The cracks the Europa League lustre could not hide

Tottenham's euphoric players stepped disconnected the level the time aft the nighttime earlier and ventured consecutive into cardinal London.

The squad, according to well-placed sources, ended up successful trendy London nightspot Mistress of Mayfair to people the club's Europa League last triumph implicit Manchester United successful Bilbao.

Once there, the players frantically waved achromatic array handkerchiefs supra their heads to a unrecorded rendition of Freed From Desire expertly played by the in-house saxophonist.

Their manager, Ange Postecoglou, was elsewhere - having a abstracted solemnisation successful the capital.

Outwardly, the caput coach's narration with his squad appeared to beryllium 1 of the strongest reasons to support the 59-year-old.

Away from the glare of the cameras, however, determination were cracks successful that togetherness.

Now, conscionable 16 days aft triumph successful Bilbao, Postecoglou has been sacked aft his customary second-season success.

Here we look astatine immoderate of the cardinal reasons - from a breakdown successful relationships, to interest implicit injuries, tactics and signings - earlier assessing who mightiness beryllium next.

Public backing from a big of players - including cardinal figures Cristian Romero and James Maddison - and the squad's determination to see Postecoglou successful their on-pitch celebrations successful Bilbao appeared to beryllium an denotation of heavy connections.

But it had not gone unnoticed that Postecoglou had go progressively distant from the squad successful caller months.

At the commencement of his reign, the Australian would regularly person meal - surely astatine distant games - with the remainder of his team.

Recently, however, his obligatory ham and food toastie had been delivered to his country by a subordinate of staff.

On those distant trips, it had been known for him not to beryllium disposable astir the squad edifice until noon.

As a result, immoderate players started taking issues they'd usually attack Postecoglou with to different members of the backroom team.

But portion Postecoglou whitethorn person maintained a disagreement betwixt himself and his players successful caller months, his loyalty to his unit cannot beryllium questioned.

Indeed, it was said the biggest interest Postecoglou had astir losing his occupation was his staff. He had been astatine pains to marque definite they would beryllium looked after.

The communicative of Tottenham's run started with the sojourn of 1 of European football's emerging 'Golden Boys'.

It is simply a little-known information that Spurs' preparations for the 2024-25 run started with a sojourn from Desire Doue.

The talented attacker, past playing for Rennes, was truthful intrigued by Postecoglou's task helium made an undercover sojourn to the club's grooming crushed successful Enfield amid optimism a woody could beryllium done.

Fast guardant 9 months and Doue, who successful the interim had signed for Paris St-Germain, was the star of the Champions League final.

In retrospect, Spurs' nonaccomplishment to lure him was a motion of what was to travel - a bid of blows during a genuinely forgettable home season.

It's important to accent their inability to onshore Doue, 20, wasn't for the privation of trying - but portion his estimation has soared, Tottenham and Postecoglou were near successful despair each excessively often.

Speak to those down the scenes astatine Tottenham and they volition explicate injuries person been the astir pertinent origin down their caller issues.

Romero, Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Micky van de Ven, Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario are among the players to person spent extended spells connected the sidelines this play - galore with muscular issues.

Maddison, Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall were each unavailable successful Bilbao portion Son started connected the seat due to the fact that helium was deemed unfit having lone precocious returned from injury.

Multiple sources person told BBC Sport the club's wounded grounds has been astatine the centre of immoderate friction betwixt members of the coaching squad and aesculapian and spot and conditioning unit implicit the people of the season.

"It's been the blasted game," 1 well-placed root said.

Richarlison's injury-disrupted run has been a existent bony of contention, according to sources, peculiarly successful the aftermath of the 4-0 Carabao Cup decision by Liverpool successful February when, having lone precocious returned from hamstring and groin problems, the Brazil planetary injured a calf.

There person been different examples this play erstwhile Postecoglou's squad and the aesculapian and fittingness section person not seen oculus to eye.

Much has been made of Postecoglou's attacking attack or, much pertinently, the accusation helium was unwilling to adapt.

"It's conscionable who we are, mate," helium famously said erstwhile questioned astir his tactics earlier this season.

Some proceed to telephone his evident refusal to ditch his doctrine commendable. Others judge his stubbornness was the basal of Tottenham's difficulties.

Certain members of the squad felt during the archetypal fractional of the play they were excessively open, and Postecoglou should person considered making antiaircraft tweaks. The Australian's evident reluctance to accommodate led to a grade of interior frustration.

Letting a two-goal pb gaffe successful the 3-2 nonaccomplishment astatine Brighton raised eyebrows, and determination was akin angst successful the 4-3 nonaccomplishment to Chelsea successful December aft Spurs raced 2-0 up wrong 12 minutes.

Intriguingly, well-placed sources importune Postecoglou did tweak his antiaircraft attack successful some games.

Postecoglou was besides wide praised for the mode helium acceptable up his squad sturdily successful the Europa League quarter-final second-leg triumph implicit Eintracht Frankfurt.

Spurs were peculiarly robust successful the broad semi-final triumph implicit Bodo/Glimt, too, past kept different cleanable expanse successful Bilbao to decorativeness the job.

Speaking successful the aftermath of the Europa League last victory, Postecoglou made wide his anticipation helium would enactment successful charge.

It seemed perfectly reasonable, with a trophy and Champions League qualification not mostly starring to the sacking of a manager.

Unfortunately for Postecoglou, Daniel Levy simply wasn't for turning - the Tottenham president sticking with 'Plan A' to dispense with the Australian.

The euphoria and affection directed towards Postecoglou from players and supporters whitethorn person tally immoderate interference, but not capable to alteration the absorption of travel.

Had Spurs mislaid to United, it is wide acknowledged Postecoglou would person been relieved of his duties earlier now.

Victory added immoderate emotion into the equation - but intelligibly not capable for Levy to person a alteration of heart.

The hold successful making the determination is the effect of assorted factors. Most pertinently, Postecoglou, Levy and main shot serviceman Scott Munn - whose occupation is besides nether menace - were distant past week.

But sources person besides claimed Levy wanted to enactment clip betwixt the affectional outpouring that came aft the last and making his decision.

At the bosom of his reasoning was Tottenham's 17th-place decorativeness successful the Premier League aft 22 losses successful 38 matches. In the end, helium could not look past it.

In information successful the connection announcing his sacking, Spurs pointed retired - with eye-opening precision - the squad had taken 78 points from their past 66 games.

Attention volition present crook to who replaces Postecoglou.

Multiple sources person told BBC Sport determination is an involvement successful Brentford caput manager Thomas Frank.

Frank has a bully narration with Spurs method manager Johan Lange, which could beryllium a deciding origin erstwhile Levy comes to determine who helium appoints.

It is understood information was fixed to the imaginable of making an improbable determination for Eddie Howe, but Newcastle's qualification for the Champions League would, you imagine, nip that successful the bud.

A instrumentality for Mauricio Pochettino would person important enactment from fans but is simply a determination that comes with a fig of obstacles.

Pochettino is managing the United States, who volition co-host adjacent year's World Cup, and it would instrumentality a compensation bundle described to BBC Sport arsenic 1 of the "biggest successful shot history" to merchandise him.

Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva, precocious appointed Al-Hilal brag Simone Inzaghi and Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner are among the others to person been considered.

So conscionable a fortnight aft Spurs were partying, each eyes are present connected what contiguous Levy delivers for the club.