It’s the last day of 2025! Boy, what a year. Not one I’d especially like to redo on a personal level, even though there have been some incredible highs — it’s been a challenging one for me personally and overall I’m pretty happy to see 2025 in the rear view mirror. Here’s hoping for a better 2026, for me, for you, and for Tottenham Hotspur.
I can’t believe I’ve never done this theme in 12 years, but apparently I haven’t. Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions. Very few people actually stick to them. But maybe you’re resolved to give it your best shot again? Here are some suggestions on some resolutions. None of them are BAD, per se, but the biggest mistake people make is making them too ambitious. Resolutions are about forming habits, choosing achievable goals, and celebrating your progress along the way.
So as Tottenham Hotspur closes out 2025 with a rare Premier League win, this time over Crystal Palace, let’s rank the players to the theme of New Year’s resolutions. Put your favorite (or least favorite) ones in the comments and maybe some tips on how best to achieve them.
Want a NYE resolution you might actually stick to? Keep it simple and contained. Dry January has been a thing for a while now, and is a nice counter after a holiday season likely full of excess and over-indulgence. As someone newly sober (for medical reasons mostly but also by choice) I think it’s a good idea to do a little alcohol-free detox once in a while, even if you plan to go back to the booze later on. It’s not that difficult to do with a little forethought and it’s a resolution that you’ll feel good about completing because you know it’s only a month.
No Tottenham players in this category
Go back in time a decade and I don’t think you’d see this as a major New Year’s resolution, but a lot more people are prioritizing mental health now and that’s a good thing. There are a lot of ways to do this, but it starts by simply making it a priority. Maybe that’s therapy, perhaps meditation, or something as simple as taking a little extra time to do things that make you feel good. But it’s a good thing, easy, and achievable. You can do it, and you’ll feel better just by trying.
Kevin Danso (Community — 3.5): Solid match. Very commanding and assured performance at the back in Romero’s absence. Rarely put a foot wrong despite an early (and very suspect) yellow.
Micky van de Ven (Community — 4.0): Another very good performance at the back. Dealt with pretty much everything Palace could throw at him, including Mateta, who can be a load to handle.
Archie Gray (Community — 4.0): So pleased to see him rewarded with his first senior goal. Thought he looked a little rough in the first half but upped his game, especially late. Rewarding to see him continue his improvement at CM this season, one of the few bright spots.
Richarlison (Community — 4.0): Scored twice, except he didn’t because of stupid VAR and the stupid offside rule. That said, this was a really nice match from him — he looked dynamic, was very involved in the offense, and flicked a header on for Archie Gray to poke home on a corner. Well done, Pombo. More of that, please, preferably while onside.
Wilson Odobert (Community — 4.0): Really impressed by Wilson’s brief cameo. Smacked the post and looked super dangerous in attack late. The joke in the Carty Free writer’s room was that before coming on Frank gave Wilson the speech from “Swingers” for motivation. “You’re money and you don’t even know it.”
I feel like this is a resolution that is so attractive because of guilt, especially after two months of holidays where we are primed to eat to excess with family and friends. A worthwhile goal to be sure and I’ve fallen into that trap, but “lose 30 pounds” takes a crapload of time and work, and it’s no wonder people bail so quickly. Start smaller and incremental. “Make sure half my meal is vegetables for the next two weeks” is a good first step, or something like “stop eating chips after 9 pm”, and go from there. This also works well with Dry January (see above).
Djed Spence (Community — 3.5): Looked bright going forward, but was a little loose with the ball at times. Played well in the second half.
Rodrigo Bentancur (Community — 3.0): Looked characteristically lost in the first half, but stepped it up in the second. One of his better matches this season.
Joao Palhinha (Community — 3.5): Came in as a defensive substitute in the second half and put in some exquisite and well-timed sliding tackles. Pretty much exactly what the team needed when he came on.
This is just all about financial discipline, which is a learned skill that I’ve found isn’t taught much anymore. Wanna save a little more for a special occasion, a future purchase, or just an emergency fund? Set up a direct deposit that funnels a small amount out of your paycheck to a bank account (no amount too small) and then DON’T TOUCH IT. It’s better if you forget that you’ve done it along the way. But do it automatically. If you’re like me, transferring money manually every however often will not work and will not stick. Let the machine do it.
Guglielmo Vicario (Community — 3.5): Vic didn’t have a ton to do despite Palace having a number of decent half chances. Made a couple of decent stops, didn’t barf on his shoes playing out from the back. Not bad.
Pedro Porro (Community — 3.0): A couple of decent crosses including an “assist” to Richy that was waved off by VAR but struggled defensively especially in the first half.
Mohammed Kudus (Community — 3.5): Had a virtual assist for Richarlison negated by VAR. Characteristically frustrating with the ball, but didn’t notice him killing attacks in this one (probably because Spurs didn’t have that many to begin with).
Lucas Bergvall (Community — 3.5): Stupidly caught offside in the buildup to Richy’s first disallowed goal. Worked hard but not a ton to show for it despite a lot of running. Withdrawn for a knock, hopefully he’s okay.
Thomas Frank (Community — 3.0): As I said in the post-match, I don’t think this win moves the needle on Frank one way or another, nor do I think we learned much from a gritty win off a set piece when so little xG was generated in the first half. Team looked good late, though.
Unless you live in the southern hemisphere or a warm climate, January is the worst time to start an exercise regime because who wants to go out and exercise when it’s cold? Working out in winter involves a gym membership or home equipment, the weather sucks, and motivation to continue fails when there’s so much already working against you. Not to say you shouldn’t exercise more, you should! But there’s a reason why so many people fail at this resolution in particular. By all means, go get healthier, but set yourself a more achievable goal, at least initially. Try Yoga with Adrienne for a couple of weeks, or park two blocks away from the office and walk to work. You can always give Planet Fitness your money later on when you’ve established a routine that works.
Randal Kolo Muani (Community — 3.0): Not one of his better games. Never seemed quite in control of himself and struggled (along with everyone else not named Richarlison) to get on the end of the ball. Hooked late.
Look. I get it. Your life might suck right now. Maybe you’re lonely, or your job sucks, or you want (and don’t have or lost) a partner, or your favorite football club is a hot mess. Maybe it’s all of the above. It’s hard, I know. But resolving to just “be happy” never works, because it fails to address the underlying issues at the root of your unhappiness. You can’t bootstrap your way to being happy, because the causes are likely numerous, interconnected, and compounded. So start with something small. Find something you like doing, or that gives you a little peace, and lean into it. Maybe that’s read more books, or making time to really listen to music, or getting out into nature a few times a week. Start there, and build on it. Add something else. Join a social club. Learn a new skill, even if it’s not a relevant one. Dedicate one day a week away from social media. Start cooking more. Invite a friend over for coffee. This may not fully cure your unhappiness, but it might at least give you a little bit of respite. Whatever it is, keep it small, and celebrate your accomplishments. Change what you can, endure what you can’t. You can do it.
No Tottenham Hotspur players were as bad as trying to bootstrap your way to happiness.
Tom Carroll Memorial Non-Rating