The 2024 football calendar will conclude in a few weeks and thoughts are already shifting to what next year may have in store.
Regardless of where you are located, football will once again provide plenty of talking points during 2025. Here are three which could hit the headlines.
Postecoglou Eager to End Tottenham’s Trophy Drought
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou sparked plenty of debate when he mentioned his record of winning trophies at previous clubs in his second season.
After suffering a 1-0 defeat against fierce rivals Arsenal, a defiant Postecoglou reminded everyone that he always wins silverware in his second year in charge. The Australian led to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season, narrowly missing out on Champions League football by two points, but his unique brand of football offered plenty of promise.
After the improvement in Postecoglou’s debut campaign, many people expected Tottenham to push on and secure a place in the Champions League. However, Tottenham have been inconsistent in the Premier League, which leaves the domestic and European cup competitions as the Aussie’s best chances of winning silverware.
Tottenham’s odds of ending their trophy drought received a huge boost after they defeated Manchester City to book their spot in the League Cup quarter-final. His team are also going well in the Europa League, and they are one of the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy.
Spurs fans have not had much to cheer about in nearly two decades, but 2025 could be the year they defy the odds and celebrate their first piece of silverware since 2008. The Australian has put himself in a strong position to bring the glory days back to Tottenham, a feat that some of the most successful managers in the sport have failed to achieve.
Ferguson Will be Eager to Prove a Point
Rumours that Brighton & Hove Albion were willing to send striker Evan Ferguson out on loan in January have been dismissed by manager Fabian Hurzeler.
Although it is unclear where the original information came from, there is every chance it was initiated by Hurzeler or the player’s representatives. Either way, the Republic or Ireland international now has a point to prove, especially with the 2026 World Cup looming large.
Ferguson has been widely tipped to be a breakout star in North America despite struggling to nail down a first team place with Brighton. Ireland need him firing on all cylinders if they are to defy the odds and book a place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The sportsbook featured in this 22bet review rate Ireland as 1000/1 shots to win the World Cup, which advertises the size of the task they face. A run to the quarter-finals of the competition would represent success for the Irish and Ferguson will be vital to their hopes of making progress.
The recent rumours about a loan move away from Brighton may be the spark Ferguson needs to rediscover his scoring touch and help him show the world why he has been tipped to achieve great things.
Mauricio Pochettino Could Struggle to Make an Impact in the US
Many fans thought that Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as manager of the United States gave their hopes of making a deep run in the tournament a boost.
However, they may want to temper their expectations and allow the Argentine a run of games before rubber-stamping his status as their saviour. Pochettino has had a mixed start to his tenure, with his team beating Panama 2-0 before losing to World Cup co-hosts Mexico by an identical scoreline. Two subsequent victories over Jamaica proved little.
There are still plenty of games to be played before the showpiece event, and all eyes will be on the Argentine’s progress. The US will expect Pochettino to guide them to the latter stages of the World Cup, but he has never really been one to live up to expectations.
The 52-year-old is not famed for his tactical brilliance, but he knows how to galvanise a squad. That skill set will be crucial for a US side that has underwhelmed in recent tournaments. However, that is not usually enough to get a team over the line in international football, so there is a decent chance his appointment could go from a stroke of genius to total failure.
Expectations are high with the World Cup taking place on home soil, and Pochettino’s slightly overblown reputation as a top-class European manager only piles on the pressure.
