Cartilage Free Captain

It’s been a frustrating time to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan. An injury crisis and a poor run of results have fan morale at a low point, and a number of columns and comments from various pundits and commentators have only added fuel to the fire. After Ange Postecoglou started his Spurs career with a hiss and a roar, results since have been mixed, with a definite downturn in recent weeks accompanying repeated assertions on the suitability of “Ange-ball” (or lack thereof) for the Premier League. These talking points have started to infiltrate fan discussions as well, including the commentariat on this site, so why don’t we take a deep dive together on some of these so-called “facts” that keep getting thrown at us?

This began as a single piece, but as I wrote, I thought it may make more sense as a bit of a mini-series: a deep dive into some of the regular narratives we see permeate any critique of Spurs’ approach. This is not a pro-Ange (or anti-Ange) series; rather, it’s an attempt to address falsehoods that have become a regular part of the #discourse, and to try and understand whether they have any bearing in reality.

So here is Part One: a talking point that was especially grating during the Liverpool match, and that came up multiple times (in my broadcast at least):

The fullback positioning is too aggressive / Inverted fullbacks don’t work

This is the critique that perhaps annoys me the most, and I think is the most misplaced: a regular point of contention for pundits this season has been Ange Postecoglou’s positioning of his fullbacks. The use of “inverted fullbacks” (a term I hate, by the way) seems to make pundits twitch, and conveniently ignores the fact that Pep Guardiola has regularly used his fullbacks in the same way many times over the past few seasons.

In the Liverpool match, it was regularly highlighted as a problem in Spurs’ setup by the commentators, with them asserting that it was far too aggressive and just doesn’t work. Efficacy aside, it’s a tactic that Ange Postecoglou is in fact now only using sparingly and in specific situations, and largely wasn’t even being utilized in the fixture against the Reds. Here’s some examples from that match:

In this screenshot, the Spurs press had been triggered as Liverpool went back to their goalkeeper Allison. He hit a long pass out to Dominik Szoboszlai dropping deep, who then lays the ball back to Trent Alexander-Arnold. You can see the Tottenham front six engaging the Liverpool players, but where are the fullbacks? They are back in the defensive line; a high defensive line admittedly, but a pretty standard back four setup nonetheless.

You see the same above in buildup. Djed Spence has the ball on Spurs’ left at the bottom of the shot in a pretty classical fullback position. You can see Pedro Porro at the top left of screen, but he is likewise in a relatively conservative position: not far advanced of the defensive line and holding a reasonable amount of width. This of course didn’t stay the same throughout the course of the match: as Spurs began to chase the game the fullbacks’ positioning became more and more aggressive in Tottenham’s search for goals.

The thing is... this more standard fullback positioning is not exactly a new tactical tweak. Here’s an example from Spurs’ loss earlier in the season against Brighton:

There is some game state impact here, but if you look through any of the matches around this time you will see a similar pattern in buildup, where the fullbacks were often conservative but the midfielders took up more aggressive positions. Contrast this to the opening match against Leicester:

This is more what you expect from Ange-ball, right? And this is more what you would think is happening week-in, week-out, if you listened to the criticism from the matchday commentators. You can see how Ange has adjusted tactically around their positioning through the season by checking out some examples of average positioning in matches, with some examples below:

The first set of images above are the Leicester draw and Newcastle loss at the start of the season; the second the losses to Brighton and Crystal Palace a couple months on. The differences are subtle, but notable. In the first few rounds of matches, the fullbacks were often narrower, and typically higher - you’ll see the fullbacks in line or ahead of not just the player operating in the #6 role, but one of the #8’s as well. That means a huge amount of space in behind in the wide areas, with Ange largely focusing on locking down the middle of the pitch.

This began to change partway through the season, the loss to Newcastle being one of the catalysts. Ange started to use the fullbacks in more reserved positions in buildup, and when in the attacking phase would often hold one back to allow the other to attack and give more of a back four covering pattern:

I’ve laid this out above. The left represents our setup at the beginning of the season (and large swathes of the previous), with the right being a better reflection of Spurs’ formation in transition in recent months. You can see how this gives Spurs more coverage across the defensive line, but it does highlight two potential issues.

The first is the need for the left center back (or occasionally your right center back, though Spurs have generally held Porro deeper) to operate as a pseudo-fullback - which to be clear, is a slightly larger problem with the first setup, and is probably in large part why Ange especially favored the second structure after the injury to Micky van de Ven. This is fine when Micky van de Ven (or Ben Davies) is available but becomes problematic when Radu Dragusin (or even Archie Gray or Cristian Romero to some extent) are in that position.

Secondly, it means more space in the middle and really requires your press in those central areas to be extremely cohesive. There is a big onus especially on the #6 to make the right decisions as to when to press and when to sit, whereas in the first setup that decision is made much easier: you hold the middle and shuttle left and right depending on how your defenders are covering. We have seen the midfield cadre become more and more tired through the season, and Yves Bissouma is a player who is playing a lot of minutes and especially prone to mental lapses when exhausted. This means he has really struggled with the increased responsibility in the role, often getting dragged out of position or failing to cover the areas required (unfortunately, Rodrigo Bentancur when available has not been much better in that respect). Wouldn’t a Rodri be nice on this Spurs side? It also means if the #6 does get pulled out of position, your additional fullback needs to drop and compress the backline (as seen in the first screenshot in this piece); but that again requires a level of cohesion and decision-making that has not always been present this season with Destiny Udogie especially having struggles of his own following his return from his long-term injury.

So are Spurs’ fullbacks being too aggressive?

This is an image that could potentially be used to bash Spurs for how aggressive their fullbacks are: soon after this screenshot, Dejan Kulusevski gave the ball away, and Liverpool countered for their fourth. I would argue though that having your fullback attack the acres of space above is a requirement of most modern football tactical systems, NOT a feature/bug unique to Ange-ball. Kulusevski unfortunately took too long on the ball, and Bissouma and Dragusin then exacerbated the situation by being especially poor in covering the transition.

The criticism of Ange Postecoglou’s use of inverted fullbacks is thus largely unfounded, and a narrative built on the tactics of last season. That’s not to say Ange isn’t blameless - I have highlighted above some of his struggles in finding the right balance between midfield structure and covering width, but I would also argue that is in part of symptom of an unbalanced squad construction with limited tools with which to work.

Next time you hear the likes of Jamie Carragher going off about inverted fullbacks, feel free to hit the mute button, and check in next time for part two, where we’ll talk about another ridiculous punditry claim.

The hits just keep on coming for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur. One day after falling 1-0 to former Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, Postecoglou was back in front of the microphone addressing yet another problem for his injury-blighted side.

Central defender Radu Dragusin was substituted in the second half against Forest with what appeared to be an ankle knock, leading to fresh concerns that he might not be available when Spurs play Wolves this Sunday. Postecoglou also announced in the press conference that Ben Davies, who was expected to be back for Sunday, had a “setback” in training that will rule him out for another couple of weeks. Fullback Djed Spence is also suspended after picking up two yellow cards vs. Forest.

“Bit early to tell [on Radu], he obviously tweaked his ankle and felt like he couldn’t continue, we’ll just have to wait and see. Wait until he gets in today and then assess it from there.

“No [Davies is] ruled out, unfortunately he had a setback in training so he’s out for another couple of weeks. He’s gone.

“Djed [Spence] got sent off obviously so we’ll miss Djed but from physical perspective tired bodies but no further issues.”

Add those to the pre-existing injuries to Cuti Romero and Micky van de Ven, and it means that Big Ange is officially out of central defenders. If Dragusin can’t play, it means Archie Gray is now the most experienced healthy CB at the club, and would be paired with... someone? Yves Bissouma deputized there in the latter stages of yesterday’s match and he or Rodrigo Bentancur could slot in beside Archie.

Another option would be to call up Alfie Dorrington from the U23s. Should Ange go that route, Spurs would be playing an 18 and 19 year old central defense duo; their combined ages (37) would be one year older than current starting goalkeeper Fraser Forster (36). Strange times.

Postecoglou said that this injury situation is unprecedented in his career.

“We’re in a tough spot and have been for a while, we’ve been getting through it for quite a while now and keeping fingers crossed that we don’t get more issues but the nature of football and fixture scheduling we’ve had means we’ve always been on a fine line of being able to get through. It’s another test for us but whatever we need to deal with, we’ll deal with and get ready for Sunday.

“No, [I haven’t experienced anything like this], not at this level and for this extended period of time. There’s always been issues at different times but not to this extent. I think we’ve had close to pretty consistently 10 first team players not available for a significant run of games. Definitely a first for me.”

So what does that mean for Tottenham’s January recruitment? Ange didn’t give much away but did suggest that the recruitment team under Johan Lange are looking at possibilities. That said, Ange made it clear that it’s unlikely there will be panic buys — if players come in it’s because they’re a part of the long-term plans at Tottenham Hotspur.

“I still think you can be disciplined. It will depend where we’re at when the window opens and we’re getting close to that now, so we’ve got a clearer picture of where we’re at. I still think we have to be disciplined, it’s not just about just bringing anybody in. There’s certainly a need to reinforce if we can.

“Everyone knows January’s not an easy time to do that. But the club’s working hard behind the scenes to see what we can do to help players we’ve got at the moment who are giving everything in every game and dipping into every bit of energy they have to try to get us through.

“I just think we need to help some of these guys. At least two or three who are fairly long term injuries so you know you’re going to be short there. Others are coming back from significant injuries and you don’t know how long they’ll take to get up to speed. We need some reinforcements and the club is working hard to make that happen and we’ll see where we get to.

“[It’s not the most important transfer window] in years but I think in the context of where we’re at at the moment I think it is an important one. I think if we add what we need to add and it fits the bill in what we’re trying to do… Our league position is not great but it’s super tight and we’re not that far off. Like I say, we’re in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and still in great position in Europe and there’s the FA Cup.

“There’s still everything to play for for us this year to make it a season where we can have success. But we need some help, the players need some help more importantly, and the club is working really hard to try make that happen.”

This is very much a “dark night of the soul” period for Tottenham Hotspur. The pacing of the match schedule is relentless, and combined with the injuries, continual fatigue and small problems end up spiraling leading to a negative feedback loop. But as Ange has continually said, the only way out of this quagmire is through. That continues Sunday vs. Wolves.

good morning!

Last year the hoddle was struck by a new entry into America’s college football postseason: The Pop-Tarts Bowl.

For those unaware: I think of ‘Bowl games’ as mini finals to be played at the end of the college football season. There are dozens of them out there, allowing some pretty mediocre teams to play for a trophy at the end of the season.

Many of these ‘bowl games’ are branded and corporatised. But the Pop-Tarts Bowl went a step further last year with a Pop Tart mascot jumping into a toaster, and then a giant toasted pop tart coming out of it.

(For those who don’t know. A Pop Tart is an American ‘breakfast food’. There are a wide variety of these with different flavours like cinammon, strawberry, wild berry, chocolate, you name it. They’re horrible for you.)

The Pop-Tarts Bowl took the madness a step further this year.

Debuted a few weeks ago, the new trophy features a built-in and fully functioning toaster. This is what it looks like:

The whole thing is ridiculous, but fascinating.

And, really, it’s a testatement to how powerful Pop Tarts’ branding is for this bowl game. Can any of you remember who won the game last year?

The Kansas State Wildcats did, defeating North Carolina State 28-19. But no one cared about that. They only cared about the live pop tart descending towards its toasted demise.

It looks like this year’s edition is a bit more glamorous as it’ll feature Iowa State (10-3) against Miami (10-2).

But again, we won’t remember who won this year. That is, unless, you consider Pop Tarts to be the winner. In which case they’ve already won.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Continuum 1, by Nala Sinephro

And now for your links:

A recap of last year’s Pop Tarts chaos

WSJ: Internaitonal ski federation requiring ski races to be fitted with airbags

Welp. Another winnable game dropped by Tottenham Hotspur, this time 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in a match that looked ripe for the taking. But it’s hard to win games when you’re playing two matches a week for a month with nearly ten players unavailable due to injury. Spurs looked exhausted again and just can’t seem to find that spark to get them over the hump. Not sure what the answer is except for “get players healthy and pray.”

It’s time to rate the players.

Rate the players from 1⁄2 to 5 stars. If the player doesn’t deserve a rating due to minutes played, DO NOT RANK. I will round the stars up/down to the nearest half-star for the player ratings later this week.

Filed under:

Tottenham Hotspur Match Reports

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs lost in the fog at City Ground

Spurs drop another winnable match and continue their slide down the table.

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It was a foggy, dreary day in Nottingham where Tottenham Hotspur were set to take on the surprising Nottingham Forest today. There was a mist on the pitch and a mist in the minds of the Spurs players who worked hard but couldn’t find a way past Matz Sels and a stout Forest defense. Anthony Elanga scored the only goal of the match in the first half, slipping past Destiny Udogie on a counter-attack and slotting past Fraser Forster. Spurs huffed and puffed but couldn’t find an equalizer, and fell further down the table with a 1-0 loss.

Tottenham did some mild rotation (which is about all Ange Postecoglou can do these days) for the starting lineup. Rodrigo Bentancur returned from his seven match suspension to start in midfield alongside Pape Sarr. Destiny Udogie, who had been rested after picking up a knock a couple of games ago, rejoined the starting lineup, with Djed Spence giving Pedro Porro a much needed break on the right. James Maddison was also rested with Brennan Johnson returning to the lineup.

A frustrating result. Here are my match reactions.

Match Reactions:

Yeah, this was one of those games. You know the ones. I’ve said before one of the stories of this match is the fact that Spurs have failed to win ANY of their 50/50 matches this season. This was another one. I’d almost say Spurs were comfortably the better side, and they still came away with a 1-0 loss. How do you explain that?

This match was reminiscent of Spurs early in the season — a lot of possession, plenty of box entries, but very little shot production to show for it.

And of course with all that possession it makes total sense that Forest would score the only goal of the match via a classic counterattacking goal following a stupid midfield giveaway.

Final xG: NFO 1.21 — 1.28 TOT, Spurs had 71% possession and outshot Forest 13-10.

Spurs really really missed any sort of creativity in the first half, and the subs of Bergvall and Maddison did make a difference. Bergvall I thought especially provided a spark, he played well, snapping into tackles and making progressive passes.

The mist on the pitch was really obvious on TV, it made me wonder whether it impacted the players on the pitch as much.

Really disappointing matches from the entire front line today. Son, Solanke, and especially Brennan Johnson all were sub-par, and you’re not going to win many games when that happens.

Gonna go out on a limb and suggest finishing a match with Archie Gray and Yves Bissouma as your two central defenders is a little less than ideal. Thankfully, Ben Davies could be back for Wolves?

Spence picking up a cheap second yellow and a suspension for the next match was just the cherry on this stupid crappy sundae.

Forest are a good side and Nuno is making them proud, but this still feels like a match that Spurs let slip away. A point would’ve been fair. A win was not out of the question here. Grr.

Ah, the festive period. Flush with football fixtures, fun for all, with fights against fatiguing foes flourishing. Feliz Navidad!

It’s Nottingham Forest who are Tottenham Hotspur’s opponents for the customary Boxing Day fixture, with the Nuno Espirito Santo-coached side perhaps the surprise package of the 24/25 instance of the Premier League. The East Midlands club would have been picked by many to be potentially involved in the relegation battle but are instead fighting at the opposite end of the table, sitting in fourth thanks largely to Chris Wood’s 10 goals. It’s their defense though that has them sitting pretty, with Nuno making Forest fans proud with the side holding the second-best defensive record in the league.

It’s a record many Spurs fans may be envious of, but one that is probably slightly unrealistic with the resources available to Ange Postecoglou. Spurs haven’t had much in the way of positive news on the injury front, but one bonus will be the availability of Rodrigo Bentancur after serving his suspension.

This will be a tough match, and Spurs’ tired squad are going to have to somehow find an extra reserve to take anything from it. Let’s hope they can!

COYS!

Lineups

Live Blog

How to Watch

Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham Hotspur

The City Ground, Nottingham, UK

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Time: 10:00 a.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. UK

TV: Not televised in USA or UK. Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock, Amazon Prime (UK)

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

Christmas has passed, and Tottenham Hotspur finds itself in the bottom half of the Premier League table. While three matches in the next 10 days present an opportunity for quick movement — especially with just six points separating fifth and 13th — it feels like Spurs’ chances to salvage this domestic campaign are reaching the danger zone. Boxing Day’s visit to a top-four Nottingham Forest side is just one match in isolation, but given the current state of affairs, every single fixture feels massive.

Forest has enjoyed a remarkable start to the season, though analytics and betting markets are slow to believe. Spurs are still given comparable odds to secure a top-four finish, despite the current eight-point gap. These projections may be valid once key absentees are back to full health, but for now these sides look nothing alike. A win on Thursday could fuel optimism for a resurgence, but a loss would validate Tottenham’s place in the table.

Nottingham Forest (4th, 31pts) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (t-11th, 23pts)

Date: Thursday, December 26

Time: 10:00 am ET, 3:00 pm UK

Location: The City Ground, Nottingham

TV: Peacock (US), Amazon Prime Video (UK)

How does a team ranked 13th in goals scored sit in fourth place? The answer lies in Forest’s stingy defense, which has conceded just 19 goals in 17 matches. Despite a nearly even goal difference, Forest has mastered the art of efficient scoring — winners of four of its last five, three came by a single goal. It has been quite the season for Nuno Espirito Santo after just barely escaping relegation following his appointment last winter.

Tottenham played a pivotal role in that managerial shake-up, defeating Steve Cooper’s side 2-0 at the City Ground, a result that ultimately led to Nuno’s appointment. Spurs completed the league double with a 3-1 victory at the new Lane, thanks to goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro. Since Forest’s promotion in 2022/23, Spurs have taken all 12 points, though Forest did manage a win in the League Cup that season.

All or Nothing

While Forest has thrived on narrow victories, Tottenham has been the opposite: the last five league wins have all been by at least three goals. Spurs’ attack has been inconsistent this season, but they have scored 16 goals in their past five matches across all competitions. Unfortunately, defensive frailties have been equally prominent, making Tottenham one of the league’s most high-event teams. This clash of styles — Forest’s defensive discipline against Spurs’ attacking firepower — sets the stage for an interesting affair.

Despite Forest’s defensive solidity, Tottenham’s red-hot attack gives it reasons for optimism. Newcastle, Arsenal, and City each put three past Forest in (somewhat) recent victories, exposing its potential vulnerabilities. Ange Postecoglou’s side has shown its attacking prowess lately, as the key injuries at the club are more detrimental to the defense. If Spurs are to leave the City Ground with three points, they will need to rely on their attackers to compensate for a shaky back line yet again.

The strongest wills

Postecoglou remains steadfast in his philosophy and approach. Critics frustrated with his commitment to an attacking style that leaves the defense exposed will not find solace anytime soon. However, a loss to the league’s best team does not really teach us anything new. Even a more conservative style would not suddenly make this group of defenders world-class, and any such shift would inevitably come at the expense of the team’s attacking prowess.

I agree with Postecoglou’s belief that the only viable path is to press forward, regardless of who is available. While this may lead to continued frustrations, it is essential to view this as a long-term project rather than a quick fix. Watching teams like Forest climb the table on the back of strong defending can be disheartening, but that is not the direction this club has chosen. A win Thursday would go a long way to justify this path that has been established.

good morning and happy Boxing Day!

Oh if there’s a day that’s better than Christmas Day, it’s Boxing Day.

We’re talking about a day packed with football. Blackburn Rovers-Sunderland, Bristol City-Luton Town, Boro-Wednesday, Bournemouth-Palace, Brighton-Brentford. And of course Forest-Spurs.

But this isn’t the match thread - it’s the hoddle!

And your hoddler-in-chief is currently soliciting music recommendations. I will be driving down to the record store in a couple of days and am thinking of picking up a good variety of different genres.

So if you’ve listened to any good music lately that you feel is worth listening to on vinyl, shout it out! And if you’ve discovered a hidden gem, or rediscovered a record you love, share that also!

Few things are more fun that record shopping. [Watching Tottenham Hotspur beat Forest 5-0 today would be one of those things].

Fitzie’s track of the day: Glorietta, by Tennis

And now for your links:

The Independent: Spurs’ ‘sliding doors moment’ which saw them embrace chaos

How Boxing Day became a PL tradition

Tottenham Hotspur don’t have any transfer targets wrapped and under their Christmas tree this season (understandable since the transfer window doesn’t open until New Year’s Day) but we are starting to get a few half-baked but still somewhat plausible rumors that are beginning to emerge.

Take this one, from Florian Plettenberg. According to good ol’ Plettigoal, Tottenham are one of a few teams “interested” in potentially bringing in 26-year old PSG wide forward Randal Kolo Muani next month.

It’s an interesting rumor. Kolo Muani came through at Nantes but broke through in his one full season at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022-23, where he scored 15 goals and had 11 assists. That earned him a transfer to PSG, where he has mostly stagnated and disappointed. He had 6g+5a in 1200 minutes last season for the French giants, and this year has 2g+1a in just 358 minutes. PSG are ready to offload him, potentially on loan next month, though Plettenburg notes that they’re likely to demand a purchase obligation.

His stats are also interesting — looking at the wide forward profile his goals are down, but his npxG is high, and he does like to take on his defenders. He’s also a creative player who racks up plenty of assists. Seems like with a little time he could be a good fit for Ange-Ball.

Tottenham are very much in the “these other clubs are also interested” part of the rumor, so the actual links to him are pretty thin. That said, he’d be an interesting signing. He plays a very similar role to Richarlison in that he’s equally comfortable up top and in a left sided wide forward role. Ability-wise he’s probably a push with a healthy Richy, but the main issue is just that — Richy just can’t stay healthy and very likely isn’t going to be at the club much longer. Richarlison aside, I’d also argue that Kolo Muani would be a pretty decent upgrade to Timo Werner, if the club wants to cut ties next month.

At 26, Kolo Muani needs a fresh start away from Paris, and the Premier League seems like a good place for him to do that. The links are tenuous (all transfer links are tenuous in the Age of Lange). He wouldn’t be a long-term replacement, his wages are high (£200k/wk), and it’s not clear how much purchase obligation would be, if it’s even included. But Spurs do need help in that part of the pitch, as well as someone who can capably rotate with Son Heung-Min along with Mikey Moore and (eventually) Wilson Odobert. Consider me intrigued, at least until I get more information.

good morning and Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah to all those who celebrate!

We’ve just got a short hoddle for you all today. To celebrate the special day I think it might be fun to look back at a couple Christmas videos Spurs have put up in recent years.

Here’s the first one, titled “Who am I?” with Sonny, Jan Vertonghen, Harry Winks and Paulo Gazzaniga.

This whole exercise for me is mostly an excuse to watch old Jan Vertonghen clips.

Want another one? Here ya go, featuring Vertonghem, Ben Davies and Kyle Walker-Peters:

Anyways, that’s about it for your hoddle today.

I hope everyone has a very happy holiday. And I understand the holidays can also be a stressful and lonely time! But you are welcome here :)

Feel free to stop by the hoddle today and say hello or comment on the latest American football or NBA game going on, or chat about anything you want really. It is the hoddle after all!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Don’t Shoot Me Santa, by The Killers

And now for your links:

An oldie: The 100 best male footballers in the world 2024