With Ange Postecoglou's Celtic exit now confirmed, Hoops striker Kyogo Furuhasi has also been touted as one who could potentially join the Australian at Tottenham in the English Premier League.
A 3-1 win over Inverness last weekend secured the domestic Treble for Celtic, and with that proved to be Postecoglou's last action in Scotland with the 57-year-old putting pen to paper on a four-year deal in North London. The English side has been without a permanent manager since Antonio Conte left in March, with Postecoglou identified as the man Daniel Levy wanted in the hot seat.
Following his arrival from Yokohama F.Marinos in 2021, the Australian was praised for his incomings including Kyogo, but with the Hoops boss now in the door at Spurs, could he return to his old club and try prize away the star striker? So, if Kyogo was to join Postecoglou at Spurs in the summer, how would the duo perform?
READ MORE: Ange Postecoglou Celtic exit confirmed as Tottenham move done deal as he takes EPL next step
We simulated the 2023/24 season to try and find out.
How Ange Postecoglou and Kyogo Furuhasi could fare at Spurs
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2023 editor to arrange for Postecoglou and Kyogo to make the move to the English capital on July 1, 2023, using FM23 to run the simulation. We then simulated the 2023/24 season to see if they could impress in the Premier League.
Both Postecoglou and Kyogo took time to settle at Spurs, with the manager finding it difficult to put points on the board whilst the striker received most of his game time off the bench. But, as the season went on, Kyogo established himself as a starter, and the 28-year-old ended the season with some impressive stats.
In his debut season for Spurs, the Japan international scored 14 goals for the Lilywhites, ending the campaign as the club's joint-second top scorer with Heung-Min Son (14). 13 of his goals came in the Premier League, whilst one came in the FA Cup. Harry Kane was sold to Bayern Munich as part of the simulation with one year left to run on his contract.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, Football Manager 2023 put together an overall best Spurs XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:
Full Spurs best XI: (4-2-3-1): Raya; Porro, Romero, Dier, Tagliafico; Hojbjerg, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Kudus, Son; Kyogo.
Spurs' results with Postecoglou from the 2023/24 season
The Australian found life at Spurs difficult for the first few months, with his side shipping goals and struggling for points. After 13 games, Spurs had picked up just four wins, but he avoided the sack, leading his side to an eighth-place finish.
A much-improved second half of the season saw Spurs shoot up the table, with Postecoglou's side winning eight of their last 10 games in the Premier League. 17 wins, seven draws and 14 defeats saw Spurs end the season with 58 points, two less than the 2022/23 season.
Levy opted to give Postecoglou time and build his project at Spurs, with his side ending the season as one of the better sides in the league. With no European football, Spurs only took part in domestic competitions, but the games fell during their worst spell as they exited both cups early.
A 2-1 loss to Championship side Southampton saw Spurs eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the quarter-finals, despite starting a full-strength side. Postecoglou went strong in the FA Cup as well, but a 3-1 defeat at home to Everton saw the Lilywhites exit the competition in the fifth round.
Overall, the Football Manager simulation predicts that despite struggling at the beginning, Postecoglou improved with time, with the Australian having a mixed first season at Spurs. Kyogo proved a fantastic signing, showing how much of a loss he could be for Celtic.
Do you think Postecoglou and Kyogo would do well at Spurs ? Let us know below!
READ NEXT:
- Ange Postecoglou Celtic exit confirmed as Tottenham move done deal as he takes EPL next step
- Ange Postecoglou Celtic to Tottenham latest as Andy Walker touts potential next Hoops boss
- Ange Postecoglou Celtic to Tottenham latest as Ally McCoist fires Spurs fans judgement warning
- Celtic Scottish Cup win in pictures as Hoops land historic Treble in Hampden sunshine vs Inverness
