Cartilage Free Captain

Hey, remember how bad we all felt when Mathys Tel said “No” to a Tottenham Hotspur transfer straight to Daniel Levy’s face? Well prepare to get even more upset. Tottenham’s preferred target for a central defense addition this window, AC Milan and former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, has now officially rejected a move to Spurs.

Sigh.

Fikayo Tomori has officially said no to Milan: he will not accept Tottenham. Milan and Spurs had an agreement for a transfer worth over 25 million. The English centre-back will be available for the derby tomorrow.

I guess it’s not a surprise after the earlier news that he did not want to leave Milan before the Milan Derby tomorrow, but this still sucks. It means Spurs’ top two targets in this window (after Antonin Kinsky) have flat-out rejected a move to Tottenham, despite Spurs coming to an agreement with their clubs.

Now, I’m of the opinion that you can’t (and shouldn’t) force players to a club against their will, and if a player doesn’t want to come then we’re better off without them. But it still sucks. Hopefully Spurs have more irons in the fire besides Alex Disasi, because it’s starting to get ridiculous now.

Suddenly all these potential Tottenham Hotspur transfer moves for central defenders makes more sense. In a Daily Telegraph piece that’s mostly about Spurs lining up Axel Disasi as a backup plan in case the Fikayo Tomori deal collapses, our good buddy Matt Law does drop some info about Radu Dragusin.

Radu appeared to injure his knee shortly after coming on as a second half substitute during Tottenahm’s 3-0 Europa League win over Elfsborg on Thursday. He tried to go back on the pitch and play but it was quickly apparent that something was seriously wrong. Law writes that while Spurs are waiting on the results of scans to evaluate the extent of Dragusin’s injury, the initial signs don’t look good.

Dragusin and Spurs are still waiting to find out the full extent of his injury with no definitive time frames put on his absence yet. But there is concern he could be ruled out for most of the rest of the campaign, which has heightened Tottenham’s desperation to sign a new defender before the winter transfer window shuts.

— Matt Law, Daily Telegraph

So sure, the sudden urgency about a central defender (or two) makes a lot more sense now. Spurs only had four first team CBs to start with, Cuti Romero is still working his way back, Micky van de Ven is freshly back after another hamstring injury, and Ben Davies is almost 32 years old. You’d think a defensive body or two would suddenly leap to the top of the priority list.

Some fans are going to scoff or make jokes about how losing Dragusin is “good” because he hasn’t especially been playing well. It’s true that it doesn’t appear Dragusin is a particularly good fit for Ange Postecoglou’s tactics, but he’s also a young guy and has been putting in warrior’s minutes in the back line during the injury crisis. You gotta respect that, even if you don’t like him, and losing him for an extended period just makes Postecoglou and Tottenham’s job even harder.

Four wins in seven matches is not where Tottenham Hotspur wants (or expects?) to be, and when all four victories come in non-Premier League fixtures, assessing the club’s form becomes even more challenging. Wins over Hoffenheim and Elfsborg helped secure a finish near the top of the Europa League table, but defeats to Everton and Leicester have Spurs getting uncomfortably close toward the bottom of the Premier League.

What comes next is anyone’s guess. Logically, a trip to Brentford should be less intimidating than upcoming ties against Liverpool and Villa, but would it be even slightly surprising if Sunday ended up as the only non-win of the three? At this point, I would gladly take that outcome, but we will see just how willing Ange Postecoglou and his squad are to make it eight straight league fixtures without three points.

Brentford (11th, 31pts) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (15th, 24pts)

Date: Sunday, February 2

Time: 9:00 am ET, 2:00 pm UK

Location: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford

TV: USA Network (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

From a results perspective, Brentford has had a fairly steady season. Only twice have the Bees lost consecutive league matches, and neither time did it extend to three. On the flip side, they have yet to win back-to-back contests, placing them 11th in the table with nearly neutral goal difference and xGD figures. Brentford ranks sixth in both goals scored and goals conceded this season, so get ready for some excitement.

One of Brentford’s two instances of back-to-back defeats included a loss at the new Lane in September. Despite an opening-minute goal from Bryan Mbeumo, Spurs dominated that day, amassing 3.5 xG. Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, and James Maddison all found the back of the net in a 3-1 win, even with one of the team’s lowest possession tallies of the year.

A question of how much

It was a strong defensive showing on Thursday night, but Tottenham is still without a clean sheet in the league in seven matches, with the last six all featuring multiple goals conceded. Given Brentford’s attacking record this season and recent form — nine goals in the past four weeks — the home side is almost certain to score, and likely multiple times. Players like Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, both with double-digits league goals, are the key threats.

Radu Dragusin is the latest Spurs player to suffer an injury, though Micky van de Ven is back available. The electric central defender played half the match against Elfsborg and may not be fit enough for a full 90 again this weekend. With options dangerously thin at the back, Postecoglou may opt for another partial inclusion to preserve van de Ven’s health, while also keeping him fresh for the more important League Cup on Thursday.

Embrace it

Brentford plays much better at home but is winless in its last four matches at the Gtech. Still, Thomas Frank will have his side playing aggressively, looking to win and maintain possession. Aside from Arsenal, this kind of setup seems to favor Spurs, as it allows them to exploit counterattacks. The defense remains vulnerable regardless of how aggressively the opposition plays, so might as well help out the attack.

The main issue with an end-to-end affair is fitness, as the temptation will be to prioritize Liverpool. I do not expect a squad full of academy players, but after the jubilation on Thursday, I would be content seeing Mikey Moore and company get significant minutes to energize the team. Lucas Bergvall is another youngster continuing to feature in league matches, and this game may ultimately hinge on how productive Tottenham’s youth can be.

Tottenham Hotspur may have missed out on their top offensive target, but they’re making headway to bring in a defender in what’s left of the transfer window. Both Gianluca DiMarzio and Fabrizio Romano are reporting now that Spurs have made a formal offer to bring in the AC Milan (and former Chelsea) central defender on what could be a permanent deal.

First, DiMarzio writes that Spurs have offered AC Milan a transfer fee of €30m, which has put them in front of Aston Villa for his signature.

Romano, meanwhile, says Spurs are “in negotiations” with Milan for Tomori, but notes that he’s one of three possibilities for a defensive reinforcement in this window. Spurs are also making headway on personal terms; Tomori appears to be on wages of about £71k/wk, so a healthy pay bump for a prime age defender with Premier League experience probably won’t be much of an issue.

With Radu Dragusin injured (and even when healthy) Tottenham could use another defender to bolster their ranks. Tomori is a defender who knows the league, is comfortable on the ball, and a good passer — seems like a good fit for Ange-Ball if you ask me.

So don’t Tel-egraph your feelings about failed transfers — get excited about another one that also might fail! Isn’t the transfer window fun?

Update: Matteo Moretto is now reporting that Tottenham’s bid is even lower than what DiMarzio says — a €25m all-inclusive package that includes bonuses. Sounds like a bargain.

Bad news, folks. Despite Daniel Levy personally flying out to Munich in order to negotiate with Mathys Tel’s agent, Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Tel has rejected Spurs’ offer and will not be joining the club, on loan or permanently.

Shit.

I really thought this one was in the bag, but maybe I should have taken more stock in the fact that Tel was asking for more time to consider Spurs’ offer. I guess the idea of heading to a team in 15th place in the Premier League and possibly with no European football next season was too much of a burden? Or maybe he just wanted more money, or had his little French heart set on Manchester United. Who knows.

But this sucks. Spurs will now need to pivot to other targets — they’ve been linked with Tyler Dibling, Youane Wissa, and Stefanos Tzimas in recent days. Hopefully Lange’s got a few more irons in the fire.

More transfer news, and this one’s a bit exciting! While most of the Tottenham Hotspur rumors this month have been about attacking players, Gianluca DiMarzio is now reporting that Spurs are currently working on a loan deal for AC Milan and former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori.

Tomori has been used somewhat sparingly at Milan this season after being at the heart of central defense for four seasons, and lurking around a few Milan message boards, the reason he’s not playing much now is apparently that Tomori fell out with then-manager Paulo Fonseca and subsequently fell down the pecking order.

Tomori profiles as a ball-playing central defender, which is actually a pretty good fit for Ange Postecoglou’s tactics. With Radu Dragusin injured for who knows how long, bringing in a body for the back line makes a ton of sense, especially on loan. Ange Postecoglou also mentioned that the club is looking at defenders in the waning days of the window due to Dragusin’s injury.

DiMarzio says that Spurs have leaped ahead of Aston Villa, the other interested club, for Tomori and that the player would like a return to the Premier League. It’s not much, but it’s something, and DiMarzio usually isn’t wrong with regards to the major Italian clubs.

I know he’s former Chelsea and that would make him the first blue scum player to move to Spurs since William Gallas, but at this point we need bodies, and if he’s not a perfect fit for Postecoglou, he at least looks like a central defender who a) can do a job and b) is uninjured.

Tottenham Hotspur may have started an experienced XI to start Thursday’s Europa League match against Swedish side Elfsborg, but it was Tottenham’s academy graduates and young players who stole the spotlight. Spurs left the goals until late, but they all came from players 20 years or younger, and all Tottenham academy graduates. 20-year-old Dane Scarlett broke the scoreless draw with an impressive diving header, 19-year-old midfielder Damola Ajayi had a lovely inward-cutting run and shot (with an assist from Dane) that just squeaked into the net at the near post, and Moore put a bow on an impressive European performance with a low shot into the net with the last kick of the game.

The win ensured Spurs finished in the top eight of the Europa League and guaranteed a bye to the Round of 16, bypassing the playoffs. It also injected a healthy dose of good vibes into the fanbase, something sorely needed.

Here are three things we learned from Thursday’s win. There are more than that, but let’s just stick to three for now.

The kids are all right

Elfsborg are not a good team, and it’s not hard to pick out any number of good performances from this match. Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski immediately spring to mind — Sonny had ten successful take-ons to go along with three shots in just 45 minutes of play, while Deki was impactful and creative, especially when he moved to the center in the last half-hour of the match. Spurs absolutely dominated this game, with 82% possession and a shot advantage of 24-4. That said, the team of first team veterans couldn’t manage to get past a resolute and thoroughly bunkered Elf Borg defense.

Instead, it was Tottenham’s youngsters who shone in this match. Mikey Moore looked like Tottenham’s best player in the first half. Lucas Bergvall showed a little inconsistency with his passing and tackling, but was both progressive and aggressive and came close to a goal himself with a thumping header at goal. And Tottenham’s three goal scorers — Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi, and Moore — all were club debut goals, and all three were crackers. Moore, in fact, became the youngest English player since the late, great Jimmy Greaves to score a goal in a major European tournament.

Ange Postecoglou has come under a bit of pressure for how he uses — or doesn’t use — his young academy grads, even when the club has 11-12 players out injured. But the flip side is that without all these injuries, it’s unlikely Bergvall and Moore get as many minutes against top competition as they have this season, and even less likely that Scarlett and Ajayi get on the pitch at all. All of them played well and took their chances, and it ended up being a glory, glory night for Spurs’ young stars-in-waiting.

Micky’s return was immense but Dragusin’s injury still leaves Spurs short-handed

One in, one out. That seems to be the pattern right now with defensive injuries. Micky van de Ven made his long-awaited return to the side after a couple of months out with a hamstring injury, and he started at his usual LCB alongside Archie Gray. It was clear immediately how much we have missed him — Micky’s comfort with the ball meant that Spurs were able to start attacks from the back much quicker than in recent matches. Meanwhile Elfsborg barely mounted an offensive threat so we didn’t get to see his recovery pace, which as far as I’m concerned is just fine, since this was basically his first shakedown cruise. Seeing Micky out there just felt natural, and I feel a lot better about this weekend’s match with the prospects of him back in the side.

Radu Dragusin was Van de Ven’s replacement at halftime, and likewise it was clear how steep the drop off is between Radu and Micky. Dragusin looked clumsy for most of his short shift before apparently injuring his knee while whiffing on a clearance. I don’t want to rag on Radu too much — he might be out for a number of weeks now, which puts Spurs right back in the tenuous defensive position they were before this match. Cuti Romero may not be back yet this weekend, so it’s likely we’ll see Micky and Ben Davies out there vs. Brentford on Sunday, with Archie Gray behind them. Someday we’ll have a first choice back line out there. Someday.

Top 8 is good, but Spurs could face a tricky playoff

But Spurs could potentially have a tricky run to the Europa League final. The playoff draw was completed shortly after Thursday’s matches, and Spurs will end up playing one of Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar, or Midtjylland.

Have a squint at the table below. It’s a little confusing — it looks like we’re teaming up with Manchester United to play two teams — but in reality there will be a separate draw after the playoffs to determine which bracket Spurs and United end up in and who they will face.

Tottenham have already lost to Galatasaray in Europa League play in Turkey and they inexplicably have Victor Osimhen there on loan. PSV, of course, is the #narrative club with Spurs Academy grad Troy Parrott tearing it up there with 12 goals and 2 assists in all competitions.

If Spurs can avoid the winner of Galatasaray — Sociedad and get past either PSV or Midtjylland, they could end up playing either Eintracht Frankfurt or Lyon for a trip to the semifinals. Frankfurt in particular are a scary matchup — they’re currently third in the Bundesliga and are pushing for Champions League this season, though they notably lost leading scorer Omar Marmoush to Manchester City this month.

I saw a dog today.

Judging by the pink leash, I imagine it was a she. She had long black fur. I reckoned it was some labrador mix.

She strutted along the alleyway, her tail wagging in the brilliant sunlight. The dog saw me. I smiled and waved to her.

And, for a moment, I was happy.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Any Major Dude Will Tell You, by Steely Dan

And now for your links:

Dan KP: “Ange Postecoglou beams with pride as Europa League win is ‘made in Tottenham’ after next generation shine”

Jay Harris ($$): “Academy talents shine but Dragusin suffers injury blow”

It was Youth Night at Tottenham Hotspur in their 3-0 Europa League win over Elfsborg, but one youth player who didn’t feature at all was Will Lankshear. Big Willy Lanks has been used pretty sparingly and mostly in the Europa League campaign, but in this one Ange Postecoglou opted to use Dane Scarlett as a second half substitute, with Scarlett the scoring to put Spurs ahead.

Now maybe we know why. According to Alasdair Gold, Lankshear is now very likely to head out on loan for the second half of the season, probably to the Championship.

This is a good opportunity for Lankshear to get some quality minutes under his belt, ones he desperately needs. The PL2 leading scorer last season, he’s seemingly not favored by Postecoglou, and getting minutes and playing well in the Championship at age 19 is a good indicator of quality. I don’t really have a strong preference for where Lankshear would end up from the clubs on Gold’s list... so long as it isn’t Burnley.

Scarlett, meanwhile, is set to stay at Spurs and will NOT be loaned out again — in fact, because he played tonight it means he CAN’T be loaned out, since by rule you can’t play for more than two clubs in a season. Postecoglou explained the rationale for keeping Scarlett in his post match press conference.

“We had a look at his situation. He has had a couple of disappointing loans. I think sending him out again without any sort of real prospect of him developing, we just felt let’s keep him training with us and give him an opportunity to train with us and play with us and see how it goes.”

With the win today, Spurs finished fourth on the Europa League table and is guaranteed a bye to the Round of 16, bypassing the playoff round. That’s great news as it will give Spurs some much needed rest in February — Spurs will play no more than six matches next month, even with the cups included.

Coming into the eighth and final league phase game of the newly formatted UEFA Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur knew it needed at least a point to secure a Top-8 spot. Facing off against IF Elfsborg - who’ve only been playing Europa games the last few weeks — Spurs secured all three points thanks to the academy products for a 3-0 victory.

Rolling out a strong first-team lineup with the likes of Micky van de Ven making his return after a two-month absence, Ange Postecoglou shifted Archie Gray to right center back, Ben Davies to left back, and Mikey Moore to right wing.

Throughout the first half, Spurs dominated the pitch as defensive recoveries from van den Ven showcased how depleted Spurs were in defense since he and Cristian Romero were inured against Chelsea. Rarely making any advances on the attack, van de Ven recovered well in many parts to keep the team on attack and let the wingers of Son Heung-min and Moore make mockeries of the Elfsborg fullbacks.

Sonny had a great shift as he continued to toy with the right back and make his way down the goal line before setting up possible balls in the middle for the six-yard box.

Shot after shot from Moore, Richarlison, and even Pape Sarr were blocked or saved, with the side having .91 XG going into the half.

With the game tied at 0-0 going into the break, Postecoglou took off Rodrigo Bentancur, van de Ven, and Son for the likes of Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, and Yves Bissouma.

Elfsborg had its best chance 10 minutes into the second half as an errant stab at the ball from Dragusin freed up the striker and a popped-up ball for an attempt acrobatic ball that was sent over the crossbar. Not allowing the Swedish side to gain any momentum as they were hunting for a playoff spot, Lucas Bergvall had a diving header chance caught.

But with that moment of hope, Spurs were riddled again in the backline as Dragusin held his knee after a clearance attempt. After being worked on and testing it off to the side, Dragusin returned to the pitch in the 64th minute and instantly went down to signal he was done. With the growing number of injuries to the team — especially in defense — Postecoglou made the move to bring on Dane Scarlett up top, with Gray shifting to RCB, Davies LCB, and Sarr left back for the remainder of the game.

That Scarlett sub proved to be a wonder for the side as the academy product — who grew up with the side since age six — had his moment to shine as he broke the deadlock in the 70th minute with a free header from Kulusevski to the near post for a 1-0 lead.

Minutes later, another academy product in Oyindamola Ajayi came on for Richarlison to see out the game’s final 15 minutes or so.

Making a quick impact as Scarlett did, Ajayi played a one-two with Scarlett and took a touch inside the box for a bottom-right strike that rolled past the Elfsborg keeper and into the back of the net.

Letting the emotions out as he scored on his debut — with Spurs up 2-0 — Spurs saw one more academy product score as Moore took on the Elfsborg defense and took several touches on a cut from left to right before slotting his shot into the far corner for a 3-0 victory and Spurs a Top-4 spot in the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Overall, it was a great game for Spurs to secure the win and a terrific night for the academy kids who have worked their tails off to get a chance with the first team. Moore has been impressive every time he has been on the pitch as a future product, but specifically for Scarlett, he grasped the moment and hoped to take the club to the next round. What’s next for the boyhood kid? I am not sure, but for now, Scarlett and others helped Spurs over the line.