Spurs 2024-25

[Zapp Brannigan]

Okay, it wasn’t City’s first 11, and the finer points of the game were subsumed by the director’s avant-garde insistence on filming every event as a continuous Erling Haarland reaction shot, but you’d need to be very Ange out not to be impressed with good defending and some very nice counter-attacks, especially those starring Timo, when pressed back.

This could be our generation’s 2008!

Was a cracking game, wasn't it?

Has to be taken in context - Man City had a very good side with only a few of the youngsters and/or fringe players, but many of the first 11 players were through necessity. There's probably a slight psychological element of it being their least valued competition, self-preservation kicks in at some point above and beyond the usual will to win.

But that said, it wasn't our first 11 either, and there was a lot of character shown. Our usual style in the first half had them on the ropes, really impressive.

Best of all though was an ability to react to the game situation. As City put pressure on in the 2nd half, we weren't still going Full Ardiles in the usual slightly naive fashion; dropped deeper to deny space, kept up with the aggressive press, and the counter attack was still a massive threat. Whisper it quietly, but was that a Plan B in action?

Only real downer - van de Ven and those hamstrings. Hopefully he caught it early to avoid more damage, get well soon big fella.

 

[Silas Loom]

Was a cracking game, wasn't it?

Has to be taken in context - Man City had a very good side with only a few of the youngsters and/or fringe players, but many of the first 11 players were through necessity. There's probably a slight psychological element of it being their least valued competition, self-preservation kicks in at some point above and beyond the usual will to win.

But that said, it wasn't our first 11 either, and there was a lot of character shown. Our usual style in the first half had them on the ropes, really impressive.

Best of all though was an ability to react to the game situation. As City put pressure on in the 2nd half, we weren't still going Full Ardiles in the usual slightly naive fashion; dropped deeper to deny space, kept up with the aggressive press, and the counter attack was still a massive threat. Whisper it quietly, but was that a Plan B in action?

Only real downer - van de Ven and those hamstrings. Hopefully he caught it early to avoid more damage, get well soon big fella.

Plan B Joseball!

VdeV was walking around afterwards in the cold quite happily, hadn’t realised until today that Romero was an injury too. Dragusin did quite well though.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Plan B Joseball!

VdeV was walking around afterwards in the cold quite happily, hadn’t realised until today that Romero was an injury too. Dragusin did quite well though.

Dragusin was excellent when doing a Romero impression - if our usual defensive partnerships are loosely characterised as a stopper and a sweeper, he's very much a stopper and he's pretty good at it. Still far more worried about playing without van de Ven.

 

[Silas Loom]

Dragusin was excellent when doing a Romero impression - if our usual defensive partnerships are loosely characterised as a stopper and a sweeper, he's very much a stopper and he's pretty good at it. Still far more worried about playing without van de Ven.

I will ask my daughter whether her old form-mate Dorrington was a stopper or a sweeper. Maybe “did he get into fights or did he just run away really fast?” would compute better.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

I will ask my daughter whether her old form-mate Dorrington was a stopper or a sweeper. Maybe “did he get into fights or did he just run away really fast?” would compute better.

Alfie Dorrington is somewhere part between the 2. Tall lad, well built and not slow, but given a choice of MvdV style "outrun the forward and take the ball off him" or Romero style "take the ball, man in the stands" I think he's tending towards Romero.

We have two van de Vens on the way in Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic, but they're at Stoke and Westerlo respectively for this season.

 

[ska invita]

enjoyable watch with some pretty special goals in the mix

 

[Silas Loom]

Such a twat, though.

 

[ska invita]

Such a twat, though.

yeah when i was a small kid growing up in tottenham hoddle and waddle were kings, spurs seemed top of the world.....even top of the pops! as the years have gone by for a variety of reasons ive lost any kind of sentimentality for that era...diamond knights couldn't be shitter if it tried, and definitely hoddle's 'people with disabilities have been punished by karma' comments sealed it...total write off..... I'd forgotten what his football skills looked like... might go back and watch some more early 80s reels and highlights, as I did find this a fun watch

anyway, feels like a really big game today, AV feel like our new fourth spot rivals....I have some hope

 

[Cerberus]

Such a twat, though.

He was my hero! He was magnificent. Vision, touch, passing and could score great goals too. We’ve all heard the praise over the years - should’ve built an England team around him, Cloughie saying he had ‘moral courage’ to play the way he did in an era of hatchet men, outplaying Cruyff - etc etc. “worth the entrance fee just to watch him warm up”. Even have Gonner mates waxing lyrical about Glenda.

However, this is why kids have heroes and well, adults shouldn’t. Even before the shameful disability comments I found him to come across as well, a bit boring really. Not his fault (the boring bit not the scandalous comments). When we (hopefully) mature we realise the folly of hero worshipping musicians, poets, actors…most definitely footballers - who are only on a pedestal for kicking a ball around.

Nice legs though

Off to game soon. Gonna be a really tough one. Villa have a great recent record at our place. They rested players during the week, we didn’t really. And no Micky

COYS - I’m hope rather than expectation

 

[Silas Loom]

I still can’t decide what’s more annoying when there is only one working match stream: intermittent buffering, US adverts, or Glenn commentating.

Missing the match today, on a rare outing, so we will probably win with double hat tricks for Timo and Richy.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Hoddle was the first real hero to 7yr old me in the mid to late 80s. He was also an important lesson to learn a decade or so later, with the realisation that your heroes can be utter pricks.

Anyhoo, this afternoon. Villa away was our best performance last season, 4-0 and total control, and this season it's our home form that's carrying us to a point so there's some grounds for optimism. Much depends on Son being fit, we're so much more clinical and coherent with him holing the left flank.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

And just like that, team news - probably our best 11 (for now, Maddison in form would have a case), minus MvdV.

Vicario
Porro --- Romero Dragusin --- Udogie
Bentancur
Kulusevski --- Sarr
Johnson ------ Solanke ------ Son(c)​

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Set piece, yet again. Yes, it was a foul on the goalkeeper but no, they're never given when the forward lets go at just the right moment - in the current climate it's absolutely a goal and it's missing me off that we still don't do anything about it.

If anyone has got the phone number of someone who sits anywhere near the 4th official, get onto them to have a word. Emi Martinez has carried the ball out of the area Every. Single. Time. he's kicked long from hand.

This game isn't done yet, but we've got to be better than this.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

And just like that, we were better than this. Stunning second half, Villa just couldn't live with us. Son had a bonkers 10 minutes, Solanke was clinical, Dragusin looked solid, in fact everyone contributed heavily.

7th, and right back on the tail of those from 3rd downwards. Including Villa and intriguingly, Arsenal.

 

[Cerberus]

Enjoyable 2nd half that

Thought Sarr was outstanding, closely followed by Solanke (incredible work rate rewarded by a brace). Davies also a mention - came on in a potentially dangerous moment and led with composure.

Villa surprised me. Compact, disciplined and risk-free and they got what they wanted in the set piece goal. But playing for time, endless players falling over ‘injured’ - gamesmanship in other words. Ok, not a great look but pragmatic. Then, they collapsed like a cheap suitcase.

Unsure what kind of team we might be able to field away at Galatasaray with all the injuries. Ipswich next Sunday at home in the league. Intl break might be coming at a good time for a change

COYS

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Won 9 of our last 11 games - it's a real shame that the other 2 were so bad, but the whole narrative of "Ange in trouble" is a crock of shit.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Some of the gaps in the table starting to appear - after 10 matches each (near enough) it's all taking shape. The first visual table of the season:

25 - Liverpool (13)
24
23 - Man City (10)
22
21
20
19 - Nottingham Forest (7)
18 - Chelsea (8), Arsenal (6), Aston Villa (2)
17
16 - Spurs (11), Brighton (3)
15 - Fulham (1), Bournemouth (1), Newcastle (0)
14
13 - Brentford (-1)
12 - Man Utd (-3)
11 - West Ham (-6)
10 - Leicester (-4)
09 - Everton (-7
08
07 - Crystal Palace (-5)
06
05 - Ipswich (-11)
04 - Southampton (-12)
03 - Wolves (-13)

 

[Silas Loom]

At this stage of the season, goal difference is much more significant than the nerdish metric of points.

 

[ska invita]

endless players falling over ‘injured’ - gamesmanship in other words.

Watkins was on the receiving end of a couple of nasty tackles tbf

Won 9 of our last 11 games - it's a real shame that the other 2 were so bad, but the whole narrative of "Ange in trouble" is a crock of shit.

not saying that was a must win game but - if we got beat it would be looking very grim right now - and by half time that looked a real likelihood

 

[ska invita]

At this stage of the season, goal difference is much more significant than the nerdish metric of points.

I actually believe that, in as much as by the end of the season GD order and final position often match up

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

not saying that was a must win game but - if we got beat it would be looking very grim right now - and by half time that looked a real likelihood

This is why it's ridiculous to be putting out the "Ange under pressure" articles. Lose yesterday and we're 10th, season over etc etc. See the Brighton game out properly and we're 3rd.

 

[Ted Striker]

At this stage of the season, goal difference is much more significant than the nerdish metric of points.

As a bit of a graph/visualisation nerd, I think this is such simple yet cool and insightful way of representing the information

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

The state of the world is too much to be dwelling on right now, so fuck it - football instead.

Galatasaray away tomorrow - picking a back 4 is hard with Romero doubtful and vdV definitely out, so I reckon Gray Dragusin Davies Udogie. 3 wins from 3 so far has bought a lot of leeway, have a feeling that this might be a game to just get through without serious incident.

The weekend is an interesting set of fixtures:
Brighton vs Man City
Liverpool vs Villa
Forest vs Newcastle
Chelsea vs Arsenal

That's a lot of teams around and above us who are dropping points. Meanwhile, we have a home game against newly promoted and winless Ipswich.

Don't say "Spursy", we all know...

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Threadbare squad, been reading about the number of players unavailable for tonight: Romero, vdV, Werner, Moore, Richarlison all out.

Front 3: Son, Lankshear or Solanke, Johnson
Midfield: Maddison, 2 from Bissouma, Bergvall, Sarr, Bentancur. Kulusevski also available but I think he'll be rested.
Defenders: Gray or Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie or Gray. Dorrington also available and has travelled with the squad.

With a GK (Forster?) and sub (Vicario?) that's an 11 plus 8 on the bench - I don't think we've any more than that.

 

[Silas Loom]

Gray at left back. Strange times.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

The brilliantly named Danté Cassanova on the bench, plus Dorrington and a couple of other kids. Keep an eye out for Luca Williams-Barnett (16) in the future - he's a centre forward, scoring bucketloads for the U18s (an age category above what he's still eligible to play in).

Gray at LB again is an odd one, but I guess Udogie needs a rest more than Porro does. Davies at LB isn't ideal given the demands of a full back in our weird system, but if Gray gets targeted then swapping the 2 is an option.

Lankshear to get a goal tonight, it's coming. Problem will be keeping Galatasaray out - Dries Merttens, Victor Osimhen and Mauro Icardi is a stacked attacking lineup, and that's with Hakim Ziyech and Michy Batsuayi in reserve.

 

[Silas Loom]

Would have helped to have borrowed Sanchez back for this game. Still, good goals for Lankshear and Solanke, and the second half was something of a moral victory after the sending-off. I’m looking forward to liking Bergvall, I’m sure it will come eventually.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Not a great performance, but I'll take that with no major injuries - Sunday is more important.

Told you Lankshear was going to score. The red card, now that I didn't see coming.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Romero "probably fit", so the back 4 picks itself with Dragusin in for vdV (couple of weeks away, return after the international break.

No problems in midfield, so the usual selection dilemma of 3 from 5 (Biss, Bentancur, Sarr, Maddison, Kulusevski) with Bergvall also available for the bench.

Bare bones up front - no Richarlison, Werner, Odobert or Moore, so the front 3 of Son, Solanke and Johnson pick themselves too. Lankshear will be on the bench, and moving Kulu into the forward line is probably our only other option to change things up a bit in game.

It's a bit thin in terms of overall squad, but still a very good (almost first choice) side just with a smaller than usual set of alternatives. No excuses, if we want to play with the big boys then it must be 3 points.