The Spurs Web

Craig Bellamy backs Brennan Johnson to emulate Arsenal legend Robert Pires in one important way. He also explains why the Tottenham star belongs among the ‘elite’ in world football.

Brennan Johnson has forced critics to eat their words

It was just a little over a month ago that Johnson was coming under scathing criticism from parts of the media and even from some Spurs fans.

In fact, he even decided to deactivate his Instagram account due to the deluge of criticism he was receiving online.

Since then, the 23-year-old has well and truly silenced his critics, having found the back of the net in six consecutive games for Tottenham. He even netted in a seventh match in a row if you count his Wales tap-in.

What makes Johnson elite

Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw does not think that it is a coincidence that Johnson’s decision to delete social media has led to an upturn in form.

He told BBC Radio Wales (via Squawka) about the Tottenham man’s turnaround: “It’s no coincidence for him because I think the reason he deactivated it was because of all the negativity and everything was going into his game and overthinking. And then all of a sudden he was thinking about that as he was playing.”

Meanwhile, Bellamy has insisted that the intensity that Johnson plays with puts him in the highest bracket among players in the world, insisting that he is worth every penny that Tottenham paid for him.

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The Wales boss said: “He’s a good footballer, he has ridiculous talent, his high intensity is through the roof, it is elite. Spurs have paid that money for him.

“Now he could have a bad two years but trust me, if I’m in a [club manager] job I’ll go and buy him for that. He’s got every part of football that’s going to make him elite and that’s the player I see.”

Johnson backed to emulate Robert Pires

Bellamy pointed out that even footballers who go on to become world-class players often do not find it easy to start when they move to a big club.

He pointed to Pires’ rise at Arsenal after a difficult start as something that Johnson could emulate on the other side of North London.

The 45-year-old added: “Once you move from a different scenario, a different club, sometimes you hit the ground running, but sometimes it takes longer. I remember Robert Pires for a whole season was a waste of money.

“Next one he goes and wins player of the year… it works that way at times. He’s [Johnson] young and I believe all we’re seeing now is just what his talent is allowing. It was going to happen.”

Micky van de Ven has posted unreal sprinting stats in the Premier League this season, but another Spurs player is also near the very top of the standings when it comes to top speed.

Top speed of players revealed

Using stats from Opta, BBC Sport have now revealed the players who have recorded the highest speeds across the Premier League this season.

Spurs fans will not be surprised to hear that Micky van de Ven has come out on top, with the centre-back outpacing all of his peers across the division.

Micky van de Ven’s top speed revealed

Van de Ven has been clocked at 37.1 km/h, just beating out Wolves’ Carlos Forbs (36.6 km/h) and Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga (35.9 km/h).

It is revealed that the Netherlands international was also the fastest player in the Premier League last season and at Euro 2024.

While he is the quickest in the English top flight, he has only attempted 82 sprints in total this season, which puts him in 74th place in the division for the number of sprints.

Another Tottenham man in man in the top four?

Interestingly, BBC Sport revealed that their top 20 list only ranks the quickest player for each team.

They explain that if they did a list that compares all players across the division on their top speeds, Timo Wener would come in at joint fourth.

The on-loan RB Leipzig man has reportedly registered the same top speed as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, being clocked in at 35.7 km/h.

Kyle Walker makes a big admission about the away changing room at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, revealing why Spurs even charge some teams for using the facility.

State-of-the-art venue

Almost all the players, media personnel and away fans that come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rave about the facility, with the ground being the envy of the Premier League.

The changing rooms in the venue are a world away from what one sees at some grounds in the EFL, with teams getting every amenity that they could hope for.

Kyle Walker raves about changing room

Walker has now raved about the away dressing room at N17, revealing that the visiting players do not even have to carry shower gels with them.

However, the Manchester City star suggested that Tottenham end up charging sides when players take stuff with them from the changing room.

The former Tottenham man said on the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast: “The new Spurs one is incredible. You’d have that as your home team dressing room. You don’t even have to bring your shower gel to the showers, you can just use theirs.

“It’s fantastic. But I’ve heard if you do take the shower gel they do charge the away team.”

Walker might be serious

While many would presume Walker is just joking about Spurs charging for shower gel, given the way the North London club are run, he may be serious.

James Maddison reveals the best advice Ange Postecoglou has given him and it turns out that it had to do with something away from the pitch.

Ange Postecoglou has a way with words

Over the course of his tenure at Spurs, Postecoglou has rattled off a long list of pithy quotes, with the Australian certainly having a way with words.

Some of his famous one-liners and explanations do not just apply to football but can also be taken as general life advice.

James Maddison reveals the best advice

Maddison was asked to pick the best piece of advice he has heard from his manager in their time together at Tottenham, and the attacking midfielder did not take long to answer.

The 27-year-old told TNT Sports: “Treat everyone at the club as if it’s your family. As if they were your family members.”

This revelation from the England international perhaps sheds light on why we see such camaraderie among the Spurs squad – and at the club in general.

Fostering a family environment at Spurs

Postecoglou has admitted that he does not tend to get too close to the players and is not one for too many one-on-one chats. However, many Spurs players have now talked about the togetherness and family atmosphere that the current regime has created at the club (official website).

That is clearly a priority for Ange, which is why he hardly throws players under the bus publicly and is careful to add the right kind of personalities to the squad.

Tottenham fans will love hearing what Dominic Solanke has just said about his aspirations for the Champions League next season in N17.

More than just a finisher

Even though Solanke has only found the back of the net three times since his big-money move from Bournemouth in the summer, his signing has already been hailed as a masterstroke by some pundits (talkSPORT).

That is because the 26-year-old fits like a glove into Ange Postecoglou’s system, with his ability to press incessantly, hold up the ball and combine with the other attackers, making him a huge threat to opposition sides.

Dominic Solanke dreaming big

Solanke has made a promising start to his time in North London, but far from resting on his laurels, he is setting his eyes on the biggest prize.

He has even suggested that Spurs could look to win the Champions League next season if they manage to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition this time out.

When asked if he harbours dreams of winning silverware, he told The Daily Mail: “Being at a club like Tottenham, that’s what we all want to be a part of. We’re in the Europa League, but the Champions League is where everyone wants to be.

“Hopefully we can reach that next season, and even better to win that. I love the way we play. It’s one of the reasons I came here.”

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Tottenham’s ambition is not in doubt

Some Spurs fans might not be comfortable with the bold aspirations that Postecoglou and many of the Tottenham players have repeatedly spelt out publicly.

They might feel that they would rather see them doing their talking on the pitch. However, these sorts of statements underline the belief that is currently running through the camp.

Emmanuel Petit was bewildered by Ange Postecoglou’s decision to take James Maddison off at half-time but Glenn Murray had a different take on the substitution.

Ange Postecoglou makes a big call at half-time

Many people were left scratching their heads when Postecoglou decided to take off Maddison at half-time and replace him with a more defensively-minded player in Pape Sarr.

The decision was particularly bewildering as the score was poised at 1-1 at the interval and Tottenham had finished the first-half strongly.

However, the change worked a treat, with Sarr’s introduction helping Spurs win the ball in the middle of the park. This allowed them to attack the Hammers when their backline was exposed, with the home side putting three past their opponents at the start of the second period.

Emmanuel Petit confused about Maddison decision

Petit confessed that he could not make sense of Postecoglou’s decision to withdraw Maddison, describing it as ‘strange’

The former Arsenal midfielder told Optus Sport: “Strange because he’s (Maddison) a really good player. So I was quite surprised. It’s quite strange from the manager.”

However, Glenn Murray pointed out that the tweak did prove to be the right call and that Maddison would not have any reason to complain.

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The former Brighton striker said about the substitution: “Obviously it’s an eye-raiser when you do bring James Maddison off, your most creative player.

“But hindsight proves it was the right decision and he won’t be knocking on Ange Postecoglou’s door Monday morning, he hasn’t got any ammunition to do this. That midfield with Bissouma was sured up and they win the game really comfortably.”

Postecoglou clarifies decision

Postecoglou explained in his post-match press conference that he thought West Ham were having too much joy in the middle of the park in the first period and wanted more legs in midfield to nullify their threat.

When asked about the decision, the 59-year-old said (via Football.London): “I just felt West Ham ask you certain questions in midfield areas and I just felt Pape’s running power would help us in the second half.

“They obviously worked hard in the first half and I thought he could give us some real energy. I thought he did really well and he gave us a platform to really threatening every time we want forward and clinical in our football.”

Dejan Kulusevski insists Tottenham can blow anyone away when they are at their best but admits that the Lilywhites have to improve in one key area.

Tottenham send out clear message

Following the disappointment of the loss to Brighton two weeks ago, Spurs returned to winning ways in style, brushing West Ham aside 4-1 on Saturday.

Spurs once again showed that they are difficult to stop when things click, blowing away the Hammers with three quickfire goals at the start of the second half.

It was just the sort of performance that Spurs needed to bring the feelgood factor back to the club as they enter a busy period of the campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski’s confident claim

Kulusevski admitted that the first-half performance was not up to scratch and that Tottenham have to improve defensively.

However, he revealed that he was confident his side would go on to win the game as soon as they got the equaliser. In fact, Kulusevski feels the North London club are capable of blowing teams away in a matter of minutes when they are at their best.

The Swede told TNT Sports after the 4-1 win: “The first half was tough because you cannot always be 100% physically. They did good and they scored but, when I scored (the equaliser), I knew we were going to win.

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“When we play good, we are unbelievable but we have to defend much better. The balance was not good enough in the first half. We have to look into that and improve that for the next game.”

When asked about Spurs scoring three goals within eight minutes at the start of the second period, he responded: “That’s Tottenham football. When everything is clicking we can score four goals in four minutes. More of that please.”

Tottenham focussed on getting better

Kulusevski was then asked if this result gets the side back on track after the disappointment at the Amex Stadium, and the attacker made it clear that he and his teammates will not rest on their laurels.

The 24-year-old responded: “Yes but like I keep saying, we forget about this (result) tomorrow and work even harder because we have to go up in the Championship table.”

Alfie Devine has now spoken about his experiences in the Liverpool academy as a youngster, revealing what happened when he got a glimpse of the first-team stars.

One of Tottenham’s most promising youngsters

While the likes of Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear are the ones who have hogged the limelight at Tottenham of late, Devine is also very highly thought of at Hotspur Way, seen by many as a future first-team prospect.

While Spurs secured the young attacking midfielder from the Wigan Athletic Academy back in 2021, the youngster was with Liverpool before that.

Being born in Warrington, a town 19 miles east of Liverpool, he was picked up by the Reds at quite a young age, remaining in their youth set-up until eleven years of age.

Alfie Devine tells us his story

Devine is currently on loan at Belgian side Westerlo and he has spoken to the media in the country about his formative experiences as a youngster.

The 20-year-old admitted to being star-struck when he came across the likes of Luis Suarez in the Liverpool academy as a boy.

Devine told Het Nieuwsblad: “Wow, I was still very small then. But I still have some images of it in my head. One day the stars of the first team came to visit the various youth teams. They were each assigned to a certain age group and trained a bit.

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“I can still see Pepe Reina and Luis Suarez running like that. And, yes, I was a bit starstruck. Of course, I was also a ballboy when I saw Daniel Sturridge score from very close range, a special experience.”

Crucial season for Devine

Devine now has some serious competition to contend with in his age group at Tottenham, with many talented players coming through.

According to GiveMeSport, one Tottenham player is the second highest-paid teenager across the whole of the Premier League.

Spurs youngster on big money

Many will have already guessed that we are referring to Archie Gray, who made a big money move from Leeds United to Spurs in the summer.

The Lilywhites parted ways with £40m to bring the midfielder to N17, which is an astronomical amount for an 18-year-old with just one year of Championship football under his belt.

However, such was the teenager’s reputation in the English game, and it is already looking like money well spent, with the Leeds academy graduate showing maturity beyond his years in his first few months at Spurs.

Archie Gray one of the highest earners

According to GiveMeSport, Gray is paid a salary of £75k per week at Tottenham, which is the second most for any teenager across the English top flight.

Only Manchester United’s Leny Yoro earns more, taking home an eye-watering £115k per week at Old Trafford.

There is another Tottenham teenager in joint tenth place in the list, with Wilson Odobert on a contract of £25k per week at Spurs.

Gray is on his way to being a superstar

Gray has already showcased his tactical versatility and his technical quality this season, having been used across the backline and in the middle of the park by Ange Postecoglou.

It remains to be seen what will end up as his permanent position but there appears to be little down that the youngster is on his way to becoming a household name in English football.

There has been a big development regarding the future of one player who Tottenham have been heavily linked with since the summer.

Do Tottenham need a striker?

Spurs spent a club-record fee to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer and that already looks like money well spent, with the Englishman hitting the ground running in North London.

However, the big worry for Ange Postecoglou will be Richarlison’s fitness, with the Brazilian continuing to be plagued by injury problems.

The Australian could thus decide to replace the former Everton man in January, and he could well turn to one player who has been on his radar for a while.

Tottenham target makes transfer decision

The player in question is Lille striker Jonathan David, who continues to be heavily linked with a move to Spurs. In fact, just last week, Football Espana suggested that the Lilywhites could battle their North London rivals, Arsenal, for the Canadian’s signature in January.

There has now been a big development on David’s future, with Relevo reporter Matteo Moretto revealing that the forward has decided not to sign a new deal with Lille.

With his current deal at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy running out next summer, that could potentially leave the Ligue 1 club with no choice but to cash in on the centre-forward in January.

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It is also said the moves from Premier League clubs are expected in the near future.

Heavy competition expected for Jonathan David

Moretto went on to reveal that the 24-year-old is expected to demand a ‘high salary’ while interested clubs would also have to pay a commission to his agent.

He reveals that Inter Milan and Juventus have already made advances towards David while Barcelona are also closely monitoring the situation.

Further, Atletico Madrid are also thought to have probed a deal for the former Gent man but the Colchoneros are not considered one of the favourites for the Lille star at this point.