The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Win: Wenger
Stoke hope to make a quick appointment after sacking manager Mark Hughes.
The Potters are eager to have a new man in place before they travel to Manchester United a week today.
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’neill and Derby boss Gary Rowett are among those to have been linked with the role at the bet365 Stadium.
Hughes was dismissed after Saturday’s shock 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat at League Two Coventry.
Stoke are in the Premier League relegation zone after winning two of their last 12 league games and lost 1-0 to Newcastle on New Year’s Day which put Hughes on the brink.
The former Wales boss had been in charge for four-and-a-half years, notably guiding the Potters to three successive ninth-placed finishes in the Premier League. Pochettino can’t force Kane to stay with Spurs Mauricio Pochettino has admitted player who can stay all his career Tottenham cannot force Harry Kane at Tottenham because he loves to stay at the club. Tottenham, but in football you cannot
Kane has always maintained be sure. he is happy at Spurs but Pochettino “It is today, the present. Tomorrow says Philippe Coutinho’s move from and after tomorrow you need to doubt. Liverpool to Barcelona shows there That is why it is so important to work can be no room for complacency. together and try to achieve all that you
Tottenham’s star striker want.” underlined his value again yesterday Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane by scoring twice in a 3-0 win over AFC hailed Kane as the “complete player” Wimbledon as Pochettino’s side eased ahead of the clubs’ first Champions into the FA Cup fourth round. League tie in October, while
Jan Vertonghen’s first club Manchester United have also goal since October 2013, a sensational been credited with an interest in 30-yard strike, added some gloss late the 24-year-old. on at Wembley. Kane signed a new five-and-a-halfyear
But, asked afterwards if Kane might contract in 2016 worth more break the mould of players leaving for than £100,000 a week but his wages the world’s biggest teams, Pochettino are still modest in comparison to the issued a note of caution. world’s leading players.
“Harry is so special,” said Pochettino. “Liverpool is one of the best clubs in “Because he loves Tottenham and he the world and look when Coutinho or has always been at Tottenham. a player like Coutinho wants to leave,”
“But we need to be clever how we Pochettino said. manage him. The player needs to “With Coutinho, I think Liverpool choose to stay here, you cannot force wanted to keep him but it is difficult the player to stay here. to keep him, and look what happened
“Our job is to try to work together with Cristiano Ronaldo with and try to achieve everything we want Manchester (United), Zidane with at the club and of course Harry is such Juventus, Figo with Barcelona. a special player. I told him only a few “It is a lot of examples that (show) it special players can spend all their is so, so, so tough for everyone to keep career in one club. your best player if the player turns
“I think Harry is this type of a their mind and says, ‘I want to leave’.”