Tottenham Hotspur News…

“Last night was a reflection of where we are”.
Preview:
They were the words of Ange following the defeat to AZ. If that’s the case we may as well give Bournemouth the points now!
Fixture:
Sunday 9th March, 14:00
Tottenham Hotspur Vs AFC Bournemouth
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Astro Premier League 2
Bein Sports English 1
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
SuperSport Premier League
Result: 2-2
M. Tavernier (42′)
Evanilson (65′)
P. Sarr (67′)
Son Heung-Min (84′ pen)
Match Report:
When you look at the lineup you know 2 things straight off.
1. Ange has absolutely no interest in using Gray in midfield and is delusional if he thinks the likes of Danso and Bissouma should be picked ahead of anyone let alone Gray.
2. With Kulu out injured and Mads and Bergvall on the bench we were going to lack any creativity from the midfield.
With most players available for selection now we have quickly shifted from the excuse of injuries to “it’s where we are”. Yes mate, unfortunately we can all see where we are!
So kick off began:
20 Seconds…
It took Bournemouth all of about 20 seconds to see where we are, when Romero passed the ball straight to Evanilson and Vicario was forced into action pulling off a great save.
4th minute…
Just a few minutes later Bissouma loses possession in front of goal and Vicario pulls off a double save this time to keep the score level.
6th minute…
It’s not until the 6th minute when Spurs manage something half decent themselves as Spence plays a nice through pass for Odobert who has all the time to put a decent ball into the box. Unfortunately that’s as far as it gets!
14th minute…
When Johnson breaks away down the wing in the 14th minute there looks to be a real chance for Spurs as he uses his pace to get past his man. With no one in the box to fire in a cross Johnson tries to cut in and beat his man again on the inside but it all goes horribly wrong. Perhaps that’s why we never see him try this normally!
17th minute…
Johnson releases Porro who puts in the cross but it goes to the goalkeeper who parries it away and now a Bournemouth counter is on. Within moments Bournemouth were on the half way line with 3 against 3! With one quick pass that quickly materialises to Romero finding himself up against 2 men to defend. Romero does pretty much all he can do and brings down Kluivert on the edge of the box to stop the attack.
19th minute…
We lose possession on the half way line but this is only the start of more comical defending. When the ball goes all the way through to Vicario there looks to be no problem, right? Haha, in typical Angeball style, Vicario goes short to Romero which looks fine at first. Romero, with all the time in the world, decides to pass straight back to Vicario. Yes I Know, it makes no sense. Now Vicario is under pressure for absolutely no reason at all other than stupidity. Vicario just manages to scramble the ball away before being dispatched and now Bournemouth are on the attack again!
20th minute…
Spurs do manage to go on the counter themselves though with Bentancur breaking away. He brings the ball into the Bournemouth half and has Johnson and Porro available to him. Johnson cuts in and Porro goes on the overlap leaving a simple through pass for Bentancur to make. He fails to find anyone with the pass!
41st minute…
Spurs find themselves with all the space and time on the half way line and Porro has options ahead of him with 3 white shirts providing Spurs with opportunity to make a decent attack. Instead Porro passes direct to Bournemouth’s full back who now has all the space he needs to attack himself. With Porro out of position he is able to run down the wing unchallenged and by the time Porro gets anywhere near him he is already in a position to look for the cross. The cross is absolutely inch perfect, beating Danso and Spence. It’s a great cross and a nice finish from Tavernier.
1 nil to Bournemouth!
44th minute…
But if things couldn’t get more comical one of my favourite moments was when Bissouma picks up the ball in Bournemouth’s half but his first time touch is so poor he somehow dribbles the wrong way with the ball, back to his own half. Eventually losing possession on the half way line he is forced to bring down the Bournemouth player to stop yet another self inflicted Bournemouth attack. Bissouma receives a yellow card for his efforts. For this I am awarding Bissouma with “funniest moment of the match”! Well done mate.
HALF TIME…
Ange makes 2 changes with Bergvall and Son replacing Bissouma and Johnson. Bissouma was having a stinker of a game and I would say he looks like a player that has lost interest in either playing for Ange or playing for Spurs altogether.
Something I have also noticed about Anges peculiar team selections is the fact that he has picked on more than one occasion Bergvall and Maddison to play together in an away fixture, when I would expect us to start with a more reserved midfield. He did this against AZ and I even recall him doing it against Galatasaray back in November when Bergvall had next to no experience. We lost that game course.
Yet here we are in a home fixture against Bournemouth and with Kulu out injured, we find both Mads and Bergvall starting on the bench. Make sense of that if you can! I don’t understand how a midfield consisting of Bentancur, Bissouma and Sarr makes any sense at all for a home game when we have those 2 players available for selection.
51st minute…
Bournemouth go on the attack again and Kluivert has miles of space to run into, he puts it away with ease. But the linesman’s flag goes up and there is an offside at the start of the play. We’ll take it! We are at home to Bournemouth and we are hanging in lol.
54th minute…
Now it’s Spurs turn to form an attack and Bentancur finds Sarr who moves it quickly onto Sonny. In this position you know there’s only one thing on Sons mind and that’s curl it into the far corner. He makes some space to get the shot away and it looks close! It brushes the post and it’s just wide.
61st minute…
After an hour of play I was beginning to think another 1 nil defeat would be a good result for us here. After all this is where we are! Not even the introduction of VDV and Mads gave me any optimism for a better result. But with Mads and Bergvall both on the pitch the midfield was beginning to resemble a midfield at least.
63rd minute…
Mads and Bergvall link up with Spence and Sonny down the left flank, Mads makes a nice one-two into the box. Sarr comes into the box late and is wide open for the shot, he looks certain to score. Unfortunately the shot that followed resembled something I would expect to see at your local pub team. He completely scuffs his shot and the ball goes a mile wide.
65th minute…
Moments later Bournemouth are on the attack again and an easy pass through releases Evanilson who calmly slots it away with a chip over Vicario. This time the linesman’s flag stays down.
It’s 2 nil to Bournemouth!
66th minute…
When Son lays it across to Bergvall there doesn’t appear to be much on and that’s maybe what Bergvall was thinking because he cracks it from 30 yards catching everyone off guard. The goalie looks beat, but it rattles the post! Fabulous effort though.
67th minute…
When Sarr picks up the ball on the half way line we have 3 white shirts going forward with him. A through pass to Odobert looks the obvious choice but instead he decides to cross it into the box with only Solanke in the box! Incredibly, the cross is so far off the mark it finds the back of the net. A superb strike lol but the lack of celebration tells us all we need to know about that attempt.
It’s now 1-2 to Bournemouth.
69th minute…
More self-inflicted pressure at the back after a slow back pass from Bergvall and Vicario scrambles back to save his blushes.
73rd minute…
Bournemouth, you guessed it, attack again. 3 versus 2 so it’s the standard defending setup from Spurs. Bournemouth break into the box with ease and get away the shot. This time Vicario can only watch as it hits the post! Don’t know how but somehow we are still hanging in!
82nd minute…
Ok so we have highlighted just how many times Spurs try to play out from the back and put themselves under this self inflicted pressure and quite often even concede a goal! Well this time it actually works so lets enjoy it!
Vicario plays it out to VDV, who finds Son and quickly plays it off to Spence. Spence plays a simple pass to Mads and now we are in Bournemouth’s half. Mads plays a quick through pass releasing Sonny who has continued his run. Son gets into the box and the goalie makes the decision to come out but Son beats him to the ball. It’s a Penalty!
Crazy moments from Kepa but we don’t mind, Sonny can bring us level:) With a low in confidence Son stepping up I have to say I was a bit nervous but wow, it’s a cheeky one as he just ‘dinks’ it into an open net with Kepa diving to his left. That just rubs salt into the goalie’s wounds, I love it!
It’s 2-2, don’t ask me how!
Final minutes…
With 5 minutes remaining, Spurs have available both Scarlett and Tel on the bench for a final substitution but instead Ange opts to bring on defender Udogie. That probably sums up the feelings towards this unexpected draw. So two-all it finished as incredible as it seems.
Did we deserve it? Not a chance.
Will this give the team confidence before Thursday’s big game? I doubt it!
Are we near the end of this whacky experiment ? I really hope so:)
March 7, 2025
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All the Eggs are in!
Fixture:
Thursday 6th March, 17:45
AZ Vs Tottenham Hotspur
UEFA Europa League – Last 16
Available On:
UK TV – TNT Sports 3
IRE – Premier Sports 2
beIN Sports English 2
Result: 1-0 (AZ Win)
L. Bergvall (18′ og)
Match Report:
So great news on the return of Van de Ven, Romero and Solanke who all traveled with the team and were on the bench. Of course in typical Spurs fashion though in came 3 players and out went the 1 player Kulu, who ironically is injured after being given a rest against Man City. He’s out til April so that worked well. I’m guessing players are now being over rested?
So with the bulk of players having returned from injury it is fair to say we no longer want to hear the injury and fatigue excuses. After 2 seasons of rebuilding it is time for this team to walk the walk!
So it began….
After 15 minutes of play I was beginning to wonder if Spurs would join AZ and make a game of it. 3 minutes later AZ go 1 nil up from a corner via a slice from Bergvall into his own net that he will not be forgetting for a while:)
Clearly against there wishes Spurs now had a game on there hands and would need to find second gear or at least get out of reverse. Unfortunately the rest of the half passed with very little to get excited about if you’re a Spurs fan. There was a few comical moments however with an hilarious training ground freekick that went as well as it probably had all week they had rehearsed it.
And Bergvall seemed to have put on 2 left footed boots for this match with the ball going the opposite way it was meant to on several occasions as his brain and feet were about as in sync as the rest of the teams passing abilities to find one another. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Bergvall fan but sometimes it’s just not your day!
At half time Ange made a change bringing on Odobert in place of Tel, with Son moving into the middle. Playing Son as centre forward hardly gives me confidence but if Odobert could show the glimpses of form he did against Man City it really couldn’t be any worse than the first half display, could it?
Despite my naive Spurs optimism it didn’t get much better. The midfield continued to be non existent and the defence was simply all over the place. The front line lacked any real threat and after an hour of play I was looking at the bench wondering who can change this around, even if Ange wasn’t.
Danso and Udogie both looked tired and couldn’t cope with the pace of the game, which made me wonder just how many of our players were struggling to overcome there jet lag from the long trip over the channel. I like Maddison but he was having no impact in this technical game of pong. I’m guessing Mads is more of a Donkey Kong fan! His time was up in this game.
70 minutes in, 1 nil down and Ange decides maybe he needs to make some changes. By this point I’m not even thinking of us rescuing a draw and a 1 nil defeat would be the best we can hope for from this pathetic display. On came Porro, Solanke and Sarr, at least we had a striker on the pitch, that should help us?
With ten minutes remaining Spurs were passing the ball sideways across the back line making sure we didn’t slip up and give away this 1 nil defeat, although Danso was doing his best to help AZ double there lead. Someone needs to buy that guy a new pair of boots with studs that work, either that or teach him how to run without falling over. I’m sure I’ve seen a useful guide in a toddlers book for this.
With the clock ticking I couldn’t recall a single decent chance for Spurs the entire game. And it wasn’t going to be as Solanke hobbles off the pitch after just 20 minutes with another injury, this team is cursed I’m sure! Solanke is done for the day and that pretty much sums up Spurs day, a complete anti climax!
Each week I think we have produced our worst performance of the season but all credit to Ange, he manages to outdo himself game after game. 8 days they had to prepare for this 6th placed team in Eredivisie. Remarkable!
Are you not entertained? No mate!
March 7, 2025
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Change for Tottenham
March 6, 2025
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Transfer Signings PT2
PART 2….
Radu Drăgușin
Arriving from Italy with such high praise in the Serie A league as one of the most promising defenders, I was quite excited with the thought of another ‘Romero’ capture. To say he has struggled to adapt to the English league is a bit of an understatement. At times he has been very poor, getting caught out of position and with no real exceptional pace he struggles to recover forcing him to take his player down. We have seen red cards, poor distribution out the back and a real lack of confidence is evident in his game. I was hoping this extended run of game time would help boost his confidence and we would begin to see the reason we invested in him but his performances have been inconsistent at best.
Considering he was brought in to replace the likes of Dier, Rodon and Sanchez, I really don’t see how this has been any sort of upgrade, with the pace of Sanchez arguably being more suited to Anges high line pressing than what we are seeing from Dragusin. He is still only 22 and maybe we are yet to see the best of him but he needs to improve vastly if he is to be successful in the English game.
Transfer Rating: 6/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO
…………..
Pedro Porro
If you are a stat man then it is hard not to be impressed with this man’s figures. Porro’s seven assists last season was the most for a Tottenham defender in a full season since the Premier League began. He is not doing too bad this season either, with 2 goals and 7 assists already to his name, he is potentially on course to break his own record. At times he has shown great passing ability and vision to release a striker early.
As a right back, or right wing back, or in our case an inverted full back, we have to address his overall positional play and defending contributions too. Physically he copes quite well in the Premier league and again is another player that works hard for the team. But how many times have we seen him get caught out of position leaving us wide open at the back. We have seen several teams target his side for that reason, leaving Romero or whoever overloaded with 2 players to cover. Of course this is inevitable with the current system and it is difficult to over criticise a player that is following team orders.
Transfer Rating: 8/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Destiny Udogie
Arriving as another hot prospect from Italy and making quite a name for himself in just a short time in Serie A, I can see why Paratici recommended him. He looks a perfect fit for the Premier league and it didn’t take him long at all to settle in. In his debut season he managed 2 goals and 3 assists, which isn’t bad for what was then a 21 year old. But injuries have slowed his progress down since the second half of last season and it hasn’t gone much better for him this season. Currently out injured with another hamstring problem we can only hope he makes a good recovery and re-discovers that early form he showed. This season he has just 1 assist to his name and so things haven’t gone quite so well for him so far in his second year at Spurs.
Like Pedro Porro we have to look at how Udogie handles his defensive responsibilities and there’s no question he can handle the physical aspect of the Premier league. But like Pedro this kami-kazee style of football means Udogie is quite often caught out of position. Whilst his pace and strength allows him to recover quickly, these constant demands will inevitably not only cost Spurs but also the players’ fitness levels. He is still young but he needs to learn when to go forward and when to hold position. At such a young age he has great potential if he is guided in the right way!
Transfer Rating: 8/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Yves Bissouma
There was a lot of hype when we signed Bissouma and it was regarded that this signing was seen as a real steal! So much in fact that even Paul Merson himself said this could be the signing of the season, now that’s saying something coming from him lol. With our other holding midfielders failing to impress (Winks, Skipp and Højbjerg) I was very excited to see what difference this man could make to our midfield.
So I have to say Bissouma has been incredibly disappointing. If we even ignore the fact that he has only managed 2 goals in 3 seasons and not a single assist, because at the end of the day he is a defensive midfielder. His defensive contribution has been inconsistent at best, being caught out of position and making it way too easy for opposition to hit us on the break because there is simply no midfield there to protect the back line.
As one of the more senior players out there I would expect him to not only organise himself better but to be commanding those around him and taking control. I just haven’t seen this in his game and it seems these types of players are becoming all the more difficult to find these days.
When he does win the ball Bissouma doesn’t seem to know what he wants to do with it, like it is always an afterthought where he is going to pass the ball next. On multiple occasions I have seen him wrestle the ball away from the opposition, before running around in a circle as he decides to attempt a sideways or backwards pass. Whilst he is physically strong and is more than capable of winning those duels, his overall game is not what I expected it to be and his passing is average at best.
Transfer Rating: 6/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO
…………..
Pape Matar Sarr
Another recommendation from Paratici I believe and at just the age of 22 he has already shown plenty of potential. Boasting 8 goals and 6 assists to his name since joining Spurs, that is not too bad. He is a player that likes to go forward you can clearly see and every time he attacks the opposition line you think something exciting may happen. Sometimes when I watch him I think we have a real star on our hands here and nothing can stop him.
But then there’s these other games, the games where more defensive duties are required. In this central midfield role alongside Bissouma or whoever, there are going to be times when defending and helping out the defence is going to be required. Unfortunately Sarr has absolutely no interest in this part of the game and in the current system that is a problem. Sarr reminds me of one of those lazy school kids who just wants to stand on the half way line and wait for the ball to come back up to the more exciting end of the pitch so he can join in again. There may be games where we can afford him but for many games he can become a liability and that’s a shame for all the man’s ability.
Transfer Rating: 7/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO
…………..
Summary…
Well that’s most of them covered. I know I have left some out, some of which just haven’t played many games yet and it is too early to judge. Hopefully the likes of Wilson Odobert will provide cover for a much needed Son and it’s good to see Djed Spence finally being given some game time. So far I have been quite impressed with him. I didn’t mention Werner because he is on a loan deal and let’s hope it remains that way lol.
More recently we have signed Kinsky, Danso and Tel on loan and although it is too early to say, I am not getting carried away with these signings as they appear as ‘quick fix’ options to just get us to the end of the season. Time will tell on those.
Looking at the list above there are several good signings and the odd dud, which is always expected I guess. But overall the rebuild is showing potential if we look at these players individually, so that only leaves me to question as to what’s going wrong? I think we all know the answer to that one!
March 4, 2025
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Transfer Signings
How are we doing on the rebuild?
We’ve had a major squad overhaul these last two seasons and we all know it was long overdue. There have been far too many players in the squad that should have been moved on a long time ago. We can debate why it has taken so long and point the finger at certain people within the club for not cutting their losses sooner. But let’s focus more on the rebuild and ask ourselves where we are after 2 years of rebuilding under Ange Postecoglou.
PART 1….
Dominic Solanke
I have to say it, he is a hard worker but with only a single successful season to his name it was always going to be a huge risk. A risk I couldn’t quite understand to be honest considering we had already twisted and bust on the Richarlison signing. Why would we want to make the same mistake twice ? But this is not the first time we have seen those in charge repeat their mistakes in consecutive moves and yes I am talking about the appointment of Conte so soon after Mourihno.
I lecture my kids on learning from our mistakes but here we have one of the biggest football clubs on the planet with unimaginable resources at their disposal, making the same mistakes time after time.
Solanke will run his socks off for you but he’s never going to be a Harry Kane, he’s never going to be a prolific goalscorer, and that was exactly what we needed. I think like a lot of people out there, the logical step was to sign up Toney. Now I know what a lot of people will say to that, Solanke fits the Ange system better (running around aimlessly like a headless chicken), but was that really the reason why we signed Solanke and not a proven International goalscorer like Toney? Or was this Mr Levy going for the cheaper and younger option once again to make sure he gets his return on the transfer? I know what I think!
Transfer Rating: 7/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: 50/50
…………..
Cristian Romero
A great tackler with a typical aggressive Argentine temper that will always make him popular with the fan base. Going forward he looks part of an exciting Spurs team and he knows how to find the net too which is always a bonus for a defender. But we have to judge a defender most of all on how he defends, how he handles pressure in the box and how many goals come from his side. This is where I find Romero frustrating, he seems to switch off far too many times in the box which result in goals I feel were avoidable with better positional awareness. If he can improve this part of his game we have a real world class defender.
Transfer Rating: 8/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Lucas Bergvall
I first watched Bergvall in a pre-season friendly for Spurs and I know we shouldn’t get carried away with friendlies but I really felt we have the next star on our hands here. He’s the type of player I would expect to see in a Real Mdrid shirt in a few years time, so we better enjoy him whilst we can! Like most players this season he’s had his highs and lows but let’s remember he is only 18! The confidence he shows for an 18 year old is incredible and it won’t be long before Maddison will be looking for the exit door as this man is the future. His physical attributes give him the potential to be very successful in the Premier league but it’s his quick vision and passing ability that sets him aside from the rest. With more game time I expect him to become a key figure in future Spurs teams.
Transfer Rating: 9/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Archie Gray
Another young signing who has really been thrown in at the deep end this season! I don’t think anyone would disagree he has been outstanding and yes we know he is not playing in his favoured position, which makes it even more impressive. The confidence he shows on the ball under pressure makes him a perfect fit for this kami-kazee football because let’s face it, if you are defender in this Spurs team, you are going to find yourself in deep sh%t more than once or twice in a game, so you better know how to handle it! I hope this experience only helps develop him further as a player and I can’t wait to see how he performs when he’s played in his preferred position.
Transfer Rating: 9/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Micky van de Ven
I don’t think there’s any doubt he is a player we miss when he is on the sidelines. His pace and recovering ability make him invaluable with this high line defending set up. He is a player that is very difficult to replace in this current Spurs squad but yes, Gray has made a great effort in his absence. I hope Micky can get over these injuries and does not become another one that is plagued with injuries leaving us to only question what could have been! Not only can he defend well and cover those around him, but for a defender he is one cool finisher too. In fact some of his finishing has been superior to most of our forwards these last two seasons. Mickys dribble and assist against Utd was as good as any you will see from a defender.
Transfer Rating: 9/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Brennan Johnson
I have to say when we signed Johnson I asked who, and why? Once again he fits the bill in the age department meaning Mr Levy will get his return on his £47.5 million over the 6 year contract, but is he any good? Well after just over a year now I am still asking why? In all fairness he has scored 15 goals so far this season and is our current top scorer, so it may sound a little harsh. Credit where credit’s due, he has shown the ability to come into the box late and ‘toe poke’ a few goals and there’s nothing wrong with that. Many great strikers have made their names in just being in the right place at the right time.
I think my frustration with Johnson lies with his overall contribution in a game. Sure we have another hard worker who can maybe run all day but he’s not a great passer of the ball and his control lets him down. My biggest criticism of Johnson though is his lack of dribbling skills. For me I want to see my wingers beat their man and put in a good cross or pass and he simply does not seem able to produce that.
An interview I saw with Johnson from last season has stuck in my head when he was asked about how he was settling into the team and adapting to Anges way of football. In this interview he says he was instructed by Ange himself to always put in a cross or pass into the box as early as possible and NOT to look up first. This astounded me as it goes against everything I remember being taught as a boy, control the ball, look up and make the pass. But not with Ange ball, our wingers are instructed to ‘hit and hope’, so it is difficult to criticise Johnson for this as he is only following team orders.
Transfer Rating: 7/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: NO
…………..
James Maddison
When Mads joined us I was very pleased and pretty confident he was a key position we had been missing for some time, since the departure of Eriksen in fact. It was clear we needed a new creative midfielder who could split a defence with a clever pass and create a few assists for our goal starved forwards. It didn’t take him long to show just that and the timing of his injury last season couldn’t have come at a worse time. Before his injury he showed the ability to dribble forward and commit his player before making that through pass or even going for a one-two pass into the box causing mayhem for the opposition.
But on his return from injury all that seems to have deteriorated within his game. I don’t know if it is because of his injury he is being over cautious now, or whether the Ange system is taking its toll on his game. Again, it may sound a little harsh considering he has still notched up 10 goals and 7 assists over 33 games this season. But from a player of Mads ability I think he is capable of more assists and I think Spurs need to work out how to utilise him better to get his full potential.
Transfer Rating: 8/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
…………..
Dejan Kulusevski
What can we say about the ‘ginger swede’, strong, physical, exciting and committed in everything he does. I was very frustrated with him last season and began to even question if the right decision was made in making his signing permanent. But this season he has been outstanding and a potential player of the season at Spurs. He has managed 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions so far this season, compared to 8 goals and 3 assists in the full season before. There’s no coincidence that his rise in form coincides with the change to his favoured position down the middle, giving him that extra freedom to keep the opposition guessing.
Sure he could do with cutting out those silly challenges or rather ‘shoves’ he likes to impose in a tackle but he is just that type of player, committed in every play. If I was to find a criticism at all in Kulu, it would have to be his long range shooting. For the amount of times he has cut in and made a shot attempt, I have lost count how many times we have seen them sail into row z! If he can learn how to control these shots and improve his accuracy we have another top class player.
Transfer Rating: 8/10
Good enough to get us in the Top 4: YES
March 3, 2025
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Where’s Porro?
March 1, 2025
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It’s only City!
Fixture:
Wednesday 26th February, 19:30
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Manchester City
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – TNT Sports
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
Result: 0-1 (Manchester City Win)
E. Haaland (12′)
Match Report:
Looking at the lineup I cant say it gave me much confidence. With Kulu on the bench, Spence dropped for Porro and Udogie, Gray back in centre half position and a front line that was teaming up for the first time.
It almost felt like Ange had looked at the coming fixtures and thought bollox, lets not bother with this one! I am guessing that Ange was hoping a quicker front three would be more of a threat on the counter in a fixture we always expect to be open. And of course, it was!
It didn’t take long for City to score with a goal coming from very little effort on there part to be honest. Dans-no was so far out of position you would have thought he was playing striker in those opening minutes. When Danso does finally get back he is caught out completely ball watching and nowhere near his man who ultimately sticks it in the back of the net unchallenged. To be fair its an improvement on last weeks game when Danso was sat on the floor for the Ipswich goal.
If that wasn’t enough of a concern, Porro was getting run ragged by Doku and it made me wonder how Spence would be managing against him? After half an hour we could be three goals down with one way traffic offering no way out for Spurs. How City had not scored more at this point is incredible and the only question to ask was can we hold onto this 1 nil loss til half time!
Both Porro and Udogie were struggling down the flanks and Danso was resigned to wrestling his man down to the ground to stop City’s relentless attacks. It was poor, but not a surprise. After all we weren’t playing Ipswich or Brentford, this is a top 4 side and despite City’s struggles it was clear which side was in the top half of the league table.
Something had to change because City were being allowed to play how they wanted and Doku was given so much space you could have got a jumbo jet down that side. Despite this, we know from watching City this season if you put them under enough pressure they can crumble. A bit like Spurs lol.
After half an hour of attacking from City they looked to be finally taking a breather and a couple of fouls provided free kicks in some useful positions for Spurs which provided some half chances, but at the very least eased the pressure off the Spurs defenders. Minutes later we did it!! The half time whistle went and we were only a goal down, that was a positive for the first half.
No changes at half time but Spurs did come out looking a bit more lively. With Bentancur struggling with the pace, Bergvall still learning his trade (I don’t think he’s being played to his strengths but who is in this system), the reliance was on Mads to produce some magic in that midfield which had been largely overrun in the first half. But for every positive play we managed, City looked equally dangerous on the attack too.
However it was Spurs who made the best chance to score with Porro putting in a low cross in the 55th minute and Odobert looked a certain on the far post to find the equaliser. The chance was missed but Spurs were growing into the game. As Spurs grew in confidence City looked more willing to sit back and try hold onto the one nil lead. Not like the City of old but we weren’t complaining as the pressure mounted on City now.
On the hour mark Spurs made 4 changes with Spence, Kulu, Sarr and Son all coming on. Spence made an instant impact creating a great chance for Sarr but another chance felt wasted as he scuffed his shot wide. It was one way traffic in our favour with corner after corner and with City happy to sit back, it felt like we still had a chance of rescuing a point at least.
Despite such an open game and chances coming our way, nothing was ever clinical enough in the final third growing to frustration amongst players and fans! With only ten minutes remaining it was clear Ange was ready to throw in the towel as Timo came on for one final roll of the dice.
Johnson made a couple of excellent runs down the right and although his first cross went behind Kulu, the second cross finds Son who forces a save from goalkeeper Ederson. That was the chance! Spence looked a constant threat, Kulu was trying to make a nuisance of himself but time was running out. Now 4 minutes into injury time Haaland scores but there appears to be a handball? The referee rules the goal out and despite some VAR confusion the decision is no goal!
Before City could even digest what was going on Spurs were quick to go straight up to the other end only for Sarr to head over the bar from just a few yards out. It could have been 2 nil, it could have been 1-1, it finished 1 nil. Confusion at the end with VAR but it looked like handball in my opinion and made no difference to the end result.
Did we deserve a draw? Probably not as City sat back for most of the second half and we were still unable to find a way past a struggling defensive unit. But what is for sure is the damage that was done in the first half hour of the game.
Ange Postecoglou said after the game, “In the second half we dominated in all the areas but missed a goal to get something out of the game.”
Yes mate! We dominated a team that was happy to sit back and win the game. Yes mate, we didn’t score and we lost, he’s learning the rules at least:)
A defeat for Spurs but at this stage of the season it really doesn’t matter in terms of our position. What does matter is getting more players back from injury and finding some consistent form that’s been lacking for the last 2 seasons.
I’m not optimistic at this stage. Time for Change? Somebody call the A-Team!
February 27, 2025
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Kevin Danso
New Signing: 2nd February 2025
Position: CB
Name: Kevin Danso
Age: 26
Nationality: Austrian
Transfer: Permanent
Value: £25m
Status at previous Club: Signing for Lens in 2021, Danso played a crucial role in helping his team secure second place in the league and qualify for the following season’s Champions League and was also selected for the Austrian squad for the Uefa Euro 2024.
Other reported interest: Rumours of other clubs included Aston Villa & Wolves during the January Window.
Previous Clubs:
Lens: 2021-25
Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan): 2020-21
Southampton (loan): 2019-20
FC Augsburg: 2014-21
Milton Keynes Dons: 2014
Reading (started out as a Striker)
Player Stats:
Appearances: 224 games played across all leagues / cup competitions
Goals: 10
Transfer Rating: 6/10
Summary:
Having played 4 games so far at Tottenham he has been part of a defence that has conceded 7, with that number unfortunately including the 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool. Thankfully the numbers have improved since then, conceding 3 more in the next 3 games.
I’ve only given the transfer rating a 6 as I don’t think it is a signing to get anything excited about. It was a helpful signing for Ange with a squad that was deeply struggling with injuries so of course he will contribute until the end of the season. He doesn’t look like he will be a starter once all players have returned from injury and even if Romero does leave in the summer, I don’t see Danso being his replacement anymore than Dragusin.
Obviously there were links to other defenders before the arrival of Danso including the likes of Tomori and the signing of Danso was merely a last minute January signing that was desperately needed to fill a hole. In fact it couldn’t have been any more last minute because we signed him in February:)
Having watched him in 4 games now I can’t say I have exactly been wowed, with no particular skills jumping out at me. Maybe you will think I am being harsh but he is a squad player, that’s all. He is not going to be a player we turn to in the future to help us get back into the champions league if that day ever arrives!
February 25, 2025
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Roll on the Tractor Boys
Fixture…
Saturday 22nd February, 15:00
Ipswich Town Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On…
Optus Sport
USA Network HD
Result: 1-4 (Tottenham Win)
B. Johnson (18′, 26′)
O. Hutchinson (36′)
D. Spence (77′)
D. Kulusevski (84′)
Match Report:
Despite the disappointment of 2 cup exits in February Tottenham have managed to record 3 consecutive victories in the Premier League, moving them safely away from any relegation threat.
Playing at Portman Road, Ipswich came out swinging early on and could have gone 2 or 3 goals up very quickly had it not been for a goal line save, a shot off the crossbar and some quick reactions from Vicario. But it was Brennan Johnson who continued his goal scoring form this season as he bagged a brace giving Spurs an unusual 2 nil lead after only 26 minutes. Of course this did not last, not even till half time as Hutchinson pulling one back for Ipswich following some very poor defending. Spurs simply switched off, something we are all too familiar with.
It was a lifeline for Ipswich and it meant for some very nervous defending in the second half. At times it looked like we wanted to throw it away with Ipswich becoming more dominant again, a complete breakdown in the Spurs shape and a lack of activity on the sideline gave to concern. Nevertheless we managed to weather the storm, perhaps fortunate Ipswich lacked any real firepower to trouble even a less than impressive defensive display.
With less than 20 minutes on the clock Spurs woke up and it was last week’s man of the match Djed Spence who found the back of the net giving Spurs that vital 2 goal margin. That seemed to take the wind out of any Ipswich comeback hopes and after Dane Scarlett headed the ball on, Kulusevski curled in a wonderful goal into the bottom corner in off the post. A 1-4 victory probably flattered us a bit and there’s no doubt this is a Spurs team that is still not firing on all cylinders just yet.
It’s been a difficult month but a victory against Man city would be a nice way to end it. With players returning from injury we are going into the final few months of the season with the hope of a single trophy now, Uefa cup glory in Bilbao! However if you listen to Ange’s recent interviews you can see that is not where the focus lies, like all the previous managers at Spurs he has been well drilled and priority for the board remains climbing the league table to ensure future European qualification next season. This is why the cabinet is empty!
February 23, 2025
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Levy out? ENIC Out?
With growing unrest amongst Tottenham fans and recent protests organised by such groups as Change for Tottenham, what changes do we want at Spurs and are these changes realistic? I think one thing we can all agree on is a change to our 17 year trophy drought because the Audi Cup just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid.
The debate among Spurs fans on who they want to run this club has been ongoing for some time. On more than one occasion it has been argued that Levy must get it right this time or he could be the next one out of the door.
We have all seen the banners on match day and heard the calls from the stands “Levy Out!”. However, 24 years later I would say both Levy and Enic are standing pretty strong. But that hasn’t stopped the debate from remerging each time Spurs have on field troubles and questions are raised again like a long running soap opera that just refuses to call it a day.
When Enic took over Spurs in 2001 it appeared to be a fantastic move following Alan Sugar’s era, in which Mr Sugar had formed a solid base after saving Spurs from liquidation. Daniel Levy was already managing director of Enic and he soon became our new chairman at Spurs. A new owner, a new era, the only way was up, right?
Despite transforming this club into a global brand that can compete with any football club in the world in terms of revenues, there is still so much discontent within the fan base. The reason for this is quite simple, a lack of trophies is plain for anyone to see and for all their efforts and achievements off the pitch, the majority of fans will judge a club’s success according to that trophy cabinet.
Now of course there is always a divide, with some Spurs fans quite content to play the ‘long game’ with Enic. For some fans just the match day experience alone at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium is enough to put a smile on their face as they marvel at all the facilities and if you are really lucky, enjoy some fine cheeses in the virtual cheese room!
Perhaps that’s what the modern football experience is now all about and those of us that are still obsessed with winning trophies are simply from a different era, a dying breed maybe? For a lot of fans, the modern match day experience is about more than just watching a football game, it’s a full day activity that can be enjoyed in a safe environment with all the trimmings. And for others it is simply another tourist attraction they can tick off the list while sightseeing in London.
It’s not just on matchday that Enic can entertain you, they offer stadium tours, the Dare Skywalk, Legend tours and now the F1 Drive for racing fans. The stadium has held concerts including top artists such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few. There are frequent NFL games being held at the stadium, not to mention Box office fights with the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua involved.
It’s all pretty impressive and is why in 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was estimated to be worth a staggering £2.6 billion. That’s not a bad return on an initial investment of £22 million paid to Alan Sugar back in 2000.
So why do so many fans want Levy and Enic out?
Well I guess there is the old saying “money doesn’t buy you happiness”, at least not for many of the Spurs fans.
Daniel Levy has faced much criticism down the line, largely down to transfer policies and manager appointments which are two of the biggest things in football, especially from a fans point of view. Criticism for hiring the manager, criticism for not backing the manager, criticism for not sacking the manager sooner, it’s tough being the boss! But should a chairman of such a big club be even making these huge footballing decisions? Is Levy even qualified to make such calls? Some would argue not and maybe that’s where much of the problem lies.
As a lifelong Spurs fan I’ve been following Spurs matches for some time and one thing I have noticed is Daniel Levy is a frequent participant of Tottenham’s games both home and away. You don’t follow this amount of games if you don’t have the passion for it, he is more than passionate, he is dedicated to Spurs, for those close to him may even say he is obsessed. As a lifelong fan himself he bleeds Tottenham and I imagine this trophy drought is hurting him just as much, surely?
Despite this lack of trophies Levy has shown much restraint from panic buying and has not swayed from his beliefs that this club must be run in a sustainable way for the future of this club. Whilst other owners of football clubs like Jack Walker at Blackburn Rovers and Roman Abramovich of Chelsea were like kids in a sweet shop buying everything they could get their hands on, Levy has been cool and calm like Charlie Bucket, just biding his time!
Last year Scott Munn was brought in at Tottenham as Chief Football Officer, which technically makes him number two in the club hierarchy behind chairman Daniel Levy. Is this evidence of Levy and Enic trying to make changes, some improvements to the set up at Tottenham to prevent a repeat of mistakes we have seen before. Or will Scott Munn merely be used as a sacrificial lamb when the going gets too hot for Mr Levy? I don’t know if this Scott Munn is even qualified himself to make football decisions that involve the appointment of a manager or player. What I do think is essential for change is for Mr Levy to stop interfering with on field football matters and just concentrate on the global brand of Tottenham Hotspur that he is clearly passionate about.
So do we really want Levy and Enic out? Or do we just need to see a bit of tweaking to get it right?
You know, Spurs, Brighton and Brentford are the only three Premier League clubs that are entirely English-owned now. Just three of us left, it would be a shame to see another club sold to foreign investors. Sometimes we have to appreciate what we have, “the grass is not always greener on the other side” they say and right now we have a 100% English owned club with a chairman that claims to love Tottenham Hotspur. What more could you ask for from an owner? Well, obviously a few trophies would be nice lol.
Clubs like Spurs saw the future, they looked at other countries and other sports such as the American sports and they knew where football was heading. Whether we like it or not (and alot of us won’t), football has grown into something bigger and the club is no longer about just supporting its local fans, this commercial brand has gone global and they have been preparing for this for years. Of course there are always pros and cons, Tottenham has financial security that we could never have imagined 20 years ago, but as we become increasingly commercial, it does feel like we are losing part of our identity.
As an old skool fan it is difficult to appreciate everything that modern football has brought us and perhaps I will never fully understand, but it would be good to see a clear distinction between Tottenham the football club and Tottenham the global brand because at the moment the two seem very muddled.
Do I want Levy and Enic out? Whilst I’m a believer it is “better the devil you know”, I accept that if we don’t see changes at the club, that Trophy cabinet will remain empty! A ‘break-up’ is never easy, but sometimes you have to accept it is for the best.
I just hope we don’t end up with some numpty on the rebound 🙂
February 18, 2025
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