Cartilage Free Captain

Good morning everyone!

Today’s hoddle is a PSA: There was some chatter in yesterday’s open thread that provided false information on the Cheslea match this week. That match is NOT today (Monday),

I don’t want this person to be embarrassed about how wrong they were in the thread to get some cheap recs which quickly made it turn blue. It’s just not gonna happen. Not on my watch, no thank you.

So please do not go and look for them.

Here are the details:

Tottenham play Chelsea TUESDAY at 8.15pm GST / 3.15pm ET / 12.15pm PT. That is what we know

The match will be played at Stamford Bridge (given our home form that might not be a bad thing)

Tottenham need a point to virtually clinch survival. A win would definitely do it.

So for those of you who thought today was matchday and set aside your entire afternoons to watch Chelsea-Spurs, you now have an additional two or so hours of your life back that you can use as store credit for Tuesday.

This is the end of the PSA.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Kung Fu Girls, by Blondie

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham getting closer to seeing the Conor Gallagher that De Zerbi loved at Chelsea”

BBC: “Fans fury as West Ham on brink of drop - how have they got here?”

The Independent: “Hearts broken as Celtic snatch glory but Scotland’s thrilling season ends in disgrace”

The Telegraph: “Celtic apologise to Hearts after 14 arrested during ugly scenes”

More in General

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I can’t believe I’m saying this, but GO BRENTFORD!

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Football’s back!

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Happy FA Cup Final Day! That means there’s only one English football match taking place today, Chelsea vs. Manchester City for the domestic Cup that has all the magic. Except for the fact that the teams contesting for tine final are Chelsea and Manchester City — not much magic going on there.j

If you want a match with some REAL stakes, you’ll have to get up early if you live in the USA. Celtic and Hearts will play on the last matchweek of the Scottish Premier League season; with a win or a draw over Celtic, Heart of Midlothian can break up a Glasgow monopoly on the SPL title that goes back to 1984-85. Yes, it’s been THAT long since a club not named Celtic or Rangers has won the Scottish first division, and in fact Celtic has won the title 14 out of the past 15 years.

Or if you’d rather actually watch Tottenham Hotspur football, Spurs Women are playing their final match of the season, away at a high-flying Brighton squad. Spurs have got fifth place locked up cementing their return to “best of the rest” status, but this will be a notable match in part because it’s the last match for Bethany England in a Tottenham shirt.

Celtic vs Hearts (Scottish Premiership)

TV: CBS Sports Network (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Stream: Paramount+

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Tottenham Women

TV: Not televised (USA/UK)

Stream: ESPN Select (USA), Sky Sports App (UK)

Chelsea vs. Manchester City (FA Cup Final)

TV: ESPN2 (USA), TNT Sports 1 / BBC One (UK)

Stream: ESPN Select (USA)

“Yeah, no matter what happens now, this club’s been a huge part of what I’m going to become and it’s helped me so much. So, for me, no matter what happens, I’m a fan of this club for the rest of my life now. So, it’s been a special experience.

“I think, mentally, I’ve just changed so much as a person. The way I look at stuff now, I think I’ve realized that every day means something. So, before, maybe I’d have days where I was a bit switched off and I’d come into training and I’m kind of not on it as much as I need to be.

“But if you want to go and win every single game, that’s the way we need to be. I think, as a team, we need to learn that as well. So, we need to realise that every day means something and it’s a chance to improve. So, for me, that’s been the biggest learning point for me.”

“You need people to think of you, that you’re going out there and giving your all. I’ve had many days this year where I’ve not been good enough and I’ve not showed enough, but I think I’ve shown that I’m still trying and I’m trying to give my all. So, it’s nice to have that respect. Obviously, the gutting thing is that we don’t have that as a team to really make your mark. I think people remember winning titles, not just individuals. So, that’s the disappointing thing for me.

“Obviously scoring at Celtic Park was my best moment being there. I think that day I realised what that game meant to people. When I see, even after the game, we pulled up at Ibrox and there were loads of fans waiting for us, celebrating. That was the best moment of my Rangers career and I’ll remember that goal really for the rest of my life.“

“For me now, it’s hard because it’s the same as for me last year. A new manager was in at Tottenham and I had to go back in and see what he was saying about me and then see what everyone was doing. To be honest, I think it will be the same sort of process. I think there’s a new manager at Spurs at the minute and obviously I’m a Spurs player, so we’ll have to see what he says about me, what he wants me to do, what the people around me want me to do. I think that’s all I can say at the moment. I’m going to go back there and see what the new people say in the building and from there I’ll make a decision.”

The rock band from Leeds exploded onto the scene when they released The Overload in 2022. The album peaked at #2 in the UK before their sophomore album, Where’s My Utopia, climbed up to #4.

Well now they’ve got another coming out this summer: You’re Gonna Need a Little Music

Yard Act released their first single in support of the album last week. Redeemer is unlike any other song they’ve done so far. And, wow, what a different sound.

And what a different point of view.

The pop-driven post-punk sound is gone. Instead is something far darker, far heavier in what frontman James Smith said is an exploration into the question of individualism and shared realities.

It’s a hell of a way to promote this record. And it shows how this band is evolving into a more mature sound, exploring different themes and textures in their music. We’re still a few months away from the album’s release, but I’m seriously excited for this one and it’s immediately jumped to the top of my most highly anticipated releases this year.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Redeemer, by Yard Act

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “How ENIC’s stake in Tottenham is growing – and what it means for minority shareholders”

The Guardian: “Sam Kerr confirms she will leave Chelsea at end of the season”

BBC: “Play-off final may be delayed by Spygate hearing”

The Independent: “Into the ‘lion’s den’: Hearts take ‘us against everybody’ approach into Celtic showdown”

Tottenham’s injury crisis took an unexpected turn: Your hoddler-in-chief’s fantasy baseball team.

My league is only one-third of the way through the season, and already injuries have derailed it. Even worse, I am on track for my worst-ever finish in this fantasy baseball league.

This is my ninth season in the league and I’m competitive just about every year. Here are my previous finishes: First, Eighth, Third, Third, Ninth, Third, Third, Fourth.

Now I’m sitting in 12th place out of 12 teams. My last two weeks I went 0-9 and 0-10.

The culprit: Injuries.

At one point there were seven players on the Injury List (the 10-day, 15-day and 60-day lists). I ended up dropping three but I still have four on the IL. And I can’t really drop them: Ronald Acuna Jr, Wyatt Langford, Ryan Helsley and Josh Hader.

They occupy all four of my IL spots. I was forced to drop the other three because they were occupying valuable bench slots. It looks like some of the injury crisis will fade by the end of May or early June, but a lot of time will be lost since then.

In the meantime I’m trying to plug as many holes as I can to not fall too far behind in the playoff spots (currently 16 games back - that’s a lot). I’m not sure how I’m going to make up the gap, and it’s probably too late already which sucks because I’m used to fighting for a top-four place.

At least I know when it’s time to panic. The problem is I feel like I don’t stand a chance this year. Nevertheless I’ll keep pushing to claim each category and maybe - maybe - I’m through the other side of this dark tunnel next month.

Fitzie’s track of the day: The Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon, by The Cramps

And now for your links:

Dan KP: “Daniel Levy did not envisage Tottenham being in a relegation battle ‘in a million years’”

BBC: “Hearts’ McInnes rages at ‘disgusting’ Celtic penalty”

Tottenham Hotspur Women announced that Olga Ahtinen has signed a new, long-term contract with the club. The 28-year-old Finnish midfielder has been deployed all across the pitch and is a useful squad player.

Olga joined the club in Fall 2023 from Linköping FC, where she’d just come off of a season where she was named best midfielder in the league. She shone for Spurs in her first half-season until a knee injury sidelined her for a few months. She hasn’t quite reached those heights since she returned, but Olga is still a useful squad player. Under Robert Vilahamn, with whom she first signed, she was primarily deployed as eight. Martin Ho uses her much more liberally – on the wings, also as a number eight, and occasionally as a sort of DM.

“Olga brings a strong mentality every day, trains with purpose, and has the technical quality, work ethic and tactical understanding to keep growing within the direction we are building,” manager Martin Ho said, on the subject of Olga’s new contract. “We believe there is still more to come from her, and we are excited to continue supporting her development as an important part of our squad moving forward.”

Olga hasn’t played many minutes these past few seasons, which is not great news for the sliver of hope I’m still holding that she regains enough fitness and confidence to be the player we saw when she first came to Spurs. That said, her versatility, consistency and her apparent positive and professional attitude make her a player worth keeping around.

Why is there a photograph of Harry Kane in the hoddle today? Good question.

Today’s hoddle was supposed to be about a look around Europe, where hoddle hq looks at the other leagues around the European continent. It wouldn’t surprise you to learn that Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich clinched the Bundesliga title long ago.

It’s late here, and I have no interest in digging up statistics or working out the tables for the leagues in Spain, France, Italy, Sweden or elsewhere.

So where does that leave today’s hoddle? “pfff,” I say. PFFF!

I won’t spoil a future Fitzie’s Film and TV Reviews, but I spent the evening watching a film that requires a significant amount of time to digest. I dunno, I’m trying to figure it all out.

We’ve got a bit of a punk theme going on in the Track of the Day this week. I think it’s worth checking out. Monday is an exception because we recognised five months since Bob Weir’s passing. Tuesday was The Slits. We have The Adolescents today. Tomorrow is another throwback punk band that are a lot of fun. On Friday we have one of my favourite bands today, but I don’t wanna spoil it.

Otherwise, Hull City are playing Southampton in the playoff final (if Soton aren’t disqualified). We’re waiting on Leagues two and one.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Amoeba, by The Adolescents

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “Spurs have finally found conviction, but are still hindered by their lack of attacking quality”

BBC: “Mourinho in final negotiations to become Real manager”

Ready to get mad? James Maddison, who made his triumphant return to football after nine months as a late-match substitute during Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United, came out with his opinion on what was a VERY controversial penalty shout late in the match.

Maddison was bundled over in the box by Leeds’ Felix Nmecha late in the match and appeared to have a legitimate argument for a foul and a penalty that might have won the match for Spurs. Instead, match official Jarred Gillett declined to call a penalty. The VAR team at Stokely Park looked at the incident for about 20 seconds and determined that Nmecha had gotten a very (very) slight touch on the ball, enough for them to warrant that Nmecha bundling Maddison over was not, in fact, a penalty.

Maddison, however, disagrees and posted his rationale on Instagram, claiming Nmecha never touched the ball and that the slight change of direction on the video replay was from HIS foot and not Nmecha’s

This more or less confirms my initial take after the match — although I did think Nmecha probably had made contact with the ball based on the TV replays, subsequent replays from the side posted to social media after the match had ended seemed to indicate that Nmecha might not have made contact after all. But regardless of the contact or not, the amount of contact barely reached the threshold of “winning the ball” and it’s still pretty infuriating that A) VAR gave a solid 5 -6 minutes to look at whether Mathys Tel actually made contact on his overhead clearance attempt (he did), but barely gave 20 seconds on what would’ve been a massive, massive penalty decision, and one that could’ve gone a long way to saving Spurs from relegation.

Gillett’s decision not to make the call on the field was also, frankly, cowardly. Had he whistled for the penalty, VAR still would’ve looked at and may or may not have decided to send him to the monitor to review. But by NOT whistling for the foul, VAR had no incentive or inclination to look closely at it, or to intervene to reverse the decision on the field. It’s another example of how VAR protects match officials at the expense of getting the decision actually correct.

Moreover, I still hold that even if Nmecha HAD made contact with the ball, he still clattered Maddison pretty good, and the foul should’ve been given regardless. But it’s even more infuriating to discover that the entire premise of waving off the potential penalty was based on a fiction that could’ve been alleviated if VAR had taken the time to look at the incident form all angles.

Yeah. I’m Mad Online™ and will be even more so if this is the incident that ends up relegating Tottenham to the Championship next season. I look forward to the inevitable “Oops, sorry” message from the PGMOL that they screwed it up… again.

We’re in the time of the World Cup cycle where national teams start to announce their final squads for the upcoming tournament in USA, Mexico, and Canada. Today, Sweden announced its World Cup squad and there’s good news and bad news — the good news is that Lucas Bergvall was named in Graham Potter’s final World Cup squad (and yes, it still feels weird to type “Graham Potter’s World Cup squad”). The bad news is that Dejan Kulusevski was left out.

I’m trying hard not to overreact to this news, but leaving Deki out likely means that he’s still not anywhere close to ready to come back from his shattered patella injury last spring. Deki hasn’t kicked a ball in (now, officially) more than a year since Marc Guehi put his studs through his knee on May 10, 2025 in a match against Crystal Palace. So in that sense it’s not a surprise, since Deki hasn’t really earned his place. But it also makes you wonder just how much longer Deki will be out… or if he’ll be able to make a full recovery at all.

It’s great for Bergvall, though. While he hasn’t turned into Martin Odegaard 2.0 in the past year the way I hoped, he’s still young and a useful player to have on the Spurs squad, and I think he’s definitely earned his place for Sweden. I kinda doubt he’ll get off the bench much during the World Cup, but just being named is a pretty significant achievement for a 20-year-old. And hey, maybe he makes The Leap this summer and comes back ready to be a midfield world-beater next season!

Sweden have a tough group after being drawn with the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia. They open their World Cup account on June 14 against Tunisia in Guadalupe, Mexico.