That’s why Man City’s defeat of Manchester United earlier this month in the FA Cup Final rings so true for the Citizens; The blue side of Manchester would join the red side as treble supporters, as United won the treble in 1998-99.

Man City goes for the third jewel of its treble crown on Saturday versus Inter Milan in Istanbul when it kicks off the UEFA Champions League Final.

For more treble trivia, head below the jump.

How many times has the treble been won?

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.

PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.

(UEFA.com)