REACTION: West Ham 0-3 Tottenham | Spurs Smash West Ham at London Stadium to Go Joint Top

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0:58Jack:come on you Spurs that's what we want that's what we want a bit more of that a bit more of that the plucky lily whites Tommy Frank's Tommy Frank's plucky lily whites do it again Bournemouth a bit of a blip we can blame that on the international break it's not our fault it's nothing to do with Thomas Frank nothing to do with the players it's just quite a simply scientific fact that Tottenham don't win before international breaks. But we've bounced back. We've gone to West Ham's backyards, smashed them about the place, and here we are sitting joint top of the table. Absolutely lovely Tottenham Hotspur.

1:41Jack:Absolutely lovely. I'm just, you know, I'm feeling pretty good about Spurs so far this season. It has to be said. It has to be said. Thomas Frank came out before this game, didn't he? And he took it on the chin. He said straight up, I made some mistakes in that last game against Bournemouth. It was a terrible game. It hasn't gotten any better since I've rewatched it. But I've learned from that and I'm going to be applying some, whatever, some of the learnings to the future games. Whether or not that's the case today, I don't know. Because West Ham, pretty dogged. defensively in the first half.

2:23They managed to sort of clog up play a lot, didn't they?

2:26Jack:They didn't allow us to play through them with ease in the first half. I think naturally as a consequence, obviously, of Suchet going off, but I think they'd already started to tire towards the end of the first half that we managed to begin picking them apart. Javi Simmons we saw some flashes of his brilliance his kind of creative abilities coming to the fore not quite there you know obviously it's his first game first game in the Premier League but a decent performance a few lovely deliveries from corners as well I saw a couple of fans moaning about his ability from corners before the game but whatever you know corners are you know unless you're Arsenal people aren't very good at corners nowadays anyway lovely performance lovely just you know what a lovely and it sounds mad to say of a game that we won 4-0 I was going to say 3-0 but we won that game 4-0 and I will get on to this VAR decision dash refereeing decision but for a game that we 3-0, 4-0.

3:34Jack:It was kind of no thrills. It was just a very solid performance from Tottenham. Everybody doing the basics very well. Everybody doing their job extremely well. Very disciplined positionally. Very disciplined in possession. I thought Romero was... Bergvold got man of the match from Sky. I thought Romero was phenomenal today. I really did. You know, I'm often one to sort of dig him out or be quite critical of him. But I think he was particularly exceptional today. Pape Matassar. In the pre-match preview on Patreon, patreon.com slash RTRpod, I actually, I left Pape Matassar out of my starting 11.

4:24Jack:I had kind of favoured going with Polinia, Bentancur and Xavi Simmonds. I had Xavi Simmonds playing through the middle. But Papi Matassar has proven me wrong once again because just a phenomenal performance. The reason why I cited for starting Bentancur is I felt that his maturity in a game like this might come in handy. I think we've sort of criticised Papi Matassar in the past for his lack of maturity on the field at times he's got a lot going for him hell of a lot going for him a fantastic player anybody that's listened to this pod for any length of time will know how much of a fan of Papi Matassar I am but I think this season is like it's like a new player in many respects we're seeing all of the good things that we've seen from Papi Matassar in the past his box-to-box ability his relentless energy like he does not stop running game after game after game he doesn't stop bags of energy he's always dropping back always being there provide being brave making himself an option for the defense to lay the ball off to to start transitioning the ball up the field but he's always outside the box as well he's always outside the opposition box that is ready to sweep up when we are attacking he's always there on the outskirts waiting to break up any breaks from the opposition you know waiting to disrupt what it is that they do or just sweep up any loose balls keep the play moving he really does have the funny thing is he really does have a metronomic if you like effect on our play I feel we often reserve those kind of like those terms for players like a Madison or for a player like Modric um and I think I think sometimes Pat Matassar gets quite unfairly kind of pigeonholed as a as a runner someone with an engine um but I think and maybe that has been more true in the past but I think what we're definitely starting to see is he gets older as he grows in confidence um Thomas I mean Thomas Frank obviously loves him I would say.

6:37Jack:Thomas Frank is clearly a fan of his. Maybe that confidence that he's getting from the gaffer and just as a natural consequence of getting older is starting to bear fruit. We're starting to reap the rewards of that because I just think he's an exceptional player. I mean, a beautiful goal today. Lovely header. Well taken goal. I just want to see... I've seen a lot of Spurs fans this week reacting to... I want to say... I can't remember if it was ESPN or... It was one of the aggregators. One of the aggregators put out a graphic that was saying, who's the best young midfielder in the Premier League?

7:17And they had Wharton and Belaber and a few other players on this graphic.

7:23Jack:And loads of Spurs fans were quote-tweeting this, being like, this guy, Pat Matassar. And I think it is about time. I know like us as fans, we have this kind of chip on our shoulder. Why isn't anyone ever talking about us? But I do think Pat Matasson needs to start coming into conversations more outside, like from not just Spurs fans, basically. That's the point I'm trying to make. The wider footballing community needs to start recognising what a talent he is, what a player he is. Because I think he's fantastic. I think he's phenomenal. And I promise you, I'm doing it a little bit, but I promise you I'm not doing a like, I told you so, or anything like that.

8:10Jack:But you know, you know how many years I've been going on about this lad now. And how just the promise that not just I've seen in him, that lots of people have seen in him, obviously. A succession of managers who have all decided to continue using him when they, you know, take over at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. I just think he's a brilliant player I think he's a brilliant, wonderful player super young, growing in confidence bags of ability it's only going to get better from here man it's only going to get well, I mean, fingers crossed but I choose to be positive about this and I think it's only going to get better from here and I think we've got a hell of a player on our hands there and he's kind of like a player that's been staring us all in the face I think part of it is that it's hard to you know we are kind of and I get it we're kind of in an age now where football like tactical breakdowns tactical discussions around football are very prominent right and I think what that leads to as a natural consequence is that we look for every single player to have a really really specific role within things and I think with Pat Matassar it's quite hard like is he like a number eight is he an unconventional number eight is he more of like an old school box-to-box midfielder what happened right what happened to just saying he's well good he's a well good midfielder and do you know what to be a good team you need to have well good players right that's what he is what position what stats does what what what were pat matt stars sats like today jack well good that's what they were what was his function within the team being well good he's he's he's a lovely player he's a lovely talent um as is Lucas Bergvold another player who I definitely didn't have in my like starting 11 and I didn't really see in many other people's sort of starting 11s ahead of this game um there's been some again like this sort of the the knee jerk kind of does Thomas Frank not like Lucas Bergvold have they had a falling out does he oh he doesn't fancy him does he um I mean the guy's been in charge for a few weeks like he's just getting to know all the players and that isn't he um but Lucas Bergvold today was absolutely fantastic I don't know if you saw there was a really really really lovely video really good video um Tom Tonks who is that lad who played for um oh god this is really rude of me the conference team we played last year that We ended up beating 3-0 in extra time.

10:53Jack:But it took us two extra time and they nearly got us right at the very end. And Tom Tonks was their player with the super long throw in. Tamworth. Thank you, Ross Jay. Tamworth. Tom Tonks was the player with the super long throw. Anyway, he appeared on a podcast this week. And they were asking him about the Spurs game. And he was just being brutally honest about it, which is interesting to see. he was sort of saying, you know, you tell yourself as a player, I reckon I could have a go in the Premier League. I reckon I could do it. And then he said after playing Spurs, he was like, nah, nah, not a chance.

11:30Jack:And he was just obviously talking about the fact that, obviously, like, you know, we've been hearing a lot about this for the lad. I nearly said Fritzl. Like, I genuinely nearly said, I couldn't think of his name. I'm not saying it to be funny. That's what I was going to say. That's why I'm sort of laughing to myself. The lad, is it worst? No, it's a sausage, isn't it? The lad that Liverpool have signed, right? You know, everyone was saying, he hasn't adapted to the Premier League. And he took the very mature step of coming out and being like, it's not the physicality of the Premier League. It's just the speed of it.

12:03Jack:I just need to get my fitness up a bit and I'll be much better. And Tom Tonks was basically saying like, not a chance I'd be able to play in the Premier League. And the thing is, I think some extra, like some additionally interesting context behind this is I reckon most conference national players so most players who play in a conference national are still obscene footballers I reckon your your your average sort of even your average Sunday league player would would struggle playing conference national level like it's semi-professional I think it's veering towards being a professional league nowadays near enough because of the money in the game and what have you but I think it's still technically semi-professional.

12:48Jack:And I think for a player like at any level, you know, what's that? The fourth level out of however much the pyramid is sitting there and reflecting and saying like all of the Spurs players were just strong, fast and any single, my meandering point is leading to he said of Lucas Bergwahl, that kid is going to be a star. That kid, he was 18 years old when he played us and he was just quick, strong, like giving us all a game. And it is mental. Like after he's, because I mean, Lucas Bergwold's goal today was ridiculous, ridiculous. The technique, like the technique alone, to track the ball, right?

13:30Jack:To run, keep your eyes on it, run into that space and the technique to pull off that header because he definitely meant that. He definitely meant that. absolutely audacious beautiful goal and

13:49Jack:lost my train of thought god that doesn't happen often the point I was trying to draw yes 19 years old right when they said that after that when they said that after he scored he said he's still only 19 you think god forget that man like I forget that you forget like this is a kid that again with all due respect has just come out of the Swedish leagues and is now playing Premier League football pretty much week in week out for the most part even if he's not playing the full 90 all the time and he doesn't look out of place at all and more than that it's not just that he doesn't look out of place he looks really good he looks brilliant again he's a player that that is, I wouldn't say we have a strict kind of idea of what he is positionally, probably again like a number eight, isn't he?

14:44Jack:But still, he is a player that is versatile. He is a player that brings a lot to every single game that he plays in. He has that spirit, he has that intensity of play. And he just has a lovely, clean, crisp technique to most things that he does. A wonderful, wonderful piece of business. And I know we like to complain about buying these younger players. We want players for now. We want players for today. But it's hard to say that Lucas Bergwold isn't a player for today, right? But I get it. I get it. The point is more we want more Xavi Simmonds. And hopefully that is going to be what we want more Mohamed Koudouz, who was phenomenal today.

15:29Jack:Wonderful performance from him. Xavi Simmonds. watch his first game, his debut for Spurs, very good. I was surprised to see him play out wide. I do like seeing his technique. I do like seeing him cut in. He is clearly very one-footed. And that's something that, in terms of people flagging his weaknesses before we signed him, people said he's ridiculously one-footed. But what he does with that foot is magic. and that seems to be, we got hints of that today. Composed, he didn't look like the occasion was above him. You know, going away to West Ham, a club that they're not in the best sort of state at the moment, really, but they usually always turn up against us.

16:16Jack:Our record against them away from home has been pretty disgusting for the past few years. It's our first win there since 2019. The Dele Alli run in the show game. Mourinho's first game in charge. So, you know, we haven't had the best of luck there for the past few years. But Xavi Simmonds didn't let the occasion get to him, looked like he was somebody that was already carrying the sort of expectations that had been placed upon him and was getting stuck in, getting in the mix. I'm not going to sit here and say it was like, you know, a phenomenal performance, but that's not a criticism. That's just merely saying that this is a player who is playing his first game away in a derby in the Premier League, blah, blah, blah, blah, right?

17:04Jack:He's got something. But what we did see, we saw some lovely flashes. It was nice when he cut inside. He kept putting those lovely, lovely looping, quick kind of looped crosses into the far post that nobody seemed to be able to get on the end of. But I don't think that was his fault. I think the deliveries were more often than not really nice. There was one where Kudus got so close to getting on the end of it. He took on his man a few times. He had a couple of nice little interplays with Jed Spence. Down that left-hand side, there's a lot of promise there. Really, really looking forward to seeing more from him, quite obviously.

17:44Jack:It was quite a shame for Cullen Winey not to get a run out today. But as Frank has said, he's not played since the Club World Cup. He needs to get up to speed. He needs to kind of find his fitness again. So that's fine. All in all, though, just a lovely, lovely point. It's good to put the Bournemouth game behind us. I do think we can pick away at that game as much as we want to. Did we get ahead of ourselves because of the City game? You know, did this happen? Did that happen? Did we get it wrong tactically? Did we get it wrong in terms of like personnel? But I think like the main thing I sort of took away from that game is that Bournemouth are not the team that they once were.

18:34Jack:Bournemouth are, they're a good team. They've got a very rich owner. There's been a lot of money put into that team, into assembling that team. And they've got a really good manager who is what, two years now into his project, if you like. I think they just had our number on the day. Really? I think they had our number. They maybe took us by surprise a bit. Maybe we were slightly arrogant. I don't know. That's all just a projection. That's like our minds filling the gaps as to trying to make sense of how that could happen, how Spurs could lose at home to Bournemouth. But I think more often than not, the truth is staring you straight in the face.

19:12Jack:Bournemouth were just better than us on the day and it showed. But we have put that one behind us. West Ham, conversely, just had a great result away at Nottingham Forest, you know, before the international break. Maybe they turned a corner. They hadn't. We put them back in their box, back in their smelly, disgusting little box. And it was a lovely, lovely performance. Jack Underhill says, first comment, which the kids tell me means I'm cool. thought the back line were barely challenged Lucas and Polina were brilliant agree Bergvall are best midfielder for me good win from Ben Mathis Jack Underhill also said Simmons had some bright sparks brilliant corner for Saar's goal Benedict Fox has said a lot to like right now but hang on Benedict where's this going having pride in young players that are becoming the core of the team is the best Yes, yes, Benedict.

20:20Jack:You saved it, mate. You had me in the first half, but then you saw it through. There was me thinking that butt was coming along to do a big, horrible dump all over this joyous little bubble that we've got here, mate. But it wasn't. You didn't do that. He went on to say, really feels like we're on the right track and in love with Saar and Bergvau. Yes, mate. Hacker BLCPS says West Ham ran out of gas too early agreed usually they get a second win for a strong finish the red card took that wind out of them and you know it was like a double red card that it was disgusting challenge stupid silly from a experienced kind of senior member of their squad like that you need to count on those type of players in these sort of games and you let them down didn't he but oh well and that hey um Thomas Cowie says first win away at West ham since 2019 yep let's have stamford bridge and the death star next coys yes please mate um ross j says take away his set pieces how average is raw prowse mate well i was just happy he didn't score against us there's always that bit of me when i see him in the starting lineup for the opposition where i think i'm going to end this afternoon by seeing that prat wheeling away doing his golf club celebration thing once again.

21:44Jack:And it's what it is, isn't it? John Benfield says, is it wrong I'm more angry about the Bournemouth game now? I mean, it's not wrong, mate. I'm not here to tell you if you're right or wrong. But what I am here to say is, get over it, mate. Really? Love you, lad, but come on. I'm saying that in a matey sense. I'm not, whatever. John does go on to say, what a win, though. Team is looking good. We need to see a nine playing though. Ooh, weren't happy with Mathis Tell, were you, mate? Let's have a look. We'll talk about that in a second. Ross J says, I think Pelini needs some props. I will get to that, mate.

22:19Jack:Ben Mathis also says, hello, mate. One clean sheet shy from matching last season's Premier League. I mean, that is ridiculous, isn't it? Nice to look competent defensively. Dominic Manto says, bit of justice today. After the shocking call with Romero's goal in the first half, agreed. Fantastic second half, super control with all the players understanding their roles. That VAR decision, VAR-on-field decision, just ridiculous. In the heat of the moment, right, if the referee sees something that resembles a push, fine, if he knows it's going to VAR. But for the VAR, and I know they've got this back the referee policy now, but that was just an inherently incorrect decision.

23:06Jack:that was made there like sky we heard alan smith go oh i think van der ven is the uh he's the culprit there you know you hear that draw that boring goona draw that we get every single time we play on a sky sports talking about how van der ven's the culprit as they're literally showing 10 ,000 frames a second slow-mo of Van de Ven in the box with, I can't remember who it was, one of the West, Fernandes or something, one of the West Ham player, literally around his back, like on his back, like a sort of koala baby, as their goalkeeper shoves him at the same time. And it just so happens that he obviously loses his momentum and goes into Carl Walker-Peters, which results in a perfectly legitimate goal getting ruled out.

24:02Jack:And again, we ask the question, what's the point of EAR? There we go. Deuces Wild says, congrats to Thomas Frank on matching Ange Postacoglu's win total against Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham in the Premier League. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.

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24:51Jack:Kudos did well to get through that game. Seen it before. Ex-players react badly. So fair play to him from Ross Jay. London Easter says, Glad the fourth didn't go in as it keeps Potter in the job.

25:06Jack:And Juan Hodges says, A London derby with no jeopardy. Unprecedented. Never in doubt. About time we won at that dump. Brett Nurse, so comfortable. How lovely. Alan Leslie, hello mate, says, Enjoyed that tonight. potential is unlimited Bergvot was fantastic highlight was an argument with a drunk Celtic supporter about Ange quality night altogether HS says FML Lee Dixon on NBC and Alan Smith on Sky at least Lee thought it wasn't a foul

25:47Jack:lovely lovely lovely let's do the players I've got a mate's 40th birthday to get to. See what I do for you? See what I do for you? I'm here missing one of my oldest friend's 40th birthdays. So I'm here to deliver the adoring listeners with their serve you up your slop, my audio slop. But here we are with the players. Juliano Vicario didn't have anything to do, did he? I think he made a couple of decent saves. Fine, good performance. Well done, lad. I saw some graphic doing the rounds that was basically saying he's made the most saves to shots faced in the Premier League this season or something.

26:35Jack:So put some respect on his name and all that type of thing. Pedro Porro, fine. I don't think it was a mammoth performance from him today, actually, to be fair. But it was good as ever. He's just a good player, isn't he? wasn't tested defensively really and did what he had to do going forwards Christian Romero if I'm being honest probably my man of the match I think he was just a titan today there were several times when he just coolly dealt with any sort of hint of a threat around the box I think he is stepping up into this role as captain in a way that we would have hoped for you know he is probably still on paper our biggest player if you like player with the biggest profile and he is the club captain world cup winner so we're going to need more of that we're going to need more of that energy we need him leading from the front or from the back in that fashion so well done Jefe Van de Ven And good performance.

27:48Jack:Very good. Wasn't really tested. Lovely finish for the goal again. Really nice. Really nice finish, actually. Apparently, there's an interview with him that the Premier League did this week. I've still not watched it. It's supposed to be very good. So check that out if you haven't seen it. Judd Spence. He's just a lovely player, isn't he? buoyant I would imagine off the back of getting his first England call up um lovely little bit we're talking about sort of media around players lovely little video of uh his sisters sort of you know congratulating him on his England cap and him getting a bit sort of choked up about it um he's just he's a he's a wonderful player he's a tenacious player it's it's really it's really tough because Destiny Adoghi is a brilliant, brilliant player.

28:40Jack:And it's not really tough. It's a lovely problem to have. It's a delightful problem to have lots of really good players who are all sort of banging down the door to play for Tottenham Hotspur. But Jed Spence is lovely. I thought he was linking up with Xavi Simmons quite nicely as they got into the swing of things. um lovely performance uh from yeah from from him and he's just he's just such a good player there's there's lots of those kind of like centrist dad platitudes about him at the moment aren't they you know this is what perseverance and blah blah blah gets you which is true i know i'm just being a bit of a cynical kind of knob about it but also just you know just like yeah he's a good player.

29:28He's class and just kind of,

29:30Jack:it's what it is. I know people, I know people are just trying to give him his flowers and all that, but also like, he's really good. So let's just, let's just focus on that bit now. Papo Matassar, I literally spent about 10 minutes talking about him. I love him. Well taken goal. Star boy. I will never doubt you again. First name on the team sheet. Wonderful player. Wonderful, wonderful player. Huge future. Huge future. Jaupelina now look I've got to say this right I find it a real shame I find it a real shame that Jaupelina has already already becoming what is a positive start to the season for Tottenham good transfer window why we've allowed him to become a culture war like the center of a culture war at Tottenham I don't really get like why that's happening like why we are do you know i mean why we're having to sort of be stuck in this thing of like people pecking at each other oh you'd start him i wouldn't this and that the main thing is right we can say that it's a squad game right it's it's an overused cliche but still it's a squad game right so the lad maybe shouldn't be starting every single game but i think to deny that he has got that he is of any use at all to us.

30:56Jack:And I think the over, and I do believe this, I think there's an over-exaggeration to his lack of technical ability. I see people like really, really ragging on his passing, really ragging on his like technical ability as a footballer. And I think it is wildly overstated. I really do. Like he's a talented footballer. and today his presence really allowed us to just control the midfield and thus control the game you had Bergvold and Saar buzzing around him as he just did all the grunt work really and then just laid the ball off to either of those two to do their thing he's definitely got a very useful purpose within this team and he isn't just some clogger I'm not I'm just not buying it right I'm not buying it.