Ange Postecoglou has said what all Tottenham fans are thinking after quadruple transfer failure

Former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed he targeted Antoine Semenyo, Bryan Mbeumo and two other high-profile names while in charge of the Lilywhites, who are not a "big club" in his eyes.

The Australian initially made a sterling impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after replacing Antonio Conte in 2023, taking a record 26 points from his first 10 Premier League matches but missing out on a spot in the Champions League.

Postecoglou guided Spurs back to Europe's premier competition via Europa League glory in 2024-25, but a 17th-placed Premier League finish saw the club's hierarchy take the decision to sack him and replace him with Thomas Frank.

The Dane's appointment proved disastrous for Tottenham, who relieved Frank of his duties on Wednesday morning, the same time that Postecoglou appeared as a guest on The Overlap.

Chatting with Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Jill Scott, Postecoglou revealed that he pushed to bring Mbeumo, Semenyo, Marc Guehi and Pedro Neto to the club, but his requests fell on deaf ears.

Ange Postecoglou reveals four players he wanted to sign for Spurs

"We had to sign Premier League-ready players," Postecoglou said. "But finishing fifth that year didn't get us Champions League, we didn't have the money. So we ended up signing Dom Solanke - I really like him - and three teenagers.

"I was looking at Pedro Neto and [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Antoine] Semenyo at the time, Marc Guehi, because if we're going to go from fifth to there, that's what the other big clubs would do in that moment."

The former Nottingham Forest and Celtic head coach also delivered a brutal attack on the club's 'to dare is to do' motto, claiming that the actions of those in positions of power often represent the opposite.

"When you look at the expenditure, particularly, you know, their wages structure, they're not a big club," Postecoglou added. "When you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is 'to dare is to do'. It's everywhere. And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that.

"Whether you like or dislike him, give credit to Daniel [Levy] because that path has got a new stadium, new facilities, but taking a safe path. I think what they didn't realise that to actually win, you've got to take some risks at some point. And that's the DNA of the club."

Why Ange is right: Spurs are not a big club

Coach after coach after coach, the results have been the same for Tottenham since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino - a brief honeymoon period followed by declining results and increasing toxicity.

Frank arrived from a Brentford side who excelled on the counter-attack with an adaptable approach, but the Scandinavian was perhaps ill-suited to a team whose fans crave high-octane, attacking football, and his appointment proved a fatal mistake.

However, a plethora of injuries did not aid Frank - although there may be some allegations over his training methods leading to so many muscular problems - but both fans and players have now started to take aim at the board.

Cristian Romero has publicly called out those in charge twice on social media in the past few weeks, and many supporters feel that the club is being run as a business for profit, rather than as a football team challenging for the biggest prizes.

While Tottenham lie five points above the relegation zone in the Premier League table, Postecoglou is absolutely correct in labelling them "not a big club" - might it take a catastrophic demotion for the owners to change tack, or even sell up?