Cartilage Free Captain

Yesterday, news broke that Tottenham Hotspur had an £8m bid for 19-year-old Brazilian left back Souza rejected by Santos in the Campeoanato Brazileiro, with the club reportedly holding out for closer to £15m. That made people upset for various reasons stemming from an underbid for a player with a £100m release clause in his contract, to focusing attention on another young up-and-comer instead of an established fullback to deputize or compete with Destiny Udogie.

It’s hard to know what to make of Souza, since his stats are all based on about a year and a half of first team football in Brazil. That said, Souza profiles as an Athlete™ with some serious physical tools who is good at duels and crosses and especially adept at drawing fouls, but pretty dang raw everywhere else. That’s actually not necessarily the worst target if we’re looking for a natural left-sided fullback. Consider — Destiny is injured a lot, but it’s going to be a harder sell to spend bigger money for a more experienced left back that will be content to be a backup but might not actually fit the system Spurs have in place (or want to put in place). Consider also that spending, let’s say £12m (which is nothing in today’s market), for a young and hungry Brazilian with some upside might leave some significant funds left over with which Spurs could use to purchase, IDK, Maghnes Akliouche, or throw gobs of money at Crystal Palace for Adam Wharton. I’m not saying that will happen, but it COULD. Choose hope.

Also important to note here that while Ben Jacobs gets a lot of inside information, he tends to report whatever it is that people tell him, frequently uncritically. So take all of this with a grain of salt.

I guess I’m just looking for the upside here. Will this move the needle with jittery Spurs fans who are looking from some serious intent from Johan Lange in the January transfer window? Doubtful. But it’s not nothing.

Tottenham Hotspur’s men’s team hasn’t (yet) made any first team signings in the January transfer window but they’ve been quite active otherwise, especially on the loan front. Specifically, they’ve been great about identifying the players who are struggling or in unsuitable loan situations and getting them out of those clubs and into new loans at different clubs. To whit, the club announced today that 20-year-old midfielder George Abbott is being withdrawn from his loan at League One side Wycombe Wanderers and is returning to Spurs.

This one is a bit unfortunate. Abbott smashed it in League Two last season at Notts County and was due for a step up in competition. Wycombe seemed like a good destination club for him, but he’s only played 850 minutes in all competitions this season. That’s mostly because he’s struggled with injuries and hasn’t been able to get settled in the squad.

I don’t know what the club will do with George this Spring. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that he gets loaned out again, but if he’s still injured it’s also possible he stays at the club and goes back to U21 football until he’s able to get healthy and fit again. It’s a shame. I don’t think Abbott has a future in Spurs’ first team but he’s shown that he could be a professional footballer in the Football League and could have a very nice career. We’ll find out what Spurs’ plans are for Abbott soon.

Before the January transfer window opened there were rumors that Tottenham Hotspur’s young Korean winger Yang Min-heok could be withdrawn from his current loan at Championship side Portsmouth for another opportunity. According to Fabrizio Romano, that rumor is reality — Min-hyeok will leave Pompey, sitting near the relegation zone in the second division, for another Championship opportunity with league leaders Coventry City.

On the one hand, this is hugely exciting. While Yang isn’t moved up a division clearly he’s done enough at Pompey to make people very excited about his prospects as a top flight footballer. That he’s moving from a club near the bottom of the Championship to the team at the top of the table and the favorites to win the league is a clear statement of that excitement. Frank Lampard has Coventry flying at the moment — they’re six points ahead of Middlesbrough and look like favorites to promote to the Premier League for the first time since 2001.

But that also makes me a little worried. Coventry are a good team and they’ve done well to get to where they are. I find it a little worrisome that Yang would move to a club that already clearly has a settled and performing starting XI, which suggests he would be a rotational player only at best and might not get minutes. Portsmouth probably wasn’t the best fit for Yang’s ability due to the way they play football, but Coventry almost presents the opposite problem. That said, it’s also an opportunity — if Min-hyeok CAN find a way to feature and play well for Coventry, it probably means he’s ready for a step up in competition next season. And the step up is probably a reserve role in Tottenham Hotspur’s first team.

So… cautious optimism. This could be an excellent loan, but it could also go sideways. At any rate it’s almost certainly a good thing that Spurs think that Yang’s too good for Portsmouth, and it’s also a signifier that he could have a future at Spurs as soon as next season.

Good morning, gang.

I don’t have much for you today. It’s pretty late here and I got to get the hoddle done.

We spent a lot of time yesterday bemoaning all things Tottenham (which I don’t disagree with - if you could forgive the double negative). But we didn’t spend a whole lot of time on Ben Davies.

For me, Davies is the last remaining link between the previous generation of Tottenham and the new. He’s gone through far too many managers (Pochettino, Mourinho, Mason, Nuno, Conte, Stellini, Mason, Ange, Frank), and been a tremendous player under every single one of them.

So I was quite thrilled when he scored on Sunday, even if it was a simple deflection off Micky van de Ven’s effort.

These next five or so months could be the last we see of Davies at Tottenham. Spurs triggered a one-year extension on his contract last year, which brings his end-date to the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign. So far there’s been no reporting on Davies’s future after this season.

Who knows what the future holds for him after his contract is up. Wherever it leads, I hope it leads him back to Tottenham (or maybe he never leaves).

Fitzie’s track of the day: Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “The unusual thing Micky van de Ven did for Tottenham against Sunderland and mad Bentancur moment”

The Athletic ($$): “Does Thomas Frank have English football’s hardest job?”

BBC: “Tactics, transfers and turmoil - inside the fall of Amorim”

The Guardian: “Celtic’s Nancy catastrophe is another indicator of a club embroiled in turmoil”

Well, at least it appears Spurs are TRYING to sign a player. With left back a significant need and a gaping hole in the squad, over the weekend the Athletic reported that Tottenham Hotspur are in the market for a backup to the currently-injured Destiny Udogie. The report states that Spurs have had an £8m bid rejected by Santos for 19-year-old Brazilian left back Souza.

Souza is a Santos youth product and just broke through into the first team last season, and he’s a promising, if unproven player. The Athletic and other outlets state that Santos has a release clause of £100m for non-Brazilian clubs (£60m for Brazilian clubs), the fact of which was reported uncritically and without context and which made a lot of online Spurs fans very very mad at the idea Spurs were trying to bid £8m for a “£100m valued player.” The truth is a lot sillier than that — it’s very, very common for clubs in South America to put a prohibitively expensive release clause in the contracts of their promising young players to prevent clubs from the region from swooping in for them. So Souza’s VALUE is not £100m — the Athletic say that Santos is holding out for £15m which is still a lot for a 19-year-old playing in his second season of Brazilian-league football — but it’s still an underbid by Spurs which was rejected.

Is Souza any good? Brother, I have no clue, I don’t watch the Brazilian league. His Green Bars™ look pretty good but with the extremely strong caveat that this represents minutes in the Brazilian first division. He’s also a Brazil U17 international which is nothing to sneeze at. Maybe he’s good! More likely he has the POTENTIAL to be good. But I’d have a difficult time believing Spurs would be bidding £8m for a player they think could instantly compete at the Premier League level, especially when the first choice left back is currently injured.

But what do I know? I just know this is a bid that happened, was rejected, and now Spurs need to figure out if they’re going to continue to pursue this guy. If so, I’d suggest Johan Lange get on the Souza Phone (musical joke!) and figure it out. Time’s a-wasting, and we sure do need a left back.

“Julie is a modern, dynamic full-back who brings a real attacking edge to her game. She combines pace, technical quality and game intelligence with the ability to consistently impact the game in the final third, while still delivering the defensive intensity and discipline required at the highest level. Julie’s bravery in possession, timing of her forward runs and quality of decision-making mean she will regularly influence decisive moments in advanced areas.

“She was a clear priority for us, and despite strong competition from a number of top clubs in England and across Europe, Julie chose Tottenham Hotspur as the best environment to continue her development. That decision reflects her ambition, belief in our project, and the clarity of our vision.

“We are delighted to welcome a player of her quality, mentality and potential to the Club.”

With half the Premier League season already gone, an odd quirk of the fixture calendar meant Tottenham Hotspur lined up against promoted Sunderland for the first time this campaign. A surprise outfit this season, the Black Cats had already stunned many a top side this season, and despite a strong opening 45 minutes, Spurs were to be no exception.

Thomas Frank sprung a couple of surprises of his own with his starting lineup. Ben Davies made his first start since May last year, while Mathys Tel received a rare opportunity on the left, making for an attacking front four of Richarlison, Tel, Mohammed Kudus, and Wilson Odobert at the #10. Sunderland went unchanged from their impressive goalless draw against Manchester City in midweek.

Spurs began the match in a sparkling, energetic fashion, pressing well and showing good willingness to get the ball forward, in stark contrast to the last couple of fixtures. This positive start was dampened somewhat, however, as Kudus was forced from the pitch with an apparent injury, Randal Kolo Muani taking up a role on the right in Kudus’ stead.

Though Spurs were much improved in getting the ball forward, the lack of a true creative presence around the box was telling at times, with a final ball often missing from some impressive build-up play. Spurs pushed forward though, and while Tel saw a curled effort sail just wide and Richarlison had a corner nicked off his head, it was a set piece that broke the deadlock. Cristian Romero seemed to have acres of space as he took down the ball at the far post from a Tel corner, controlling before cutting a pass back towards the penalty spot. Micky van de Ven tried to sweep a first-time shot home, with Ben Davies smartly turning the ball into the net to put Spurs into the lead.

As sharp as they were in the first half, Spurs were sloppy in the second. With the press dropping off, Sunderland found themselves in possession in advanced areas of the pitch more and more, with that possession beginning to lend itself to chances. Ben Davies went from provider to savior, clearing a ball that was about to fall to Brian Brobbey for a tap-in, before Sunderland hit the upright twice, through Brobbey and Enzo Le Fee. Spurs did have a chance to double their lead as Richarlison broke in behind, but the chance was spurned as the Brazilian took the wrong option at the wrong time, waiting too long to square the ball before opting against the shot when it was probably the best course of action and losing possession.

Things started to get chippy as well. Ex-Spurs youth product Romaine Mundle let fly an elbow on Wilson Odobert that could have seen a red, while some clashes between Lutsharel Geertruida and Rodrigo Bentancur, and Brobbey and Pedro Porro threatened to boil over. Frank opted to make defensive substitutions to try and secure the lead, while Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris brought on attacking reinforcements, and it was the latter that paid dividends.

An excellent one-two between Brobbey and Le Fee cut the Spurs defense to shreds and set the Dutchman through on goal. He made no mistake, rocketing a shot past Guglielmo Vicario in goal and evening the scoreline. With the home crowd stunned, Spurs labored to find a late winner, but were unable to make a breakthrough as the 1-1 scoreline meant two points dropped.

Reactions

Talk about a game of two halves. That first 45 minutes was probably the best I’ve seen Spurs play in some time; unfortunately, the team reverted to type in the second period.

Ben Davies coming into the XI worked fantastically well, for two reasons: one, it meant better buildup solely due to having a left-footer on the left; and two, it allowed for a lopsided formation that afforded more freedom to Pedro Porro in possession, which in turn resulted in one of the best performances from the Spaniard for some time.

Did Vicario handle the ball outside his box in the first half? It looked mighty close, and bizarrely there didn’t seem to be any replays of the incident.

Wow, Mundle didn’t seem to have any love for his former club. He really went in with that elbow. On another day that sees red, but the fact that wasn’t given on the pitch means VAR was unlikely to intervene.

The press was so, so good in the first half. Where did it go in the second? Was that tactical instruction, tiredness, or lack of focus? Maybe all three.

Look, I get the idea of bringing Joao Palhinha on to protect a one goal lead. But bringing him on for Archie Gray instead of Bentancur only meant Spurs were going to completely concede possession and drop even deeper - something that played right into Sunderland’s… feet? It also meant Spurs were completely unable to generate any attack after conceding.

Selling one of your right wingers and then immediately losing the other to injury? Cool, cool, coolcoolcool.

Not long to wait for the next match, as Spurs soon head to Bournemouth in midweek.

COYS!

It’s only January 4, but Tottenham Hotspur have been unusually busy in the January transfer window. This morning, they revealed their fourth midseason signing, announcing the loan acquisition of attacker Maika Hamano from Chelsea until the end of the season.

Hamano, 21 years old and a Japan international, joined Chelsea from INAC Kobe Leonessa in 2023. She was a member of Japan’s 2023 World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics squads, and is considered a talented young offensive player, but she’s seen her minutes limited at Chelsea this season.

Hamano is a versatile player — she’s listed on FBRef as a forward but can play anywhere across the forward attacking band, on both flanks and centrally. The details of her loan were not disclosed, but it appears to be a “dry” loan meaning there is no purchase option at the end. That suggests to me that she is being brought in as emergency cover for Jess Naz, who is out for the rest of the season after an ACL injury a couple of weeks ago. The only downside to Hamano is, alongside fellow Japan international Toko Koga and Claire Hunt, both will miss a couple of games this spring for the Asian Cup.

This is a good signing, even if we have to give her back at the end of the year. Hamano is versatile and talented, and Martin Ho can plug her in virtually anywhere so that gives some tactical flexibility going forward. Hamano joins Matilda Nilden, Hannah Wijk, and Signe Gaupset this month and there are suggestions that Spurs Women aren’t yet finished in the transfer market with names like Julie Blakstad and Larissa Mühlhaus also mentioned.

I’ll say it again — Spurs Women are making some serious moves and are clearly positioning themselves to be in the mix for top four or five this season, though there’s plenty of work left to do. If you’re frustrated with Tottenham’s men’s team, you really really should give Spurs Women a try.

Tottenham Hotspur have their third match in eight days as the midseason crunch continues, this time against a Sunderland side that has surprised many. Sitting in seventh, six places above Spurs, this Black Cats side has outperformed all expectations and could provide a challenge to a stuttering Spurs side, with the two teams yet to meet this season.

Both sides are missing players: Spurs, largely due to injury (with a suspension and a couple of Africa Cup of Nations absentees in the mix), while Sunderland have been impacted heavily by AFCON, with a number of their squad away on international duty.

Some would say this therefore presents an intriguing matchup; others would posit that circumstances will lead to a dour slog of a match. I wouldn’t be surprised by either, and Spurs will need to take three points from this contest.

COYS!

Lineups

Live Blog

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Sunday, January 4, 2026

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

TV: NBCSN, Sky Sports Football (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock

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!

The days of Tottenham Hotspur being near the top of the league in goals scored are long gone. In the past four matches, Spurs have scored just twice, failing to exceed 1.0 xG in any contest. While the defense has recorded consecutive clean sheets, one has to wonder if it is worth the cost — which, yes, is a little ironic given the cries from the past two seasons, but still fully justified after watching this squad’s complete attacking ineptitude.

Sunderland is the final Premier League side for Tottenham to face this season. After a surprise surge up the table, the newly promoted Black Cats have only one win in six and are back down to seventh. A -10.1 xGD (17th) suggests that regression is long overdue, and indeed their scoring output is even worse than Spurs’. Both sides come into this one fresh off 0-0 draws on Thursday…

Match Details

Date: Sunday, January 4

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

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: NBCSN/Peacock (US)

Table: Spurs (t-12th, 26 pts), Sunderland (7th, 29 pts)

It has been nearly a decade since these clubs last met. The home fixture was won 1-0 by Tottenham thanks to Harry Kane in the final season at White Hart Lane. Back at the Stadium of Light, the visitors dominated possession and shot volume, but both sides failed to find the net, resulting in — how fitting — a 0-0 draw that is scarily becoming a theme here.

Two Things to Watch

Efficiency

Thomas Frank’s side has never really looked like a well-oiled scoring machine, but there was a stretch when the goals were coming more often. Much of that had more to do with efficiency than quantity of opportunities, and the squad is still first in goals per shot on target (0.43) and second in goals per shot (0.14). However, with those numbers falling to 0.18 and 0.05, respectively, over the past four matches despite shot and SOT volume staying similar, the frailty of that reliance starts to appear.

The reason why is obvious. Spurs lack any sort of lethal scoring threat, with Richarlison the only attacker so show these levels of efficiency. Unfortunately, his finishing does not inspire tons of confidence, and when he is not getting shots off there is no one else who is doing much of anything. A healthy Dominic Solanke should bring some lift here, but that is not enough to solve the drought alone.

Ambition

Perhaps the more difficult solve is even getting into position for high-quality shots. Spurs showed little interest in scoring on Thursday (and probably would not have scored even if they had tried to do so) and now face the third-toughest defense in the league. Sunderland has surrendered one total goal in its past four matches, which sets up for another frustrating effort from Frank’s side.

The bright spot would be that both City and Leeds had plenty of chances to score in Sunderland’s previous two outings, and the Black Cats’ xGA is much closer to league average than their actual number of goals allowed. But this defense has been hard to break down and is surely going to be well structured away from home, which is a recipe for disaster for Tottenham in North London. As much as supporters would like to see more scoring, the manager seems uninterested in setting up his team to do so.