Ange Postecoglou is set to be named new Tottenham Hotspur manager after agreeing a four-year contract.
The Australian, 57, will be the fourth manager to take the reins at the North London club this year after Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason. Postecoglou leaves Scottish champions Celtic after a hugely successful two years in Glasgow.
The former Australia national team boss joins a club still licking its wounds after a miserable season. Tottenham finished eighth in the Premier League and out of the European qualifying places, losing out to the likes of Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Here are they key areas he must address if Spurs are to challenge for a top-four finish in 2023/24.
Keep Harry Kane
The first order of business for Postecoglou will be to try to persuade Kane that he can fulfil his ambitions and win trophies at Tottenham.
Kane's importance to the team can be seen in his goal returns. The striker, 29, scored 30 Premier League goals 32 in total. He reached two milestones on February 5; his goal in a 1-0 win over Manchester City saw him break Jimmy Greaves' long-standing club record of 266 goals and also saw him become only the third player in the history of the Premier League to score 200 goals.
His double against Leeds United on the final day of the season extended Kane's club tally to 280 – a mark that is likely to stand longer even than Greaves' record of 53 years. Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 260 goals is also in sight (Kane currently sits on 213).
The England international can rightly claim to be among the world's elite strikers, but the rumblings of discontent with a club that has underachieved and unable to challenge for the top honours on a consistent basis is likely to persuade him that his future lies elsewhere.
Real Madrid are known admirers, and with Karim Benzema's departure there is a space in the Spanish side's attack that Kane could fill comfortably. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is also a fan, and could be the player to help them bridge the gap on rivals Manchester City.
With Kane now in the final 12 months of his contract, Postecoglou must move quick to convince his star man that he can deliver the silverware he so desperately craves.
Sign a goalkeeper
If Spurs' season was a bad dream, Lloris' was its nightmare.
Premier League statistics do not count own goals as errors leading to a goal but the reality is that Lloris' mistakes cost his side on at least four occasions in 2022/23 – and that's before taking into account his passing that constantly puts his teammates under unnecessary pressure.
The nadir for both Lloris and Spurs' miserable season came in the 6-1 pasting against Newcastle United on April 23 that ended any lingering hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League football.
Spurs were 3-0 down in nine minutes and 5-0 down at half time. And while it would be unfair to scapegoat only Lloris for a turgid first half, the Frenchman must take his share of the blame.
Lloris was replaced at half time at St James' Park and has almost certainly played his last game at the club. After 11 years of loyal service, he is one of a growing list of players being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Fraser Forster saw out the season as first choice but did little to convince he is more than an able deputy. Postecoglou must be shrewd in who he picks between the sticks to make sure Spurs improve on an awful defensive record.
Handle the misfits
Spurs' squad lacked many things last season, mostly a reliable goalkeeper, a commanding centre-half and a playmaking midfielder. None of those areas are likely to be addressed with the players set to return rom various loans.
Tanguy Ndombele has failed under a succession of managers in North London and barely featured in Napoli's first Serie A title win in 33 years. Spurs are unlikely to ever recoup the €62 million they paid Lyon for the 26-year-old French midfielder and its apparent that neither are a good fit for each other.
Argentine playmaker Giovani Lo Celso has spent the past two seasons on loan at Villarreal while Spain internationals Segio Reguilon and Bryan Gil also joined La Liga clubs after finding themselves frozen out by Conte. Reguilon's versatility as a wing-back or left full-back could be an asset with Ivan Perisic's age catching up to him, but Lo Celso and Gil's futures would appear to be away from English football.
Postecoglou will be underwhelmed by the end-of-season reports of others who made temporary homes last term.
Defender Joe Rodon featured in less than half of Stade Rennais' games as they finished fourth in Ligue 1 while midfielder Harry Winks was part of a Sampdoria squad that finished dead last in Serie A. Destiny Udogie was a constant in an inconsistent Udinese who finished 12th in Italy's top flight.
With the exception of Reguilon, none are necessarily upgrades on the squad Postecoglou will inherit and so the Australian may feel he is better served offloading the majority to fund his own transfer targets.
Spurs 2022/23 season player ratings
-
TOTTENHAM SEASON RATINGS: Antonio Conte - 5. His 16 months in charge ended in the usual acrimony that is now standard for the abrasive Italian. Blamed the board and the players for below-par performances and results but never himself. Spurs were fourth when he left in March and finished eighth, but even that feels a false position. AFP -
Cristian Stellini 2 - Asked to step into the breach when Conte was sacked, fellow Italian Stellini largely used the same personnel and implemented the same tactics that doomed Conte. The nadir was the 6-1 loss to Newcastle, in which Spurs trailed 5-0 at half time. A disastrous four games in charge. AFP -
Ryan Mason 4 - Says he wants the manager's job full-time but has shown few signs he is capable of making Spurs top-four challengers again. Would be better served cutting his teeth in the lower leagues for now. PA -
Hugo Lloris 2 - A catalogue of errors had many questioning the Frenchman's place in the team even before the horror show against Newcastle. Was replaced at half-time in that match and looks likely to have played his last game for the club. PA -
Fraser Forster 5 - Ended the season as first choice due to Lloris' awful form. Is not the long-term solution to Spurs' goalkeeper problems. Getty -
Cristian Romero 4 - A raging bull before the World Cup and a headless chicken after it. Clearly an excellent defender but needs to cut out dallying on the ball and wild challenges. EPA -
Eric Dier 5 - Like Romero, his form pre-World Cup was excellent and forced him back into England's squad. After that Dier reverted to the inconsistent form that has largely blighted his Tottenham career. EPA -
Davinson Sanchez 4 - Evidence of the disconnect between the team and fans was on full display in the defeat against Bournemouth when the Colombian was booed when coming on as a sub and again when he was replaced later in the match. Getty Images -
Clement Lenglet 3 - The Frenchman seems to lack positional awareness and is too often reactive instead of proactive. Would be a shock if Spurs tried to make his loan deal from Barcelona permanent. Getty -
Ben Davies 6 - Probably Spurs' most dependable performer in a season when the defence proved too brittle. PA -
Japhet Tanganga 2 - Made only four Premier League appearances despite Spurs having one of the worst defensive records in the top half of the Premier League. Hard to see a future for him at the club. PA -
Emerson Royal 6 - An underwhelming start to the campaign showed encouraging signs as the season progressed. Needs better end product but has the capacity to improve. AFP -
Pedro Porro 6 - Fine performances against Spurs in the Champions League prompted the North London club to sign the Spanish right-back in January. Scored a stunner in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United. EPA -
Ryan Sessegnon 5 - Looks a fine player until he's asked to do something with the ball. At 23 still has plenty of time to improve and if he can work on supplying more quality into the box can be a real asset. EPA -
Ivan Perisic 6 - The veteran Croatian has the quality on the ball Sessegnon lacks. One of Spurs' better performers but at 34 hardly one for the future. PA -
Oliver Skipp 5 - An injury-plagued campaign for the young midfielder. Offers bite and tenacity. Getty Images -
Yves Bissouma 4 - Another who had a season disrupted by injury but never replicated the form he showed at Brighton in the games he did manage. Spurs fans keen to see the Malian marauder in full flow next term. PA -
Rodrigo Bentancur 5 - Spurs missed the Uruguayan's drive and quality after he was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury in February. PA -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 7 - The Dane added goals and assists to his game and is a rare heartbeat in a team that flatlined too often. PA -
Pape Sarr 4 - The Senegalese's shortcomings were exposed against Arsenal and even more ruthlessly against Newcastle - which both ended in drubbings for Spurs. Getty Images -
Lucas Moura 3 - The hero of Amsterdam endured a disappointing final season in North London. Sent off against Everton minutes after coming on as a sub and a poor touch that led to Liverpool snatching a dramatic late win were the lowlights. Both results cost Spurs dear in their push for a European spot, though he did leave fans with one more memory with a solo goal in the 4-1 win against Leeds on the final day. PA -
Dejan Kulusevski 6 - A fit and firing Kulusevski gets the team up the pitch and causes problems for opposition defenders. Spurs didn't seen enough of either from the Swede this season. Getty -
Arnaut Danjuma 4 - The Dutch winger was afforded few opportunities to showcase his talents following a January loan from Villarreal. PA -
Son Heung-min 5 - Much was expected from the South Korean this term after finishing joint-top Premier League scorer the previous campaign. His highlight was a 13-minute hat-trick against Leicester after coming on as a sub. PA -
Richarlison 4 - Spurs fans questioned whether the £50 million plus to acquire the Brazilian from Everton could have been better spent. On the evidence of his first season in North London, the answer is a resounding 'yes'. Getty -
Harry Kane 9 - On a personal level, Kane enjoyed a great season. The England striker broke Jimmy Greaves' long-standing goals record for the club and Kane's 30 Premier League goals came against 25 teams - a record for a 38-game season. Seems unthinkable he will sign a new contract at Spurs and the club must decide whether to cash in on their prized asset this summer or risk losing him for nothing next. PA
