Cartilage Free Captain

good morning!

I’ve been debating whether or not to do this hoddle because I don’t really want to talk too much about my running struggles. I’d go so far as to call this more of an “admission”. But because I’ve hoddled a handful of times before about my various running achievements, I think it’s a worthwile idea to explore the other side of that.

In the 10 or so years I’ve been running, I don’t think I’ve had as prolonged stretch of this plateau I’ve hit. And I’m not quite sure what it is or what the fix is. I’ve tried rest, running less, running easier, running harder, drinking more water, cutting back on alcohol, eating better, eating at certain times, running just for fun, doing different things at the gym.

But none of those have worked. So I’m not sure what the fix is.

It first hit me around March/April when I was training for a couple half marathons. I was doing pretty great in my training and felt confident about running it in less than 95 minutes. I ran 12 miles in 1:24.00 and felt pretty darn good.

And then a couple of days before the first half marathon - BAM. Absolute exhaustion. Overtraining? Outside stress? Maybe yes to both.

Either way - I didn’t run either of them. And I shut down any dreams of running another full marathon this autumn.

A couple months ago I ran a 10K, seemed harmless enough. I finished it in a little under 42 minutes, but still I didn’t feel quite right.

Since then I’ve sort of plunged into this whole crisis of confidence. I start and end most runs full of self doubt.

I try not to compare myself to how I was before, but it’s tough. I finished my eight-mile run about four minutes slower than I did before this funk, although I try to be generous with myself given this scorching summer.

Still, with another half marathon potentially just five weeks out, I wonder if I can run the distance. A solid half marathon in autumn could be a good springboard for a spring full marasthon.

Like many runs lately, that one ended with me full of doubt. I felt tired earlier than normal, and the run up Capitol Hill hurt more than I should be conditioned to.

I don’t think people fully appreciate what they see when they see someone during a marathon (or another race, I guess) or after they complete it. Sure, they see the accomplishment and it’s easy to get swept up in it.

What they fail to see are these kinds of moments. The periods of self doubt, struck of confidence, but still tying your shoelaces and running anyhow. Much of it is alone (I prefer it that way). Every now and then I’ll wave to another runner.

They don’t see the solitary moments where it’s just the runner faced with that self-doubt, trying to bat it away for as long as they can. Sometimes that battle is only a minute, other times it can last the majority of an eight-mile run. Not only that, their body is pretty tired too.

It’s also what makes running the most compelling sport. Because, unless you’re like Tamarit Tola, you’re only running against yourself. Just a bunch of average people doing remarkable things.

So here’s your hoddle. The real-time thoughts of someone who’s run for 10 years, completed three marathons, many other races, and logged countless miles over hundreds of hours.

Wavering whether or not I am going to be able to work myself up to the condition I want to run the half marathon the way I want to - which I secretly know is a barometer for a near-future full marathon.

I really don’t know right now.

——

So about 30 minutes passed between those thoughts and these thoughts.

Maybe I was struggling with the ideas of ‘confidence’ and ‘courage’ because I do think running these kinds of races (or any race depending on fitness) is a courageous thing to do.

Sure, I’ll admit to lacking the confidence tonight. But the hope is that it’ll grow over the next handful of weeks.

I try to visualise my training calendar. I’ll have to cut back on some foods, definitely alcohol. Stretch more during the day. Sleep better (and maybe end the hoddle earlier in the eve).

With a little discipline, I think I’ll be ready by the time I line up on race day next month.

I fill out my registration information on the page and hover over the confirmation button for just a moment.

As I do before all my long runs, I first take a deep breath. And then exhale.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Running Up The Hill, by Meg Meyers

And now for your links:

Jack P-B ($$): Emerson Royal the latest victim of Tottenham’s ‘managerial churn’

Alasdair Gold on Tottenham’s ‘big transfer problem’

Burnley beat Luton Town 4-1

Update: It’s a done deal! That was fast!

Tottenham Hotspur have a lot of talented young strikers, so something’s got to give in what remains of the transfer window. Today, there’s a report in the Telegraph from Jason Burt that states 20-year-old homegrown academy grad Dane Scarlett is in talks to join Oxford United on a season-long loan.

Oxford were the darlings of League One, promoting to the Championship this past season and reaching their highest point in the table since a short stint in the old First Division back in 1986. They also reportedly really really need a striker this season to compete with last year’s leading scorer Mark Harris, so this sounds like it good be a really good situation for Scarlett to get some badly-needed first team experience. He’s 20 years old, and landing a Championship striker spot means he’s still on track to have a decent career somewhere, even if it doesn’t ultimately end up at Tottenham. This feels like a really good loan.

Scarlett has had some tough competition at Tottenham, competing with Will Lankshear, Jamie Donley, and the now-departed Jude Soonsup-Bell. He had bad loan last season at an Ipswich side that didn’t really need him, so it’s good that he’s likely getting another chance to really see what he can do at this level.

The MIGHTY OXEN got off to a flyer in the Championship this past weekend, notching a 2-0 win over Norwich City.

It’s done. After one of the more protracted and annoying transfer sagas in recent memory, Emerson Royal has completed his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to AC Milan. The move was confirmed by the club social media accounts on Monday. He joins on a four year deal with an option for an addition fifth year should Milan choose to exercise it.

It felt like this was never going to get over the line, but the reports are that Emerson is signing for an initial €15m transfer fee plus 2-3m in optional clauses. That doesn’t get up to the €20m that Spurs wanted, but it’s a nice compromise, and it feels like in this particular case the devil really was in the details.

Emerson leaves Tottenham as, if I can be so bold, a future Spurs cult hero. Yes, he struggled here under several managers with WIDELY divergent tactics and yes, he’s very very much not suited to Ange Postecoglou’s inverted fullback tactics. But that’s not to say he’s not a good player — he just didn’t end up being a good player for us.

What he is, though, is a very good person. He was a model professional and well-liked by his teammates, forging an especially close bond with his countryman Richarlison, whom he convinced to seek professional counseling when Richy was struggling with his mental health a couple of seasons ago. Emerson was also known for dropping staggering comp videos of his matches on social media, including one notable comp of his partner giving birth to their child!

Tottenham needed an upgrade at the right back position and got one with Pedro Porro, and Emerson wanted to leave to head to a place where he can get regular football. I get it, and Spurs accommodated that move. But I’m always going to like the guy and I hope he crushes it in Italy.

Buona fortuna, Emerson and thanks for all the memories!

Today is August 12th. It’s a significant day in history: it’s known as the date the sewing machine was patented; the date the construction of the Berlin Wall began; the date Erwin Schrodinger was born; and the date that will go down in history as the day after Mikey Moore’s birthday, and the day he signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur:

Having just turned 17, the young English winger has put pen to paper on what is reportedly a three-year contract - the maximum length a player under the age of 18 can sign - and has committed his future development to Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s been a meteoric rise for Moore, who has been mooted as a player destined for bigger things for some time. Joining the club at age 7, he was called up to the U21’s for the first time while still a 15-year-old, and after scoring 17 and assisting 12 in 22 appearances at U18 level last season, cemented a place in the U21 squad. He capped this phenomenal 23/24 season off by becoming the youngest player to appear for Spurs in the Premier League, coming off the bench against Manchester City late last season.

He’s been a bright spark throughout preseason, and hopefully this new deal is a sign of things to come for Mikey. Youth development is never linear, so who knows where his career goes from here - but he has made a phenomenal start, and don’t be surprised to see him spending more time in and around the first team setup this season.

Congratulations, Mikey!

good morning! It’s a shame the Olympics are over. What are we gonna watch now? Oh wait - the Premier League is back this week !!

Before we turn to the Premier League let’s hang out with the Olympics for but one more day.

We’ve had a little over two weeks of some of the world’s best athletes competing in a huge array of sports from taekwondo to table tennis to beach volleyball. Some generated memes, others withstood sigfnicant tests in and out of the arena to win.

So let’s turn to our favourite moments from these Olympic games. I’ll share the favourites that I’ve seen (which means no Biles or Marchand or Ledecky or men’s basketball, or any football).

Imane Khelif wins gold: One of the truly great moments of these Olympics, Khelif somehow managed to tune out so much noise to win the women’s welterweight boxing gold medal. The image of her coach hoisting her alof his shoulders, while she holds the Algerian flag, will be remembered for some time.

Kim Woo-jin def Brady Ellison in men’s archery final: The Korean and American archer both scored 30 poitns in the final frame of the men’s gold medal match, giving us a one-shot tiebreak. It was decided by 5 milimetres. Insane stuff, with the best in the world bringing home the gold.

An Olympic record in the men’s 10,000 metres: An exhilerating race where the three Ethiopian runners were working together. Only for Ugandan runner Joshua Cheptegei, the world champion in Budapest, to win gold again here. And how about that race from the American Grant Fisher to win bronze?

Novak Djokovic def Carlos Alcaraz in men’s tennis final: Probably the best two-set tennis match I’ve seen in years. A match of the highest quality, and one that was so so tense. In the end it was Djokovic, reclaiming years from his peak, to shutdown Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 7-6 to win the gold medal. He is now one of only five players in history to win the career Golden Slam.

Ukraine win women’s team fencing final: Well, I wasn’t expecting this (because I know nothing about fencing). When I went to check the Ukrainian team was several points behind Korea. But then they steadily came back to win 45-42 in the sabre final. Special mention to fencer Alina Komashchuk who dominated her round.

Remco Evenepoel wins the road race: A disappointing Tour de France for him but a few weeks ago, but he makes up for it with a dominant victory at the Olympics. And while he came third in the general classification at Le Tour, he had the Eiffel Tower all to himself in what is one of the greatest photographs to come from these Olympic Games.

France def Japan in judo mixed team final: What a freaking final. I joined late. I knew of the legend of Teddy Riner, but when that roulette landed on his weight class for the gold-medal tiebreak against Japan? Scenes. The crowd went wild.

I had no idea what was going on. I knew he was up against Tatsuru Saito, also considered one of judo’s modern-day greats. No idea who’d win, and then all of a sudden Riner brought home the gold for France. It was incredible.

Sifan Hassan wins women’s marathon: A truly incredible race with five runners left in the final few kilometres. Only for Hassan, who ran more than 38 miles this Olympic games, to run away with the gold medal and set a new Olympic record. A true accomplishment.

I think I saw some stat that she’s the first person to medal at Track and Field & the Marathon in over 70 years.

This was also the first time in my recent memory that the women’s marathon came after the men’s, which meant that they had theri own special moment during the closing ceremony. I couldn’t be happier with that decision. A legendary race.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Just a Girl, by No Doubt

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold’s talking points from Spurs’ friendly vs Bayern

And here are the talking points from The Athletic ($$)

Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle lose 0-4 to Wednesday

In what has been a familiar situation for Tottenham Hotspur fans this preseason, Spurs started their match against Bayern Munich without a recognized striker. There’s a good reason for it, of course — returning striker Richarlison has only returned to training this week after recovering from surgery this past spring, and their newest player, record signing Dominic Solanke, only joined the club yesterday and was introduced to fans before the match. That left Dejan Kulusevski to play in the No. 9 position (something he did very well, it should be mentioned) with Will Lankshear coming on for the second half.

So there is hope ahead of Tottenham’s first Premier League match at Leicester City a week from Monday. But Richarlison still coming back to fitness, will Solanke actually be ready to start with just a week’s training? Ange Postecoglu doesn’t see any reason why not. Asked about his newest signing in the post-match press conference following Bayern’s 3-2 Visit Malta Cup victory of Spurs in London, Ange said he thinks Big Dom will have every opportunity to start and play at the first chance.

“Yeah, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be [ready to start]. He’s played most of the preseason [for Bournemouth]. Slight knock in the last game Bournemouth played, but, of course, we’ll have a look at him during, during the week. But I think that considering he’s done most of the pre-season, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be available.

“We identified him because he has the attributes we are looking for in terms of our position. He gives us some things we probably have been missing in the last 12 months, particularly when Richarlison was out last year. When Richy played he was very effective for us, it was quite evident when he was out we didn’t really have a player who can make the impact Dom can in the final third and just with his general play. So I think he will be a good fit for us.

“We have got him at a really good time in his career. He has had to work his way back up which I always think is a good thing. Sometimes when careers go smoothly you wonder how people will handle setbacks but he had setbacks earlier in his career. He has fought his way back and has become a really good Premier League striker now. He is really keen to push on. He wants to improve and make an impact. I think it’s a great time for us to bring him in.”

Kulusevski has done well playing either as an out-and-out striker or a false nine absent Richarlison in preseason and had an excellent performance today, scoring inside 30 seconds to put Spurs ahead early and following it up with a lovely second goal to cut Bayern’s lead to 3-2 in the second half. But Ange said, now that Solanke is here and Richy is on the mend, that fans should not expect to see much of Dejan Strikersevski from now on.

“No, I don’t think so. The good thing about Deki is that he can play that attacking midfield. I think the reason for us why we signed Dom, and hopefully Richy should be ready as well, is that we want to have a player through that area who is a bit more accustomed to that role. Deki has done a great job for us but I think his strengths and attributes are more in that attacking midfield or wide role. I think he is really developing and has had a really good pre-season for us and hopefully it gives us some more flexibility and potency through the middle when he is playing because he can get into those scoring areas.”

One of the scariest moments of the match came in the second half when Lucas Bergvall needed treatment and was seen holding and gesturing his throat. It wasn’t clear what happened — he didn’t appear to have been hit in the leadup. Incidentally, my partner, a registered nurse, saw Lucas in distress and openly wondered if he’d swallowed a bee. Turns out, according to Ange, she might not have been far wrong.

“Yeah, I’m not really sure [what happened]. He said he was struggling to breathe or we had to sort of find out whether he swallowed something. But yeah, so I think it was nothing serious. He was alright.”

Tottenham’s three conceded goals were again conceded from dead ball and set pieces, continuing a troubling trend from the end of last season when Spurs looked particularly vulnerable in those situations. Ange was asked about the goals, and admitted they weren’t good ones to concede, but alluded to the rotated defense of Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, and Djed Spence, and that Spurs coped better against a very good team with Cuti Romero and Micky van de Ven in the side.

“Yeah, [the goals] weren’t great. They were pretty ordinary, pretty similar to what we sort of conceded over there [in Korea]. But at the same time we’re kind of not at that stage yet, of integrating people in, with a back four that’s never played together before. I always kind of bear those things in mind. The key for us is to be ready come Monday week.”

Spurs now have nine days before their 2024-25 Premier League season opener at Leicester City on Monday, August 19. The match will be televised on Sky Sports in the UK and on USA Network in the United States.

Tottenham Hotspur’s preseason campaign finished with a 2-3 defeat, as Bundesliga side Bayern Munich were too strong for a mercurial Spurs side.

It was a mixed first half for Spurs, as they scored with 25 seconds through Dejan Kulusevski, showing excellent striker skills with an instinctive finish on a move he started as the ball ricocheted off Joshua Kimmich in the Bayern box. From there, though, Bayern took control, with two set piece goals bisected by a goal from Serge Gnabry that was shades of their opener in Seoul: Yves Bissouma was unable to control a poor pass from Guglielmo Vicario in his own box, before Gnabry then drove a grass-cutting shot past Vicario from just outside the box.

Ange Postecoglou made eight changes at the half, and Spurs immediately looked sharper. Dejan Kulusevski picked up a second goal after being fed by Lucas Bergvall. The young midfielder did well to win the ball in the press before playing in his compatriot after interplay with Son Heung-min.

Tottenham pressed late for an equalizer, but were unable to find the breakthrough as both sides cleared the benches.

Here are my top 10 talking points from the match.

After some struggles in the first match against Bayern, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see Ange Postecoglou ring the changes; instead, he made only one, with Yves Bissouma coming in for Archie Gray. Bayern also named a similar side, with Dayot Upamecano coming in for Sacha Boey to strengthen the Germans’ defense, and Jamal Musiala doing the same at the other end of the pitch, replacing Gabriel Vidovic. This probably aided the performance of both teams, with the quality of play high from the start; it was a level that unfortunately Spurs were unable to maintain as the first half wore on.

Dejan Kulusevski has played striker through the majority of preseason, and he’s looked good doing it. Opening the scoring in 23 seconds, his ability to fill that role was on full display, with excellent hold-up play to get Spurs up the pitch before an instinctive finish put the Lilywhites a goal to the good. He found himself in a similar position second half, with a tidy right-footed finish after being played in by Lucas Bergvall. Is it his best position in this system, and if so, will he get any chances there with the confirmed signing of Dominic Solanke?

Well, it’s Groundhog Day. Again. An ongoing theme of the 23/24 season was Spurs’ shortcomings on set pieces, and this continued again today in what could be a bad omen for Tottenham’s 24/25 campaign. Both first half goals were pretty simple back-post balls, and the defense’s inability to prevent attacking headers must be raising alarm bells for Ange Postecoglou.

Djed Spence had a mixed outing against Bayern in South Korea, and he struggled again here. Though he had a couple of bright moments going forward, he struggled to keep track of Serge Gnabry and routinely lost his opponent when the ball was floated over the top, while his defending in space left a lot to be desired. It’s hard to say whether this was in part due to Djed defending on the left - switching sides as a fullback can play havoc with your judgement of space - but he hasn’t done himself any favors in his effort to back up Pedro Porro.

Perhaps unusually for a match at this late stage of preseason, Ange opted to almost clear the bench at half-time, making 8 changes - a departure from the approach in recent matches. While it’s possible the mass substitutions were pre-planned, it’s also quite possible that Postecoglou was extremely dissatisfied with what he saw in the first half and opted to rage-sub the majority of the starting XI. Only Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, and Guglielmo Vicario escaped the Australian’s ire.

One thing those substitutions allowed was a first look this preseason at 3⁄4 of last season’s starting back four, as Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven all took the pitch. Spurs immediately looked more comfortable in defense, especially on the left as Udogie’s ability to defend in space and drive forward immediately quietened the Bayern attack.

The other member of the new-look back four was Archie Gray, operating in a right back position for the first time this season. Gray’s luster after an excellent start to preseason had worn off somewhat after a couple of shaky displays in midfield, but he was brilliant at fullback, defending well but also looking great going forward: he showed quick feet and fantastic interplay and passing on a number of occasions to get Spurs up the pitch. Is it possible Postecoglou opts to keep Gray as the backup right back?

Bayern, much like in the reverse fixture, were extremely dirty in this match. Chippy fouls to prevent counters went unpunished by the referee, resulting in things going from combative to threatening to boil over with some aggressive challenges that belied the match’s friendly status. One such challenge was by Joao Palhinha late on, as he took a wild swipe at Mikey Moore; Will Lankshear retaliated in kind by flattening the ex-Fulham midfielder, causing a kerfuffle as tempers flared.

A terrifying moment occurred as Lucas Bergvall collapsed on the pitch partway through the second half. Instrumental in Tottenham’s second goal as he played the ball into Kulusevski, he was pushing for a place in Postecoglou’s starting XI against Leicester; but all that was thrown into doubt as the Swede went down clutching his throat and chest. The scenes were extremely disconcerting, with my immediate thought being a heart issue, but he was soon back to his feet and saw out the rest of the match. Maybe he swallowed a bee?

Offsetting that terrifying moment, a quite special one took place late in the match. The substitutions board went up, and Harry Kane stepped on to the Tottenham Hotspur pitch for the first time since his departure. Next to him, though, was young Tottenham academy striker Will Lankshear. It felt in some ways like a passing of the torch; though it remains to be seen if one day Lankshear can step into Kane’s shoes.

Screw it, we’re gonna win the league.

Here we are. Tottenham Hotspur’s final preseason match before the start of the 24/25 Premier League season. It’s a second friendly fixture against Bayern Munich as Spurs host the German club in London.

In the South Korean leg, Spurs struggled somewhat with the jump in intensity between their previous opponents of lower stature and one of Europe’s biggest clubs, as well as their fitness levels with a packed schedule and challenging conditions ensuring Tottenham’s players were exhausted for the Seoul match.

The players will be well-rested heading into this one, however, and this match will be much more of a litmus test as to Spurs’ progress heading into the season with familiar conditions and a more prepared squad. It’ll be a welcome back as well to a couple of ex-Tottenham players, as Eric Dier and Harry Kane make their return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Let’s see how things go - this could be a fun one.

COYS!

Lineups

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bayern Munich (friendly)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Saturday, August 10, 2024

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. UK

TV: Not televised in USA, TNT Sports 1 (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo, SPURSPLAY

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:

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Have fun, and COYS!

Tottenham Hotspur have officially confirmed their newest signing. Dominic Solanke joins the club after completing his medical and signing paperwork overnight on Saturday, in the process becoming Spurs’ record signing at nearly £65m.

Previous reporting suggested that Solanke was “desperate” to join Spurs in the days before the clubs reached an agreement, and that he sees coming to Tottenham as the next step in his development as a professional player. The former Liverpool player is a graduate of Chelsea’s academy and is coming off of a strong season with the Cherries where he scored 19 goals.

Solanke is expected to be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for today’s final friendly between Spurs and Bayern Munich, and could even feature in the match despite not having any training with his new club.

Solanke is a physical striker and a pressing monster who should get on the ends of chances in the box, making him an ideal player for Ange Postecoglou’s tactics. He slots into a team that already has Richarlison who will play a similar role in the side in a season where Spurs will be competing not only in the Premier League but also the Europa League and domestic cups. There will be plenty of minutes available, and hopefully plenty of goals to score.

It’s an exciting time if you’re a Spurs fan with Tottenham’s new season kicking off next Monday at newly-promoted Leicester City, and there are indications that Tottenham are not yet done in the transfer window.

Welcome, Dominic! You have big shoes to fill, and we’re looking forward to seeing you play!

Guess I better learn what a “naruto” is, because it’s all done except for the announcement. According to David Ornstein, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth have reached full agreement for the transfer of Dominic Solanke, who is now set to undergo a medical ahead of competing his move.

The big thing that leaps out at me is the SIX YEAR CONTRACT which will keep him at Spurs until he’s 33 (Solanke turns 27 in September). That’s much longer than I had anticipated. The fee is also substantial — at face value, Dominic Solanke at £65m is now Tottenham Hotspur’s record signing, eclipsing the £55m Spurs spent for Tanguy Ndombele in 2019. There are suggestions however that there are a few escalators in the contract that might not take the final fee up that high, though Bournemouth are said to have demanded £30m up front.

It’s awesome to have a new striker, even if it’s basically Richarlison-but-not-broken. It’s a lot of money, for sure, and if you’re feeling a little uneasy about the size of the bet required to land a player like Solanke, well you’re not alone! But as we’ve said there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic that Solanke is exactly the kind of player Ange Postecoglou needs — and wants — to further unlock his tactics. And having two players in Richarlison and Solanke that can split time and move in and out of the side based on fitness and opposition is, well, frankly a rather nice problem to have.

Richarlison has performed admirably for Spurs over the past couple of seasons, but his biggest issue has been his availability. In Solanke, Spurs will be signing a similar player but without the history of injury, which will give Richy a chance to fully recover and work his way back into the side. It’s an expensive transfer, but it could end up being a very impactful move when all’s said and done.

We await the full confirmation from the club.