The 2023/24 campaign was an up and down season for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur.

After some turgid football played under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, it was good to see a return to a more free-flowing attacking style, and the North London faithful certainly roared their approval in the opening games.

The Australian’s name was sung heartily throughout those early matches as supporters contemplated a return to the halcyon days of Hoddle, Waddle, Ardiles and Villa.

Ange Postecoglou’s assistant, Chris Davies, has moved to Birmingham

Ultimately, injuries and a collective loss of form saw the Lilywhites drop out of contention for the Champions League places, but rather than see that as a real backward step, there’s some certainty to Postecoglou using it as fuel to motivate his squad throughout the 2024/25 season.

However the club fare in the upcoming campaign, they’ll have to do it without one important member of their backroom team.

The Club are delighted to confirm the appointment of Chris Davies as Men's First Team Manager. ?

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) June 6, 2024

That’s because, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter), Chris Davies, who was the senior assistant coach to Ange Postecoglou, has taken over the managerial hot-seat at League One club, Birmingham City.

Having just been relegated to the third tier of English football, Davies has quite the job to do in the Midlands, though his experiences in the dugout at the likes of Celtic and Leicester as well as at Spurs should stand him in good stead for the 2024/25 campaign.

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It leaves the North Londoners with an issue for now, however, given that they’ll need to find the right person and personality to align with the manager’s way of doing things, on top of scouring the transfer market for those players Postecoglou needs to see Tottenham go one better next season.

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Former England midfielder, Frank Lampard, could soon be back in work after it emerged that he has been interviewed for the Birmingham City manager’s post.

Football Insider note that now League One side seemingly haven’t learned their lesson after hiring Wayne Rooney for what was a disastrous period in the club’s recent history.

As brilliant a player as he was, Lampard, like Rooney and Steven Gerrard, has left a lot to be desired as a manager.

Burnley and Birmingham in for Frank Lampard

Sacked by Chelsea after his first stint, he failed spectacularly again when asked to come back as a caretaker manager at Stamford Bridge whilst the club looked around for a suitable new candidate to sit in the dugout.

Up at Everton, where Lampard could’ve repaired his reputation, he made it worse.

It’s difficult to know where the problems lay, though motivating his players does seem to have been an issue.

Could it be frustration that his charges aren’t able to do the things that he did well that lays behind his inability to get results?

Birmingham have recently been relegated to League One of course, so it’s clear that were Lampard to be appointed, the one thing he absolutely needs to do by hook or by crook is get the Midlands-based side promoted back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

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Bizarrely, there could be a queue for his services as Burnley are also credited with an interest in bringing Lampard to Turf Moor following Vincent Kompany’s move to Bayern Munich.

Despite already having Craig Bellamy in situ, a coach that has worked well with the squad as part of Kompany’s backroom, it would appear that Clarets owner, Alan Pace, would welcome the signing of Lampard.

For a manager with just a 41.3 percent win rate, it’s hard to see why any club would want to take such a risk.

The post Frank Lampard interviewed by Birmingham City as former England midfielder’s career hits new low appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Burnley are believed to be keeping their options open ahead of the 2024/25 season as the Clarets consider parting ways with Vincent Kompany. 

The Belgian guided the club back to the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign and created one of the best teams the Championship has ever seen.

This season has been tougher for the Premier League club as Burnley have been relegated back down to England’s second division after just one season in the top flight. Even though this is a bad outcome, the campaign was not a total disaster and had the Clarets started the term better, they may have stayed up given their end-of-season form.

According to TBR Football, Burnley and Kompany are considering parting ways as the former Man City star is believed to be considering his future amid interest from Premier League clubs.

Brighton and Brentford are admirers of the Burnley boss and could make a move should they happen to lose their own managers this summer.

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Championship duo in contention to replace Vincent Kompany at Burnley

Should Kompany leave Burnley, he will do so having delivered the Championship trophy and bringing a style of football that entertained the fans at Turf Moor. The Belgian will have overseen 96 matches with the Clarets once this season has concluded and there are two managers being considered to replace the 38-year-old.

According to TBR, Coventry City’s Mark Robins and Birmingham coach Ashley Cole are under consideration should Kompany leave.

A decision will likely be made at the start of the summer as it would give a new manager a full pre-season to prepare for life back in the Championship.

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Many players are expected to leave Leeds United this summer and a new name amongst them is Cody Drameh as the defender will not be offered a new deal at Elland Road. 

The Yorkshire club are on course to return to the Premier League at the first attempt as Daniel Farke’s team are in incredible form and went top of the Championship at the weekend.

Should they play in the English top flight during the 2024/25 campaign, the players Leeds currently have on loan will likely be sold or let go to build up their transfer budget.

Stars such as Ian Poveda, Sam Greenwood, Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson are all expected to leave but Football Insider have reported that Drameh will join that list, amongst others.

According to Pete O’Rourke, the 22-year-old is set to leave Elland Road this summer as sources have told the outlet that the defender “is not set to receive a Leeds United contract extension and has played his last game for the club.”

Drameh is currently on loan at Birmingham City and the Championship club have the option to make his deal permanent. However, Leeds would be due a compensation fee as a result of the Englishman’s age.

The defender was never able to tie down an important role at Leeds and having spent a lot of time out on loan, a permanent move would help develop him further as he can stay in one place for more than one season.

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The post 22-year-old has played his last game for Leeds United appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Birmingham City have released a statement to announce that Tony Mowbray will be stepping down as manager for a period of around six to eight weeks due to an unnamed illness.

The 60-year-old has not been at the club for long, having only come in to take over from Wayne Rooney back in January, but it seems he’s now being forced to take a break from the game due to a health concern.

It is not yet clear what the problem for Mowbray is, or how serious this might be, but it seems the plan is for him to return to the dugout later this season.

Mowbray himself commented on this decision, saying: “Undergoing treatment will necessitate that I temporarily step away from the technical area.

“I will continue to provide advice and counsel while undergoing treatment.

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“The club has been incredibly supportive of me and my family and we are very grateful. I know that everyone will be respectful of our privacy at this time.”

Birmingham fans, and indeed everyone in football, will no doubt be wishing Mowbray well in his recovery.

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Former Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney has reportedly held talks with Boxing promotional company Misfits over a potential fight.

The 38-year-old is a huge fan of the sport and has often been spotted at fights over the years. The former footballer was famously knocked out when fighting in a kitchen during his Man United career and that led to his well-known boxing celebration.

Rooney is currently a manager but that profession has not been kind to the England legend. The former Man United star was sacked by Championship side Birmingham City in January after recording just two wins from 15 matches but while he waits for a new role, he is said to be considering an unexpected Boxing debut.

According to the Mirror, Misfits – a crossover boxing promotion founded by YouTuber KSI and run by promoters Kalle and Nisse Sauerland – see Rooney as a serious option for one of their events following talks.

Back in December 2022, Misfits founder KSI confirmed that Rooney had challenged him to a boxing fight and would be a potential opponent for the footballing legend.

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Yunus Akgun got off the mark for Leicester City with a brilliant goal during their FA Cup win against Birmingham.

The loanee found the net for Leicester, scoring the second goal in their 3-0 win over Birmingham to advance to the last 16 of the FA Cup.

Get Your Tickets for Liverpool vs. Chelsea!

This marked his first goal for the club since joining on loan from Turkish giants Galatasaray in the summer transfer window.

Despite his performance and goal, Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca was not satisfied as he claimed that he expects more from the player.

Maresca commented after the win (via Leicestershire Live):

“I know Yunus very well and he’s not doing what we expected from him.”

“He can do much more. He can do for 95 minutes what he did in the second half.

“So we expect much more. But at the same time, he has been injured for a long time, he came here from a different country, he needs to adapt. We are very happy in terms of he is improving, but he can do much, much, much more.”

Powered ?@yunusakgun17 got his first @LCFC goal in style ?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/rS3mZdlkO5

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 27, 2024

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The 23-year-old Turkish winger has made 17 appearances for the Foxes across all competitions this season, scoring only one and assisting three. 

For his parent club, the versatile attacker has made 61 appearances, scoring 6 goals and assisting another 8.

His best performances came during his loan spell at Adana Demirspor where he spent two seasons on loan from Galatasaray between 2020 and 2022. In 70 appearances, he scored 16 and assisted 20 across all competitions.

Despite his potential, consistent performances will be crucial for him to fulfill his promise.

The post “He can do much more” – Leicester City manager not satisfied with attacker despite goal-scoring performance appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Four clubs from the Championship are reportedly interested in signing Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden.

That’s according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who claims the Magpies’ recent decision to recall the midfielder from his loan spell with Standard Liege has opened the door for a potential Championship move.

Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle are all credited with having an interest and hope to win the race to bring the 28-year-old to England’s second tier.

Newcastle have recalled Isaac Hayden from his loan at Standard Liege. Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn are all keen on signing Hayden. #NUFC #BCFC #pafc #swfc #Rovers #RSCL https://t.co/ut5or3L0O6

— Pete O'Rourke (@SportsPeteO) January 11, 2024

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Although the club have yet to officially confirm O’Rourke’s information, there seems to be an acceptance that Hayden’s time in Belgian fell well below expectations.

And with just two years left on his contract, it is in everyone’s best interests for Hayden to rediscover his best form, which would help convince prospective buyers to sign him permanently at the end of the season.

In the meantime, the race between the four Championship clubs remains wide open.

Since joining the Geordies back in 2016, Hayden, who was released from Arsenal’s youth academy, has scored seven goals and registered 10 assists in 171 games in all competitions.

The post Quartet of Championship clubs interested in recently recalled Newcastle midfielder appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Wayne Rooney being sacked by Birmingham City was somewhat inevitable if his previous managerial record was anything to go by.

That didn’t stop the Blues taking the plunge and getting rid of John Eustace despite him having the team flying high at the point he was sacked.

If nothing else, Rooney’s poor tenure will have given Birmingham’s owners the short, sharp shock that they needed and, like clubs that have also employed the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, will make them think twice.

A big name player doesn’t necessarily make a great manager, and it appears former super agent and Premier League co-creator, Jon Smith, agrees.

“There’s this desire to bring on the young talent too quickly as managers,” he said for his exclusive CaughtOffside column.

“[…] Promoting people into positions because they were successful players doesn’t necessarily mean they then become a successful manager, and there’s many that have fallen by the wayside over the decades.

“Look at John Terry. He’s been a number two, a number three and has now actually gone back to Chelsea’s Academy to learn more of his trade. Doing it the right way.

“He’s a dynamic character and my instant forecast is that he’ll be a really successful manager of the future if he decides to tread that path because he’s learned his trade properly, similar to Mikel Arteta under Pep Guardiola before blossoming at Arsenal.

“Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard all appear to have been fast-tracked – not sure that’s the best way forward.”

As the game evolves, so do the needs of the modern day manager.

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In much the same way as Messrs. Pardew, Allardyce and Redknapp are seen as yesterday’s men, England’s golden generation of players need to accept the game has also moved on significantly since they were in their pomp.

Time, evidently, waits for no man.

If the likes of Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard and their like – Gary Neville is another example – want to be considered as good a manager as they were a player, then they need to ensure that they apply the same standards to their managerial career as they did to their playing one.

The post Exclusive: “Not sure that’s the best way forward” – Rooney slated by Premier League co-creator appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In his fortnightly exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jon Smith, one of football’s first-ever agents and a man who was an integral figure in the forming of the Premier League, discusses why Wayne Rooney failed at Birmingham, why Joey Barton is wrong, why modifying the FA Cup doesn’t mean breaking with tradition – and more! 

—

Rooney is another big name that didn’t bother learning his craft properly

This is something that I’ve been talking about for a long while because of being involved with older managers, good friends like Harry Redknapp, who has been a great servant of the game.

There’s this desire to bring on the young talent too quickly as managers and I think people should read a little feature called ‘Why traditional number 10s are being deployed as number eights.’

It’s a very long feature from The Times and it describes how the original number 10 used to sit behind the striker but now functions pretty much as a number eight.

There’s various formulae that you can deploy, but it’s a really interesting article for any football fan because it actually illustrates the various formations that are being deployed now.

Promoting people into positions because they were successful players doesn’t necessarily mean they then become a successful manager, and there’s many that have fallen by the wayside over the decades.

Look at John Terry. He’s been a number two, a number three and has now actually gone back to Chelsea’s Academy to learn more of his trade. Doing it the right way.

He’s a dynamic character and my instant forecast is that he’ll be a really successful manager of the future if he decides to tread that path because he’s learned his trade properly, similar to Mikel Arteta under Pep Guardiola before blossoming at Arsenal.

Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard all appear to have been fast-tracked – not sure that’s the best way forward.

VAR needs more work but I remain a huge fan

Ultimately, one of the best things about VAR is that the referee’s decision is currently final. So the VAR can flag something that he wants the official to have a look at but the man in the middle still makes the final decision.

As I’ve said before I’m a big fan of VAR, though like we saw in the Liverpool vs Newcastle game, the problem with it is you’ll still always have players dive and there’ll always be human mistakes.

One would hope that the team of people in the VAR room should be able to decipher these types of decisions very, very speedily.

I can watch a replay on Sky or TNT and I’m not saying I’m brilliant, but I’ve been in the game quite a long time and I could pretty much make a decision after 30 seconds of watching an incident from three different angles. Maybe a minute, but to take four or five minutes with a team of people around you, and then force the referee to look at it again while nothing is happening in the stadium is wrong, in my opinion.

The best thing about football games is celebrating when your team scores, and you can’t do that at the moment.

So, you absolutely need to involve the crowd. There needs to be a replay on the screen to keep the atmosphere in the stadium with everyone jumping down, putting their head in their hands or whatever it might be.

Football remains a fast-moving game, therefore VAR has got to be quicker and it’s got to be delivered with crowd involvement.

Saudis can ensure that the Super League will happen

Football regulation says that no government should be involved in it, but UEFA went straight to the British government and asked them for their support in facing down the Super League threat.

A lot of the footballing authorities and associations will also come out and say there’s no need for change and we don’t want money people running the game.

However, I had a conversation on CaughtOffside last month whereby if Saudi Arabia goes to UEFA or FIFA and says ‘here’s a sum of money that you can only get on planet Mars, we want to be involved – and by the way, part of this is that we’d like to create some sort of evolution of our league or sponsorship of a new league,’ that’s where I think the Super League then becomes tenable.

Nobody wants the Club World Cup except FIFA for example, that’s potentially where a Super League could fit in our crowded calendar and whether those within the game like it or not, we are in a Super League ‘gestation period’ at the moment where there will be conversations.

Saudi have to get their act together and pull in the crowds in order to get the right marketing, which is probably 3-5 years away, but let’s have this conversation again in five years time and I think we’ll be heading down that Super League road in some shape or form.

FA Cup can keep its traditions but it does need to evolve

I love the tradition of the FA Cup and I think we should try and preserve that on its future footballing journey, however, the competition does need to evolve too.

I was talking to Simon Jordan recently and he mentioned that the Premier League teams maybe shouldn’t draw each other for the first couple of rounds, and the lower-ranked teams in the draw should always have the home tie in the early rounds as that will give them the finance that they need.

Little things like that will put a more modern spin on the FA Cup but the problem is look who’s running the game!

I can’t see the entrepreneurial ship inside the FA thinking of doing something which is creative like that because they play the tradition card very heavily.

I know it’s the FA Cup and I know there’s so much tradition around it and that’s great, but the FA Cup will always have its place because of that tradition – I just think you need to clean the cup and make it sparkle a bit.

Joey Barton is entitled to his opinion… but he’s wrong

I don’t like gesticulating politics.

I do sometimes look at the presentation teams on television and think ‘that person isn’t particularly good and I have a horrible, queasy sentiment that they’re there because they’re making up the numbers,’ but there are a lot of excellent female analysts and colour commentators.

In the 2020s you have to be inclusive, but inclusive with responsibility and respect to everyone that’s in that environment.

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Everyone is entitled to their opinion too even if those opinions are abhorrent to many.

You don’t have to agree, and I certainly don’t agree with the tone and position that Joey Barton is taking at the moment.

The post Agent’s column: Rooney’s sacking was inevitable, Joey Barton is wrong, FA Cup needs some shine and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.