10 things we learned in the Premier League: Week 28

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When it comes to the Premier League title race, knowing that Arsenal losing to Manchester City in a few weeks isn’t enough to derail the Gunners, there’s a question we need to ask yet again given their beatdown of Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Can Arsenal be stopped?

The Gunners oozed class again against the Eagles, at times looking like they were playing a stylish rondo more than manipulating a Premier League rival all over the pitch.

[ MORE: FA Cup draw – Potential derby final ]

So while Man City was showcasing its power elsewhere (read on for more), Arsenal was asking the two-time champs how they felt about an eight-point table gap with two months to play.

And how about Everton and Southampton?! The Toffees and Saints rallied to get helpful points for the relegation plights, and they did it against Chelsea and Tottenham, respectfully. In Southampton’s case, their point drew one of the most instantly memorable manager rants in history out of Antonio Conte.

The FA Cup weekend meant there were extra curricular chances for Premier League teams to spread their league nuttiness around the country (and the world).

So head to thing we learned No. 5 and learn a bit about how Manchester United, Man City, Fulham, and Brighton and Hove Albion got on in the quarterfinals.


10 things we learned in the Premier League: Week 28

1. Arsenal’s first-half blitz continues to be too much for Premier League (Arsenal 4-1 Crystal Palace): Most teams are beaten by Arsenal before they know what happened. That was the case for Crystal Palace on Sunday. A near-miss by Wilfried Zaha woke Arsenal up — perhaps their Europa League exit delayed their usual early blitz a little? — and normal service resumed about 20 minutes into the first half. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Leandro Trossard were too quick for Palace and Gabriel Jesus came on to help them close it out in the second half. Arsenal’s intensity is too much for teams they play against and that hunger combined with pace, skill and understanding is so tough to stop. Eight points clear with 10 games to go, which includes that trip to Manchester City in April. Arsenal’s fans are so close to ending  their two-decade wait for Premier League title. (NM)

2. Antonio Conte unleashes fury at Tottenham players; Exit close? (Southampton 3-3 Spurs): We can tell you what we learned from Antonio Conte’s blistering press conference following Spurs’ big blown lead to Saints at St. Mary’s, but you don’t need an interpreter. Is Conte leaving London quite soon?

“The problem is that for another time we showed that we are not a team. We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart. Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, with a lot of situations. Because about tactical or technical aspect, this is one situation. The most important thing if you want to become a strong team, if you want to become competitive, if you want to fight to win, is the desire, the fire that you need to have in your eyes , in your heart, and you have to show this in every moment. In every moment. If I have to compare last season and this season, we have to improve, but now we are worse in this aspect. When you are not a team, anything can happen, in any moment. Today is the last situation.” (JPW)

3. Dyche’s disagreeable Toffees expose Chelsea naivete (Chelsea 2-2 Everton): It’s not that Chelsea’s men didn’t work, or that Graham Potter didn’t tell them to fight for their points at Stamford Bridge. Rather, this is all about Sean Dyche’s men showing up ready to work harder than their foes even when trailing, and to never say die on the occasion. And that would’ve been apparent to anyone even if Everton didn’t manage their second equalizer, which was as feel-good as it gets considering it was (mostly) homegrown Ellis Simms just taking a world-class defender in Kalidou Koulibaly to the mat. If there’s anything more Sean Dyche than coming back from down twice thanks to two big, ornery scorers bulling their way to goals, we’re not sure what it is. As for Chelsea, Graham Potter now has a couple of weeks to make sure there’s nothing less Graham Potter than throwing up two leads at home. (NM)

4. Chaos continues as Leeds embrace it vs fiery Wolves (Wolves 2-4 Leeds): This season Leeds have tried to be something they’re not. Jesse Marsch tried to tone down his full throttle, high-pressing tactics which seemed to end in six-goal thrillers on a weekly basis for the first half of his reign. That switch cost him his job. By nature, Javi Gracia is a more composed and defensive coach, but even he has said ‘Screw it, do what comes naturally lads.’ That is why Leeds won at Wolves. They gave up big chances galore and needed Illan Meslier and his defenders to make big blocks but they created so many chances in attack and it just makes sense for them to play this way. This relegation scrap is chaotic and Leeds are ready for the fight. Wolves tried to embrace the chaos but it was all a bit too much for them. That may not bode well for them for the rest of the relegation scrap, while Leeds seem to be perfectly fine with bonkers games between now and May 28. (JPW)

5. FA Cup weekend: Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Cole Palmer flex youth for City, while Man United scoops up Fulham’s lost plot

With so many Premier League teams off this weekend so the FA Cup could determine its final four contenders for the 2022-23 trophy, it’s fair play to take a break from our 10 things to discuss what’s become of the competition for this season.

Manchester United and Manchester City are now on opposite sides of a draw that could put a Manchester derby into the FA Cup final.

United is set to meet Brighton and Hove Albion in the semifinal thanks to a heaping helping of meltdown from Fulham. The Cottagers led the Red Devils at Old Trafford with 20 minutes to play in the quarterfinal round but then disintegrated in two moments of madness as both Aleksandar Mitrovic and boss Marco Silva reacted in shameful fashion and joined handball-disguising Willian in collecting red cards. It was crazy. Read about it here.

Man City will tangle with high-flying Championship side Sheffield United a round after having zero trouble with an even higher-flying one in Burnley.

But it’s the manner in which Man City absolutely cooked Burnley that had people shaking their heads. Vincent Kompany, the City legend who manages the Clarets, could barely offer more than a shrug in response to his very good side allowing a half-dozen goals to Haaland (3), Alvarez (2), and Palmer.

6. Alexander Isak, Newcastle fight long and hard for deserved payout (Nottingham Forest 1-2 Newcastle): It was all Newcastle early, with Renan Lodi nearly putting the ball into his own net as the Magpies nearly flawlessly executed a clever set-piece routine in the 12th minute, but they failed to break through and were made to pay for it just before the half-hour mark. And then they wen’t down on a rare error from Sven Botman. It would take nearly 47 minutes, but Newcastle persevered and finally got their just reward for all of their attacking intent. Isak somehow got a foot to Joe Willock’s cross, which was a bit behind the Swede yet still angled off the inside of the far post as the final seconds of first-half stoppage time ticked away. VAR took a goal away from Elliot Anderson off a brilliant Isak assist, but Sean Longstaff was ruled in an offside position as the ball pinballed around the penalty are prior to the cross. Stoppage-time Isak struck once again in the second half after his header came off the arm of Moussa Niakhate inside the penalty area. Newcastle’s club-record signing stepped to the penalty spot, sent Keylor Navas one way and hammered the ball the other. (AE)

7. Unai Emery’s Villa makes jam from sour Cherries (Aston Villa 3-0 AFC Bournemouth):  Bournemouth is not dead in the water but Villa sure made them look like a team not fit for the level. Villa’s expected goals of 3.20 really piled up late but that’s a big figure, and Tyrone Mings led a defense that only allowed Bournemouth nine shot attempts and an 0.59 xG total over 90 minutes. Villa literally looked like a European candidate on Saturday, and only some of that has to do with Bournemouth. The Villans were in the ascendancy from Moment No. 1 and probably could’ve scored five on another day (Mings had a late in-tight shot saved by Neto, in fact). This all happened with Boubacar Kamara, Leander Dendoncker, and Philippe Coutinho injured and Diego Carlos and Lucas Digne as unused subs. Watch out for Villa, who has a lot of reasonable points ahead of them on the fixture list. (NM)

8. David Brooks’ return a feel-good moment (Aston Villa 3-0 AFC Bournemouth): The vibes didn’t last too long, and that’s why we want to make sure we acknowledge David Brooks’ return to Bournemouth following a lengthy and scary absence. Brooks, 25, announced his diagnosis with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021 and missed the rest of last season, then missing most of this season with a dreadful hamstring injury. His entrance to this game was greeted with very warm applause around Villa Park. Welcome back, David. (NM)

9. Will Arsenal end Kevin De Bruyne’s run atop the assist leaders? (Premier League assist list): Kevin De Bruyne is a two-time Premier League Playmaker of the Season and no one is creating as many chances as the Belgian (though Kieran Trippier and Bruno Fernandes are close). But KDB’s 12 assists are suddenly just two more than Bukayo Saka and four clear of Leandro Trossard. De Bruyne’s expected assists dominate the field but Erling Haaland’s 20 misses have kept both from destroying the PL record book. Arsenal is fit and firing, and either Saka, Trossard, or both could theoretically pass DE Bruyne before the end of the season. To have the Nos. 2, 3, and 7 (Martin Odegaard) assist leaders in the Premier League says a lot about the Gunners, doesn’t it? (NM)

10. Set Piece FC strikes again (Brentford 1-1 Leicester): With their opening goal, Brentford moved level with Arsenal and Tottenham for most set piece goals in this Premier League season. Just watch it, it’s brilliant for its simplicity of design, yet the difficult and complexity of its execution (even when it doesn’t go exactly to plan). So many moving parts, so many movements to be timed perfectly, and a sea of blue shirts standing around just watching.

Five players to watch in the Premier League’s summer transfer window

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There’s going to be turnover in the Premier League this offseason, and it seems likely the big boys will again be looking to the top young talents in other leagues to get in when the getting is good.

There will be big price tags attached to some players this summer, but in the case of the players below we may be talking about players just a window away from having unattainably high price tags for most clubs.

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

Most of these names have danced through ProSoccerTalk‘s transfer rumor mill at least once during the past season or two, and in one case have been on the radar for a half-decade or so.

Here’s a look at five players who may well find their way to the Premier League in the very near future, and could move somewhere this summer.

Xavi Simons, PSV Eindhoven

At times the teen hype around Xavi Simons coming out of Barcelona’s academy was akin to the recruitment of Martin Odegaard out of Norway so many years ago. But Simons couldn’t break through at Barca and his move to Paris Saint-Germain didn’t take off as expected. So Simons, who just turned 20 in April, landed at PSV Eindhoven. All he did was lead the Eredivisie in goals. PSG has a buyback clause but Simons would have to want to go there… and there are plenty of rumored suitors for the playmaker. Simons chipped in eight assists and was Fotmob’s highest-rated Eredivisie player.

Possible fits: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool

Jurrien Timber, Ajax

Still 21 for a couple more weeks, Timber got Mancunian tongues wagging when he attended the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City. The star center back played under United boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax and now has 15 caps for the Netherlands senior team. He has a ridiculous passing and ball progression profile for his position, and has showed enough attacking acumen to get any team excited about him.

Possible fits: Manchester United, Manchester City

Randal Kolo Muani, Eintracht Frankfurt

The 24-year-old has acknowledged dreams of playing in the Premier League following a blockbuster first season at Eintracht, where he scored 23 goals with 17 assists amongst all competitions. Moving to a new country did not slow him at all after his time at Nantes, and he was linked with a number of PL sides even before he admitted his interest in the league.

Possible fits: Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United

Sepe Elye Wahi, Montpellier

The 20-year-old nearly scored as many goals as his age in his third season with Montpellier’s first team, and has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, and Chelsea amongst others. Wahi is still very raw when it comes to passing the ball but part of his statistical deficiencies could have to do with his club’s relative struggles. A eager presser, his best traits are finishing and that’s the stat that drives the bus for him.

Possible fits: Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal

Gabriel Veiga, Celta Vigo

Here’s another playmaker linked with Arsenal, but you can see why he could fit in Mikel Arteta’s system. His 11 goals were 13th in La Liga this season and his four assists means he had a goal contribution on 15 of Celta’s 43 league goals. An eager dribbler, he delivered 80 shot creating actions this season and ranked in the 99th percentile for midfielders when it came to non-penalty goals.

Possible fits: Newcastle, Arsenal, Man CIty

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.

[ 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 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)


Brendan Rodgers, Jesse Marsch linked with Celtic job if Postecoglou exits

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All signs are pointing to Ange Postecoglou as the next Tottenham Hotspur boss, and that’s opened up some juicy reports about who will replace the Greek-Australian manager at Celtic.

Postecoglou, 57, led Celtic to two dominant seasons, hauling five of six domestic trophies to the green side of Glasgow.

His mighty big shoes will take some filling, and two reported replacement options are very familiar to Premier League fans and ultimately to Leicester’s 2022-23 relegation campaign.

And one of those is very familiar to Celtic fans, as ex-Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers could return to the club he left in order to take the reins at the King Power Stadium.

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

Rodgers, 50, won seven trophies in three seasons with Celtic and won the FA Cup with Leicester before parting ways with the club this Spring.

Rodgers left Leicester with the team in a downward spiral this season and one of the men who nearly took his seat at the KP is one of his rivals for the Celtic job.

That’s American manager Jesse Marsch, who was fired by Leeds this season and linked with Southampton and Leicester. Leeds, of course, was also relegated to the Championship.

Marsch had success with New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg but suffered through a short stint with RB Leipzig before his move to Leeds. He kept Leeds up last season but was in relegation danger this season.

He’s also been linked to the USMNT position, with former Southampton leader and current USMNT director Matt Crocker said to be a long-term admirer.

Reports: Tottenham Hotspur to hire Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou as next manager

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Multiple reports say that Ange Postecoglou will be leaving Celtic to become the next manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

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

[ 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 if Postecoglou departs this week.

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.”