Cartilage Free Captain

Good monday, dear hoddlers.

Your hoddler-in-chief woke up on Sunday morning to the biggest match of the year: Anderlecht vs Antwerp.

This Belgian matchup featured the clubs of two modern-day Tottenham icons in Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. Only that neither of them were playing!

Fear not, though, Tottenham ledge Vincent Janssen was also featured in this exhilerating 0-0 draw.

Don’t let the score fool you. This match had little repercussions. Anderlecht are currently fourth in the Belgian Jupiler league with 26 pinits in the champions round, and Antwerp are sixth with 24.

Well ahead of them both is Club Brugge with 42 points, and Genk and Union SG level at 40 points.

But who cares. Because this is Belgian football. And we at hoddle headquarters love Belgian football.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Manteca, by Dizzy Gillespie

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Ange Postecoglou makes Richarlison vow and explains Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson’s key roles”

It wasn’t always champagne football. They couldn’t put the ball in the net from open play. But in what was seething cauldron full of at times overly-excited German football fans, Tottenham Hotspur did the job. Spurs’ 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, a result that punched their ticket to the Europa League semifinals and a home-and-home matchup against Norwegian side Bodø/Gliimt, had the feel of one of those “Glory, Glory Nights” in European competition from days of yore.

It was a gutsy, at times gritty win. No style points here, but Spurs put in a robust defensive performance, shutting down Frankfurt striker Hugo Etikike to just two shots, neither on target, and withstanding a barrage of late chances with the match on the line. Even better, Tottenham kept their composure in what was a pressure cooker of a match, with their opponents seeming to crumble emotionally as the match went on.

Ange Postecoglou, in his post-match press conference, could hardly contain his enthusiasm, and was effusive in his praise for his team.

“I’m delighted with many things, super proud of the lads. Going away from home, a quarter-final against a very good side, you know you’re going to have to work really hard, be really disciplined and we needed to score. We had to show the quality we had as well.

“To a man I just thought they were outstanding, so proud of them. In such a big game, they delivered a performance and it means we’re through to a semi-final. I think over the two legs we deserved to go through. It could have been all over in the first leg but we earned the right to be in the semi.”

The turning point in the match was when James Maddison was cleaned out by Frankfurt keeper Kauã Santos just before halftime. After an extended VAR review that involved the match official heading to the monitor, Spurs were awarded a penalty which Dominic Solanke converted in what turned out to be the match’s only goal. Maddison himself was substituted shortly afterwards, with the midfielder in noticeable discomfort.

When asked, Postecoglou said he didn’t have any significant injury concerns about Madders, and that the play is what won Spurs the match.

“[Madison] is fine. Unbelievable courage in that moment to put his body on the line knowing full well that he was going to get a pretty severe knock and I was surprised it wasn’t a red card. Super courageous from him. He is sore but I’m sure that has all been numbed knowing that he has helped us progress to the semi.

“We can be facetious about [the VAR review] but I thought it was a clear penalty. I’m not sure why it needed VAR. When a player wins the ball and gets cleaned out, if that was a defender it definitely would probably have been a red card. It’s definitely a penalty. I don’t think it needed a review. Again, I think we got what we deserved.”

This was, correctly, described as Tottenham’s most important match of the season — not only because it provided an opportunity for Spurs to return to a European semifinal for the first time in six years, but because failure to do so was viewed as the final straw in Postecoglou’s tenure at the club. The win gave Ange a lifeline for his job, and led to him gently needling the reporters (and supporters) that have been giving him a hard time.

“We’re in the semi-final and will play a difficult opponent in the semi, but it’s not about my belief in the team. What’s more important is the belief the team has had because after a season like ours, it would be very easy for the players and staff, they could have left me in a pretty vulnerable place in terms of them splintering, but I’ve never felt that (even) with all the noise around our season.

“They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here and that is what gave me heart all along that if we got our own slice of luck in terms of getting some players back that I really believed this team could achieve. That is what keeps driving me. It isn’t so much my belief in them, it’s their belief in what we’re doing and both players and staff have been outstanding.

“I am the same manager today that I was yesterday so if people think us winning tonight makes me a better manager or whoever thinks I wasn’t doing a good job yesterday, should be feeling the same way. I don’t care, it doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t affect what I do. For me, it’s always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe? That’s much more important than what others may make of me. So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you’re going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer, mate, so let’s see how that goes.”

Tottenham’s league run-in is a tough one, starting with a home match against high-flying Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The Bodø/Glimt matches will be sandwiched inbetween matches away to Liverpool, away to West Ham, and home to Crystal Palace. But despite what Ange might say about the Premier League and the opportunities that sill remain, there’s no question which competition is now first and foremost in the front of the players’ minds.

Tottenham Hotspur are European semifinalists again, and, at least for now, the vibes are back in the black.

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Tottenham Hotspur Match Reports

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Europa League 2024-25

Frankfurt 0-1 (1-2) Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs gut their way to the Europa League semifinals

A gutsy win in Germany sends Spurs to the brink of another European final!

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Tottenham Hotspur knew that if they wanted to not only keep their dream of a Europa League title alive but also potentially keep their manager in a job, they had to do something very difficult: go to Germany and beat Eintracht Frankfurt away. That’s just what they did. Dominic Solanke slotted home a penalty at the stroke of halftime, Tottenham’s defense dug deep, and Tottenham emerged with a 1-0 win over Frankfurt to win the two-legged tie 2-1 on aggregate.

It was a gritty performance — not always pretty, but still solid. Tottenham’s defense was at times excellent, and while neither team scored from open play in this one, Mathys Tel had a number of good shots on target. This match also featured the return of Dejan Kulusevski, who came on for an injured James Maddison in the first half, and looked good for his shift.

The win means Spurs return to a European semifinal for the first time since they made the Champions League final six years ago. They will play the winner of Lazio and Bodø/Glimt in the semis, which at the time of this article posting was not yet settled.

What a glory, glory European night (even if Spurs were in green)! Here are my match reactions.

Match reactions

So I missed the opening 20 minutes of the match due to a meeting going late, but from what I was told Tottenham didn’t look great but also didn’t let Frankfurt look great either. I’ll take that.

My god, that was a RAUCOUS atmosphere at the Waldstadion. Love Europe.

A fascinating match between two teams that were pretty evenly matched in a lot of ways. Both teams had chances, both teams gave up big chances. Neither could convert from open play. Unlike the first leg I though Frankfurt looked solid and Spurs had fewer opportunities on the road this time.

Ekitike is a load and it was very nice having a (mostly) healthy Micky van de Ven able to run back and defend him when he got into space.

I know we’ve said this before this season and it was readily apparent during the injury crisis, but Tottenham are simply a better team with Cuti Romero and Micky van de Ven in the back line.

Santos trucking Maddison was the easiest penalty call you could possibly make and it’s baffling that it wasn’t made on the field, requiring the official to go to the monitor. The right decision was made, except that should’ve been a clear red card. And then Santos did it again in the second half to Solanke, without the benefit of a call! Wild.

I have to say I was a tad nervous about Solanke taking the penalty considering his run of shooting form, and especially since Tel looked all set to do it, but full credit — he buried it.

You can probably take your pick of what injury caused Madders to get subbed off — the guy got leveled — but I’m okay with him being subbed off for Deki out of caution, if that’s what it was for.

Mentioned by someone in Carty Free chat — that was basically the perfect first half for a 1-1 draw second leg away from home. Spurs negated most of what Frankfurt wanted to do going forward, they had some good opportunities, and earned a good chance to go ahead, which they took.

Deki might still be a tad rusty after a long injury-related layoff, but he was again a monster in the press, something we’ve really missed during his absence.

Really impressed with Tel’s effort in this one. He wasn’t afraid to shoot and tested the keeper on a couple of occasions. Put a few more over, but he wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger. You look at a performance like that and think “Yeah, THAT’S why he’s a prospect.”

In the first leg, Spurs had the bulk of the chances in the second half and simply couldn’t put the ball in the net. That script was flipped in this one — Frankfurt had much of the ball and several chances to score, but Vicario came up big with a few stops and Kristiansen couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.

Frankfurt and their fans were real shitheads in this one. Spicy, agressive players and fans that were throwing crap on the field. Made me much less sympathetic towards them.

Bringing on Kevin Danso at 85’ felt extremely anti-Ange. Since when does he play a 5-3-2 and park the bus? Have we ever seen that before? I don’t feel we have. It worked, but it did NOTHING for my nerves.

Y’all, it’s been a long, hard season but Tottenham Hotspur are in the semifinals of the Europa League. How good does that feel? The dream is still alive.

At the time of this article posting, Bodø/Glimt and Lazio were in extra time so we still don’t know who Spurs will play next. But that’ll become clear soon.

This is it. Tottenham Hotspur have a chance away at Eintracht Frankfurt to progress in the Europa League. The alternative? Any sense of positivity to take from this season dead and buried, along with Spurs’ hopes of European football next season.

Spurs were probably the better side in a cagey first leg, but were unable to make their ascendancy count in the form of goals, meaning the Lilywhites now have to travel to Germany in search of a rare away win.

There is everything to play for, and Spurs will have to do it without their captain, out with a foot injury. Can Tottenham Hotspur overcome that setback, or will it be another trophyless season?

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

How to Watch

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Thursday, April 17, 2025

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

TV: Not televised in USA, TNT Sports 3 (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Paramount+

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!

In some ways, last week’s first leg was about everything that could have been asked for from a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side. While a single goal on 0.9 xG may not look like an offensive outburst, there were plenty of moments of progressive, decisive attacking that could have led to much more on the score sheet.

However, Thursday’s critical second leg begins at 1-1. Eintracht Frankfurt took advantage of — surprise — a stupid Spurs mistake, and the sides are even heading into a hostile environment that will certainly favor the home team. This is more or less a coin flip in terms of who will end up advancing, which might not be the worst position for Ange Postecoglou after everything this season has suffered. A defeat in Germany is probably the end of the road for him, though.

Quarterfinals (2nd Leg): Eintracht Frankfurt (1) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Date: Thursday, April 17

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

Location: Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany

TV: Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports 3 (UK)

Sunday’s disaster at Wolves was nothing new for this squad in domestic play, but for the most part, cup performances have been much better. The first leg does inspire some confidence, and last round’s comeback against AZ gives some hope for a good effort here as well, though that was against a far lesser opponent and at home, of course.

Frankfurt’s goal last week was a quintessential blunder during the Postecoglou era, with an individual mistake compounded by lackluster defensive efforts. Tottenham is simply not good enough to give away these sorts of freebies, yet that continues to be the theme. Turnovers are deadly against an opponent that wants to be aggressive on the break, and more mistakes like this might be too much on the road.

Hopefully another start by the Micky van de Ven-Cristian Romero partnership will provide some additional coverage should those errors continue, but holding this Frankfurt side to just one goal again over 90 minutes is not going to be straightforward. Credit to the defense for limiting the damage last week; an even better effort is needed on Thursday.

A fateful four minutes

Often in sports, the only way to fully evaluate something is with the benefit of hindsight. Regardless of how this tie concludes, supporters will very likely look back at a wild four-minute stretch early in the second half that was somehow unable to break the deadlock in North London. The official website describes it best:

If Spurs are eliminated — especially by a narrow result — it will be hard to forget this sequence of events. The attack has been far from clinical all season, even with a healthy number of goals (third-most in the league). With a leaky defense and inconsistent midfield, capitalizing on these opportunities is imperative, but in the first leg, the home side could only muster a single tally.

And yet. Should Tottenham come out firing in Germany, continuing on last week’s aggression and actually converting on these sorts of chances, then this hectic sequence will be seen as an encouragement, a sign that the team is moving in the right direction and was just getting a little unlucky. It should not take long to figure out if that was the case or not. Hopefully for the sake of history, this series of events was a foreshadowing of incoming production, not a future source of regret.

This is the biggest game of Spurs’ season and a do-or-die moment for Ange Postecoglou, whose career seems to hinge on whether or not Tottenham progress in the next round of the Europa League.

Things are getting pretty intense. Now feels as good time as any to look at some cute animal photos and videos.

Here’s one:

Who doesn’t love golden retrievers? They’re lovable and a little goofy. I mean, look at that one getting the dirt on its face.

Here’s another:

That’s right. It’s a seagull riding on top of another seagull. Pretty darn cool!

Enjoy the animal vids before an intense fixture against Frankfurt.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Confident, by Cliff Beach featuring The MB’s

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Micky van de Ven delivers strong Ange Postecoglou response and makes clear injury statement”

Ange Postecoglou and his Tottenham Hotspur team have made the short hop from London to Germany ahead of Spurs’ Europa League second leg tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. And while he’s got about as healthy a squad as Spurs have had in months, he’s without one key player: club captain Son Heung-Min.

Postecoglou confirmed that Sonny was left back in London nursing a foot injury that he’s apparently been playing through for a couple of weeks.

“Sonny didn’t travel and he’s the only one who hasn’t travelled. He’s been struggling with his foot for a couple of weeks now and has been in pain. Everyone else is good. Kevin [Danso] trained and is available.”

That’s good news on Hold Me Closer, Kevin Danso but bad news for Son. That said, a nagging foot injury might explain his somewhat lackluster performances the past few games. Ange had previously said that Dejan Kulusevski, who made a brief cameo near the end of Spurs’ loss to Wolves at the weekend, will likely feature at some point but is unlikely to start.

So what does that mean for Spurs’ lineup? Probably Wilson Odobert will slot into Sonny’s position at left wing, and either Mathys Tel or Brennan Johnson on the other flank. Otherwise I expect we’ll see a strong lineup, as strong as we can get, as it’s a must win match that very well could determine whether Big Ange has a job by weekend’s end.

The recent announcement that Tottenham Hotspur are appointing former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham as club CEO signaled a significant change to Spurs’ leadership structure. And many fans, upon reading that Venkatesham would be in charge of “all on- and off-pitch operations,” what that meant for Chief Football Officer Scott Munn.

The Australian Munn has been at the club since 2023 and has spearheaded a backroom reorganization of many aspects within the club, but according to Jack Pitt-Brooke in The Athletic, Venkatesham’s future appointment now puts Munn’s job potentially in doubt. The report says that several sources at the club have suggested, privately, that Munn could be on the outs soon.

But even the arrival of Venkatesham is unlikely to be the end of the changes to executive roles at Spurs this summer. Multiple sources have told The Athletic that Munn’s future as chief football officer is in severe doubt, too.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic

If you were looking for more detail about how and why Munn might leave the club, well, so was I. Unfortunately, this is one of those articles where you can basically get the entire point by reading the headline, and that paragraph basically is the only juicy bit in the entire piece. The rest is background info about Munn’s current role, what he has and hasn’t done, and how it’s kind of impossible to quantify or qualify his job performance based on what we know.

That’s not really Jack’s fault, of course — you work with what you have, and the mere fact that Munn could be departing Tottenham Hotspur is newsworthy in and of itself. (I also sympathize with having to write an extended article based on one single nugget of off the record, backgrounded information.) It’s a pretty intriguing nugget, though and nobody’s quite sure what it means just yet. Venkatesham coming to Tottenham is seen by many with familiarity with football executive structures as something of a coup, and it could be simply that Vinai is a better fit for that role than Munn.

Tottenham, angry fans notwithstanding, is already a well-run football club, but when faced with the prospects of competing with other clubs who are just, or nearly, as well-run and are backed by literal nation-states, Spurs are likely finding that they have to be exceptionally good at the background stuff in order to compete on the pitch. That could be what we’re seeing here, or maybe Munn displeased Daniel Levy with his job performance. It’s difficult to speculate, but don’t let that stop you from trying.

At any rate, it seems like we’re on the precipice of a mass Aussie exodus from Spurs. Interesting times.

Not every single training session goes to plan. Sometimes it goes horribly awry. At a certain point we have to accept it. I’ve delayed this hoddle for more than a month. Now it’s time to write it.

——-

The last time I wrote about running I was training for the Avenue of the Giants Marathon. I had just endured a 14-mile run and I felt something was wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time.

A few weeks passed. I did a few more runs. Then one day I couldn’t run. The pain was too loud for me to ignore. I had to stop. I took a few days off, thinking this simple hamstring problem would resolve itself in a couple days.

It didn’t resolve itself. I couldn’t run. Every step hurt. So I visited the doctor.

It’s a hamstring strain, he said. He couldn’t tell me the timetable but felt confident I could run the May marathon. I was less optimistic.

——-

My fears were well-placed.

I missed roughly five weeks of my marathon training. Everything’s gone to shit. I kept looking for signs that maybe I could do the marathon but I knew it wasn’t possible. Not when I’m gunning for a fresh personal best.

So I found myself back in physical therapy. And that’s what I’ve been doing every week since then.

I started running two or three miles, then spending 30-45 minutes on the exercise bike at my apartment gymnasium. It’s not substitute for running though.

What I missed most of all, though, was being outside. What a cruel fate it was to endure the doldrums of winter only to not reap the rewards of spring.

——-

I was determined to not let this sideline me for too long. I ran, I stretched, did my exercises, cut back on the drinking and excess food and got to work.

My average heart rate dropped, as did my heart rate when running. I ramped up the miles again. First 6 miles, then 8, then 12 and, this weekend, 14 miles.

It’s odd how much stronger I felt during my most recent 14-mile run than I did back in February. Was it the weather? I’m not sure.

The May marathon is all but gone. There’s no hope there. But maybe one during the autumn. And I know I’ve got an extraordinary base to build on if I decide to do the Marine Corps again. A 1:41.00 14-mile run should translate to a marathon of roughly 3:15. Not shabby.

——-

What I enjoy the most, though, now that I am running again is the weather. About being outside. About running on the C&O Canal, waving to other runners, seeing wide-eyed tourists, the Tidal Basin, the sun shining brightly above the Washington Monument.

I wave to the ducks, the crows, the beavers, the dogs and the other runners I come across during my run. It makes it all worth it to me.

——-

How many times have I written about the insecurities and anxieties we fight during our runs? I must’ve lost count by now.

I’ve learned that, in running, it’s often not about the race. Marathons are a one-time event, the culmination of months of hard work and sacrifice. Of setting aside every doubt in your mind. Of running through it.

I don’t think most people realise how taxing it is to train. Of course the physicality stretches beyond our imaginations. But the mental and emotional toll it takes also goes far beyond how much we think we believe we can endure.

Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is to run with them, and carry them, with you. There wasn’t a moment during my Sunday run when I forgot about the marathon I will not be running next month.

Maybe this will make be a better runner. I hope it will. And I hope I look back on this in the autumn when I set a new personal best.

And whilst it is heartbreaking to have a “Did Not Start” on my resume, at least I have the ducks.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Take On Me, by a-ha

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham captain Molly Bartrip says lack of energy in games was ‘reality check’ in dealing with anorexia”

Alasdair Gold: “Leeds United set stance on Manor Solomon transfer amid growing interest in Tottenham winger”

There’s no point in denying it any longer — Ange Postecoglou is in some serious trouble at Tottenham Hotspur. While Spurs have been standing by their man for much of the season due to the incredible string of misfortune and injury that saw them forced to play literal teenagers repeatedly during the Christmas fixture season and start of 2025, several outlets, including David Ornstein, have reported that the sense is that Postecoglou is no longer getting the best out of the players at his disposal.

The club is almost certainly putting out feelers for a new manager this summer, and one of the names most strongly linked to a move to north London is Bournemouth’s 42-year old gaffer Andoni Iraola, who has impressed over the past two seasons. But a new article in the Telegraph is casting doubt on whether he’d want to leave the Cherries at all.

Mike McGrath writes that Iraola is “moving towards committing his immediate future at Bournemouth” despite the Tottenham interest and the sense is that he could even sign a contract extension, taking him off the board entirely. Bournemouth are currently eighth in the table behind the strong performances of players like defender Dean Huijsen, Antoine Semenyo, and Milos Kerkez and are in contention for a European place this season, which would be attractive.

Now, a couple things here. First, this report names Spurs as a “possible destination” for Iraola along with Fulham’s Marco Silva and Brentford’s Thomas Frank, but while the source of that info could be club briefs it’s still a pretty thin foundation for these kinds of rumors. It’s also important to note that while it would make a ton of sense for Spurs to be reaching out and contacting Iraola about a hypothetically available managerial position at Tottenham Hotspur, we don’t actually know that’s the case. Ange Postecoglou still has a job, after all, and it certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented for links to managerial candidates to “fall apart” in the media only to find out later that Spurs never contacted them at all.

Or to put it another way, here’s noted Spurs historical author Gareth Dace:

So yeah, we should be extremely careful about these kinds of rumors, especially those about a job that isn’t even open yet. That said, if Spurs were to move on from Ange Postecoglou, I would absolutely want the club to have their ducks lined up and a successor to be named in short order, if only to avoid the chaotic and depressing “process” post-Jose Mourinho that led to the appointment of seventh-choice manager Nuno Espirito Santo (his tenure at Nottingham Forest notwithstanding). When Spurs fired Conte, it didn’t take them long to settle on Postecoglou. I would hope for a similar, pre-considered process this time around as well.