The Spurs Web

Jermaine Beckford says that Tottenham desperately needed the win on Saturday to get their season back on track and suggests the North London side were playing with more freedom than in previous matches.

Spurs have been slow starters this season

Spurs have had more than their fair share of critics over the last few weeks, with many questioning the side’s approach and whether they are too open.

However, Ange Postecoglou has continued to double down on his hyper-attacking style, with the Tottenham players pouring forward in numbers time and again against Brentford on Saturday.

Despite taking an early lead, the Bees found themselves struggling to cope with wave after wave of attacks that came their way, particularly in the first half.

The Lilywhites got their just rewards, with goals from Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Brennan Johnson ensuring that they walked away with all the points on Saturday.

Spurs are at their best when they play with freedom

Beckford suggested that the win would give Tottenham the confidence boost they desperately needed but pointed out that there would be sterner tests to come for Postecoglou’s men.

The former Everton striker told Optus Sport: “The confidence boost that Spurs have been desperately needing. To start the season with four points from four games is poor when you take into account the quality of player they’ve got in their team.

MORE SPURS STORIES

“They just looked like they were playing with a little bit more freedom. They didn’t dominate, they had a hell of a lot more shots than Brentford, but you’re up against Brentford.

“With all due respect to them, I’m expecting Spurs to go into that game and win because of Son, because of Maddison, because of Dom Solanke. So everything with a pinch of salt.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The most impressive part of the performance was the way we responded to going a goal down early. Rather than going into their shell and feeling sorry for themselves, the Spurs players immediately threw everything they had at Brentford.

The confidence with which they played showed that they fully believe in Postecoglou’s approach and are not concerned about the outside noise.

Son Heung-min reveals his favourite Tottenham Hotspur player of all time but his answer is not any of the big-name icons that might immediately spring to mind.

Son is now the face of Tottenham

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Son is now very much Mr Tottenham, with the South Korean becoming a key part of the club’s modern history.

The forward, who was appointed as the captain a little over a year ago, is now in his tenth season with the North London side.

During that time he has played with several big-name players and also rubbed shoulders with many of the club’s former greats.

Son’s favourite Tottenham player

However, it was not any of those players that the South Korean named when asked who his favourite was.

When posed the question at the Tottenham Hotspur fan forum at the club’s stadium on Monday, the 32-year-old gave the name of Ben Davies.

MORE SPURS STORIES

As you see in the video, Son’s answer delighted Ange Postecoglou as well as the Tottenham fans, garnering a big round of applause.

Son’s bromance with Davies

Many Tottenham fans will be well aware that Son and Davies have been inseparable for many years, with the pair being the two longest-serving first-team players at the club.

Daniel Levy names his three biggest achievements during his tenure as chairman and his answer might surprise Tottenham fans.

Annual fan forum held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The annual fan forum took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday evening, with a select group of supporters and influencers being invited to the stadium to post questions to Ange Postecoglou, Son Heung-min, Daniel Levy, Johan Lange, Beth England, and Robert Vilahamn.

With this being one of the rare occasions that Spurs fans actually get a chance to pose questions to Levy, many tend to watch the event with interest to see what the 62-year-old feels about the direction of the club.

Levy asked to name his biggest achievements

At the event, the chairman of Tottenham was asked to name his three biggest achievements over his two-decade-long tenure at the club so far.

According to Davina Pindoria, who was at the event, Levy named getting to the Champions League final in 2019 and the building of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his two biggest achievements.

He allegedly suggested that amassing the players he has at the club over the years is his third biggest achievement, admitting that he is ‘honoured and blessed’ to have worked with the ‘amazing players’ he has.

No mention of trophies?

Some fans will perhaps question why Levy did not include the 2008 League Cup win as being among his biggest achievements, but one can understand why he did not mention that.

The squad we had in 2008 was not particularly strong, as evidenced by the fact that we finished in eleventh place that season.

That was certainly not a bigger achievement than getting to the Champions League final in 2019 or qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history in 2010.

Despite some setbacks along the way, it’s been a largely successful week for Tottenham and Ange Postecoglou, securing passage in the Carabao Cup and three points in the Premier League.

Are Tottenham finally hitting some form?

Following a difficult start to the season for Spurs having entered the week with just four points from four games in the league, nothing short of victory over both Coventry and Brentford would have sufficed for fans.

And in what was a drastically uninspiring performance against the former that saw Spurs score twice in the last five minutes to book their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup, victory over Brentford on Saturday appeared at least somewhat more convincing.

Despite a bright start from Brentford, making it the second time in as many weeks that the Bees have stung their opponents first scoring within 30 seconds, Tottenham’s 3.89xG to the visitors’ 0.89 saw the hosts finish as worth winners (Understat).

Moreover, a long-awaited first goal for club record signing Dominic Solanke alongside a first of the season for James Maddison, who has started the campaign in fine form, will instil some much-need confidence as Spurs enter a tough run of upcoming fixtures with trips to Manchester United and Brighton up next in the league.

But perhaps one Spurs player who will have enjoyed the week more than most is Welshman Brennan Johnson, with the winger quite literally silencing his recent critics with two crucial goals for the Lilywhites.

Following an admittedly sub-par performance in North London Derby prior to the international break, Johnson has been subject to a barrage of social media abuse that has since seen him deactivate his Instagram account.

MORE SPURS STORIES

Granted, playing a club such as Spurs brings with it certain pressures and expectations, but regardless of performance, abuse of such kind is never merited.

A great week for Brennan Johnson

Opinions on Johnson always seem to be split among Spurs fans, with the forward too often lacking end product, evidenced all too well by his five Premier League goals last season coming from an xG of 10.61 (SofaScore).

Moreover, in competing with the likes of Heung Min-Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner, Richarlison and summer signing Wilson Odobert for his place in the side, Johnson is hardly starved of competition if performances aren’t up to scratch.

However, that being said, the Welshman totalled a commendable 15 goal contributions in the league last season, an impressive feat at just 23 years old, bettering the likes of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, and even Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (FotMob).

Moreover, and perhaps the reason why Tottenham paid a sizable fee of £47.5m to bring the winger to North London on deadline day of Summer 2024 (Sky Sports) is the Welshman’s work rate, as he is the true epitome of a Postecoglou and Angeball winger.

Johnson profiles in the top 10% of wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received, touches in the attacking penalty area, blocks made and passes blocked, painting the picture of a hard-working, forward-thinking yet defensively-astute winger (FB Ref).

For those familiar with Posteoglou’s time at Celtic, much of his joy came from playing the Japanese duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda on both flanks; a pair of pacy, relentless wingers much like Johnson.

And whilst Johnson may not be as prolific as Spurs fans would like, both of his goals this week have been expertly taken.

Firstly, the Welshman’s finish at Coventry showed a calmness seldom displayed by the Welshman, with a cleverly chipped finish past Ben Wilson keeping Spurs in the run for what might be their best chance at a trophy this season in a game that should have been a routine win.

Then, against Brentford, Johnson’s precision strike from an acute angle gave Spurs a much-needed lead in what looked a must-win match, an impressive feat given he narrowly missed an almost identical chance just 15 minutes prior.

The Welshman, rightly so may I add, sent a clear message to Spurs fans yesterday, with the often-polarising “shush” celebration reminding the North London faithful of his quality, with Postecoglou echoing as much in his post-match comments.

“Brennan’s had a top week. He scored in the cup to get us through, scored the winner and he scored a fantastic goal again today to get us ahead and he was a real threat all the way through. He had a bit of a tough period last week and sometimes it gives you perspective about what’s important and what’s important to Brennan is that he’s a much-loved team-mate and like I said last week, he works hard every day and I’ve no doubt he’ll make a big impact for our club” (Tottenham Hotspur).

With a tough run of fixtures both domestically and in Europe now on the horizon for Spurs, hopefully, Johnson has found some form at the right time, as Spurs have certainly enjoyed the presence of a pacey, prolific Welshman in times on gone, and could certainly benefit from any such Welsh-wizardry again this season.

It has been reported by the print edition of L’Equipe (as relayed by Sport Witness) that Wilson Odobert will be out of action for an estimated one month.

Wilson Odobert has impressed at Spurs so far

Odobert, who burst onto the scene with an outstanding display in his debut against Everton last month, has suffered a setback early in his Tottenham career.

The winger picked up a hamstring injury during Tottenham’s Carabao Cup win against Coventry City last week, being forced off in the 18th minute of the game.

While there has been no confirmation from Spurs regarding the nature or extent of the 19-year-old’s injury, Ange Postecoglou admitted on Friday that the situation “does not look good” (Football.London).

L’Equipe now provide an update, stating that Odobert’s ‘dream start’ to his Spurs career has been ‘thwarted’ by an injury.

How long will Wilson Odobert be out for?

They reveal that the Frenchmen underwent some examinations on Thursday and is now expected to have more tests to assess the nature of the injury after the swelling subsides.

It is explained that the North London club’s medical staff have ‘estimated’ that the teenager will be out for a month, with his current expected return date set as mid-October.

MORE SPURS STORIES

However, the publication points out that things could change as we will have more clarity on Odbert’s injuries over the coming days.

Spurs Web Opinion

A month is quite a conservative estimate for a hamstring problem. Postecoglou would take that if you offered that to him as he will fear that Odobert could be out for much longer.

It is a shame that this has happened just as we enter a busy period in the season, with the Europa League set to get underway.

CaughtOffside claim that Tottenham Hotspur hold the most concrete interest in Sporting Lisbon’s prolific marksman Viktor Gyokeres.

Spurs, Chelsea and PSG all like Gyokeres

Even though Spurs only broke their transfer record on Dominic Solanke recently, it is suggested that the club could spend big on another number nine soon.

Spurs also still have Richarlison at the club, a player who cost £50m himself. Will Lankshear looks in line to get some minutes in the cup competitions and Europa League this season too.

Gyokeres is said to be one of the names on Tottenham’s radar, with the report suggesting that the Lilywhites could find themselves in a three-way battle with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain for the Sporting star.

It will not be easy to sign Gyokeres

Out of these three clubs, it is said that Ange Postecoglou’s side have shown the ‘strongest interest’ in the 26-year-old while Chelsea and PSG have merely shown exploratory interest.

The report explains that the Blues could reignite their pursuit of Victor Osimhen in January rather than pursuing the Sweden international.

The publication points out that it will not be easy to get Gyokeres out of the Jose Alvalade Stadium, with the striker protected by a £86m release clause.

Spurs Web Opinion

While Tottenham might be on the lookout for a replacement for Richarlison, there is very little chance that the club consider breaking their transfer record again on another striker.

They will likely go for a cheaper option such as Jonathan David rather than breaking their transfer record on a player who is likely unable to play alongside Solanke.

According to TBR Football, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on Atalanta duo Ederson and Ademola Lookman ahead of the January transfer window.

Spurs sent scouts to watch Atalanta vs Arsenal

The report says that scouts from the North London club travelled to Bergamo to watch Atalanta’s 0-0 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League.

It is revealed that Spurs were not the only ones to send representatives, with officials from Newcastle and Liverpool also present Gewiss Stadium.

Lookman was said to be the main player all three clubs were looking at after the attacker scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists last season (Transfermarkt).

Spurs are still looking at Ederson

It is revealed that the three clubs were also there to take a closer look at Atalanta’s midfield destroyer, Ederson, who was allegedly on Tottenham’s radar during the recent summer window as well.

Spurs arguably are still in need of a world-class number six option to compete with Yves Bissouma in the midfield pivot role.

The publication asserts that Lookman is valued at £51m by the Serie A club while the Brazilian is valued at £50m.

Spurs Web Opinion

While Lookman can play as a winger, he is at his best when operating as a ten behind the striker and that is not a position that Tottenham would be desperate to strengthen, with Maddison, Kulusevski and Bergvall all capable of playing that role.

Tottenham’s scouts were likely at Bergamo to take a look at Ederson, with a number six arguably being a more pressing need at the moment.

Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, Jamie Donley appears to be catching the eye of scouts with Marco Palma naming the 19-year-old in his best eleven of talents born in 2005.

Donley is enjoying his first loan away from Tottenham

Donley’s standout season with Spurs’ youth side earned him his first loan move outside N17 to League One side, Leyton Orient.

The O’s also signed Jamie’s fellow U21 teammate, Josh Keeley, with the pair playing against Premier League side, Brentford, on Tuesday evening.

The game was one of Donley’s most notable performances for the O’s since joining the League One side in late August. The Athletic’s Jay Harris wrote on X: “Jamie Donley is replaced by Dan Agyei for the final 20 minutes 19yo THFC attacking midfielder threatening throughout and made some clever passes”.

A scout has named Donley as a top talent in his age group

In a piece for TuttoMercatoWeb, scout, Marco Palma, has named Tottenham’s Jamie Donley in his ‘class of 2005’ team. The 19-year-old is named alongside Aston Villa’s Kosta Nedeljkovic in a starting eleven full of hotly-tipped teenagers.

Palma explained his decision to include Donley by stating: “English of Northern Irish origins, Tottenham product, won an U21 Premier League, left-footed who returns a lot in the middle of the field and can make many assists. He has progression, physical and in front of goal he is cold”.

MORE SPURS STORIES

While Donley is yet to record a goal or assist in six appearances for Leyton Orient, there will be hope that the teenager can replicate his composed finishing style at youth level in League One to aid what is currently a struggling Orient side.

Spurs Web opinion

Having watched Jamie Donley plenty of times when photographing Spurs’ U21’s last season, it is fair to say the 19-year-old was the heartbeat of a squad full of plenty of players that will go on to have great careers such as Tyrese Hall, Will Lankshear and George Abbott.

Whilst Donley is yet to record a goal contribution for the O’s, his inclusion in this team is well earned with the attacking midfielder consistently standing out as one of the best players in PL2 for a number of seasons now.

Glenn Hoddle believes that Guglielmo Vicario needs to play more on the front foot when it comes to defending his own penalty area from set-pieces.

Set-pieces are a problem for Tottenham

Set-pieces have been Tottenham’s Achilles heel for the entirety of Ange Postecoglou’s time in charge of the North London club, with the latest example coming in the derby on Sunday.

In a game in which Spurs had the majority of the ball, they ultimately lost all three points because they couldn’t prevent Gabriel from rising highest to head home from a corner.

That goal was Tottenham’s 18th conceded from a set-piece since the start of the 2023/24 season (TNT), which tends to imply the Lilywhites have a persistent problem when it comes to defending their own box.

Glenn Hoddle is not impressed with Vicario

Glenn Hoddle believes that teams are actively targeting Vicario between the Tottenham sticks because of his tendency to go backwards instead of claiming or punching from set-pieces.

The North London Derby would tend to reinforce that hypothesis, as Vicario was more distracted by pushing Arsenal players than he was actually dealing with the cross or resulting header.

Hoddle told Premier League Productions (15/09/24 from 16:15): “The goalkeeper has an Achilles heel. Other clubs have seen it – it’s any ball in that inswinging area into that six-yard box

MORE SPURS STORIES

“His instinct is to go backwards. He’s never looking to come out. He’s involved in the battle up but he’s got to detach himself away from that and think to himself: ‘Where is my intent?’

“His body is always going backwards – he’s got to come and punch some of those balls,’ Hoddle continued.

“Arsenal have played that corner because time and time again he’s conceded from that situation. He flapped at one in the first half, he wasn’t convincing.

“He’s a good shotstopper but he has got to come and make himself more physical, come and get more balls and punch more balls.

“‘He’s not got to catch it there but clear the area. And until he does, they are going to concede even more goals.”

Spurs Web Opinion:

While Vicario does need to improve in these situations, it is also very much a team problem. Spurs don’t have that one commanding player who you know is going to clear the ball every time – like a Van Dijk or a Saliba. Romero and Van de Ven need to be stronger here.

Tottenham Hotspur is a money-making machine these days, but one big deal still hasn’t been sorted out: The naming rights for the stadium. Now, a new report claims four huge corporations have been contacted regarding the matter in an attempt to find a lucrative sponsor for the ground.

£150m deal expected for Spurs

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was opened back in 2019, and has since been recognised as one of the finest stadiums in world football.

It also brings in a lot of money for the club, with Spurs being bumped up to eighth place in Deloitte’s list of the richest football clubs in terms of revenue.

But, the fact the ground is still called the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a constant reminder that, for all the business acumen Daniel Levy possesses, he has still not been able to strike a deal for the naming rights on the venue.

According to Sportcal (via TBR Football), that could all change in the near future. Apparently, while Spurs are keen to find a £25m-per-year sponsorship deal, a £150m 10-year agreement is seen as being more viable.

With this in mind, it is said that discussions have been held with Google, FedEx, Uber, and Amazon as prospective sponsors have been sounded out.

MORE SPURS STORIES

However, it is not known exactly when these talks actually took place. The report adds that preliminary negotiations with Amazon and Google began and ended back in 2022.

Spurs want big money

A lot has been said about the naming rights to the stadium in the past. Pete O’Rourke previously told Football Insider that Spurs were looking for a ‘big money’ investment when it comes to the sponsorship deal.

Meanwhile, Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Tottenham and Manchester United would end up battling it out for those big naming rights deals as the two clubs look to expand.

Spurs Web Opinion

I really like the idea of our ground just being called the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the club should be the main brand anyway. But, I get it; with that kind of money potentially on the table, a naming rights deal does make fiscal sense.