S14E21 - The ChatGPT Season

I always thought there was very, very many people interested in football. And I always thought that football was a very important game. But I never realized until today just how important it is. Whether the wonder boys of Piet Hart.

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 and one of the best in the world.

We are about the glory of the game. We are about playing with star. 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 Ginele, Greaves, Klinsman. We are the collective gasp, the intake of breath, the flick, the trick, the 30 yard free kick. We are Hoddle, Mabbot 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 outside of the boot, the inside of the net. And those seconds that last forever.

Vandervaert to level it up. Raphael Vanderbaad. 2. 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.

It's all over top and we're won. The he really stuck there. Going all the way again here and le kicked him out. Oh, this is incredible. This is quite incredible. Truly a glory, glory day for Tottenham Hotsmart.

Hello and welcome to very, very Faint Echoes of Glory. I'm Asd and I'm Jack. Didn't plan that. It's a good time to be a Spurs fan, isn't it? Because it's always darkest before the dawn.

Isn't it like this is the level of optimism. It's like we're at rock bottom, only get better.

They can't give up to us because we can't be relegated. Well, we can mathematically, but we just need Arsenal to be upswitch next week. And we are mathematically safe. We're mathematically safe from relegation. If West Ham beat us in a couple of weeks, they'll be above us and then it's a fight for 16 or 17 between Wolves, who we haven't beaten in five games. Four draws no. 1. We haven't beaten them in five games.

Wow. Sorry.

Beat them.

Nelly scored a penalty and we had Nuno.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's incredible.

Yeah, this dreadlocks. It was that crazy.

Yeah, that was the Del's back, wasn't it? Start of the season, like here we go, Delhi's back. It. Well, what a tough, tough, tough point this is. And I would try to wrap my brains post the game today to try and find something positive to talk about and then it's really difficult at the moment. It really is to find, you know, anything to cling on to that like gives you that little bit of hope. And the own. The only bit maybe that we could talk about is the first leg against Frankfurt where I thought in the second half we played really well and we're actually a bit unlucky to not beat them.

Yeah. We still have Drew. Like I was worried you were going to talk about this, like. Oh, you know, it's really. It's not. We needed to win that game because now we're going to the home of what the team. Are they still third?

They're third in the Bundesliga.

Yeah.

And we need to. We have to win.

Yeah. The away goals don't count, so we have to go to away. And how often. How, when have we ever been good in the bundes? They're not, by the way.

They have dropped down a bit now.

Oh no, they are still. Sorry, my bad, my bad. And they won this weekend.

You're telling me you can't see a really gritty, dogged one nil away win from the spurs side in Germany now, You know, backs against wall just defend like warriors for 90 minutes. And Nick something on the break. Can you not. You can't see that? No.

It was last time we went there to Germany 1. Was it when Kane scored in the Champions League quarterfinal. The one that.

Against we actually, we actually, we actually played Frankfurt, didn't we, in the Champions League a few seasons ago. And it when, when we had Conte because we beat them 3:2 at home. But I couldn't remember how we did because Oliver Glasner was the Frankfurt manager at the time.

That's right.

But I couldn't, I couldn't remember what the away game was in the group. I mean it was probably a disappointing 21 defeat or something like that. But it's. Look, it's going to take a lot to go there and win. It really is. When, when you, when you ship in four wolves, you know how you look at that and go how in 5 days time. Can we go to a team that's a good, you know, a good. A good side in the German league? How are we going to go there and not letting loads people are going.

Are the league's gone. We're just waiting. We're going to go. We're going to go win the Europa League and everything will be okay. Everybody you know would take 17th and a trophy at the beginning of the season. We lost 21 to Leicester at home. Going to go down with one of the worst teams in Premier League history. We lost 2:1 to them at home. And we're expected to go and be Ajax or Napoli or whoever it is. Molder next in and it's just not going to happen. I did some research because, you know there's a narrative of we've concede. We always concede in the first five, 10 minutes. So I went back and I had to look at every game this season and had a look at how many times we've scored in the first 10 minutes and how many times we've conceded in the first 10 minutes. I've got them in front of me. So I'm going to tell you the scored ones first of all. Okay. 30th of October, Man City. Verna scored in the fifth minute. Remember that?

Oh, and the cup tie.

Yeah, the cup. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Then on the 28th of November, sun scored in the fifth minute against Roma again in Europe. Madsen first minute against Southampton when we're being five nil.

Yep.

Slanky scored in the fifth minute against Chelsea on the 8th of December. We lost that one four three. Madison scores against Hoffenheim after three minutes. And we won three, two on the 23rd of January. Then Slanky scored in the fourth minute against Newcastle on the 4th of January. We lost that one, two, one. So there's six where we scored the first 10 minutes. There's also six where we've conceded in the first 10 minutes, which surprised me. Galatasarai we concede in the sixth minute. We lost that one. Three two Wolves. The first time He Chan scored in the seventh minute and we drew two, three.

Yeah. Is it a free kick? Wasn't it if I remember it?

Yeah. They scored whatever they scored right at the end.

Yeah, right.

Right at the end. Yeah. Newcastle Snake is called in the fourth. Gordon scored two minutes later. Do you remember that? And then we lost 2 1. Villa Ramsay scored in the first minute in the FA Cup. Do you remember that? That was a painful one. Yeah.

Always in that. It feels like all these goals are all in the same area between Poro and Romero or whoever's playing in that position.

Yeah, Frankfurt obviously, sixth minute and then Wolves second minute. So. Yeah. And then. Do you know, I was going through list results and you. We had one really good month where we only lost one. And then I had totally forgotten that Liverpool came to white. Aren't they to be a 6:3. Oh, I totally forgotten that.

And that. That the, the difference of three goals in that game absolutely flattered us. Like, that was. That was like a 5 nil. Like that. That was. We got absolutely destroyed in that game. Destroyed. Yeah, but it's what, it's what, it's what, it's worrying, conceding that number of goals that early on. But I think what's even more worrying is the amount of big chances that we give up early in games.

That's the problem. Because it's not just the six we've conceded, it's the others that we.

Yeah, and it's like we're just always from kickoff just completely open and there's no sort of. Especially away from home. Do you know what I mean? Like, there's no sort of, like, let's just get through the first 15, 20 minutes against any opposition. It's important to, you know, like we just, it just always feels. I think we've said this for the last couple of seasons, really, which is that you don't have to do a lot to score against Spurs. Like, really, like, think back. How many truly, like, great goals has there been against us this year where you're not thinking that's a poor goal? I feel like every goal we concede, we go, what. What's that all about? You know something, sometimes when someone scores a cracking goal, they open you up with some brilliant play or someone hits one from 30 yards, you sometimes just have to go, you know what, like, what a goal. Like you can't do a great deal. But it's just. Yeah, it just feels like, you know, it was. We couldn't, we know at the start of the season we couldn't tend to set pieces. We seem to have figured that out a little bit better. And now it's just like an open play. If teams just play a ball in behind us, it's a goal. Where'd you stand today on the. The. All four goals were individual errors. Completely avoidable goals, every single one of them today. Where do you stand on their individual areas? You can't really mitigate for that. Or the way that we're set up leads to more individual errors. Than most sides.

I feel like I'm quite biased because I'm quite angel and because, you know, there was individual areas in the Liverpool game. You saw what van Dijk did with Andrew Robertson. But I feel they're set up better for success. Like four individual areas. It feels like we're consistently having individual areas when you can break them down. Vicario. Are you saying the first one was Picario?

He had a poor game today. Vicario.

The narratives emerge around goalkeepers, right? The narrative is he doesn't claim balls. No goalkeeper claims balls anymore. Like no one catches them. Everyone punches them.

I didn't think that it was horrendous from him on the first goal. Like, I didn't think it was the worst decision in the world. You know how much I hate goalkeeper as well. I didn't think it was the worst decision for him to punch it. It just was. It wasn't a great punch. But what I don't get was he's punched it out to the edge of the box. There are two wolves plasters on the edge of the box and we've got no one around. And ain't Nori. He's a decent left back, by the way. He didn't hit it well. He scuffed it into the ground and it just sort of went in and it was a little bit like, where were we?

And that's the point. And I really don't think we're set up like this. People have been sending me stills of just situations like that. The last goal. Was it the book? Was that the last. God.

Yeah.

How is there such a big. It might have been the fabric. I scored my least favorite goal of all.

Yeah.

How is that such a big space?

I thought of that in real time, right? And Ledley diving in and. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

How is there so much space between us to let that happen? Like, maybe that doesn't happen with Van de Ven there. But if we have to rely on the exception, like the fastest player in Premier League history in order to make up for our mistakes, then we're no better than Carl Walker and he's a stupid player. My question for you was, how many of their. How many of their players would you take into our team? So they got Jose Sar in goal. I'm fine with Vicario, but Sa, like, I don't think would be an upgrade.

This is such a difficult question because of the really difficult moment that we're in. And this is what.

This is what I want to isolate is that we think we've got We've got a top four squad or a team that should be top four. We've just been battered by wolves.

But, but I think if you're looking at it on an. This is why there's so many question marks on the manager. Because if you're looking at it on an individual basis, there aren't many players that you would take in the match day squad over Spurs. But then if you. Off. But then if you offered me the entire defensive line, you'd be a little bit like, well, they're probably better, but then they're also not better. Do you know what I mean? And like this is why it's so frustrating. This isn't because we're losing to sides and you look at it and you go, they're not great. That's not a great opposition. Like, don't we have good players? But this is why I'm, I'm like, we're not, I'm with you. We're not set up in a way. I just watch us do things and I just think that, that it doesn't make sense to me. Like I've never seen any teen ever do these things and like I know that to, to innovate, someone's got to be first, right? To do stuff. Completely understand that. But what we have been doing for the last two years, it's not bringing us the results. So that's, that's the bit where like it's, you know what, the thing, the thing that I will never, ever, ever be able to get my head around is when you're under pressure, like really under pressure in a game and you have a goal kick, why you don't relieve some pressure. And like if I could change one thing about this whole setup, it would be goal kicks. You have to kick it into your position half. I think, and genuinely, I think if we, if we made that change, I think we would concede less goals because I've watched us against the, the thing, my, my turning point was Az Altmar at home, even though we won that game, because I watched us play a 4v4 in our penalty box from a goal kick. And I just thought playing out from the back or however you play football, you're making the decision that this is the best thing for us to do because it's going to, it's the highest chance of leading to a goal. And I can't understand how that type of football in our own box is, has a better percentage chance of leading to a goal. It just doesn't. It doesn't. And this I'm just really struggling with, like, the direction of it. Like, it's not that. Like, I don't like the style. This is a really sort of backwards way of putting it. Like Conte, right. I personally didn't like the style. That was why I really disliked watching it. Like, I didn't like the way he set us up. I didn't like the way he really sort of conducted himself. Like, I didn't like any of that in theory. I like. I like Angie's idea of total football. Like, I like it, but it's like, it. It doesn't work. Like, it just simply doesn't work. You have to be able to mix your game up, whatever your style, if you're attacking, if you're defensive. And like, we just don't. And we. We put ourselves in impossible situations in games. Like, impossible. Like, you're looking at it and going, if you had the best players in the world in history, there's certain points on. In a game of football where even they wouldn't be doing the things that we're doing. And that's the bit that I can't grasp is, like, why, when you're really under pressure in games like today, we've conceded an early goal, we're massively on the back foot. And then a two or three minutes later, it goes back to Vicario and we almost concede the second goal by trying to pass our way through. And it's like, what's wrong with just going. We're under the crosh here. Like, let's just be a bit more practical. What. At this point in the game, what is the most successful outcome for us to score? It's not going to be to just do what, like, to keep doing the things that are not working. If you. What is it? If you. If you do the same thing over and over and over and expect different. There you go. And it's like, that's what I feel like we're watching now. Because if you go back to the start of last season, those first 10 games, we were unpredictable. You had no idea what we were doing in any point of the pitch. Whereas, like, now it is so predictable what we're going to do. And, like, I don't know what the stats say. I can't look back at the data, but, like, I feel like we turned teams more at the start of last season. Like, we weren't afraid to go, where's the space? Okay, at the moment, the space is in our half, so we'll play short. When a team pushes up we'll go. We're going behind. I just. I just feel like I have more visions at the start of last season of Poro hitting 60 yard diagonals and US getting in behind and all that and we just, we don't do that anymore. Like everybody comes to Fee. Everything's in front. Just.

Said that when we lost 1 nil to him the other week, they said, what was the game plan? He said it was really easy. Like we know spurs play off in the back, just press high, that was it. But like this total football's gone and he actually has shown some flexibility, but within that he's shown a lack of a plan. It's almost a reverse of Mighty Ducks where Mighty Ducks, they start off as this really desperate team with no plan and they slowly work together and they become quite wholesome and it becomes a thing because he had a single idea for the first 10 games and we were unpredictable and then people worked us out and suddenly it was very difficult to make it work anymore. And so he's had to flex because he's had so much pressure and then the flex hasn't worked. So suddenly. I've said it before, we don't look like a team. We look like we've got defence, midfield and attack as three very separate things. And I don't mind the playing out. I just don't think our midfield is good enough. Like SAR and Bissouma were missing today and without that you can't play up from the back because what's the option? You play up from the back, you get it to that halfway through your half and then what you. You play it long, but then you might as well play that long in the first place. So that's what I mean without a midfield. So I feel for him because Basuma isn't delivering. Then you saw Bergwell. I mean he made a mistake. Bergwell changed the game and he. He should be starting. I don't know whether it's a Bergfeld and Gray in midfield. Literally. What have we got to lose if we're not going to get relegated? We're not going to get much higher than where we are. Start with the kids, start with Bergwald.

I think, I think you're gonna see like, I think we're gonna. We're gonna get beat firstly night and it'll be gone and it will be Mason and Co till the end of the season again. And I think you. And I think you'll then see just a bit more of like, let's just go back to basics with you. Know and like again part, part of me is just like I've. I think Solanke the last few games since he's come back from injury, he's really struggled to make an impact on games. But he is so isolated. Like that's the problem. You could have, you could have Drogba up top for us at the moment and you won't be getting much more out of him because like we just, we give him nothing. We give him absolutely nothing. And I'm like, we've got to, we've got to get bodies closer to Slanky when we play. I just don't get it. Like part of me is like surely just go into a bit of a throwback. Four, four, two. And you have son with Solanke up top. Like get so. Or play. Play a bit. Play a bit more of a modern system, fine. But you have to get one of those wild players playing closer to Slanky. Like it's just mad that he's up there on his own.

That's how English you sound like proper play along. 4, 4, 2. Sorted.

But we have, we, we have to get someone up there with him. Like it doesn't have to be a strong partner. It has to be a midfielder getting close to him or a white player coming in. But I just, I watch him and I'm like, we've got a really good like link up target forward in Solanke. Like he's, he's decent in front of goal. He's not, he's not a prolific scorer but he's Disney very good. But his link up plays fantastic and we just don't utilize him at all by getting people around him and just find it really strange watching it. But I do think we're gonna see, you'll see the kids thrown in in the back end of this season because like if Mason comes in to cover what, six league games, he knows he ain't getting the perm job. So it's sort of like he can basically be like, what do the fans want? The fans want to see a bit of a plan. They want to see people.

We did last time a good enough job that the next regime want to keep him. He's got the connection with the players and he just keeps on going. Right?

Yeah, exactly.

We done some stat. We have now lost more league games this season, 17 league games than Pochettino lost in 15, 16, 16, 17 and 17, 18 combined. Three seasons. That is.

It's unbelievable what we on 17 defeats this season, aren't we? Like we're Easily. We're easily gonna lose 20 easily. Like I actually look at it and go, I don't think we'll win again in the league this season.

Well, let's say. Let's go for him. Forest probably gonna lose because they're fighting Liverpool. They need to nail the league. They haven't nailed it yet. West Ham is the only one.

We know. How difficult, how hard of a game has West Ham away been for us for the last 10 years? How even when we. Even when we've been like really good, it's been a tough away game for us that like we haven't won there for quite some time. Jose was the last time we went there and won. I think it would be like probably five, four, five years since we're in there and won in the league. Wasn't it?

So in. We beat him 41 in the Premier League. Then we drew 11 in April last year. Then time before that was a draw in 2021 we lost in February 2021 away we lost. We beat them three two in 2019. So the 23rd of November. Yeah, yeah. Pre Covid.

Yep. Six years.

Okay. So we haven't won there. So then we've got palace where we can expect to draw. Villa who need to win and Brighton who will beat us.

We haven't got to dwang or hope in hell in any of those games.

West Ham is the only one I can see open.

I'd honestly, I'd be shocked if we went to West Ham and won.

Watch us go and have a mad game.

I was going to say it would be such. It'd be such a Spurs thing to do. But like, if Liverpool could like near enough win the league that night, like, that would just be. Can they win it against us? I feel like they can't.

I don't know.

I feel like. I feel like they can. I think they need three wins to do it. And like they got one today. So like, I think they. I think that that will be because they're going to beat Leicester next week. So to make this season even worse. But we will be the game where they secure the title.

Leicester Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal. What? Let's hope we can get a draw so they beat Liverpool so that Arsenal have to give him a guard of honor. That would be amazing.

That would be the only thing that would be funny.

Do you want to. The goal. I've celebrated this the most this this season.

Go on deck.

And Rice's second free kick. I went. I got out my seat for that and I just. It was the most enjoyable game of football. How pathetic is that?

You know what? If you didn't think that this season was bad like that, that. That sums up where we are, right? Just that is how. That's how detached you are from Spurs. Arsenal beating Real Madrid. You've been able. I was annoyed watching that game.

They were so good. I was like, look how far we've come. We were level pegging with them for a couple of seasons.

We finished above them for what, three, four seasons in a row.

And we beating them at home, drawing sometimes away, losing whatever it was. Now they are battering Real Madrid scoring two of the best free kicks you'll ever see. I still think that first one was one of the best you'll ever see in the Champions League.

Do you know what a part of me feels like Lucky that somehow we haven't been absolutely destroyed by someone this season. Like I'm talking a five, six, nil. Like we haven't had that. And I'm like, that's why this Liverpool game.

You imagine.

Gone. He's gone. Like it. Like absolutely gone at half time.

All right, I've got. I've just googled Tottenham players who. Tottenham players who played the Tottenham and wolves.

Matt Doherty, six.

There's 16. I'm gonna have to. Yeah.

Jamie O'. Hara.

JB O'.

Hara.

Indeed.

Robbie Keane. He was at Wolves when he.

Robbie Keane was there for 73. 73 games. 24. 24 goals. There's actually loads of big names. Hey, sir.

Trying to think.

Some not so big ones.

Oh, Darren Andon.

24 games from. As well. The new Ledley. Yeah, we. We bought it from Newcastle.

Oh, Sebastian Bassong.

I've never heard of this. We must have got him from there. Most immobile. Central midfielder, but could ping a ball better than anyone else.

Oh, Tom Huddleston. Yeah.

Norwegian. 1996 to 2002 for us. Then played for them in 2003.

Alan Nielsen.

Stefan Iberson.

Always get them too muddled up. I could. I think I was picturing Alan Nielsen in the kit.

They both do. I've got to play here. He played for Tottenham. He played one match for Tottenham, but went on loan to Orient Rovers and Ipswich. And pay for Ipswich, Birmingham and wolves. Wolves was 2006 to 2008. Leicester in 2008. Knott's County 08 to 10, Lincoln 10 to 11. And he's currently manager of Loughborough students, which isn't an easy job. Left back.

Is he managing the football team or he's just managing. Just managing. Student union manager.

That's Jamie Clapham.

Jamie Clapham.

Yeah.

I've never sounds like it sounds like a musician.

Yeah. I'm gonna just read the others. Dean Richards.

Oh my God. That's shocking. That's appalling to have not got Dean Richards. That is appalling.

There's a few others. Rowan Rickett played for them. Raw Fox. No. Ridley Someways. Steve Sedgley. Han Segers. Legend. Andy Sinton. Andy Turner.

Not a lot of 90s. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Interesting.

There you go. That's all the notes I've got today. I was going to ask you. Yeah. So much like I said to you on the text. What if they want Potch? Potch ain't going to come for a year. So they have. They keep big Ange to save money. What. What do you expect from Tottenham next year? What would you. What's the best case scenario for Tottenham?

Best case scenario next season with a relatively. Because you can never be fully fit all season.

You can't get an amazing central midfielder.

Top eight. Absolute best case best. I think, I think with him next season just from everything we've seen injuries or not in injuries, like taking all that out like that, it's mid table. It's between 8th and 13th around about there and it's like maybe a quarter final in a domestic cup like is. It's. It's the late 90s, early 2000s. Like what are we really gonna do? Mindset unfortunately.

It definitely feels like we're in the 90s now and we've made. This has come out and made Kane look so good. Right. He's just kept this team going. Obviously they had some great players around it. My son when he was playing was.

Great and the only thing you can hope for is that Bayern win the league. They win the Champions League and Kane goes I've won it, I've won it. They need me. I'm going home, I'm going home.

We go straight back to fourth and he goes to Levy. I want 500 grand a week. Can I ask you said was is Alkmaar when we played outmar and we beat him 1 nil, was that the moment where you would have got rid of him? The 6th of March. So it wasn't.

Oh no. I was talking about the azed out my home game recently because we played them again. Didn't we knock them out? That was 3:1. 3:1. Yeah, yeah, that was the 3:1. I mean if I'm totally honest with you, like I my. The first time I uttered the words like get rid was When I was very emotional after the North London Derby defeat, which I think was in like September, October, when we were free. Down, up. No, sorry. That was the season before when we lost 1 nil at home from to a set piece. But I'll get very emotional. That was with the Derbys, with the Darbies. Do you know what? I don't think that there's been a pinpoint moment for me. I think, like, I've just come to the realization the last probably three or four weeks that I'm just like, there wasn't a game where I've gone that set, but now I'm just like, I expect us to lose pretty much every game. Like, I'm going into Wolves away going, we're getting beat here. I have no doubt about that. Like, this season at home, we've won six games.

It's not good enough.

Today we've won six games at home. Like, I don't care what your injury issue is and all of that, like six wins. It's unbelievably poor.

The moment for me, you know, I would have had him out in the summer. God.

Yeah.

Just saw this, like, I just feel like, this, this. And I'm not. I don't want to be like, I'd say, I told you so. It's not about that. I just. I'm not surprised. Which is once I detached, I don't feel like I've got any connection to this because I. I make you start questioning, like, why do I love football? Why do I love this Tottenham team? What? What? What? Because, yeah, this team is really against my values. Like, I really. Because, you know, I could never support Chelsea because of who they are as a club and what they represent. And I feel like there's a bit. Not of the Chelsea side of things, but there's a bit of the way that they do things that just isn't me. I don't want to be a part of it. But for me, the moment. I'm going to take you back to the Saturday 12th January, we go away to. I'm going to tell you what the ground is now. I completely forgot the name of the Lamb ground.

This is Tamworth.

It's Tamworth. The nil. Nil. There's no way we should be going away to National League. Tamworth and having to go to extra time. Don't know our lineup. We had Kinski, Poirot, Dragons in gray, Reggie, Sar, Basuma, Madsen, Johnson, Vernon Moore. That team internationals, Madison, Pursue massage. Johnson, Werner, drag us in. Poirot, like these are, these are professional footballers.

Shocking. It's shocking.

And we couldn't beat Tamworth. Like that is embarrassing for me. You should have gone.

This season. But I am absolutely finished watching Madison. I'm absolutely done with the guy. Like he is. He like the massive lead issue in from top to bottom, massive problem. I love some to pieces like crowdies, our cap. But he's not a leader per se.

Right.

But you can be a captain necessarily. Just watch Madison Aramero and I'm like, I'm done. You'd think in this football, this total football, that Madison would able to do stuff, anything in games whatsoever. I just, I can't, I can't, I can't understand. I just, I, I can't. I don't understand the guy whatsoever. Like when we got him, I thought what a great signing this is. Like that's the type of person we should be bringing in. I don't get it.

Give him, give him a proper manager. Let's give him. Because I, I watched him as much as you, but I just, I'm going to give him a proper manager because what, what player would thrive in this, in this team?

Well, no one has this line, you.

Know, honestly, Bergwald is my player this season.

Gray's done really well. But then like he, he. Come on. Today, he. Oh, sorry. He played today. He looks totally shot. Confidence now.

Yeah, he's right back. Like he, he. He's not a center back and he's not a right back and he's what, 18, 19?

I think he is a center back. I think, I think, I think his issue recently, where he's been struggling is because he's been playing everywhere but center back. He's gone into midfield. He's been playing fullback. And I, I think he, I think he is a center back but he's.

Never playing for us again while we've got. He's. He's fifth in line to the throne. Yeah. Yeah.

That is.

Okay. Say we get a. How much. What's the minimum you'd accept for Ben Davis? He had a poor game today in the summer.

Minimum I'd accept for him.

Eight, I think. You take. Yeah, yeah. Go to Wolves probably.

And do better. It'd be him and Matt, him and Doherty at center back.

The biggest shame for Levy should be Nuno because they gave Mourinho and Conte a chance, whereas Nuno didn't really have a chance. He just did nothing and then disappeared. Was. Look at him now. They gave. He's given time, he's given a Team.

Do you think. Do you think Nuno is like pound for pound manager of the season in the league or do you think the job slots done.

Scott's done an amazing job. Right?

Yeah, I think, I think people are sort of like almost saying Liverpool are. Liverpool have had a disappointing season, but because they went out, they lost the League Cup Final, they went out the Champions League close to getting people a bit like, oh, they've not done that great. They've been been remarkable in the Premier League. Absolutely remarkable, yeah.

I mean they won six games more than anyone else. They've scored 74 goals, which is a lot more than anyone else. They've conceded the second fewest amount of goals. Like, what more do you want from them?

That's the best team and best team.

I'm a bit annoyed that they're both like Salah signed and Virgil signed. I was hoping that they'd lose their three best players and they'd have to really go and spend 500 million to replace them, but certainly not. Okay.

What will be, will be interesting. Sorry is just. Did you see De Bruyne's comments? Because obviously he's leaving City at the end of the season and they were asking him, you know, would you go to another Premier League team? And he just sort of said, well, I'm open to anything. I'm open to the best offer. That would be nuts to see him somewhere else in the prem.

Tell you, I know a team that could use him. I don't think they'd want him. I think they think he's too slow and moody and expensive. I. I think if they got given the offer, they wouldn't take him.

Who are you talking about? Nah, like, surely not, surely not.

We couldn't afford him. But I don't think they. Maybe that's no problem with ambition. Do you know what's funny? Like, Levy's quite quiet at the minute and there's all these protests to get him out. He's hired a manager who is awful and so what does he do? He goes and hires the ex Arsenal CEO.

Yeah, I saw that in the week. But then like a lot, I was reading some stuff and David Ornstein, the Athletic was writing about and saying actually that this was actually a really. It's a really smart appointment from Spurs. I don't know, I don't know enough about it. But it's again, it's the timing, isn't it? The timing of all these things speaking to Arsenal fans.

Like, he improved the commerciality, improved the fan engagement and the performance on the pitch. Like what. What more do you want from a manager? And he must have some opinion on the management of the team, the way the football set up. So hopefully this is a shrewd move by Levy.

You'd hope so. You. You'd and you hope, didn't you, when you hear of the bringing these big execs in that it will mean that Levy steps away from the football inside. But Willie.

But he's been doing that for. He's been doing that for ages anyway. Like he's bought in directors of football. He went to prison and he's been like. He. That's what he's been doing. He's just in charge of the money and that's what everyone's problem is. I don't have as much problem. Did you see the Killian Mbappe red cards tackle? Yeah.

It's nasty, wasn't it?

I. I mean the only thing worse than that is Tottenham obviously. But the. I. He. He should be banned. I always think about this sort of thing when. When does it. When could it become a police case because that. He's gone out to hurt him. There's no other way. If. If you can't find it, go look for it against WT br. He could have snapped the guys like. But there's some other great. There's a couple of good Manchester stats. Manchester City are eliminated. They cannot win the Premier League. Wow. Which. Yeah. Which is mad for Man City. And then Man United can't. This is their worst season ever in the Premier League. They can't reach 58 points which is their worst ever season. So it's between us for 16, 17, 15, 16, 17. And West Ham rewards. This is Manchester United.

It's. It's a mad season in it like. Like from top to bottom, like. And it. It does make next season quite unpredictable when you look at it.

Oh, Liverpool are going to win again because Slot's going to have more of his team. Watch him go and buy.

Yeah.

Maybe they'll sell Nunes and go and get a decent strike and get someone to actually replace Salah in a year or two years. But bet them in next year and suddenly you'll have a team.

Yeah. Because you'd think you look at Liverpool, don't you, and go if they went out and bought a good. A good attacker, they've got two seasons for that person to slowly take over from Salah. And then like next season if they go and get a center half. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw Mark Gay. He end up at Liverpool. Yeah, he's got. He's got. He's got 12 months left in it on his contract. Like he's a good player like and he could go and play alongside Virgin Canal. So you could sort of rotate the three of them, couldn't you? A little bit.

Yeah. As well. Like better men. Just give him a bit of time. And have you seen Mo Salah now has more gold involvements in this season ever and he's still got what, six games to go mad and got 45 golden bones.

If you were to look at all of the other Premier League teams and like I was to say to you, like who's your number one? Like realistic transfer targets. Obviously we can't go and get Isaac. We can't go and get Van Dyke. You know, I mean like realistic, like realistically. So probably. You're probably looking at it and going, you've got to admit the top seven. So Liverpool, Arsenal, Forest, Newcastle City, Chelsea Villa. We probably couldn't. We couldn't get anyone from those sides but Fulham down. We probably could buy their stronger players. Like who are you looking at from that crop and going there's a player that I think would be good for us or are there a couple?

It's so hard, isn't it? Because I don't know why most would come to us. I'm just trying to go through the.

I'll tell you one. I'll tell you one while you, while you have a little look through. I'll tell you one. That Liam Dilapa ipswich has got 30 mil release calls. If they go down like that would be smart. Like if you could get him for that and then you could get rid of Richarlison. Like that would be. That would be good to have him. And Solanke that improves your front line straight away. Like he's been great. Liam Dilap, he scored goals at Ipswich. Jeremy scored all different types of goals this year. Like he's, he's. He's been good. Like he would improve us. So I think he's definitely one. There anyone else in there that you look at and go yep.

But someone like Gibbs White, I mean he's not gonna.

I think he's not gonna come. Anyone, anyone, Anyone like seventh.

That's the problem.

They're not, they're not gonna come. There's just no way. So you look. You're looking at realistically like palace have got some good play. Like a few good players. Matteta is a good striker. Eze. Okay. Walton's. Walton's good.

I'd go I just say, how much do you want for him, really?

I'd say I don't mind as a. I think Wharton at Palace is a really good player, like defensive midfield. Like, I don't mind him. And I look at maybe like a Bram Thwaite at Everton. It's like a Van Der Van understudy. Do you know what I mean? He's basically just not quite as good as Van Deven, as Vanderbilt, everything. But, like, could he be a good replacement for him when he inevitably gets injured? Yeah, next season. But there's not any. My point really with that question is there's not any standout players, really, and there's not any standout teams. And like, I reckon if. If we were on a Fulham or a Bournemouth or a Everton podcast and they got asked that question, how many spurs players would they take?

No, well, no, you take Mickey Van de Ben, Udogi. You see, the rumors about Udogi, about City, are interested now.

Oh, it'd be great there. Like, he would be great.

We said this. He could go to Real Madrid and play there for 10 years. Yeah. Yeah.

I think it was like Christmas last year. So, like 20, 23 sort of Christmas. We were saying, new Doggy, this guy's not going to be at Tottenham for too much longer. Like, he's just like. You can just. Sometimes you just see it, didn't you, with a player and you're like, you're too good for this.

We knew Modric wouldn't be in spurs for a long time.

All right. And then in the current spurs squad, who are your two untouchable players? You're not selling.

Vanderban. It has to be Van de Ben. Do you know what? The first name that came to my head was? Spence. But that's because I've been listening to his podcast with Rio, which is brilliant. It's either Spencer or Doggy. But it's mad that it's. But all Bergwell are great. I know I've said five, but they're four or five. They're. They're the players, they're the future. Who are you having?

I think Van De Ven is the most important player for us in terms of the way we play at the moment. I think he's our best ball player in center half and obviously his recovery runs are incredible. It'd be interesting to see Van De Ven next season. This is all assuming we have a new manager. The start of next season. Be interesting to see if a different style elevates Van De Ven or actually if this on the halfway line turn, sprint back. Like is he the only player that this style suits? Do you know what I mean?

I think he's a very good center back.

Yeah.

His body isn't right for sprints over the like continuous sprints and he shouldn't have to.

But for me, Van de Ven and then I think Bergfell was a real good one for the future. Like I really like what I see from him. I think he's. I think he's his quality. If I had to pick two it probably be van der Ven and Kulizevski.

Oh yeah.

Because I think where Kulasevsky's just not been there the last what month you see it. I know the results haven't got particularly worse because we were already losing. But like Kulasevsky is that link. He is that one player that he understands how to. Yeah. How to connect the team up a little bit. So they probably be the two. But I'd worry. I would honestly would worry that I could see us losing Kulasevsky. I really could. Like he should be he. But he should be playing in a team that are trying to win the league. Like he's a quality player. He's an absolutely quality player.

I'm not sure. I think it's too one foot too slow for many for teams trying to win the league.

Like I could. I could definitely see him in that Liverpool midfield free. I could definitely see him.

Yeah you could see him being there instead of Sucker or instead of Salah.

Well I think it's more. More of a central player but like at Liverpool I could definitely see him playing mid in Liverpool midfield instead of a Suboslay or. Or a Curtis Jones or. Yeah maybe not Gravenbergs he plays deep but the sort of the slightly more advanced. I could see a Gravenberg McAllister, Kuliski that'd be a great midfield free.

It's like the. If you give him a really specific job. I think one of the problems is our players have been asked to do too many things. Yeah. And actually you give him a really specific job. I think you'll do a great job. Yeah. And he's. He seems like a good. Reminds me of Cranchar a little bit. Just does a job. Doesn't complain or run. Do whatever you ask them to.

Can I just say the other mad thing just about the league table this year is that city have lost more games than Brighton.

Yeah.

Like what is this season? What is it? It is so odd.

Well that's why Liverpool is good. I don't Know why? Oh my. My brain's gone.

Only City and Liverpool have scored more goals than us. It's so weird.

We haven't that many either. But we've conceded. What against? We've conceded 49. There's only one. Like. Well, actually the further you go up. But we shouldn't be where we are. Our goal difference of 11 is, you know, bidders is three, flums is five. Like we're only two behind forest. Like our goal difference is amazing.

It's such an odd season, but that's.

Because we battered some teams earlier in the season. Yeah, we're so lucky that the three teams that came up are so terrible. But it'll be the second season in a row, won't it, that the promoted teams have gone down straight away.

And it like you look at the teams who are at the top of the championship. You've got Leeds and Burnley and you're up there. Scott Parker's Burnley, who have conceded something like 13 goals in like 42 games. Just like nil. Nil pros. And they. But it's. I think you look at it next season, didn't you? And you go, those three teams coming up, what chance have they got? So, I mean. But though, have you seen who's just outside the playoffs in the championship? Millwall. And it's like, could you imagine? Could you imagine?

Be horrible, isn't it?

Millwall, Spurs, Millwall, West Hamil, Arsenal, Millwall, Chelsea.

For them as well. I know it's not a thing, but.

Yeah, they'd make it a thing.

Yeah. The Millwall, Man United. Can you imagine that?

Just. It would just be ugly, wouldn't it? It'd be really, really ugly.

I feel that sort of attitude gone from the game. Like, I know it still exists, but I feel like we don't need it anymore. Like maybe I'm getting old. Can we think about the future? Can we think about Frankfurt and Forest? Frankfurt, Forest, Liverpool, our next three games.

I mean, Frankfurt, how. All right, how do we. How do we win? How do we win that Frankfurt game? Realistically, what. We have to score three or four on the night to win because we're going to concede.

We made six changes today, right? So you'd hope that the team that went out and had a really good game could have another really good game away from home. And they're told, look, this is your last game of season. Go for it. Show us.

I feel like that. I feel like the two biggest. The two most important things for Thursday, the first 10 minutes, don't concede and like, if we could get the first goal, if we could go ahead in the tie, that might, psychologically, that might just make us go, we can do this. Because I can't picture it where we go a goal down on the night and then come back and win. Do you know what I mean? That would have to be some fight back. So I think that first goal and just, let's just not, let's not concede a massive chance in the first 10 minutes. Just give ourselves every chance of trying to get through and just, you know, not take any risks early on. Who knows? Like, it would be such a Tottenham thing to do to go out there and get and, and get through.

But we're gonna be positive. One nil. Win. One nil.

There it is. Dogged. One nil.

Docket. One nil. 40th minute goal and it's all out defense. Six defenders on the pitch.

But I'd love to see it, honestly, love to see it.

I'd love to see it.

It would be amazing. It would be absolutely amazing to do it. Let's see.

Sun's definitely going to score and then we'll get absolutely battered by Forest.

Is that, is that the next league game? Forest?

Yeah. Liverpool.

Fingers crossed for Thursday night.

Yeah. Today, can you see a world where he is, where we win and he's still fired?

Yes. Like completely like, this is, this is a chairman that sat Mourinho a few days before a Cup Final. So I think anything's possible. I genuinely think you could write any scenario for the final six league games and the Europa League running and the future of our manager. You could write the most realistic, the most unrealistic. Whatever you put in front of me. I, I, I could go. That could happen like this there. I feel, I feel like nothing's off the table.

No.

Which is exciting. It's exciting in all the wrong ways.

That's exactly it.

It's almost like at the start of the season, we've gone to chat GPT and said, make this exciting and unpredictable. And it's taken it literally and gone, okay. And we've scored 60 goals, but we've left 49 and we've lost 17 games. But we still have this. There is still this ridiculous amount of hope left that makes me go, we can win in Frankfurt. It doesn't make sense. None of it makes sense. It's a chat GPT season.

That is the, that is the name of the podcast. Right. There is no pod next week because I'm away. I'm in this silent retreat. Trying to cleanse my soul of my life. And I wouldn't even. It's not. Even though I'm not around to record. I wouldn't had any news of the game whatsoever. In fact. Well, I might try and I was gonna say I might because I have to leave Friday early. Could I just avoid the game and on Thursday and just be like, let's try. Tell you what. Oh, no, I might not be able to avoid it. See if we. I'll get back Monday night, see if we record then, and I'll guess what happened.

Oh my God. If you're able to do that, that would be. That's incredible.

Let's try and plan for that. So Monday night we'll move the recordings. Monday night I'll avoid Thursday and Friday. So I have to turn off the group and tell my dad not to text me and try. And guess what, that's going to be really hard because, you know, it's just. In my world, it's just everywhere in it. Yeah, I'll definitely be able to do it for the Forest game. I'll try and do it for Thursday night as well.

Amazing. What a challenge. I. Yeah, let's see.

Let's see. All right then. Well, enjoy. Hopefully I'll speak to Monday. I should be able to speak to Monday. Great. All right, man. Well, thanks. And don't forget, the future's bright. The future's really white. Come on, you Spurs.

I always thought there was very, very many people interested in football. And I always thought that football was a very 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 and 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 Ginelet, Greaves, Klinsman. We are the collective gas, 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 outside of the boot, the inside of the net. And those seconds that last forever.

Van der Waart to Level it up. Raphael van der Waart. 2. 2. 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, Ardelis and Bale. 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 scene here.

He really stumbled. 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 Hotsburg.