The players Tottenham should sign for Ange Postecoglou this summer

“I t’s an exciting opportunity for us to set off in a new direction, play football and create an environment that embodies the values and traditions of this fantastic football club, hopefully a team you can all be proud of and, more importantly, get excited by.” Ange Postecoglou certainly talked the talk in his first message to Tottenham fans following his appointment as Antonio Conte’s successor.

Now comes the hard part of walking the walk and leading what has become a disjointed and dejected group of players. Tottenham finished eighth in the Premier League, which means they will have no European football for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign. That being said, this means that Spurs can focus on domestic duties, easing the pressure on Postecoglou in his first season in England. Not playing in Europe can have its advantages – as shown by Liverpool in 2013-14, Leicester in 2015-16, Chelsea in 2016-17 and even Newcastle in the season just finished.

Spurs supporters are absolutely desperate to see the club win their first piece of silverware since they lifted the League Cup in 2008, but they will have to be patient as the club prepare for a hard reset under the Australian. The team needs to improve in a number of areas, starting between the sticks. A sound goalkeeper provides the perfect foundation and, to the club’s credit, they are looking to rectify the issue.

For so long Hugo Lloris was a matchwinner for Spurs, pulling off the very best of saves to deny opponents. But this season has undoubtedly been his worst for the club. Few Spurs players covered themselves in glory, but Lloris looked a shadow of his former self at club level – if not at the World Cup. The 36-year-old committed more errors that led to goals