Cartilage Free Captain

Welcome back to our mini-series looking back at Tottenham Hotspur’s exciting preseason campaign. I kicked things off yesterday with a look at a few of the players who thrived and seized opportunities with both hands (or feet, as the case may be). Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at some of the unanswered questions from Spurs’ preparation for the 24/25 Premier League.

Today, though, we get to dwell in misery on the lowlights and negatives: the players who struggled in preseason and who have failed to improve their chances of being a key cog in Ange Postecoglou’s plans this season.

Strap in for a rocky ride.

Richarlison

Through no fault of his own, Richy didn’t play a minute of preseason. It’s pretty concerning though that the reason for that absence was an injury that was initially expected to keep the Brazilian out for only a month at the tail end of 23/24, a season where he missed 10 matches due to various knocks.

Though he was arguably very good when he did play, it’s starting to feel less and less like he can be relied upon, and the move for Dominic Solanke feels like some pretty damning evidence to support that assertion. Respect to him, though; he’s said he wants to stay and fight, and I can’t help but love the man. I hope he can stay fit - but my prediction is his starting opportunities could be limited going forward.

Manor Solomon

It’s often argued that Solomon is possibly the best fit for the winger position in Ange Postecoglou’s system, with some stating that he was part of Postecoglou’s preferred XI before his injury that ruled him out of most of the 23/24 season. This assertion is incorrect, with Solomon only starting 2 out of 7 matches against relegation-bound sides - plus a start in Spurs’ early exit from the League Cup - but this preseason was a chance to prove the doubters wrong.

Unfortunately, he completely failed to do so, struggling to impress against Hearts, QPR, and Vissel Kobe, before failing to even see the pitch in the remaining fixtures, as Postecoglou preferred to give youth players minutes over the Israeli winger. It seems pretty clear he’s not in the manager’s plans, and he’s now linked with a loan move away.

Ashley Phillips

With Spurs arguably lacking in depth in defense, and Phillips possibly the most talented center back coming through the youth system, he had a huge opportunity to prove himself after a successful loan last season to Plymouth Argyle. Unfortunately, an injury while on Spurs’ preseason tour ruled him out of the majority of preseason when the fourth center back spot was potentially up for grabs.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Phillips, but I believe he’ll still get a chance - just probably not this season, with him likely to head out on loan instead. Here’s hoping he can regain his fitness, and continue to develop with a view to potentially integrating into the senior team next season.

Pape Matar Sarr

Possibly the most controversial inclusion on this list, as I wrestled between including Sarr and another player who will be in the next piece instead. The reality is that Sarr is potentially the most “expendable” player in Spurs’ midfield three, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Oliver Skipp, and now Lucas Bergvall all options at his position.

good morning!

We’re one day closer to the Premier League and we’ve all enjoyed looking at some home kits yesterday. Today, let’s up the ante. That’s right, I’m talking away kits!

Rules are like yesterday. Hoddle Headquarters takes a look at the best away kits - and the worst!

Best: Chelsea

Yep, fair play. I can’t find a single fault with this kit (except, well, Chelsea).

Love the cream. The royal blue trimming looks great, especially offset with the red piping. Collar is lovely. As is the stamped-on crest.

Worst: Arsenal

Ahh, now we’re back on track. I really don’t like anything about it. And you shouldn’t eiter.

Best: Tottenham

Woohoo now we’re getting somewhere. I love the away kit this year. I know some people say it looks like pajamas, but pajamas are cool. Imagine how well the boys will play feeling so comfy.

My favourite part has to be the cockerel dotting the “I” in AIA.

Worst: Brighton

Let’s travel out of London and look at Brighton’s kits. These are pinstripes gone wrong. Mostly, it’s the colour. The yellow is really unpleasent when you contrast it with the club crest.

Best: Everton

I like this one a lot. Love the black accented with the yellow, and the little pattern. Kind of a bold choice to turn the Everton crest into something a bit more minimalist, but I’ll give them points for trying something new.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Little Numbers, by BOY

And now for your links:

Jay Harris ($$) previews Tottenham’s season

Matt Law: Ange Postecoglou’s project kicks into new gear

The players with the most to prove from Premier League’s London clubs

Tottenham Hotspur are not done in the transfer window, and especially with their outgoings, according to a new article in the Evening Standard by Dan Kilpatrick. According to the report, Spurs still plan on loaning out a trio of young players on the fringes of the first team squad — utility player Jamie Donley, attacking midfielder Alfie Devine, and central defender Ashley Phillips are all set to depart the club on loan for the season.

All of this makes sense. Phillips and Devine are both coming off of excellent loans last season at Plymouth Argyle (with Phillips named Plymouth’s Young Player of the Season) and are set for a step up in competition. Jamie Donley has yet to have his first loan, and while he’s been a forward at the youth level he filled in capably as a left back for Ange Postecoglou during preseason and is ready to get substantial first team minutes elsewhere. All three are considered important players for the future at Tottenham, but are not quite ready to crack the first team yet.

But as interesting as those tipped for loans are, just as interesting are those NOT on the list. Kilpatrick notes that 17-year-old Mikey Moore, the ink on his professional contract barely dry, is set to be a full time member of Spurs’ first team this season, which reflects both his ability and the fact that Spurs are generally reluctant to send players younger than 18 out on loan. Will Lankshear is also noted — Kilpatrick suggests the club thinks he’s ready for a loan, but are perhaps hesitant to send him out immediately as he would provide cover and rotation for Richarlison and Dominic Solanke up top. I would interpret this to mean that Lankshear might be kept around for a half season until Spurs get through the early rounds of the Europa League and domestic cups — just in case one or both get injured at some point, but Big Willy Lanks might leave in January for a loan stint somewhere.

Kilpatrick notes that Manor Solomon is also likely headed out on loan somewhere this season, while Gio Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon continue to be linked with permanent transfers out of the club.

It’s been a fun preseason! The 24/25 Premier League season is now only days away, so let’s look back at all the good, the bad, and the ugly as we wait for Tottenham Hotspur to get their season underway.

There’s been some encouraging signs, some worries, and some questions raised throughout the six fixtures Spurs have played to prepare themselves for the coming battles. We’ve got to see previously unseen youth take the pitch, senior players play in new and unfamiliar positions, and a few fringe players either cement themselves in Ange’s plans or write themselves out of them.

In this series of three, I’m going to break down who I think has impressed, who has struggled, and the big question marks around Spurs’ squad as we head into the season, starting today with the winners. Here’s the Tottenham footballers who I think really took their chances through preseason.

Lucas Bergvall

Could it be anyone else? A breath of fresh air every time he stepped onto the pitch, Lucas Bergvall looks like he’ll be at home in the senior team. He has a calmness that belies his age, and his skill, vision, and unbelievable movement off the ball will be a huge asset in the Premier League. He’ll be pushing for a starting spot this weekend, and I think he’ll potentially become almost a lock in the XI as the season wears on.

Am I hyping up a young player too much too early? Probably, but he’s so damn cool to watch.

Will Lankshear

Often strikers struggle to step up from the age grade levels, as defenses are much more aware of space, physical, and quicker. Lankshear, however, looked like he belonged, immediately looking like a senior striker from the moment he took the field. His movement was excellent, and his goal against Hearts was a very tidy finish.

He quickly took the lion’s share of the backup striker minutes from Alejo Veliz and Dane Scarlett, and continued to impress through Spurs’ preseason campaign. With the signing of Dominic Solanke (and retention of Richarlison), I’d say he’ll go on loan this season; but his opportunity in the senior team is possibly closer than we think.

Brandon Austin

Backup goalkeeper has long been a funny position for Spurs, with the club never really having prioritized a strong #2 in recent years, while also not really providing opportunities to youth talent coming through the ranks. Brandon Austin, though, finally managed to get his opportunity with the senior team last season following an injury to Fraser Forster, before putting some excellent shot-stopping skills on display through preseason.

He’s still a little shaky with the ball at his feet, but I’d say he’s done enough to cement himself a place backing up Guglielmo Vicario.

Mikey Moore

It’s really the youngsters who were the kings of preseason, wasn’t it? Getting called up to the first team during the run-in last season, Moore really took his opportunity with both hands during preseason, reportedly training brilliantly and signing his first professional contract with the club.

good morning!

We are but days away until the Premier League kicks off once again. More that later.

But for now it’s everyone’s favourite hoddle - home kits! The best, and the worst.

It’s that time-honoured tradition where Hoddle Headquarters looks at every single home kit in the Premier League and decides which are the best, and which are the worst.

Let’s not waste further time and get right to it!

Best: Ipswich Town

Look at those pinstrips. So crisp. It’s the first time in nearly 10 years the Town’s home kit featured these bad boys. And it creates a nice little shield around the club crest.

As for kit sponsors, it’s hard to top Ed Sheeren. So they get bonus points for the cool factor.

I also love the navy trim, particularly on the collar.

Worst: Bournemouth

Gosh, it looks so heavy to wear. The stripes are way too thick and there’s way too much black.

I understand that gold is supposed to add a classy edge to this, but it just makes the kit look even heavier. Gold, red and black. Three very strong colours with little to balance it.

Best: Wolves

A solid gold/yellow kit that looks plain at first. Then you look closer and notice the subtle pentagons that adorn it, adding to a really nice finish.

Not a huge fan of the sports betting site here, but it does complement the colour scheme quite well. And as far as centrally placed club logos go, this kit pulls it off.

I think this is the first home kit ever manufactured by Sudu.

Worst: Nottingham Forest

They get a huge penalty in my opinion for their sponsor. It’s kind of annoying to look at as it is, but for the company’s website to listed right below the company name (with a GIANT K) is crossing the line.

Best: Crystal Palace

It’s a mess and I love it. We know a Palace home kit. It’s got the red and blue vertical stripes, but they always find a way to make it look better.

This year’s no different with eagles emblazoned up and down. I also love the piping on the collar.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Tin Can People, by Gloria Jones

And now for your links:

Dynamo Kyiv knock Rangers out of Champions League

Speaking of Champions League, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce were also eliminated

Djed Spence will stay put with Tottenham Hotspur through the transfer window as football.londons Alasdair Gold reported on Ange Postecoglou wanting to keep Spence and have him be part of his plans for the incoming season.

Spence has had a rocky Spurs career thus far as he was first reported to be a “club signing” for Antonio Conte, and from the get-go, he didn’t seem to be in Conte’s plans.

Being sent out on loan to a few clubs across Europe — Rennes, Leeds United, and Genoa — it felt as if Spence’s Spurs career would be truly brief after three loan spells.

Having a decent transfer spell with Genoa (appearing in 16 games as a January loanee), the club seemed interested in wanting to bring the English right-back back permanently but for a cheaper valuation than what Spurs had in mind.

Genoa submitted a formal bid for Spence but to Spurs, the number wasn’t what they were willing to accept to let Spence leave.

As his name was kept in the air as a possible outgoing, Spence returned to Hotspur Way for preseason activities and seemed to impress Postecoglou.

Rumored to have an attitude — a reason Leeds let him leave — Spence seems to have changed some old habits as he’s starred in several social media pictures and traveled with the club to Japan and Korea.

Playing roughly 250 minutes of preseason football — as he played both fullback roles — Spence has seemed to earn him a spot with the club for the 2024/25 season.

A major reason could be the departure of Emerson Royal — goodbye to the comp King — to AC Milan.

The second redjedemption arc is for Spence to make his own and hopefully contribute for the club in cup ties, Premier League fixtures, and possible Europa League matches.

We all know Giovani Lo Celso hasn’t had the happiest time at Tottenham Hotspur, but even so, it was somewhat of a surprise that he wasn’t included in the squad for Spurs’ last preseason friendly against Bayern Munich after returning from his offseason break. No one leaks Argentina football news like Gaston, and so it’s noted Argentine football correspondent Gaston Edul who has the latest on Lo Celso’s situation:

Elaborating further in a piece for TyC Sports, Edul clarifies that there are two clubs that are frontrunners for the Copa America winner’s signature: Aston Villa, and his old club, Real Betis. Spurs won’t be happy with a loan, either, with the Lilywhites wanting a permanent sale. This makes total sense with the Argentine only having a year remaining on his contract; that 2019 summer transfer window sure worked out well for the club, huh?

We wrote on both sets of interest here and here, though things have gone a bit quiet in the last month, and the Betis link especially has dried up since. That’s not due to lack of interest though, with Gaston strongly implying Manuel Pellegrini is keen on bringing the midfielder back to Seville to line up in green and white once more. Spurs had also discussed a swap deal involving midfielder Jacob Ramsey with Villa, but the London club were seemingly unwilling to part with the young Englishman and as a result a deal has not progressed.

Perhaps the more interesting part of the report is the claim that Ange Postecoglou has effectively frozen Lo Celso out of his squad. Spurs do have a large squad, and we’ve already talked about the difficulties the club has in registering players (especially in Europe), and so from that point of view it would be hard to find space for Gio as is. That’s without even taking into account Ange’s rumored concerns as to the lack of physicality in Lo Celso’s game.

To put it simply: there’s not a space for Lo Celso at Spurs any longer, and the club are trying to get him to accept a move elsewhere. Of course, he is well within his rights to refuse any transfer and only accept a deal that works with him - but the consequence to that would appear to be a lack of any senior football until the expiry of his contract.

It’s a shame it’s come to this; even as recently as last season I had hopes he could integrate well into Ange Postecoglou’s setup, and at times we did see glimpses of that. Again, though - injuries proved to be Lo Celso’s nemesis, and he just hasn’t been able to put together any consistent time on the pitch. Hopefully he’ll have better luck at his next destination; wherever that may be.

good morning!

I’ve been debating whether or not to do this hoddle because I don’t really want to talk too much about my running struggles. I’d go so far as to call this more of an “admission”. But because I’ve hoddled a handful of times before about my various running achievements, I think it’s a worthwile idea to explore the other side of that.

In the 10 or so years I’ve been running, I don’t think I’ve had as prolonged stretch of this plateau I’ve hit. And I’m not quite sure what it is or what the fix is. I’ve tried rest, running less, running easier, running harder, drinking more water, cutting back on alcohol, eating better, eating at certain times, running just for fun, doing different things at the gym.

But none of those have worked. So I’m not sure what the fix is.

It first hit me around March/April when I was training for a couple half marathons. I was doing pretty great in my training and felt confident about running it in less than 95 minutes. I ran 12 miles in 1:24.00 and felt pretty darn good.

And then a couple of days before the first half marathon - BAM. Absolute exhaustion. Overtraining? Outside stress? Maybe yes to both.

Either way - I didn’t run either of them. And I shut down any dreams of running another full marathon this autumn.

A couple months ago I ran a 10K, seemed harmless enough. I finished it in a little under 42 minutes, but still I didn’t feel quite right.

Since then I’ve sort of plunged into this whole crisis of confidence. I start and end most runs full of self doubt.

I try not to compare myself to how I was before, but it’s tough. I finished my eight-mile run about four minutes slower than I did before this funk, although I try to be generous with myself given this scorching summer.

Still, with another half marathon potentially just five weeks out, I wonder if I can run the distance. A solid half marathon in autumn could be a good springboard for a spring full marasthon.

Like many runs lately, that one ended with me full of doubt. I felt tired earlier than normal, and the run up Capitol Hill hurt more than I should be conditioned to.

I don’t think people fully appreciate what they see when they see someone during a marathon (or another race, I guess) or after they complete it. Sure, they see the accomplishment and it’s easy to get swept up in it.

What they fail to see are these kinds of moments. The periods of self doubt, struck of confidence, but still tying your shoelaces and running anyhow. Much of it is alone (I prefer it that way). Every now and then I’ll wave to another runner.

They don’t see the solitary moments where it’s just the runner faced with that self-doubt, trying to bat it away for as long as they can. Sometimes that battle is only a minute, other times it can last the majority of an eight-mile run. Not only that, their body is pretty tired too.

It’s also what makes running the most compelling sport. Because, unless you’re like Tamarit Tola, you’re only running against yourself. Just a bunch of average people doing remarkable things.

So here’s your hoddle. The real-time thoughts of someone who’s run for 10 years, completed three marathons, many other races, and logged countless miles over hundreds of hours.

Wavering whether or not I am going to be able to work myself up to the condition I want to run the half marathon the way I want to - which I secretly know is a barometer for a near-future full marathon.

I really don’t know right now.

——

So about 30 minutes passed between those thoughts and these thoughts.

Maybe I was struggling with the ideas of ‘confidence’ and ‘courage’ because I do think running these kinds of races (or any race depending on fitness) is a courageous thing to do.

Sure, I’ll admit to lacking the confidence tonight. But the hope is that it’ll grow over the next handful of weeks.

I try to visualise my training calendar. I’ll have to cut back on some foods, definitely alcohol. Stretch more during the day. Sleep better (and maybe end the hoddle earlier in the eve).

With a little discipline, I think I’ll be ready by the time I line up on race day next month.

I fill out my registration information on the page and hover over the confirmation button for just a moment.

As I do before all my long runs, I first take a deep breath. And then exhale.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Running Up The Hill, by Meg Meyers

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): Emerson Royal the latest victim of Tottenham’s ‘managerial churn’

Alasdair Gold on Tottenham’s ‘big transfer problem’

Burnley beat Luton Town 4-1

Update: It’s a done deal! That was fast!

Tottenham Hotspur have a lot of talented young strikers, so something’s got to give in what remains of the transfer window. Today, there’s a report in the Telegraph from Jason Burt that states 20-year-old homegrown academy grad Dane Scarlett is in talks to join Oxford United on a season-long loan.

Oxford were the darlings of League One, promoting to the Championship this past season and reaching their highest point in the table since a short stint in the old First Division back in 1986. They also reportedly really really need a striker this season to compete with last year’s leading scorer Mark Harris, so this sounds like it good be a really good situation for Scarlett to get some badly-needed first team experience. He’s 20 years old, and landing a Championship striker spot means he’s still on track to have a decent career somewhere, even if it doesn’t ultimately end up at Tottenham. This feels like a really good loan.

Scarlett has had some tough competition at Tottenham, competing with Will Lankshear, Jamie Donley, and the now-departed Jude Soonsup-Bell. He had bad loan last season at an Ipswich side that didn’t really need him, so it’s good that he’s likely getting another chance to really see what he can do at this level.

The MIGHTY OXEN got off to a flyer in the Championship this past weekend, notching a 2-0 win over Norwich City.

It’s done. After one of the more protracted and annoying transfer sagas in recent memory, Emerson Royal has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to AC Milan. The move was confirmed by the club social media accounts on Monday. He joins on a four year deal with an option for an addition fifth year should Milan choose to exercise it.

It felt like this was never going to get over the line, but the reports are that Emerson is signing for an initial €15m transfer fee plus 2-3m in optional clauses. That doesn’t get up to the €20m that Spurs wanted, but it’s a nice compromise, and it feels like in this particular case the devil really was in the details.

Emerson leaves Tottenham as, if I can be so bold, a future Spurs cult hero. Yes, he struggled here under several managers with WIDELY divergent tactics and yes, he’s very very much not suited to Ange Postecoglou’s inverted fullback tactics. But that’s not to say he’s not a good player — he just didn’t end up being a good player for us.

What he is, though, is a very good person. He was a model professional and well-liked by his teammates, forging an especially close bond with his countryman Richarlison, whom he convinced to seek professional counseling when Richy was struggling with his mental health a couple of seasons ago. Emerson was also known for dropping staggering comp videos of his matches on social media, including one notable comp of his partner giving birth to their child!

Tottenham needed an upgrade at the right back position and got one with Pedro Porro, and Emerson wanted to leave to head to a place where he can get regular football. I get it, and Spurs accommodated that move. But I’m always going to like the guy and I hope he crushes it in Italy.

Buona fortuna, Emerson and thanks for all the memories!