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Spurs are masters of the ‘unthinkable but totally thinkable’. They beat Aston Villa and then promptly lost to Ipswich. Oh dear.

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Don’t blame Ange; Spurs have a lack of leaders

A quick word on Spurs, if I may. When they won against Villa, Spurs fans like myself emailed in, furiously demanding that the 7th (now 10th) best team in the league be given their due. In the spirit of balance, it’s absolutely right to be critical when they contrive to lose at home to Ipswich. But I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what seems to be the reason for Spurs’ problems, because I sure as hell doubt many in the media will bother beyond the existing obvious narrative:

The general consensus so far is to blame it on Ange’s attacking football naivety. “He’s so stubborn; he only plays one way,” whined tactics megamind Jamie O’Hara on Sky afterward. “He’s got no plan B, mate” is plastered in comments across social media by anonymous contributors no doubt attuned to every Spurs game.

However, if you look at the two Ipswich goals – as well as those against Palace, Brighton, West Ham, Villa, or just about any other goal scored by Newcastle months ago – these weren’t goals scored behind a high line or due to an outnumbered defense. In fact, the real pattern in Spurs’ defensive frailties has been that the player tasked with marking duties on one or more attackers in the box simply fails to win their duels. Johnson pulling out of heading the ball, allowing Szmodics to score an uncontested bicycle kick, epitomizes this issue.

This is not to absolve Ange of fault. It’s still an issue. But the eye test points to the cause being one of mentality, rather than tactics. No matter how much Ange sets them up as an all-action, all-pressing team, they seem unable to consistently handle the physicality and commitment required, particularly to match the fight when opposition teams are in backs-to-the-wall situations. Ipswich, Palace (scrapping for first wins), Brighton (2-0 down in the second half), and Arsenal (missing Odegaard/Rice) have found themselves in challenging situations and—to their absolute credit—fought harder for every first, second, and third ball.

Ultimately, I firmly believe the problem runs deeper than just Ange and the manager. The playing squad simply does not have any real leaders. The leadership team of Son, Romero, and Maddison is flimsy at best, and the players brought in are mostly young and still learning their roles. Thanks to Levy, a culture at Spurs has formed of players luxuriating in comfortable surroundings without any real pressure to win. So it makes sense that they can’t consistently apply themselves every game, when it’s simpler to bedazzle the public with the occasional big, headline-grabbing win against the likes of Villa, City, and Man United.

Spurs fans would be better off focusing their ire on the hierarchy rather than the manager. We’ve seen this script before throughout Levy’s tenure (and the start the multi-decade barren period of silverware). Barring an anomalous 2-3 years under Pochettino—achieved with none of his backing to help get it over the line.

Anon

How can something so wrong feel so right?

‘… what club in this country could you genuinely not be surprised to see lose to Palace, beat City and Villa in two competitions, then drop points to Ipswich only to go and take something off City?’

In my wordy outburst about Spurs last week (OutSpurst? No, that sounds a bit grim) I, in an act of absolutely genius forethought that not a single other human with a knowledge of Tottenham Hotspur football club could have foreseen, noted the above.

Here we are, on 11th November, headed off into the international break having witnessed the unthinkable but totally thinkable. Again.

Now, sure, one could make a case that as yet Spurs haven’t taken something off City and they may yet, not do so, partly because actually there has never been a better time to play the Champions and that will go against the “predictably unpredictable” nature of everyone’s favourite comatose giant but my lord… to beat Villa and City, in the filling of a “two losses to teams who have yet to taste 3 points” sandwich is just. so. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Audere Est Facere? Monimentum Farce, more like – I assume, I don’t speak Latin, despite what my secondary school might have wanted back in the day.

Yet still, this isn’t “funny” to me like it is others, this is genuine tappable entertainment. A club providing the very essence of worth to their supporters week in week out – yes, a truly great ticket to the football comes with a (W), but when you go to the cinema/theatre sometimes the bad guy wins, right?

Long live THFC and COYS/GGTH and the like, and with no hint of deliberate condescension – I actually love your club, lads, you should be proud to be arguably the most productive cast member in the ensemble over the last 30 years of Premiership drama.

To go real big on this, they are highly unlikely to ever be Tony Soprano but my word do they earn their stripes as Paulie Walnuts or Chrissie Moltisanti.

With absolutely love for the chicken on the ball,

Harold Emilio Hooler

P.S – if anyone is wondering, I’d be more than happy to fully cast Sopranos characters as football clubs and yes, Everton are Artie Bucco – if you know, you know.

Well done Spurs; you hit your targets

What a great day for Tottenham Hotspur and Barry Fox. Despite it being the early Sunday kick off following an away day in Europe, despite unattractive opponents and despite there having been a much bigger rugger match the day before in London. Despite all these factors, Spurs recorded their biggest ever matchday revenue, the pints and pies were consumed in their thousands, the hospitality lounges were full and the executive boxes popped more champagne than all the formula one winners combined.

What a fantastic day for the Spurs hierarchy, all their efforts rewarded and dreams coming true,

Apparently there was a football game outside but no one seemed bothered.

Howard (gutted as had them in an LMS comp., hence my ire!) Jones

Waiting for Dr Tottenham

I am waiting with bated breath for the moment Arsenal fans realise who City play next. It’s going to be, as the young say, lit.

Spoiler alert – it will be preceded by 65,000 word missives on here – with diagrams, appendices and maps – about a conspiracy involving Sheikh Mansour, the person in charge of compiling the fixture list and his 24 stay in Abu Dhabi in 2006 when he broke his journey back from seeing his Aunt and Uncle in Melbourne. Apparently, the airport hotel was overbooked and he was put in a rather nice place on the beach, and I ask you, what more do I need to say?

Brace yourselves. You have been warned.

Anyway, as a few of you have noticed, we’re struggling a bit right now so welcome to the Etihad, Dr Tottenham. Good to see you. The patient is through here.

Mark Meadowcroft

Newcastle’s world getting brighter

I thought Nottingham Forest-Newcastle was a great watch. F365’s Steven Chicken suggests that Nuno Espírito Santo was hubristic, and perhaps he’s right. But I admired Forest’s commitment: they were there to play their game at home, and any Mag can respect that.

I very much liked Eddie Howe’s starting lineup today. He kept Sean Longstaff – who is getting more respect right now than he has since he scored his first goal for the club – in the squad, and as the statistics suggest, that always bodes well. The structure was there today, in both attack and defense, but the rotation of personnel was remarkable, particularly for Joelinton, once again among the most effective midfielders in the league as frequently made interventions there while generally remaining a forward outlet. He popped up at right forward late in the match, and it earned him one of the best goals of his career. Joelinton as total footballer: did anybody call that in 2019?

Joe Willock is one of the best players in the squad on and off the ball, and he needs to be on the pitch. He’s a clever crosser, an often-brilliant passer, a fantastic ballcarrier, and he has a shot in him. His understanding with Joelinton is really valuable, as it lets Joe move into positions to either score or destroy. Bruno Guimarães has been really effectively since coming on as a sub against Chelsea in the league Cup. He’d been below his usual standards during our bleak spell, but he’s giving the team exactly what it needs right now. His ability to gain and retain possession, draw fouls, and change the direction of play is exceptional (he’s in the same squad as Anthony Gordon, mind).

Gordon showed his value today despite not appearing on the scoresheet. His speed stretched the field even when he carried the ball out of defense, which he always got back for. Isak was almost uncontrollable for a spell in the second half, when he pulled out to the right side of the attack (and surely we can all recall him being fantastic on the left). His goal was a reminder that he’s also a poacher. Tonali probably hates being on the bench, but the luxury of an impact substitute in midfield is not one every squad has. He was excellent today. The same goes for Harvey Barnes, who evidently only scores goals; he should have had two.

Our defense picks itself right now, and Hall and Livramento were again immaculate at fullback. Those are looking like increasingly important buys; congratulations to Lewis Hall on his England call-up. There have been recent suggestions that Howe was under pressure; I never bought them, and now they seem laughable. United finished the day in 8th, a point (and GD) off 3rd, and Howe is getting a lot out of a squad without an effective right winger right now and shows every sign of adapting just when it seems that opponents might have us figured out.

When Sven Botman gets back, I’d like to see Howe and Paul Mitchell go into the January window with the possibility of a back three in mind. We already sort of do a back three on the regular, as one fullback or another heads forward, and leaning into it a bit might be a good Plan B to have just now. But whatever Howe does plan, I have faith in it. As long as it doesn’t involve 80 million pounds for Marc Guehi. Right wing must come first, and another versatile player would be welcome there, given our newfound fluidity.

Chris C, Toon Army DC

Is there a Villa crisis?

Been away for around a week, so just catching up on a few bits Villa.

Four losses in a row starting with a game in the Carabao Cup Emery clearly wasn’t prioritising; see bringing on Bogarde, Kadan Young, and Jimoh-Aloba when a goal down and chasing the game. Two PL losses away at decent opposition. Sure you’d like something from them, but in patches (1st half vs Spurs and various spells v Liverpool) Villa played fairly decently. They were awful vs Club Brugge and didn’t deserve anything from the game – crazy penalty situation aside. Villa weren’t world beaters when winning four in a row in September, they’re not ‘in crisis’ now.

Whilst I’m here, I just don’t ever want to see a penalty for the Mings incident. I didn’t want it last year for the Gabriel one. I wouldn’t want it in favour of Villa. It just doesn’t warrant a free shot from 12 yards. It’s an absolute brain fade from Mings, and yes, the ref is more than entitled to give it. Maybe even obliged, though seemingly not last season. Appreciate many will disagree. Football is a relatively low scoring sport, I wouldn’t want to win/score because of an incident like that.

There are a few too many players not quite on form; Bailey, McGinn, Watkins… so probably a well timed break for Villa, for once. Still be ruddy dull mind. Look forward to the endless debate on Liverpool, Man Utd, and Arteta being absolutely shit.

Gary AVFC, Oxford

The VARcical epidemic

Fans of all teams have been struck by this seemingly incurable, continuing VAR pandemic, and officials decisions are inconsistent, controversial, and marred by what can only be described as intellectual vacuity and VARcical outcomes., where reasoning, logic, and accountability should reside. Let’s explore ten controversial refereeing decisions that have left fans, pundits, and players questioning the state of Premier League officiating, and why Rugby has got it right.

Liverpool vs. Everton (October 2022): Virgil van Dijk’s challenge on Amadou Onana was missed by the referee and left unpunished by VAR, despite clear evidence of excessive force. This oversight spurred debates about how VAR interprets “clear and obvious errors,”

Manchester United vs. Arsenal (September 2023): Alejandro Garnacho’s last-minute goal was ruled out by VAR for offside, a decision that hinged on the narrowest of margins. The “lines” technology proved subjective, leading many to ask whether the VAR team understood the offside law’s “benefit of the doubt” clause or were instead drawn into hair-splitting.

Newcastle United vs. Crystal Palace (September 2022): Tyrick Mitchell’s own goal was disallowed after VAR deemed Joe Willock had fouled Vicente Guaita, despite replays suggesting Mitchell had shoved Willock into the Palace goalkeeper. The lack of common sense in using replays exposed VAR’s reliance on a myopic view of incidents rather than comprehensive assessment.

Chelsea vs. Tottenham (August 2022): Cristian Romero’s hair-pull on Marc Cucurella went unpunished, directly leading to Tottenham’s last-minute equalizer. VAR failed to intervene, sparking an outcry over what constitutes violent conduct. The FA’s decision to later admit the error highlighted how the intellectual gap in officiating left Chelsea shortchanged.

Wolves vs. Liverpool (January 2023): Wolves’ late winning goal in the FA Cup was ruled out due to an offside, yet VAR couldn’t review the decision due to a camera angle discrepancy. This revealed an alarming technological and intellectual lapse, as basic positioning knowledge would have confirmed Wolves were onside.

Aston Villa vs. Man City (September 2022): Aston Villa’s disallowed goal for a “handball” against Philippe Coutinho left fans scratching their heads. Replays indicated the ball struck Coutinho’s chest, not his hand, and the incident highlighted the intellectual vacancy around subjective interpretations within the handball rule.

Brentford vs. Arsenal (February 2023): VAR failed to draw lines to check offside, allowing Brentford’s equalizer to stand. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) admitted the oversight, revealing a disturbing lack of procedural knowledge and intellectual rigor among officiating bodies.

Brighton vs. Crystal Palace (February 2023): Pervis Estupiñán’s goal was ruled out due to an offside line drawn on the wrong defender. A basic lapse in attention to detail cost Brighton a crucial goal and illustrated the intellectual lethargy afflicting Premier League refereeing.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham (October 2023): Liverpool’s opening goal was chalked off for offside despite visual evidence confirming Luis Díaz was onside. VAR later acknowledged a “human error,” but the decision was irreversible. The oversight pointed to a fundamental flaw in the intellectual rigor underpinning match officiating.

Man United vs. Wolves (August 2023): André Onana’s late-game challenge on Sasa Kalajdzic went unpunished, despite clear contact in the box. Even Wolves manager Gary O’Neil was stunned that VAR didn’t award a penalty. The referees’ lack of courage or intellectual transparency reinforced fans’ belief that Premier League referees lack accountability.

The PGMOL’s (indefensible) defensive stance has only intensified scrutiny, as referees and VAR officials fail to address their shortcomings. At its core, refereeing requires adaptability, consistency, and a sound understanding of the laws and spirit of the game. Yet, the Premier League appears trapped in an intellectual void where decisions feel arbitrary, and referees operate with minimal accountability.

If the Premier League wishes to preserve its global reputation, a radical overhaul of the refereeing framework is overdue. It’s time to demand rigor and transparency from those entrusted with the rules. It’s now time to look towards other sports and embrace their protocols and procedures. Yes egg chasers, I’m looking at you!

Rugby provides quick and concise decision making on the pitch from the TMO (Television Match Official) with clear communication to the watching public, both in the crowd and on TV. The TMO openly communicates with the on-field referee, allowing fans to hear their discussion and follow the reasoning behind every call.

This clarity contrasts sharply with the often opaque, error-prone VAR system in football, where decisions are frequently inconsistent, creating confusion and frustration among fans and players alike.

Rugby’s structured approach emphasizes referee authority, precision, and a collaborative use of technology, minimizing errors and making decisions more reliable and fairer in real time. There are the occasional contentious decisions, for example, when the players are in the way of available camera angles, but 99% of the time it’s the correct decision.

Why wouldn’t PGMOL put mics and cameras on the refs? What are they hiding / scared of?Every single week PGMOL roll out El Presidente, Howerdo Webbez. Every week we are baffled by the explanations given for the ref cartels decision making. ENOUGH !!!

The longer the paying public, have to put up with this amateur, inefficient system… the longer they will continue to question the integrity of this farcical organisation.

Transparency is urgently required, and all the long suffering fans and clubs continue to receive is a big F U from the PGMOL… an organisation that is clearly not fit for purpose and can’t continue. It’s time the clubs came together to demand changes.

Pablo in a red tinted Eutopia, UTFR

Posh chat

Following the inexplicable ignoring of the biggest match in world football, I’m delighted to report a 6-1 thumping by the Posh! I have no doubt this will also be egregiously ignored in Premier League Winners and Losers for some unknown reason.

In Kwame Poku, Posh currently have the most effective forward player in League 1; 10 goals and 5 assists so far indicate that he will surely be moving on to bigger and better things at the end of the season. A very young side, coached by the best manager in his family, provided a wonderful win. A hat trick from Poku being the cherry on top of a lovely cake.

With any luck, this will kickstart the season and propel Posh upwards. Leading scorers, most goals conceded, never a dull moment at London Road.

Dan – one or two statements in the above missive may be somewhat tongue in cheek

Man City FFP corner

So you have no qualms about punishing the players, who have worked hard in their careers to win the trophies, and the fans who have spent, in some cases, as much if not more than they can afford, to support the team? Any punishment should be financial, irrespective of the club’s wealth and/or a points deduction for next season. I’ve supported City since the early 60’s.

The charges don’t justify the punishment you are suggesting ie giving managers extra money, not co-operating with the FA, relatively small increases in sponsorship or investment. It’s unfair when the fact is that money is all coming in to the game if it results in buying players from other clubs. Also, the investment in the club, training facilities, local infrastructure, etc.

Shouldn’t the loathsome Glazers be the ones to punish, those that are draining money out of the game?

Allan

…We all know that any fine levied against City will be nothing to them, but Lee suggested a £3bn fine (to be redistributed around the league. Nice idea, very difficult to actually implement) and that got me thinking: what if the fine was that huge? City would feel that (a bit) but more importantly they’d be in serious breach off FFP and PSR rules for years. Multiple, large points deductions every season until they manage to balance the books.

Could that work as a good punishment? Or would the points deductions be too small to seriously punish them?

Ange Postecoglou has taken responsibility after Tottenham were generous enough to give Ipswich Town their first Premier League win of the season.

Ipswich went into half time 2-0 up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Dominic Solanke had a goal disallowed early on in the second 45.

Rodrigo Bentancur did half the deficit but the match finished 2-1 to Kieran McKenna’s side, who picked up their first win in the Premier League this season in the process.

“Hugely disappointing,” Postecoglou said. “We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. Second half we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game.

“It’s just down to me. I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility.

“We can’t give ourselves those kind of mountains to climb.”

Asked about Ipswich players doing down injured regularly, the Australian said: “It seems to be the way the Premier League is going. Clubs are taking strategic time-outs. We just have to cop it. It’s up to the officials not me.”

Postecoglou is not optimistic he will be able to solve Spurs’ problems over the international break.

“They all go away so there’s nothing I can address in the next 13 days until I get them back,” he said.

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Spurs captain Son Heung-min added: “It’s very disappointing. Before they scored we had a couple of chances. We conceded a very sloppy goal that shouldn’t happen. It’s more than disappointing.

“Sometims you have to be calm and find a better solution if someone is in a better position. We have to be better in those kind of situations. It’s very painful.”

McKenna had a much different reaction to the game. He said: “So proud. It’s been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League.

“The journey to get to here has been a big one. It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We’ve picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish.

“The first half it was everything [you’d want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. A good balance. Moments where we played a a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down.

“A top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn’t give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.

“It was really important [to hang on]. If we’d conceded at the end it would have been a big blow. To get one over the line like that we’ve deserved for quite a few weeks. A big boost for everyone.

“The players are delighted. They know it’s a win to cherish.”

Ipswich striker Liam Delap said: “It means so much. We’ve put in so many great performances and just lacked that final bit. The performance was terrific. This is a horrible place to come. We couldn’t be happier.

“The manager is so good. He helps us every week. We’ve shown today we can stick to that [plan].

“We knew we had to start fast. It’s a tough place to come. We deserved the goals in the first half. It’s such a tough league.”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘in touch’ with Jack Grealish’s representatives as they look to prize him away from Manchester City.

Man City invested around £100m to sign England international Grealish from Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the 2021 summer transfer window.

Grealish endured a difficult debut season, but he shone for Man City during the 2022/23 campaign as Pep Guardiola’s side won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

Despite this, the winger has endured a rough 18 months as he has been negatively impacted by the arrivals of Jeremy Doku and Savinho.

Grealish – who is without a goal in his seven Premier League appearances this season – has also struggled with injuries and is being linked with an exit.

READ: Premier League benchwarmers who deserve a chance: (Nearly) one per club

Earlier this week, a report claimed Man City are ready to sell Grealish and ‘sign a big name’ replacement. Former Man Utd scout Mick Brown expects the Premier League holders to sell him next year.

“I’m not sure about Jack Grealish,” Brown said. “He’s been in and out of the team again this season and he’s not a regular feature there.

“They’re happy with what Doku and Savinho bring to the side.

“I’ve heard City could look to sign a big-name winger as they feel the squad could be strengthened in that position – that would be for next summer. But then where does Grealish fit in the squad? He’d be facing even fewer starts.

“I think, if they do sign a new option, they could look to move him out to make space. They might want to make some money back on him. He’s on big wages as well so that would free up some of the budget.

“I’m sure it’s something he’d be open to as well because he wants to play football – I know Jack from his time at Villa and he’s always wanted to play regular games.”

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A new report from Football Transfers claims Spurs sporting director Johan Lange have been ‘in touch with Grealish’s representatives over a possible move’.

Lange’s positive relationship with Grealish could reportedly help Tottenham after they came ‘very close’ to signing the experienced winger in the summer.

‘The club’s sporting director Johan Lange came very close to signing the winger over the summer, we are told, and now the club are back speaking to Grealish’s representatives to discuss his current situation, and a potential move to Spurs.

‘It’s our understanding that Lange was instrumental in the €117.5 million transfer that took Grealish to Manchester City during his time as sporting director of Aston Villa. The winger remained especially appreciative of how Lange handled that move, helping it go as smoothly as possible, and the pair have maintained a good relationship since.

‘With Spurs looking to bring in competition for Son Heung-min and James Maddison in the January window and Grealish is considered as a versatile option who could strengthen both positions, potentially saving the club money.

‘Grealish had spoken with Spurs over a move during the summer window, but ultimately he wanted to fight for his spot in City’s starting XI. At the time, there was also a £3 million gap in wages between Daniel Levy and the attacker.’

Ange Postecoglou has no fresh injury problems ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash against Ipswich Town on Sunday.

Spurs host Kieran McKenna’s men on Sunday afternoon after losing 3-2 at Galatasaray in the Europa League.

Postecoglou says his players were “unscathed” and is hopeful Cristian Romero can return, while Mikey Moore and Timo Werner are out.

“Last night, I think everyone got through it unscathed. So everyone from last night should be ready to go.

“Cristian, we’ll see how he goes in the next couple of days. The idea is to try and get him out there and train, he’s pretty keen to. He has a chance for the weekend.

“Mikey is probably still not right for the weekend and probably Timo as well. It’s only really Cristian who could potentially be back.”

Micky van de Ven remains out with a hamstring issue. Postecoglou added: “It will be after the international break. When after it will be dictated by his progress during that time.

“The end of the international break is probably about four weeks. It’ll be some time after that. When exactly we’ll have to see.”

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Another injury worry is captain Heung-min Son, who Postecoglou does not want to suffer another “relapse”.

“He had the injury, we brought him back and in the first game back he had a relapse,” the Australian head coach said.

“We don’t want to put him into that cycle, it’s very easy to fall into it by pushing players particularly when they’re coming back from injury. We’re managing his minutes and building him up.

“It’s about making sure we get him back and keep him back. We can’t afford more injuries in that position.

“We’ve already got Wilson [Odobert] with a long-term injury, [Richarlison] with a long-term injury, Mikey [van de Ven] out now.”

Ipswich and Wolves are the only winless teams in the Premier League this season but Postecoglou will not take Sunday’s fixture for granted.

“Every league game has the potential to hurt you if you’re not at your best,” he said. “Ipswich will be no different. They were close last week [to winning] and they’ve been close in a number of games.

“Kieran McKenna has done an unbelievable job since he’s been there and they continue to grow. The fact he’s got them competitive and they’ve been competitive in just about every game this year is a credit to him and his players.

“We’re expecting a tough one like we do every week. Our form at home has been pretty strong this year and we want to continue that.”

Big Ange believes his team have been playing “pretty good” so far this season despite “a couple of stumbles”.

“We still have a hell of a long way to go,” the former Celtic manager said. “What’s important for us is to keep progressing in the way we have been. Our football for the large part has been pretty consistent, pretty good.

“We’ve had a couple of stumbles along the way but within that context, I still think we’re making progress.

“There’s no point looking at the table now because ultimately it’s where you are at the end of the end of the season that’s going to count.”

Ange Postecoglou blamed Will Lankshear’s red card on “overenthusiasm” on a memorable night for the 19-year-old against Galatasaray.

Lankshear became Tottenham’s youngest scorer in a major European competition since Harry Kane scored against Shamrock Rovers in the 2011/12 Europa League.

On a night to remember, the teenager got sent off after receiving two yellow cards, becoming the third youngest player in Europa League history to score and be shown a red card in the same game.

After the 3-2 defeat at Galatasaray, Spurs boss Postecoglou said his red card came from “overenthusiasm” but the youngster will “learn from that”.

“Will took his goal well, he worked hard for the team,” Big Ange said.

“Obviously he hasn’t had a lot of experience at senior football so he would have learnt a lot today.

“The red card, it was a bit of overenthusiasm in that moment to give away a foul, but he’ll learn from that.”

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On putting three teenagers in starting XI, Postecoglou added: “The same with Lucas [Bergvall]. Giving him an understanding of the levels here, it is not easy when you are playing away in Europe.

“You can only allow them to learn that by exposing them to it.

“I thought Archie [Gray] was great. It was a tough game for us defensively at different times but I think we’ll get so much growth out of him because he’s not playing in his position.

“I guess for three teenagers in the starting line-up, I think they’ll learn a lot from it and hopefully it helps with their development.”

It was a chastening evening for Spurs centre-back Radu Dragusin, who was caught out several times in the first half, though he did make a few crucial interventions in the second 45.

While he was to blame for the creation of several Galatasaray scoring opportunities, Dragusin was not solely to blame for the constant bombardment of Fraser Forster’s goal.

After the 36-year-old was forced to make five saves, four of which came from shots inside the penalty area, and Postecoglou believes Gala’s freedom in attack “was self-inflicted”.

“It was self-inflicted,” Postecoglou said. “The moments that stick out to me was giving the ball away.

“In the first half we gave the ball away too much.

“We lacked composure and we allowed Galatasaray to get a foothold in the game and we paid the price for that.”

We don’t do it often, but sometimes it’s nice to be nice. And Nuno Espirito Santo’s comeback arc is nice, isn’t it?

Whatever happens from here with Nottingham Forest – and let’s be entirely honest here it is still quite unlikely to be ‘third place with Chris Wood the second most deadly striker in the league’ – the damage done to his reputation in English football in a few silly months at the country’s silliest football club has been significantly repaired.

And that’s a good and just thing. Nuno was a brilliant manager for a really quite extended period of time at Wolves, whose fans still adore the time they spent together, but the nature of football in this country and human nature in general meant a very real danger that his name here would far more readily bring to mind those miserable weeks at Tottenham.

READ: Spurs, Man City but not Leicester among top 10 Forest-a-like surprise Premier League bolters

A combination of big-club and recency bias and the simple fact that catastrophe so often lives longer in the mind than triumph could have done for him. When he rocked up next in Saudi Arabia the fear was that here was a good manager ruined. Sure, he wasn’t going to go broke, but here was a manager not yet 50 of proven talents apparently heading for the irrelevance of a walk-on part in the unwatched and unloved Cristiano Ronaldo Retirement Tour.

It never felt right, it never felt fair. He clearly wasn’t the right choice for Spurs. It was never going to work even if he’d been their first choice rather than roughly seventh after everyone else had said “LOL no” and Spurs fans themselves had kiboshed the idea of Gennaro ‘Sometimes Maybe Sh*t’ Gattuso.

It wasn’t Nuno’s fault that Spurs made such a complete bollocks of that manager search. And nobody could really blame him for taking a job that could very much have looked to him at that time as a logical next step up the ladder. He would, like so many others before him, soon discover that logic and Tottenham rarely make for easy bedfellows.

He walked into a mess at Spurs, with the protracted Kane-to-City story dominating all other talk. That move never happened, of course, but it clearly affected preparations. Nuno then carelessly won his first three games – including a Kane-less success over City on the opening day – to stumble blindly into the Manager of the Month curse.

That was his one real error at Spurs. Clearly there was no way back from there. As well as a stumbling start to the Europa Conference, Nuno’s Spurs lost five of the next seven league games culminating in a 3-0 El Sackico defeat to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United.

There is no need for hagiography here. Nuno was the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time. Those three 1-0 wins that began the season were precisely as illusory as you could imagine three 1-0 wins might be. There was no scandal or unfairness in Spurs realising that error and seeking to make swift amends, but that doesn’t mean the speed with which Antonio Conte was appointed as his replacement the day after his sacking didn’t leave a sour taste.

Nuno was set up to fail at Spurs and duly did. Life being what it is, the almost 200 games’ worth of stellar service to Wolves was in real danger of being lost to the general football fan in the noise of four stupid months at Spurs.

Making that next move to Saudi Arabia quietened the noise but was never going to restore a damaged reputation. For what it’s worth – which is two-fifths of f*** all – Nuno did pretty well with Al-Ittihad. Even won a league title, despite that interesting almost nobody and impressing even fewer.

Nottingham Forest are also a very silly football club, with an owner who is quite possibly a psychopath. Jumping back into the Premier League with yet another very silly club to replace the beloved Steve Cooper and fight a relegation battle was a bold choice from Nuno. Had it gone wrong, it would have surely been his last dance in English football.

It was also a slightly left-field pick for Forest. But hasn’t it turned out marvellously.

We’re loathe to give Forest too much credit. It’s terribly unfair, but just like their many successful player transfers in the last 18 months there’s just too much sense of fluke among the chaos at that club. Of flinging shit at the wall and seeing what sticks, and surprising even themselves when a lot happens to stick in really quite pleasing patterns.

But a club whose last two permanent managerial appointments have been Cooper and Nuno surely can’t quite be as insane as it appears from the outside. Let’s just not look too much further back in that manager appointment history, yeah?

They really have nailed it with Nuno, though, and deserve praise for seeing beyond the bad fit at Spurs and seeing the perfect fit at Wolves, a club he got promoted into the Premier League and then established firmly in the top half. Forest, for all their nonsense, were a lot more Wolves than Spurs.

Having weathered a points deduction to keep them up handily enough, Nuno has kicked Forest on in a way absolutely nobody predicted. He has, in what is still a really short space of time, found order in the chaos of that Forest squad. What had looked like a random hotch-potch selection of players bought primarily because they could be bought has, under Nuno’s careful guidance, turned into one of the most coherent and straightforward teams in the Premier League.

It can sound like damning with faint praise to say Forest are a simple, straightforward team. But simple and straightforward outcomes for a team really just mean that everyone knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing and is capable of doing it. There is an incalculable amount of work that goes into making a football team look like what it’s doing is obvious and straightforward.

If it were actually as obvious and straightforward as Forest make their unapologetically Wood-focused strategy appear, then everyone would do it, wouldn’t they? And they don’t, because it isn’t.

And anyway, making anything look straightforward at Forest is pretty much as impressive as doing it at Spurs.

Spurs were not the one, but in Forest Nuno appears to have found the freak for him and you’d need a heart of stone not to be pleased for him.

Spurs fans say that Spurs deserve loads more credit for moving into seventh, while we also have views on Arsenal and Man Utd.

Send your thoughts on all subjects to theeditor@football365.com

Give some credit to Spurs and ‘elite’ Ange management

Since Matt and the #lads and Sarah at F365 didn’t put Spurs in the winners section once again, instead of moaning about it, here you go:

Winners: Ange Postecoglou and Spurs

After suffering a deeply scarring and morale-sapping loss away to Crystal Palace last Sunday, the stage was set for more pressure to be piled on useless, fat George Michael lookalike Ange Postecoglou and his peak Spursy Spurs side whose form has been more up and down than James Corden’s cholesterol.

Facing them were two potentially season defining games against “top, top quality opposition” (to quote Harry Redknapp) within the space of the week. Lose both, and Spurs would’ve been out of the one competition they can most realistically win, and cut adrift to 4th in the table by 8 points.

First up was an old-fashioned knockout tie under the lights against Manchester City in the League Cup, a game that felt particularly significant for a club embroiled in a existential trophy drought and having come off the back of a quite dreadful performance at Selhurst Park.

Ange duly obliged by selecting his strongest team available, watching his side successfully manage an early 2 goal lead to make it through to the quarter final (despite an early injury to talismanic defender Micky Van De Ven and no Heung Min Son to customary slay City).

But with top table challengers Villa to come just 4 days later, the question come Sunday kick off was: at what cost? Villa had chosen to rest key players midweek (and were duly despatched by a resurgent Palace provided life saving CPR by Dr Tottenham – you’re welcome), and arrived in North London with a fully fit squad and unbeaten away record.

Throw in the momentum of an extraordinarily strong start in the Champions League, victory in their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Unai Emery, and Spurs’ topsy turvy season so far, you’d be forgiven for thinking the omens didn’t look good for Ange’s Spurs.

This sense that a Villa victory was inevitable given the circumstances was then only heightened in a first half where Spurs looked – unsurprisingly – lethargic and fatigued from Thursday. Then in the 32nd minute, Spurs exhibited a mental fragility which has had the doubters rubbing their hands with glee all season.

A Villa corner, obligingly scored as the result of a defence seemingly incapable of exerting any real protection around a visibly uneasy Vicario, leading to a Keystone Kops style goalmouth scramble with the Italian flapping at the ball, bouncing off a Bentancur’s head back towards the goal line and being tapped home by Morgan Rogers. 1-0 to Unai’s Villa, who appeared to have Spurs’ number. Ignore the fact that was only the 2nd goal Spurs have conceded off a set piece this season: the narrative after last season has already been set.

Football writers around the land sharpened their pencils at half time, duly ready to regurgitate all the same narratives about Ange having no plan B, typical Spursy Spurs, bottling it when it matters.

What followed after half time can only be described as elite management. First, whatever words were said in the changing room, Spurs players came back on the pitch visibily re-energised and focused. A few minutes later, it was 1-1 from a un-defendable cross from captain Son who stopped trying to cut inside like he was doing in the first half and was likely told to be more direct when space opened up.

Second, what then ensued seemed at first to be a nonsensical, potentially suicidal decision from Ange to take off Son and Bentancur, for Richarlison and Bissouma. Less than 15 minutes later, Spurs were 3-1 up, including an assist from Richarlison. The additional fresh legs in midfield and direct physical running down the left bamboozled Villa, allowing Spurs to continue to press high and force turnovers, leading to both the game-defining goals. Scored by a striker willing to cover ever blade of grass for his team and his manager.

Greg Linton

…Long-time reader of at least 20 years. I used to love to pour over the site, the interviews, the articles, the Neville Diaries, Look Alikes. Informative and funny.

The articles and match reports were insightful, articulate, mature. Serious and talented football journalists who could make me laugh.

The quality of writing has sadly dropped significantly, and there is barely an original article or match report worth reading

It’s become a series of knee jerk lists with clear bias and narratives. The fascination with manager sack lists for example is childish at best, malevolent at worst. I honestly think it’s an attempt to create traction to get someone sacked. Gutter journalism to hide a lack of talent.

Not a Spurs fan, but an Australian. Last season Ange was a breath of fresh air. This season he’s lucky to be in a job. Apparently. 9 wins out of 11. 2 big come from behind wins in 3 games. When they lose the other side were excellent, their manager talented, but when Spurs win the focus is on how poor the opponent was, how the manager f***ed up. Zero credit for the Spurs manager or the team. Doesn’t fit the latest narrative.

Two thumping 4-1 wins, one against the darling Villa and much vaunted manager. Neither result got the team or manager in the Winners side of Winners and Losers! Lose and its straight into the Losers and up the sack rankings.

Shockingly poor journalism. There is a clear bias. At least acknowledge that.

Bring back the quality writing and the humour. It used to be an hilarious read. Now it’s “You’ll never guess which 6 Real Madrid players are still playing”. Such a fall from grace.

Lift your game you f**kers.

Fadida, Australia

PS. Apparently you only print what you receive. You’ve received this.

(We did indeed. And we remain amused after decades that people expect Winners and Losers to be a list of the teams that win and lost over the weekend. What you are looking for there is a list of results. We literally described Tottenham as having ‘very possibly the most rounded midfield department the Premier League can currently offer’ – Ed)

Timing is on Tottenham’s side

The history of the Premier League has been littered with fortunate pieces of timing. Alex Ferguson joining Man Utd just before the formation of the Premier League, Abramovic buying Chelsea just as the so called Invincibles were being broken up, Pep joining City after Ferguson retired etc. Each of these convenient pieces of timing led to a period of domination for the clubs in question. I mention this because I feel that timing could be on Spurs’ side over the next five to ten years.

As we all know, Pep’s contract at City is set to expire at the end of the 24/25 season, and he’d only be willing to extend for one extra year if he does stay in at all. So if for some reason City are not relegated from the Premier League over their rampant cheating, their domination is only guaranteed for another season or so, leaving the door open for another club to step in and dominate. Spurs are in a better position than anybody to be that club.

Firstly, we have the infrastructure. The fact that we have the highest matchday revenues in Europe is well documented by now, and the building of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium has guaranteed we will remain a financial powerhouse for the foreseeable future.

Secondly, we have the manager. As I explained in my recent mail, a team does not sit at the top of the XGF table if it isn’t heading in the right direction, and we are playing some of the most exciting football in Europe. The recent wins over City and Villa show we are starting to turn that domination into results.

Thirdly, we have the squad. Romero, Van De Ven, Udogie, Vicario, Bentancur, Kulusevski, Porro are all set to hit their primes in the coming years.

I believe Big Ange and Daniel have spotted this opportunity too, and this is why they’ve invested so heavily in youth. The likes of Johnson, Bergvall, Gray and Oderbert have all been signed with an eye on the future. All highly talented players who will be fully fledged first teamers by the time Pep leaves.

Another factor to consider is our rivals. Arsenal have already peaked under Arteta, and Edu is leaving. They got their timing ever so slightly wrong. Same goes for Liverpool, who unfortunately timed the appointment of Klopp with Pep’s era of dominance with City. Man Utd are the banter club that keeps on giving, and Chelsea remain a mess with FFP punishments surely on the horizon.

Us Spurs fans have waited very patiently for an opportunity like this. Timing might finally be on our side.

Barry Fox

What are Spurs?

Tottenham. What a club, eh?

Thing is, I often get called a Gooner around these parts but genuinely, if anything, when it comes to the elite game in this country I am a North London supporter. Not really of course, that statement is stupid beyond all recognition but the fact is, Spurs are a club I actually love in so many ways – their fans are contradictorily some of the most entitled and self-deprecating all at once, they have often (even at their worst) played entertaining football and (showing a bit of Gooner love here too) they are one half of what I genuinely believe to be, pound-for-pound, the best rivalry in world football.

A derby that always entertains, aggro enough that there’s genuine spice, but not so aggro that lives are in danger. Perfect.

However I am at a loss, where are Tottenham, right now? Really?

In their Sophomore season with Ange Postecoglou, they remain as blissfully inconsistent as they ever have – yet when I watch them, they feel really good. Like, “actually could win a trophy, maybe even two” good? Yet merely a week ago they lost to Palace – a team that hadn’t so much as sniffed three points in 3 months.

I hear the comments on Vicario on Sky Sports, but honestly, that feels like narrative to me and he remains an exciting keeper with a weakness that sometimes gets exposed, just like many keepers in the league, their back 4 have “could individually all play for Champions League contenders” written all over them. When they are on it, they have one of the most resilient AND creative midfields in the league (I’d imagine Liverpool and Arsenal -if not necessarily jealous of the individual players -wouldn’t sniff at their depth in that area) and when Richarlison is the weakest of your forward line, you have a pretty stacked forward line.

Rewind 18 months, and the jury was out on Ange Postecoglou and whether he was the right appointment but would any Spurs fan have sniffed at 6th in November of his 2nd season, with a very real possibility of being in the Champions League conversation come the end of the season – playing exciting football and making a quarter final of a league cup that is genuinely winnable for them?

However, the nagging feeling that they could drop points at home to Ipswich prevails and honestly, that in itself is wonderful… what club in this country could you genuinely not be surprised to see lose to Palace, beat City and Villa in two competitions, then drop points to Ipswich only to go and take something off City?

I can see this Tottenham doing something, y’know… but, much like their cross-town rivals, it requires a spark of resilience and luck to strike at the same time and, you know what, I hope it happens.

Harold Ebenezer Hooler Esq.

(While we’re at it “North London Forever” being sung by your home crowd – when you quite famously haven’t been North London Forever is either blissfully ignorant or a beautiful bit of trolling)

A little Arsenal perspective…

Cards on the table, I’m an Arsenal fan… Sorry…

With that being said:

The Premier League, since it’s inception in the 92-93 season, has been won by a grand total of 11 managers.

Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 of them. Out of 32

So another way of saying it is, “Out of 32 seasons, 19 of them have been won by 10 managers.”

Señor Pep Guardiola won 6 of those.

So another way of saying it is, “Out of 32 seasons, 13 of them have been won by 9 managers.”

Monsieur Arsene Wenger and Senhor José Mourinho each won three of those.

So another way of saying it is, “Out of 32 seasons, 25 of them were won by the 4 best managers the league has ever seen, the other 7 were won by the next 7 best.”

Mourinho and Wenger were, if you like, the most average ‘best managers ever,’ SAF (hugely) and Pep are above average, the rest, Signori Conte, Ancelotti, Ranieri, Herr Klopp, Mr Dalglish and Señores Pellegrini y Mancini are a little below average.

Obviously there are mitigating factors in any emotional argument about who did the best job, but those are the numbers.

Over the last few weeks I’ve heard a lot of mierda being spoken about Señor Mikel Arteta Amatriain. A man less than two years older than me, who’s managed to make Arsenal Arsenal again, in less than 5 years, and keep his first (management) job that whole time.

I manage a burger shop for a mate of mine. It’s a pain in my butt. Like five people in a small tourist town, so much hassle on a daily basis. I could not imagine how much work goes in to managing any professional fútbol club, let alone one the size of Arsenal. The stress any of these guys must go through!

All of this is a long way of saying that I don’t know if Miki is gonna add his name to that pretty prestigious list and become number twelve. Maybe it’s a fight too much for him.

But…

I remember, a few years ago, after 3 games played that season, 0 points and 0 goals for Arsenal, a certain notorious Norf London Gooner saying he hopes Lucas Torreira outlasted Arteta.

I remember, after any semi big game that Arsenal managed to lose, a certain notorious cartoon baby, making semi reasonable points as if he was the first and only person to think them, in the most childish manner possible.

I remember, after utd were linked with Rice, some nameless fan asking if he was really that much better than McTominay.

(I also remember me saying Saka was overrated and would leave Arsenal because ESR would outshine him, none of us are perfect…)

In all that time, AM has transformed Arsenal from a team successively finishing 8th to the most consistent (currently) challenger to the Second Best Manager Our LeagueTM Has Ever Seen.

I don’t care whether he’s the “heir apparent” or Mourinho-lite, I trusted the process in 2021, I think we’re in a much better place now than we were then. Whether or not he ever wins the league, I thank Mikel (and the departing Edu,) for that. The worst you can say is it would be an a lot more attractive place job for top managers if/when he leaves than it was when he took it.

Andy, Guatemala

(Basically, winning the EPL is really tough, especially in the times of Fergie and Pep. Not managing it doesn’t make you shit.)

Are Arsenal fans about to hit reverse?

So if Arsenal fail to beat Chelsea (let alone Forest), and are forced to focus on the much maligned cups this year, just how loud will the reversing beeps on the comments of the last 4 months be?

I say give Arteta an extension. He’s doing a great job.

Badwolf

…Oh dear. It looks like Arsenal are reverting to their post-2004 mean – a top four side that occasionally challenges for the title, may win an FA Cup every so often and is constantly promising jam tomorrow (Wenger’s Youth Project, the Carling Cup wonderkids, the British Core, “wait until FFP kicks in”, “wait until Abramovitch gets bored”, “wait until the stadiums is paid off”, “wait until the next phase” etc, etc, etczzzz).

Just because Arsenal have come close, it doesn’t automatically mean they will go on and win the title this season. Football doesn’t work in a vacuum where you get better and everyone else doesn’t. If it did, Newcastle would have won the league in 1998 and Spurs would have won it 2018.

Matthew

Did Man Utd target a three-at-the-back boss?

I’ve seen conflicting entries to the mailbox over the past week referencing the United’s squad suitability for Amorim’s 3-4-3. We’re either ideally suited or the most 4-2-3-1 team in history. Added to this we’ve had a few interesting takes amounting to ‘only Conte plays three at the back and he’s a dinosaur’.

For what its worth playing with three centre-backs isn’t that uncommon outside of the Premier League.

In terms of recent success we can look to Germany as Alonso guided Leverkusen to an invincible season and Bundesliga title using a 3-4-3 strategy very similar to what Amorim has been playing at Sporting. Beyond those who explicitly play three centre backs many teams use similar strategies whilst attacking. It’s fairly routine to see a team playing a back four push one full back high and keep one back, or both fullbacks high with a deep sitting mid to support the centre backs, both of which effectively create similar structures in possession.

What now seems possible is that this formation, or rather the strategy and philosophy behind it, are what United have targeted in their manager search, not Amorim specifically. It’s been widely reported how United made discreet enquiries with other managers since the INEOS takeover.

As mentioned above Alonso plays three at the back but turned United down seemingly waiting for Ancelotti or Pep to move on, Tuchel too turned United down and has had success in this formation. The long time bookies’ favourite for the United job Gareth Southgate had a great time with England in a more conservative 3-4-3 which was in part orchestrated by Dan Ashworth who seems quite enamoured with this style of play. This isn’t a coincidence, they have been looking for a certain style of play instead of a certain type of man.

This is a positive approach and something which United have sorely lacked. Having a club centric ethos is much better than the pillar to post method of getting whoever is available and restructuring the club around them. The primary reason for United’s wasteful spending over the last ten years was the ignorant belief that a manager knows best and success is achieved by giving that manager whatever they want. Choosing a playing style that will remain consistent then recruiting players and coaches who fit saves so much upheaval and allows the long term stability necessary to achieve long term success.

If Amorim is the one to achieve that success remains to be seen but his successor will likely be quite similar in style and any players signed for Ruben will have to be dynamic enough to be effective for his replacement.

Dave, Manchester

MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365

👉 Good luck Ruben Amorim; three Man Utd players in 10 worst finishers list

👉 Man Utd must ‘get rid’ of four non-pressers as Mikel Arteta defended

👉 Ruben Amorim takes the Sporting high ground for Man Utd as shameful Gary Cotterill deserves the ‘cold shoulder’

Amorim BS already

There’s already a fair bit of BS being written about United under Amorim and he doesn’t even start for a week. Allow me to retort:

Bruno Fernandes – the man most people like to accuse – was in the upper echelons of Premier League players in terms of distance covered last season.

Dalot is also a fairly athletic player.

Luke Shaw’s problem is not that he doesn’t run but that he’s physically incapable of it usually because he’s injured. I’ll give you Rashford and United were very mid-table for distance covered last season. But Burnley and Everton were near the top of that table so it’s not as simple as saying United will need to run more to move up the table. Can’t hurt though.

Instead I think the focus should be on defensive discipline. Rashford probably can run and will likely try harder for the new manager. But is he disciplined enough to do what the manager wants? And Bruno runs around a lot but is he an effective presser?

He may well have some input but he doesn’t have a veto or the final say. And a manager with such a reputation for improving players should not be relying on bringing in those players to new clubs. See how Arne Slit has Liverpool playing his style of football without signing additional players or bringing in any of his former players. Pep didn’t raid Bayern or Barca when he went to City. If United do sign Sporting players then they must fit the club’s future and not just Amorim’s.

Nottingham Forest find themselves third in the Premier League table after 10 games having already secured a win at Anfield while suffering only a City-and-Liverpool-matching solitary defeat of their own in racking up 19 points.

It all gives the league a pleasingly mid-90s vibe and suggests maybe Yer Da was right to stubbornly keep Forest in his ‘ideal proper Premier League line-up’ all through those long, difficult wilderness years. He’s still wrong about Sheffield Wednesday, though.

Makes you think, though, doesn’t it? What other teams have found themselves in an unexpectedly lofty position after 10 games of a Premier League season? Here are 10 of the very best.

After 10 games: 3rd, 19 points

Always worth remembering that the Big Six is a relatively recent phenomenon even by Premier League timeframes. Back in the distant, misty, far-off time of 2002/03, Spurs were actual for-real rubbish instead of the slightly more rarefied rubbish we’ve come to know and love over the last decade or so.

At that time, Spurs had never finished higher than seventh in the Premier League and hadn’t even managed that for seven years. Their most recent seasons had ended in 10th, 14th, 11th, 10th, 12th and ninth. They were proper mid-table slop.

In truth, the cracks appeared as early as game five because Spurs gonna Spurs. Having picked up 10 points from the first four games, Spurs were 2-0 up at Fulham midway through the second half and on course to really make a statement. Twenty-five minutes later they had, with Spursy inevitability, lost 3-2. But they still rallied to win three of their next five games and sit in what was then an incongruously lofty third spot.

What happened next? The team that had finished 10th, 14th, 11th, 10th, 12th and ninth in its previous six seasons reverted entirely to type and slumped back to a 10th-place finish which was at the time very much where they belonged. They won only three Premier League games after January.

After 10 games: 2nd, 22 points

Southampton were at this time one of the most consistently fascinating teams in English football, with interesting coaches highlighting the talents of an array of exciting footballers only most of whom would end up at Liverpool.

Having finished a highly respectable eighth in 2013/14 it was perhaps not a total surprise to seem them start the 2014/15 season in such fine style, but they had lost Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs after just that one full season as manager as well as Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers.

A bit of transition under new manager Ronald Koeman appeared the best that could realistically be expected, especially after defeat on the opening day at Liverpool. Yet their only other defeat in the opening 12 games would come – gallingly, admittedly – at Pochettino’s Spurs.

In all, the Saints won eight of their first 11 games – taking a particular liking to visitors from the north east; Newcastle were beaten 4-0 and Sunderland 8-0 to leave Southampton behind only eventual champions Chelsea at the 10-game stage.

What happened next? Four straight defeats in late November and early December ended any unlikely title talk, but they didn’t disappear altogether.

A festive run of five wins in six lifted them briefly back to third and while the second half of the season proved tougher than the first they held on for a seventh-place finish and with it European football.

After 10 games: 3rd, 20 points

Of course, we all know who the surprise package were in that memorable 2015/16 season. It was of course… wait, what? West Ham? Yes, West Ham. Pay attention. In a way it’s strangely fitting that the most off-kilter Premier League season doesn’t even throw up the obvious 10-game bolter.

Leicester at that time were merely fifth, with Spurs, the other team in that infamous two-horse race, a couple of points behind them in sixth. Man City and Arsenal were at that time the really quite dreary leaders on 22 points apiece with West Ham – fresh from a 12th-place finish the season before – the team at that time appearing best placed to do something improbable just two points behind.

Change was in the air at West Ham. Slaven Bilic had replaced Sam Allardyce in the dug-out, Mark Noble had completed the most seamless of captaincy transitions from Kevin Nolan, while it was the final ever season at what everyone agreed we would all weirdly pretend they had always been known as the Boleyn Ground.

The Hammers notched some significant scalps in those early games, with wins over Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, Man City and Chelsea as well as defeats to Bournemouth and – more portentously than might have been imagined when it happened on August 15 – Leicester.

What happened next? West Ham won none of their next eight games, slipping from a high of second all the way down to tenth and out of the weirdest title race in modern history.

They lost only two of those eight games – at Watford and Spurs – but a run of three straight goalless draws in December was undeniably a bit of a buzzkill.

And it would be draws that cost them in the end. Fourteen of them in all meaning the Hammers could rally as high as only seventh despite losing only eight games all season. That was fewer defeats than City, United and Southampton directly above them in a Premier League table that had weirdness from top to bottom; Chelsea were famously tenth, Newcastle and Aston Villa were relegated.

West Ham in seventh doesn’t seem that incongruous in comparison, but they certainly played their part in contributing to the season’s overall bizarro world vibe.

After 10 games: 3rd, 22 points

Another one that requires us to forget current Premier League realities and cast our minds back to a dim and distant past. At the start of 2011 were within a handful of years either way of painful relegations, in 2009 and again in 2016. In the two seasons either side of 2011/12 they finished 12th and 16th. The current iteration of Newcastle may not quite be the one either the fans or new owners quite had in mind a couple of years ago, but it’s still a world away from one of which nothing much was expected at all in just their second season post-promotion.

Yet there they were, riding high in the top three and unbeaten after six wins and four draws in their first 10 games having won only two of their last 10 the previous season.

What happened next? As seems to be the case with a lot of these, it quickly went quite badly wrong before a significant rally. A run of four defeats in six winless games sent them tumbling down to seventh, but they would sink no lower.

They made a weird start to 2012 in which they picked up four wins in six games while losing the other two 5-2 and 5-0 at Fulham and Spurs, but with January signing Papiss Cisse making a fine start to life on Tyneside they won seven out of eight to remain right in the Champions League equation. The other game in that run was, of course, a 4-0 defeat at Wigan.

They finished fifth in the end, four points behind Spurs who were themselves memorably booted out of the Champions League by the antics of sixth-placed Chelsea.

After 10 games: 2nd, 22 points

Charlton in the mid-noughties were a solid-enough mid-table team under Alan Curbishley and had finished 11th the previous season so this wasn’t entirely out of the blue but nobody was seriously predicting this kind of caper from them.

Darren Bent, plucked from Championship Ipswich, was the catalyst, scoring five goals in his first four Premier League games for the Addicks, all of which ended in victory.

What happened next? A rapid falling off, alas. The seven wins in those giddy first 10 games would end up accounting for more than half Charlton’s season-long total as they failed in the end to match even the previous season’s 11th place, fading all the way to 13th in what would prove to be Curbishley’s final season at The Valley.

After 10 games: 4th, 22 points

What would now constitute a worrying start for the perennial champions was barely 15 years ago the stuff of dreams. City had finished 15th and 14th in the two previous seasons but started the 2007/08 campaign brilliantly under new owner Thaksin Shinawatra and manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

They were top of the table after a matchday-three Manchester derby win and recovered from a pair of 1-0 defeats at Arsenal and Blackburn to win four of the next five and clamber back into the top four.

What happened next? The very next game was a 6-0 defeat at Chelsea, but the true tailing off came in the new year. After beating Newcastle on January 2, City managed only four more wins in their remaining 17 games. Defeats in their last three games of the season – culminating in an 8-1 humbling at Middlesbrough – left City down in ninth when the music stopped.

It is a league table that now looks like something from an entirely different world, with the old Big Four duly filling the top four spots but City below Everton, Blackburn and Portsmouth with Spurs two places further back.

READ: Celebrating Sven-Goran Eriksson and the greatest football quote ever

After 10 games: 4th, 19 points

The 2003/04 season was Birmingham’s second in the Premier League, with consolidation the name of the game after a late rally had lifted them clear of relegation trouble and up to 13th in the end. The seven wins Birmingham managed in their final 11 games of 2002/03 proved a decent guide for what would transpire at the start of the following season.

Braced for another relegation battle, Steve Bruce’s side instead put paid to such talk almost instantly. They beat Tottenham on the opening day and by the end of September were proudly unbeaten with four wins and a couple of draws from their opening six games. An understandable if heavy defeat at Old Trafford put paid to the unbeaten start but draws against Chelsea and Villa steadied the ship before another win over Bolton.

What happened next? Birmingham lost four of the next five to drop out of the top four and back into mid-table. A chastening 4-1 defeat at Spurs in January 2004 was a sixth defeat in nine and dropped them all the way down to 10th.

They rallied again after that, though, embarking on an eight-match unbeaten run that lifted them all the way back to fifth by March only to run out of steam altogether on the final straight. They didn’t win a single game in April or May and duly finished the year where they had started it back in 10th.

After 10 games: 4th, 20 points

Sunderland’s previous attempt at Premier League football had ended in relegation in 1997 despite meeting the accepted 40-point target for survival. The following season they contrived not to get promoted despite mustering 90 points and decided it was then best to take no chances at all and duly racked up 105 points in 1998/99 to make damn sure of promotion.

It was a mightily impressive effort, but it was still very much not one expected to translate so instantly to top-flight success. But this was a Sunderland side powered by what remains the go-to example of the unstoppable powers of a big man-little man strike duo.

Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn led Premier League defences a merry dance and despite losing two of their first four games, Sunderland were by the end of October nicely settled in the top three after a run of seven wins and two draws in nine games. Phillips at this point had 13 goals and Quinn five.

What happened next? A torrid start to 2000 halted all talk of Sunderland doing something truly remarkable. They didn’t win a game between Christmas and late March, but a late rally saw them claim seventh place, while Phillip’s 30-goal haul snagged the Golden Boot.

After 10 games: 2nd, 24 points

Forest themselves have been here before. After finishing bottom of the first Premier League table in 92/93 – Brian Clough’s final season – a Stan Collymore-inspired Forest side had bounced straight back up under Frank Clark and continued that bounce with seven wins and three draws in their first 10 games back in the top flight.

A pair of 4-1 wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Tottenham were the highlights, with Collymore once again to the fore and ably assisted by your Lars Bohinens, Bryan Roys and Ian Woans as well as the odd typically thunderous Stuart Pearce penalty for good measure.

What happened next? A couple of bad runs did for them as title contenders, the first a run of four defeats in five in October and November and then five defeats in eight in the new year.

But while they weren’t part of the Man United-Blackburn title tangle they finished even stronger than they’d started, winning nine and drawing two of their final 11 games to clamber back up to third in the final reckoning.

After 10 games: 1st, 23 points

Perhaps the very finest surprise start still comes from the Premier League’s first ever season. Having finished just two places and three points above the relegation zone in the final year before football was officially invented, Norwich set about the Premier League with great zest.

There wasn’t even a late rally in 91/92 to use as hindsight fuel here; they lost nine of their last 11 games in the old Division One and then sold striker Robert Fleck to Chelsea in the summer. Yet the Premier League was very much to their liking under new manager Mike Walker.

Fleck’s replacement Mark Robins made an instant impact in a stunning 4-2 win at Arsenal on the opening day, and August brought further successes against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Forest. September brought three further wins and a draw at Coventry to lift a team tipped for relegation to the summit.

Game 11 brought a 7-1 thrashing at Blackburn, but we don’t have to talk about that now.

What happened next? Despite that thrashing being soon followed by a 4-1 mauling at Liverpool, Norwich played their part in what was for some time a three-way title fight against Manchester United and Villa. They ultimately faded to a still-impressive third, with that propensity for the defeats they did suffer being hefty ones resulting in them doing so with a negative goal difference, which is weirdly impressive in its own way.

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a ‘surprise transfer’ as they are ‘targeting’ a raid on arch-rivals Arsenal.

Sol Campbell became a Judas at Spurs when he left the North London club for Arsenal, but there wouldn’t be the same level of reaction if Gunners goalkeeper Karl Hein made a similar jump.

The 22-year-old joined Arsenal in 2018 and his only senior appearance for the Premier League giants came in the Carabao Cup.

The 34-cap Estonia international had a loan spell at Reading in the Championship during the 2021/22 campaign and he’s spending the 2024/25 campaign with La Liga outfit Real Valladolid.

Hein has made a positive start to the new season as he’s started Real Valladolid’s first eleven La Liga matches and his performances have not gone unnoticed.

A report from Football Insider claims Spurs are ‘considering a surprise transfer no one saw coming’ as they are targeting Hein.

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The report explains why Hein would be ‘tempted’ to leave Arsenal for arch-rivals Tottenham.

‘The interest has come as a shock that no one saw coming, but they could tempt him to move across North London.

‘The goalkeeper has less than a year left on his contract with the Gunners and will be free to explore options over a move abroad from January.

‘While Spurs won’t be able to take advantage of that situation until 2025, the goalkeeper would be able to run down his deal before moving on a free transfer.’

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‘This has led to growing interest in his signature as they search for a capable backup for Guglielmo Vicario, who remains the first-choice option under Ange Postecoglou.

‘Hein will have the final say over his future at Arsenal and remains in control of his contract situation, and it is still possible that he could commit his future to the club. However, he remains the third-choice option at the Emirates behind David Raya and on-loan Norberto Neto, which is why he was allowed to go and spend the season in Spain.

‘At Spurs, he is expected to jump ahead of current number two and former England international Fraser Forster as the 36-year-old’s contract is also set to expire next summer.’

Ahead of Tottenham’s home game against Aston Villa on Sunday, head coach Ange Postecoglou confirmed one Spurs star will be out until the “after the international break”.

“Micky is the main one (injury worry),” the Tottenham head coach told reporters on Friday.

“He has strained a hamstring but it is not too serious. After the international break for him.

“He is disappointed obviously and was looking forward to the game.

“Certainly not a bad one like the last one.

“He will work hard and the international break is an extra two weeks so hopefully he does not miss much.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has ruled out defender Micky van de Ven until after the international break.

Van de Ven only lasted 14 minutes against Manchester City in his side’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory on Wednesday and Postecoglou has confirmed he has a hamstring injury that will see him miss Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.

“Micky is the main one (injury worry),” the Tottenham head coach told reporters on Friday.

“He has strained a hamstring but it is not too serious. After the international break for him.

“He is disappointed obviously and was looking forward to the game.

“Certainly not a bad one like the last one.

“He will work hard and the international break is an extra two weeks so hopefully he does not miss much.”

This is the third hamstring injury for Van de Ven since he joined the club last summer.

The Netherlands international will likely be replaced at centre-back by Radu Dragusin.

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Postecoglou added that Cristian Romero and Timo Werner have knocks, while captain Heung-min Son will play against Villa if he “gets through” Saturday’s training session.

“The other one was Romero andWerner but they still have a chance for the weekend,” he said.

“Sonny trained today and if he gets through tomorrow should be okay.”

Meanwhile, former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has predicted Postecoglou’s men to beat Villa 2-1 on Sunday.

“What a Sunday we’ve got, and it starts with what should be a great game,” Redknapp said.

“I know Manchester City made a few changes but boy that was a big win for Spurs during the week. I thought they were really poor away at [Crystal] Palace last week, so it was important they bounced back so soon.

“Villa have now drawn three of their last four in the league and last week’s draw to Bournemouth must have been a tough one to take. It looks like it will be a really close race for the top four this season, they can’t afford too many dropped points.

“Spurs are a bit hit and miss on the road but at home, they tend to create and score plenty. I’m going for a 2-1 Spurs win but I’m not feeling too confident!”