Cartilage Free Captain

You could almost hear the collective groan around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the second time Dejan Kulusevski sat down on the pitch. Deki had been clattered by Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi a few minutes prior, landing on his back and getting up gingerly. Ange Postecoglu subbed him off after just 19 minutes and he walked gingerly down the tunnel to be seen by the Tottenham physios.

Not great, Bob! With James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall both out for the season, Deki is one of Tottenham’s sole remaining midfield playmakers. Losing him to injury and potentially having him miss the Europa League final newsagainst Manchester United would add a particularly cruel coda to what has been an awful season of poor results and incredibly unfortunate injury luck.

Thankfully, Ange Postecoglou says we hopefully don’t have anything to worry about. Asked about Kulusevski’s health at the post-match press release, Big Ange said the physios aren’t especially concerned, and that it was just a knock.

“[Deki] should be OK, just talking to him after. Medical team are not too concerned with him, more of a knock than anything else. So we’re hoping he should be OK.

Tottenham leaned on its depth significantly for this match, quite obviously resting players after the dramatic win last Thursday at Bodø/Glimt that sent them to the Europa final. Some fans questioned why players like Richarlison and Dominic Solanke didn’t play at all today, even as a substitute, but Postecoglou said he wasn’t willing to take a risk with them after playing on an artificial turf field in Norway.

“[Eight changes from Thursday] explains some of it but not all of it. I still felt we should have been better than we were today. So I can’t totally discount the performance today on the fact I’ve made a number of changes. We should have still been able to perform better than what we did.

“No, we weren’t going to [bring Solanke or Richarlison on]. The last time we played on an artificial with Tamworth, the game after we got two calf injuries out of it. Guys like Brennan, maybe Richy and Madders, so we were never going to risk those guys today.”

One of the more interesting tactical tweaks involved Wilson Odobert playing part of the 2nd half at the attacking midfield 10 position, something we’ve rarely seen this season. Postecoglou said this decision was because, again, he wasn’t going to risk playing some of the more natural players on the bench due to the (remote) possibility they might get injured.

“It was a needs must basis today, I put [Wilson] in there, he’s played there before because I didn’t want to expose any of the other guys from the other night so he had to play in there. But I think aside from all that, it’s still about performance. Guys had an opportunity today to put their name forward and put some pressure on the guys who played the other night. Fair to say there wasn’t any compelling evidence of that. That’s what I’m trying to push with these guys, that sometimes in football you’ve just got to take the opportunities there before you. They’re never going to be perfect. We made eight changes but there is an opportunity there and you’ve just got to take it when presented to you and I’m disappointed more didn’t step forward today.”

This match called attention to the wild extremes Tottenham have been experiencing. On the one hand in ten days they will play Manchester United for a European cup trophy and qualification for the Champions League. On the other hand, today’s loss is the team’s 20th, tying the record for Spurs’ most losses in a Premier League campaign. When asked, Ange again defended his players and the adversity they’ve had to navigate this season.

“Yeah, look and I get it and people are banging the drum about this record with defeats, but if people don’t see there is a correlation between the two, I am not going to sit here and, it’s not exactly Pythagoras’ theorem. It’s quite simple to understand we would have had much better results if we didn’t have to navigate this. So, either you understand or you don’t and beat us over the head, I get it.

“I am not happy with the way we performed today, so that’s what I look at. I think we could have performed better and irrespective of the result you can still lose a game of football and our performance level wasn’t anywhere near where it should be. That’s my responsibility to address.

“I just think we haven’t been able to cope with what’s been presented to us this year. A lot of that is because of the injury situation we had, particularly earlier in the year. It’s not just about getting players back, I’ve had to manage guys like Micky, Romero and Destiny. There is every possibility they could have played more than what they’ve played, but we’ve had to manage it and we haven’t been able to cope with it. We have got a lot of young players in the squad who we have exposed to a lot of football and fair to say a few of them are looking tired I think because we’re into our 60th or 61st game and because of the injury situation we had, we’ve paid a price for that in the league. So, that is the story as it’s been told.”

Another home match, another loss for Tottenham Hotspur. This time it’s against Crystal Palace, who got a brace from Eberechi Eze en route to a 2-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Dejan Kulusevski also picked up a heavy knock and was subbed off in the first half. Hopefully he’s okay.

But we did get major minutes for Mikey Moore, and Son Heung-Min made his long-awaited return in the second half.

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.

As Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League season trudges ever closer to an ignominious end, fans are still forced to sit through some decidedly lackluster performances with a glimmer of European trophy hope on the horizon. This match was no different, as Spurs slumped to a two-goal defeat against Crystal Palace. It was Palace’s first win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it was well deserved, as the Eagles dominated proceedings throughout.

Spurs’ fluidity would not have been helped by heavy rotation in the starting XI, with Ange Postecoglou clearly opting to rest players following the second leg of the Lilywhites’ Europa League semifinal. Matters were made worse early in the match when Dejan Kulusevski limped off the pitch with an apparent knee injury, with Mikey Moore the Swede’s replacement.

The first half was a dominant one for Palace, with the away side having the ball in the net three times yet only taking a one-goal lead into the half. There were ominous signs for Spurs, as Palace played through Spurs easily and looked to open the scoring with an early chance. Some incisive passing cut the Tottenham defense to pieces and Jean-Philippe Mateta found himself on the end of the move for a tap-in. VAR soon intervened though, with the goal disallowed due to an offside player in the build-up.

There was another goal disallowed soon after, with a set piece kerfuffle resulting in a shot deflecting off Marc Guehi’s arm before hitting the back of Spurs’ net, with the onfield referee immediately whistling for handball. The referee’s whistle was unable to save Spurs late in the half, however, as Palace sliced through Spurs once more, breaking from their own area. Wingback Daniel Munoz exploited the acres of space on Spurs left, breaking into the penalty area before squaring to Eberchi Eze for a simple tap-in.

It only took minutes in the second half for Crystal Palace to double their lead. Eze was heavily involved once more, both starting and finishing the move as again the Eagles ran the length of the pitch to score. A cool, side-footed finish from Eze as he received Ismaila Sarr’s pass gave the attacking midfielder a brace and Palace an insurmountable lead.

From there, Palace were largely in cruise control. There were some bright moments from Spurs, including a gorgeous ball from Pedro Porro played in for Pape Matar Sarr that couldn’t be headed goalward; but it never really felt like Spurs were in the match as the match meandered to a close, Crystal Palace more than deserving of the 0-2 scoreline and their first win at Spurs’ new home ground.

Reactions

Hoddler-in-chief’s note: Your hoddler-in-chief will be taking a short break from hoddling duties next week. You will have a substitute hoddler-in-chief during this time instead. Please be on your best behaviour.

——-

Good morning from sunny Las Vegas, dear hoddlers.

Fitzie arrived in Sin City last night (although he’s typing this on a Wednesday) to check a fresh item off the bucket list: Catch a Dead & Company gig at The Sphere.

If you’ve read the hoddles, then you’d know I’m a huge Grateful Dead fan. And I’ve been lucky enough to see Dead & Co four times, but it’s been too long since I last saw them live.

All accounts I’ve been reading about The Sphere offer glowing reviews, both of the [drums/] space and the music produced by the band. Looking at their setlists, this second run feels like it’ll hold a special place in the troupe’s history.

We’re always chasing one song or another when we go to a Dead show. And there are a few I’d like to hear: El Paso, Dark Star, The Other One and so many more. Of course, a Bob Dylan cover is always welcome.

I’ve got a feeling we’ll be getting a Black Muddy River encore, since that song was played on three of the four Dead shows I was lucky enough to go to.

Anyways, your hoddler-in-chief will report back next week on his Vegas experience and on all things the Sphere.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Simple Twist of Fate, by the Jerry Garcia Band

And now for your links:

Guitar World: John Mayer and Bob Weir reflect on 10 years of Dead & Co

OK, I’m on a bit of an Ange Postecoglou love-fest tonight. What can I say, Tottenham Hotspur won a huge match today, are in another European cup final, and I’m flying high. But I think it’s important to listen to the guy when things are going well, and not just focus on the negatives.

Yes, there have been plenty of negatives, and those shouldn’t be discounted. But one thing I’ve always appreciated about Postecoglou during his two years at the club is that he, perhaps more than any other Spurs manager I’ve seen since I started following this stupid club in 2007, really and truly GETS what it means to be a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

Some of that comes through with how he deals with the English press. There’s a game of sorts that reporters play with football managers in press conferences. The rules are unspoken, but we all know what they are — reporters ask leading or irritating questions to try and provoke a reaction, after which a narrative can be created, or furthered, or changed.

Ange knows the game, he just doesn’t play according to the rules. That came through in tonight’s press conference in Norway after the 2-0 win over Bodø/Glimt that sent Spurs to the Europa League finals on May 21. A reporter started to ask Ange a question about the importance of the upcoming final to Manchester United in the context of what has also been a disappointing league season.

Ange, being Ange, didn’t want to hear it, and dismissed the premise of the question, while also giving one of the best defenses of the club explanations of what it means to be a Spurs fan I’ve ever heard from a Tottenham manager.

Here’s the full exchange.

United have constantly said that this competition won’t save their season. The manager has said it, the players have said it. Would it save Tottenham’s season or is it different?

“Why do I care what Man United think? Why is that relevant to me? Ask the Manchester United manager why he said that. Me, I’ve said all along that this is important.”

To rephrase, what does it mean for Tottenham’s season?

“Well, to be fair, you know better than me. You’ve followed this club for longer than I have. What do you think a trophy would do for this club?”

I think it would be massive.

“Exactly. That’s exactly right. So the question answers itself, it doesn’t need me to... but what’s happening now is people are fearing that. That it actually might happen and let’s see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it’s been a poor season and we don’t deserve this or we don’t deserve that.

“Or somehow comparing us to Man United. Maybe if we had Man United’s success then maybe I’d have a different view. But I came into this role, you know better than me, I could have been sitting here at exactly the same time in fifth position and I can guarantee that the commentary around me ‘well that’s great Ange but this club needs to win something’.

“That’s exactly what everyone would be saying. So of course it’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.

“Man United have got their own journey to go on. Maybe if they go 15 years without winning something they’ll change their perspective on things as well.”

I know I keep asking you to watch videos tonight, but honestly — this exchange is even better hearing him directly.

Wow. WOW. That’s just fantastic. Utterly, utterly great. And you know what’s even better? Apparently the reporter in the exchange was none other than our good buddy Matt Law!

Outstanding.

Elsewhere, Postecoglou did what he always does and praised his players for their resilience and performance in what was an incredible atmosphere at the Aspmyra Stadion in Norway.

“The players were outstanding. They were well-prepared tonight, the staff did a great job of making sure the boys were really clear about what we needed to do. They executed it perfectly. It’s been well-chronicled in the last few days it’s a difficult place to come through, they’ve got a really imposing home record, not just with wins but with goals, I thought the lads just handled it really well, as they have throughout this European campaign, particularly the knock-out stages, and credit to them, I thought they did an outstanding job.

“[Reaching a European final], it’s a great opportunity. It’s my fourth year in European football, plenty of people have been in European football for longer than I have, they haven’t got to a final. So you understand it’s something that you need to appreciate. And I’ll certainly do that. I haven’t really thought a lot about it, because obviously the focus is on tonight. More importantly, just really pleased for the players and the staff, and particularly our supporters. There were a few hundred here tonight who I’m sure will remember this night. And thousands back home. We’ve given them some real hope and something to dream about, that we can do something special this year.”

This post is a little personal, but hey — it’s my blog, I get to be personal sometimes. It’s been a long, tough season. I’ve suffered along with every other Spurs fan as Tottenham has slipped from a club that we expect to finish in the top five or six in the Premier League table to one that will finish just above the relegation spots this season.

But while I too have wavered a bit in my support for Ange Postecoglou as Spurs have continued to lose and slip down the table, I’ve never fully gone Ange-Out. Why? Because while the league campaign is unacceptable and regrettable, and despite a whole bunch of unsubstantiated ITK crap that suggested otherwise, Ange has never once lost the dressing room. His players have repeatedly and vociferously stated, again and again, that they believe in him and his methods, that they believe in the project, and that they back him to the hilt.

I’ve never gone full Ange-Out because of the way he speaks. He’s forthright, clear, direct. And he’s unwavering in his support for the club and his players. He might needle the fans on occasion (especially the ones calling him a “fat fuck” from the stands or on social media) or get snippy with a reporter in press conferences, but I’ve never once thought that he, or the players, have given up.

Today, after Spurs’ 0-2 win at Bodø/Glimt that sent them to the Europa League final, the club posted a video of Postecoglou speaking to the players in the Aspmyra Stadion changing room. I’ve embedded it below. You should watch it.

To be fair, it’s a perfectly valid opinion to believe that Spurs need to make a change this summer no matter what happens on May 21 in Bilbao. That’s fine. There’s plenty of evidence to make an argument that he deserves to be let go for the diabolical league campaign. I may disagree with you and argue my point, but I’ll never say that people are stupid to have that opinion, or that it isn’t warranted. That said, this is a guy who has battled incredible hardships over the course of the season, including an injury crisis that’s unprecedented in my nearly 20 years as a fan, and has admitted it when things have been tough.

Take some time and watch the video below. Absorb what he’s saying, and listen to how he speaks to his players.

I think then you’ll understand why I’m still Ange-In.

Filed under:

Tottenham Hotspur Match Reports

UEFA Europa League

Europa Conference League 2021-22

Bodø/Glimt 0-2 (1-5) Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs fly to Europa League final

SPURS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO THE SAN MAMES!

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Six years to the day after one of Tottenham Hotspur’s most dramatic European competition wins — the Miracle in Amsterdam that sent them to the Champions League final, Spurs qualified for their second European final of the Premier League era. Facing a Bodø/Glimt team that had lost only once in the Europa League, scoring 19 goals in the process, Spurs stodged up the match defensively, capitalized on two second half chances, and shut the Norwegian hosts out. Spurs got a goal from Dominic Solanke off a corner kick, and followed it up a few minutes later with a ridiculous blast off the post by Pedro Porro, and rolled to a 2-0 lead at the Aspmyra Stadion in northern Norway.

The result gave Spurs a decisive 5-1 win over two legs, and punched their ticket to Bilbao, Spain where they will face a Manchester United team that they have already beaten three times this season. The final will take place on Wednesday, May 21 at Athletic Club’s San Mames Stadium.

While Bodø is in the Arctic Circle, the weather was misty, wet, and relatively mild with calm winds, which played into Spurs’ hands. Facing an opponent that likes to break into space and catch opponents by surprise, Spurs instead sat deeper, let Bodø/Glimt have the ball, and mucked things up as best they could. Tottenham would’ve been quite content with a boring 0-0 draw; instead, they scored twice and took both their goals well.

Here are my match reactions to another Glory, Glory Night in European competition.

Match Reactions

Y’ALL WE’RE IN THE FINALS OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

There was absolutely nothing surprising about the starting lineup — it was the same as they put out against B/G in London.

An ugly, boring match suited Tottenham just fine up two goals on the road WOOOOand that’s pretty much what we got. Spurs tried to slow the game down, subtly waste as much time as they could, and stodge things up — basically Big Sam Ball. Sitting deeper helped prevent B/G from countering and attacking into space, which is where they’re really good.

Contrary to what we all expected pre-match, the artificial field didn’t seem to play very fast — in fact, the ball died quickly on the wet turf. Passes seemed to zip a little more but they didn’t carry much once they hit the ground.

Spurs did look like they were selectively pressing high initially to try and kill the match off early, though they did noticeably sit off of Berg early. Kulusevski man-marked Berg for most of the match and it seemed pretty effective in keeping him from overtly influencing the game.

Micky van de Ven won a defensive header inside 10 minutes, which felt at the time like a good omen.

B/G had the majority of the possession in this match, and that felt like by design. Spurs seemed confident they could let them pass the ball around and still keep defensive solidity, much like they did in the first match.

B/G were successfully getting forward more in the second half, which gave the match an edge it didn’t quite have in the opening 45.

Destiny Udogie had a fantastic match, especially defensively — rarely lost his man, was tracking B/G players to the back post, made a couple of fantastic stops.

Another super solid match from Richarlison. In both legs he’s played better than Solanke as a striker and it makes me think what might have been if he’d stayed healthy this season. His sub was likely for fitness reasons.

Spurs’ goal was just a well worked corner routine — Tel puts the ball to the back post, Cuti headed it back across the face of goal, and Solanke was right there to poke it in. Fantastic, and allowed everyone watching to breathe. Honestly wondered if Cuti’s header was going in regardless of Dom’s presence.

Here are my exact notes at THAT moment: HOLY CRAP PEDRO PORRO WHAT

There’s no funnier way than for B/G to get a dodgy penalty in the final 10 seconds of the match, only to have VAR call it back for diving. lol....lmao

United also won their series 7-1 on aggregate over Athletic Bilbao, denying them the chance to win a title in their home stadium. Yes, it means another banterrific European Cup final (what could possibly go wrong) but as bad as Spurs have been this season at times, they’ve still had United’s number. And I’d still rather play them than Athletic.

Enjoy it, y’all. We’re one game away from breaking our silverware drought in the most awesome way, and delivering Ange Postecoglou his Year Two Trophy™.

— Cartilage Free Captain (@cartilagefree.bsky.social) 2025-05-08T20:36:52.799Z

Sometimes the universe provides the most amazing coincidences. Six years ago today, Tottenham Hotspur went to Amsterdam down a goal to play one of the best Ajax teams in decades for an opportunity to play in a Champions League final in Madrid.

We all remember that match — Lucas Moura scored a hat trick including the decisive winner with the last kick of the game to give Spurs a 3-2 win that sent them to Madrid on away goals. If you were a Tottenham Hotspur fan on that day, it was probably the greatest day of your fandom, a match that will be viewed as one of the biggest and most dramatic wins in club history.

A lot has happened in the six years following the Miracle in Amsterdam, most of it not very good. But now, on the sixth anniversary of that day, Tottenham find themselves back in the second leg of a major European Cup semifinal with a chance to progress to the final, likely against another Premier League opponent, with a solid performance.

Once again, it’s an away match, this time in northern Norway against Bodø/Glimt, a small team from a lower league that has played well to get here and might even be considered favorites at home. And once again, prophetically, Spurs are playing in green.

Look, I don’t believe in omens. This time, Tottenham have a two goal lead heading into tonight’s critical fixture rather than a one goal deficit. And unlike in Amsterdam, Tottenham’s Lucas (Bergvall) is injured and can’t provide another hat trick. There’s a lot that could go wrong for Spurs in this match — Bodø/Glimt are a good team that deserve to be in the Europa League semifinals, they’re playing at home on a artificial turf field that they know intimately, and they have used that advantage to amass an impressive series of wins over some big names in European football in this competition.

But on the other hand — my god. Just look at the synchronicity at play here! It’s eerie. And while I think most Spurs fans would rather ditch all of the high drama for an easy win at the Aspmyra Stadion, tonight’s match and all of its parallels provide an opportunity, if nothing else, for Spurs fans to reminisce about one of the high points in the last 30 years.

And considering how the Champions League final worked out, maybe, just maybe, there are just enough changes to suggest a different outcome this time around.

A 3-0 scoreline would have felt a lot different than a 3-1 advantage, but nevertheless Tottenham Hotspur is in decent position heading into Thursday’s second leg against Bodo/Glimt. A dominant first half in North London was followed up by a less impressive 45 minutes, allowing the underdogs to stay afloat in the tie and giving both sides (varying levels of) work to do in Norway.

Spurs obviously have the easier task, simply needing to hang onto the lead, but executing it will be anything but easy. Glimt have a distinct homefield advantage and will throw everything at Ange Postecoglou’s side, desperate to seize the momentum and potentially spring the upset. The stakes are massive on Thursday, but Tottenham absolutely can and should be the ones to advance.

Semifinals (2nd Leg): Bodo/Glimt (1) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (3)

Date: Thursday, May 8

Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK

Location: Aspmyra Stadion, Bodo, Norway

TV: Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports 2 (UK)

Aside from the pitch and location — which clearly point to a benefit for the home side — the other key area that benefits Glimt is in personnel. Back are three starters from suspension, including two midfielders, while Tottenham is going to be without Lucas Bergvall and Heung-min Son, and now James Maddison as well. The Premier League side still has the stronger depth, but it will be missing more pieces from its preferred XI.

Without Bergvall and Maddison, Spurs are unlikely to dominate in midfield, even with Dejan Kulusevski (hopefully) returning to the starting lineup and Yves Bissouma coming off an outstanding outing last week. It was Glimt who actually won the possession battle in the first leg and will be the ones who hold the ball for much of this contest as well, especially given the teams’ available and unavailable midfielders.

It still might set up fine for Postecoglou, with his team likely only needing one goal to feel confident. There will be plenty of opportunities on the counter, and one successful finish is all it takes to really up the odds of a prosperous evening. Therefore, while both the team selection and tactics should lean heavily defensive (compensating for the lack of Bergvall, specifically), there is value in having some outlets who can capitalize on the break.

Meep meep

With that concept in mind, the real question is whether or not to start Richarlison again. Postecoglou’s gamble of starting him next to Dominic Solanke paid off, with the Brazilian assisting Brennan Johnson’s early goal last Thursday before being subbed off at halftime. Having these two forwards able to press the back line and hold up play with the ball should work again and makes a strong argument for not tinkering with something that worked well.

Additionally, starting Richarlison with the intention of replacing him with fresh legs makes a lot of sense given the bench. Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert would both be huge threats in the second half, exactly the type to run free against an aggressive side trying to find an equalizer. Having a couple players able to play the No. 9 is going to be much less important if Spurs are simply looking to see out the final 30 minutes of a match.

Should the worst case happen and Tottenham actually needs a goal itself, having these speedsters ready off the bench could be the difference maker, especially if the contest goes into extra time. Johnson, Tel, and Odobert can all get up the pitch quickly, and if Postecoglou needs some critical reinforcements, the non-starting wingers have the ability to make a late impact. I like Richarlison to start, but give the speedy wings plenty of minutes as well.

I always carry a book around with me, just in case I encounter a situation in which I need to read one.

So I grabbed my copy of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins when I headed for the Apple Store on Sunday. The Apple Store in Washington DC is located inside the beautiful Carnegie Library.

Or, rather, it took the library. It was my first time inside this Apple Store, and I was so disappointed to see a place once filled with thousands of books and adventures be transformed into a soulless phone store. One in which Apple employees give demonstrations on a smartwatch to a crowd of zero.

I dropped my iPhone 12 off to get its battery replaced thinking it would be a quick fix. I was told I’d have to wait more than an hour.

More than an hour!

Not to fear, I though, for I am armed with my copy of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins and my knowledge of the nearest Tatte Bakery.

And what an adventure I found myself in, learning about the relation between humans and the gorgeous octopus. Of course, I am still quite new into this wonderful book. But a philosophy book disguising itself as a nature book? Or is it the other way around? Either way, it’s a real treat for the reader.

What could bring a man closer to an octopus but the written word? But thousands of words and pages dedicated to the mysterious ocean creatures that enrapture our imaginations? The most beautiful animal inhabited the deep blue seas.

After the time elapsed I closed my book and vowed to resume my adventure another day.

I departed the Tatte and made my way back into the library.

I stared in awe at the beautiful marble inside, questioned the integrity of the indoor plants and mourned the millions of pages that will never be on display here again.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Octopus’s Garden, by The Beatles

And now for your links:

Dan KP: “Ange Postecoglou hits back at Arsene Wenger over Europa League claim: ‘Spurs does crazy things to people’”

The Athletic ($$): “Bodo/Glimt fans trade dried fish and reindeer meat for Tottenham semi-final tickets”