Tag: premierleague

Top transfers under Levy’s reign
When I started this article I intended to make a top ten list for signings under Levy’s reign. As the list materialised I could see my bias leading me to a long list of forwards so instead I have adopted it to make a ‘best 11’ team of Levy’s signings.
That means academy players will not be selected so no place for the likes of Kane or King unfortunately. Maybe one day I will try to make a ‘best 11’ from the academy but I think that will be a stretch!
The stats provided are based only on Premier league appearances for Spurs. For this team I will go with the formation: 4-2-3-1.
Position: GK – Hugo Lloris
Premier League: 2012-24
Appearances: 361
Clean sheets: 127
Transfer In: €12.6m
Transfer Out: Free
Summary: Solid Goalkeeper, just don’t give him the ball to feet.
Position: RB – Kyle Walker
Premier League: 2009-17
Appearances: 183
Goals: 4
Assists: 15
Transfer In: €5.9m
Transfer Out: €52.7
Summary: Not a lot got past him with his pace and strength, but not the best going forward.
Position: LB – Christian Ziege
Premier League: 2001-04
Appearances: 47
Goals: 7
Assists: 13
Transfer In: €6.5m
Transfer Out: Free
Summary: A short stint and we didn’t have him in his prime but his stats speak for themself.
Position: CB – Michael Dawson
Premier League: 2004-14
Appearances: 236
Goals: 7
Assists: 5
Transfer In: €7m
Transfer Out: €4.4m
Summary: Maybe not everyone’s choice but in my opinion you can’t beat a good old fashioned centre half who commits to every ball.
Position: CB – Toby Aldeviereld
Premier League: 2015-21
Appearances: 174
Goals: 8
Assists: 4
Transfer In: €16m
Transfer Out: €13m
Summary: A pretty reliable defender who helped complete a back four when he joined, I am just surprised by the stats he didnt have more assists.
Position: DM – Moussa Dembele
Premier League: 2012-19
Appearances: 181
Goals: 7
Assists: 7
Transfer In: €19m
Transfer Out: €5.35m
Summary: Strong in the tackle and composed on the ball, one of the best ever DM’s in a Spurs shirt and very difficult to replace.
Position: DM – Luka Modric
Premier League: 2008-12
Appearances: 127 Games
Goals: 13
Assists: 18
Transfer In: €22.5m
Transfer Out: €35m
Summary: I think Real got a bit of a bargain here at €35m. 39 years of age and still playing! What a legend.
Position: AM – Christian Eriksen
Premier League: 2013-20
Appearances: 226
Goals: 51
Assists: 65
Transfer In: €14.2m
Transfer Out: €27m
Summary: Look at those stats, always a threat. He was also a spot kick specialist.
Position: LW – Gareth Bale
Premier League: 2007-13
Appearances: 166
Goals: 53
Assists: 27
Transfer In: €14.7m
Transfer Out: €101m
Summary: Unbelievable player, lightning pace, strength on the ball, dribbling and a shot out of this world. Quite often won matches single handedly.
Position: RW – Rafael van der Vaart
Premier League: 2010-12
Appearances: 63
Goals: 24
Assists: 16
Transfer In: €10.5m
Transfer Out: €13m
Summary: Not sure if everyone will agree with this one but look at those stats. Whoever sanctioned his sale wants to be put in front of a firing squad.
Position: FW – Dimitar Berbatov
Premier League: 2006-08
Appearances: 70
Goals: 27
Assists: 20
Transfer In: €15.7m
Transfer Out: €38m
Summary: Another one we let go way too early but what a player. Great talent and very intelligent player too.
Subs:
Some of these positions were so difficult to pick so I have chosen a few subs as well.
Paul Robinson – 175 Games & 51 Clean Sheets
Small trivia: I scored against him from the edge of the box when he played for Sunday boys team in Beverley, he probably doesn’t remember lol. He went on to play for England, I went on to write a blog haha.
Jan Vertonghen – 232 Games & 8 Goals / 4 Assists
Summary: Another solid defender and unlucky not to be in the first 11.
Micky van de Ven – 36 Games & 3 Goals / 2 Assists
Summary: Still early days for him but he’s already shown huge potential in the Premier League.
Benoît Assou-Ekotto – 155 Games & 4 Goals / 8 Assists
Summary: I loved this guy, as cool as they come on the ball, never looked fazed.
Scott Parker – 50 Games & 3 Assists
Summary: An absolute workhorse and always gave 100%.
Michael Carrick – 64 Games & 2 Goals / 4 Assists
Summary: Another short stint but a quick transfer out showed just how much he was valued in the Premier league. Shame we couldn’t hold onto him for longer.
Aaron Lennon – 266 Games & 26 Goals / 51 Assists
Summary: Lightning pace always made him a threat but I think his end product could let him down at times. To be fair those stats are still pretty impressive.
Erik Lamela – 177 Games & 17 Goals / 23 Assists
Summary: Too many injuries but I loved his flair and commitment. Certainly made him a good impact player off the bench.
Son Heung-min – 324 Games & 126 Goals / 69 Assists
Summary: Playing alongside the likes of Kane and Dele Alli we saw the best of him and deserves a place on the bench.
Jermain Defoe – 276 & 91 Goals / 15 Assists
Summary: Another one unfortunate not to make the first 11. Not many in the game were as clinical in front of goal in or out of the box.
Robbie Keane – 238 Games & 91 Goals / 26 Assists
Summary: A different sort of striker but his goal ratio is pretty impressive and is definitely worth at least a place on the bench.
Didn’t make the cut:
Even with an additional 11 players on the bench I have struggled to find room for some players. A few others that didn’t make the squad but are at least worth a mention include:
Dejan Kulusevski (2022-Present)
Lucas Moura (2018-23)
Dele Allí (2015-22)
Emmanuel Adebayor (2011-15)
Peter Crouch (2009-11)
Gus Poyet (2001-04)
Danny Rose (2007-21)
Younes Kaboul (2007-15)
So, how did I do ?
July 7, 2025
What’s the point?
Preview:
With both the manager and players fully aware Ange is out of the door come end of the season it is clear neither have any interest in the remainder of these league games. I would be pissed if I was one of the other Premiership teams, as they are effectively throwing the games now. This comes form a manager who claimed he would never deliberately lose a match. What a fraud!
Fixture:
Friday 16th May, 19:30
Aston Villa Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
Result: 2-0 (Villa Win)
E. Konsa (59′)
B. Kamara (73′)
Match Report:
We lost! 21st defeat in league.
In Ange’s words: “we looked like we were fatiguing and then the game just got away from us.”
Fair dinkum mate!
However if we look at the starting 11….
Kinsky: 39 games played this season 24/25
Spence: 33 games played
Danso: 27 games
Davies: 27 games
Reguilon: 6 games
Gray: 44 games
Sarr: 53 games
Moore: 22 games
Odobert: 21 games
Sonny: 45 games
Tel: 33 games
Fatigued eh? Hmm.
Lets look at the Villa starting 11:
Martínez: 52 games played this season 24/25
Cash: 37 games played
Konsa: 49 games
Torres: 33 games
Maatsen: 44 games
Kamara: 41 games
Onana: 33 games
Rogers: 53 games
Asensio: 36 games
McGinn: 48 games
Watkins: 53 games
So, notice anything? More bullshit excuses from Ange.
Anyway, as the title states, what’s the point?
Roll on Wednesday!
COYS!!!!!!!!
May 12, 2025
Spurs March On
Preview:
Spurs are marching on in Europe but it’s ChangeforTottenham who have organised the next march before the Palace game, hopefully the fans will get behind them!
Fixture:
Sunday 11th May, 14:15
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Crystal Palace
Premier League
Available On:
Astro Premier League 3
Hub Premier 3
Optus Sport
Sky Sport NZ 5
Result: 0-2 (Palace Win)
E. Eze (45′, 48′)
Match Report:
Listen to Audio on Spotify
Congratulations to Ange for setting another record this season with his 20th league defeat of the season and now officially the worse ever Spurs manager in history. Well done mate, I knew you could do it!
So it’s been a really strange end to this Premiership. All season we have been struggling with injuries and unable to play our best team. We were promised it would get better once these players returned yet now they have we still don’t see our so called best eleven on the pitch.
We are now told these games don’t matter and 19 or 20 defeats is irrelevant, this comes from a manager that still gives the fans grief for not wanting to see Arsenal lift the title last season. He was quite happy to throw the match against Liverpool though right?
The fans seem just as confused as the players I think and who can blame them after such a crazy season. The half time walkout against Palace was cancelled as it was decided by the fans that it was more important to get behind the team. Ok that sounds fair I guess, but then the fans also say that these results in the Premiership no longer matter as the Uefa cup is the only competition that’s important now.
Is it just me or does that sound a bit contradictory?
Personally I think all the games matter and for me these games are a missed opportunity for the best eleven to find some form and consistency, which we have been lacking all season.
Everyone seems petrified at the thought of us losing players to injury but that’s football, it happens, you cannot wrap these players in cotton wool. Despite all the precautions we have lost Bergvall and Maddison anyway for the remainder of the season and Kulusevski limped off against Palace.
As it stands we are approaching one of the biggest games of our lives without form, without confidence and without a creative playmaker.
I think some fans need to remember what the protests are about and differentiate between supporting the team and the protests which are against the CLUB. It is possible to do both. We all want to see the team succeed and we all want to see glory in Bilbao, but that doesn’t mean we are not still pissed off with the clubs poor management.
Have you ever considered maybe the players want to see the fans protest too? Afterall they are desperate for success but it is difficult for them to speak out while they are under contract from the club! Perhaps then it is up to the fans to speak out for them? I am sure the players wouldn’t have minded the fans missing that embarrassing performance lol.
Anyway that’s my grumble finished. As for the Palace game, 8 changes were made from Thursday and oh yeh we got battered at home again. Half time was 1 nil and could have been two or three had it not been for VAR and a very fortunate handball. The second half started quickly with a Palace tap in and another defeat was imminent. We were terrible, but it’s ok right these games don’t matter. What’s another defeat lol.
Son was introduced after 57 minutes who desperately needs some minutes to prove his fitness before the final. That was about the only change Ange could make as the bench was largely made up of the players Ange wanted to rest. Smart!
It was a poor performance and I can barely recall a single chance on goal for Spurs, people will use the excuse of a pending final on the 21st but if that’s the case then how come Palace appeared unaffected by there pending final on the 17th?
Of course if we win in Bilbao it’s true these defeats will be forgotten. Some fans have even suggested Ange would deserve a legend status but I think that would be an insult to the real legends at this club. He certainly would have earned his place in the history books though, right up there with Ramos. Do you remember him? Funny how no one mentions his name but everyone talks fondly of Poch, a man with no trophies at Spurs. What does that tell you?
Entertainment Value: 2/10
I like the Palace team but I don’t even know what I’m watching anymore with this Spurs team. We are now 17th and some fans are talking about legend status, what an absolute joke.
Standout Players: Be serious!
Next Match: Away to Villa on Friday.
As Savva (FHTV) rightly pointed out following the Palace defeat, in Ange’s Churchill speech (very moving lol), he talks of using the next two league games as preparation for the final. What preparation did we see against Palace with the 8 changes made? What preparations can we expect against Villa?
May 9, 2025
Spurs fans are frustrated
Listen to Audio on Spotify
As the season goes on the fans frustration has understandably grown and this has spilled over towards the players too.
But the players have their own frustrations, after all they are the ones going out there week in week out working there arse’s off only to be humiliated with this ridiculous football we have all been served up this season.
The players get hurt by the public criticism towards them and consequently we have players like Brennan Johnson coming out publicly to explain that he plays for his teammates now and ignores the critics (the fans).
Recently, Romero has hinted he wants to leave Spurs at the end of the season and many fans are naturally unhappy with this statement, especially with the timing of it. But should we be critical? My opinion is we must be fair to the players, they joined Tottenham under false promises by the club and they feel cheated, just like the fans do.
The only difference is the players have the opportunity to leave, as fans we are stuck with our club for life. A footballer’s career is short, I think we need to accept that and remind ourselves who’s fault it really is that our best players always want to leave.
He’s not the first player to want to leave to find success and as it stands he won’t be the last. Let’s face it, all those that did move on proved to be right in their decision and that is now a worrying trend, going all the way back to Modric, Bale, Walker, Ericksen and even a reluctant Kane. They all left and they’ve all gone on to win majors. Congratulations to Kane!
If Romero does leave the truth is he has made the right call, in fact, it would be interesting if all the team made the same request! It’s not just the fans who want to see change at Tottenham, the players are desperate for success too. It’s understandable we are all frustrated but we need to remember where the blame really lies.
The players give their all (for the most part) but they are restricted by two huge factors, firstly their ability (or lack of) and secondly the team’s tactics in which they have no option but to follow no matter how ludicrous. I think most will agree that many of these players are not playing to their full potential, whilst some of them are just not able to do it at this level.
Then we have the manager of course who’s been under the flack for most of the season. The manager has limitations too, firstly he is restricted by the cubs budget and transfer policy and I’m sure we can agree he’s been given more than a couple of duds to work with, especially in the forwards department. Whether he actually approved all these signings I’m not sure. Secondly he is restricted by his own lack of skills because if you hire a school PE teacher for a top flight manager job then what can you expect.
Let’s be fair, the guy is just not a great manager, his CV tells you so and NO world class manager would dare to claim his side played well after a defeat to a bottom of the table team, not to mention if they had just conceded four goals in that defeat! Only a raving lunatic would try to defend their position after 19 defeats and sitting 16th in the table. But this man does, because he’s a moron. So you cannot blame him entirely, he’s simply not qualified or even fit to hold such a job.
Finally we have Mr Levy and the club’s ownership under Enic, with Levy owning 30% of the club himself! So as a major shareholder of the 9th richest club in the world, what is Levy restricted by? Judging by his rare interviews I would say he is largely restricted by his own arrogance and lack of football knowledge. The fact that he has been trying to figure out a winning formula for 25 years and still can’t figure it out (despite unlimited resources) not only makes him incredibly stubborn but it’s also become a bit sad! It’s like watching a child struggle with the puzzle ‘join the dots’ and you want to help him but he insists on figuring it out for himself even if he has to sit at the table all night.
If we keep on venting our frustrations at the players we are not helping them or ourselves. We need to vent our frustrations at the club as only the club can fix this mess they have created. They need to stop treating this football team like it’s a division 4 club and stop buying on the cheap because it doesn’t work and you just end up buying twice (or more).
For all the money Levy has wasted on the likes of Richarlison, Solanke, Johnson, Odobert and even loan deals of Tel and Werner, he could have gone out and bought a world class striker to replace Kane. Kane was never properly replaced and it’s been 2 seasons now. The same thing happened when we lost Ericksen, we struggled for years without a creative midfielder in his absence. Going even further back, the money from the sale of Bale was wasted on 7 players instead of seeking a world class player that could actually make the team better.
Levy never learns, he makes the same mistakes over and over, he’s still that little boy who insists on trying to make the square piece fit in the circle no matter how many people tell him it’s wrong! Levy has to do things his way and the rest of us suffer in the meantime as we painfully watch him screw it up time after time.
I don’t care how many fall guys Levy hires and the list is becoming embarrassingly long, from Scott Munn, Vinai Venkatesham, Fabio Paratici to Johan Lange (and they are just the recent muppets to be lured in), the buck will always stop at Levy, it always has and always will so long as Levy is in charge. Levy just cant help himself bless him, he needs to be restrained for his own good! He probably needed mittens just to stop fiddling!
So, what can we do about it?
Well first of all you can subscribe to ChangeforTottenham if you haven’t already. They are organising protests and are demanding major changes at the club. Personally speaking my opinion is it’s going to take something huge and for this we must be united, that goes for the players too.
It’s radical but can you imagine if all the fans boycotted the home games? How long would it take for sponsorships to dry up and force the hand of Enic? Protests outside the stadium are a great starting place but hopefully it can progress to the next level as the fans support grows for ChangeforTottenham. I know they have mentioned boycotting the second half of the next home fixture against Crystal Palace so that will be interesting to see.
Even more radical perhaps, can you imagine if all the players put in transfer requests? This would be a massive statement to Enic that neither the players or fans are here just to make up their numbers!
Sure it sounds unrealistic but it’s going to take something drastic to force the hands of Enic because the simple fact is, they don’t want to change, they are very happy as the situation stands, so long as they keep on making their profits each year.
We have to start somewhere and changefortottenham seems like a pretty good starting place! Good luck guys, keep up the great work and please fans, get behind them any way you can.
Time for Change!
May 7, 2025
What a refreshing Change!

Only could a Tottenham player get a 7 game ban for a racial slur on his own teammate!
Thankfully Rodrigo & Sonny have since made up over a nice cool cider!
Lets hope they are sipping a few more in Bilbao:)
May 6, 2025
Best of a bad bunch?
Preview:
With West Ham equally as terrible as ourselves this season who is going to finish top of this London derby?
Fixture:
Sunday 4th May, 14:00
West Ham Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
Astro Premier League
Optus Sport
Result: 1-1
W. Odobert (15′)
J. Bowen (28′)
Match Report:
Listen to Audio on Spotify
Watch Video on YouTube
Watch Video on TikTok
A game described by all fans as lacklustre and boring, the attitude being shown towards these remaining premiership games is appalling in my opinion.
It shouldn’t matter what position we are in the league or what European fixtures we have in wait, those players should be playing for pride if nothing else.
The only people who appeared to be smiling at the final whistle where the two managers who had that look on there face that said, “yes at least we didn’t lose again”.
If that is the best our B Team can produce then there are a lot of players who need to go along with this manager come end of season.
Spurs scored early on when Tel pressed his defender, forcing an error and then provided the assist for Odobert who couldn’t miss. Despite going a goal up though it was no surprise to see us concede a goal only 15 minutes later with a simple little pass behind the defence. It was a clever finish from Bowen but you would expect Vicario to do better. Next time keep ya legs closed mate! To be fair he pulled off a good save in the second half.
With the game level at 1 a piece neither team or managers looked interested in changing this scoreline and Spurs made just the single change in the second half with Mickey Moore getting a rare appearance off the bench.
It’s hard to find any positives about this game, I’m not a fan of West Ham’s pitch I will say that, it looks so narrow and at times the match resembled a kids match (not for first time this season), with all the players constantly compacted down one side of the pitch.
Without an intelligent midfielder nobody was trying to distribute the ball across the pitch and Odobert was starved of the ball for much of the game.
There’s not a lot more we can say about this game really other than that it was a missed opportunity to climb a position in the table following Utd’s defeat to Brentford. There goes another 3 million Levy!
Entertainment value: 3/10
No idea why I gave it a 3, maybe a point for each goal and an extra one for the bubbles:)
Standout Players: Not this week lol
Next Match:
So, it’s all about Thursdays game now and whoever is braving the weather and making that trip, make sure to take your long johns lol.
But the big question is can we do it? Yes I think so, I believe we’re going to Bilbao, we might lose on the night in Norway but I think we will hold it to a single deficit and our two goal cushion from the first leg will be enough.
Good luck boys! COYS!
May 2, 2025
The title is theirs!
Preview:
There’s no question Liverpool will be celebrating their title success this week and they have been by far the most consistent team this season. At least it’s not the Gooners!
Fixture:
Sunday 27th April, 16:30
Liverpool Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
Result: 5-1 (Liverpool Win)
D. Solanke (12′)
L. Díaz (16′)
A. Mac Allister (24′)
C. Gakpo (34′)
Mohamed Salah (63′)
D. Udogie (69′ og)
Match Report:
Spurs took an early lead but it made absolutely no difference as the result went the way we all expected. It was a game of boys versus men, tactics versus angeball, a well drilled team versus headless chickens, spirited versus defeated, organisation versus pure chaos.
Going to Liverpool is never an easy fixture but the lineup showed little intent of getting anything from this game with Anges thoughts clearly on Thursdays semi final. Was he justified, is it acceptable to play such a weak defence?
I don’t think so personally, I don’t think starting a game at Anfield with Danso and Davies is smart on any level especially when you have both first choice centre halves available on the bench.
Mind you, to be fair it doesn’t seem to matter which players we play at the back these days, the opposition just walks past us. Liverpool replied with 2 quick goals relatively unchallenged to take the lead. After just 25 minutes it wasn’t even a question of whether Liverpool will be lifting that trophy, it was just a case of how many goals we were going to be humiliated by this time around.
By the time the third goal went in from a corner set piece with another unchallenged shot, I was already thinking it was time to put a movie on and just destress. After all, another hour of this was going to be torture. I was glad I had the TV on mute and couldn’t hear those scousers celebrating their ‘stroll in the park’.
Listening to the watchalong from WeareTottenhamTV made it slightly more bare able but even Sim and Bens optimism was not going to cut it today. I think they’ve been listening to too many of Anges brainwashing interviews to be honest. Nothing against those guys but lay off the Ange pills! I recommend you go cold turkey from all Ange interviews and clear that shit out of your system:)
When your team goes in at half time 1-3 down and you’re relieved it’s only 3 goals, you know it’s time for change. But we know we are stuck with Ange for at least a couple more weeks yet. If he’s still in a job after the defeat to Bodo then we are in trouble!
So the second half kicked off, yes I’m still here, I’m a Spurs fan, a sucker for punishment lol. Ange made a couple of changes in midfield with Kulu and Sarr coming on for Mads and Gray. These changes appeared no more tactical than the starting lineup with this game being treated as purely a workout for the lads before Thursdays game. A workout! For Liverpool this was a stroll!
Making a change of my own I’m afraid Sim and Bens optimism had to get the chop and in came Mr Happy himself Gary Neville. It didn’t help, Liverpool were passing it through our defence like it wasn’t even there and the corners were mounting up. Bollox to it I’m gonna put on Expressions Oozing, I need a laugh! Wow this game is so poor even Expressions is speechless
Well I lasted 15 minutes of the second half but after the fourth goal I’d seen enough. I don’t care what you say, I couldn’t take anymore, it’s embarrassing and it’s unacceptable no matter who’s in the lineup. I would call it a joke but I ain’t laughing, Enic clearly have no shame allowing this to go on.
I don’t need to listen to Anges post match interview, I’ve heard it all before. The fact is we are 3 games away from lifting our first trophy in 17 years, our first European trophy in 40 years and I cannot find any excitement right now. I was planning on going to Bilbao, I’ve said all season I would go but that motivation has gone. I’m considering heading to London to watch the final in the Stadium but I don’t really feel like giving Enic a penny of my money either.
Entertainment value: 1/10
For Liverpool this game will go down in history as the day they won the Premier league title in front of their home fans. But for Spurs fans this will be remembered as the day Ange rolled over to have his belly tickled by Slot. Who’s a clever boy!
Standout players: Pass
Time for change
#Angeout
#Levyout
#boycotttottenhamstadium
Please subscribe to changefortottenham if you haven’t already.
For more details on Change for Tottenham:
Website: https://changefortottenham.com/
Full Manifesto: https://changefortottenham.com/manifesto/
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April 28, 2025
No no Nuno!
Preview:
Nuno got the better of us in the away fixture, we really need a home win and reach that 40 points.
Fixture:
Monday 21st April, 20:00
Tottenham Hotspur Vs Nottingham Forest
Premier League
Available On:
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
Hub Premier 1
Result: 1-2 (Forest Win)
E. Anderson (5′)
C. Wood (16′)
Richarlison (87′)
Match Report:
There’s not alot more we can say about these results that’s not already been said a thousand times over these last two seasons. Players looking disinterested, tactics baffling and just the one question remaining, when will it be over?
The only players that looked like they wanted to try to impress against Forest were probably Tel and Odobert, but even those players’ end product was lacking any real quality. Don’t be fooled by the narrow score margin and the match stats, it really doesn’t matter how many shots or how much possession you have if you concede 2 or 3 goals in the first 15 minutes.
For Forest the job was already done after 15 minutes and it took them just 4 shots in the entire game. With a simple long ball or an unchallenged cross from wide, our defence was easily exposed as it has been all season under Ange. Vicario had yet another night to forget but to be fair the defence have to take equal responsibility. Nobody closed down Anderson allowing him to strike through an entire box of players. With the second goal Wood was able to head into an open goal unchallenged, we’re talking about school boy stuff here, it’s shocking yet unsurprising.
Richarlison had half a dozen chances before finally heading one in, another shot was cleared off the line with a great piece of defending but had we got anything from this game it would have been flattering. There’s no question some of these players were holding back and not for the first time, have they lost faith in Angeball or are they just saving themselves?
Post match Ange’s response to our 18th defeat of the season had the usual delusional claims saying we “played well” and “deserved to win.”
Somebody hold me back!!!!
Of course we all have one eye on that semi final in Europe, but if we play like that there’s no chance of us reaching Bilbao. Even if we do get past Norwegian side Bodø, there’s no guarantee we will cope against the likes of Athletic Bilbao or even Utd in the final. We have made it this far in the cup mostly on luck, if we are going to lift that trophy the truth is we are going to need a bit more luck yet.
The question I am seeing daily at the moment is whether Ange can even be sacked if we win our first European trophy since 1984. The answer is simple, it’s a 100% YES!! It would be criminal not to sack him after our worst Premier league season in 30 years. Even with the return of our so called top players the standards have remained the same leaving many of us to question why we are not seeing more of Archie Gray and Mikey Moore who have more of a future at this club than the likes of Bissouma or Tel.
When Pep Guardioila joined the English Premier league in 2016/17 season he admitted he got a bit of a shock and conceded he must adapt his ways to be truly effective in the Premier league and challenge for a title. They finished third that season (just behind Spurs at their Prime:). In Peps second season he won the League and League cup, the rest is history. That was a manager who accepted he needed to adapt, a manager who wasn’t afraid to make changes and was not too stubborn to admit he needed a Plan B!
Congratulations to Nuno and Forest, I hope they qualify for the Champions league and have a great campaign. As for Spurs, Time for Change.
Entertainment Value: 6 / 10
Not a great match to watch, even when we pulled it back to 2-1, I had lost interest in the game by then and I think so had half of the team.
Standout Players:
Every player was crap but well done Richi, nice header, you got there in the end!
April 21, 2025
Poch 11 Vs Ange 11
Ok let’s have a bit of fun, we need a distraction! We have been undergoing a major squad rebuild these last few seasons which we all know was long overdue after several extremely poor signings to say the least.
A full reset was required, so after a couple of seasons of Ange Postecoglou in charge how does our best 11 square up against one of our best teams over the last 20 years under Levy, of course I am talking about the Mauricio Pochettino era.
As Tottenham finished 2nd in the 2016–17 campaign I will take the best 11 from that season. I know we made it to the UEFA Champions League final in 2019 but in my opinion we were well on the decline by then with Pochettino being starved of reinforcements.
So lets do it, the Poch 11 Vs Ange 11
Goalkeeper
Starting in goal we have Hugo Lloris versus Guglielmo Vicario. Both goalies are pretty good shot stoppers but Vicario is slightly better at playing the ball out. I don’t think Vicario is great with his ball distribution but Lloris was pretty awful at it too and really had 2 left feet, he just never looked comfortable with the ball at his feet. However Lloris was more confident in the air and dealt with those high balls better and for that reason I have to go for Lloris. You cannot have a goalkeeper that does not know how to handle corners at this level.
Poch 1 – Ange 0
Full Backs
Moving onto the full backs we had Kyle Walker and Danny Rose as first choice back in 2016 against the current Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie. Walker versus Porro is a tough one because although Walker was extremely strong and fast in his defensive role, there’s no doubt Porro offers more going forward with way more assists to his name. They are different types of full backs it has to be said but I am going to go for Walker as ultimately a full backs defensive role takes precedence and Porro gets caught out of position way too often.
On the other side we have Rose versus Udogie and whilst Rose will forever be remembered for that wonder goal against Arsenal on his debut back in 2010, I don’t think he ever really materialised into a world class full back that we hoped. Udogie had a pretty impressive first season adapting to the English game but injuries have hampered his progress this season and we haven’t seen the best of him in recent months. Another difficult one but I am going to go for Udogie based on the potential I have seen from him so far.
Poch 2 – Ange 1
Centre Halves
If the full backs were a close call these centre halves may even be tougher, we are talking about a world class Belgian pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen against world cup winner Cristian Romero with the lightning Micky van de Ven. I was a big fan of Alderweireld, defensively he was pretty solid and he wasn’t immune to a few decent balls forward to help out with the assists. Vertonghen was pretty dependable too and wasn’t afraid to bomb down the left wing if given the chance. He was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2018 which sums up his importance in this team. However Alderweireld and Vertonghen were very fortunate to have a strong holding midfielder in front protecting them from that first wave of attack.
Romero always shows that passion and aggression you want to see from your players and commits himself in everything he does. Sometimes a little too much perhaps but that is his nature. His main weakness is probably his awareness in the box which has cost us more than once. Van de Ven has been fantastic since joining us and his ability to recover is hugely important in Anges team. He’s another player that has been plagued with injuries over the last 2 seasons and this is becoming a concern. A tough choice to make but I am going for Alderweireld and Van de Ven so that’s one each!
Poch 3 – Ange 2
Midfield
Moving into midfield I will select Mousa Dembélé, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli against the current Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. Starting with the holding midfielder we have Dembele and Bentancur who both have the responsibility of protecting that defence. In my opinion it’s a role that is undervalued at times and is quite often a position that is about what a player does without the ball as much as he does with it.
In terms of strength and defensive ability Dembele proved to be a top player and deserves a lot of credit for that Spurs team setting a new defensive record for the club in 2016-17, conceding fewer than 30 goals in a league campaign for the first time. My biggest criticism of Dembele at the time was how few goals he scored because I knew how good he was, but it was his self discipline in that holding position that allowed the other players to flourish. It wasn’t until he left I realised just how much we needed him! Bentancur has now taken over that responsibility in midfield but in all fairness it is a much more difficult task now with such an open style of play. Nevertheless he has proven to be our most reliable holding midfielder and has done well to overcome several injuries.
So let’s look at the creative midfielders with Eriksen and Maddison. Eriksen, twice named the club’s Player of the Year, scoring over 50 goals and 60 assists it’s fair to say Eriksen was always a threat around the opponent’s box and our most creative midfielder at the time. I don’t think we’ve had another set piece specialist like him since he left and it’s something we have missed, although I don’t miss his corners lol. On the other hand Maddison has already notched up 15 goals for us over 2 seasons and 19 assists. Whilst Maddison has largely taken over that role as set piece specialist I don’t think he is on the same level as Eriksen in that department but at least his corners are better! If Mads can stay fit he can be an important player for us as was Eriksen in his day.
In our final midfield position we have Dele Alli and Kulusevski and let’s face it, they are both exciting players to watch when they are flowing. Dele Alli was unpredictable and could produce moments of class but his overall contribution in a game was questionable at times. In contrast Kulusevski is a real workhorse working tirelessly for the team. His forward dribbles and intricate passing around the opponents box always make him one of our most dangerous threats. A year ago I was questioning why we even made Kulusevski’s signing a permanent one but he has been outstanding this season. Some tough choices to make there but Dembele gets in without question and alongside him can go Eriksen and Kulusevski.
Poch 5 – Ange 3
Forwards
As I have decided to stick with a 4-3-3 for both teams I will have to go for Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min down the wings with Harry Kane up front of course. In our current side we have Brennan Johnson, Son again (the only remaining player from 2016) and Dominic Solanke down the middle.
When Lamela joined he was the most expensive player in the club’s history and exciting things were expected! There was no question of the man’s talent and had it not been for a horrific injury list I am sure he would have played a lot more games. Nevertheless he certainly offered exciting moments and one of my favourites was the rabona-style strike from outside the area in the Europa League. And we all remember the one against Arsenal:)
Against Lamela we have Brennan Johnson, our current top scorer in all competitions. Johnson is not the type of exciting player that you would ever expect to see a rabona but he has developed the ability to get into the box and score goals and that’s always an important asset. I still think he needs to develop other parts of his game but he’s young so you never know.
On the other flank we have Poch Son versus Ange Son and I think we all know the answer to that one. The guy is 32 years of age now yet he’s probably played more minutes this season than most in the Spurs squad. Despite this we miss the Son of old with his electric turn of pace and clinical finishing. When Son of old went one on one with the goalie there was never any doubt but in the last couple of seasons Son has lacked that confidence.
In centre forward we have Kane against Solanke so lets be honest, Solanke does not stand a chance. Solanke has done well since coming in and works hard for the team but Kane was a class above. Not only was he absolutely clinical in front of goal like any top striker should be, but he was able to turn provider and was one of the reasons Son flourished alongside. So, my three front men have to be Lamela, Poch Son and Kane which gives Poch a clean sweep up front, sorry Ange!
Final Score: Poch 8 – Ange 3
Summary
There you have it, it’s official and not biased in the slightest! The Poch team has 8 players to Anges 3 with only Udogie, Van de Ven and Kulusevski worthy of getting into that 2016–17 team. I am sure plenty will disagree with that scoring and even the player selection but the point of this exercise was to see how far we have come in the last 8 years since going as close as we ever have to a Premier league title. I am not convinced we have moved in a good direction with too many of the current players resembling athletes with hamstring issues rather than actual footballers.
April 17, 2025
The Wolves are on the hunt!
Preview:
Wolves have won 3 from 5 but they are on the hunt for more points as they aim to seal Premier league survival.
Fixture:
Sunday 13th April, 14:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On:
Hub Premier 4
Optus Sport
Peacock Premium
Sky Sport 9 NZ
Result: 4-2 (Wolves Win)
R. Aït-Nouri (2′)
D. Spence (38′ og)
M. Tel (59′)
J. Strand Larsen (64′)
Richarlison (85′)
Matheus Cunha (86′)
Match Report:
Spurs made 6 changes from Thursdays game and the biggest concern was the midfield pairing of Bissouma and Sarr.
So it didn’t really come as a surprise when Sarr decided to concede a foul in only the second minute just for giggles on the edge of our own box. Vicario then fluffs his lines, one nil to wolves. Vicarios performance looked to be going from bad to worse when he decides to hand the ball straight to the Wolves forward who somehow misses an open goal.
Maddison may have felt unfortunate not to get a penalty after ex Spurs defender Mat Doherty pushes him in the back after Mads gets goal side of him. Nothing from VAR as two hands in the back not deemed clear and obvious. Brennan Johnson had the best of Spurs first half chances when Romero feeds the ball into the box for Johnson to turn and shoot but like Thursdays game his attempt goes high over the bar.
Moments later Gray stands off his man giving him far too much space and allows the cross in to the box which Vicario again struggles with, this time palming the ball straight into an unexpected Spence and into his own net. Two nil to Wolves.
Changes were required at half time and much improvements but if Man city can reply with 5 goals against Palace, how many could Spurs reply with?
The second half starts without any subs made but 10 minutes into the half Ange makes the inevitable changes as Bissouma and Sarr come off for Bergvall and Bentancur. It’s safe to say those two do not have a future at Spurs come end of the season. Moments later Bergvall makes a nice run forward and passes through for Johnson to make a first time cross. The Wolves defender at the far post fails to clear and even though Tel knows nothing about it, the ball hits him and finds the net. A stroke of luck but 2-1 it is.
Any hopes of a comeback lasted just five minutes though as the Spurs defence goes awol, first Romero and then Spence completely switches off and allows Wolves an easy tap in to make it 3-1 to Wolves. With Spurs struggling two more changes are made with Kulusevski and Richarlison both returning from injury. Richi looked like he hadn’t kicked a ball in five years never mind five weeks but thankfully the ball fell to his head with a chance even he couldn’t miss.
It’s now 3-2 with five minutes remaining, could it be an exciting finale? No of course not, a minute after scoring Bergvall gives up possession needlessly in midfield and with an absent defence Wolves make it a comfortable 4-2 victory.
I think we’ve seen enough!
It’s another shambles and to be honest too many of these players just don’t look interested. It may be a fixture with little to play for but today showed appalling attitude from the players. Just because they had a midweek game is no excuse, yet we are seeing it too many times this season.
Post match Ange Postecoglou defended his players in what must be Aussie humour saying: “The goals weren’t lapses or anything, they were individual errors, which is unusual for us to give goals away like that.”
Unusual! Really mate?
If that didn’t make you laugh then his next comment will, “I thought we played pretty well but conceded some pretty poor goals.”
If that was us playing well I wouldn’t like to see us on an off day!
It’s incredible to believe Spurs have scored the third most goals in the Premier league this season despite all there injuries but most of all considering how poor our front line is. It just goes to show stats really don’t tell the whole story do they.
Entertainment Value: 6 / 10
Despite a 6 goal match I cant say I ever felt entertained with the performance lacking in any quality. Wolves were not much better yet they managed to score 4 past us. That says it all!
Standout Players: Obviously very difficult to hand out any praise to this poor performance but if any one deserves credit I would have to go give it to Tel. He was the only player out there that looked like he had a point to prove, maybe he wasn’t the best but at least the effort was there from him.
April 14, 2025