Cartilage Free Captain

Well here’s a New Year’s surprise. Kota Takai, the Japanese central defender who joined Tottenham Hotspur this summer but has yet to make a senior appearance, will have to wait a little longer for that distinction. The club announced today on social media that Takai is instead heading to Germany for the second half of the season, joining Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan.

Now you can make all the jokes about “Kota Takai isn’t real, he’s a figment of our collective imaginations” all you want, but honestly I don’t hate this move. Takai joined Spurs from Kawasaki Frontale for £5m this summer which in and of itself suggests he’s one for the future. With Radu Dragusin now returned from injury, this move suggests a couple of things: a) Takai needs some time and football under his belt to make an impression, b) the club sees Takai as, at best, a 5th or 6th choice CB, and c) Radu Dragusin’s now probably not going anywhere until this summer, yappy pretend agent be damned.

It’s not all Takai’s fault that he hasn’t been used, of course. He was dealing with a nasty case of plantar fasciitis soon after he joined and then had a muscle injury later this fall. Those are two significant setbacks, and honestly going out on loan isn’t the worst move for him. And this is a really good loan! The fact that a mid-table German club wants to take a guy who hasn’t played a game outside of Japan yet suggests they think he could be a useful player. That’s good! And let’s not forget, a German loan has worked wonders for Luka Vuskovic. I like this move.

With Takai out on loan, that leaves a CB stable of Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Dragusin, and Ben Davies as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency defender. That seems okay to me. And since he’ll play in a top flight league that means we’ll hopefully have an opportunity to see him actually play football and come to some conclusions as to whether we think he has a future at Spurs or not.

Who knows, maybe by this time in 2027 he’ll have made his Spurs debut!

Yesterday we got news that Tottenham Hotspur U21 attacking midfielder was returning to north London after the club terminated his loan with Championship side Stoke City. This morning there’s a new report that says Donley will be staying in the second division, joining Oxford United until the end of the season.

The report is from Sam Rourke in Football League World — not my usual choice of sources for reliable transfer rumors, but this one is marked as an “EXCLUSIVE” and honestly feels pretty plausible. Rourke writes that the final details are being ironed out but that Donley is expected to join Oxford in the next couple of days.

This would be something of a lateral move for Donley but one with potential big upsides. Oxford are struggling in the Championship and currently sit in 23rd, one spot above bottom. However, that also happens to be the loan club for striker Will Lankshear, who is having a highly successful loan despite Oxford struggling. And in fact, joining Lankshear could be exactly what Oxford needs — the biggest complaint about Oxford is that they’re playing a dire, defensive football style and they’ve struggled to get Lankshear the ball. Donley is a ball-playing, dynamic offensive midfielder, has played with Lankshear in the Tottenham U21s, and could be a jolt of energy for the Oxen. Or not! You never know with loans.

Considering Donley’s Stoke loan was cancelled because he was stuck behind established players and wasn’t getting minutes, going to a relegation-threatened team might — might! — be a good move. Linking up with a teammate and buddy on loan could also be good for both Donley and Big Willy Lanks. Let’s hope this all works out.

Editor’s note: Apologies that this is so late - there was a masthead mix-up largely caused by yours truly!

In the midst of the festive fixture congestion, Thomas Frank returned to his old stomping ground as Brentford hosted Tottenham Hotspur on a New Year’s Day match. Some may have been confident following Spurs’ 3-0 win in the reverse fixture, but a defensive lineup from Frank consisting of a midfield three of Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, and Archie Gray was never going to provide much in the way of entertainment, let alone goals.

The match that thus proceeded was something barely resembling football. Both sides struggled in the final third, with the only real opportunities coming via set pieces and transition: moments that were rare as neither side were willing to take risks both in and out of possession in the fear that a counter could pull them apart. It was a set piece in fact that looked to have opened the scoring for Brentford, as Kevin Schade knocked the ball into Guglielmo Vicario’s net following a headed-on corner; but the linesman’s flag soon put paid to the momentary celebrations.

That was the closest either side came to scoring. One moment in the second half looked vaguely threatening as Richarlison headed a wonderful Gray cross back across the box only for Brentford to clear, while Gray was at the center of the action once more as he went down under a Schade challenge appealing for a penalty. Initially, it looked like a penalty could be awarded by VAR, but replays showed Schade just got a toe on the ball, while Spurs were lucky to not be punished at the other end of the pitch as Cristian Romero whiffed on a clearance then handled the ball on the ground while the last man.

The match in totality was an absolute bore; the kind of match that those who dislike football would assume is the norm. Unfortunately, for Spurs it largely has been the norm this season, and though Frank attempted to remove some of the safety blanket late on with some substitutions, Spurs were never able to create any sort of fluidity or speed of play to undo a staunch Brentford defense. The match fizzled to a 0-0 draw as the away fans, usually vigorous in their voicings of support, booed Spurs’ efforts.

Reactions

A match that was somewhat the equivalent of “this meeting could have been an email”. Were all the players hungover?

I say this in full awareness of the fact that Frank has limited options in terms of his available squad, but what on earth was that midfield? Though his options are limited, he had options. Kudus and Odobert have both spent time at the #10; instead, Frank opted to go full football terrorist playing against a weak side.

Some of his substitutions were similarly suspect. Odobert was probably the sole bright spark going forward, and when he was pulled off Spurs’ chance creation went from limited to non-existent. He is getting better with each appearance, and is almost a lock now for that left winger spot.

Conversely, Kudus seems to be almost getting worse with each appearance. He looked exhausted today, but with Brennan Johnson on his way to Palace, who is the option to deputize in that position? I’m no huge fan of Johnson, but how Frank has managed the squad is bizarre.

Archie Gray is not a good #10. That’s okay - I wouldn’t expect him to be! That said, he was the only one of the midfield three really showing any verticality in his movement and passing. It was sorely needed.

The boos from the away end and the chants of “Boring Boring Tottenham” were telling. Frank losing the away support really points to the fact his days are numbered.

I’ve already written more than this performance deserved.

COYS.

This has been a foregone conclusion for a couple of days now, but now it’s all done but the official social media posts: Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have come to a full agreement for the transfer of Brennan Johnson.

The transfer fee is just shy of £35m which is a good price for a player Spurs bought 2.5 years ago for £47m and who has been languishing on Thomas Frank’s bench for most of this season. Johnson, as you’ve no doubt heard, was Tottenham’s leading scorer last season with 18 goals in all competitions including the goal that won Tottenham the Europa League title under Ange Postecoglou, but it’s clear he’s not in Frank’s plans this season and won’t come close to reaching those numbers should he stay. At Palace he has a better chance of getting significant minutes and could thrive in Oliver Glasner’s system, or at least as long as Glasner stays at Palace.

It’s okay to be sad — Brennan was an important player for us and gave us some incredible moments, but Spurs have been criticized for years for not moving on from players in a timely way and retooling; that’s what they appear to be doing. It’s a good price, the player wants to go, and it’s time to move on.

Welcome to 2026: New year, new you.

But is it new Spurs?

Tottenham Hotspur’s last match against Brentford ended up being somewhat of a false dawn, with that 3-0 result becoming more of a millstone than a momentum builder. Thomas Frank will be hoping though that positive signs seen against both Liverpool and Crystal Palace in recent weeks can materialize into something more tangible against his old club.

Both teams are missing players. Both teams have had mixed results. Both teams would love a win, but (almost) more than that, they would love a performance.

It’s a new year - anything can happen!

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

How to Watch

Brentford vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Gtech Community Stadium, London, UK

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Time: 3:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. UK

TV: NBCSN, Sky Sports Premier League (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!

Last year (lol I’ve been waiting to use this) we heard rumors that Tottenham were considering recalling Yang Min-hyeok from his loan at Portsmouth to loan him back out somewhere else where he can get more minutes. The same is happening to Damola Ajayi at Doncaster; the Dons are terminating his loan and sending him back to Spurs this month. We’re still waiting on confirmation of Yang’s situation, but we do have another young on-loan player who is coming home early, at least for now. Spurs announced on social media and their website that Jamie Donley is being recalled from his season long loan at Stoke City.

Donley was one of two Tottenham players sent to the Potters on loan, along with central defender Ashley Philllips. But while Phillips has established himself as one of Stoke’s two main central defenders and has tallied 1400 minutes so far this season, Donley has barely sniffed the pitch. He picked up an assist in Stoke’s opening week win over Derby County, and started both of Stoke’s EFL Cup matches, but has only made a total of 4 Championship appearances for 81 minutes of match time. Not great! I’m sure anyone who regularly follows Stoke can probably tell me why he’s been stuck on the bench, but it’s an untenable situation for him right now.

This is kind of a critical moment for Donley. A lot of Spurs fans have high hopes for him especially after a successful loan stint at Leyton Orient in League One last season. He’s young, but at age 20 now old enough where he should be able to contribute at the Championship level. That’s kind of a key metric. I’d expect him to be loaned out again for the second half of the season, though there aren’t as of yet any indications on where that would be — either another Championship club or somewhere on the continent.

I don’t know if his failure to launch at Stoke is due to ability, effort, circumstance, or some combination of all of them, but failed loans suck. Hopefully Spurs can find him a place where he can get minutes and that isn’t, IDK, Westerlo.

Winning ugly is better than not winning at all, and apparently Tottenham Hotspur has found the right formula to squeak out three points. After the blip against Forest, Spurs got the needed result against Palace last weekend — away from home, of course — and can start off the new year right with a similar effort at Thomas Frank’s old stomping grounds. Despite plenty of struggles this fall, Tottenham entered this matchweek just four points off fifth.

One point above Frank’s new side is his previous squad. Since falling to Spurs in North London less than a month ago, Brentford has taken seven points in three matches and surged up the table. Some of this is due to quality of competition, but Tottenham is in no place to scoff at taking the “easy” points. This is going to be a true test on New Year’s but at least there is some reason to believe.

Match Details

Date: Thursday, January 1

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

Location: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford

TV: NBCSN/Peacock (US), Sky Sports Premier League (UK)

Table: Brentford (t-9th, 26 pts), Spurs (t-13th, 25 pts)

Even with it happening at home, last month’s win over Brentford was Tottenham’s best league performance in a long time. The 2.2-0.2 xG line was certainly the most dominant this campaign, and those figures were completely justified given how the match played out. That win did make it four straight for Spurs in this fixture, regardless of which club Frank is leading.

Two Things to Watch

Potential Hierarchy Changes

No midweek matches the past two weeks gave Frank a chance to deploy all his resources, possibly revealing his preferred choices. Two players stand out as being on either side of the cusp right now. The first is Archie Gray, who has started seven of the last eight fixtures and nabbed his first career goal over the weekend.

Spurs could certainly use an upgrade in central midfield, but if the personnel remains the same, it sure looks like Gray has broken into the Rodrigo Bentancur-Joao Palhinha double pivot, and rightfully so. Gray played well against Brentford last time and would relish the chance to repeat that performance. Keith Andrews has dabbled with his formations since that meeting, but Gray is a strong choice against any midfield combination.

Up top, Richarlison has been the primary Tottenham striker all season, but more so out of necessity than performance. He does now lead the team in goals and could have had two more at Selhurst Park, but he has not exactly sealed up the job. Though a striker signing is unlikely in January, the impending return of Dominic Solanke could push him to the bench; the Brazilian’s chances to hang on to the starting spot are quickly dwindling.

Run It Back

That 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was just about everything Frank could have asked for against his former club. Spurs were surprisingly direct, aided by a start from Xavi Simons and a quality outing from Mohammed Kudus, with both working well in front of Gray and Bentancur. Brentford had nearly equal possession of the ball but generated just one shot on target, rarely threatening the Tottenham defense.

Brentford will obviously look to adjust from this loss — and has looked pretty good since then — while Spurs will try to anticipate some of these changes. Frank should have the advantage, knowing his previous outfit well, though execution plays just as large of a role as tactics. Tottenham’s win over Palace was no masterclass, but the ability to grind out wins on the road should not be overlooked.

I would expect the Bees to really go for this one. With six goals scored and just one conceded the past two weeks, confidence is high in Brentford. Spurs will need to absorb some pressure while also making the most of their chances (especially the aforementioned Richarlison). This does not feel like another 1-0 contest, so maybe Tottenham can take advantage of the home side’s surge in form and ambition, carrying forward last month’s success.

Good morning everyone, and happy 2026! A special happy January 2 to MattyFlatt and all those who rung in the new year well ahead of the rest of the world.

The hoddle’s going to take a little bit of a break today. Will you miss the hoddle today, really? We have Tottenham who are going to:

Start the year off with a big win

Start the year off with a devastating loss

Start the year off with a boring draw

That (and the college American football games today) are sure to drive most of the attention.

I hope the first day of the year brings a win for Spurs, but you never know do you? But the hoddle is here for your chatting needs, especially if you’d rather post comments rather than make small-talk with extended family.

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the year. Come on you Spurs!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Rockaria!, by Electric Light Orchestra

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “Has Tottenham’s year of change really set them up for ‘more wins, more often’?”

BBC: “Not just results - why Maresca is under pressure”

Raise your hand if you completely forgot that Manor Solomon was a Tottenham Hotspur player. Oh come on, I KNOW you did because I also had forgotten entirely. Solomon, signed for free under somewhat shady circumstances from Shakhtar Donetsk due to the ongoing war in Ukraine the summer Ange Postecoglou also joined the club, was deemed not good enough by two consecutive Spurs managers and was summarily shipped off to Villarreal on loan this summer.

Well, according to Fabrizio Romano, Manor’s great Spanish adventure is being cut short, because he’s reached an agreement to be sold to Fiorentina. His loan will be terminated.

Now look, I’m not saying that sending Manor Solomon off to La Viola has anything to do with Fabio Paratici reportedly leaving Spurs to become Fiorentina’s new Director of Football. But I’m also not NOT saying that. Was it a package deal? Did we tell Fabio that he can leave, but he has to take Manor with him? Probably not. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut…

(Apropos of nothing, can I again state how much I hate that Fab’s moved on from bad Photoshops to even worse AI-generated imagery? Garbage. Get in the bin.)

There’s no word on the transfer fee for Manor Solomon, but I have to think it’s not much. Maybe a bag of balls and a nice lunch in Florence? A promise of right of first refusal for whatever the Fiorentina equivalent of Dejan Kulusevski is? Whatever it is, it’s probably good for both Spurs to get Solomon off the books and for Manor to actually have a settled place in which to play football. Sounds like a win-win scenario to me.

UPDATE: Fabrizio clarified in a subsequent post — it’s another loan for Manor with a purchase option. That’s… significantly less awesome than the CURRENT loan with option he’s on a Villarreal, but it’s not nothing, I guess?

Tottenham Hotspur Women are continuing their raid of BK Häcken with the signing of winger Matilda Nildén to a long term deal. Yes, you read that right – we’re signing Amanda Nildén’s younger sister.

Matilda is coming off a promising season with Häcken, where she registered one goal and five assists in about 1200 minutes – that’s eleven starts and fourteen substitute appearances, according to fbref. She’s just 21 years old, so there’s not too much more info out there about exactly how Matilda Nildén might contribute to Spurs. But Martin Ho seems pretty excited about her potential.

“Matilda is an exciting attacking player with the ability to operate as a winger on both sides,” Martin said. “She plays with pace, bravery and intent, and has the qualities to consistently impact games in the final third. She is comfortable receiving in wide areas, attacking 1v1 situations and making decisive movements in behind.”

The younger Nildén will need to develop and adapt to the WSL, and she’s likely one for the future. But depending on who Spurs bring in, move on and loan out during the rest, she may see opportunities right out of the gate. It’s no secret that Spurs badly need attacking depth, especially on the wing where Matilda plays. Spurs limped into the new year with just one true winger available in Matilda Vinberg (I’m counting Lenna Gunning-Williams and Martha Thomas as more all-purpose forwards since both play in various positions across the front line). We sorely missed attacking depth and variety in the closing stages of both games against Manchester United.

I love how quickly the club is moving to address these obvious squad issues. The transfer window isn’t technically even open yet, and we’ve already announced three deals. It’s awesome, and a huge change from previous years. That said, sometimes I want to remind the club that there are people playing really good football outside Scandinavia. I’d love to see us recruit players from all over the world – the NWSL exists, as does Liga MX and Japan’s WE League, and I could go on! But it’s not even January yet (at least not for a few more hours), so I’ll hold off on passing any serious judgment for now.

I’ll leave you with this. Now you’re all aware that Amanda Nildén has a younger sister named Matilda. According to her Instagram, it seems like our winger Matilda Vinberg has a sister named Amanda. I do not believe she’s playing football, so we probably won’t be signing her. But that’s definitely not going to be confusing at all for anyone involved, right??