Cartilage Free Captain

As you read by now, Carlos Alcaraz won his second French Open on Sunday after a thrilling final against Jannik Sinner.

On Monday, the Spaniard travelled to (what looks like) relax in Ibiza, the gloriouslly beautiful island off Spain.

No, your eyes do not fool you: There is Carlos Alcaraz hanging out with former Tottenham (and Brentford) player Sergio Reguilon.

Who knew the two were friends? Or did they just bump into each other?

Carlos Alcaraz has said that he is a supporter of Real Madrid, which used to be Reguilon’s club before joining Spurs in 2020 along with Gareth Bale. That was a good day.

It isn’t every week your hoddler-in-chief gets to write two tennis posts in consecutive days. Today was such lucky day.

Alcaraz will soon shift his focus to the grass court season after taking his holiday in Ibiza. He is currently scheduled to play at the Queens Club Championships next week, which is a 500 level ATP Tour event.

Queen’s Club usually has a strong entry field due to how close it is before Wimbledon. Other entrants this year include British #1 Jack Draper, last year’s champion Tommy Paul and runner-up Lorenzo Mussetti, Tommy Paul, Holger Rune and Ben Shelton. Other interesting players include Frances Diafoe, Grigor Dimitrov, Jakub Mensik and Matteo Arnaldi.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Roller Derby Queen, by Jim Croce

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “The first task facing the next Spurs manager: Connect with players like Postecoglou did”

David Hytner: “Cheikh Sabaly’s clincher condemns England to sobering defeat by Senegal”

BBC: “One year to World Cup, have Tuchel’s England regressed since Southgate?”

Out of Ange Postecoglou’s assistant coaching staff, only top assistant Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch remain. But as Thomas Frank gets set to join Tottenham Hotspur, his assistants will look very familiar to him.

According to journalist Sam Tabuteau who covers Brentford locally, Frank is looking into bringing as many as five of his backroom staff to Tottenham next season, including his top assistant and goalkeeping coach.

Claus Norgaard is an assistant who has been with Frank for a number of years, dating back to when he was head coach at Brøndby in Denmark. Justin Cochrane is a former youth academy coach at Spurs who had roles with a number of Tottenham’s U-squads, all the way up to the U-23s. He left the club to join Frank in 2018 when he took over Brentford.

Keith Andrews’ appointment might excite some Spurs fans as he’s a dedicated set piece coach, something that has been perceived as a club weakness under Ange Postecoglou. Manu Setolo is Frank’s goalkeeping coach, which would seem to seal the fate of current Spurs GK assistant Rob Burch.

A notable exception to Frank’s backroom staff is Kevin O’Connor, a former Brentford player and club legend who, I would assume, will be staying at the club.

This doesn’t preclude the possibility of Matt Wells staying on — he is, by all accounts, a talented assistant and would provide some continuity for the returning Spurs players should Frank opt to keep him on. Long time Tottenham assistant Ryan Mason, of course, left the club this summer for his first head coaching appointment at West Bromwich Albion.

The tweet doesn’t make it sound as though his assistants are a done deal, but if Fabrizio Romano is correct about the appointment being imminent, it implies whatever negotiations concerning Frank’s staff have already been resolved. We’ll find out soon enough, I guess.

Ben Davies has had his Tottenham Hotspur contract extended through the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season, but that might not mean he won’t be switching clubs this summer. According to Sky Sports, Wrexham are still interested in bringing the Spurs CB and Wales international back “home”.

We wrote on the Wrexham rumors last month when a dubious source said that Wrexham were hoping to bring Davies in on a free transfer. The Sky report seems to corroborate that past article, but I honestly thought that Spurs triggering Davies’ contract extension made it essentially a done deal that they were keeping him.

And they might yet still do that, only that Sky is now saying that Rob and Ryan haven’t been put off by the idea of paying a small transfer fee to bring Davies to the Championship. The implication is that Tottenham may not want to let Davies go until (unless?) they bring in more defensive options this summer. With Thomas Frank joining the club imminently, one expects that the transfer rumors and activity will kick into full gear when the second window opens up on June 16.

I don’t think the idea of Davies heading down a division and playing for international television darlings Wrexham is a bad idea. In fact, for Wrexham it might be a very good idea. Davies is a consummate professional and would probably still cook in the Championship, and honestly Wrexham probably needs all the help it can get to consolidate its status as a second division club. I don’t hate the idea at all. But if they’re going to do that they’ll now need to negotiate with Spurs, not just with Ben Davies.

I don’t know about you but I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the meeting between Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Levy.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur has appointed its next manager. The club and Brentford manager Thomas Frank are now in complete agreement for Frank to assume the role of head coach at Spurs, and the decision will be announced soon.

There are still a few details. Romano’s statement of the fee “in the region of £10m” implies that it’s probably negotiated down slightly from the hard number, or has been structured in a way that Spurs don’t have to pay it all immediately. We also don’t know what Frank’s assistants will look like and whether Matt Wells will stay on as part of Frank’s new staff at Spurs.

I have my issues with Fabrizio Romano, but I’ll admit that when he reports something as done, it’s done. Thomas Frank will be the next head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, and presumably when the comms and new videos are recorded and edited, we’ll get that announcement. I’d guess either later today or tomorrow.

What an incredible two days of tennis we had over the weekend. This year’s French Open was the first time since 1984 that the top two seeds squared off in both the men’s and women’s singles finals.

And, wow, did it deliver.

Men’s singles: (2) Carlos Alcaraz def (1) Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6

This was simply one of the best matches I’ve seen in recent years.

Carlos Alcaraz came back from the brink to defeat Jannik Sinner, saving three championship points in the process. The victory marked the first time in Alcaraz’s career that he came back from two sets down to win a best-of-five match.

His victory also ended Sinner’s streak of 31 consecutive sets won at majors (T-3 all-time). This match is a good reason why Sinner isn’t quite ready to be compared to any of the big three. First, he lacks a huge weapon to win clutch points (like Federer’s serve), and he was clearly gassed towards the end of the match.

And Alcaraz’s freestyle play allows him to take more risks, thus pulling up clutch shots when he needed it most.

It was an incredible final, and the highlight posted above is but a sliver of the level of quality displayed during the 5.5 hour match. Roger Federer said it best. This match had three winners: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Tennis.

Women’s singles: (2) Coco Gauff def (1) Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 6-2 6-4

An equally dramatic, but less quality, match in the women’s final saw Coco Gauff secure her second major trophy at age 21.

To be fair, the conditions were incredibly difficult. Winds were averaging 12mph, with gusts reaching up to 33mph. That makes it very challenging to control the ball, and Gauff handled the conditions far better for Sabalenka.

The Belarusian stormed to a 4-1, 40-0 lead in the first set but totally capitulated from there. The moment seemed too big for her and the conditions too difficult. She hit 70 unforced errors during this match, while Gauff played a far cleaner game.

After a certain point it was clear Sabalenka was playing agaisnt herself more than Gauff, which her American opponent took advantage of.

With Roland Garros now over, we immediately head to the grass (otherwise known as the best time of the season). Alcaraz will head into Wimbledon as the odds-on favourite to defend his title, whereas Gauff faces a much more open field.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Stand!, by Sly & The Family Stone

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Thomas Frank led Brentford to new heights. It’s no surprise he is the leading contender for Tottenham job”

BBC: “‘Opposite of Postecoglou’ - what could Spurs expect from ‘chef’ Frank?”

Football London: “Who are Thomas Frank’s backroom team? Justin Cochrane, Keith Andrews and who could join Tottenham”

It is not a done deal yet, but all signs are now pointing to Brentford manager Thomas Frank taking over for Ange Postecoglou as head coach at Tottenham Hotspur. According to Matt Law and John Percy at the Telegraph, Frank has verbally agreed to take the reins at Spurs starting this summer, and talks are now continuing as to assistant coaching staff and compensation.

The Telegraph writes that it’ll cost Spurs £10m to get Frank out of Brentford, which feels like a lot but is small potatoes when it comes to player acquisitions. That’s in addition to paying out the remainder of Postecoglou’s contract, said to be £4m plus whatever bonus he got for winning the Europa League. So it won’t be cheap, though I can imagine Daniel Levy is trying to get that out clause reduced as I type this.

Interestingly, the Telegraph also has the first real confirmation that Spurs executive Scott Munn has left the club. In what has turned out to be a complete Aussie-ectomy at the club (which includes Postecoglou and assistant coach Mile Jedinak), Munn has apparently been relieved of his duties, likely to make way for Vinai Venkatesham as Chief Executive Officer. We had rumors that this was going to happen, but it’s the first time we’ve seen something in print to suggest it actually has. Johan Lange, meanwhile, is staying and will be helped by Fabio Paratici when he starts July 1.

And there’s more: Percy and Law state that the futures of Cuti Romero and Son Heung-Min are both somewhat in question, with the article stating Sonny had “left some players and staff with the impression he could leave Spurs.”

So while we didn’t wake up to news of a new managerial appointment, it certainly sounds like there’s movement in that regard, and Frank could soon be starting his wild years at Tottenham Hotspur.

We’re all still waiting for news that Thomas Frank will be named the next head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, but until that happens there are still transfer rumors to be discussed! Today’s new example comes from the Liverpool Echo, which states that Tottenham have interest in Toffees central defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The report, which is in their daily transfer tracker, doesn’t say that much beyond registering Spurs’ interest (along with that of Chelsea who already have 25 central defenders on their books). So the report itself is a little vague, but the Echo is generally a legit source when it comes to Liverpudian transfer rumors so I’m inclined to believe it.

Branthwaite’s an interesting case for Tottenham. Still only 22, he’s a left sided, left footed central defender (hey, we need one of those!) and was named Everton’s Young Player of the Year this past season. I think advanced soccer statistics usually provide a pretty good measure of a player but Branthwaite feels like one of those guys who’s eye test is superior to his green bars. In short, when you watch him he looks like a better player than his stats indicate.

But he sure looks like he has the tools to become an incredible player at the Premier League level. He’s not as fast as Micky van de Ven (who is, honestly?), but he’s good in the air, doesn’t really foul that much, and seems solid enough in defense. He’s a full England international and is also young enough that he could still dramatically improve. Also, Tottenham would have plenty of minutes for him this coming season. He’s a player that I feel like I’ve been aware of for a long time, so his age shocked me as I would’ve sworn up and down to you that he was like 27 instead of 22.

Transfer rumors are a little bit squishy when you don’t really know who your next manager is going to be or how they’ll play. I don’t know if Branthwaite would’ve been as effective in Postecoglou’s high line but he could be perfectly good under Frank. He’s also young with a very high ceiling. “Interest” doesn’t mean “a bid is forthcoming” but also divorcing player acquisition a bit from a hypothetical manager isn’t always a bad thing either. This doesn’t feel like anything imminent, but I wouldn’t at all be sad if Spurs go after Branthwaite as a priority target this summer.

It’s time for another instance of F***, Marry, Kill: Tottenham Hotspur. We here at Carty Free Towers love to stir up some drama, because the club definitely needs more drama around it, and I’m sure we’re all bored waiting for a new Spurs manager to be announced. FFS, Levy!

With that in mind, it’s time to get a little bit spicy with this next one, as we take a look at an area in need of much work: the midfield. For each, we’ll give you our thoughts as to why they should stay (Keep), head out on loan (Loan), or go (Sell - either via an actual sale, or conclusion of their contract); though there may also be a bacon sandwich that pops up here and there also.

As a reminder, we are only covering players that played minutes in senior football this season, either on loan, or at Spurs. This means there may be a couple of names missed off this list you might have expected to see, such as Tyrese Hall or Leo Black. There’s still plenty to cover though - we have our work cut out for us!

Editor’s note: this series and a couple of the pieces in it were nearly completed at time of writing, so we will still cover players whose future has already been confirmed (i.e. released players)

Yves Bissouma - Sell

Let’s start off with a bang, shall we? On his best days, Yves Bissouma is unplayable at the #6. He has a massive motor, the ability to beat players on the dribble, and at times a killer pass. The thing is... Yves is always liable to have one moment. You know the one. The brain explosion where he dribbles into a dead end with the rest of the team up the pitch. The mental lapse where he stops tracking an attacker into the box. The silly, unnecessary challenge to give away a set piece in a dangerous position. Basically, you never know what you’re going to get Yves Bissouma.

That’s a level of risk you just can’t carry at this level, and with two years now on his contract, it’s time to cash out. He hasn’t been able to consistently hit the heights of which we dreamed, and I’m sad about that. Maybe another side can find that consistency.

James Maddison - Keep

One of Spurs’ leadership group, and one of the few players in the squad with a high level of technical and passing ability, Maddison is a must-keep. Honestly, he was probably my player of the season! Though he has his issues with injury and he isn’t getting younger, he is potentially the only member of Spurs’ midfield cadre that would start for another top 6 side (well, let’s say top 5, because Manchester United are a train smash). If Spurs can retool effectively over the summer, you potentially look at a sale after next season.

Rodrigo Bentancur - Sell*

*If Spurs receive a decent offer, and if Spurs have a readymade depth signing ready to go at the #6

Now the takes get scorching. Rodrigo Bentancur only has two years left on his contract. He no longer has the engine to play a proper defensive midfield role following his ACL. He is not getting any younger. He has had a couple of documented, off-field “issues”. He has also started to round back into form following some rough moments earlier in the season.

This situation is made more complex by Spurs’ decision not to pursue Johnny Cardoso. With an affordable buy option, it seemed that Spurs could retool at the #6 by selling both Bentancur and Bissouma, signing Johnny as a cheap depth option with upside, and then investing in an elite #6. With Johnny seemingly now on his way to Madrid, that depth option is off the table - so do Spurs have another target that fits that bill?

Why not then just keep Bentancur, I hear you ask? Well, in this writer’s opinion, the biggest issue this past season was the midfield. Spurs struggled to progress through the middle of the park, killing the attack, while simultaneously doing a poor job of shielding the defense. Bentancur was a key part of those midfields. I lost count of the times this season when Bentancur was dragged out wide... only to not have the legs to push back in and cover the middle. Or turned around and passed it back to his center backs. Or... you get the idea.

The reality is this should have been sorted last summer, with a big signing at the #6 a priority. Instead, Johan Lange kicked the can down the road and the club is now faced with a difficult situation with both top defensive midfield options only having two years remaining on their contracts. Rodrigo Bentancur is who he is at this point, is only going to decline athletically, and his uptick in form was largely due to playing in a double pivot system as Spurs set up in a very defensive two banks of four (something I don’t see happening going forward) with very little in the way of offensive responsibility. If Spurs can turn him and Bissouma into a top #6 and a promising prospect with upside, they should.

Who knows, maybe he proves me wrong this season, as Thomas Frank could potentially take him up a level, and as all reports seem to indicate that Spurs will offer him a new contract. I don’t think they should.

Pape Matar Sarr - Keep

Time is on Pape Matar Sarr’s side, with plenty of years left on his contract, and the Senegalese midfielder still only 22. Though he hasn’t necessarily exploded as one may have hoped, he’s become a reliable squad utility that can be deployed in multiple positions in midfield. His positioning is excellent, and his defensive reads were phenomenal in the Europa League final. He may not ever make it to elite starter level, but even so, players like Sarr are gold in a squad full of mercurial players.

Lucas Bergvall - Keep

Lucas is going to be a star. I honestly just love watching him play, and there’s few players I could say that about in the Spurs squad. Though he’s not locked in starter level yet, he’s damn close, and if he can continue on this trajectory then the sky is the limit for the young Swede. There’s no need to write more - this one is just a no-brainer.

Alfie Devine - Keep*

*If he is willing to sign a new contract

Alfie Devine’s situation is somewhat intriguing. He will end up as a List A Club-trained player (though would qualify as List B this season), one of which Spurs have very few; he’s still only 20, even though it feels like he’s been around forever; and he’s been playing senior men’s football for two seasons now via loans. In fact, he’s been playing with Spurs-destined defender Luka Vuskovic at Westerlo in the Belgian first division this past season, where he had a pretty successful season in a middling team.

Though 6 goals and 1 assist from 32 appearances sounds modest for an attacking midfielder (because it is), he split his time between a #10 role and deeper positions - which is actually where I believe his future lies. Calm in possession and a fantastic facilitator of play, I’m intrigued to see how he goes this preseason, and I think he could be kept around for some limited minutes (if he can be convinced to sign a new contract, with his now only having two years left to run). If those minutes don’t come by easily, he can head out on loan in January; and if he’s not willing to sign a new contract, I think he would fetch a tidy fee.

Callum Olusesi - Keep

A really promising prospect who has spent time across all three positions in midfield, Olusesi made his senior debut earlier this season, late in Spurs’ 2-3 away win over Hoffenheim in the Europa League. Eagle-eyed supporters will have also seen him regularly named to the bench as midfield cover - pretty impressive for a 17-year-old (well, he was 17 until he was 18).

With a new four-year contract signed just two months ago, I’m honestly 50-50 as to whether Olusesi sticks around for another season to hone his craft at U21 level and as emergency cover for the senior squad. I think a close eye on his development and being around the first team could be more helpful right now than rolling the dice on a loan. One to watch!

George Abbott - Sell

Abott has just come off a pretty solid loan spell in League Two at Notts County; better than solid, in fact, with the 19-year-old cementing himself as part of The Magpies’ starting XI. Their campaign ended in agony, however, falling in the promotion playoffs to AFC Wimbledon.

The young defensive midfielder had a couple of eye-catching moments in his spell at Meadow Lane, but from what I’ve seen of him over the last couple of years, the lower tiers of the English football pyramid are probably where Abbott belongs: he appears not really great at any one skill but rather a physical all-action scrappy type. There’s two ways the academy can be a success: transitioning players to the first team, and moving players on for a profit. I think with two years left on his contract and after the season he has just had, Abbott can move on for a tidy sum, with more talented midfielders such as Tyrese Hall waiting in the wings.

Jamie Donley - Loan

Another of Spurs’ academy products who spent the season on loan, Donley had a fantastic spell at Leyton Orient, where he scored eight goals and assisted ten in 31 starts (2,800 minutes). That is a brilliant return for the 20-year-old, who is an extremely gifted striker of the football. His ability to curl a shot goalwards, lay a set piece on a dime, or thread a silky pass is impressive for his age.

What is less impressive is Donley’s athleticism. He is reasonably slow for a professional footballer, and at times can struggle to get involved in matches as quicker or just plain hard-working opposition can shut him down. Some have said they would like to keep him around this season as emergency cover; I think that is too risky at this point in his development, and a loan to the Championship would really push him in a positive manner, with competition against bigger and faster players a challenge to which the club will hope he rises.

Matthew Craig - Sell

The defensive midfielder’s time has run out at Spurs. With only a year left on his contract, 2024/25 was the time he really needed to make his mark... and he initially made a good run at it, with some early positive signs on his loan to Barnsley. By November, however, he was largely warming the bench, before being left out of the squad entirely. Spurs therefore recalled him and sent him on loan to another League One side, in the form of Mansfield Town... where he also barely played. He’s 22 now, and the reality is that League One is probably Craig’s level.

Well. Hopefully that one gets some discussion going. In this writer’s view, the midfield is in need of significant investment, with at least two signings needed, if not three - with at least one of those being a nailed-on starter. Spurs struggled on both sides of the ball this season, and unless they invest in players that provide a boost to technical ability, passing, and positioning, Spurs will continue to underperform, no matter the manager.

Check out our previous pieces here:

We’ve had a few days to digest the news of Ange Postecoglou’s sacking by now, but I still feel there’s a lot fans want to say (that is, if this weekend’s comments on here and elsewhere are anything to go by).

That makes it difficult to do a hoddle. Because, I’m sure, any hoddle will be dominated by Ange discourse. If you are here to talk about yesterday’s Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner match, please save that for tomorrow’s hoddle.

Just to add my own voice to the discourse: I wasn’t as upset with Postecoglou’s sacking as I thought I’d be.

Ther’s of course the initial shock (but was it a shock?) of the news. But we’ve had weeks to prepare ourselves for this possibility. And, to be honest, I could’ve been convinced either way of whether to keep Ange or not.

But he’s not here anymore. He’s gone. I think he deserved better than what he got in the final couple of weeks, especially in the statement. Spurs’ statement on his dismissal was almost very good, but it was upsetting to see Daniel Levy not allow himself to be quoted.

Where does Ange go from here? I’m not sure. It’s hard to see him anywhere. But wherever he goes I’ll be wishing him a tonne of success.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Hard to Say I’m Sorry, by Chicago

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham return ‘not realistic’ despite job opening”

The Independent: “Tottenham’s dismissal of Ange Postecoglou brings identity crisis to the fore once again”

Football London: “Mbeumo Man Utd transfer hijack, Son and No.10 debates - Thomas Frank’s dream Tottenham attack”

The Telegraph: “Uriah Rennie, Premier League’s first black referee, dies aged 65”

Tottenham Hotspur are now looking for two head coaches. Days after Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his men’s first team head coaching duties, the club has announced on its website and on social media that Tottenham Women head coach Robert Vilahamn has left the club.

This is hardly surprising. One year after making the Women’s FA Cup final, Spurs Women had a huge backslide, finishing 11th out of 12 clubs in the WSL table and narrowly avoiding relegation. Spurs Women had its own injuries to deal with this season, but they were hugely disappointing. As Abby wrote in her recent “what went wrong” article, Vilahamn’s Spurs team struggled with offensive output, tactics, and player development this season. There were also some suggestions that there were some behind the scenes issues that rankled some within the organizational structure.

Yes, Tottenham Hotspur could do a hell of a lot more to support the women’s team; the amont of money it would take to build a competitive WSL team is a rounding error when compared to the men’s first team. But during his tenure, despite some bright and memorable moments, Vilahamn didn’t really show that he was building towards something, despite the club mining his knowledge of the Swedish league for players.

If you’re a hopeful person, you can hope that the appointment of Vinai Venkatesham, who was a big backer of the women’s team during his tenure at Arsenal, could signal a positive change in the trajectory of Spurs Women. It’s not clear whom Tottenham will target as its next head coach to turn Spurs Women around, but with the new season not starting until September there’s time to do a thorough search and hopefully get things right.