Cartilage Free Captain

So mabye this won’t be as quiet a day as we thought. According to Miguel Delaney writing in the Independent’s transfer tracker, Tottenham are “working” on deals to sign former Villa attacker Jhon Duran, presently at Fenerbahce on loan from Al-Nassr, and Al-Ittihad winger Moussa Diaby.

We wrote about Diaby last week and I thought it seemed like a decent idea. Jhon Duran has been floating around the more specious corners of the internet, but it’s an interesting idea. Interesting in that Duran is also a former Aston Villa winger who moved on to Saudi Arabia and now wants out shortly after arrival. (That seems to be a pattern, and I’m not sure if it’s due to dissatisfaction with life in the Kingdom or if it’s that they got their fuck-you money in the bank and are ready to return to real football. Either way it could turn out to Spurs’ advantage.

The report is one paragraph long and doesn’t have any details, so we don’t know how much either would cost, whether they’d agree to come, or whether this is an either/or or both kind of situation. But it’s a nugget of, dare I say it, positivity? Maybe? Perhaps?

There is bad news in that same report — Spurs are also very interested (again) in bringing Monaco attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche to North London this window, but Monaco don’t want him to leave without finding a replacement. So we’ll see about that one.

Another article where inaction equals news! Hopefully there won’t be too many of these, right?

Anyway, a lot of fans have been curious about Tottenham Hotspur’s 18 year old Irish striker phenom Mason Melia who joined the club on January 1. Mostly we were wondering about whether or not he’d head straight out on loan, since the leap from excelling in the Irish Premier League to being a viable player in the English Premier League is massive.

Well, according to Alasdair Gold, the decision has been made to keep him around. Gold is reporting that Melia will stay at Spurs this spring.

Gold writes that Melia arrived at Spurs nursing a minor back injury which he had managed at St. Patricks’ Athletic in the fall. That isn’t expected to bother him too much but rather than send him straight out on loan Spurs want to keep him this spring, heal him up proper, and get him eventually into first team training.

This would seem to fill the role of a young striker training with Spurs but not really doing anything role that was recently vacated by Dane Scarlett, now on loan. To be fair, Melia likely will get more U21 matches than he will first team minutes unless the injury crisis becomes even more catastrophic, and even then there’s no way he’s ready. But training with the first team and getting PL2 matches will be good for him.

Welcome to transfer deadline day, the best worst best worst day of the transfer window! It could be an exciting day for Tottenham Hotspur fans, or it could be incredibly boring.

Let’s start with the boring. According to The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor, Antonin Kinsky will NOT be leaving Spurs this window, despite his agent desperately trying to get him to West Ham on loan.

Kinsky looked for a while there like he was not going to be at Tottenham long enough to become Guglielmo Vicario’s successor in goal. In fact, it looked like he was out the door, and still might be this summer, but it wont’ be to West Ham. That’s fine with me. Having to look for a backup keeper replacement in addition to all the other stuff Spurs apparently wanted to do this window (but haven’t) felt like an unnecessary distraction. Summer is the time to make wholesale changes, not now. Makes sense to keep Kinsky Boots around, at least for now.

Well, it’s not the hilarious win over City that I had hoped for, but a nearly equally hilarious 2-2 draw will do just fine. Spurs fought back from a dreadful 2-0 deficit to draw level thanks to a brace from Dom Solanke including a backheel flick finish that could go down as Goal of the Season.

Tottenham as Manchester City’s bogey team continues to be the funniest ongoing bit in soccer. Suck it, Pep. 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.

If you’re on mobile or found this via AMP and the survey isn’t appearing below, here’s a direct link.

With Tottenham Hotspur in the midst of yet another injury crisis, even the Lilywhite’s record against Manchester City seemed but a distant memory as Spurs languished near the bottom of the table while City pushed for yet another title. A rousing second half effort though saw Spurs overcome the odds and secure a valuable point as the gap between league leaders Arsenal and Manchester City grew.

Thomas Frank was forced into further rotation for his side, as more Spurs players succumbed to the injury bug. Kevin Danso and Djed Spence were the latest absentees, and with limited resources at his disposal Frank opted to run with something of a lopsided 3-4-3 formation. Retaining the Yves Bissouma - Conor Gallagher double pivot from the Burnley match, Radu Dragusin got his first start of the season, joining Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero at the back, while Destiny Udogie and Archie Gray lined up in the wingback positions. The frontline consisted of Randal Kolo Muani, Dominic Solanke, and Xavi Simons, with the latter playing a free role.

The shape didn’t seem to provide any sort of solidity for Spurs, with dangerous signs for the home side on the counter early on as Antoine Semenyo tried his luck with an early attempt. With not even 15 minutes on the clock, it was a quick transition that undid Spurs as well, as Bissouma overplayed his hand in the middle of the park and was dispossessed by Bernardo Silva. With the ball falling to Erling Haaland, the Norwegian striker fed Rayan Cherki in space, with Dragusin slow to close down as the Frenchman rifled a low, deflected shot across Guglielmo Vicario inside the left-hand upright to open the scoring.

Transition opportunities kept coming for City. Haaland was soon in behind, chipping an attempt over both Vicario and the crossbar, and Rayan Cherki was nearly in for a second after slaloming past both Dragusin and Romero, with only a phenomenal Vicario save from close-range preventing a second for City. Another goal seemed somewhat inevitable, and though Spurs had a couple of half-chances of their own, City added a second right before the half. Spurs again gave the ball away playing out the back, with Rodri the man to make the intervention. He played an incisive ball forward to Bernardo Silva, whose lay-off found Semenyo in acres of space at the top of the 18-yard box. Semenyo caressed his strike into the net and City went into the half with a 0-2 lead.

Frank made somewhat of a curious switch at the half, pulling Romero and bringing Pape Matar Sarr into the XI, reverting to a back four shape. The switch paid immediate dividends, with Destiny Udogie nearly in but unable to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma after being fed by Xavi Simons. Simons’ next pass, however, unpicked the lock that was the Manchester City defense, as the Dutchman curled a pass in behind the City backline. Solanke took a heavy touch as he cut inside, but did well to use his strength to hold off Marc Guehi before collecting a piece of both Guehi’s leg and the ball with a messy finish. VAR took a brief look to ensure everything passed muster, and Spurs had reduced the deficit to a solitary goal.

That deficit was soon zero. Spurs continued to press forward following two attacking changes from Frank, as Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel came in for Kolo Muani and Bissouma, but it was Solanke who had the ball in the net again. Some good work by Gallagher down the right saw him wriggle free of Nico O’Reilly, before hitting a cross in towards the penalty spot. The ball was behind Solanke, but he sensationally reached back with his foot to flick a scorpion kick attempt over his head and into the top corner via the fingertips of Donnarumma.

Spurs looked to press their momentary advantage, as Simons had a deflected strike tipped over by Donnarumma, before City started to play their way back into the match. The away side looked almost certain to restore their lead, as a mad scramble on the edge of the six-yard box somehow didn’t result in a City goal thanks to the efforts of a seated Sarr, backing his way into the ball while on the ground before deflecting a shot over the crossbar. Spurs were close to taking the lead themselves as well, as a burst forward and low cross from Simons inches away from connecting with Odobert as Guehi did just enough to prevent the shot. Try as they might, though, neither side was able to create the breakthrough they needed, and the match finished two apiece.

Reactions

This ended up being a very different match report than the one I started writing.

Credit to Frank: as much as he got it wrong in the first half with how discombobulated the players looked, he got it right in the second. It was an impressive turnaround, and the players definitely seem to be working for him.

Shout-out to Radu Dragusin. This was a tough match to get your first start in after an extended period out with injury, and after a bit of a rough start grew into the game well, handling Haaland with aplomb and making a couple of key interventions.

Speaking of successful returns from injury, Solanke really worked hard today, and his second goal was a fantastic finish. He has made a fair bit of difference to this Spurs side since his return.

I really, really hope that Romero isn’t injured. With Danso seemingly out for a while (no idea how bad Djed’s problem is) Spurs’ defensive options are looking very light. Sign one, Lange!

Xavi Simons was fantastic today. He’s arguably Spurs’ best player at the moment, the main frustration being the lack of quality attackers with whom to link up. Sign one, Lange!

Unfortunately, this result potentially locks in the Premier League title for Arsenal. Every silver lining, etc.

Spurs now have a very welcome week off before taking on Manchester United next weekend.

COYS!

If you’re looking for a Spurs side full of fun talent, look no further! You can tune into watch Tottenham Hotspur Women take on West Ham Women on Sunday morning. Let me give you the details:

Match Details

Date: Sunday, February 1, 2026

Time: 6:55 am ET, 11:55 am UK

Location: Chigwell Construction Stadium

TV: fuboTV, ESPN Select (US), Sky Sports Mix (UK)

What to Expect

If you’re just tuning in for the first time, Spurs Women currently sit in fifth, just three points off of Arsenal in third place (the final Champions League spot), and six points clear of Brighton in seventh. Our league position does flatter us a little – our numbers are more in the neighborhood of fellow midtable sides London City Lionesses, Aston Villa and Brighton. That said, we have shown serious improvement on last season’s 11th place finish and sorry-looking football under manager Martin Ho.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from last week’s extremely frustrating last minute defeat to Liverpool. In his press conference, Ho spoke of the need for improved action in the final third. This is something Spurs have struggled with for, well, years if we’re being honest. But the integration of fresh new attacking talent like Signe Gaupset and the return of striker Tinka Tandberg from injury should help.

Meanwhile, West Ham currently sit in 11th place on a total of eight points, a poor enough showing to warrant sacking former Spurs manager Rehanne Skinner in mid-December. They’ve since hired Rita Guarino, who oversaw a heavy loss against Chelsea and wins against Leicester City and WSL2 side Newcastle. Despite their struggles, West Ham have some talented players like Vivianne Asseyi and Riko Ueki who will be looking to cause us some trouble.

If you’re up early (or you know, whatever time it is where you are), I strongly suggest tuning in. I can promise that whatever happens, you’ll get to watch a bunch of talented young players building something really exciting!

Yeah yeah, this is late, I know. I had something of a DAY yesterday so you get your free bloggings later than usual. Anyway, Tottenham Hotspur made another move in the transfer window yesterday, but it’s not an incoming — it’s an outgoing, announcing that young striker Dane Scarlett is heading to Scotland on a loan to Hibernian FC until the end of the season.

Dane’s a bit of a puzzle. He’s probably the best striker to come out of Tottenham’s academy since Harry Kane, but he hasn’t really been able to force his way into the first team yet. Over the past three years he’s gone out on loan to Portsmouth, Ipswich, Oxford, and now Hibs as he continues to develop his game.

I don’t have much of an opinion on this loan, but heading out to the team currently fifth in Scotland doesn’t seem too shabby. Some people are going to side-eye this loan considering Spurs are down to Dom Solanke, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani as natural strikers in the squad, and Dane has had a couple of recent cameos as a late game sub. But Dane’s now 21 and at this point he needs regular minutes if he’s going to establish himself as a regular first team player, even if that’s not at Spurs, so I’m okay with it. It’s not like we were going to get a ton of use out of him this spring anyway, might as well send him somewhere where he’ll actually play.

I know technically this weakens the squad, but I don’t like the idea of keeping a young player around just because he might be needed in an emergency. If we’re at the point where we need Dane Scarlett to save our season, we’re in a lot bigger trouble than we are right now.

Midweek glory, weekend struggles; rinse and repeat. After Wednesday’s convincing win abroad, Tottenham Hotspur gets a long break before Champions League play resumes, so unless the performances improve back home, the vibes might get even darker. With the next four matches all coming against the country’s best, that feels like a very real possibility.

That being said, there is reason to believe Sunday will go just fine. In comes lowly Manchester City, a team that finished four whole places below Spurs in the League Phase and that loses more than it wins at this stadium. The complexity is with how Tottenham supporters should feel about this one, with plenty of conflicting variables making this a very messy watch.

Match Details

Date: Sunday, February 1

Time: 11:30 am ET, 4:30 pm UK

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: NBCSN/Peacock (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Table: Spurs (t-14th, 28 pts), City (t-2nd, 46 pts)

After four straight Premier League wins in North London, City has taken the last two matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including a 1-0 victory last February. However, Spurs’ logic-defying hold over England’s top side has not ceased, with the last nine fixtures going 5-1-3 in their favor. That trend was continued in August’s 2-0 upset at the Etihad, with Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha helping to secure all three points.

Two Things to Watch

The case for…losing

There is no right or wrong way to support a team, though ideally the number of times one is actively is rooting against one’s favorite side is very limited. Strangely, this weekend is yet another occurrence of this conundrum that only City seems to bring out. While supporter sentiment is unlikely to have any tangible impact on the actual pitch, everyone reading this is a supporter, so it is worth the conversation.

Two different arguments could be made for wanting Tottenham to lose this one. The first is the title race, a la May 2024 when Heung-Min Son’s miss was etched into lore. It is fair to be skeptical of City’s ability to actually win enough to jump into first given their lackluster showings for much of this season, but it would not be the first time Pep Guardiola’s group took it to another level to close out the year.

The other view is from those who are out on Thomas Frank. Should Spurs go through the next four matches with essentially no improvement, it might force the hand of the Tottenham leadership to finally make the change. There is enough time before March’s Round of 16 to get a stabilizer in place, but time is of the essence; a beatdown on Sunday makes that more likely to happen soon.

The case for trying!

Heading into the weekend, Spurs are just eight points above relegation with arguably the worst form of the league. It would still take something historic to actually finish in the bottom three, but the upcoming fixture list is likely to bump up that percentage. None of these matches will come easily, so given the recent history against City, this might actually be the best chance at three points.

At the same time, Tottenham is only six points behind seventh place. While a finish in the European places is also unlikely, this gap is far from insurmountable. A couple good results over the next month — with much less fixture congestion — could put Spurs right in the thick of the hunt down the stretch. Add in some players getting back healthy and this could be the start of quite the climb.

Above all else: To Dare Is To Do. Maybe losing helps City win the title, but with 15 matches still remaining, the direct benefits will feel much smaller than they did two seasons ago. And while a loss (or lack of win) probably makes Frank’s exit speed up, it is not going to be the final straw after two strong performances in Europe over the past 10 days. Instead, maybe it is time to rally together and dream about what the next four months could bring.

We are nearing the end of January and the transfer window is about to shutter.

And you know what that means: A look at the month ahead!

Let’s take a look at what February has in store for Spurs:

Tottenham Hotspur men’s squad:

It’s a rare month with only one competition. Spurs are out of the FA and EFL Cup, and, after somehow finishing fourth in the league phase of the Champions League, don’t have to worry about another continental match until March.

Mark your calendars nonetheless: The draw date for the round of 16 is on the 27th of February.

This means all eyes are on the Premier League, where Spurs are (or are not) on the cusp of a relegation battle. This month features a gauntlet of opponents with Man City, Man United, Newcastle and Arsenal. Does it get anymore difficult than that?

As of this writing, Thomas Frank remains in charge. But the pressure will grow and grow with each week that comes along in the league.

February schedule: Man City (1 Feb), at Man United (7 Feb), Newcastle (10 Feb), Arsenal (22 Feb)

Tottenham Hotspur women’s squad:

We need to talk more about this Tottenham women’s team, which are in an incredible fifth place in the league. They’ve got a couple tough matches this month: first against Chelsea in the league, and then against the London City Lionesses in the FA Women’s Cup.

February schedule: at West Ham (1 Feb), Chelsea (8 Feb), at Aston Villa (15 Feb), at London City (23 Feb, FA Women’s Cup)

Fitzie’s track of the day (per request): Johnny Appleseed, by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “A tale of two Tottenhams: European nights once again giving Spurs respite from domestic woe”

Gotta say, this whole Tottenham Hotspur transfer window is starting to stink of desperation and Danish oil, but at least we’re getting SOME rumors out of it here in waning days of the window. The latest is this from Miguel Delaney in the Independent: Tottenham are considering making a move for former Aston Villa right wing Moussa Diaby, currently at Saudi Premier League club Al-Ittihad.

This is where I really miss the advanced statistics that FBRef used to offer all of us plebians for free, since I no longer am able to rely on my knowledge of Green Bars to see what Diaby could offer Spurs. RIP. Alas, we soldier on — Diaby had a breakout season with Villa a couple of years ago and the Villains promptly cashed in when Saudi Arabia came calling, selling him for £50m 18 months ago. Diaby is apparently ready to leave the Kingdom, and while Inter Milan is seen as being the closest to striking a deal, Delaney says there’s an opening for Spurs to hijack if they decide this is their guy to reinforce the squad.

I’m not going to pretend that I’ve watched Diaby at all at Al-Ittihad, but I do remember him from his Villa days, and he’s a fun player. He’s a speedster, a left-footed right winger primarily known for his ability to run in behind the line from the wing, something that’s a pretty useful skill to have. If you read that and think We literally just sold Brennan Johnson who did that well you’re not wrong, but that was Brennan’s only valuable skill, whereas Diaby can do other stuff too — he can actually dribble a guy for one thing and has a pretty good finish on him, and he knows how to find his teammates. Last season he had 5 goals and 14 assists for Al-Ittihad and in his one season with Villa he ended up with 6G+8A. Not too shabby. If Spurs are looking for a real option to play in place of Mohammed Kudus and maybe even play ahead of him, Diaby’s a decent option, especially in January.

The thought is that although Inter seem to be ahead of this transfer, Diaby might prefer a return to England, and especially to a Premier League team still in the Champions League (even if it’s unlikely Spurs will be playing there next season). Delaney doesn’t say how much it would cost to pry him out of Saudi Arabia, but I’d feel pretty confident they could offer more than whatever it is Inter is offering. Diaby also wants to try and make France’s World Cup squad and he’ll have a bigger platform at Spurs than he would staying with Al-Ittihad.

I don’t hate this. While this doesn’t scream “this is a plan,” at this point I think Spurs just need good options that aren’t injured and that might improve the team in the short term. Diaby’s 26 so he’s probably at or near his peak, but he could offer something that’s not very apparent in the team right now. I’d take him. Let’s see if Spurs, and Diaby, agree.