Cartilage Free Captain

It wasn’t a great night last night for Tottenham Hotspur. After leading by two goals in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG, Spurs proceeded to concede their lead, before falling in a penalty shootout. It was a disappointing result, but what was worse was the reaction of the more toxic arm of the Spurs fandom, as people in both the stadium and via social media let loose a torrent of abuse towards the players; specifically, Mathys Tel, who was the victim of a deluge of racist slurs.

The club, via their website and social media channels, have released a statement in response:

In the strongly worded statement, the club calls out the abusers as cowards (which they are) and pledges to work with authorities and social media platforms to clamp down on said racist cowards - at least, as far as the law allows.

I’m probably not the person who should be covering this. As a straight, white male in my mid-30’s, I have never been the victim of targeted abuse or discrimination for who I am, so it’s hard for me to comprehend just how impactful some of the disgusting attacks spewed by so-called “supporters” of this club (and of course, outside of sports fandom) can be; but I am appalled by the response of these people (though not surprised) while pleasantly surprised the club has chosen to address it head-on, as well as the manner in which they have done so.

Two players missed a penalty in the shoot-out: Tel and Micky van de Ven; and though we can complain about performance and failings on the pitch, shifting from that to tearing down somebody’s identity and person is beyond the pale. Of course, only one player is the target here, and it’s not Micky - though there are a number of comments calling the defender a clown, and criticizing his miss, it’s nothing compared to what Tel has had to endure. It’s pretty obvious why that is.

His teammates have reached out with messages of support as well, notably fellow forward Dominic Solanke:

Here’s hoping he has the support he needs around him, the club continues to back him, and the supporters shower him with love when he turns out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Keep you head up, Mathys. We’re all behind you.

Tottenham Hotspur had a huge chance to start their season off with a bang as they took on Paris Saint-Germain for the UEFA Super Cup. A tough assignment on any day of the week, Spurs took an early lead and looked nailed on to take the match before PSG rallied late to send the match to penalties as the match finished two-apiece in normal time. The French side were more clinical in the shootout, dispatching four of their five penalties, and adding another piece of silverware to the Parisians’ trophy cabinet as Spurs were left wondering what could have been.

Both managers raised eyebrows with their starting XIs. PSG lined up in a very attacking 4-2-4, with key midfielder Fabian Ruiz on the bench, while Thomas Frank set up his Spurs side in a 3-4-1-2 formation. It was a tactical setup that Frank regularly deployed against sides he perceived as stronger while in charge of Brentford, but not one seen at Spurs through preseason. With that formation in mind, Frank’s player selections were largely unsurprising, with the expected selections in defense, a stodgy midfield three in the form of Rodrigo Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, and Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison and Mohamed Kudus starting up front.

The first half was very much a patchy affair, with one side extremely rusty, coming into the match with limited build-up, and the other looking to disrupt tempo and impede any fluidity of a very dangerous opponent. Clear-cut chances were limited: a couple of cut-backs from PSG were the only moments of consternation for the Spurs defense; while the long throw made an appearance on a couple of occasions, causing PSG to scramble to clear. More scrambling was required by PSG keeper Lucas Chevalier, as Richarlison tried his luck from distance on a fast break, forcing Chevalier into a very good save.

It always felt likely that a set piece would create a scoring opportunity for Spurs, and that proved to be the case. Guglielmo Vicario swung in a free kick from around the halfway line, which captain Cristian Romero won and headed centrally. Micky van de Ven contested the ball before it fell to Palhinha, doing well to get an effort on target with the ball bouncing. PSG keeper Lucas Chevalier saved impressively at close range, palming the shot onto the bar, but Van de Ven was quickest to the rebound, slotting past the Frenchman and giving Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 halftime lead.

Spurs doubled their lead soon after the break in a similar manner. Another free kick was swung in towards the box, this time by Pedro Porro from slightly higher up the pitch, and Cristian Romero met the delivery out on the left, timing his run well to get free of the PSG defense. This time, Spurs’ captain was close enough to direct his header on target, where Chevalier managed to get both hands to the attempt but made a meal of the save, the ball nestling in the back of the net rather than the keeper’s gloves.

PSG began to look more dangerous as the match wore on, with both sides tiring and Fabian Ruiz entering the match, making a significant impact. His passing and ability on the ball started to find PSG attackers in more open situations, with some impressive last-ditch defending required by Spurs. PSG got in behind on a couple of occasions, even managing to get the ball in Guglielmo Vicario’s net; however, though Spurs were saved by the offside flag, fantastic blocks by Cristian Romero and Kevin Danso were great examples of how tough this new-look Spurs side could be to break down.

That wouldn’t last, though, with PSG refusing to let the match meander to a conclusion. They kept pushing forward and finally made their possession count, scoring via a fantastic strike to make things interesting. A headed clearance fell to Vitinha outside Spurs’ 18-yard box, with the Portuguese midfielder feeding the ball to Lee Kang-In. The Korean attacker struck the ball cleanly from range past Vicario’s despairing dive, and PSG were all of a sudden back in the match.

With six minutes added time signalled by the assistant referee, nerves would have surely been high amongst the players on the pitch. Spurs bunkered in, and PSG continued to throw everything forward. Achraf Hakimi fed the run of Ousmane Dembele down Spurs’ left, and his cross was met by Goncalo Ramos, the glancing header sliding past Vicario. Out of nowhere, the score was 2-2, and Spurs all of a sudden looked tired. Players were cramping up all over the pitch, not least Cristian Romero, but Spurs managed to make it to the fulltime whistle without conceding again - the reward a penalty shootout.

Spurs took the lead early in the shootout, with authoritative strikes by Dominic Solanke and Bentancur, while Vitinha missed following an extremely stilted run-up. Ramos and Dembele then scored their penalties, while Van de Ven had his saved to even the ledger. It was a poor penalty, a saveable height and neither down the middle nor in the corner, but not as poor as Mathys Tel’s. The Frenchman lined up as Spurs’ fourth taker, but followed Vitinha’s example, halting his run-up and hooking his shot wide. With Lee Kang-In slotting his effort, Pedro Porro had to net his penalty, and did so with aplomb, hitting the top-right corner. Unfortunately, with PSG in the ascendancy, all Nuno Mendes needed to do was hit the net, and he did so, securing the UEFA Super Cup for PSG in a late turnaround.

Reactions

Well. Spurs are back. I hope you’re happy.

That’s a pretty gutting loss, in all honesty. It felt like Spurs had done enough to secure the win, but a side like PSG is never dead and buried.

Thomas Frank’s tactics were impressive, and really disrupted the PSG build-up, especially in the first half. I really enjoy a manager who can coach opponent-specific setups, and this one nearly paid off.

His substitutions unfortunately did not have the required impact. The changes were the right ones to make, but the players that came in largely played poorly. The loss of an outlet up top in the form of Richarlison and Kudus was especially impactful, with Solanke and Tel completely ineffective, allowing PSG to pile pressure on Spurs. Let’s not talk about Tel’s penalty.

To focus on some of the positives, Pape Matar Sarr was excellent, continuing his preseseason form and building on his fantastic display in the Europa League final. He was everywhere, winning two tackles, four interceptions, and making seven ball recoveries. His off-ball ability is so good; if he can build a little on his on-ball quality, baby, we got a stew going.

Rodrigo Bentancur also looks much more comfortable in this double-pivot setup under Frank than he did as the lone #6 under Ange. Palhinha was solid as well, much improved on his poor showing against Bayern Munich.

Djed Spence was also brilliant on the left. I think he’s honestly just a left back; he’s continually looked more comfortable on that side of the pitch than on the right.

The long throw made an appearance! You can see though how important set pieces will be to this side. I would say that maybe that means we don’t need the passing through midfield… but the inability to retain possession late on really made it glaringly obvious why that is not the case.

That’s a pretty big downer just a few days before the start of the Premier League season. Hopefully the side can get their heads up quickly as they look to Burnley in the weekend.

COYS!

Recent Tottenham Hotspur transfer rumors have been, finally, of the incoming kind with recent strong links to both Manchester City winger Savinho and Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. However, there are still more outgoings that are likely as well before the transfer window slams shut, and one of the players closely linked with an exit is Israeli winger Manor Solomon.

Solomon has barely featured for Spurs since his arrival a couple of years ago. Acquired under, to put it gently, somewhat dubious circumstances from Shakhtar Donetsk that had a lot to do with the war in Ukraine, Solomon had a couple of bright appearances early in Ange Postecoglou’s career before picking up a long term injury in 2022-23 and missing almost the entirety of the season. He was loaned to Leeds United last year where he was one of the best players in the Championship.

And in fact, Leeds are the Premier League club most closely linked to Solomon, with numerous reports suggesting they’d love to have him back after they promoted back to the top flight this past summer. Romano (obviously) doesn’t state what La Liga clubs are interested in Manor, but it likely means that Spurs would be able to demand a halfway decent fee for him, considering his 10g+12a Championship campaign.

Is Manor Solomon good enough for the Premier League? Probably. Is he good enough for Tottenham? Well, Ange Postecoglou didn’t think so and neither, apparently, does Thomas Frank. Solomon always seemed like the kind of bargain bin player Spurs would scoop up and eventually flip, and that seems exactly what they plan to do. And with the glut of attacking talent already at the club, trying to fit Solomon in that mix could be tricky. It’s probably best if he goes elsewhere, and Spurs get a little money they can use to invest in other incoming deals.

Less than three months ago, Tottenham Hotspur ended its 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United in Bilbao. On Wednesday, the club already has a chance to bring home another piece of silverware, though the competition is just a little bit stiffer. Though few expect Spurs to actually win the UEFA Super Cup, anything can happen in a beginning-of-the-season one-off competition (see: Palace).

Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League in convincing fashion and looks ready to challenge for an encore this season. However, after a Club World Cup campaign that (annoyingly) ended in defeat to Chelsea, PSG has had little time to rest this summer, which could be a benefit for the underdogs. The French side will be big favorites in Udinese, but hey — a second trophy could be just 90 minutes away!

UEFA Super Cup: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Date: Wednesday, August 13

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

Location: Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy

TV: CBS Sports Network (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)

Spurs do not have history against PSG in competitive fixtures, though the clubs did meet in the 2017 International Champions Cup in Orlando, Florida, with Tottenham winning 4-2. Meanwhile, this will be PSG’s third opponent from the English capital in the past three months, having also faced Arsenal in last season’s Champions League semifinals, tragically knocking out the inferior North London side.

White Hart Vibes: TBD

Thomas Frank is theoretically much more pragmatic than his predecessor, which helps after a summer of many transitions. Out are Heung-Min Son and a few others; in are Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, and…hopefully more? Given this is Frank’s first (pseudo) competitive match at the club, options will be limited in terms of both personnel and tactical implementation, but even so, this should look different than last year.

The strength of this Tottenham squad remains the back line. With Cristian Romero staying, Frank at least has this part of the lineup sorted, which is pivotal against an opponent that scored five against Inter in the Champions League final, then put four in against Atleti, two against Bayern, and four more against Real Madrid this summer. While it will take a heroic effort from Spurs to stay afloat, even if the opposition rotates, this will provide a good look at Frank’s defense.

PSG are a fully operational machine, but one has to wonder how highly this fixture will be prioritized. With the highs of the Champions League title and the Club World Cup then taking up most of the summer, there has been little physical and emotional respite for this side. Luis Enrique has plenty of high quality options to choose from, but if there ever was a time to face this sort of titan, this would be it. It should be noted that the Europa League winners have taken just one of the past 12 Super Cups, though (Atleti over Real Madrid in 2018/19).

Three Big Questions

How will this all feel? Tottenham finally broke its trophy drought, then promptly sacked the manager who did it, and now has recently lost its club-legend captain. While the outlook is overall positive — or has at least brought a sense of relief — it has also been an emotionally taxing summer. Perhaps this is felt more by supporters than the players themselves, but the Super Cup could end up being just too big of a moment for this point in time.

Can Spurs score? Even with that stupid defeat to Chelsea, PSG has been absolutely elite defensively, keeping clean sheets in five of its seven Club World Cup contests and allowing just one goal in the final three Champions League matches. Aside from Kudus, Spurs did little to enhance the front line and are now without Son and James Maddison. Maybe another attacker or two will arrive before the deadline, but that will be of no help on Wednesday.

What does Frank-ball look like? In no way should full judgments about the new manager be drawn already after an August contest against the best team in the world, but certainly the attention will be on how Tottenham looks in the first real fixture of the new regime. Preseason has shown signs of flexibility with and without the ball, intelligent pressing, and an asymmetrical structure in attack, marking a difference from the past regime. Even if this does not yield a win in Udine, a positive setup could really set the tone for the start of the new season.

Tottenham Hotspur officially have a new captain. With Son Heung-min departing to Hollywood, Spurs needed somebody to step up and steer the ship in his stead, and there was only one option for Thomas Frank: Cristian Romero.

Have you ever seen as intimidating a smile as in the last frame of that announcement video?

Thomas Frank talked in recent days about the role, indicating he felt that the captain should be someone who set standards, trained hard, and brought the different groups in the squad together; all traits Sonny displayed in spades. They are also qualities Frank seemingly feels, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cuti embodies, with Frank embellishing on his choice of leader via the official website:

In all seriousness though, Cuti is the obvious choice. Part of Ange Postecoglou’s leadership group and arguably the most elite player in the squad (as well as a World Cup winner), Romero is a player who demands respect and leaves it all on the pitch. He’s also one of the best defenders in the league, someone who will never take a backward step, and probably key to Spurs’ attack as well with his passing ability, since Johan Lange apparently doesn’t believe in midfielders who can pass. It’s also a pretty impressive redemption arc after Romero flirted with a transfer away in the summer, something that will now be out of the question.

Thomas Frank also indicated he will be naming a wider leadership group after the closure of the transfer window to give him time to assess the options within the squad. Frank has mentioned the qualities of Ben Davies on a handful of occasions through preseason, and Guglielmo Vicario and Rodrigo Bentancur have also worn the armband on occasion. It’ll be interesting to see which direction Frank goes.

Congratulations, Cuti. You were the best man for the job; now for your chance to lead us to glory!

Good morning and welcome to the first edition of ‘Fitzie’s Gaming Corner’, where your hoddler-in-chief talks about games (video and non-video). During a recent hoddle audit, many of you expressed a desire to have a space to talk about video games. I know very little about video games, but the people want what the people want. So, Hoddle Headquarters is testing out this new feature because this is a hoddle for the people.

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There’s no better place to start Fitzie’s Gaming Corner than with a discussion about Super Smash Brothers. If you ask me, video games peaked with Super Smash Bros Brawl. And it’s probably no coincidence that’s the last video game I bought.

It was the greatest. You had these amazing characters and beautiful graphics. There was a compelling single-player adventure mode, as well as dynamic stages that allowed for some truly fun gameplay. This was the third installment of the Super Smash Bros series, and two came after that. I didn’t purchase the other ones (because I didn’t have gaming systems), but there was one character I really liked.

Which brings me to the point of this hoddle: I’m going to list, in no particular order, my 10 favourite Super Smash Bros characters. Did anyone here play Smash Bros? Gimme your thoughts below. Or, ya know, just chat about video games or whatever. (If yesterday’s hoddle mishap taught us anything, it’s that this truly matters very little).

Wii Fit Trainer: This is what the kids call S-Tier. Who knew downward-facing dog could be so deadly? Apparently the makers of Super Smash Bros 4 (whatever that one was called)! Deal serious damage with volleyball or jumping through hoops, this character does it all. Truly one of the most fun to play.

King Dee Dee Dee: This is the one I was more hyped for Brawl than anyone else. I thought he was the coolest from the Kirby series. So freaking excited. Who doesn’t love an emperor penguin with a hammer?

Roy: The absolute coolest of the charactes representing the Fire Emblem series. Sure, Marth had this demure aura about him, but did he have Roy’s rage? NO! This is what made Roy the best character in Super Smash Bros Melee.

Link: This one’s a classic character and is deserving of everyone’s top 10. The bow and arrow makes link an excellent long-range damage character, but they’re also pretty dang good in close range. Plus the little bomb droppings are fun (or is that Samus? Someone fact-check fitzie).

Pokemon Trainer: Now get this. You don’t get one character - you get THREE. Who doesn’t wanna play as Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard? There are a lot of Pokemon in the Super Smash universe, but none compare to the incredible Pokemon Trainer.

Ice Climbers: Speaking of plural, these characters also deserve a shout. I love playing with them. They’re so fun, so cuddly. But, man, if one goes you are screwed. It’s worth it though because they’re just so freaking fun.

Captain Falcon: Show me your moves! Who didn’t love to punch with this guy during Melee, especially in that one stage of his? He was supremely fast, which I think makes him one of the most fun to play.

Princess Peach: Another classic. But does your classic character’s attacks include a frying pan, parasol and Mr Toad? No? Well then maybe you should reconsider your life choices. It doesn’t get better than Princess Peach.

Ike: The angriest of the three Fire Emblem characters. He also seems to be the strongest, but I’ll let others make that judgment. The Brawl stages were pretty easy to clear when Ike was around town. We like Ike!

R.O.B.: I was also pretty happy with his inclusion in the Brawl series. I mean, it’s a freaking robot post-Wall-E. And it shoots lasers out of its freaking eyes!!

Fitzie’s track of the day: The Pretender, by Jackson Browne

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): “Tottenham Hotspur return to the biggest stage – but have they narrowed the gap on the elite?”

Sami Mokbel: “Spurs start new era under ‘glass half-full’ Frank”

The Telegraph: “Yves Bissouma dropped by Thomas Frank for disciplinary reasons in first test of Spurs manager”

Tottenham Hotspur: “Loan update | Ajayi scores, Donley spot on for Stoke”

For the second time in two seasons, Djed Spence is in talks over an improved contract at Tottenham Hotspur. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke in The Athletic (£), Spence, who signed an improved deal in October, 2024 that extends through the 2027-28 season, is in negotiations over another improved contract thanks to his good performances at fullback last season.

Pedro Porro is Tottenham’s best fullback and I don’t think there’s much of a question about that, but Spence is right up there with Destiny Udogie in second place. And weirdly, considering Djed is ostensibly a right back, he’s played the best on Destiny’s side of the pitch as a LB.

There was once a time when Antonio Conte called him a “club signing” and Djed was considered surly and very much on the fringes of Spurs’ squad. That all changed once Ange Postecoglou came in — Djed was brought into the fold early on last season and he forced his way into Postecoglou’s team plans. The 2024 extension was very much deserved, and this one feels deserved too.

The Athletic doesn’t go into any details about the new deal — whether it would add any extra years to the length of his stay. I assume it includes a healthy bump in salary as from what I can gather he’s still only on £40k/wk in wages. To Johan Lange and Daniel Levy, I say: double it. He’s earned it.

Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur are set to compete in the Super Cup tomorrow against Champions League winners Paris St. Germain, a match that is either a fantastic opportunity for more continental silverware (if Spurs win) or a glorified preseason friendly (if Spurs lose).

But one player who will not feature in this match is Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma. Thomas Frank, speaking in a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s match, said Yves was left in London for disciplinary reasons after showing up late to training on multiple occasions this summer.

Frank said that while Dominick Solanke has now returned from injury and is available to play tomorrow, Destiny Udogie is still recovering, and Bissouma was left out of the squad.

‘Dom [Solanke] is the positive one and available for selection. Destiny [Udogie] is close. Bissouma has not travelled due to disciplinary reasons.

“He’s been late several times and now this time the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love. There need to be demands and consequences and this time there was a consequence.”

This will do very little to quash the rumors that Bissouma is likely to be sold this summer as Frank continues to put his own stamp on the playing squad. It’s also not the first time Bissouma has been disciplined while at Tottenham — he missed the first match of last season under Ange Postecoglou after a photo of him inhaling nitrous oxide appeared on social media. Postecoglou at the time made plain his disappointment to the media, saying the player needed to do more work to regain his trust.

It’s not a good look. If you’re a professional footballer, one of the easiest bars to clear is “be on time” and apparently Bissouma isn’t capable of doing that. As a consequence he could miss one of Spurs’ biggest matches of the season and an opportunity to win the club’s second European trophy in three months.

Frank also refused to be drawn into speculation over who might be joining the club in the near future. as of this morning Spurs are strongly linked with both Manchester City’s Savinho and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze as they look to strengthen with less than a week before Spurs’ first Premier League match against Burnley and 19 days to the close of the transfer window.

He did, however, say that Spurs fans can expect a new club captain to be named tomorrow.

“The captain will be named tomorrow in the team and the leadership group will be known by the end of the month.”

Frank has been notoriously tight-lipped about who might be in the running to be club captain with Son Heung-Min now at LAFC. Cuti Romero or James Maddison, the two vice captains from last year, would be natural choices, but Frank will make his own decision. One person I think I can safely say it will NOT be, however, is Yves Bissouma.

Today is Mikey Moore’s 18th birthday, which means two things: he’s able to be formally registered with Rangers for his season-long loan in Glasgow, and we can no longer refer to him on this website as “literally a child.”

But there’s more news — the club just announced that, on his birthday, Mikey Moore has also signed an improved deal at Tottenham Hotspur!

Like with the Rangers registration, I’m 99% certain that Mikey couldn’t sign a long-term contract at Tottenham until he became a legal adult, but that the dominoes had been set up a long time in advance of this announcement.

The club doesn’t state any details of his new contract, neither length nor wages. I’d imagine those details will probably come out via one of the club-friendly journalists like Alasdair Gold or the like, if we get them at all. Sometimes Spurs can be a little cautious with leaking or stating contract details for young players or those on the fringes of the first team, and it’s not a bad precaution to take, especially with a young guy like Mikey.

But regardless, this should calm down the people who were freaking out online that Mikey hadn’t been in any Rangers matchday squads up to this point. Pretty sure he will be going forward, and we can hopefully look forward to Mikey being a part of Tottenham’s first team plans for many years to come.

Last night, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer rumor bombshell dropped with numerous highly reliable sources reporting that Spurs and Manchester City are in talks over the signing of 20-year-old Brazilian winger Savinho. This morning, new details are starting to trickle in.

Previous reporting from yesterday had suggested Spurs had made an initial inquiry of around €40m, but Tom Allnut at the Times now writes that City are demanding a fee of around £50m to make sure the transfer goes through.

…Okay?

Look, my initial feelings about Savinho was that, despite being signed for just over £30m just last summer, it would probably take over twice that to get him out of City. I guess I wasn’t too far off, but honestly I’d have been just fine spending £65m or so for a 20-year-old dribbly winger who has a proven assist record and who underperformed his xG by 4 goals last season in limited minutes.

£50m for a player like Savinho feels like a no-brainer, and since yesterday’s bombshell there has been subsequent reporting that Savinho is keen to leave City and is very willing to move to Spurs. Savinho is currently making just £40k/wk at City, so Tottenham would easily be able to give him a significant bump in pay. Since the initial reports, David Ornstein has also posted that Tottenham’s interest in Savinho is very, very real and that things are progressing. Getting Savinho in plus an (eventual) backup 10 like Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City, and baby you got a stew going.

It still begs the question why City are willing to let Savinho leave just 12 months after signing him, but I think we know the answer to that now.

Well, there we go. Spurs were of course somewhat spuriously (see what I did there?) linked with Rodrygo earlier in the window until reports came out that the player had no intention of leaving Real Madrid for Tottenham. But City selling a player or two to fund a £100m bid for Rodrygo would explain why they might be willing to let Savinho go.

This is a story that is continually developing, so I have no doubt there will be some important update as soon as I hit “publish” on this story, but at this point it does really feel like more of a matter of time before we get confirmation that an agreement has been reached. Y’all, the vibes around Spurs have been pretty rancid lately, but there’s nothing a new signing can’t cure, and I fervently hope that this is one that happens sooner rather than later.