3 Mar 2025 · 63 min
This is a podcast episode titled "S14E17 - Ghana is not like Stoke" created in March 2025. The content is an English conversation primarily between two speakers, Matthew Keeley and Chris, discussing football topics including Tottenham Hotspur's recent matches, player performances, football tactics, and historical reflections on players and managers. The discussion is informal and covers a wide range of football-related subjects, reflecting on current events and personal opinions within the sport.
Really stubborn. Going all the way again here. And Leonard's kicked him out. Oh, this is incredible. This is quite incredible. Truly a glory, glory day for Tottenham Hotzma.
Hello, welcome to Echoes Of Glory. I'm asd.
And I am Jack.
We were just talking offline about how we're both a little bit burnt out from work. I mean, we're quite burnt out from work. And that's how my brain's working now. It's just. It's just segments of letters.
That's all I've got left. Brilliant.
It's been a while.
Few weeks, I think, since I've been on.
Anyway, we had a pod with Chris, which is lovely. The problem is Chris can't really do Sundays anymore. It's better for you. So I have to choose my loyalty, so I have to balance it. But I saw Chris out of work, so you know where my loyalty's life.
Tick, tick, tick that. Out of work.
We went out for lunch for my birthday and we're having a great time and we're. The restaurant we went to where they offered the kids. It was like ice cream and sorbets. And my youngest was like, oh, I really want mango, but I don't want a sorbet. And I was like, what kids? What kid is like.
That doesn't surprise me. That does not surprise me at all.
She looked at me today out of the blue and just went, dad, you look like a cheese menu. I went, what does that mean? What does that mean?
I mean, it's not a compliment, is it?
Biscuits, family. I don't. Do you know my rules in media. No skiing, no golf, no cheese. I've said that since the day I met you, like over a decade ago. Where does that come from? Great.
That's great.
Cheese menu. Yeah.
She's destined for the media industry.
She's. I think she's destined to sit in a corner of pub and just know everybody that comes in. She'll have two pints in front of her. That's what's going to happen, everyone. Yeah, Exactly. We had two games. We had one day after my birthday, 26th of February, which was city. We lost one nil. And before that we got the Ipswich Games. The Ipswich game. 4:1. Pretty good, really. No complaints now.
Fantastic. We thought we needed that. We needed not just a win, but like a convincing win. Do I mean score some goals and. Yeah, and just, you know, that, like, just get back to what. What we're good at, which is, you know, attacking teams and creating a lot of chances and it was really, really good performance. There were some hairy moments in inside the first 20 seconds, but once I think we sort of got through that initial bit and got our foot on the ball, I thought. I think Madison's last couple of games been pretty good, which is great. We've needed him to just sort of step up a little bit and he's. I think he's played well the last couple of games.
All right.
Really convincing. Really, really good win.
Really.
Because, like, Like, I know it. Switcher right down the bottom. But, like, that was a game that I looked at and thought, oh, go in there. That would be. That's got. That's got a stinking defeat written all over it.
Like Leicester not that long ago. Yeah, but when you saw that, that sheet. Vicario back, amazing. Spence, Gray, Dunso, Udogi, like, Danzo has been great. I didn't expect much from him, but.
He looks so much better than Jackson. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable. Like, that is, you know, night and day, what we look like defensively with and without Jackson. It, you know, I do think having the goalkeeper back is the biggest thing. Like, you can just. You. I was at the United game just a few weeks ago now, but, like, not only is he a great goalkeeper, like, he just brings that confidence and that consistency he makes. He makes saves at the right moments, whereas, like. Like, Kinski makes saves, but, like, he's a young goalkeeper. So it's like the moments where you're like, we needed you to have kept that out. At the moment, he's not quite. He's not quite there. But I think Vicario being back is gigantic for us.
He talks a lot as well, and I think you'd really, really need that. Like, I think he's a bit of a leader, really. I don't want the goalkeeper to be captain for a long time.
But, you know, what I'd forgotten about for Cara as well, sorry, was just that, like, I'd forgotten that he's not afraid to boot the ball on. Do you know what I mean? Whereas I feel like with. When Forsters come in and Kinski's come in, it's very much been like, I'm passing it, like, no matter what. Whereas I think Vicario's maybe. I don't know if it's just that confidence in himself to be like, I know the man's wants to play a certain way, but, like, that's not on. And like, you know, or. I don't know if that's been a shift from Ange or what, but I Just noticed that in a few of the games, him just going, you know what, we're just going to cut the pitch.
Yeah. I was really happy to see Johnson being used for his late runs because before when people wanted him to be a bit more forward, a bit more receive the ball and then do something with it, that's not his game. But running onto a ball, a ball from the other winger, that's where he scored those goals, like every goal in every game. And that's exactly what he did.
He's, he's brilliant, honestly. Like I think an has to take all the credit, didn't he, for it? Like he's just changed his. What you're getting in terms of those numbers.
I'm so impressed by him. Like I was, you know, I've been critical of him since before last summer because of his lack of ability to change. He's changed now and the players have stayed with him and he's shown growth. That's all we ever wanted wanted from him. So I'm. Until the players turn against him, I'm good, I'm good with Ange and Tell's been really impressive, I think.
I think time will tell, wouldn't it, with him?
Did you do that by purpose? Yeah, because you looked at me and I was like, oh God. He's, he's doing something now and I'm.
Not sure to be honest. Like, I think he's got a lot of raw ability. I feel, if I'm totally honest with you, I, like, I don't even want to make a judgment on him. He's like 19. He's going to be here for a few months. Like what? Like, do you know what I mean? Like what, what? Like he's not what we needed. He's not what we need. I do feel a little bit sorry for him. He's giving everything in the games he's playing in that. That's what you can say. He's quick and he looks like he can go past someone, which is a great, great asset to have. He didn't give me much confidence in the final third, if I'm telling us at the moment. But he's 19. It's like, what do you know? Exactly. Exactly. So it's like, I don't want to be too harsh on him. So I'm just trying to be like, he's a 19 year old on loan.
And when we get our striker Solanke back, I think he'll be, it'll be a different game because he's playing through the middle at the minute. And that's not really his game. I think playing it into a big lump. It made me think about strikers, actually. Because if you listen to the latest stick to football podcast where they were talking, where are the strikers? Yeah, there aren't many strikers around and everybody seems to want one. I actually think Solanke was quite a shrewd move in that respect because he does exactly what you need the striker to do.
Like, part of me when I was listening to that was going, I wonder if anyone will try and get Solanke.
That's what I was thinking.
Like, genuinely like he's. I have my doubts. In the summer when we got him, not, not that he wasn't a good player, but I was just like, is he our level? Is he worth 60 mil? And I was just like, I really, really don't know. But I hold my hands up. It's been a. He's a, he's a great player. If we'd have had him in that city game, we would have got something out of that. Like fundamentally like that. That, that ultimately is the difference. And I, I do agree with you. I think if you went through the other 19 Premier League teams and said, how many sides does Solanke start in? He starts in a lot of them.
Not Liverpool, not City, probably not Chelsea.
I definitely think he'd start Ivan.
What?
Nicholas Jackson.
Yeah, you're right.
I think it's only City. Newcastle would, would say no. Yeah, I think you'd start Liverpool.
I think. And then Villa Watkins.
They probably, they, you know, they probably say.
They probably just stick, wouldn't they, with what they've got.
Yeah, exactly. But there you go. Do you know what I mean? So actually like we're pretty well off in terms of our center forward option.
And that's really good. We've got variety. Give it a couple of weeks and we'll be, we'll be back, baby. So, yeah, it was great to see what's his face Spence get his goal. I think he's, he's deserved that and it's great. Other fans that come behind him as well. Kulasevsky, I love that goal. I love the backwards flick header and then just him bearing down and you're like, if you're the defender, show him on his right foot. It's not difficult. I remember after the interview with the Sunderland players defending against Bale for Bale's last goal at White Hart Lane and they said, why didn't you show him on his right? And they were like, I tried, I.
Stood, I stood next to him, isn't he? You know what I mean?
It's a different game of Kulasevsky, but yeah, one.
I'll tell you what, just bail quickly. I remember him scoring that last minute winner against Scotland for Wales and Charlie Adam tried to do it, do you remember? And he just. Any bang put in the top corner. I was like, that was brilliant.
It reminds me of the Messi goal because I think it was passed to him just off a free kick. And Bale picks it up, goes past him, but he's got one. Or Mbappe's got what Bale had, where most of his goals are scored, where he's off balance.
Yeah.
Mbappe does the same thing where he's leaning back or something. Yeah, that was a. There's a brilliant video of Bale scoring just a stupid amount of goals that season. I think it's that. I think it's the 2013 season because he scored twice in that game against Scotland.
I, I think people still forget how unbelievable he was.
The best Champions League final goal of all time.
Like, like, I, I just think that when people talk about like the greats of the modern era, his name doesn't really get mentioned that much. But it's like that. I, I genuinely, I look at the levels that Salah's churning out for Liverpool now and I'm like that, that's bail. In his last season at spurs. Like that. He was that. Good God.
Yeah. I mean, let's just have a look. How many Champions Leagues has he won? Five Champions. There's not many players who's one more than that.
Ridiculous. It's ridiculous. Well, no one has as I hasn't. 5.
The top Modric has won.
Is he. What has he got six now?
Yeah.
Did you see his goal the other week, by the way?
He did the same for us against like Liverpool. Was it Bolton?
Yeah, yeah. But it's just like these 39 is gonna be 40 soon. Modric and it's like he's still great.
His titles are ridiculous. FIFA best players, Ballon d' Or, UEFA Best player in Europe, Player of the Year in Croatia. Six Champions League, five Club World Cups, four Spanish Leagues, five Super Cups Intercontinental, two Spanish Cups, five Spanish Super Cups, Croatian champion. It just.
Say though, like just with Montrek there, like four La Liga titles. Right. How impressive that is.
Yeah.
Like Paul Skulls, ryan Giggs, like 11 and like didn't kick swing 13. It's like, how insane is that? Like, I think a lot. Roy Keane is one of like one of the absolute greats. Like he won seven. And it's like Skulls won. Yeah, 11. I think gigs was 13 or 14. It's like two Champions Leagues, like, that is insane. Like, do you know what I mean? That would be like, if tell who we've got online stayed with us and won the Premier League for 13 years in a row, it'd be 32 and that would just equal what Gigs has.
Done, like, mind blowing.
That. That can. That can never be beaten, surely, Like. No, I mean, like, how can it be beaten?
It's a 20 year difference between. The first one was 92, 93, second was 12, 13.
It's bonkers because you think most players like, realistically, it's like 15 year career, 20 till 35. Right, Mac, that's. That's about sort of your max. You've to beat his Premier League record. You've got to do that and win the Premier League every year.
Yeah.
Like, it's just absolutely phenomenal, isn't it? That's why I'm always like, you know, people do all these alltime Premier League teams and all that and I'm like, I find it so hard to like, not have Gigs in it. Just on like, he's won 13 Premier Leagues, like.
Yeah. And longevity and everything.
Mad. Absolutely mad.
What lad? Z is great. City. I. I think it's fair we were disappointed with City.
Yeah, it was. I think it was a different type of disappointment, really, because I come away from it being like, I don't think we necessarily deserved to lose.
No.
Like there, obviously there's a bit of spurs of motion in that and it's like when you do watch the Harlots back a few days later and you go, actually, City in the first half. Doku caused us a lot of issues and Harlan did have a few chances that he didn't, but it's like he didn't take them. I just think on another guy, on another day, like that game, we could have nicked to draw and I don't think we would have been lucky to have drawn it. And I think that that says a lot that, you know, we were able to push City. I know City aren't the City of the last few years, but they're still. There's still a really good side. And I just, again, like, the young players are just like watching Archie Gray, like watching like playing center half against Harland. You see like real top center backs have really, really tough games against Haaland. And like, he was so smart that he was like, he was like. He's almost like, like, what's the point in me like trying to get into jaws with you, like I'm gonna lose. I'm gonna try and read the game and I'm gonna just try like I just think he is such a talented footballer and Bergval in the middle of the park. Just, you know, like I really like, I really like him playing that little bit deeper where you know he can get the ball and drive forward and just, again just that watching him you're like, wow. Like we've got these two teenagers that just look, imagine what they're gonna be like if, if we, if we can kick minutes, you know and they can cement themselves in the first team in like three, four seasons when they're only 21, 22. Like how good are they gonna be, mate?
In seven years they'll be 25, 26 and they've still got five years of peak footballing. Yeah, it's really special. What it was good to see Ottober back and he played pretty well.
I like Ottober. Do you know what? I think I'm a little bit old scorers. I like an unpredictable Pacey wide player like you just, you're not quite sure what they're going to do but like they're the. For me that's the type of player that really like I get excited watching.
Why do you think he started with Kurusevsky's son Spence on the bench? Just give him a break.
Because I think that there's an, there's. I think that there's an element for Kulusevsky and some definitely that like that like that they look, yeah, they look shattered, didn't they? Like we have to be like. I have no issue with him resting people in the Premier League for, for the Europa League. I've absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. I do think that there's also a part of it that's like that was a tight game and he then had, he had them to bring on to change it. And it's a little bit like if you. Who's. I guess it's like who's more likely to change a game coming off the bench like a son or Kulusevsky or an Otto Bear and you'd probably say Sonnel Kuliswski are likely to make more of an impact in less time in the second half of the game. So it's like I think he was just. It was a combination of the two. But like I'm a little bit like whatever he wants to do in the prem. Like we should be, we should be like after we've got the first Leg next week. You know, fingers crossed we can come.
Through the result there on Thursday.
Yeah. And then I'm like, Bournemouth at the weekend, he should be making six, seven changes and like, they should all be. All of the real key players should be on the bench. And if that means we lose to Bournemouth, that means we lose to Bournemouth. The Europa League, there's that. There should be absolutely no debate about, like, what's the priority at the moment. And it's like it's the Europa League, like without.
Without a doubt, the FA cup quarterfinals. I'm not sure if you've seen, but Fulham beat Man United and we've got Fulham on penalty. So they've just beaten them. Wow. And the next round or Fulham. We're playing Fulham in two weeks. I know they're being played on the 29th to 30th and we play them on the 16th. Okay. So they won't be too worried about it yet, but they'll be.
But that's in. That is in the back of managers and players mind for a Fulham, like again, Fulham should be resting people for FA Cup. German Fulham will be looking at a game we can win the FA Cup.
Well, Fulham have got palace as well, which is a good game for them. Like if they were playing Preston North End, then maybe they wouldn't rest people, but full of got palace, which would be tough. I mean, I'll tell you the other one.
Did you see that, that red card on Mateta, by the way, yesterday?
For me, that stuff should be criminal. They should start thinking of a criminal. Because if you're a footballer, you should be in control of your feet. It's really bad. One real bad one hospitalized him. So it's Fulham, Palace, Preston North End, Villa, Bournemouth, City, Brighton or not in a forest versus Ipswich. We could have. We could win this.
You know, there's not many teams left in that, is there?
Villa and City, really.
I think. I tell you what, Bournemouth are a proper outsider for that. They are really, really, really good team. Bournemouth like that. Like City will be looking at that going, oh, that's an awkward tie.
Yeah. He said not in the Champions League though. That was. That was. You know, form is temporary, but class lasts a lifetime. That. That's. It's decent, isn't he?
You know what? Like, I just. You when. When you watch, I. I think Mbappe is good, but like actually out of the front four, like Venius Bellingham and Rodrigo are just absolutely incred. Bellingham, my God, like, he is like the fact that England. We can't work out that his best position is sort of like being free in the middle of the pit and was. People talk about playing deep. Do me a favor.
Yeah, right.
I mean, it's like absolutely insane. We've got arguably like the best player in the world in his position. Like, if you were to be doing a team and being like, if you want an attacking midfielder, like, Bellingham is your guy. Do you know what I mean? And it's like England want to play in a different position.
England have had the best attacking midfielders for a long time, you know, like Gerard and Lampard, Bellingham, and they've never ever been able to work out how to fit him in.
It's the same. It's the same story now though, isn't it? Like with, you know, they've got Saka, Foden, Palmer, Bellingham, like that all, and they like, they just can't work out and like, they end up doing the same old thing of like, let's just play them all like, and like, hope that it works. It's like, no, actually you're better off going out of Foden, Palmer and Saka. Their. Their best position for all of them is on the right. Who is the best? Well, Saka. Okay, so Foden and Palmer, you're on the bench.
Yeah, yeah.
Like, I mean, not. Not. Let's. Okay, then let's play one of them on the left and then like to get the other one in. Let's play Bellingham out of position. So all of a sudden you've got four players out of position.
It's like you had Ferdinand, Terry Carragher. Like Carragher was winning champions leagues and winning player of the year at Liverpool as he talked about, he was bench for England. Yeah, you went with Terry and you went with Ferdinand because they were the best players. Just do the same up top.
Scholes, Lampard, Yard. Let's play Paul Scholes on the left wing. I mean, it's absolutely nuts and it baffles me. But anyway, let's play Trent, Alexander, Arnold, center midfield.
I'm like. Like I'm over him. I'm not. He'll.
He'll go to Madrid and go to another level. He will go to another level. Yeah, without a doubt. Without a doubt. Everyone that goes to Madrid, they just go like. Do you know what I mean? I just think it's contagious that if you go there, you just get caught up in that machine of that we just win and we're all quality. Can you imagine, like, them, Madrid, like Trent picking the ball up deep for Madrid and Vinicius, Bellingham, Rodrigo and Mbappe. Just running forward and I'm just pinging it, pinging it to him.
You'd be like, what's happened with Gvardiol? By the look, by the way, I was looking at him in that tournament, in the World cup, he was the best defender in the world and everyone was like, this is amazing. And City paid all that money for him and now he just looks, I don't know, nervous or like it's too big for him or as we found out. I don't get it.
I like him, but like he plays left back, doesn't he? All the time. It's like, it feels like it's one of them, that they've bought him and they've gone, actually, we probably prefer you at fullback than we do. And then like, he's got weirdly really good in the final third. Do you know what I mean? It's like I remember when they first got him and I was like, he's a bit clunky, but he's a bit of a throwback headed, kick it kind of center back. And then all of a sudden it's like naturally just scores screamers with his weak foot. Like just a bit of a weird journey that he's been on. I like him. I think I. I think, I think he's good, but I'm still not quite sure. Like, is he. Is he a left back now or is he sort of just not quite good enough to be a center back? Like, I don't know.
Yeah. Have you seen our Vuskovic?
He's goal scoring.
Yeah, he's got more goals than Saka this season. He's out unknown. I mean, I think he's in the Belgian League, isn't he? But it's just so typical of spurs to buy a center back. Where we buy a center back who's got amazing speed but his muscles don't work properly. Or we buy a center back who is just amazing scoring goals just by.
Being, I guess, like, my question is like, is he a center back? Like genuinely, like if you, if you're. That, if you're scoring that amount of goals, like, are you a center back?
What?
We bring him, recall him, stick him up top for the last last couple of months.
All right then, mate, I sent you. Oh, another one on current football. Dele. Ali being called up tonight to play for Como. First team selection in 735 days. That's mad, isn't it?
That is mad. Can you imagine like 2018 2019. If you just said Delhi Ali will be playing for a team in Syria in 2025, who will it be? You've got 15 teams to pick from.
Like you said to me walking out of that Madrid game where we've been 3 1. Kane would stay with you and that's amazing. Son would be your best foreign player. Cool. But Christian Ericsson will die. Go to intimate when he goes to Inter Milan. Then you go to Brentford on loan or you go to Brentford for a bit. Then he'll go to Man United week. He's awful and he looks overweight and he's got no hair because he's probably taking performance nights and drugs. Allegedly. And Delhi can't get a game anywhere.
And mooses so called be back at Watford in the championship.
I got that as well.
Where's Serge Oreo now? Is he like. Is he out in Turkey?
I think he is here because I.
Saw Mourinho put something up, didn't he? Because he played like against. Played against some of them played against the tongue in the game.
That is mad. Have you seen this about Mourinho? And he's. He's gone. Mourinho's being. He's suing the other. Is it Fanapachi for. Because they said he was racist. So he's suing them for the amount of lira. It's like if it was us it'd be 1,882, 000 because it's the year of Galatasarai's formation. So he's suing Federbachi for the amount of like the year plus the. In the millions of lira. So he, he's just. It's. It sounds mental over there.
Bonkers.
I was. I think he's a free agent because he was. He only played for them for half a year. You're watching the. The Amazon documentary.
Yeah, I've just. I, I flicked it back on earlier today and I haven't watched it for quite a few years. I think it's. I think it's the first time I will have watched it.
Yeah.
And it just got me like thinking about like how great a position we were in like with the players we had still at that stage. Like. And I just remembered that like how Gusto was when Potch left. But then the absolute like wow factor of when we got Mourinho and I don't. This is definitely not going to be a Mourinho loving podcast or like we made a mistake getting rid of him because we didn't but like I just, it just took me back to being like I remember feeling like we're a big team like and I think that's the first time I actually truly ever felt it was when like he walked in the door and obviously like we love Potch and we could, you know, we spoke so many times about the mistakes we made by backing him but it just got me feeling about that point where you know, we had a really good team and like you look at it and you think there's a lot of players there that fit the profile of a Mourinho type team. Do you know what I mean? You've got like big center backs, you've got a target man up top like Pacey Wire players like sort of the fundamentals of a Jose team.
Yeah, doing his first. I've got his first and last team here and I don't know how the recruitment was so bad for him. So his first team Gazaniga but I'm assuming Hugo was injured. Was injured, yeah. Ore Alderberrel, Sanchez, Davis, Dyer, Winks, Deli, Lucas, son, Kane. That's a decent team.
It's not bad team. The front four is pretty good. Do you know what I mean? Like that's a as good of an attack really as you're going to get in it.
Yeah. Do you think so? Orea, Odiverald, Sanchez, Davis. Do you reckon that's the back floor with Dyer just in the middle?
Dyer played center midfield when. When Jose first came in. He played sort of sitting midfield with Winks.
That's right. That's right. Subs Austin, Foif, Rose, Walker, Peters, Sissoko, Ericsson, La Celso. You forget how long La Salso was with us for.
Do you know what's mad there? Hearing that.
Subs.
Bench that Brandon Austin was on the bench that game and he only made his debut this season.
It's crazy, isn't it? Then the final was against. It was a 22 draw against Everton where Sigurdson scored twice and Kane scored twice and it was Larisse Dyer, Rhoden Aldevarold Region Oria, Hoiberg, Sissoko and Dombele Kane, Hyunwin, Son. Like that's fairly awful. That midfield is worse.
That team is worse than the first one.
That's what I'm saying. Like that Hoiberg, Sissoko and Dombele. I don't know what they do. And then the substitutes, the Celso, Wink, Sanchez, Tank, Anger, Joe Hart, Gareth Pale.
What a weird. Weird. Like that's mad though, isn't it because normally when you go, you know, a manager for. You had a manager a couple years, look at that. Like their team's got better, the manager's gone because the team's there for them and. But they're for whatever reason it's not working. But actually like that's just not a great team. And you look at the players we brought in under him, like Stephen Bergwine, not great. Do you remember the really weird Jetson Fernandez loan with a bike laws of like 50 million euros? It was like, no thanks, you can have him back. Yeah, like really, really strange, wouldn't it? The players we brought in, I can't remember who else we really signed under him, but we didn't, did we? And that was sort of the, that was sort of the point of why they brought him in. Like can you squeeze that final bit out of this group? And it was nice what it was the group of players, the group players massively had already massively overperformed and peaked with the last manager.
Well, yeah, and Covid hit him as well, didn't they? So he was, Covid was what, three years of not many people in the stadium and you can't like imagine all the revenue loss. So imagine what Levy was like during that period as well.
Just quickly on the COVID thing that when Mourinho and, and Dembele got fined because they've met up in a park to go running and it was like is this the level of. And Dembele's fitness that he's running with like a 50 year old manager? Like is this. And the just the first two episodes of the Amaz do it just make me dark as every clip that underbelly's in when it's not match day he's in the canteen and it's just been edited like it's just made him look like that, you know.
Anyway, he's still playing, playing for Nice and Dombele, it's a weird player. Current market value 10 million. He peaked with us at 65 million. Apparently the Everton team is interesting. Pickford, Holgate, Keane, Denia Godfrey, Davis, Allen. Do you remember the Brazilian Allen? Oh yeah. Gylfie, Sigurdon, Iwobi, Richarlison, James Rodriguez. You forget I, I forget about Hamish.
You forget Carl Ancelotti managed Everton and everyone had a go at him when he walked out and went back to Madrid. It's like, like, can people not see really weird that Carlo Ancelotti managing Everton was something that happens in like a weird football manager. Safe.
Let Me read you out the teams these manage. Reggiana, Palmer. Okay. 95, 96, 96, 98 east starting. Okay. And then you go. Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton. Real Madrid. The most successful manager in champ history.
And you think as well like he. He probably should have had more Champions League with that Milan team. He had.
Yeah.
So I mean they should have probably won more than what they did. But yeah, it was.
Yeah.
Czar when he was at Everton. You think how Everton done that?
Two years. Hey. Ho. Right. Sent you an email. Let's get back on the alphabets.
L. I sent you the players draw my standouts.
Yeah, please.
Aaron Lennon.
Aaron Lennon. If it wasn't Aaron Lennon. Aaron Lennon is younger than me. That makes me feel sick.
Is he?
Yeah, two months younger than me. Love.
Aaron Lennon. Do you know what. It's that old tricky winger. I mean the old school. Get the ball. You know what he's gonna do. But still very difficult. So you know he's gonna run as close to the bar line as possible and hang it back. Post that. That's what he's gonna do.
What's your Aaron Lennon moment? I've got two.
I think the Chelsea goal.
Which one? The.
When we beat him for the first time for 30 years or whatever. We beat him 2 1.
Quite an absolute blank.
Makalele scores a half volley for Chelsea in the first half near to the box. Dawson equalizes in the first half of a header. And then about the 65th, 70th minute, Lenon cuts. Cut scene on his left and shins it in the far corner. It's the first time we'd beat in Chelsea literally forever.
I've got an absolute blank on that. My first. My second ever game at spurs was the 2 one where Bale scored, Defoe scored. And then I think Lampard scored right at the end. It was two one. White hot lane.
I think before that it's Martin y' all era. Yes.
I think that's my uni years. Yeah, that's a bit all over the place.
And then the. And then the. The other. The. The obvious is in the four. Four.
That's the one. The final goal where his mate joins in and he's away from Yepes here. Aaron Lennon crouch away in the Sans hero. Yeah, that one. And the two goals against Arsenal where. With the. Exactly the same. So him. And then Bale scored.
You know, Parker just slides it through, didn't he? And oh yeah, that was. That was some. I love goals. When. Before the ball's in the net, you know.
No, yeah, like that, that three seconds of him against. It wasn't Fabianski, was it? Or Szczesney, whoever. It was just brilliant.
Aaron Lennon. Aaron Lennon. Memory is tactics, Tim playing Aaron Lennon through the middle. Away to Chelsea in the game. I think we got beat 4 nil. And it was just like, okay, cool. Like this is what this is. This is what we're going with here. Like what he's good at is running at a wing a fullback and putting the ball in the. Getting a ball in the box. It's like let's take that out of his game. Yeah, yeah. Let's ask him to be a creator and play in tight areas and put him in, put him in parts of the pitch where he can't use his speed.
Yeah. And his physical attributes are negated totally. Like he is a short, fast man. Right. Up against big sweaty men.
I think he was up against like Balakian and it's like not the best thinking in the world. Jake Livermore's name pop up. Only because like when he left spurs and went to Hull and then after Hull, didn't he. Did he go to QPR after that? A few of my mates went to power league in bark inside and he was there and they were short of a player and he just played five side of them and like they were like, they were like he was good but they were like he was just massive and just smashed it and was like flying into people and just smashing people out the way and it was like, it was. This was like a, you know, Wednesday, Thursday evening. Yeah. It's like, what are you doing here? Like you're not. And you like you're not here with anyone.
I quite like that. Had his boobs.
He was another, another massive success of the spurs academy though. Do you know what I mean? Another one through professional. Yeah. Did he play for England? I think he did.
He did. But his dad was obviously a bit of a Spurs legend as well. And he played for Cardiff City as well and helped manage Wales I think as well. Or he's assistant manager or coach. His dad as well.
Doug Livermore.
Yeah. And he was like, he's been around football like he was assistant Toy Evans at Liverpool, he was assistant manager Bruce Riock at Norwich City like a lot of these big names of those days. And for spurs he was reserve team manager and then I think he took. He was like first team coach at the time of the, the turning of the. The Premier League. So a bit of a back, back room hero. Doug Livermore. My Jake's older brother is the same age as Joe. Used to do this podcast and so they were mates. So he knew Jake and said he was top lad. Yeah, they're all from top. He's proper Tottenham boy, like proper N17 lad. Yeah.
There's so many of those, like academy lads, like similar age that all sort of come through. Like Livermore, Tom Carroll, Kane Townsend.
Yeah.
Like even Ron Mason. Like that. That group though, those cut that couple of years of, you know, that they did really well.
The.
You know, if you look at the. The professional careers that came from those few years of the academy teams, like, that was such a win for them. Like, I know they've not all gone on and been professional, you know, sorry, I've been like Premier League players. But like for them all to have professional careers, like, rare. It's quite rare.
Well, Andros Townsend's still going as well and he's done amazingly well.
There's just been a lot that have come through that back and when Danny Rose was. I know we bought him young but like Danny Rose was in and around that type of age group as well, wasn't he?
Yeah, yeah.
Came through like there's quite a few of them.
Yeah.
Any others in that L. Best goalkeeper in my lifetime. Certainly to long, long way.
Had his phases, didn't he? Had his coming out. Yeah. Coming out of the box. Like he'd be. We'd be watching TV and the goal wouldn't even be in shot and Larry on the ball and he'd made some mistakes and then he got. Almost got killed by Lukaku and then he was just an amazing keeper for us. Really. Really.
It's hard with him because like, I think with any player you end up remembering the last season that like that you remember that season the most, don't you? Because you know, that's the last time we saw them and it's like. But I think if we. If you just sort of forget that and look at his whole time of us. He was outstanding. He was outstanding for most of his Tottenham career. He was better than Tottenham.
Oh God.
I mean like, so we were doing well to have him for most of the time we had him.
He was. He. He was the captain of the World cup winning team while he was with us. How many World cup winning captains have we had? But I remember we bought him for a bargain because was it Monaco needed to sell players or the team not or was it Leon we bought? Leon needed get sell players to make money. We got him on a bargain, but we didn't play him because Brad Friedel was. Had an award. He was the most consistent Premier League games. Do you know how many games it was? I got it in front of me. So from 2004 to 2012 he played for Blackbird Rovers Villa in Tottenham and he had a consecutive Premier League game. Like he didn't miss a game for how many games? 230, 310.
It's insane.
The Premier League season's 28 games.
It's insane. That is insane, isn't it? Again, again, like some of those records, you're just like, how is anyone Gonna.
Beat that 11 seasons just without stopping.
Like how? Like again. Matthias tell if he's got. He's got to not miss a game from now until he's 30 just to equal it. It's insane, isn't it? It's absolutely insane.
Linux is an interesting one because growing up I had the video of the 1991 FA Cup Final and semi final and I used to watch that religiously and linen cut for me was like a legend of the game the way people talked about him. But he has really distanced himself from Tottenham with his social media career. He's really pushed himself into Leicester and I just. I don't see him as being part of Tottenham history. Like I don't feel like he's part of my Tottenham at all.
Yeah, I get that. I think it's maybe the generation slightly before you. Do you know what I mean? That were there and like, you know, in the. In sort of the 80s, he was a real top forward and people forget like, you know, play for Barcelona.
I mean, not if you've listened to him talk for five minutes.
But then he had that really, didn't he? He ended his career. Was it in Japan? He went to.
He played with banger, didn't he? At grandpa state.
Yeah.
Is it that?
Yeah, yeah. It's funny because he was a.
He.
He wasn't he infamously he played for Everton the year they didn't win the league in the 80s. That's it, wasn't it?
Nagoya Grampus. Yeah, Playful. I will take any opportunity to talk about Lee Young Pyo. I thought he was really good. It was just. He was.
He's a bit of a cult hero, wouldn't he? It just sort of appeared like. I don't think anyone remembers assigning him. He was just always there. Maybe we didn't.
Maybe just turned up. I was like, I work here now.
I mean, I don't remember the day of like spurs have signed in From Bristol, Dortmund. Like, I don't remember that.
I don't remember that. According to the.gov.uk the British government, there are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. There's nine countries that begin with L. Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Latvia, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania. We have not had a player from any of those countries.
Wow.
The closest we've got Dennis Serkin, who's 22 right now, who plays for Sunderland. He was with us for. He was with us for the youth team until he's born in Dublin to parents from Latvia and then he moved to London when he was three. So there's Latvia in there a little bit. And then Nile John, who plays, who was with us 2021 to 2024. He did he. I think he's Liberian descent, never played for us.
Now I feel like we. We should have had in the 90s a laan. I feel like we should off. Do you know what I mean? I've got nothing to go off. It just feels like we would have had someone that played 40 games and scored three goals and just like, wasn't great. Like, I feel like that. That would be right.
Probably blonde plays for us. When our kids were made by pony.
His squad number would have been over 27 or over would have been his squad number.
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I've got our Premier League top scorers in front of us. So obviously Harry Kane is top with 213goals, sun is second with 100. Christ, 213goals in nine years and Son is second on 126 in 10 years. I mean, what a player. But I'm going to give you two names. You have to tell me you scored more goals. Oh, I'm going to spend more time at the bottom. She said, I'm gonna give you. Did I just see Louis Saha or Benoit Asuikoto? A striker or a left back?
I think Sahar only scored two.
It's got three for us. Two in one game.
Yeah, yeah. I. I thought he just scored on his. On that debut and that was it. Asui Koto, I'm gonna go for. I feel like I remember two screamers. So did he maybe Nick? Yeah.
Or Super Yambatongan or Pepe Matasar? I have zero expectations of you. I'm choosing different.
No, no. I think that Sa has only got a couple. I think he's got five. I'll give you for tongan. For Tongan.
Six. Yeah. Right.
I don't remember there. I remember Sar's goal against United last year. I don't really remember Any of his others.
He's got. He's got a screamer recently. Did he? Okay.
I weirdly remember a lot of the Tongans.
The celebration.
Yeah, yeah.
Man United, Tangay and Dombele or Jamie Redknapp.
I'm gonna go in Dembele. I don't know if I think Redknapp's got like one.
Red Knaps got four.
Gonna go in Dembele.
Yeah. With six.
I remember Jamie Redknapp scoring a screamer of a volley against. I think it was Lazio in a prese friendly when we had those really tight cap of the kits.
Yeah.
Three season game. That's the. My best memory of taming Rednap at Spurs preseason friendly.
Soldado striker in two years or Nico Cruncher three years. You know much I love Nico.
That's a great one. We just. We love players that haven't got pace, don't we? But there's just something about them. French are how I. You see, I don't remember crunch scoring that many and I know some.
Birmingham. He scored in Birmingham to send them down and he said he played. He scored. The previous game was against Bolton from.
Outside the box and he also scored a game away at Bolt a go away at Bolton because I was there.
I think we're thinking about the same one.
And that was two. Two it was. That game was Crenshaw and Core Luca. That game. Yeah, we got absolutely Kevin Davis that. That game. But we drew two. Two. I'm gonna go Soldado because I think I remember sort of five or six pens and then he must have scored three or four. I reckon he's maybe sort of 10 soldado. So I'm gonna go for him.
Soldado's on seven. Oh, don't change your. Change your answer.
No, I'm gonna stick nickel.
Grantchill's got nine.
So doctor scored seven goals.
Seven goals. I remember the one. Was it against Cardiff? Was it a penalty against Cardiff City? There was one way score.
He was crying.
Yeah, there's. Well, I think that one where Ada by your sort of brought him over to the crowd with his arm around him, started pointing to him and I was a bit like, oh, that's not great.
We bought you to score 30 goals a season and you scored seven goals in two years. Yeah.
Here we go. The magnificent seven. Eric Lamella versus NASA Chadley. Oh, the meta was here for seven years. Chad, he was here for two.
Like it has to be Lamella. It has to be. If he's. If he's scoring like Two a season. Do you know what I mean? It's got to be lamella.
The matter's got 17, Chudley's got 15.
I always thought Chadley was all right.
You know, I've always said it. Yeah, he did the right thing for us.
They just sold. They did. They made money on him, didn't they?
Yeah. What was it? West Brom?
Yeah. He scored two on his day before West Brom against West Ham.
Is he still playing? He plays the standard. Liege. He's back home. Belgium. Good on him. Right, here you go, the big one. Jermaine Janus or Diane Kulasevsky? Oh, one. He's on 22.
The Gina skip did Gina scored over 20 goals for us today.
21 Premier League as well.
I didn't remember him scoring that many goals for us.
But you know Roman Van der Waal or Roman Rafael Van der Waal or Roman Pavlichenko.
It now, Cenko, I'm gonna say Pavliachenko.
We've got 20.
Get more than 20. Is this all comps?
This is Premier League only.
I'm like Pavlichenko and about got 24.
Goals for us in two years.
I ain't bad. That ain't bad. That ain't bad.
Right, we're. We're at the top now. So I'm going to give you Jurgen Klinsmann versus Dimitar Berbatov. There's two goals in it.
Klinsman 29.
Yeah.
One in one. Absolutely insane season, wouldn't it, Klinsman?
I can give you Gareth Bale or Christian Eriksen. There's two goals in it.
Oh, Gareth Bale.
Garth Bale, 53 goals. Christian Erickson 51.
Again, Ericsson. People forget really, really good blah for.
Us, you know, he was really, really good. Yeah. I'm just looking up Man United's all time Premier League top scorers because ours dives off a cliff. Right, You've got Kane on 213, sun on 126, Sheringham 97. Keen on 91, Defoe on bail on 53. Like it knows dives. You look at Man United.
Shame that Defoe and Keane didn't get over 100 like they deserved that.
Yeah. 91. Stuck on 91. Wayne Rooney 183, Ryan Gigs 109, Skulls 107. Ronaldo 103, N95, Cole 93, Sosia Rashford 87. Like Marshall's up there. 63.
Andy Cole.
Andy Cole is right. Where is he? But was he there?
He weren't. Yeah. He weren't there for oh no.
Andy Cole. Yeah, it's after Nissroy. He. Cole's got 93. I was thinking like, you know what.
I always talk about Andy Carl when people do like talk about like underrated players or like again when people are building like all time prem teams. I'm not saying he should be in it, but I always say like Andy Cole never gets spoken about ever. Like he's fourth on the all time Premier League top goal scorers list. Like his goals, his goal score record is absolutely unbelievable. And like he didn't take penalties.
Didn't he go to City though? Isn't that one of his. Like would that.
Yeah. No, but like he like he won't, you know, I mean he was part of the trouble winning team. Do you know what I mean? He said he's loved by United fans but like he was like Fulham as well, wouldn't he? But I just think like that I think there's a lot of people that just won't know about Andy Cole. And like he was absolutely brilliant forward.
Oh, unbelievably sharp and accurate and powerful.
And like played could play in a partnership geometry with team player. And I just like there's, there's so many players, like if you just go back and just like look at the amount of goals they've scored and you think they don't get talked about and it's like he's not like, oh, he scored. You know, I was thinking it's amazing tune if someone scored 100 or more Premier League goals, only. Only three people have scored more goals than him in the Premier League ever.
It's crazy, isn't it? Like, like Newcastle legend, Man United legend, Blackburn legend, like really big.
It's phenomenal like, and he just like you just never hear his name. Like I think if you said to people write down your top 15 Premier League forwards and you asked 100 people to do that, how many of them would put Andy Cole in it?
Mate, I do that sport call top, like the top Premier League scores. He's always one that you forget. You go Drogba, Rooney and Ronaldo. He only played 15 times for England. Like one goal for England. That's a travesty. I know he's. I know Shearer is going to be dominating that period. But Fowler probably Sherinham, Owen, Sheridan. Yeah.
So I mean it was that time. It's the same with Ian, right? You know, you look back at Ian Wright's goal scoring record, it was Arsenal's all time leading to and it's like big play for England because just the forwards that were around then, like lots of Les Ferdinand. Do you know what I mean? It's like there's so many. Les didn't play enough for England either. Like there's just so many of them.
There's so many of these clubs. You just don't like the players. Like Michael Owen was devastating.
He was brilliant, wasn't he?
For Liverpool? It's like if you go and watch Torres's goals at Liverpool, you forget just how good he was because of how Chelsea ruined him. Same with Mark Lowen. Just nothing you could do about him. He was 16 playing in the Premier League. Nothing you could do. Right, how are we going to do against Alkmaar? Is it. I think we're away.
I think it's going to be a score draw in the first leg away and it's going to be in the balance. We're going to go through it. I'm going to go for a. Desmond.
I'm gonna go for a. We're gonna go behind quite early and then.
I've seen this episode before. Is it. Is it their left winger guessing behind Poro and crosses it in and the center backs are out of position.
But that could be any Europa League match we've ever played. What Europa League match? Can you remember where we've ever gone in and gone. We've just done it. We've. We've controlled them. Kicking the midget in the performance.
Just professional performance. I know we always joke about this, but like I do think people forget that winning away in Europe's not easy.
Unless you're at White Hart Lane and you're from Azerbaijan. Right? We beat our best Europa League games, let me tell you. Seven two versus Maccabee Haifa, three nil. Oh, so we have Ludicorettes four nil. Two nil. Royal Antwerp four nil. Wolfsburg two nil. If these are our best games, we're winning two nil at home.
It's not great. One of my best Europa League memories was when we knocked out Leon doing Bella in the last minute.
I went for a run, like a 10k run straight away after that. I can see the goal in my head.
MTT screamer 1 nil. Leon 2 bail. Free kicks. Wasn't it in the home game?
And then that was when I knew he's leaving because he just. He did the cancer. I just opened his arms and then.
We went away, didn't we? Went away goals, really. I think we can see the set piece like in the first half and you're like we're going to go out on the way goals. And then Dembele scored the only goal he can score, which was shift it onto his left and hit it across the keeper.
The only thing I can remember is the Adebayor penalty. Remember where he absolutely skies it. Remember? Yeah, it was. I'm just looking now. I've googled it. And the second thing that comes up when you search for Adeboy or penalty is a report from the Metro which says the European Space Agency mocks Emmanuel.
Oh, yeah. We've not done well with pens in the road. But you remember we. I mean we signed Aurelio Gomez because we lost to them.
Yeah.
In a. In a penalty. And people forget in that shootout we had a penalty to win it.
Basel. Yeah, yeah.
It was like a penalty to win the shootout and we ended up losing it. Like three penalties later we're out. Spurs in it. Such character building.
It really, really. Is it really?
Because would anybody be surprised, we've already played as it outmar this season and we beat them.
Right.
And they're poor team. Would anyone genuinely be remotely shocked if we went there on Thursday? We got beat 2 nil and Troy Parrot scored like it's the least predictable we've ever been. Fingers crossed. I think like you've just got to make sure we should be like we should be going there and winning. Like, let's face it, we should be. But you've just got to make sure you don't do anything stupid because it like an idiot move will be the reason why we get knocked out. It'll be us losing this tire rather than as it out while winning it if we don't get through.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just don't want any stupid injuries. More than anything, you can just see.
It, can't you like dance so hammy and like Vicario red card in the first five minutes. Like in the same incident. In the same incident. Do you know what I mean?
I can't. I can't tell you. What's good though is Lamella. We see Lamella's goal. It's for a few weeks ago, but he's. He's possible push cash contender already for this season. Sola Mello. Yeah. Bless him. Right then. Time to end this. This shambles. Anything else we missed? Anything? It's Tottenham. It's very positive. I think we're in a good place.
There's been another world class episode, if I'm totally honest with you. Every single one decades now of world class content. We've been Churning out.
I just. Once I did the maths on how many minutes of people's time we've wasted and I'd be so guilty.
Anything from Junior? Junior Samanga this week?
Not this week. It's half term in Africa at the moment. So he's off on his holidays.
You know where he's gone?
I was. All I could think of is Stoke.
See the site. So a long way, long weekend, that's all you need in Stoke. In it.
If you're in Western Africa, say you're in Ghana. You want to go somewhere really, really different. Like you don't want to see sunshine. So many other things go Stoke. Nothing wrong with Stoke. I've had some lovely times up north, but it's just different to Ghana.
It's very different. Very, very different.
You've got the name of the show now as well.
Stoke is different to Ghana. There's a bit of research you need to do next week on if any Ghanaians have ever played for Stoke. And then can we try and get them on to be like, how different was it?
Did you. There was a.
How different was your time there?
It was a guy who we both worked with at Mediacom who started a podcast about trying to get to meet Paul Weller. And he just interviewed people who knew him, like producers and just random, random. And he got closer and closer until someone's like, I'll just ask him. And the final episode of this podcast was him meeting Paul Weller and now they're mates.
That's amazing. I was just thinking, who in my head, do I know anyone? I was like, Abdullah Faye, where was he from? But he was Senegal.
Tariq Fosu as well.
We've got to try. And you know what you've got to do?
Just Google.
Just a little Mohammed Gargoyle, little Twitter message to one of them. Be like, look, we're talking about. We were talking about the crossover between Garner and Stoke. Is there any way you could come on and tell us what. What was similar? What was different? What surprised you?
This one, if you could speak to any current player and then former player who would just have on the pod for an interview, for an hour's chat, just chat. We'd be in the same room as him.
Who would you have same room as them. Ledley was my hero, but, like, I've met him multiple times now, so it's like.
Like maybe he's got the restraining order, maybe.
Nice wallpaper, though, in his second bedroom that has just had put in. I think it would be amazing to talk To. To Harry Kane, because he's also current, like, current, like, you know, I mean, the insights you could get there, that would be amazing. Bail would be incredible for just, for the. Correct. Just for the career path. Do you know what I mean? That would be pretty phenomenal. But, like, from just from a personal perspective, like, that would be brilliant. But, like, I'd love to do an episode with, like, David Bentley or, like, Jonathan. Like, how great would that be?
Well, there's a. There's a David Bentley. Episodes of the Magic Sponge, which is worth a listen. But I'd love to have a chat with Ben Davis now, purely because he's been there so long and you could just talk to him about different eras and just say, how has it changed? Yeah. If you could do. Imagine you saying, if you could do three things to change Tottenham for the better, what would you do? Just listen. Yeah.
That'S for next season.
That would be the dream. We just need Chris to meet him in a car park somewhere or a central space.
That reminds me of time I was filling up my car and Pascal Chin Bonda was there.
Tell you what would ruin her spurs career if she gets an electric car, which is not.
Yeah, networking. Absolutely gone. Is that why Chris can't do Sunday evenings? Because she just hangs out in, like, shells, do you know what I mean? And around Tottenham. Is that. Is that where she is?
I can neither confirm nor deny that. Petrol stations at 8 o' clock on a Sunday night in North London's on the postcard.
Please, Chris, if you listened to.
We'll ask Junior Samanga next week.
Until then.
Until then. It's time to end the show. Mate, always a pleasure. Thank you very much. I'll speak to you in a week and hopefully we'll be halfway to a very good Europa League. Europa Conference League win. Don't forget, whatever happens, the future's bright, the future's lily white. Come on. You suppose.
I always thought there was very, very.
Many people interested in football. And I always thought that football was a very important, important game. But I never realized until today just.
How important it is. Whether the wonder boys of Pieteart Lane are or are not the team of the century can't possibly be more than a matter of opinion.
Well, they're the finest team in Great.
Britain, one of the best in the world.
We are about the glory of the game. We are about playing with style. We are Tottenham Hotspur. The curve of the ball, the billow of the net, the beating of the trap and the picking of the lock. The swiftness of thought, the lightness of touch. We are Gineler, Greaves, Klinsman. We are the collaboration. Collective gasp. The intake of breath. The flick, the trick, the 30 yard free kick. We are Hoddle, Mabbit and King. We are the lob, the chip, the dummy and the volley. We are the hat trick, the scissor kick. We are Bill Nick.
That is schoolboy's own stuff.
We are the out, outside of the boot, the inside of the net and those seconds that last forever.
Vanderva to level it up. Rafael van der Vaart. Two, two. It's quite a game, isn't it always?
We are Jennings, Defoe and Perryman. Glory past, glory future. What was, what is, what's next? We are Blanchflower, Adelis and baal. We are about winning with a flourish. We are about winning with style. We are about the glory of the game. Daring to try, daring to risk, Daring to dream. To dare is to do.
Fantastic. He's all over D. Will find the top really stubborn. Going all the way again here. And Leonard's kicked him out. Oh, this is incredible. This is quite incredible. Truly a glory, glory day for Tottenham Hotspur.
