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Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have discussed the possibility of hiring Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim amid Arne Slot’s rejection, according to reports.

Who could be the next Spurs manager?

It’s becoming a rather embarrassing search for Antonio Conte’s replacement, with the Italian departing two months ago and Spurs still yet to confirm his successor.

This is becoming quite similar to their long, drawn out attempts to hire Jose Mourinho’s replacement in 2021 – which took around 72 days to draw to a close.

Spurs went through a succession of candidates in that time, six in total according to ESPN, and Slot’s latest declaration of intent to remain at Feyenoord means Tottenham are still firmly on the look-out for a new manager this time round.

It’s now back to the drawing board for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who has been under-fire in recent months, and this latest debacle will only be heaping more pressure on the club chief.

Tottenham remain keen on a number of alternatives to Slot, with Spurs drawing up a shortlist which includes the likes of Champions League winner Luis Enrique and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter.

As per reporter Graeme Bailey, writing on Twitter, this is indeed the case and Sporting CP’s Amorim is among the names to have been discussed internally as an option.

The 38-year-old has amassed a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young managers, making him an enticing option for Levy.

Who is Ruben Amorim?

Amorim has made history at Sporting, having previously ended their 19-year wait for a Primeira Liga title in 2021, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola saying this on the Portuguese in an interview with the media (via City Xtra):

Spurs journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke has also called him “the most exciting” young coache on the continent, yet it remains to be seen whether he will depart Sporting for the Premier League.

Northamptonshire members will vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting this evening on plans to change the ownership structure of the club.The club’s directors have proposed a resolution that would see members cede control of the club in favour of a limited company, NCCC Holdings. The directors say such a move is necessary to encourage much-needed investment in the club. They require 75 per cent of the vote to see the resolution passed. Proxy votes have been accepted, but there is no facility for postal voting.Northants has sunk heavily into debt in recent seasons. As well as two separate loans of around £1m each to the local council, it is also understood that several hundreds of thousands of pounds have been lent by directors at interest rates of up to 7%. While the club have yet to reveal the identity of the potential new investors (and there is some doubt as to whether some of the money would be ‘new’ or involve existing debt being transferred to share options), they have suggested they are hoping to raise around £1m.Existing club members will also have the opportunity to buy shares with a minimum subscription of £250. Those that decline can continue to purchase season tickets, but will no longer be entitled to vote at club meetings. They will be allowed to elect a representative to the board, but the board will be able to veto this representative if they deem them unsuitable.One of the chief concerns of members will be the plans of new investors for the county ground in its town-centre location. ESPNcricinfo has previously revealed that the club not only had the Wantage Road site valued, but had plans drawn up for a new ground on the outskirts of town. With planning permission, the ground was estimated to be worth around £12m (without planning permission, it was worth around £4.5m), though costs for a new ground were estimated to be around £15m. Several members of the Northants board have a background in property development. The ESPNcricinfo story was originally denied by the club but confirmed by the council.Club directors hope that hastily amended articles of association – there have been three drafts in the last week or so – will win over the doubters. Whereas, as recently as Monday morning, the articles of association stated that the new company “may not sell” the ground, they allowed several potential caveats. Among them was the requirement that the company “acquire an interest in a replacement site … or to repay the debts or to satisfy other obligations of the company … or to repay monies actually received by the company by way of share subscriptions (and a reasonably [sic] rate of return on those share subscriptions).”The new articles of association state that “The company may not itself redevelop, sell, grant a long lease, or otherwise voluntarily allow the ownership of the whole or a material part of the freehold of the County Ground to pass out of the ownership or control of both the company and NCCC Limited in a manner which is detrimental to the continuance of professional cricket at the County Ground without both: a special resolution of the shareholders; and in addition a special resolution of those Season Ticket Holders who cast their vote at an AGM.”The amendments were made after the intervention of former Wisden editor, Matthew Engel. As a long-time supporter of the club, he expressed concern in the original wording (“There is absolutely no protection for the ground,” he told BBC Northampton last week. “There is nothing stopping them turning it into a cheese factory”) and helped the club re-draft the relevant section. He remains undecided, though, and has told ESPNcricinfo he will attend the meeting unsure which way he will vote.The vote has a wider significance given the on-going debate into the future structure of domestic T20 cricket in England and Wales. Whereas a members’ club might be expected to resist marginalisation by a new premier competition, a shareholder-run company – a company that may pay dividends and look for a monetary return on its investment – might be expected to take a more pecuniary stance.Whatever Northants’ financial struggles, the club continues to contribute to the overall strength of English cricket on the pitch. As well as winning the NatWest T20 Blast competition for the second time in four years a few weeks ago, Northants has also helped produced several high-class players (not least David Willey, Ben Duckett and Olly Stone) who could go on to enjoy long international careers.

Kent bowled a backbreaking 200 overs in two days at Tunbridge Wells but had nothing for a draw to show for it by the end

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2016
ScorecardSam Northeast was phlegmatic about the draw•Getty ImagesBrave Sussex batted for their lives while Kent’s bowlers toiled fruitlessly under the sun as the two neighbouring counties fought out a high-scoring Specsavers Championship draw in Tunbridge Wells.Following-on some 242 runs in arrears at the start of the final day, Sussex lost only five wickets in the three sessions and had edged into a 13-run lead courtesy of Ben Brown and Chris Jordan when the sides shook hands on a draw just before 6pm. Kent banking 11pts to Sussex’s 8pts.Though his side failed to hammer home the advantage they held over all four days of the match, Kent’s Sam Northeast remained phlegmatic.”After all that effort and our bowlers sending down well over 200 overs in the past two days you want to win, but they were such tough conditions,” said Northeast.”To bowl them out for 333 was a seriously good effort, but knowing The Nevill Ground as we do it stays pretty true, the top doesn’t break up and it remains a pretty good pitch throughout. We tried different things but they didn’t work out, while Ross Taylor gave a two-day batting exhibition here and made a huge difference to the outcome of the match.”Facing a backs-to-the-wall fourth day after being dismissed for 333 on Tuesday, Sussex suffered only one casualty in the opening session when their former skipper Chris Nash went for 18.From the opening ball of the day Kent applied scoreboard pressure from both ends, sending down nine maidens in the first 16 bowled, before Nash departed in the 28th over of the day after miscuing a drive against left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum to Sam Northeast at short extra-cover.Kent had taken the new ball through Kagiso Rabada whose effortless action generated good pace, but with little or no luck. The South African had two concerted lbw appeals turned aside in another eye catching stint of 6-3-8-0.Left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum and off-spinner James Tredwell bowled in tandem with five close men around the bat, but were denied another breakthrough as Sussex lunched on 62 for 1.Despite the break Kent still found wicket-taking an issue on a slow pitch offering a modicum of slow turn, and were restricted to a further two wickets in the mid-session.Harry Finch (66) posted a 133-ball 50 before he push-drove to short extra cover off Tredwell, then Luke Wells (22) mistimed a drive to give Qayyum a return catch.Taylor, in his final four-day appearance for Sussex and fresh from a first innings 142, counter-attacked realising the importance of his side edging ahead in terms of runs to post 68 either side of tea.Kent pushed to the limits through Mitch Claydon and Rabada for a new-ball breakthrough, but luck was against them. Claydon’s in-duckers beat the inside edge only to miss the stumps on numerous occasions while Rabada’s stint of nought for 33 fail to reflect the numerous times he passed the bat and had lbw shouts turned aside.Taylor rode his luck a little, he was dropped at long off by Qayyum and then Kent’s stand-in keeper Callum Jackson grassed a tricky stumping chance, but otherwise the one-time Blackcaps skipper ensured his side would go home with a draw.With the game almost safe, right-handed Taylor holed out to cow corner to give Tredwell a second wicket, then Luke Wright (38) played back and down the wrong line to go lbw and give the former England spinner figures of three for 76 when stumps were drawn.In praise of his overseas professional, Sussex captain Luke Wright said: “Ross has been awesome the whole way through and we’ve relied on him a hell of a lot. I’m pleased to see him finish with two good scores that got us out of trouble.”He spoke about scoring quickly today because as soon as we went past their total it was the end of the game. He showed his experience here, he told us not to just try and block out but to counter, and it worked for us.”Wright added: “Once we finished on the wrong side of the toss we knew it was always going to be a hard game, particularly going into today following on. We thought it might break up and with Tredwell and Rabada to face we knew it would be tough, but I’m really pleased we saw it out.”It’s been the story of our four-day season that we’ve had to work really hard for our draws, but we can take a lot of positives from this.”We’re in a building stage with this squad, I’m a new captain and in Mark Davis we have a new coach, so we are in transition and we’ll need a bit of time and patience to bed in. The one thing we do want I attitude and fight, and I think we’ve shown that in bucketfuls here.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJasprit Bumrah took 4 for 22, his second four-for in two matches•Associated Press

Zimbabwe consumed 32 overs in establishing a foundation, only for it to come tumbling down when they lost four wickets in four balls. India didn’t lose those many over the series, which they took 3-0 as MS Dhoni equalled Allan Border’s record of 107 wins to become the second most-successful ODI captain behind Ricky Ponting.The gulf in skill between the two sides was extremely stark. While one struggled to find a batsman who could produce a substantial innings, the other had rookies contributing heavily. KL Rahul, the first Indian ever to score a hundred on debut, made an unbeaten 63 on Wednesday. The 30-year old Faiz Fazal, the oldest Indian ODI debutant in 16 years, celebrated the occasion by hitting 55 off 61 balls and sealing the victory with an imperious pull for four.There were 169 balls and 10 wickets remaining when India breezed past a target of 124. The three wickets they did give up to secure the whitewash was the fewest any team had lost in a three-match series.Zimbabwe had won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch that was hard, true and excellent for strokeplay. Yet their top order bored the home crowd by playing 81 dots in the first 102 balls before the first drinks break. And it seemed like that was the plan. They wanted to save wickets, only to lose four in four balls. They hoped to make up for the dilly-dallying in the later overs, only to be bowled out with 7.4 overs to spare. Forget India, even irony was thumping Zimbabwe.Jasprit Bumrah lit the fuse for the hosts’ latest implosion. He hit the deck and hustled the Zimbabwe batsmen for pace. Zimbabwe were 102 for 3 when he began the 33rd over, then 104 for 7 in the 34th, and 19 runs later, all out. Bumrah finished with 4 for 22, his second four-for in three ODIs.Timycen Maruma, playing his first ODI in nearly two years, was the first to go in the collapse. He was too slow bringing his bat down and Bumrah had his off stump cartwheeling. Next, the 22-year old fast bowler showed he could get the ball to straighten too and had Elton Chigumbura caught behind for his second successive golden duck. It was MS Dhoni’s 350th dismissal in ODIs. That wicket ended the 33rd over.Off the first ball of the next one, Malcolm Waller dabbed Axar Patel into the covers and set off for what should have been a straightforward single. Except Richmond Mutumbami didn’t see it that way and sold his partner down the river. Captain Graeme Cremer was handed a golden duck as well when he played back to the left-arm spinner’s arm ball.Until those few minutes, the match was going along at a sleepy pace. Chamu Chibhabha and Vusi Sibanda refused to take even the slightest risk. The eighth over ended with a glorious, on-the-up cover drive. The ninth began with an off drive that screamed intent. But besides that the two batsmen did precious little to push the Indian bowlers. The next boundary did not come until the 25th over, after that partnership of 36 runs in 88 balls had been broken.Perhaps Zimbabwe were dissuaded from strokeplay by what had happened to Hamilton Masakadza. His wild slash in the sixth over settled in the hands of Rahul at first slip. Sibanda could have been caught for a duck in the next one had Yuzvendra Chahal not grassed a skier at midwicket. Worried by the amount of chances India were creating, Zimbabwe simply shut down in the first half of their innings.But that played into India’s hands. Axar was finishing an over in almost 60 seconds and Chahal was bowling with great deal of control and guile. He mixed his pace and his length – but never his line, that stayed firmly on middle and off. He tossed the ball up, but the revs he put on it ensured it would always dip before batsman’s front foot could reach it. Sibanda was worked over in this manner – sucked forward and, because of the drift inward, tempted into playing with the closed face. The leading edge was taken and Chahal completed the catch.Bumrah took care of the last specialist batsman Mutumbami with another ball that straightened off the seam in the 35th over. The tailenders Donald Tiripano, Neville Madziva and Tawanda Mupariwa couldn’t mount a fight either and were back on the field for the second innings before the lunch break.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Francisco Trincao has spoken out on his recent upturn in form, after his hugely disappointing form in England last season.

What did Francisco Trincao say?

The 23-year-old expressed his happiness at this current time with perhaps a disguised swipe at Bruno Lage for how he was managed last term.

Speaking to Sport TV, related by O Jogo, he said:

“It’s like the manager has said about me, I need the consistency that I haven’t had in recent years. I feel good here, I’m happy. I hope to gain this consistency to be able to give more and be better.”

What went wrong for Trincao at Wolves?

The Portuguese joined Barcelona on a five-year deal in January 2020 and was handed his debut in October later that year.

Over a year later, the winger netted his first goal for the Catalan Giants in a 3-2 away win at Real Betis in the Spanish League. The following weekend, he then recorded two assists in a 5-1 thumping of Alaves, which included some delicious link-up play with Lionel Messi.

Due to the incredible competition at Barcelona and with an obvious talent that needed some more regular minutes to be developed and nurtured, the attacker joined Wolves on a season-long loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2021 and was tipped to become a real force within English football.

However, the playmaker endured the least productive campaign of his career and only registered four goals in 30 appearances in all contributions.

It was an incredibly disappointing return, heightened by the fact that he was a player who obviously had an oozing attacking flair but a damaging lack of end product – a painfully similar trend to what compatriot Goncalo Guedes experienced in the Midlands.

The fellow Portugal international has endured a comparatively dismal spell in England. Signed last summer, he has only scored twice and registered a solitary assist in 18 appearances. A better rate than Trincao, but still far from mindblowing.

Like the former Barca man, he is already elsewhere – on loan at Benfica.

After Trincao's disastrous spell, the £13m-rated man has also returned to his homeland, signing on loan for Sporting CP. Across 45 appearances for the Lions, he has contributed 15 goals and assists in a season where Ruben Amorin’s side has defeated Arsenal in the Europa League and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage.

In a recent league match, the former Braga man netted a hat-trick against Casa Pia and also recorded two key passes, two successful dribbles, and a monstrous 9.3 rating, as per Sofascore.

Trincao opting against signing permanently for Wolves emerged as the best option for parties, his short spell in England will be one he'll swiftly forget.

Chelsea will be looking for a positive start to life under Frank Lampard as they travel to Molineux to take on relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon.

The Blues sacked Graham Potter last weekend following the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa and it has been a whirlwind week at Stamford Bridge, with Bruno Saltor overseeing the disappointing stalemate against Liverpool in midweek.

Lampard was recently announced as the club's caretaker manager until the end of the season as Todd Boehly searches for a permanent successor, and while he has had just a couple of days of training with the squad, fans may well be expecting a reaction from their side ahead of the game against Julen Lopetegui's Wolves.

How should Chelsea line up against Wolves?

With three points a must if the west London side are going to salvage any hopes of a European finish this season, here is how Football FanCast expects Lampard to line his side up today upon his return to the Chelsea dugout, with three changes from the team that drew 0-0 on Tuesday.

(5-2-2-1) Kepa (GK); James (RWB), Fofana (CB), Koulibaly (CB), Badiashile (CB), Chilwell (LWB); Fernandez (CM), Kante (CM); Sterling (LW), Madueke (RW); Havertz (ST).

There was a ninth clean sheet of the season for Kepa Arrizabalaga against Liverpool, so he looks unlikely to lose his place in between the sticks in Lampard's first game.

The former Everton boss will perhaps find it difficult to make too many changes to a defence that kept Liverpool out at Stamford Bridge, but Benoit Badiashile is a far more natural centre-back than Marc Cucurella, so he should take the Spaniard's place alongside Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana.

Reece James and Ben Chilwell keep their spots in the wing-back positions, with both England internationals extremely dangerous from an attacking perspective when on top form.

After failing to score again against Liverpool, we think Lampard should select a bolder formation which sees an attacking player replace struggling midfielder Mateo Kovacic, so he should opt for a midfield duo of N'Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez at Molineux.

This allows Raheem Sterling to return to the side on the left wing, with Noni Madueke also earning a rare start on the right-hand side, as the 21-year-old – who was dubbed a "mentality monster" by former coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst – arguably deserves more first-team minutes after barely featuring under Potter.

Chelsea's fans may be surprised to see Joao Felix omitted but the Portugal international has just two goals and zero assists in nine Premier League appearances, while Kai Havertz has been the more consistent attacker of late, so he gets the nod to start up front.

Fulham are interested in signing Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, and they have already made contact about a summer move, according to a recent report.

Who could Fulham sign this summer?

Despite a recent dip in form, losing their last four matches in all competitions, Fulham have still had a solid first season back in the top flight, but Marco Silva will still be keen to bring in additional reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

Given that Aleksandar Mitrovic has been linked with a move away from Craven Cottage, a new striker may be needed, and it was reported earlier this month that the west London club are ready to make a move for Olivier Giroud.

The Cottagers are also interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach defender Joe Scally, and they have recently received a boost with the news that he could be available for €12.5m (£10.5m) this summer.

Silva is keen to bring in new options all over the pitch, and a recent report from French outlet Jeunes Footeux states Ziyech is determined to leave Chelsea this summer, with Fulham being named as one of the clubs in contact about a move (via Sport Witness).

However, the Cottagers are not the only English side interested in the Moroccan, with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United also named as potential suitors, while a move abroad could also be on the cards, as Paris Saint-Germain are still in contact.

The report states it is "certain" the 30-year-old will not remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer, having already tried to leave in the January transfer window, which could make a deal easier to facilitate.

Will Hakim Ziyech join Fulham?

One potential stumbling block is the midfielder's huge wages, with the midfielder currently earning £100k-per-week at Chelsea, which could lead him to join a team playing in European competition, with more money to match his wage demands.

However, if Fulham are able to complete a deal, the former Ajax man could be an excellent addition to the squad, given that he has been lauded "world class" by teammate Mason Mount, who also dubbed him a "joy to play with".

The 2022/23 campaign has not been easy for the Dronten-born maestro, making just 13 appearances in the top flight, however, he achieved a 7.09 average Sofascore rating last season, which would make him the best-performing midfielder in the current Fulham squad. As such, Silva should continue to monitor Ziyech, as he would be a real upgrade on the Cottagers' current midfield options.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe could be set to raid former club Bournemouth this summer, amid reports that the Magpies are interested in signing defender Jordan Zemura from the Vitality Stadium.

What's the latest on Zemura to Newcastle?

According to 90min, the Tynesiders are among a number of Premier League clubs who are said to be 'admirers' of the 23-year-old, with the Zimbabwe international facing an uncertain future with his current side with just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal.

As per the report, the 5 foot 8 gem was recently dropped by manager Gary O'Neil due to his ongoing contract dispute, with that situation having seemingly alerted clubs across the division to his potential availability.

The St James' Park hierarchy – including sporting director Dan Ashworth – may have a battle on their hands if they are to make a concrete approach any time soon, however, with West Ham United said to be currently leading the race for the player's signature.

Would Zemura be a good signing for Newcastle?

There will likely be a sense of Deja vu among Newcastle supporters regarding this potential interest in Zemura, with the northeast side having previously snapped up Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

Much like Zemura, the Scotland international had endured a turbulent and somewhat toxic end to his time on the south coast having decided against signing a brief, short-term extension on his deal in order to continue playing in that Covid-impacted 2019/20 campaign, with Howe – who was in charge at the time – taking the decision not to call upon the diminutive speedster for the remainder of that season.

That "disgraceful" exit – as per Dorset Live's Daniel Davis – undoubtedly left a bad taste in the mouth among those of a Cherries persuasion, with Fraser having since been dealt a dose of Karma after struggling to make his mark at St James' Park, scoring just three goals and providing only six assists in 59 games in all competitions.

Those woes have been compounded by the fact that the 29-year-old has now been banished from the first-team squad by Howe, with it looking as if a summer exit is now an inevitability – bringing to an end a rather failed deal for all concerned.

With Newcastle still paying the price for that signing, there may be concern among Ashworth and co in enduring a repeat scenario by snapping up another contract rebel in the form of Zemura, particularly with the London-born ace rather inexperienced at the top level.

The one-time Charlton Athletic academy graduate has made 19 top-flight appearances so far this season and has averaged 2.1 tackles per game in that time, albeit while contributing just a solitary assist and recording an average match rating of only 6.57, as per Sofascore – the 18th worst rating among his teammates.

The promising talent did enjoy a positive campaign in the Championship last term – with former boss Scott Parker stating that he has a "lovely forward drive about him" – after scoring three goals and providing one assist, although has since racked up just a solitary goal involvement this time around.

Considering that the highly-coveted asset has hardly pulled up any trees this season – and bearing in mind the comparison to the Fraser deal – Newcastle may well be wise to refrain from pursuing a summer swoop.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery enjoyed his first transfer window in charge of the club last month after replacing Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

The Spanish head coach, whilst working alongside Johan Lange, made two additions to his first-team squad by snapping up striker Jhon Duran and left-back Alex Moreno to bolster his side.

He also made a big call by allowing centre-forward Danny Ings to sign for Premier League rivals West Ham United, which left Ollie Watkins as the club’s only senior option in that position.

How did Danny Ings perform at Aston Villa?

It was the end of an underwhelming spell for the former England international at Villa Park following his move to the club from Southampton in the summer of 2021.

Ex-manager Dean Smith brought him in on a three-year contract in a deal reportedly worth £25m, after the gem had scored 34 top-flight goals for the Saints in 2020/21 and 2019/20 combined, but it turned out to be a blunder by the English coach.

At the time of the move, the then-Villans boss said: “Danny is an outstanding Premier League footballer who has scored goals wherever he has played.”

The forward, who was once described as “dangerous” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, came in as a prolific scorer in the division for Southampton and arrived for a significant fee.

However, the 30-year-old found goals hard to come by at times in his first season with Villa and ended the campaign with seven strikes in 30 Premier League appearances – starting 22 of those matches.

The attacker’s form did perk up slightly in the current campaign, however, as Ings scored six times in 18 games for the club prior to departing in January, although that was not enough to convince Emery that the dud had a long-term future in his squad.

13 goals in 48 matches is unlikely to be what Smith, or the club, expected the Englishman to produce after his terrific form for Southampton in the division, which is why the marksman was underwhelming, despite having a decent record in front of goal, for the Villans.

Villa reportedly raked in a fee of just £12m, potentially rising to £15m, from West Ham United last month, meaning that the striker’s value plummeted by at least £10m, and at most £13m, in just 18 months of league football.

The striker’s zero goals or assists in four Premier League appearances for the Hammers since making the move also suggests that Emery, as it stands, made the right call by cashing in on him.

Overall, Smith’s decision to bring him in for £25m was a big howler for the club as Ings struggled to replicate his Southampton form for Villa and left for a considerably lower fee less than two years later.

Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker believes that Ange Postecoglou wouldn’t be interested in taking the vacant Leeds United job.

The Lowdown: Leeds still searching

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani recently tweeted about having some ‘white smoke’ for the fans to welcome their new manager by this evening, but as the hours tick by, time looks to be running out.

The Whites were thought to be looking at bringing back former academy coach Carlos Corberan after the wonders he managed to work at Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion, though he’s recently penned a new contract and the Baggies appear fully against releasing him.

This has led to Leeds reportedly turning their attention to 40-year-old Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola, although Celtic boss Postecoglou is still someone that’s not been ruled out of the running.

The Latest: Postecoglou wouldn’t be interested

But despite having the lure of the Premier League and all the money that comes with it, Walker believes Postecoglou won’t be interested in joining Leeds given his impressive progress at Celtic.

He said: “I think every Celtic supporter would recognise the transformation in the team has been pretty remarkable. Whenever you go along and speak to a Celtic season-ticket holder, they’re getting value for money. They’re really enjoying the football that they’re watching, and I think Ange Postecoglou, at this point, he wouldn’t be interested in going to Leeds.”

The Verdict: Orta and Radrizzani must take their time

Leeds have somehow found themselves in the exact same position as they were 12 months ago – managerless and facing the threat of relegation from the top flight – so the hierarchy cannot afford to repeat their mistakes of the past.

Last year, Jesse Marsch was seen as the saviour after Marcelo Bielsa was handed his marching orders, and that experiment certainly didn’t work out in the long term, so Leeds must get the right man in the dugout, whether that be Iraola – who’s only previously managed in Spain and Cyprus – or Postecoglou, who has Champions League and top-flight experience in Scotland with the Bhoys.

This is not only imperative as they cannot keep bringing in and firing managers every year, but because after this week’s fixtures against Manchester United, they face relegation rivals Everton and Southampton, and six points will be the only acceptable outcome in the fans’ eyes, so the next manager must be able to hit the ground running.