28 Apr 2025 · 49 min
ASD and Jack discuss Tottenham's struggles this season, from management issues to player performances. They explore what went wrong and whether the team can finish strong despite the disappointment.
Hello and welcome to Echoes of Glory. I'm asd.
And I'm Jack.
Hi mate. We missed it last week, didn't we? Because the plan was I was going to avoid the Europa League game and then avoid the other game and I did so well avoiding the Europa League game the whole night. I avoided it because obviously I was going on my retreat and then what was it? I. I pinged it down to North Wales on the. Early the Friday morning to try and avoid the Easter traffic and avoided it, avoided it, avoided it. And then I went to text you because on the route that I was taking we stopped off was the Reek Farm Estate where we stopped off and got a burger and great burger, great burger, great farm estate shop. And it popped up somehow then so I saw that we went through. So I watched the highlights and then I managed to avoid the other game but that obviously we. We missed the pod. But here we are. 19th loss of the season.
What?
19 losses. Still got positive goal difference after all that. Still better than everyone around us. The last win was against Salampton. Do you remember the. The win before that?
What? In the league?
In the league.
I couldn't even. Man United.
Man United on the 16th of February.
It's tough man, it's tough, really tough.
The thing for me is we should be fuming at that result just now against Liverpool.
Embarrassing. It's embarrassing. We are officially the laughingstock. If we weren't already. Like everyone just laughs at us like, like pathetic team. Like did you, did you watch the game just now?
I watched bits of it. I couldn't watch all of it.
So how. I was like quite numb for most of it because I'm like, I know what's going to happen here. We're going to get beat quite comprehensively. I got really angry at the moment when Salah scored and has gone to the crowd, taken someone's phone and taken a selfie. Sorry some. A Spurs player should have ran over, smashed that phone on the ground like headbutt got sent off like made it a massive, massive thing. They've all just gone oh yeah, yeah it's. And that all comes down to leadership off the pitch. On the pitch there are absolutely zero leaders in the whole club. From everything that's happening off the pitch with the recruitment to the manager, to the team, the players, there's no captains, no one there. Like they were all fine with that today. All those players on the pitch and I don't want to tear into them individually because it comes from like the messaging that they're getting constantly like we know it's like in business if you've got someone that at the top they set the tone. Yeah and like we're seeing on the pitch and the way they. I didn't expect us to go and win today at all. I knew we were going to get beat but I just thought that there might have been a bit of fight and a bit of battle and I was watching the game with my brother and he said to me how far away is the fight from the Potch team and the battle of the bridge? And he said we went down that night like like we lost the league but he was like what? We went down swinging and fighting rightly or wrongly but we were like we're not going to give in. We're not going to be weak and soft and that's just completely disappeared. What we're seeing is spursy exactly what it is. Soft, timid, easy to play against like, like a little bit like amusing, amusing. That's what we are using.
It's pathetic. We it's 155 on aggregate now we've played them four times a season twice in the league cup where it was forward on aggregate 63 to them in the league last time that should never have been repeated. They should be going and going. We are not going to concede one gold against them. Eleven goals in in two Premier League games that might be a record.
There's just no fight asd in it and it just like there weren't even any yellow cards with 25 minutes to go like someone just go round and like the only one that did that was Richarlison when he come on in injury time and you know you just want to some in a bit of fight and I, I, I spoke to Mr. L Senior yesterday and I asked him where this season ranked. You know he's been a season to get older for 45 years and he said this is the second worst season he's ever seen and it's only been eclipsed by the season when we went down and he just said the whole thing he said that you know and Mr. L senior is quite, he's a relatively level headed yeah positive ish fan. Do you know what I mean? Like he always tries to look for the good and he just said that you know Ange is just, he's hopeless. Absolute hopeless. Manager mate.
There's so many ways to cut this cake. I, I think it's pathetic. I think it's embarrassing. There's no the fact that they've made this acceptable. Yeah that this isn't a surprise. Is a disgrace. I don't like Roy Keane. I think he comes across as a bit of a bully. And the Persona he puts across, I get a bit bored of it. A bit like, you know, like, we get. We get it like, you're this hard man, but then sometimes we're just talking about the fight and with the way that they all talk about what Man United was like, it's not difficult to have that in you, but you've got to be. You've got to choose it. I don't think that's acceptable. Do you want the. The current record for the amount of games that have been lost while still managing to stay up is 21. We've got 19. We could beat the record for the most games lost while managing to stay up.
What. What games are we not losing between now and the end of the season? We spoke. It was a few weeks ago. We're losing at West Ham. We're losing at Villa. We're. We might now beat Crystal palace only because they will make 11 changes because they've got a cup final. So we might. We might. But then, even then, do you know what I mean? Like, it's gonna be Brighton. Brighton will be like West Ham. Away Villa, away Brighton at home. They're three defeats.
We're going to beat West Ham. That's my. That's my prediction. Because otherwise I can't. I can't deal with it. Do you know what the thing that's annoying me the most? I said at the beginning of the season, I didn't like Ange. I didn't like his approach. I didn't think he was good enough. And it's not. I hate to say I told you so. I just. I was right. And it. The thing that is killing me is, is people, spurs fans, saying that he will be our most successful manager of modern times if he wins Europa League. And I don't get the idea. How can it be on one game, Assuming we bodo, which is a massive assumer subu assumption that a manager is either the worst in our history or the best in our modern history based on the result of one game. That cannot be. No, no, no. That cannot be.
Anyone with a brain cell knows you can. You can be a bad manager and win a cup. Look at the last manager that won a cup with us. Do you know what I mean? And he's. He's not held as one of the most successful. That was a shambles. Roberto di Mateo won the Champions League as Chelsea manager. Do you know What? I mean, like, he's not a good manager. So you. You can. You can win. You can win stuff and not be a good manager. And like, if. And I mean honestly, we have absolutely no chance of winning the Europa league. I don't even see us getting past bodo glim, if I'm totally honest with you. The way we play and the amount of goals we concede. Like, I'll be. Honestly, I think that we'll lose Thursday night at home. I really. I just. I. We're so pond. I just. I had a. I had a real problem today with, you know, when ant first come in and, you know, there was a lot of talk about it's a good spirit, he's a great man. Manager and all that. He has hung those young players today out to dry and I've got such an issue with it. I'll put it in our group chat. Like, the players playing today, like, should have been the ones that have let us down all season and it should be. We're going to get tanked at Liverpool. Bissouma, Romero, Richarlison, all these players that contribute nothing. They should have been the ones out there. Instead, he's gone with two teenagers in the center of the park. Archie gray, who has been really, really good for us this season. And he's had such a hard time. He hasn't played for what, two or three months and then he hasn't played in midfield all season. And then he goes. Sentiment. White Liverpool. Off you go.
It reminds me of. It reminds me when poch did it to car Walker peters away in the new camp when we needed a result. And you just thought there's something weird there. That's harsh.
It's. It's. It's bang out of old. It would be like you having a, you know, an apprentice in your team at work three to six months in and chucking them into a client meeting that you know is going to go badly. You'd never do it. You would never ever do it, would you?
Well, that Arsenal, though. That Arsenal. What's his face? The defender, what's his name? Who's just come in? Is it Louis Skelly or who is it? Yeah, who's played 10 games and now he's in the. He's in the champions league semi final.
I just. I had a massive, massive issue with the. The team selection. I knew he was going to rotate and we weren't going to be, you know, our top starting 11. I completely get that with Thursday. But like, what is that doing for these young players? I look at like Graham Bergval and like statistically over their careers they've probably lost more games than they've drawn or won now. And it's like, that is not setting someone up for success at all, is it? I mean there's a point of like earlier in the season, Gray come in and all that and like I was a massive believer in like this is going to really equip him to be a good player. But like what you've just done to him today, they will all be, all of them, even the experienced players, completely shot of confidence. And like, imagine now turning around to Bergval for first and be like, I need you to start. It'll be going into that being like, do you know what I mean? My confidence is on the floor.
Do you know what I was thinking? I was thinking I'm gonna judge those players. If any of them are not having the conversation with their agent going, get me the out of here.
Yeah, yeah.
Because like Romero's done apparently said yes to Athletico Madrid already and he wants to go. Who blames him if, if Van de Ven isn't having that conversation? Like, yeah, I can see Ben Davis stating, Sonny should be thinking about going, getting a big payday or just going somewhere.
If, if spurs player, as me, a long lifelong fan, I'd be going, I need to get out.
Yeah, yeah.
So why would anybody, why would a non spurs fan have any kind of ambition to want to stay?
It.
It is absolutely crazy. And can I just say as well, look, we've both been watching football for a long time, right? Have you, have you ever, ever seen or can you remember a team go to Anfield, play out from the back and do well ever?
No.
Barcelona tried to do it, got hammered. The great Fergie team never did it. Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side don't do it.
Like that on a normal day as well.
Exactly, exactly. You cannot go to Anfield and try and play this crazy football where everything's got to be perfect for you to just get out your own half. It is absolutely brain dead.
We're 17th or 16th or 17th in the league because of how we're playing as well.
So true. It's so true. And on top of that as well, you go one nil up and I'm not saying we should be going there, I get it, but you go one nil up and actually the few times we just put the ball in the channel to Solanke, he did well against Van Dijk. I thought today he did really well. And then we've gone one nil up and then we've gone, we'll stop doing that, mate. It's mad. It is absolutely. As you do start to think, like, is any of this real?
This is what I said the other week. Chatgpt would just go, what's the information I've got? It's very easy to say how to fix this.
Yeah.
You know, like, you know where Ange is? Our best of our last five managers, he's our got the best win percentage in cup competitions.
It's just, it's nuts in it.
Yeah.
Can I just say one thing about the Europa League? There's a part of me, this is how much like, I dislike watching this football and these last two seasons, there's a small part of me that is like, I don't want Ange to win it because he'll, he'll have got away with it. I was gonna put this.
I've got it in my mind to.
Talk to you about and I don't feel. That's not, that's not my, my overarching feeling. It's not like I want to win it, of course I do. But there's a part of me that's like, if he wins it, he can go, I told you so it works. And like, and it's just like, it doesn't work, like what you're doing, it doesn't work. Do you know what I mean? It's like, obviously I want spurs to do it, but there's that part of me that goes like, this is just gonna like give you the confirmation that what you're doing in your head is correct. And it's like, it fundamentally is not correct what you are doing.
It's the better. I think it might be the best long term outcome for spurs to lose it because if he goes now, which I would choose, I would just get gone, then he'll go, oh, they, they got rid of me before I had my chance to win my final, semi, final bit like Mourinho is doing. And then if he goes and wins it, that will be the worst thing that's ever happened to a Spurs manager. So we need him to lose it so we can just get out the club and we can just.
How nuts is this? But it's like, we don't need him, we need him to win it because we need this. We need to win it. We need to win it. And it's like the other just like insane thing as well is like, I still cannot, I cannot like work out, let's but we've won the Europa League, right? How can we sack him? Do you know what I mean? Like, I know the logic is, of course we have to get rid of him. Of course we do. But football doesn't follow logic. And it's like if he's just delivered a European trophy and secured Champions League football for next season, it's like, how could they sack him? But then it's like, then, but you're not going to back him. And we know he'll be gone in October anyway. But we're just in this really weird world of like, you know, we talk about sliding doors moment all the time. Like what happens in the next few weeks is gonna have such a say in what happens in the next few years.
I think. 10 Hog. Wasn't he fired after winning the FA Cup? Conte was fired after winning the FA Cup. I think we can. I think it's okay to get rid of some people if, if they, if they win. He can't stay.
He can't. Like he, like he absolutely can't. But there is an outcome where he does. There really is.
Well, I really don't think there is.
Do you know, I'm not so sure. I think if we won the Europa.
League, can you imagine turning around to people and say, we want 1500 quid for your season ticket. We lost 21 games last season. How much does Southampton season ticket price?
And just while you're looking that up, I have asked Chat GPT, right, what can ans Postecoglou do to improve our results at Tottenham? It's come back with point number one, defensive organization. Tottenham's vulnerabilities have been evident, particularly in set piece situations. Point number two, midfield balance. While Poster Cogger emphasizes fluid attacking play, he needs to ensure more of a balance between offensive and defensive responsibilities. And then point number three, mental resilience. How crazy is that?
I'm just looking at pricing. So a Southampton season ticket price, the Most expensive is 729 pounds. For the most expensive, the cheapest is 379. Okay. Hospitality is 1300 quid. West Ham season ticket pricing. Oh, Jesus Christ. Oh. I mean it goes from 345 up to 1700 pound. We start at 856 for the gods and go up to 2. 367.
Yeah, my season ticket's like a grand and that's just like a bog standard seat in the south standards. Do you know what I mean?
It's 1071 pounds. Yeah, mate. That's so much cash. Particularly these Days to, to go watch that. And so imagine you, you're in charge of hiring and firing and setting those prices and going. The product has gone awful but we are keeping the prices the same.
It's unbelievable. I just like, I feel like I've said the last few years but like I just can't wait for this season to finish. Do you know what I mean? Like it's just, it's just demoralizing every week watching it. I was at the forest game Monday night and again like you just watch that and you're like what are we watching with like how we're being set up that like we conceded after what, four or five minutes from a corner from which we had possession and we lost the ball and just got counted on. Give a corner up go. And it's just, it's the same. It's just, you know what is. It's just. I don't need to go into it too much. We know what these sites the same stuff. It's not going to change.
Not in a forest who are really high in the league they might get Champions league football are six pack. They're cheap. Their most expensive season ticket is £6 cheaper than our cheap piss one.
Yeah, that's.
The other bit for me is I said it in the group. There's so much great sport, great moments. There's great stories going on. Like Ben and Eubank last night. What a fight. Generational fight. And you go like the heart. But both men show the desire, the courage, the toughness, the mental resilience. The Formula One stories are great. McLaren, Piastri and Norris fighting it out.
McElroy in the Gulf.
McElroy. What a story that is. The rugby like all of the everything.
Season on the horizon.
Cricket season, all of that. What Arsenal did to Real Madrid. Insane. Insane. And then you look at us and it's just awful. And I, I hate it for that I'm looking for. Do you know what? It's the first time in 14 years I'm not looking forward to the end of season show because I'm going to ask you for your moment of the season and I don't know what moments there are.
It'll be a podcast related non spurs related thing. If I'm totally honest with you, that is exactly what it will be.
I might just do an hour of Maldini versus Rodon. I just, just do quizzes because I mean what I. Goal of the season. I cannot remember any goals of the season. We've got three kids scoring away in was it for the Europa League where you know, was it a Jay and what's his face?
Oh, Lancashire scored in Galatasaray, didn't he? Mikey Moore scored.
Mikey Moore, that was great. And we obviously had the man City away win which is looking crazier by the day.
The moments of the season really have been the Manchester Away days. 4 nil and 3 nil. That's the, you know, that's the, that's the moment of it. And what will be the best bet will be getting people's low point of the season. That will be really interesting to see Tamworth because that's.
It's not only we had to go to extra time to beat Tamworth with a strong team, but that's when we realized I think there was a turning point for a lot of people and he's still here.
Do you know what's mad is when that happened, that game there should have been looking back on it, way more outrage. Do you know what I mean? Like the fact that. But I think it sort of got overshadowed a little bit because it's like oh, we got for an extra time call. That was close. Like that was sort of what it was, wasn't it? It wasn't. But like actually it should have been like we weren't able to, to be non league team over 90 minutes. You know the group of people that don't play football full time don't have access to professional facilities or nutrition or preparation or anything and like not only could we not beat him over 90 minutes, we couldn't score, we couldn't score a goal and we didn't even like, you know sometimes you have those games and the keeper has the game of his life and you're like, you look at the stats and it's like we should have won seven or eight nil. They were, they were good for their nil nil. Like they nearly won it at the end in that game. Maybe, maybe you look back at that and go it'd have been better if they'd have scored.
Maybe Liverpool went 1 nil down and went we are not worried at all today.
They laughed.
They laughed. And that is against a professional top division team. We, we couldn't do that against Tamworth.
I know it's a proper. It's. It's a real bad. There was some stats being shared as well during the game today which was like the amount of defeats we've had all season as well, which is like 22 or 23 now. I think it is, it's the most but it's it's the most since the 1912 season. So, like, there isn't a person alive that has seen spurs lose more games in a season than what we have done this year. Like, there's a point of like when stats are that that's not great, but like when you're like breaking records and it's like the worst ever, that like, it's. It's absolutely mad really, that he has survived this long.
We've now scored more own goals than we've ever scored and that's from this stupid playing out the back. It's like the. How many goals have you seen where we're trying to play it out and someone plays it from the box out to the midfield and it gets intercepted and they're in the Mallister goal.
Most goals that we concede are that. Yeah, like, they are.
And it kills me when you see the same thing happening again and again and again. Because it's bare basics, this stuff.
I think. I think most goals in football now are scored, aren't they? On the transition in the defensive teams. Third, you nick it high up your score and like, actually if you look at the teams that have got the best defensive records in the Premier League, so that is Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool are also up there. But they probably don't really apply as much in this argument. Those teams don't play out from the back anywhere near as much as the other sides do. They do it when it's on, but their first thought is, you know, how can we get the ball to our front men as quickly as possible? It's not playing 3v3 and Astic's yard box from a goal kick.
No. For me, the fact when people say, oh, he hasn't got the team he wants, then don't play that way. If the only way you can be successful when you play that way is if you have Xavi and. And Busquets in the middle of the park. And with all due respect, we never. No one could get those because they had to come through the system because you couldn't afford. No one could afford those. Those. Those three.
But this is his team now, though. That's the other thing. I do hear a few people saying that most of these players he bought. There's not. There's not. It's not as if you though, look at the starting 11 and he's brought in one. It's like the majority of the squad is his squad. He spent big money. It's only Chelsea, isn't it, that have spent more than spurs in the Last couple of windows, like, so I think he's had the opportunity to do it. And it just. It's just the dark time to be tight and the fact that, like, everything is just riding on the europa league. You know, we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
But I'm gonna give you some quotes. Expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed. We must let go of any expectations of how life should be in order to experience how life can be blessed. Is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. Whatever it is you're seeking Won't come in the form you're expecting. If disappointment comes from expectations. What should we hope for this season? Like, realistically now, with all the knowledge of everything that we've got, what do you hope for so you can have. Be peaceful before the end of the game.
To not lose the season. To not lose every game between now the end of the season.
So we've got two games against bodo and fort. So we've got six games left. And we're saying we don't want to lose at least one of them. And I will count the same.
Oh, no, no, I'm saying I don't. I'm saying I don't want to lose all of them.
But that. That doesn't make sense. Because we will. Because of. I mean, look at. Look at the last. Take however many games you want. The class, 20 games. We. We will lose them.
But looking at the last six and looking into next season with this. This current squad, this managing, the way we set up next season, we are in a proper, Proper relegation battle. A proper one next season.
I know about that.
It hasn't got any better. When we've had our players back. It hasn't got any better.
No. And I think when he goes, we'll get a new. We'll get a new manager. When he goes, he'll go. He'll go.
And we'll get With a new manager. We'll be all right. My thing is, if everything stayed the same and we had a typical spurs summer window, One or two go, One or two come in, and it's pretty much the same. Next season's a relegation battle with this manager. I have absolutely no doubt about that. We've won since we've had all of our players back, which was what, in february? He said we've won two league games in. In out of what, like, 10, 11. It's relegation form. It is relegation form. And it's relegation tactics. And it's a manager that is so in over his head. Who could still end up winning a European trophy and bringing us Champions League football next season. Imagine. Imagine us playing against psg, Real Madrid, Barcelona. Like.
I know.
Imagine us against.
I know, I know.
We always say, don't we? Like, you know, there's always a debate, how would Celtic and Rangers do if they came down to the Premier League? And I've always said I think they'd be in a relegation battle. I think they would be. And we've taken their manager and we played Rangers earlier this season and we just got a draw. Just. That's where we're at. Thomas, Frank.
Gonna put two names to you. Klopp. I can't even say Venga. I would take Venger until the end of the season as the manager.
I would love as Pole spurs fans next season. Wenger or Postecoglou. I'd love to know the answer to that.
That is a great, great question.
I'd love to. I mean, it's Posta Kogloo for me.
Like Benga.
Yeah. That man come nowhere near my club. Nowhere near it. But that's not with the good of the club at heart. Do you know what I mean? That's. That's because of the context. We should put that out there. Posta Koglu or Wenger for 12 months next season.
Who are you taking? Because you go, who's the most Chelsea manager you can think of? And he's been our manager.
Yeah.
What a shit show, isn't it? It's tough.
It's. It's tough.
But this is the point about the expectations. And what was leading to is like, do we just have two grand expectations of what our club should be? We had a couple of years where we had a bit of a peak bit like Wales did, where we had some good players and we had the world's best striker for far too long, where we were getting fifth and fourth, third, second once.
I'm not sure. Because if you look back at the whole of the Premier League era and were to take spurs, his average position, what is that? Probably about six or seventh. Probably.
Give or take.
Give or take. So it's like the start of the season. I think we all said it'd be great to be competing for the Champions League spots, but like we all basically predicted between what? Probably third and seventh or eighth. So actually we. We're probably realistic about like. Well, we expect to be where we have been on average. Do you know what I mean? It's like. I think we all probably would have accepted maybe being a little Bit lower than that. Just with the context of actually having to survive without Kane again and all of that. But, like, I. I don't think our expectations are too high. I mean, like I said, if you asked me to, like, what do I think's happening next year if everything stayed the same? It's a relegation battle. It's no higher than 14 for 15th in the league. Yeah, no higher. No higher than that. So, I don't know, I'd. Like, again, I'd be interesting to see what we all said at the start of the year, but I think most of us were like, let's be challenging for the European spots. Let's try and go on a cup run, basically. Let's try and just have the season that we always have, really.
Yeah. All right.
It's a massive reality check, though. In it for just for where we are is the biggest reality check in the world.
The point for me is as well is. Is for Levy, because you now, it's very stark. Like, we are very successful off the pitch and very poor on the pitch. Like, what is his priority now? Because it should be balance, of course.
And you should be able to achieve balance. You should, like, give or take. And it's again, like, without having the leaving Enoch in or out and all of that stuff debate, like, there's always at certain clubs, either the business side or the football side is prioritized more than the other. But it feels like with us, it's a really extreme balance. Do you know what I mean? Like, on a scale, I feel like most clubs are probably 65, 35, the 65 being make sure that commercially we're sat well. But spurs, it feels like it's what, like, 95.5. Like, it feels like the football club is something that's there along with the boxing that was the other night, along with the NFL. What happens along, like, it just feels like it's one of the products that Tottenham Hotspur offers. We offer a football club, but we also offer this. We also offer this. We also offer this. So it just feels like Lev has always been more commercial, business focused, but it feels like it's ramped up the last four or five years. It just feels like it's completely taken off. Yeah, but that's where we're at, you know what I mean? It's like, I think that realistically, are they going to sell? I doubt it. They might one day, but I try to not focus too much of my energy on that because, like, you're not going to see much change there, unfortunately. Whereas like, we can see change in the manager, we can see maybe changing the players and, you know, how we're doing on the pitch. But even that now, it all feels a little bit. I've sort of lost hope.
I mean, this is why I talked about expectations and hope.
I don't have any hope now. I've always sort of had that hope that you're like, you know, oh, wow. Like, in football, things can change quickly. And if you just make an amazing sign in from out of nowhere or like, you know, you get a bit of luck, like, you can achieve something that's amazing in a season. We still. We still can. But I don't have sort of that glimmer of hope. Like, I'm going into Thursday and then, even if we got through that, a final against just realistically, I cannot see Tottenham Hotspur going to Bilbao in a European final and beating Bilbao, basically, Bilbao away in a cup final. I can't see us winning that, and I can't see us beating Man United in a European cup final. Like, I just cannot see where that happens. Even though they're even worse than us. Do you know what I mean? Like, I don't know if. If that's part of the problem, but like, I just did, I just don't see a world where, if it is spurs against United, that we come out on top, even though we've beaten three times this season. I just feel like Tottenham don't beat Man United in a Europa League final and Tottenham don't beat Bilbao in a Europa League final in their own stadium.
No.
Do you know what I mean? It just feels like it can't happen. But maybe if it's going to happen, it's going to happen this season. Like. Like, genuinely who? Like, I don't know.
I mean, we've won the same amount of games as Palace. We just. They've drawn 12, we've drawn four. And that's where. I don't know. I'm trying to look for the hope.
But palace, palace yesterday against Aston Villa.
They were amazing, weren't? They?
Were amazing. And they really stepped up in a big game and they had a clear adjusted game plan for the opposition they were planned against. And you can really see, like, what an Oliver Glasner team is all about. And he's done that in, what, about 13, 14 months. You can see that, you know, how he likes to play, his formation, the types of personnel he needs in certain positions, the way that they're able to sort of suffer together for periods in games. And, like, that's okay. This is part of the plan.
I know.
You know, and if. If someone like that can go in there with lesser players at palace again, it just makes you.
You.
We're all. We're all staring the obvious thing in the face, aren't we? But I think he's been an absolute breath of fresh air to Palace Glassner and like you're looking at those. Some of those players that he's made even better. Do you know what I mean? In the last year like people that we know were good. We knew Essay was a good player. We knew Mateta was a good player. We knew Gay he was a good player. But now they've sort of. They're going up a level, wouldn't they? You know, he's. I think. I think he's done a brilliant job there and I think palace, well, they're on the brink of the best moment in their entire history, aren't they? Which you know, that's the other thing that I think I'm finding quite hard this season is that you know when we've been close spurs in the last but not what, eight or nine years and it's always been. We've always been the underdog in. In those big final semifinals, big moments and the cups have always been won by the top teams. And it's sort of always been like it's so hard to win anything this season. You could end up with Newcastle winning the League Cup. You could end up with palace winning the FA cup and Forest could end up in the Champions League spots. And like that argument's gone then is it that it's hard to win? Only the top teams win. That's what it is. It's like actually the other side to prove it. And that's. That's not the case anymore.
I know.
I know because just imagine the end of the season. Arsenal win the Champions League. Chelsea win the Europa Conference league. We finished 17th and below West Ham Crystal palace win the FA Cup. Could you imagine that?
I was going to ask like.
So who.
Who are the people we have to go out and get to sort this out? Because I really rate Solanki. I think with the right team around it's, it's. We're looking center back to replace Romero.
I think as deep we're looking at every single position.
Nah, left back we're fine. Right back we're okay. Left backwards.
Fullbacks call fullback.
I don't think the keeper's that bad. Other. I think he's got no support. He's having. He's having to do too many jobs.
But he's being asked to do what he's not good at.
Yeah, no protection. Van de Ven's fine. We need to center back. The two in midfield. SA looks lost now and Basuma is poor.
Benton got Benton, court, sa, Bisuma, all of them. But this is the thing. You're not playing football, manager or FIFA. You can't just get. You can't just shift the whole midfield out and get a whole new midfield. This, you know this is going to be why next season is going to be painful. But you look at Bassoon has got to go and like has to go. I think Bentoncourt or sa one of them can go as well.
Well, it sounds like Athletico Madrid are interested in Bentico. I'd be happy to. For him to say and be come out and say Bergwell is going to be at the heart of our midfield for next season. First choice, give or take. Like that's it. Kuluseski. I think I. I've never been his biggest fan but he does something Madison.
We miss him.
We massively miss him.
I. I feel like I'm in the minority a little bit with this film Kulisweft, but I still feel like we've seen Kulasevsky's best football off the right hand side and we haven't seen him there all season.
Yeah. Yeah. Who's saying otherwise?
Well, like there's this whole thing, isn't it? He's better off. He's better centrally and Ange plays him. He plays him centrally a lot more. I think you think he can go in there, but I don't know. I just think the best moments that I've seen with Kulisovsky's been on the right cutting in.
Yeah.
I mean making stuff happen from that little pocket. So I think Kulasevsky is an absolute must keep. He's. He's probably in my top three of players that like almost untouchable. Like we have to keep him.
Yeah, I'm fine with that. But then Johnson, our top scorer this season with 11 in the Premier League, 16 in total. He is very specialist. He is. He's like. He's a bit of daily's game late runs into the box.
That's all. All Johnson does. I know it's the hardest thing in football. All he does is score those goals at the back post which are valuable. They are valuable.
But like you've got to have more than that.
If you're just offering that then you're. You can't. He can't. That can't be the player that's starting.
And that's it for me. Solanki, Kulasevsky, Bergval, fullbacks, Van de Ven.
Yeah, but unfortunately, you can't. You can't shift all of them. But the. The big thing that really staring me in the face is I think they've got to figure out what the hell they're going to do about this captaincy situation and actually getting one or two leaders in there, because you see it when any. Anyone can lead when things are going well. And we saw that at the start of last season, everyone, do you know what I mean, was vocal, everyone was rallying, you know, getting people together. But it's in the moment where it's really tough and it's apparent that we have zero leaders. We have zero that. And I'm not talking about. You have to be a Roy Keane, Tony Adams, John Terry, screaming at people you don't have to beat up, but someone that, when the chips are down, they rise. Not people that. I think a lot of players we've got, they rise and they get better when things are going well. Do you know what I mean? Like, when we're playing well and there's confidence, Madison, Romero, those guys look better when. Do you know what I mean? But actually, you need leadership in those hard times to get yourself out of it. And we don't have one. We don't have one person in that. In that group. So that's. That's the biggest thing for me in the summer is can you go and get somebody that has got those leadership qualities and is a bit tough?
Did I not say Ramos in January? I genuinely thought it was a good idea. Is he the one who's going, I'm accepting this, or is he going around? I remember Tony Adams used to say he used to take. He used to tell people to stay down, or he used to go down and used to stay down and tell players to come to him that he wanted to give a bollock in and he'd give him a bollock in while he was injured on the floor. No one's doing that. No one's doing that.
Well, I did actually think that we might have made a move for Christian Norgaard about a month ago. You know, the Brentford captain?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He signed a new contract. Signed a new contract.
I was thinking gay. That's what I was thinking about. But if. Why would you. I wouldn't go to Chelsea if I was gay. And then it's between us and Man.
United, so it's not Gonna, this is the thing. So watching the game with my brother earlier and he. We're talking about this know players we go and get. And he went who's coming though?
I know, I know, I know.
He went, he went who's coming? He said because he, he made a really good point and he was like spurs have never paid the top wages, right? We never will. But you've always had the lure of come and play with Harry Kane. Come and you know, come and come and come and come and play but. Or like come and play in Europe. Like we are offering Champions League, Europa League football because we have been there or thereabouts. It's like all of those things are gone. So it's a little bit now like call up. We can't even get those like emerging players like a Berg Val we couldn't get now. Do you know what I mean? We'd struggle to, to get someone like that. So I don't even know what type of pool of players we're even shopping in anymore.
We go, you know what I mean? I'd say you're going to be a main man. Gay English spine. Let's go get him and go. Look, we're Tottenham Hotspur. We've had a really bad season. New manager can be our main men.
You know what I just think let's just put a mad contract down. De Bruyne here's the captaincy. You're a free agent. We'll give you 350 grand a week. Just 12 month deal. You know, come and play with us, do you know what I mean? But like the real come with he. No he wouldn't. I've just looked at on transfer market. You know Premier League players are out of contract at the end of the season. Trent. Yeah, we'll have him. That'd be great. Kevin De Bruyne. Tyreek Mitchell of the palace. Left back. He's. He's actually quite a good player. Dominic Campbell Lewis.
Oh yeah. No, I don't want to see him at our club.
Ola Aina. You know the right back.
Yeah.
Fullback, Forest, Carl Walker, Peters. I could so see him coming back. I could so see.
I will bet you he comes back.
Kenny Tette, Fulham right back. Tariq Lamptey. Callum Wilson. Do you know Adama Traore.
Jr. Hasn't got a club? He's selling turmeric shots now. Thomas Henry, Alex, Hal Robson, Carno. Just saying.
Who else is available on a free? Victor Lindelof. Oh God, the irony. Ben Davis and Sergio Reguillon.
How have we still Got him at the club.
Danny Ings, Michael Keane.
Stop it.
Christian. Christian Erickson.
But you'll make me sad now I watched Delhi.
Christian Erickson. Christian Erickson can't. Christian Erickson would start.
Not now. Not fat Christian Erickson.
I think he would start. I'm sure there's anybody else out there. We could do a proper reunion because Carlos Vinicius is also available. So we could bring back Walker Peters. Erickson. Vinicius isn't deli available as well at the end of the season because he's on a short term contract. But there's not actually that much out there available on a free Jamie Vardy.
Can you imagine?
I saw someone on Twitter say Jamie Vardy stinks of a free transfer to Leeds. That is so true that I think it was Abbas a few weeks ago was like what players scream like Galatasarai and it was like actually like Jamie Vardy at Leeds and like Romero at Atletico. You just like. You can see that, can't you?
Yeah. Like, yeah, yeah.
Anyway, there's not that much basically in the free agent market from the Premier League anyway, so.
Mate, I'm positive we're going to beat West Ham. We'll get. We'll be. We're going to win two games this week.
Have we done that all season? Have we won two games in a week all season?
You definitely have. Don't ask me to name them but like we're gonna win two games this week. We're gonna beat West Ham in a horrible game and it will mean everything.
And I thought a one nil set.
Mate, I would take that. We have a plan. Park the bus at the Olympic stadium. I'm all in. Morning.
Oh God. I think I. I'm gonna go for this week. 21 against Bodo glimpsed to spurs who.
By the way have been playing this is their 23rd month in a row. They've been playing because of Europe and the league. They haven't stopped for two years.
Just add to it and then I'm gonna go a one nil defeat at West Ham.
Can you imagine? We get knocked out by a team that's been playing for two years straight. Who. And it's the first time a team from that country, Norway. Norway has ever made it to this stage of any European tournament. Imagine getting knocked out.
It would be. It would be classic. It would be absolutely. It'd be like the time we lost to the team that had a manager in prison. They also by the Glenn don't have a grass pitch either. It's an artificial Pitch, isn't it? They're planned because where they're located.
So I mean, just a laughing stock.
Yeah, it really is. It really is. So I'm gonna go for one win and one defeat this week. It would be like, we just gotta win Thursday.
We'Ve gotta win on Sunday, because we can't just say, oh, it's all about the Europa League. We have to sort this out in the league. We cannot finish 18th.
No, we cannot finish 18th. You're right. We mathematically cannot finish 18th.
We cannot finish.
There's, you know, you were saying earlier about like, expect. My expectation is we finish above 18. Here we go. So I'm going to be satisfied with what my expectation is.
Cannot finish 17th.
That one I'll stay quiet on.
Well, let's meet up. Let's meet up. What a show, mate. Thanks as ever. It's been a pleasure speaking to you, not watching Spurs. And don't forget, the future's bright. The future's lily 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 Python 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 the beating of the trap and the picking of the lock. The swiftness of thought, the lightness of touch. We are Gynoler, Greaves, Klinsman. We are the collective gasp, the intake of breath, the flick, the trick, the 30 yard free kick. We are Hodl, Mabbit and Kane. 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.
Vanderva to level it up. Raphael Van der Vaart. Two touches. It's quite a game, isn't it always?
We are Jennings, Defoe and Ferryman. Glory past, glory future. What was, what is, what's next? We are Blanch, Flower, Adelis 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.
It's all over the top. He can really stumble. Going all the way again here. And Leonard's kicked him out. Wow. This is incredible. This is quite incredible. Truly a glory, glory day for Tottenham Hotsburg.
