The Boy Hotspur

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has been slammed for his performances this season.

The Argentine World Cup winner, who was a key figure in Ange Postecoglou’s successful debut season at Tottenham, has struggled to replicate his form, leaving fans and pundits questioning his defensive sharpness.

Romero’s partnership with Micky van de Ven last season earned widespread acclaim, with many labelling them as one of the Premier League’s top centre-back duos.

Postecoglou even elevated Romero’s role by naming him vice-captain, which initially seemed to enhance his maturity and discipline on the field.

However, this season has seen a noticeable dip in his performances. He has not looked as sharp enough, and has made quite a few mistakes which has either directly or indirectly resulted in goals. In fact, club insider John Wenham has named him responsible for most of the goals Spurs have conceded this season.

One notable error occurred in the recent 3-2 loss to Brighton, where Tottenham squandered a two-goal lead. Romero was caught ball-watching, leaving Brighton’s Danny Welbeck unmarked to score the winning goal.

Former Spurs star Glenn Hoddle was particularly vocal in his criticism, calling Romero’s defending “poor” and accusing him of being a “spectator” during the decisive moment. Hoddle pointed out that Romero’s failure to track Welbeck’s movement and his poor positioning contributed to the goal.

Discussing Romero’s role in the goal on Premier League Productions, Hoddle said:

“This is just poor defending all round, you can’t believe it from a Tottenham point of view. There is one attacker in the six-yard box. It’s 3 vs one.”

“It is poor defending from (Destiny) Udogie. You have got to stand up, he gets too tight and gets turned. I think (Rodrigo) Bentancur has to slide in earlier as well and take that the ball out for a corner.”

“If we just watch this, from an experienced defender, look at Romero here. Eyes on the ball. He’s not looked at (Danny Welbeck). He has actually put himself in a poor position; hasn’t opened his body up once and has actually walked from a good position to get into a bad position. Then he has just ball-watched. He is a spectator. He might as well be in row Z watching from behind the goal. If you defend like that, then you are going to get punished.”

Despite his current form, Romero’s quality is unquestionable. Tottenham fans and Postecoglou will be hoping Romero can quickly turn things around and help solidify the backline, especially as the team looks to push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

A supercomputer has predicted that Tottenham will clinch a top-four spot in the Premier League this season, despite their poor start.

Spurs have endured their worst start in 16 years, with only three wins, three losses, and one draw from their first seven games.

Their most recent defeat came against Brighton, where they squandered a two-goal lead, conceding three goals in 18 minutes in a dramatic second-half collapse.

While the results have been disappointing, the performances have not, as Tottenham have played some of the most exciting attacking football in the league under Ange Postecoglou.

However, if Tottenham are to secure a top-four finish, they need to start converting these performances into wins. Their defensive struggles have been costly, with careless mistakes often leading to goals.

According to Opta’s supercomputer (via The Mirror), which simulates each Premier League match 10,000 times based on expected goals (xG) values, Liverpool are tipped to win the title, with Arne Slot leading the Reds to Premier League glory in his debut season.

Chelsea are predicted to finish second, while Manchester City, the reigning champions, are expected to end in third place.

The supercomputer predicts that Spurs will finish fourth, beating out Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Newcastle for the final Champions League qualification spot.

Despite Tottenham’s shaky start, there remains optimism that they can turn their fortunes around and achieve a successful season.

TBH Says:

We are not going to get overly excited by some supercomputer’s prediction that, quite frankly, is one of the most unrealistic ones we have seen so far.

That said, there is no reason why we can not finish 4th. The season has only just begun, and there is still plenty of time to turn our fortunes around.

Attacking wise, there seems to be no major problem, with the team scoring plenty of goals. However, we do need to solidify the defence and stop making careless mistakes leading to goals.

Watford legend Troy Deeney has revealed how close he came to joining Tottenham Hotspur during the 2019/20 season, after Watford’s relegation from the Premier League.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Deeney shared details of his conversations with then-Spurs manager José Mourinho, highlighting how the move almost materialised.

Following Watford’s relegation, Deeney attracted interest from both Spurs and Arsenal. However, it was his talks with Mourinho that brought him closest to sealing a move to North London.

Deeney explained that Tottenham’s primary target at the time was Brazilian striker Carlos Vinicius, but Mourinho was clear that if the Vinicius deal fell through, Deeney would be next in line.

The forward appreciated Mourinho’s honesty and was excited about the possibility of joining Spurs, even though his role would have shifted from being Watford’s talisman to a supporting player.

Reflecting on the potential move, Deeney said:

“Yeah, I had a chat with Jose. I didn’t speak to Mikel, that was more board-level interest at Arsenal. They were dealing with it, thinking about how we could make it happen.

“Obviously I wasn’t going to these places looking to start, so it was kinda like the clubs were thinking, ‘Yeah let’s do it, as long as [his attitude is right].

“They wanted Carlos Vinicius. He was their man target. And it got to the point where, if that didn’t happen, they’d bring me in. I had a chat with Jose and it was like, ‘What do you want to do? How do you want to do it?’ And Jose wanted to check that I could deal with going from being a main man [at Watford] to being one of the squad.

“I was thinking about Fernando Llorente who went there previously, who kept scoring when he played. I said all I’m going to do is push Harry Kane to be the best version he can, and be his biggest cheerleader. Playing for Spurs was massively beyond my dreams.

“Jose was straight with me, about Vinicius being a better fit and that they wanted to get that deal done. Unfortunately for me, they did sign him.”

Although Deeney was eager to make the move to North London, Spurs eventually signed Vinicius, ending the possibility of Deeney’s transfer.

Despite the missed opportunity, Deeney remains proud of his career at Watford, where he spent 11 years and played a crucial role in their promotion to the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has come under fire for his below-par performances this season.

The Argentine international, who is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s best defenders, has struggled to replicate the form that made him an essential part of Ange Postecoglou’s side last year.

During the previous season, Romero was appointed to the club’s leadership group by Postecoglou, and the added responsibility saw him elevate his game. His partnership with Micky van de Ven was rock solid at the back, making it one of the best centre-back partnerships in the league.

However, this season has been a different story. Romero’s performance level has dropped, and he has made several costly mistakes, directly or indirectly leading to goals for the opposition.

The latest example came in the recent loss to Brighton, where he was caught ball watching, allowing Danny Welbeck to score the decisive goal unmarked.

Club insider John Wenham has singled him out and blamed him for most of the goals Spurs have conceded this season so far.

Speaking to Tottenham News, he said:

“Romero was poor against Brighton. If you look at the goals we’ve conceded this season, quite a lot of them have come down to mistakes from Romero. Therefore, that is very concerning.”

“During the first few games of the season, you can accept it, maybe there is a tiredness after the Copa America success in the summer.”

“However, we’re into October now and he’s played quite a lot of games for Tottenham this season, yet we’re still seeing these same mistakes.”

Despite his current slump, Romero’s quality is unquestionable. His talent and experience have made him a key figure in Tottenham’s defence, and fans will be hoping that his current struggles are merely a temporary dip in form.

If Romero can regain his confidence and composure, he could once again become a cornerstone of the team’s defensive stability, which has been lacking in recent games.

Spurs supporters are eager to see him return to his best and help shore up the backline as the season progresses.

Tottenham assistant manager Ryan Mason is reportedly in talks with Belgian club Anderlecht over their vacant managerial position, according to The Guardian.

Mason, who has been part of Spurs’ coaching staff since 2018, is now contemplating his first full-time managerial role.

Mason’s connection to Tottenham runs deep. After rising through the club’s academy, he broke into the first team in 2012, making 70 appearances, scoring 4 goals, and assisting another 4.

His playing career, however, was cut short after a skull injury while playing for Hull City in 2016, forcing him into early retirement at just 26 years old.

He returned to Tottenham in 2018 to join the coaching staff and has been part of the club since then, taking on several roles, including head of player development.

Over the years, Mason has worked alongside top-tier managers like José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and current head coach Ange Postecoglou. He has also twice stepped into the role of interim manager—first after Mourinho’s sacking in 2021, and then last year following Conte’s departure. Despite expressing his readiness to take on the managerial position full-time, Tottenham opted to appoint Postecoglou.

Now, Mason is being linked with Anderlecht, one of Belgium’s most respected clubs. As per the report, he is the leading candidate for the vacant managerial role. Should talks progress successfully, it could be a significant milestone in Mason’s career, marking his first full-time managerial appointment.

A move to Anderlecht would also see Mason reunite with former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, who currently plays for the Belgian side.

Jermain Defoe has advised Ange Postecoglou to employ a bit of pragmatism in order to stop Tottenham from throwing away leads.

Spurs were 2-0 up heading into half-time of their Premier League clash with Brighton on Sunday thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison.

However, the Lilywhites inexplicably collapsed after the break, conceding three times in the first 21 minutes of the second half to snatch a 3-2 defeat from the jaws of victory.

Ange Postecoglou has been lauded for the exciting football Spurs have played under his management. However, they can be prone to defensive lapses and leaving themselves far too open.

That was on full display at the Amex Stadium and as a result, Spurs now sit ninth in the Premier League with 10 points from seven games; four adrift of the Champions League spots.

Jermain Defoe’s advice for Tottenham boss Postecoglou

Former Spurs striker Defoe — who scored 143 goals in 363 appearances for the club across two spells — has some advice for Postecoglou.

“The game changes, you can’t always be like ‘this is how we’re going to play’,” Defoe told Optus Sport (via TBR).

“If you get two goals, you may have to change a little bit, the environment, the score, you can’t always play the same. For 10 minutes, sit behind the ball.

“It was disappointing in terms of Tottenham.”

Following the international break, Spurs have back-to-back home games to look forward to, first against London rivals West Ham before the visit of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Ian Wright believes Brentford star Mikkel Damsgaard could be a good fit for Tottenham Hotspur.

Damsgaard is most famous among English fans for his free-kick for Denmark against the Three Lions in the semi-final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.

The winger became the latest Dane to join Brentford in the summer of 2022, arriving from Serie A side Sampdoria.

Damsgaard initially struggled to adjust to life in England, registering zero goals and three assists across his first 54 appearances for the club across all competitions.

However, this season the 24-year-old has looked rejuvenated, notching a goal in two EFL Cup appearances and two assists in seven Premier League outings.

In the latter, Damsgaard has completed more dribbles (7) than any other Brentford player, while he’s second for chances created (12) and passes into the final third completed (20).

Wright backs ‘really good’ Damsgaard for Spurs move

Damsgaard’s turnaround at the Gtech Community Stadium has caught the attention of former Arsenal and England striker Wright, who sees him as a good fit for a club ‘like Spurs’. who were linked with the winger prior to his Brentford move.

“You know who I’m going to go with, Damsgaard at Brentford. That five-year deal he signed is starting to look really good now,” Wright said on the Wrighty’s House Podcast (via TBR).

“I remember he scored that free kick against England, and at the time I think Barcelona were all over him, the two Milan teams were all over him, Spurs. Yeah, with the form he has now, you could see him somewhere like Spurs.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga believes it’s only a matter of time until the club ends its trophy drought.

Tanganga emerged from the Spurs youth system in 2019 and quickly became a favourite of former manager Jose Mourinho.

However, the defender was never quite able to fully establish himself with the Lilywhites, leaving the club permanently for Milwall in the summer following a loan with the London club and, previously FC Augsburg in Germany.

In an interview with Italian outlet Gianluca Di Marzio (translated by Football.London), Tanganga revealed Spurs still have a ‘special place’ in his heart.

“Tottenham will always be my first home and will have a special place in my heart,” he said. “I had already accepted the decision to leave and look for continuity, but the day of the farewell was still difficult.”

Tanganga backs Spurs to end trophy drought

Tanganga earned an EFL Cup runner-up medal during his time with Spurs but was unable to help the club end their trophy drought — dating back to winning the same competition back in 2008.

But Tanganga thinks Spurs ‘deserve’ to finally lift some silverware and has backed his former teammates to end the drought soon.

“I continue to follow them, I cheer for my former teammates,” the 25-year-old said, adding: “I know that sooner or later they will return to a final and win it, they deserve it.”

Tanganga has started seven Championship games so far since making his move to Millwall permanent, helping the club sit 18th in the table so far.

Tottenham are scouting Midtjylland attacking sensation Dario Osorio ahead of a potential transfer to North London.

The North London club are always on the lookout for players who can add more quality to their squad. While they have quite a few options in the final third of the pitch, they are still interested in acquiring the services of Dario Osorio who has impressed at Midtjylland.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Spurs are scouting the Chilean starlet ahead of a potential transfer. The 20-year-old who made the move to Midtjylland in the summer of 2023 has put himself on the radar of some of the biggest clubs across Europe because of his incredible rise at the Danish club.

Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are interested in the services of the attacking sensation who has 11 goals and three assists in his 40 outings for Midtjylland’s first team. While both clubs are scouting him, Spurs seem willing to fight off the interest to his signature. Tottenham’s scouts have been keeping a close eye on him and they are impressed with what they have seen from the right-winger.

The North London club have signed quite a few young stars since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou at the club and the Chilean starlet is being hyped as an option for the Australian manager’s team. He has the potential to be a special player in the long run and Spurs won’t want to lose out on him. But, it won’t be easy to acquire his services with United and Dortmund in the mix.

Tottenham are keeping a close eye on Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo ahead of a potential move in 2025.

The North London club could once again raid Bournemouth for another forward just months after signing their star striker Dominic Solanke for a club-record fee of £65 million. While Spurs significantly bolstered their attack in the summer, they continue to explore opportunities to further strengthen their squad.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Tottenham are interested in the services of Antoine Semenyo who has only gone from strength to strength since joining the Cherries. The 24-year-old right-winger joined the Premier League outfit at the start of 2023 and he has already made 55 appearances for them. He has found the back of the net 12 times and has even bagged three assists.

The Ghanaian forward has made an impressive start to the 2024/25 season with three goals and an assist in his seven league outings. He has featured all across the front line and his performances have put him on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in the country. Tottenham are one of the clubs that have been monitoring him and could knock on the doors of Bournemouth once again in 2025.

While the Cherries won’t want to lose another key attacker after sanctioning Solanke’s departure, the player’s desire and the offer on the table will have a big say on their final decision. Spurs already have a lot of quality on the flanks but Postecoglou won’t mind having a player who can feature anywhere in attack as it gives him great tactical flexibility. But, signing him won’t be easy as Liverpool and Newcastle United have also been watching the 24-year-old winger.