The Boy Hotspur

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has highlighted a key tactical flaw in the team’s defensive approach.

After a slow start to the season, Tottenham had managed to turn things around with five wins in a row across competitions. Just when it looked like Ange Postecoglou’s team were back at their best, they suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brighton.

The fact that they had a 2-0 lead at half-time and still ended up on the losing side has been hard for the fans to digest and the international break couldn’t have come at a worse time as they have been left mulling over that defeat. Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle has pointed out a major issue at the back that could have played a big part in their defeat to Brighton.

In a recent Premier League Productions appearance, the football pundit said via SpursWeb: “The full-back is advanced of [Timo Werner]. If you lose that ball now, then you are in trouble. [Destiny] Udogie is trying to get back. He gets back, fortunately, and they win the ball again. But that happened quite a lot in the second half.

“Then they have handed the ball over again and your fullbacks are all out of position – for me, the two full-backs going in works when the ball is further up the pitch, in the middle third and the attacking third. I can understand how that catches people out.”

Hoddle highlighted the fact that Spurs full-backs tend to push up the field and get into advanced positions even when the ball is deep in their own half. While it can surely catch opposition defences by surprise, they can find themselves in deep trouble if they end up losing the ball while trying to play it out from the back.

During the second half against Brighton, Tottenham lost the ball on quite a few occasions with both their full-backs in a very advanced position and they did pay the price. It is quite understandable to see the full-backs join the attack when the ball is in the middle third or the attacking third but Spurs tend to take way too much of risk which has led to their own downfall. While a slight tactical adjustment could help, Postecoglou doesn’t seem to be the kind of manager who will change his style irrespective of the results.

Tottenham are considering a January move for Espanyol star Javi Puado.

The North London club have had a mixed start to the new season. They haven’t been able to take the next step under Ange Postecoglou despite making some key additions to their team during the summer. Now, the club could look at the winter window to reinforce their squad.

According to Football Transfers, Tottenham are closely monitoring Javi Puado’s situation at Espanyol and could make a move to sign him when the window reopens in January as they consider adding more firepower to their attack.

Puado played a massive role in helping Espanyol gain promotion to La Liga and now he has been doing wonders for them in the Spanish top flight. The 26-year-old left-winger has three goals in his eight outings and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. The Spanish international’s contract situation has played a big part in all the interest in his services.

His deal runs out at the end of the season and Spurs are looking at him as an option to reinforce their attack in the short term. While they have their eyes on Eberechi Eze and Antoine Semenyo, the duo are unlikely to be available in the winter. But with Puado’s contract running out, they can knock on Espanyol’s door with a low-ball offer and test their resolve.

The 26-year-old could be a cost-effective option in the upcoming window and he could turn out to be a long-term replacement for Son Heung-min who will be 33 before the start of next season.

Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Jacob Ramsey’s situation at Aston Villa.

Jacob Ramsey has come up the ranks at Aston Villa. He made his debut for them at the age of 17 when they were still in the EFL Championship. The English attacking midfielder has gone from strength to strength over the years but his future at Villa doesn’t look certain.

The club could look to cash in on him next summer and according to GiveMeSport, Tottenham are one of the clubs that are closely monitoring his situation and would pounce on a chance to sign him.

While the North London club already have James Maddison in their squad, they want to bring in someone who can compete with him for a place in the starting XI. Ramsey’s versatility could be a huge boost as he can even feature as a central midfielder or on the left flank when needed. He is only 23 and will only get better with time which makes him an ideal fit for Spurs’ new project that has been focusing on signing young players with huge potential.

While Ramsey has had an incredible rise at Villa, he is not yet a regular feature in their team and they are considering cashing in on their homegrown star. With his contract running out in 2027, they consider the next summer window to be an ideal time to make the most out of a potential sale. They want to raise around £50 million from his departure. While he will still have two years left on his deal next summer, Villa do not want to see his value depreciate.

Tottenham are keen on his signature but they will have to compete with rivals Newcastle United and Arsenal who are also interested in the English youth international.

Napoli have been urged to forget about Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin and sign free agent Sergio Ramos instead.

Former Spurs manager who now manages the Italian giants is reportedly keen on bolstering his defence with the signing of the Romanian international.

Conte has spent nearly €150m on transfers since taking over the Napoli job, signing the likes of Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku Billy Gilmour, and David Neres among others.

And he has eyes set on more signings in the January transfer window, with the Tottenham defender one of the names reportedly being considered.

However, Italian journalist Enrico Fedele believes Conte should sign Sergio Ramos, who is available on a free transfer and will bring in much more value and experience than Dragusin.

Speaking on the Marte Sport Live programme, he said (via Area Napoli):

“Would I think about Radu Dragusin, who plays little at Tottenham? Too young, I would go for someone experienced,”

“Who? It’s a former Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos. Hasn’t played for months? He would come to bring his character traits; he would do like Burgnich of the past. In Napoli I don’t see charismatic players, like Reina and Albiol could have been in the past, for example.”

Tottenham signed Dragusin in the January transfer window, beating Bayern Munich to his signature. However, he has found regular game time hard to come, given that he is behind Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero in the pecking order.

He did start in the Europa League match against Qarabag in the absence of the suspended Romero, but it was a nightmare game for him as he was sent off inside the first 10 minutes.

While his talent is unquestionable, it is very unlikely that he will get regular playing time ahead of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. This could perhaps prompt him to seek a move away in the near future. Whether Antonio Conte raids on his former club or not remains to be seen.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly set their sights on Viktoria Plzeň’s talented attacking midfielder, Pavel Sulc, as per TBR Football.

The 23-year-old has been turning heads across Europe, attracting attention from both Spurs and fellow Premier League side Aston Villa with his stellar performances this season.

Sulc has swiftly become a standout player in the Czech league, known for his ability to both score and create goals. During the 2023-24 campaign, he enjoyed a breakthrough season, scoring 22 goals and providing 8 assists in 49 matches. This standout season cemented his reputation as one of European football’s rising stars.

This season, Sulc has continued his impressive form, already notching 6 goals and 3 assists in just 16 appearances.

His contributions have been vital for Viktoria Plzeň, helping the club maintain its competitive edge, and catching the eye of top clubs looking to bolster their attacking options.

Plzeň manager Miroslav Koubek has recently acknowledged the potential of Sulc being sold, hinting that the club could be open to negotiations for the right price.

With the Czech midfielder entering the penultimate year of his contract, Tottenham may see an opportunity to secure his signature next summer.

As Spurs continue to strengthen their squad under Ange Postecoglou, Sulc’s versatility and impressive goal-scoring record make him an attractive prospect.

His addition could provide Tottenham with increased creativity in midfield and an extra attacking edge as they aim to push for success in the upcoming seasons.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly shown interest in Leicester City defender Caleb Okoli, according to TBR Football.

Spurs have been keen on securing young talents in the last few seasons, and Okoli has surfaced as a key player they are monitoring closely.

TBR revealed that Tottenham considered making a move for the 23-year-old centre-back during the recent summer transfer window when he left Atalanta to join Leicester City for a fee of €14 million.

Although Spurs ultimately did not proceed with the transfer at that time, they remain interested in following his progress at Leicester.

However, the Lilywhites are not the only Premier League club keeping tabs on the defender. They face competition from Newcastle United and West Ham, with both clubs also reportedly monitoring his development.

Okoli began his football journey in Atalanta’s youth academy and made his Serie B debut while on loan at SPAL. After another loan spell with Cremonese, he returned to Atalanta and made his Serie A debut in 2022, cementing himself as a promising talent in Italian football. His potential was recognised by Leicester City, who secured him on a five-year deal earlier in July this year.

Tottenham sees Okoli as a possible future addition to strengthen their backline, as they continue to focus on building a young and energetic squad under Ange Postecoglou’s guidance.

Should his development at Leicester continue to impress, Okoli could become a valuable target for Spurs in future transfer windows.

Tottenham assistant manager Ryan Mason was linked with a move to European club Anderlecht this past week.

It was reported that the Belgian club were considering bringing him in as first-team manager to fill the vacant job. Mason was also said to be very much interested in taking the leap towards first team management with them.

However, despite initial interest from the club and the player, Anderlecht ended up deciding against hiring him. That is according to Evening Standard, who report that the decision was a mutual one, as both decided that now was not the right time for him to take the leap into the head coach role.

Despite his interest in the opportunity, the 33-year-old will remain part of Ange Postecoglou’s backroom staff at Tottenham for now.

Mason, who has worked alongside notable managers like José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Postecoglou, continues to be a key figure in Spurs’ coaching setup.

His experience and leadership at the club, where he has been a coach since 2018, suggest that while first-team management remains in his future plans, his focus is currently on contributing to Tottenham’s ongoing progress under Postecoglou’s leadership.

Lucas Bergvall has opened up on his feelings regarding his early substitution in Tottenham’s Europa League tie against Qarabag.

Bergvall made his second start since joining from Djurgarden in the summer as Spurs beat the Azerbaijani champions 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in late September.

However, the 18-year-old was brought off after just 12 minutes as Ange Postecoglou introduced an extra defender following Radu Dragusin’s early red card.

Bergvall looked extremely frustrated and upset at his early withdrawal after patiently waiting for extended minutes during his formative weeks with Spurs.

“We entrusted him with starting a really important game for us, so he knows how we feel about him,” Postecoglou said at the time. “It was a tactical decision. He was disappointed. I expect him to be disappointed, but he’s going to have plenty of moments like that in his career.

“It’s always about how you respond to those things, how you grow from those things. He was training this morning – and he was flying – so he’s all good.”

Lucas Bergvall opens up on early Qarabag substitution

Bergvall is now on duty with the senior Sweden national team for their Nations League fixtures against Slovakia and Estonia.

The teenage midfielder has been asked about his substitution against Qarabag and while he couldn’t deny his ‘disappointment’, he did insist he understands Postecoglou’s decision.

“Of course you were disappointed, as you should be,” Bergvall said (via Football.London). “But after that it was just a matter of letting it go and moving on.

“I completely understand the decision that he is making. It was just a matter of letting it go and moving on.”

Given his considerable talent, there will be plenty of chances to come for Bergvall to impress in a white shirt.

Up next for the Lilywhites is a home clash with London rivals West Ham United following the international break.

Wilson Odobert says he’s ‘pushing’ to get back fit from the hamstring injury that has derailed his start to life at Tottenham Hotspur.

The France youth international joined Spurs from Burnley for £25m (via BBC Sport) in the summer following a 2023/24 campaign in which he registered five goals and three assists across all competitions, despite the Clarets suffering relegation.

Odobert played 180 minutes in four appearances across all competitions for Spurs at the start of the season before succumbing to a hamstring injury just 18 minutes into an EFL Cup tie against Coventry.

“Wilson doesn’t look good, we are still waiting for it to settle down and get all the information but he will definitely be out for the next period,” Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said of Odobert at the time.

Wilson Odobert provides fitness update

The 19-year-old hasn’t played since but, speaking at an event with local sixth-form students at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Odobert says he’s working hard to get fit again.

“I’m disappointed about this injury but I’m working hard now to come back and play again,” he said (via Football.London), adding: “I just need to keep pushing and keep working.”

Given his tender age, there’s no need for Spurs to rush Odobert back into action early.

Up next for the Lilywhites is a home tie against London rivals West Ham United following the international break.

Tottenham star Pedro Porro has now opened up on being linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Pedro Porro made the move to Tottenham at the start of 2023. While he initially joined them on a short loan spell, the move was made permanent in the summer and the Spanish full-back hasn’t looked back since. He has established himself as one of the mainstays at the North London club and his consistent performances have resulted in interest from European giants Real Madrid.

Los Blancos are looking for a new right-back with Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez on the wrong side of 30. Porro is one of the names on their wishlist and Carlo Ancelotti is believed to be a big admirer of the 25-year-old. The Italian manager could give the Spurs defender an opportunity to return to his homeland.

The former Sporting CP star recently opened up on links with the Spanish giants to Relevo.

Porro said via Fabrizio Romano: “Of course I’m proud of these links, it means I’m doing things well. If that happens one day, it happens. Now I’m fully focused on my club, Tottenham”.

The Spanish full-back is proud to be linked with a club like Real Madrid. He believes that such links are a sign he’s performing well. The Tottenham mainstay suggested that he is open to a switch to Los Blancos but for now, he is focused on doing his best for Ange Postecoglou’s team.

Porro has featured in 62 matches for Spurs so far and he has contributed towards 18 goals. His consistent performances suggest he could be a great fit for the team in white. While he is an integral part of Tottenham’s first team and they won’t want to lose out on him, it could provide them an opportunity to book a significant profit and reinvest the amount raised to reinforce their squad.