Tottenham Hotspur have recently announced an additional friendly following the conclusion of the campaign.
And it is a fixture which is unlikely to go down well with many of the players who will now find themselves jetting off following the final game of the season.
One thing which is for certain is that it didn’t go down too well on TalkSPORT when former manager Martin O’Neill heard about it.
Tottenham’s friendly vs Newcastle United
It was announced on Monday that Spurs would be playing Newcastle United in Melbourne, Australia just three days after their final Premier League game.
Ange Postecoglou’s first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has seen him not have to consider extra European fixtures.
This looks set to change ahead of next season with Spurs sitting comfortably in the European places.
However, the club are now set to add another fixture to their post-season on the other side of the world.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, O’Neill admitted it is a move which he finds extremely bizarre given the fixture pile-up during a Premier League season. He said: “So this game is taking place three days after the season finishes, and will the players who are being picked for their countries, will they be participating in this game?”
When Sam Matterface replied, ‘more than likely’, O’Neill added: “Well then it’s a total nonsense. An absolute nonsense. To travel 21,000 miles to play a game just to boast your name around the world… I honestly think it’s an absolute nonsense.”
Tottenham’s injury issues
It has been a season of adjustment under the Australian manager for the players and they have certainly felt the brunt of it with injuries.
There have been a large number of Postecoglou’s men who have been sidelined this season through muscular issues.
Perhaps the main one being Micky van de Ven who finds himself injured again with another hamstring issue.
And it is set to be another busy summer for a lot of the Tottenham players with a number of them representing their nations in the Euros.
So to add another fixture in the short time between the end of the season and the major international tournament feels extremely nonsensical.
Pre-season tours in foreign countries are to be expected and Spurs will once again travel to Asia for theirs this summer.
But to add a ‘post-season friendly’ just days after their final game against Sheffield United is something which does feel like was done without consideration to the players.
Of course, they will be travelling in luxury to Australia, but it is a big – and perhaps unnecessary – trip that will eat into the time they would usually have to recover after a long campaign.