Cartilage Free Captain

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Fitzie’s Film and TV Reviews, where your hoddler-in-chief reviews the things he’s seen on the television and the big screen. I haven’t seen any films lately (recommendations are wanted), so today’s edition features three different television series. Let’s get started:

Nobody Wants This, season two:

Everybody wanted a second season of Nobody Wants This after Kristen Bell and Adam Brody stole America’s hearts in the first season. But season two falls a little more flat as it expands these characters’ universe. There’s supposed to be conflict, but it’s hard to see from where at times. When it finally reveals itself in Episode 10, it feels unearned (as does the resolution).

Only Murders In The Building, season five:

The return of Nathan Lane automatically bumps this up half a star. It’s hard to believe we’re five seasons into this series featuring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. The three work brilliantly together but it’s Steve Martin whose physical comedy shines. And we get more of Da’Vine Joy Randolph in this one as well, which is a plus.

At times, though, I wondered where this season was going. There were several episodes that I felt lacked a lot of focus.

Apparently this isn’t the end of the gang, either, as next season takes place in London. A series of Only Murders In the Building outside the famed Arconia?

I don’t think I’ll ever rate Taskmaster lower than four Fitzies. Even series that don’t shine are still enjoyable to watch. This one, thankfully, is a delight to watch even if it did take me a couple of episodes to warm up to this new crop of contestants.

It certainly helps that it’s one of the closest series I’ve ever seen in the standings. We’re still one episode to go too!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Madalena, by Goose

And now for your links:

The Athletic: “What are supporters really seeking from their team: Style, substance or something else?”

Alasdair Gold: “Luka Vuskovic drama, two likely Tottenham loan recalls but Mikey Moore quashes return”

Sky Sports: “Liverpool contact PGMOL over Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal in Man City defeat to raise significant concerns”

ESPN: “Angry Neymar storms off with Santos threatened by relegation”

A draw can sometimes be an exciting thing, like when you achieve a result against an opponent that you know you had no business competing with. Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United didn’t feel like one of those. The last gasp Matthijs de Ligt header was a gut punch, but considering neither team was exactly setting the house on fire neither did it feel like had dropped points ourselves. In fact, a 2-2 draw in which neither team had an xG greater than 1.0 felt both weird and actually pretty accurate.

The player ratings seem to bear that out too. There were a couple of definitely good performances, and a few moderately poor ones, but nobody was incredible and nobody was abject. Just a lot of meh, more or less. And whatever else you might think about this match, it certainly feels ok going into another international break without thinking about a loss.

Anyway, today’s theme is one I’ve been holding onto for a while. Hang around any football forum and you’re going to see commentators butchering the spelling of footballers’ names. Some of them are honest mistakes because the player has a unique name, and some of them are… look, I dunno but the number of times I’ve see Mohammed Kudus’ name misspelled on this blog’s comments is kind of funny.

So as we head into another two weeks with no real football of which to speak, let’s instead rate the Tottenham Hotspur players to the themes of various misspellings of Spurs players’ names. And yes, I’ve seen ALL of these and have been collecting them.

No Tottenham players in this category.

Wilson Odobert (Community — 4.0): His substitution (along with Destiny Udogie’s) changed the game. He’s clearly figuring out this league and this level, and his performances are starting to show that rising confidence. Heavily involved in both Spurs goals, and grabbed the assist for Richy’s flick (I’m convinced Wilson’s shot was going to hit the post).

Mathys Tel (Community — 4.0): Absolutely delighted with his contribution, and the turn/finish for his goal was very well taken. He’s young and he won’t always be this good, but it’s quite nice to see that he has this in him.

I know we did this already, but it remains baffling that a guy can be at a club for four seasons and people still can’t get his name right

Micky van de Ven (Community — 3.5): Clearly full of confidence after Copenhagen. Had a couple of fantastic defensive stops (the best being vs. Sesko) and looked solid throughout.

Xavi Simons (Community — 3.5): Slippery (in a good way, but also in a bad way as he had difficulty with the slick pitch) in the attacking third but still looks perplexed that his teammates aren’t making the runs he’s used to when he gets the ball around the box.

Destiny Udogie (Community — ): Developing quite a good partnership with Wilson on the left side overlap. Got the assist for Tel’s outstanding goal.

Guglielmo Vicario (Community — 3.0): Rooted for United’s first goal. Probably could’ve done better to stop the late equalizer, but it’s hard to get too upset with him for not preventing a close-range header off a set piece when he’s done so brilliantly for us in recent matches.

Cuti Romero (Community — 3.5): Picked up a stupid and rash yellow card but otherwise was solid enough? Hope Frank’s not lying about his substitution being for fatigue.

Djed Spence (Community — 3.0): I dunno, this was the Platonic ideal of a “he was fine” match. But I’d still like to see a left footed player as LWB as Spence has some defensive frailties at times there.

Joao Palhinha (Community — 3.0): Another match where Palhinha did Good Palhinha Things, but what we needed wasn’t really Good Palhinha Things, it was someone to pass the ball vertically up the pitch, which he doesn’t do. Still, he wasn’t poor and had a shot saved.

Thomas Frank (Community — ): I officially no longer know what to do about Frank. He’s somewhat hamstrung by injuries but also isn’t really showing that he has any other ideas apart from what he’s shown in recent matches. This is a throw-up-your-hands-whatever three star rating, since we didn’t lose.

Pedro Porro (Community — 2.5): Not one of his better performances. Wayward with his crossing, and let Mbeumo past him more often than I’d like. Didn’t mind him being subbed off since he needs his minutes managed, but it’s a bit telling, yeah?

Pape Matar Sarr (Community — 3.0): As much as I dislike the Palhintancur double pivot, I think I might have disliked this more. A lot of running around, no real production, and a big mistake leading up to United’s first goal.

Brennan Johnson (Community — 2.5): Put a cross on a plate for Richarlison (who whiffed) and had a goal correctly called for offside. Otherwise, pretty unremarkable performance from him in a game where we needed some of that hot back post action. (Yes, phrasing, and I’m leaving it.)

Richarlison (Community — 2.5): Notable that I’m putting him at 2.5 stars after he redirected in a late goal off his shoulder that nearly won the match. But that tells you how off the pace he was otherwise. Whiffed again on a beautiful cross from BJ and was otherwise feasting on scraps. BUT — he was hustling in the press, so there’s that.

Randal Kolo Muani (Community — 2.5): Gets something of a pass from me now that we know he was injured by an errant Slabhead elbow at around 12’ and still played through it. But he wasn’t very good.

Rodrigo Bentancur (Community — 3.0): If I’m putting Sarr here then I should also put Lolo here because he provided about the same level of contribution in midfield.

Remarkably, no players were this poor vs. United, and that’s kind of nice?

No Tottenham players were as bad as misspelling Archie Gray’s name. At least this time.

Tom Carroll Memorial Non-Rating

Remember last season when Tottenham Hotspur, under Ange Postecoglou, had twelve players unavailable due to injury? It was a crisis! Ange, it was said, was deliberately hurting his players, either by his intense training regimen and insane offensive tactics, or by sneaking up behind them and whapping them on the knee with a cricket bat, one of those. But it was definitely a THING.

Don’t look now, but it’s a new season and Tottenham Hotspur currently have twelve players unavailable to them due to injury. Some of them are more severe than others, of course, and Tottenham currently have their top three central defenders healthy and playing (as opposed to playing Ben Davies and a teenage midfielder out of position) so it FEELS a little different than last season. But make no mistake, twelve players out is a LOT of players out. Spurs currently are the most injured team in the Premier League… again.

So I thought it might be helpful to give a little update post on which players are currently unavailable, what we know, and when they might be back in action… maybe.

James Maddison

Injury — ACL (surgery). Out — indefinitely, possibly entirety of season

‘We can confirm that James will undergo surgery for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee. His surgery will take place in the coming days, and following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.’

— Tottenham Hotspur statement

Let’s start with the most obvious absence. Maddison’s injury while on Spurs’ preseason tour was and continues to be the most impactful on Spurs’ season. It shifted their entire summer transfer plan, in ways that are still being felt because they didn’t actually SOLVE the midfield in Madders’ absence. But if Maddison doesn’t get hurt maybe we don’t get Xavi Simons? Swings and roundabouts, maybe. Anyway, he won’t be back until April at the earliest.

Dejan Kulusevski

Injury — ACL (surgery). Out — December

‘Deki is still not on the grass. We’re working very hard to get him fit as quickly as possible.’

— Thomas Frank, October 31, 2025

The OTHER major knee injury in Tottenham’s squad, Deki has been out since the end of last season which is bad, but he’s probably going to be the first player back among the long-term injured players, which is good. Tentative plan is to have him back by the end of November, but knowing Frank he’ll (correctly) work him back in slowly, starting with cameos and late subs.

Dominic Solanke

Injury — ankle (surgery). Out — late November (?)

‘We want him back and no setbacks. We’re very aware of doing it in the right way. It is going in the right way, but he won’t be back before the international break.’

— Thomas Frank, October 31, 2025

Solanke picked up an ankle injury very early into the season and has been out since, eventually requiring “minor” surgery (that pretty much everyone agrees wasn’t exactly “minor”). He’s basically been going through Xeno’s Return Date whereby the exact point of his eventual return to the squad continues to be extended through increasingly shorter time spans without him actually returning at all. Incredibly frustrating, for him most of all.

Ben Davies

Injury — hamstring. Out — indefinitely

“[He] could miss weeks.”

— Thomas Frank, October 21, 2025

We have yet to see Ben Davies play, which isn’t great considering he’s 32 and Tottenham extended his contract by an extra year to keep him around as an in-house “glue guy” defender. Frank briefly addressed his absence last month and we haven’t heard anything about him since.

Radu Dragusin

Injury — ACL (surgery). Out — late November

‘He’s fully integrated into training now. An ACL [injury] is not tricky, but it’s such a big injury, because you’re out for nine months, so you need to build strength in the knee. He is definitely getting closer to being involved. I think we plan to play him in a friendly [during the Nov break], as I understand it.’

— Thomas Frank, October 28, 2025

It’s been long enough that I no longer remember when exactly Radu picked up his knee injury. I know it was last season sometime, and I know it required surgery (as Radu showed off his gnarly scar on James Maddison’s recovery video). Thankfully, Radu looks like he’ll be eased back in by the end of the month, and his return could provide some tactical flexibility, possibly allowing Micky van de Ven to spell Destiny Udogie at LB on occasion. Shame Radu’s not a central midfielder who can pass.

Yves Bissouma

Injury — Ankle. Out — late November (?)

‘Biss, unfortunately, had a situation with the national team, I think everyone saw that, so he got a ligament injury to his ankle that will keep him out for weeks.’

— Thomas Frank, October 17, 2025

Bissouma has been in Frank’s doghouse for repeatedly arriving late to training, and then picked up an ankle injury while playing for Ghana last month. We haven’t really gotten a recent update on his status, but he’d certainly be useful to have at our disposal as we head into a tricky end of November and early December.

Archie Gray

Injury — calf. Out — December

‘He would have started [vs. Everton]. He got a contact to the calf in Monaco and probably in there or whatever, also picked up a calf strain.’

— Thomas Frank, October 29, 2025

Poor Archie. He was all set for a redemption arc as the Midfield Passer Who Was Promised only for him to pick up a calf injury in the Champions League in the Principality on October 22. Early reports said he’d be out for “over a month” which puts a late November return in doubt, but hopefully he’ll be fit for the festive fixtures.

Kota Takai

Injury — plantar fasciitis/thigh. Out — ???

‘Kota is a quad problem. He’s about to be training, soon.’

—Thomas Frank, October 31, 2025

I have no idea about Kota Takai, as we haven’t seen him play a single minute since joining from Kawasaki Frontale this summer. He picked up a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis just after arriving, and anyone who has had that injury knows it’s painful, can take a long time to heal, and there’s really not much you can do about it. But he’s also had a thigh problem from training, which is what he’s currently rehabbing. When will he return? The real question is whether we’ll see him at all. He’s Spurs’ fourth CB and I doubt we’d have seen much of him even if he were healthy. Anyway, he’s officially part of On The Grass FC.

Lucas Bergvall

Injury — concussion. Out — after international break

‘Lucas got a concussion, which was probably pretty obvious from the footage. Big praise to the medical team, because it’s a tricky situation to be in when it’s two minutes into a game. So, well done to them because it’s the player’s health that’s the most important thing.’

— Thomas Frank, November 3, 2025

Lucas took a ball to the face inside two minutes against Chelsea and looked wobbly and dazed immediately afterwards. His substitution was the correct decision, though we sure could’ve used him in the past few games. He’s been out under league concussion protocol, but there’s no reason to think he won’t be available for the North London Derby (and/or the Champions League match at PSG).

Mohammed Kudus

Injury — knock. Out — after international break

‘Mo is touch and go for tomorrow - we’ll see.’

—Thomas Frank, November 7, 2025

Mo is coming back from an unspecified knock, and considering he was not called up to play for Ghana due to injury, it was probably the right decision to sit him on Saturday vs. United. He could probably use the extra two weeks to rest and recover fitness, unless someone is lying and his leg has fallen off or something.

Randal Kolo Muani

Injury — fractured jaw. Out — indefinitely

‘He actually struggled a little bit, but nothing big”

— Thomas Frank, November 8, 2025

Face, meat Slabhead’s elbow. RKM was subbed out at halftime of Saturday’s draw vs. United. That itself was unusual and probably should’ve tipped us off that there was something wrong with him, since Frank very rarely makes halftime tactical subs. Doctor Google tells me a fractured jaw could take as long as 2-3 months to fully heal, but there are examples of players with the same injury playing with a protective face mask, so we’ll have to wait for an update to know more. BTW, Frank’s quote, given in the post-match press conference, can either be attributed to Frank really not knowing RKM’s actual status minutes after the match, or it’s evidence that he will lie to protect injury status.

Cristian Romero

Injury — he’s fine. Out — No, seriously, he’s fine

‘Yeah, he was just done physically. He just came back from that injury. He’s fine.’

—Thomas Frank, November 8, 2025

He’s fine. No, it’s okay, he’s fine. It’s nothing to worry about. Seriously, stop obsessing over injury stuff. He’s fine. FINE. It’s all okay. This is fine. Everything’s fine. I am okay with events as they are unfolding currently.

Warren Zevon is finally in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I don’t care how he got there - and it isn’t for me to litigate the significance of this moment - I’m just glad he’s there. And for those who might strike down this moment, I point you to David Letterman who, a decade ago, wished he could be there to induct Zevon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Letterman was after all, according to Zevon, the best friend his music’s ever had.

And, finally, Letterman got that chance.

Hoddle Headquarters will give Letterman the title of Zevon’s music’s best friend, whilst also retaining that Hoddle HQ is also a devoted and lifelong friend of Zevon’s music. The man’s music and lyrics continue to stop me in my tracks. From the first time I heard Werewolves of London to where I put Zevon’s self-titled album on my turntable for the first time, it’s gorgeous.

Such as when I played Frank and Jesse James on my turntable for the first time in my Stamford, Conn, apartment some eight or nine years ago. The brilliant way it spoke of this historical grievance of a storied robber duo. That’s quintessential Zevon.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Franke and Jesse James, by Warren Zevon

There are stronger tracks on his eponymous LP, for sure. Aside from Join Me In LA, I think every other song is better. But it’s the motif that brings us to his greatest lyrical composition Desperadoes Under The Eaves (one of my all-time favourite songs), that makes Frank and Jesse James truly special.

Zevon’s music came later my ongoing life. I don’t remember the first time I heard Lawyers, Guns & Money (which is Zevon at his finest). What I do remember is the intense grief I had felt in the subsequent times I have listened to it.

I don’t understand how grief works - I think Zevon did, though. He had an intimate relationship with death and near-death that permitted his macabre lyrics and sardonic wit to shine.

The Wind would turn out to be Zevon’s final studio album. About a year before his death he had an hour-long sitdown with David Letterman chatting about his music, his health, death and life.

“Enjoy every sandwich,” Zevon said.

I’m not much for sandwiches. I don’t like lunch. But I enjoy every coffee. And I hope that is consolation for the son of a gangster.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part two: Keep Me In Your Heart, by Eddie Vedder (feat. Paul Shaffer)

I’m in East Norwalk, Conn, which is strange because I’ve never lived there. Or am I in South Norwalk, passing by a bar that I imagine has it share of folks who are known by name - although the bar’s name I cannot remember at this time (though I’ve got it written down somewhere to the tune of some Bob Dylan song).

Or am I at East Potomac Park, coffee in hand, staring at out at the river separating me and the Wharf, the newly renovated part of the District of Columbia with its hip overprices restaurants, seafood market and music hall.

The currents splash before me and I hang out for a couple of hours.

I could swear I wrote about it.

This was a few years ago.

Fitzie’s track of the day, part three: Rosarita Beach Cafe, by Warren Zevon

Yes, of course, it is easy to lean into the aloofness of Zevon as you listen to his music. How could you not? The few songs that speak of human connection are, frankly, unpleasant.

But to do so would be to ignore Zevon’s humour.

That’s what makes Zevon’s music so intoxicating. It exists outside the perimeters of society - the degenerates, the unloveds and all those who feel life has robbed them of inhering their place in Beverly Hills.

And even if any of us gets there, Zevon reminds us of a monster that lives there also,. Who isn’t afraid of dining at a Chinese restaurant or getting his haircut in a posh salon or walking down the streets of a too-hot-too-trot central London hotspot.

No one wrote music like Warren Zevon. And no one ever will.

AHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fitzie’s track of the day, part four: Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “Thomas Frank is not Nuno, even if the parallels were there on Saturday for Tottenham”

Variety: “David Letterman Offers a Full Sandwich of a Speech Inducting Warren Zevon Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”

Ultimate Classic Rock: “The Killers Pay Tribute to Warren Zevon at Rock Hall Ceremony Using One of Zevon’s Own Guitars”

Tottenham Hotspur’s attacking options took a major hit one day after their 2-2 draw against Manchester United. A report on social media by French journalist Fabrice Hawkins states that on loan striker Randal Kolo Muani has suffered a fractured jaw and is out indefinitely.

Hawkins’ focus is mostly on how RKM’s injury affects the France national team, but it’s obviously significant for Tottenham as well. Kolo Muani was subbed off at halftime by Thomas Frank for Wilson Odobert, and at the time most fans probably thought the decision was tactical. In fact, I had criticized it at the time as RKM was doing better than Richarlison, the other obvious option. But if it’s an injury that makes a lot more sense, especially since Frank very rarely makes halftime subs unless he has to.

I have no idea how long it takes for a fractured jaw to heal, or how that injury can or will affect Randal’s ability to play football. A quick Google suggests a jaw can take 6-8 weeks to heal WITHOUT surgery, and of course speculation is fruitless since we don’t know the extent of the injury or whether he’ll be able to play at all.

But let’s assume he’s out a while, which sucks because he was only recently coming back from a severe dead leg and was starting to round into form. That leaves Richarlison, Mathys Tel, and Dane Scarlett as the team’s three striker options, although there are suggestions that Dominic Solanke might be ready to return after the international break.

Spurs had ten players unavailable last week, and the team’s injury crisis has been low-key just as bad as last season’s; they just aren’t getting as much sympathy as they did last season under Ange. But its bad out there, folks.

Tottenham Hotspur had a chance to beat Manchester United for the fifth consecutive time after four wins last season, including the Europa League final. For a few glorious minutes there near the end of the match, it looked like they’d do it. Tottenham went down midway through the second half thanks to a defensive miscue and an open shot by Bryan Mbeumo. But Spurs came roaring back in the second half, forcing United keeper Semme Lammens into a number of excellent stops. Mathys Tel leveled the score with a lovely turn and finish in the box in the 84th minute, and Spurs thought they’d nicked it in extra time after Richarlison broke his duck, flicking a Wilson Odobert ball into the back of the net in the 91st minute to put Spurs ahead.

Then Mathias de Ligt out-jumped Spurs’ defenders at the back post, nodded in an equalizer off of a set piece that Guglielmo Vicario couldn’t stop, and United escaped with a 2-2 draw. A disheartening to what would’ve been a solid win despite another pretty meh overall match.

For much of Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium it looked like it might be a repeat, maybe not as severe, as the Chelsea loss. Neither United nor Tottenham were generating much on the offensive side of the ball, with both teams looking content to let the other team make a mistake. Spurs put up a shocking 0.07 xG in the first half, with United only managing 0.23 xG. Champagne football this was not.

But the second half substitutions of Wilson Odobert and Destiny Udogie changed the match. Odobert was outstanding, combining well with Udogie on the left side and essentially doing everything but score Tottenham’s second. A win would’ve made Spurs the first club in the Premier League era to beat United five straight times. A draw “merely” extends their unbeaten streak against United to eight matches, going back to 2023, and puts Spurs up to third, at least temporarily.

Here are my match reactions to what turned out to be an entertaining finish.

Match Reactions

Final xG: TOT 0.96 - 0.63 UTD

I had two drafts written and then deleted for this recap, so that’s why it’s taking a little longer to get this out. Sorry not sorry, blame Spurs and United for being both crap and also exciting when it matters.

It doesn’t seem to matter how much these two teams chop and change their lineups, it always feels like a match where both teams sit back against each other and wait for the other one to make a mistake that they can capitalize on. A 2-2 draw where neither team had an xG over 1.0 feels… well, feels pretty accurate.

That mistake came in the 32nd minute with a failed defensive clearance that lead to a Mbeumo header. I was going to comment on how despite U-Ball was in full effect for the first half and it was really awful to watch

Spurs did a pretty decent job getting the ball into the attacking third; it’s everything after that point that was pretty close until late. This Tottenham line for whatever reason just runs out of ideas as soon as the ball gets anywhere near the box, or the execution is poor. How many Pedro Porro or Brennan Johnson crosses were either overhit or mis-hit in that first half? Better in the second, but this is becoming an recurrent problem.

A Thomas Frank halftime sub is rare and notable, and I was pleased to see Wilson Odobert come on. I was less pleased to see him come on for Randal Kolo Muani and not for Richarlison, who was probably the worst player on the front line for much of the match. Odobert has been blossoming this season, like he’s finally figuring out that he’s a good player. Gareth Bale arc incoming?

More on Richy: He looked like a player who knows he’s been playing like butt for a while now. Can’t fault his work rate and the system isn’t helping him, but my god he’s just not doing well, and that makes his second half flicked-on goal off his shoulder a little sweeter. I’m glad he scored as I’m sure that’s a major monkey off his back; I just wish Spurs had been able to make him the hero in a Spurs win.

Things definitely opened up for Spurs in the second half, with United’s keeper making two good saves to prevent goals and Johnson having a goal called back for offside. The main issue with Johnson’s not-goal was that Richarlison was slow with the pass and didn’t catch Johnson’s late run until he was already in an offside position. If he is quicker with the ball (or plays Odobert on the other side) it’s a goal.

Extremely happy for my nephew Mathys Tel who had a lovely turn and shot in the box to level the score. Great goal and should be a confidence booster for him.

We need Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall back quickly because I think I might like the Palhinha-Sarr midfield pairing even less than the Palhinha-Bentancur pairing.

Look, Spurs’ defense was on the whole pretty okay. They only gave up five shots and two on target. It’s just United scored on both of those on-target shots, and that’s stupid. It’s also football, and if Spurs were more clinical and generated more offense it’s a win, easy. I continue to be concerned that Thomas Frank, hamstrung as he is by injuries, doesn’t have many good ideas to get Spurs firing offensively.

Despite the disappointing end, the draw puts Spurs, at least temporarily, into third. That’s the good news. The bad news is that their next two matches are the away North London Derby and away to PSG in the Champions League. Whoof.

“I think the international break will be the big decider and we have two weeks to push [Solanke] for the next steps. It is going forward. It was clear he was not ready before the international break. After is what we’re aiming for and you always want to get it right.”

“[He needs] sharpness because fitness wise he is fit to start and play, but to do it at the highest possible intensity throughout the 90 mins, I don’t think he is there yet. But I think it was a very promising game against Copenhagen and I think he is on the right track.

“I think he has a little bit, Solanke is also good to run in behind, but that pace to go on outside. I like his combination play, link-up play and I just think he’s a good player.”

“I think he is a fantastic finisher. His finishing is at a very high level and probably he needs what every player needs and to play games. That is the biggest thing and right now the competition is tough here. It’s difficult to give him four or five games in a row. It’s not impossible but it’s difficult. He needs to play games.”

Four times Tottenham Hotspur faced Manchester United last season, and four times that contest ended favorably. The last one is the only one that matters, though, and for at least this generation, it will be impossible to separate the thought of Manchester United from the memory of Spurs lifting that trophy at long last.

Infamously, these two clubs finished in the bottom six of the Premier League table despite their Europa League Final participation, but the new campaign has started much brighter for each. Both sit just two points off second place through 10 matches, and while they are far from alone in this part of the table, top four (or five) hopes are well alive for both sides.

Match Details

Date: Saturday, November 8

Time: 7:30 am ET, 12:30 pm UK

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: Peacock (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)

Table: Spurs (t-6th, 17 pts), United (t-6th, 17 pts)

Aside from the crazy 4-3 win in the League Cup last December, the main theme in Tottenham’s quadruple over United was the defense. A 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in September, a 1-0 success in North London in February, then the 1-0 finale in Bilbao all featured flawless defensive performances that would be welcomed again this weekend.

Three Big Questions

Is a hierarchy forming? Among Tuesday’s standouts were Xavi Simons (who has been routinely starting most matches anyway), Wilson Odobert, and Randal Kolo Muani (despite being unable to finish). Though Odobert struggles with fitness, when he has been on the pitch, he does seem to make Spurs better, and at this point there is no clearly better option at left wing.

Meanwhile, Richarlison’s performance this season has fully proved he is not the No. 9 this squad needs, and even with Kolo Muani’s misses, the Brazilian is third-choice at best. Until Dominic Solanke returns, I would like to see more of Kolo Muani up top. United has allowed the fifth-most goals in the league this season including five in the past three matches; this is a great chance for the Frenchman to get off the mark.

Can Tottenham run the midfield? With Ruben Amorim deploying a back three, it would seem that Spurs could grab hold of the middle of the pitch, especially given Thomas Frank’s preference at these positions. Retaining the ball and breaking up opposing threats has not been the major issue this season, and the home side has the personnel to feel comfortable here.

Whether or not this actually yields any results is a different question. Despite its recent performances, United is obviously better defensively than Copenhagen, and relying on Micky van de Ven — even with his team-leading tally — and Joao Palhinha for goals is not a recipe for sustainable success. I am interested in seeing the Simons-Kolo Muani connection again, but recognize that the central midfielders will be doing far more recycling than forcing the issue this weekend.

Will shot disparity make a difference? United shoots the ball — a lot. Second in the Premier League behind only Liverpool, Amorim’s side takes a healthy number of hacks, which has led to 17 goals scored (same as Tottenham), tied for fourth-best in the league. Each of the club’s past five matches have featured at least 12 total attempts, with Spurs not surpassing that level since West Ham in mid-September.

On the flip side, Tottenham leads the league in goals per shot (0.16), while the United defense is fourth-worst in this metric (0.14). That means that Spurs (and their supporters) will need to be patient, but can capitalize if they weather the storm. The crowd was an asset in Tuesday’s attacking onslaught, and a second consecutive home win would be the perfect way to head into the break.

Ryan Mason’s seat at West Brom is getting hot.

The Baggies are currently on a four-game winless run with defeats to Watford, Ipswich and Charlton, plus a goalless draw agaisnt Sheffield Wednesday at the Hawthorns. That draw has to be especially disappointing - I mean, you need to pick up three points against Wednesday.

This comes after a rather promising start to the season for West Brom, but they now find themselves 15th in the table with a -3 goal differential. It’s also been almost five and a half hours since West Brom last scored a goal - a devastating stat.

Mace admitted the string of results “aren’t good enough” for a club that should be aiming for the promotion slots at a minimum, but this is putting increased pressure on him heading into this week’s fixture against Oxford United.

According to the one betting aggregator I could find, Mason is currently 7/1 odds in the managerial sack race (behind Norwich’s Liam Manning and Leicester’s Marti Cifuentes).

This is Ryan Mason’s first big boy managerial gig since leaving Tottenham last season after serving under a large selection of big-name managers. And, of course, he had multiple stints as interim head coach with mixed results.

But the question was always could he succeed outside of Tottenham. Even if West Brom were in the top six I’d say it’s way too soon, but this is a major test for Mason in his nascent managerial career.

But he faces a major test on Saturday against Oxford United. A loss could see him head for the exit.

Fitzie’s track of the day: A Bit Like James Bond, by The Bug Club

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Wonderkid says emotional goodbye ahead of Tottenham transfer”

The Standard: “Thomas Frank’s mission to bring the fun back to Tottenham”

I’m not going to pretend that this is INTERESTING news, but it is news — According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur have resolved a lawsuit with INEOS, the company owned by Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, over a purported breach of a sponsorship contract.

We don’t know exactly what kind of sponsorship this is, but presumably it has something to do with cars, hence the INEOS Automotive group. Probably it was to make INEOS Automotive the Official Automotive Group of Tottenham Hotspur or something, who knows (or cares). What we do know is that Spurs alleged that INEOS had a deal in place and backed out of it, presumably after Ratcliffe bought United, as it would be weird for his company to be sponsoring another club after you just bought one.

There’s a tiny bit of irony about this story coming out two days before Spurs host United for the first time since beating them in the Europa League final and for the fourth time that season, but mostly this is a story about business. And we all know how exciting that is, right? Like I said, it’s a slow news day.

Anyway, this settlement means that Ratcliffe gets to write Spurs a check, and now Spurs can go and sell the sponsorship to someone else. Isn’t business fun?