The Boy Hotspur

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King has expressed his dissatisfaction with Dominic Solanke’s overall performance during Spurs’ 3-1 victory over Brentford, despite the striker netting his first goal for the club.

Solanke, a high-profile £60 million signing from Bournemouth, equalized for Tottenham after Bryan Mbeumo gave Brentford the lead within the first minute of the game.

Spurs responded quickly, with Solanke tapping in to level the score. Brennan Johnson then made it 2-1, and James Maddison sealed the win with a late goal, securing Tottenham’s second Premier League victory of the season.

Despite opening his account for the club, King wasn’t impressed by Solanke’s overall contribution.

Speaking to Tottenham News, King said:

“For a £60 million player, he couldn’t have missed that. I think there would have been some trouble if he did miss that.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t impressed by his overall performance. Just like against Coventry City in midweek, I wasn’t impressed.”

While Solanke’s start at Spurs has been slow, he has only played five games, having missed two due to injury.

Known for his solid goalscoring record at Bournemouth, Solanke has the potential to thrive under Ange Postecoglou’s system.

With Spurs creating plenty of chances, it seems only a matter of time before he finds his rhythm and goes on a scoring run.

Ange Postecoglou has praised Dominic Solanke after opening his Tottenham Hotspur account, but has admitted the striker is still some way off full ‘match fitness’.

Solanke joined Spurs in a big-money move from Bournemouth over the summer after netting 21 goals for the Cherries across all competitions last season.

However, the 26-year-old endured a tough start to life in a Spurs shirt, failing to score or assist in his first three games.

But Solanke finally got off the mark against Brentford on Saturday, firing home the rebound from a James Maddison effort to equalise in the eighth minute after the visitors had taken a first-minute lead.

Tottenham went on to win 3-1 thanks to further strikes from Brennan Johnson and Maddison.

Speaking after the match, Postecoglou insisted he’s been happy with Solanke’s performances so far but that it is, of course, nice that the striker is now getting amongst the goals.

“He was good again, I think he’s been good in every game he’s played for us, and as you said, strikers love scoring goals and, yeah, a great moment for him to score his first goal for the club, particularly at home,” Postecoglou told reporters (via Football.London).

“But aside from that, again it was a really strong performance by him. I thought he led the line really well, important for us today as a link up there because we knew they’d go pretty aggressive on a man-to-man marking and he was going to have to hold the ball up for us and I thought he did that really well.”

A first of many for Dom 💫 pic.twitter.com/e6DS4bn8qY

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 21, 2024

Solanke still short of ‘match fitness’

Solanke’s progress at Tottenham has been slowed somewhat by a minor ankle injury that saw him sit out the 4-0 win over Everton and 2-1 defeat away at Newcastle.

Postecoglou withdrew the striker in the 88th minute on Saturday, admitting he was ‘out of gas’. Next on the list for Solanke now that he has a goal to his name is building up the fitness to go a full 90 minutes.

“Yeah, I mean, again Dom’s still working his way to match fitness,” Postecoglou added. “You saw at the end there, he was out of gas. We wanted to take him off a bit earlier, but we needed that third goal to kill the game off.”

Up next for Spurs is a home tie with Qarabag FK in the Europa League on Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur claimed their second win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Brentford, but James Maddison’s goal celebration has sparked some criticism.

Bryan Mbeumo stunned Spurs with a goal just 25 seconds into the match, but Tottenham responded swiftly. Dominic Solanke scored his first goal for the club, tapping in from close range to equalise.

Shortly after, Brennan Johnson put Spurs ahead with a brilliant strike, making it 2-1.

Maddison then sealed the win in the dying minutes with a delightful chip over the Brentford goalkeeper, sending the Spurs fans into a frenzy.

However, his celebration drew criticism after he removed his shirt and threw it into the air, resulting in a yellow card.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King expressed his displeasure with Maddison’s celebration, telling Tottenham News:

“It was a quality finish from Maddison. However, what was him taking his shirt off in the celebrations all about? Where does that come from? It meant that he picked up a cheap yellow card. He made his point by scoring a very good goal. I’d have understood if he had a message on a t-shirt underneath, but he was just wearing a plain vest.”

King added that while he didn’t consider it disrespectful, the unnecessary yellow card and the removal of the club shirt could have been avoided, noting:

“What is the point of taking it off and throwing it in the air? A lot of people regard that as disrespectful. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that. However, it doesn’t need to be done.”

“I’d imagine someone will say something about that, perhaps Postecoglou. The last thing a sponsor would want to see is the shirt lying in a crumpled heap. How much more effective would his celebration have been if he had the Tottenham shirt on.”

Maddison has faced criticism recently for his lack of goal contributions but looked to be back in form against Brentford.

While Ange Postecoglou may have a word with him about the yellow card, King’s criticism seems a bit harsh given the significance of the win.

Tottenham attacker Manor Solomon is currently on loan at Leeds United and he has been tipped to join them permanently next summer in a deal worth £10 million.

Manor Solomon arrived at the North London club in the summer of 2023. He made the move from Shakhtar Donetsk to Spurs on a free transfer. Tottenham got their hands on an exceptional talent but they couldn’t make the best use of it. He only had a handful of opportunities before an injury ruled him out of the remainder of the 2023/24 season.

While he was back fit in time for the new season, the 25-year-old winger was not in the plans of Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham were looking to get him off their books. They eventually ended up sending him out on loan to Leeds United where he has had an impressive start. Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose’s owner John Wenham feels Solomon could secure a permanent move to the Yorkshire club next summer.

While speaking on Tottenham News, Wenham said: “I really hope that this loan move goes well. Solomon is too good for the Championship. Therefore, he would probably suit a bottom-half Premier League team.

“Hopefully he absolutely smashes it and gets himself into the team of the season. I could then see him making his move to Leeds permanent next summer for around £10million.

“It is a really good loan and I’m delighted that he has gone straight into the team.”

The owner of the Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose feels the Israeli winger is too good to be playing in the Championship. He has already had an impressive start with an assist on his debut and Wenham hopes he makes it to the Champions Team of the Season at the end of the campaign.

While his contract at Spurs runs until the summer of 2028, a successful loan spell could result in a permanent move away from the club. It could help the North London club raise funds by sanctioning his departure. He feels the 25-year-old could eventually secure a permanent move to Leeds in a deal worth around £10 million if all goes according to plan.

Tottenham forked out a fortune to acquire the services of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

He was their priority target throughout the summer and they agreed to pay a club-record fee of £65 million to add him to their squad.

Having bagged a total of 21 goals last season, Spurs fans expected him to help them take the next step. But, the 27-year-old didn’t have the best of starts as he picked up an injury, missed a few of their fixtures and was yet to score a goal heading into the game against Brentford.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker finally found the back of the net against the Bees which ended his wait for a goal with his new club. Solanke shared a post on Instagram after the game, which read ‘we keep moving’.

Multiple Premier League players reacted in the comments sections and wished the striker well for the future and congratulated him on his goal.

Teammate James Maddison was excited to see the former Bournemouth ace get off the mark, he wrote: ‘First of a helluva lot of goals for you this season, my boy’, along with a heart and praying hands emoji.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers also expressed his thoughts on Solanke’s first goal, he wrote: ‘He’s off’, including a fire emoji, with Alex Scott saying ‘here they come’.

Kyle Walker-Peters who has been linked with a return to the North London club wrote ‘Off the mark’, added with a raised hands emoji and Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo wrote ‘May the floodgates open!’, including a fire emoji.

While Spurs were quite confident that he would turn things around, several pundits had overreacted to him failing to find the back of the net in his first three outings. It might have been a tap-in but it will surely take a lot of weight off his shoulders and this could easily be the start of a goalscoring spree.

His goal helped Spurs level things up against Brentford and they ended up scoring two more to return to winning ways. Ange Postecoglou will be quite happy with the performance of Solanke, who bagged his first goal and helped secure all three points.

Brennan Johnson has bounced back emphatically after receiving social media abuse following his performance in Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

The criticism led him to deactivate his Instagram account, but Johnson responded in the best way possible—by delivering on the pitch.

After netting a stoppage-time winner midweek against Coventry City, Johnson struck again, scoring Tottenham’s second goal of the night against Brentford to give Spurs a 2-1 lead.

Alasdair Gold reported that after Johnson’s goal, Tottenham fans erupted into a chant of “There’s only one Brennan Johnson,” showing their support for the young forward.

All the Spurs fans in the stadium singing 'There's only one Brennan Johnson' after that lovely goal from the young Tottenham attacker.

— Alasdair Gold (@AlasdairGold) September 21, 2024

James Maddison added a third goal, capping off a stellar performance with a delightful chip over the Brentford goalkeeper, sealing a 3-1 victory for Spurs.

The win moved Tottenham up to 10th place in the Premier League table with seven points.

Dominic Solanke also opened his scoring account for the club, and fans are hopeful that the team can build momentum and push closer to the top four in the coming weeks.

Tottenham have received a major boost in their pursuit of Kyle Walker-Peters.

The North London club were quite busy in the recently concluded transfer window. They forked out a significant amount and managed to strengthen quite a few key areas. But, there is still a lot to be done and Tottenham continue to explore the market in search of opportunities.

Ange Postecoglou’s team were interested in adding more quality and depth in the full-back department and they were linked with their former academy graduate Kyle Walker-Peters. Spurs couldn’t strike a deal during the summer but according to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have received a significant boost in their pursuit of the English full-back whose contract at Southampton is running out.

Walker-Peters’ current deal runs until next summer. While the Saints had officially offered to extend his stay at the club back in August, they haven’t been able to make any progress in those talks. Both parties are not on the same page and as per Romano, those talks have broken down.

The 27-year-old came up the ranks at the North London club and was a part of their first team for around three years before making the move to Southampton. Walker-Peters is well aware of how things work at Tottenham and he will hardly take any time to settle in.

While Spurs have quite a few full-backs in their squad, a few are expected to be on the move in the near future. As a result, they could look to reinforce the position when the transfer window reopens in January. They can sign their former academy star for free next summer but if they do want a new full-back in the winter, they could look to strike a deal with the Saints for the 27-year-old for a bargain price.

Tottenham Hotspur’s young talent, Jamie Donley, has been earning plaudits for his recent performances, with journalist Alasdair Gold particularly impressed by the 19-year-old’s display during his loan spell at League One side Leyton Orient.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold highlighted Donley’s performance in Leyton Orient’s third-round Carabao Cup clash against Premier League side Brentford. Despite Orient’s lower league status, Donley stood out, showcasing his creativity, vision, and quick, forward-thinking passing, which created multiple opportunities for his teammates.

Reflecting on Tottenham’s current attacking challenges, Gold suggested that Donley’s inclusion in the first team could have made a “huge difference” to Spurs’ offensive play.

However, he acknowledged that the loan move to Leyton Orient was likely the best decision for the youngster’s development, offering him valuable playing time and experience.

Gold said:

“I was watching Jamie Donley playing for Orient against Brentford the night before. So much of the stuff he was doing, now in hindsight, I was like ‘ugh,’ he’s gonna be at Orient and playing, but my goodness.

“He was playing so many fast, progressive passes, creative balls between the lines, setting people away. And you just kind of thought, had he started in that lineup, I think Spurs would have fewer problems. And I know that’s putting a lot on what is he, 19 years old.

“But I actually think he was that good against Premier League opposition in Brentford. He would have made a huge difference. But, it’s better what he’s doing — I think the loan move is the right choice.”

Donley has been a rising star in Tottenham’s academy since joining in 2013. He first made his mark with the Under-18s in 2020, and more recently, became a key player for the Under-21 squad.

Last season, he contributed an impressive eight goals and 17 assists in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Now at Leyton Orient, Donley continues to develop, and his progress is being closely monitored by Spurs fans. As he gains more experience, there’s growing anticipation that he could soon play a pivotal role in Tottenham’s senior team.

Tottenham were among several Premier League clubs with scouts in attendance at Atalanta’s recent Champions League match against Arsenal, focusing on standout players Ademola Lookman and Ederson.

According to the latest from TBR Football, Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle United, all had sent representatives to scout these two key players.

The match, held in Bergamo, ended in a goalless draw, but both Lookman and Ederson made an impression.

Ademola Lookman, who joined Atalanta in 2022, has rapidly become an essential figure in the Serie A club’s attack.

Notably, Lookman delivered a memorable hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final, leading Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. He finished the season with 17 goals and 10 assists.

His stellar performances have earned him further recognition, as he became the first Atalanta player to receive a Ballon d’Or nomination.

Brazilian midfielder Ederson has also drawn attention, particularly from Spurs, who have been tracking him since January.

Last season, Ederson played a crucial role for Atalanta, making 36 Serie A appearances, scoring six goals, and providing one assist.

His versatility and technical skill in midfield have made him a target for top clubs across Europe.

Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the Premier League season has been less than ideal, with the team currently sitting in 13th place, having earned just four points from their first four games.

However, football pundit Paul Merson believes that Spurs’ on-field performances have been better than their current league position suggests.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Merson compared Tottenham’s form to that of Newcastle United, who currently occupy third place in the table with 10 points, trailing only Manchester City and Arsenal.

Despite Newcastle’s stronger results, the former England international argued that Spurs have, in some aspects, played better football this season.

Merson while praising the quality of Tottenham’s play said:

“Tottenham are not a million miles away, they’re not a million miles away. I know this sounds silly, but they’ve played better than Newcastle this season and Newcastle are unbeaten.”

Merson’s perspective offers hope to Tottenham fans, suggesting that while results have been underwhelming, the team’s overall performance levels have been strong.

If they continue to play well, their fortunes could improve as the season progresses.

Under manager Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have shown promising signs but have struggled to convert performances into consistent wins. Improving their finishing and tightening up defensively will be key to turning these positive displays into results.

Despite their disappointing start, Tottenham still have the potential to climb the table if they can start turning their solid performances into points.