Cartilage Free Captain

The news has been awfully quiet on the Spurs Women front lately, but here’s some good news — Tottenham Hotspur announced today that head coach Robert Vilahamn has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club through 2027!

Robert had this to say in comments posted on Spurs’ website:

“To sign a new contract with the Club feels amazing. My first contract here and moving to London was a big thing but now I have been here, met people at the Club, I feel the potential is a good match. I just want to stay and keep working to make sure this team are taking the steps to the top.

“As a new coach in this country, I needed results so people would buy into what I was saying so it was really nice to see that we played good football, scored some beautiful goals but, once again, it’s just the beginning. We started our time getting to know each other so these years to come are going to show how we take this team to the top.

“The talent in the group and the staff is already there, we just need to make sure we find the right level in the squad, develop the one we have while adding a few extra players… we will take it step by step here.”

Vilahamn was appointed last summer on an initial two-year contract, so this is a substantial vote of confidence in him and his abilities to improve Spurs Women. And he already has done wonders. Spurs were nearly relegated after the 2022-23 season, escaping by the skin of their teeth in a campaign that saw previous head coach Rehanne Skinner (now at West Ham) sacked. Good ol’ “Bob Goddamn” revitalized the team, emphasizing the acquisition of young, up and coming players like Grace Clinton, Celin Bizet, and Charly Grant. Spurs ended the season in sixth, four behind Manchester United, but had some incredible moments along the way including a first-ever win over arch-rivals Arsenal, and a trip to the finals of the FA Cup.

Yesterday, the WSL released its schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Tottenham open the season at home against Crystal Palace on September 21, followed by an away trip to Aston Villa. Fixtures to be held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (as opposed to Brisbane Road) have not been announced, but I think you can count on at the very least the home North London Derby in November to be there, plus the home match vs. Chelsea in May.

The incomings have been quiet lately, but the murmurs are that there are more transfers on the way, and we’ll bring you that news when it happens. In the meantime, get ready for another exciting season, hopefully with additional improvement from Spurs Women under Bob!

Na-na na-na na-na na-na na na / Robert Vilahamn, Vilahamn / Robert Vilahamn!

Kia ora.

So, a bit of a guilty pleasure my wife and I have been getting into lately is watching color analysis videos on YouTube. If you hadn’t heard of it, it’s the practice of determining the best palette for a person using color theory - basically a pseudoscience that classifies certain colors and shades based on hue, brightness, and warmth.

The thinking is that certain colors work better on certain people (well, duh) and by comparing how a person looks when draped with similar color variants with a different underlying tone, a color analyst can help determine what people should wear, the shades of makeup that would best suit a person, and potentially the best options around hair coloring.

Basically, the colors that are in your season tend to make you look vibrant, healthy, and glowing, whereas if they’re outside your season (and especially if they’re on the opposite side of the color wheel) you can look washed out, ill, or just not quite right. The differences can be extremely subtle, so what my wife and I like to do is see if we can guess which color the analyst is going to go with when they’re comparing two shades. Sometimes it’s really, really obvious; other times it’s really hard to tell.

It’s a fun activity, and kind of intriguing how much just a subtle change in tint can make a huge difference to somebody’s appearance. We’ve assessed ourselves as well, with our limited knowledge and know-how - I reckon I’m a soft summer, whereas she’s a cool summer - so both in the same season but at slightly different ends.

Have you done any color analysis before? Are there any colors you love that just look awful on you? Or do you have other YouTube guilty pleasures with which you like to kill time?

Matty’s track of the day: The Rainbow, by Talk Talk

And now for your links:

With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg officially leaving the club, Spurs posted a nice farewell video

Spurs announce WSL fixture list for the upcoming season

Kia ora.

So, a bit of a guilty pleasure my wife and I have been getting into lately is watching color analysis videos on YouTube. If you hadn’t heard of it, it’s the practice of determining the best palette for a person using color theory - basically a pseudoscience that classifies certain colors and shades based on hue, brightness, and warmth.

The thinking is that certain colors work better on certain people (well, duh) and by comparing how a person looks when draped with similar color variants with a different underlying tone, a color analyst can help determine what people should wear, the shades of makeup that would best suit a person, and potentially the best options around hair coloring.

Basically, the colors that are in your season tend to make you look vibrant, healthy, and glowing, whereas if they’re outside your season (and especially if they’re on the opposite side of the color wheel) you can look washed out, ill, or just not quite right. The differences can be extremely subtle, so what my wife and I like to do is see if we can guess which color the analyst is going to go with when they’re comparing two shades. Sometimes it’s really, really obvious; other times it’s really hard to tell.

It’s a fun activity, and kind of intriguing how much just a subtle change in tint can make a huge difference to somebody’s appearance. We’ve assessed ourselves as well, with our limited knowledge and know-how - I reckon I’m a soft summer, whereas she’s a cool summer - so both in the same season but at slightly different ends.

Have you done any color analysis before? Are there any colors you love that just look awful on you? Or do you have other YouTube guilty pleasures with which you like to kill time?

Matty’s track of the day: The Rainbow, by Talk Talk

And now for your links:

With Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg officially leaving the club, Spurs posted a nice farewell video

Spurs announce WSL fixture list for the upcoming season

It’s done! Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has left the club, moving to Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille.

There was much talk about the specifics of the loan last night, but according to Alasdair Gold it’s not technically a purchase — at least not yet. Hojbjerg heads to Marseille on a season-long loan with a purchase obligation next summer. Initial reports suggested a €13.5 fee, but Alasdair Gold suggests there are various performance-related clauses that could kick the total fee as high as €20m (£17m).

In addition, there are reports that Spurs also have a sell-on clause in the transfer agreement, meaning Tottenham will get a small cut of Pierre’s NEXT sale as well.

Tottenham has been criticized for not being able to shift players out, and while there’s still a lot of work to do, getting Hojbjerg out the door is a significant achievement. I know some fans are disappointed by the fee, but it’s a pretty good price all told for a 28-year old player whom Spurs bought four years ago for £15m and who is in the last year of his contract.

Ange Postecoglou has said a number of times that he has to change the squad to get it to where it needs to be. Hojbjerg has been privately angling for an exit to a new club and had a good Euros. Marseille isn’t necessarily a prestige club and isn’t playing European football, but it’s probably a good landing place for him and I hope he does well.

Thanks for everything, General Ho. Give him a Viking funeral!

Earlier today, Tottenham Hotspur released the list of players who are currently in the air flying towards Japan on the first leg of their Asian tour. Bryan Gil and Sergio Reguilon were names that were left off that list, with the release specifically mentioning they requested not to go in order to secure a transfer move this summer.

As if on cue, there’s a report from Javi Roldán in Spain who says that Girona have opened negotiations with Tottenham over Bryan Gil.

Now yes, before you bring it up, this is the same Girona that couldn’t come to an agreement for an £8m transfer for Djed Spence, which might end up as a good thing for all parties considering the current Djedessance in North London. So I’m a little skeptical of what this means — either a low-money permanent transfer, or perhaps a loan with an obligation to purchase next summer. Yeah this is totally wrong, that was Genoa, this is Girona. I’m blaming chemo-brain.

Considering Gil cost Tottenham £25m plus Erik Lamela when they bought him from Sevilla a couple of seasons ago, I don’t expect they’ll get anything close to what they paid for him no matter what happens. At least Spurs doesn’t think this is a Gil to die on, I guess.

Good news if you’re like me and are averse to awkward encounters with old friends and/or exes! According to Bayern Munich manager, Harry Kane will not be in the Bayern Munich squad when they play Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming preseason match in Seoul, South Korea.

The report is in ESPN, and Kompany says Kane is amongst the players who went deep into the EUROs and will not return in time to feature in the match in South Korea.

“Harry Kane, Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman won’t be there, but then hopefully for the first cup game,” Kompany said. (And yes, “Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany” is still a weird thing to type, especially now that Kane’s there)

So that forestalls one awkward encounter, but we might not fully avoid the more awkward encounter, which is Spurs vs. Bayern II: Electric Kaneabaloo, otherwise known as the Visit Malta Cup, which will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10. Maybe if we just hang out on the outskirts of the stadium we can avoid him? Anyway, this is OUR house, Harry, you were the one who decided to shack up with that German hussy down the road, don’t come crying back to me just because she didn’t deliver any trophies like she promised.

Good news if you’re like me and are averse to awkward encounters with old friends and/or exes! According to Bayern Munich manager, Harry Kane will not be in the Bayern Munich squad when they play Tottenham Hotspur in the upcoming preseason match in Seoul, South Korea.

The report is in ESPN, and Kompany says Kane is amongst the players who went deep into the EUROs and will not return in time to feature in the match in South Korea.

“Harry Kane, Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman won’t be there, but then hopefully for the first cup game,” Kompany said. (And yes, “Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany” is still a weird thing to type, especially now that Kane’s there)

So that forestalls one awkward encounter, but we might not fully avoid the more awkward encounter, which is Spurs vs. Bayern II: Electric Kaneabaloo, otherwise known as the Visit Malta Cup, which will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10. Maybe if we just hang out on the outskirts of the stadium we can avoid him? Anyway, this is OUR house, Harry, you were the one who decided to shack up with that German hussy down the road, don’t come crying back to me just because she didn’t deliver any trophies like she promised.

Last January Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Matthew Craig headed out on his first ever loan to League 2 Doncaster United where he had 18 appearances. Now he’s heading out again, but with a step up in competition.

The club announced today that Craig, a Spurs academy graduate, is heading to Barnsley in League One for the entirety of the season.

And not just that, Barnsley is a GOOD League One team — they finished sixth in the table last season, making the promotion playoffs but losing to Bolton Wanderers. So that speaks well of Craig’s ability, and his improvement. Craig is one of those players who seems to fly just a little under the radar compared to his more hyped classmates. But he’s a solid player, even if he may not necessarily be the player who breaks into Spurs’ first team. (Then again, I said the same thing about Ryan Mason!) That said, Craig will likely have a solid professional football career somewhere just below the Premier League level, even if he doesn’t hit the big time.

You might recall that Matthew is a twin — his brother Michael also came up through the Spurs academy but was sold to Reading last summer.

This is the first of what will likely be a number of young Spurs players heading out on loan before the end of the window. Good luck in League One, Matthew!

Kit numbers for Tottenham Hotspur’s 2023-24 season haven’t been finalized yet and likely won’t be until closer to the start of the Premier League season, but as of today we now know two Spurs players who will have new shirts.

First, the most obvious of obvious chances — Guglielmo Vicario is Tottenham’s No. 1 keeper and now has the kit number to prove it. He will sport the #1 shirt last worn by Hugo Lloris.

When Googly Elmo arrived, Lloris was still at the club even though he didn’t play for Spurs. I’m not sure why Hugo didn’t release his number for Vic at the time; maybe it was just a respect thing for a long-standing servant of the club for more than a decade, that’s fine. But Vic wore #13 last season, and now that Hugo’s gone it makes all the sense in the world for him to switch.

And what about the now-vacant #13? Well, that’s where Destiny Udogie comes in.

Destiny wore #38 last season, which was a weird choice — a kit formerly worn by such Spurs luminaries as Ryan Mason, Cameron Cater-Vickers, and David Bentley. But that’s probably only because he wasn’t able to wear #13, his number at Udinese, because that was the number Vicario chose.

So what I’m getting from this is that everybody’s happy now — Hugo gets his chosen number, Destiny gets his chosen number, and at least for these two players Spurs fans can now order their numbered kits from the club shop with confidence.

Hooray!

OK, bear with me a bit on this one. I typically have standards about what kind of news or rumors generate enough actual info to write a speculative article — I don’t base reports on so-called “ITK” (in the know) and am pretty careful to qualify the crap of of things that are even mostly reliable.

But there’s been a LOT of smoke in the air about 18-year-old South Korean winger Yang Min-Hyuk, one of the exciting young Korean players in the post-Son Heung-Min generation. Current reports are that Yang is in talks to move to “a big Premier League club” and there is a LOT of online chatter that this yet-unnamed club just might be Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, do I KNOW this to be true? No. Not even close. It’s all speculation and ITK reports, and further details are likely going to come out in due course which should hopefully clarify the situation. But consider this — Yang, as stated in the above tweet, is set to be included in the K-League All-Star squad that will face Tottenham in a friendly in Seoul next week, his current club Gangwon FC and there are numerous (and right now, informed but unconfirmed) suggestions that Yang could be unveiled as a future Tottenham player ahead of the match on July 31. Imagine announcing the agreement at halftime of that match, and Yang swapping shirts to play for Spurs in the 2nd half? That’s not going to happen, but it’d be incredible television.

So who is Yang? The short and lazy answer is “the next Son Heung-Min,” but we don’t do that here even if the comparison is easy. But he is a 18-year old dribbly right-sided winger, and while the K-League is the K-League, he had 12 G+A in 1900 minutes as a 17-year old and looks pretty dope. He’s also a Korea U17 international though hasn’t cracked the senior squad yet. Check out his video.

There aren’t advanced stats available for the K-League so you won’t get the sexy green bars if you look him up on FBRef, but if you dig into his surface level stats they’re pretty dang impressive for a kid his age. He’s averaging nearly 0.5 npG+A/90, which is overall 22nd in the K-League, as a 17-year old. Everyone above him on that list is at least four years older.

The plan is, if the murmurs prove to be correct, that Yang would sign with whatever club is signing him and then immediately get loaned back to Gangwon for the upcoming season, which runs February through July. It makes you wonder what he’ll do during the break, but I’m sure those are details which will be worked out. There are also details about work permits and future homegrown club status that will also need to be figured out, but I’m not going to go into those questions right now.

Now, let me reiterate — we do not know that Yang’s new club is Tottenham Hotspur, but we’ll likely find out one way or the other pretty soon. If he does end up coming to Spurs, he’s another young international wunderkind that Spurs will hope can develop into a future star with some additional development time. He’ll be on the Pape Sarr Plan™ — young promising player, loaned back to his original club, then slowly worked into the side. That’s worked pretty well in the past, and continues Tottenham’s recent emphasis on signing exciting young talent before they get snaffled up by bigger clubs or become too expensive to sign.

Yang would likely be transitioning into the club at the same time Sonny would be transitioning out of it. But wouldn’t it be sweet if we lose our superstar Korean king only to welcome in the next generation of Korean attacking talent? I could certainly live with that!