Ange Postecoglou will be in no doubt about the size of the task he is about to take on at Tottenham Hotspur, so we've got a bit of advice for him.
The Australian boss is on the verge of making the move from Glasgow to London after he clinched the Scottish domestic treble at the weekend, with the 57-year-old former Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F Marinos and Australia boss about to take on his biggest managerial role to date.
There are plenty of issues awaiting him once he gets his foot in the door, so what should he do this summer?
We got our team to play Managing: Tottenham .
Fraser Watson
Welcome to the madhouse Angelos Postecoglou.
It’s little secret that Celtic was not Daniel Levy’s first port of call as he bid to replace Antonio Conte. But unlike the fiery Italian, he’s set to secure an appointment which will be void of the ego, volatility, and metaphorical hand grenades he encountered before.
Postecoglou may not be proven in the Premier League, but scratch under the surface, and he has the credentials to lead a rebuild. Shrewd in the transfer market and strong of mind, his work will come without the theatre that many Spurs fans grew tired of under Messrs Mourinho and Conte.
A new goalkeeper is an immediate priority with Hugo Lloris now having waned for too long. Brentford’s David Raya appears a likely candidate to replace him, but you suspect a move would have to be made swiftly with Manchester United also reportedly interested.
Signing on-loan Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet on a permanent deal should be a priority, but the futures of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier need reviewing. And of course, the burning issue at the club which will define their summer. Harry Kane.
It would take a brave man to walk into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and immediately sanction the sale of the club record goalscorer. But if Kane’s desire is to leave, any offer north of £100 million from Real Madrid should be accepted, given it brings with it the bonus of not selling your star man to a league rival.
That way, the new manager has the funds for the rebuild the club craves, and the potential disaster of Kane leaving for free next summer is averted.
Good luck Big Ange.
Kieran King
There is no doubt Ange Postecoglou has a lot of work to do to turn Tottenham back into Champions League contenders... let alone fight for the title. They finished eighth last season - their lowest Premier League position for over a decade and they are a real mess at the moment.
Tottenham could get even worse if they sell Harry Kane.
It is almost inevitable that the forward will leave Spurs this summer as he deserves to play at the highest level, but Postecoglou must keep him if he wants to have any success in north London. Kane is a must stay - despite the money he might bring and his contract running out in 2024.
Kane, who scored 30 times last season, is irreplaceable for a club of Tottenham's stature and Daniel Levy must invest to ensure Kane and Tottenham are more competitive when it comes to the Premier League next term. Spurs need to sign a new centre-back, a left-back, and two new central midfielders.
Should Postecoglou incorporate a 4-3-3 formation like he does at Celtic, then James Maddison is a man they should sign. Tottenham do not have a natural no.10 at the club and Maddison would slot straight into that system.
A defensive-minded midfielder, such as Romeo Lavia, would be the next addition, with Marc Guehi and Antonee Robinson coming in as the two defensive recruits. Rather than looking abroad, stick to tried and trusted Premier League players to ensure they hit the ground running.
Conor Mummery
Despite what Antonio Conte will tell you, the next Tottenham manager will have a lot of very good players at his disposal.
The likes of Yves Bissouma and Richarlison were criminally underused by the Italian, and with Serie A winner Tanguy Ndombele and Europa League winner Bryan Gil among the eight loanees returning this summer, there are some big calls to make.
A new goalkeeper to replace outgoing skipper Hugo Lloris and a top class centre-half to play alongside Cristian Romero should be first through the door, but Tottenham's playing squad is, of course, far too big and it's vital the new boss is in situ as soon as possible to sort through the deadwood and get the clear-out underway.
The likes of Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, Joe Rodon, Ivan Perisic and Harry Winks, to name a few, are unlikely to be part of the long term plan and should be replaced. And then there's the man who can't be replaced, Harry Kane.
Whatever the outcome, it cannot become a saga that takes over the summer as it did in 2021 and as Gareth Bale's record Real Madrid move did 10 years ago.
With Daniel Levy unlikely to allow a Premier League move, the Bernabeu is the likeliest destination if an exit does come to fruition this summer, but with a year left on his contract in north London, Alan Shearer's 260 in his sights and the chance to choose his own destiny in 12 months time, the England skipper could well stick around for one last dance under the new regime.
Just don't go to Chelsea, Harry.
Daniel Orme
The first assignment for Ange Postecoglou has to be convincing Harry Kane to stay with Spurs. The England captain’s 30 Premier League goals throughout 2022-23 ensured that the North Londoners would avoid even more embarrassment.
Without a viable replacement, it is certainly difficult to see Spurs achieving anything of note any time soon. Even if Spurs have to lose Kane’s services for free next summer, then it would be worth it should they regain a place back in the Champions League.
The next huge gap that needs plugging in the squad is at centre-back. Cristian Romero for all of his vices, is still Spurs’ best central defender but needs a calmer and more experienced presence next to him.
It might be a bold call but Harry Maguire might be a viable option. He appears unlikely to have a future with Manchester United and a move to North London and away from the intense spotlight of Old Trafford could suit well.
Spurs then need to slimline their squad ahead of a season without European football. Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga look the most likely to be jettisoned.
Sam Meade
Kane is the problem hanging over the club, but it is not the coach making that decision. I'd be straight to Daniel Levy - tell me whether or not he's staying. If he is, I'll plan around him for now, if he's off I can start thinking about where that money goes.
Too many Tottenham players are capable of performing but haven't been. I'd do away with three at the back, go back to two centre-halves and have Yves Bissouma in front of them. The Bissouma that played at Brighton that is.
On the flanks, Djed Spence and Ryan Sessegnon. The latter had the world at his feet but has seen his confidence hammered and development hampered. He remains a player if you can unlock it. Spence also deserves a shot with bags of potential in him.
Big money needs to be spent on centre-halves, although my summer would be spent coaching Cristian Romero into the defender we all know he can be, but too often isn't due to irrational decisions. A calming influence next to him would be ideal, perhaps Adam Webster from the Seagulls.
Dejan Kulusevski would be central to my front three, pulling the strings from out wide. And, controversially, the Heung-min Son issues needs to be spoken about. Last season was poor and the South Korean needs to be offering more, a big season is needed otherwise, long-term, his future is in doubt.
Should Kane need replacing, I'd be looking firmly at the likes of Armando Broja or Aleksandar Mitrovic. Attainable, you wouldn't have to break the bank, and they're both underrated with a physical presence to go alongside their footballing ability.
Mark Jones
Whatever happens this summer it is more than likely that Harry Kane leaves Tottenham in the next 12 months or so, so why not start building for the Kane-less future now?
Is Ange Postecoglou the man Spurs fans imagined would be leading them into this bright new tomorrow when Antonio Conte left? Almost certainly not, but he's got enough about him to lay down the law and give Spurs the kind of hard refresh that they've needed ever since Mauricio Pochettino's great team started to run out of legs.
Crucially, the Aussie will surely be happy to be there unlike Conte and Jose Mourinho were, and I'd encourage him to bring a couple of his Celtic treble winners with him in the form of the impressive young midfielder Matt O'Riley and Scottish Player of the Year Kyogo Furuhashi, who both know the manager's methods and would help flesh out a squad which has a fair bit of deadwood.
If I'm big Ange I'm showing Davinson Sanchez, Ivan Perisic, Sergio Reguilon, Harry Winks, Bryan Gil, Giovani Lo Celso, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence and Tanguy Ndombele the door, while we know Hugo Lloris and Lucas Moura are leaving and I wouldn't be signing Arnaut Danjuma or Clement Lenglet on permanent deals.
As for incomings, if Brentford are valuing David Raya at £40m then I'd look at Caoimhin Kelleher who would cost less than half that, and I'd try and raid Southampton for some of their bright young talents such as Armel Bella-Kotchap and Romeo Lavia. I reckon you could make a pretty convincing pitch to Fikayo Tomori to leave Milan and become a top Premier League defender too, and maybe Wilfried Gnonto from Leeds as a project player to work on.
With all of that young talent around maybe Kane decides the grass isn't greener after all?
