Cartilage Free Captain

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.

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping their longest-tenured player around for another season. Spurs announced on social media that they have exercised a clause in central defender Ben Davies’ contract that will extend his stay at Spurs through the end of the upcoming Premier League season.

So let me say this first: I like Ben Davies. He’s never been a star at Tottenham, but he’s always been a steady, solid presence — rarely a starter, but always a reliable team option when you needed him. He’s also Association Trained for UEFA competitions, which will help Spurs’ numbers in the Champions League next season, something that’s a real issue right now. He’s also by all accounts just a fantastic guy and excellent teammate, and he’s turned those skills into a decade at the club. He’s also Sonny’s best friend at the club right now.

For that reason I can understand why Spurs would want to keep him around — he’s a “glue guy” and veteran, the kind of player you want in the changing room. There’s also now a real possibility that he could retire at Tottenham Hotspur and eventually move into coaching, which would be neat.

But holy smokes y’all, the real problem is that he’s just not very good at football anymore. He was thrust into a starting role for a few months which revealed his very real weaknesses and lack of pace, especially against fast attackers. So this makes me wonder what his extension means for the Tottenham back line. I hope it doesn’t mean that Spurs aren’t still targeting another quality central defender, because they absolutely need one to effectively back up Micky van de Ven. Much as I love the guy, Ben Davies ain’t it. I’m also concerned that Davies’ extension might block someone like Ash Phillips or Luka Vuskovic from getting a chance in the first team, though at this point it’s more likely both of them are (again) sent out on loan.

If Spurs need to carry him as a numbers game until some of their youngsters hit club-trained/homegrown status next season, then fine. But whatever the case, while I love seeing his smiling face around training videos I truly hope we don’t see too much of him on the actual pitch next season.

So what if Tottenham Hotspur don’t have a head coach right now. Do you think that’s going to stop the summer transfer rumors? I don’t think so. The latest report from the wilds of Bat Country (actually Turkish newspaper Fanatik) suggests that Fenerbahçe are in “advance negotiations” with Spurs to sign Yves Bissouma on loan, with a purchase obligation at the end of next season.

And do you know who is currently the head coach at Fener? That’s right — this guy.

OK, y’all KNOW what I think of the Turkish football media. In short — it’s probably one of the least reliable sources of transfer information out there. While there is some reliable news to be found, a good deal of Turkish media sources just literally make shit up. So am I sold on this rumor? No, not in the slightest. Do I think it’s plausible? ...Yeah!

The report, which is brief, says that Spurs value Bissouma at €25m (£21m) but this particular deal would be basically a cheap loan fee and with an obligation. It notably doesn’t say what that obligation would be, but with Yves in the last year of his contract it’s likely going to be less than his stated value. This is the first interest I’ve seen from other clubs for Bissouma, though I’d be surprised if it’s the only destination he has.

Tottenham need an upgrade on their midfield no matter who the coach is, and with both Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur both entering into the final year of their contracts one of them is likely to go. Bissouma seems like the most likely, though somehow I feel like he’s more likely to head to France than to Turkey. But I guess maybe not!

Bissouma’s been a good player for us but his skill set can be replicated with a younger midfielder and that’s what I expect Spurs to do. We’ll see if this report gets picked up somewhere more reliable.

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have their top target to replace Ange Postecoglou as head coach at the club, and it’s Brentford’s Danish manager Thomas Frank. That’s not exactly a surprise as it’s what’s being reported by just about everyone. The deal isn’t done yet, but according to Fabrizio Romano, who is as clued in as probably anyone, progress is being made towards Frank’s appointment.

I suppose you could say there are some Frank discussions taking place over Tottenham’s vacant head coach position. (No, I’m not sorry.)

If I were to guess, and this is total supposition, I’d say that contrary to early reports Tottenham have laid a lot of track with Frank already, even if they haven’t made a formal approach to appoint him yet. There are numerous reports that suggest Spurs have been quietly looking at Frank for about a year now as a post-Ange option, and I would be shocked if they haven’t had their intermediaries reach out to Frank’s intermediaries before now to gauge whether he’s interested in the job. As frustrating as it is to not have Frank ready to walk in the door immediately after Postecoglou was fired, I don’t think it’s going to take a lot of work to come to an agreement for early next week. Hope I’m right about that.

But what if negotiations break down or Frank decides he doesn’t want the job? The backup option is probably Fulham’s Marco Silva, if the Portuguese media have anything to say about it. The Record (via SportWitness) is reporting that Silva is “on the verge” of becoming Tottenham’s next manager.

A Portuguese newspaper reporting that a Portuguese manager is going to take over one of the best currently open jobs on the football market? Shocker! I honestly wouldn’t take much in this report as it stands now, but I would also say that if Frank falls through then all bets are off. And at that point we’re just Marco Silva walking away from possibly approaching Nuno Espirito Santo... again. (I kid. OR DO I?!?!?!?)

Honestly, I’m starting to come around to the idea of Frank coming in. It took me most of yesterday to overcome my disappointment with Spurs sacking Postecoglou, but I’m over it now — it’s happened, there’s nothing I can do about it, time to put aside any lingering emotional response and move on. Frank’s a good manager, has some fun ideas, and could ultimately be a good appointment for Spurs going forward. I’ll do a look at his approach to football in a future article, once things crystallize a bit.

If you were hoping for a quick resolution to Tottenham Hotspur’s now vacant head coaching position, well you’re about to be even more disappointed. According to David Ornstein in The Athletic, Spurs will make their decision and announce who will take over as head coach from Ange Postecoglou next week, and that no decision has yet been made.

That said, to absolutely no one’s surprise, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is the leading contender.

What’s surprising here isn’t that Frank is currently leading the pile — he is by all accounts a good manager who has had Brentford overachieving since he got them promoted from the Championship a few years back. What’s surprising is that Tottenham have had two weeks from the end of the season and apparently haven’t gotten their ducks lined up in a row. Spurs fans will now have to wait until next week, at some point, to find out who will lead the team.

Tottenham Hotspur have fired their head coach Ange Postecoglou. The news was first leaked by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, and was confirmed by Sami Mockbel of the BBC. The club has yet to confirm the sacking, but it will no doubt come momentarily.

Postecoglou’s future was very much in danger and has been for months. He led Tottenham to their worst finish in the table in their Premier League history, but also won the Europa League, delivering the club’s first trophy since 2009 and first European title since 1984.

Postecoglou has been on holiday, along with the playing squad, since the conclusion of the Premier League season. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been conspicuously quiet over the past two weeks, with briefings in the English press suggesting that the club had yet to make a decision as to whether Ange would earn another year to turn things around. That decision has apparently been made.

While the decision to fire the manager who delivered the club’s first trophy in nearly two decades is brave, the timing of the announcement has been actively damaging, however, with the transfer window now open and the club somewhat paralyzed over the speculation of their manager. Whether you agree with the

It was not yet revealed who, if anyone, the club has appointed as their next head coach. Previous speculation linked managers such as Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi (now at al-Hilal), and Fulham’s Marco Silva.

Much more to come.

UPDATE: The club has now confirmed Ange’s departure.

Here is an excerpt from the club’s OFFICIAL COMMUNCIATION:

We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.

It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.

Postecoglou has also released a statement through his agency, CAA Base:

Tottenham Hotspur F***, Marry, Kill continues, as we determine who should stay, who should go, and who needs work - because God knows the Spurs front office need some help.

Next up as we work our way up the pitch is probably our shortest article thus far: the fullbacks. 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.

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)

Pedro Porro - Keep

A key part of Spurs’ successful Europa League campaign, Pedro Porro could be a candidate for a “sell high and reinvest” plan; however, Spurs have a significant dearth of technical ability and (especially) passing quality in their squad. Porro offers these in spades, so at this point, selling him would be very much cutting off your nose to spite your face. He offers so much going forward, and has continued to improve defensively (which has surprised me)... plus he seems to love it here.

Destiny Udogie - Keep

I will say, there have been a number of times this season I have been worried about Destiny. After a number of injury spells over the last couple of seasons, he looked extremely rough on his returns to the side - following both his return from surgery in the offseason and his midseason layoff. That said, he really rounded into form when it counted, and if he can stay fit, I think he will be around the club for a while yet.

Sergio Reguilon - Sell (Release) - confirmed

Sergio Reguilon should really have played more this season... but he was never going to work out under Ange Postecoglou. A cursory reading of the situation may have thought attacking system plus attacking player = profit; but so much of Spurs’ buildup is through the fullbacks, and Reggie is (let’s be honest) a pretty terrible passer of the football. Any chances he had for semi-regular appearances were probably torpedoed by his appearance against Wolves, where in 40 minutes he misplaced a third of his passes, and he’s always had problems with fitness. One that just didn’t work out (and I had high hopes).

Djed Spence - Keep

If there wasn’t so much work to do on other areas of the squad (and a lack of depth at fullback) I would consider selling Djed Spence. He carries an English premium, is just hitting his peak years, and some bright showings late in the season may have increased his value. Hell, the club may still consider it with the right offer. Right now, though, the team has other priorities, and Djed’s versatility (weirdly, he seems to be better on the left) is a plus. Hopefully he can get back to some of the form he showed a couple months ago, and perhaps Spurs can then look for a decent sale.

Archie Gray - Keep

I have listed Archie among the fullbacks, because 1) he is absolutely not a center back; 2) I think the way the construction of the squad is going, he could see the majority of his minutes at fullback next season (which is also largely where he played at Leeds); and 3) I already have something like 10 players to cover in my midfield piece. What are you gonna do?

A polarizing player, he stepped into breach admirably for Spurs in the midst of an injury crisis; and while he did more than anybody could have reasonably expected, he did struggle at the top level. Though he has time, I don’t think he is quite at the level Spurs require... YET; especially considering his desire to play in midfield. Even though that is arguably the weakest area of Spurs’ squad, throwing him in there at this point in his development alongside some of the other options Spurs have there at present is only going to dent his confidence - though I did see some impressive signs in a couple of late cameos there towards the end of the season.

The reality is Spurs need four fullbacks, and though my thinking would be to buy a left-sided defender who can both back up Micky van de Ven AND cover fullback, it seems the club aren’t in alignment with that line of thought, with any transfer links so far seemingly with right-sided options. A rotational slot at fullback, with some coverage minutes at midfield seems to therefore be the best option for Archie, and will allow him to continue to develop his passing, defensive reading, and wand of a right foot in a lower pressure position. IF the club do decide to invest additionally at fullback, Archie could even head out on loan to a lower-level Premier League club (or potentially even the Championship), but I think that is unlikely.

And that’s Spurs’ fullbacks in a nutshell. It’s an area lacking depth, and though I have some concerns around Spurs’ options at the position (and especially the lack of academy options coming through at the position) the reality is that other areas are in much higher need of attention: not least, the midfield. Come back Monday, where I’ll assess the options (or lack thereof) in the middle of the park.

Good morning, dear hoddlers, and welcome to another Track of the Day.

I know, I know - I spoil you!

Yesterday we had the privilege of listening to Haim’s fourth single for their upcoming album. Today we head to the Isle of Wight to check out what Wet Leg is up to.

As you’re well aware by now, Wet Leg are releasing a new album this summer. Moisturizer, out 11 July, will be the band’s sophomore album after they bursted onto the indie rock scene with their self-titled debut.

We already heard their first song on the new record: catch these fists.

Today we get to their second song: CPR.

As Hoddle Headquarters previously discussed, this looks like a very different Wet Leg. The band ditched their English countryside look for something far edgier

And the music backs it up, too. We again have an absolutely killer riff, with a synthesizer adding a lovely bit of texture to the chorus.

Lead singer Rhian Teasdale voice is far more sharp than it used to be. The lyric structure remains the same: nonsensical and a pleasure to listen to.

We’re two songs into Wet Leg’s second album, and it’s a very exciting start. And I think they’re producing some of the freshest music out there right now.

Wet Leg are also going on tour! Your hoddler-in-chief has already secured his tickets.

Fitzies track of the day: CPR, by Wet Leg

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Tottenham’s midfield transfer plans include major decision over £50m duo after Postecoglou decision”

The Guardian: “Lamine Yamal dazzles as Spain win goal-fest with France to set up Portugal final”

The Telegraph: “One of the great English football clubs is tearing itself apart”

ESPN: “World Cup 2026: Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan qualify”

It’s the first Thursday in June. Did you think there’d be news on the managerial front? Oh, you sweet summer child. And because Fabio Paratici hasn’t officially started, we’re still more or less encased in Johan Lange’s Black Box of Impenetrable Transfer News so even the transfer rumors are pretty sketch.

Because of that, I feel it’s warranted to dive deeper into the wilds of Bat Country and perhaps take a look at a source we might normally dismiss. In this case, it’s Inter Milan blog InterLive, which says Tottenham have a concrete interest in Inter’s 24-year-old German CB Yann Aurel Bisseck.

I’ll be honest here and say that Bisseck is a target that has been familiar with the members of Carty Free Towers’ Slack channel, to the point where a few people have been actively trying to manifest Tottenham’s interest in him for some time. Does a rumor in an Inter blog count as manifestation? Well, it’s a start, and we have no plans to stop at this point.

Bisseck, 24, has been sort of in and out of favor at the San Siro this past season. At 24, the German international is entering his prime years, and while he’s been pretty good when he’s played, Inter seem to be willing to entertain offers for him this summer. That may or may not be because of Simone Inzaghi heading out to get his bag in Saudi Arabia, but hey — we’ll take it.

Take a look at those green bars. Pretty, pretty good. Under Inzaghi, Inter mostly played with a back three, and Bisseck was often a right sided CB in that formation. He hasn’t played a ton in a back two, but he definitely has the tools to do so — he’s a cat-style defender who anticipates passing lanes and can string a good forward pass himself. He’s got very good recovery speed so playing in a high defensive line shouldn’t be an issue. He also has some experience playing as a right back, which makes him somewhat positionally flexibile.

And that’s the key here. Because I know some of you are reading this and saying “Hey, we already have a backup right sided CB, it’s Kevin Danso” and you’re right. What we DON’T have (with apologies to Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin) is a solid left sided CB. Now, if Spurs were to sell Romero this summer, Bisseck would be a natural replacement. But even if we keep Romero, it’s worth taking a long look at him.

Consider: there are plenty of games to play next season, which means it won’t be difficult at all for Bisseck to get minutes. He will play lots at RCB no matter what, and could even play at LB beside Danso (or Danso at LB beside Bisseck) if needed. He could also be used as a backup right back, especially since Djed Spence weirdly looked more comfortable on the left this past season than on the right. Ange Postecoglou likes his positionally flexible players, and Bisseck gives you that. Yes, it makes us a little heavy at the RCB position, but buying a solid defender and a flex RB/RCB like Bisseck would still make a great deal of sense, especially if a solid LCB option doesn’t emerge in the transfer window.

Also — according to this admittedly not especially great sourcing, Inter would be willing to consider offers of €40m (£33.6m). Any move would take place after the Club World Cup, probably because he picked up a thigh injury in the Champions League final vs. PSG. Manchester United and West Ham are also both apparently interested.

For that price, you buy Bisseck as soon as he’s healthy and can pass a physical, and figure the rest out later. He’d probably need some time to bed in and adjust to the pace of the Premier League but that’s likely the case for just about everyone we’d buy from the continent. For this player and that price, I say go for it.

For those of you who don’t know by now, Haim are releasing a new album on June 20.

Hoddle Headqaurters has been keeping up with Haim’s activity since they released their first song for that album, titled I Quit.

So far we’ve covered three of their singles for the record:

Relationships

Everybody’s trying to figure me out

Down to be wrong

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that this is a breakup album, and lead singer Danielle Haim has got some thing she needs to say. The first song was your classic “relationships suck” sort of thing. The second follows some of that angstiness that follows a major life change, whilst the third is a bit more rebellious.

Today’s track of the day, Take me back, naturally is seeped in nostalgia. Danielle Haim’s lyrics are all about returning to their teenage days, being silly kids, having silly crushes and getting into all sorts of weightless adventures.

The band wrote, in part, on instagram: “this was a very nostalgic time for the 3 of us because we all found ourselves single for the first time since we were all in high school. ... we all just started exchanging crazy stories about our teenage years.”

So it seems we’re dealing with different stages of a breakup. This one is the least edgy of them all. Instead it features a nice acoustic guitar breezily carrying the lyrics, which aren’t the best collection of words put down on paper.

Only fifteen days until the new album comes out.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Take me back, by Haim

And now for your links:

Jay Harris ($$): “Spurs need to make a decision on Ange Postecoglou now, so they can plan for next season”

Sport Witness: “Incoming Tottenham man admits he can’t wait to arrive – Talks about his ultimate goal”

VoetbalPrimeur: “Gullit sees himself in the Dutch international: ‘He is fast, big, strong’”

BBC: “Rangers on verge of Martin appointment - what can fans expect?”

The Telegraph: “Crystal Palace mess highlights football’s multi-club ownership problem”