Spurs Sign Nobody On Deadline Day | Unpacking The Window, Youth Obsession & A Threadbare Squad

2 Feb 2026 · 55 min · 17 chapters

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In short

Rule The Roost - A Tottenham Hotspur Podcast

Episode Summary

Spurs Sign Nobody On Deadline Day | Unpacking The Window, Youth Obsession & A Threadbare Squad

In this episode, Jack is joined by Phil to discuss the frustrations surrounding Tottenham Hotspur's recent transfer window. The narrator's tone combines a mix of sarcasm, humor, and genuine concern regarding the current state of the club as they navigate through a tough season.

Key Themes and Highlights

  1. Transfer Window Frustrations
  2. No Significant Signings: Spurs failed to make any impactful signings as the transfer window closed, which left fans feeling disappointed and anxious about the team's direction.
  3. Youth Over Experience: The club's focus appears to be on acquiring young talent rather than securing ready-to-play veterans. This has raised concerns about the team's immediate competitiveness.
  4. Gambling with Squad Depth: The lack of senior reinforcements amidst mounting injuries is seen as a significant risk for the ongoing campaign.
  1. Current Squad Evaluation
  2. Threadbare Resources: Discussion surrounding the squad's depth highlights major concerns, especially with key players injured and a lack of replacements available.
  3. Concerns About Injuries: The injury list is extensive, with several players not returning for months, making the situation dire and emphasizing the need for reinforcements.
  1. Match Reflections
  2. Manchester City Game: Despite a draw against Manchester City, the performance left listeners pondering whether it was a true reflection of the team's capability or merely a result of City's complacency.
  3. Tactical Analysis: Jack and Phil dissect how the tactical setup during the game contributed to the mixed results, citing moments of individual brilliance versus systemic issues.
  1. Fan Sentiments and Reactions
  2. Frustration with Ownership: The club's management and their approach to transfers and player acquisition were heavily critiqued, showcasing a lack of trust in their decision-making.
  3. Media Scrutiny: The hosts discussed how media narratives around Spurs fans and the team's mentality often paint them in a negative light, leading to feelings of unfair treatment.
  1. Pop Culture References
  2. The episode includes various pop culture references, which add an engaging layer to the discussions. They often draw parallels between football and broader societal issues, showcasing the hosts' unique style.

Key Takeaways

  • Fear of Underperformance: There is a palpable concern that the current squad's lack of depth could lead to further underperformance as the season progresses.
  • Mixed Optimism: Despite the frustrations, there is a glimmer of hope that with the return of injured players, Spurs could turn their fortunes around, especially in upcoming matches.
  • Continued Dialogue: The necessity for ongoing discussions about Tottenham's future and strategies in the transfer market is vital for fans seeking clarity and direction.

Closing Thoughts Jack and Phil's lively banter, combined with their deep-rooted passion for Spurs, continues to resonate with fellow fans who share in the club's struggles and occasional triumphs. The episode reflects a broader narrative of navigating hope amidst disappointment, an experience familiar to many football supporters.

Up the Spurs!

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Transfer Window Woes

2:00 to 4:06

Discussion on Tottenham's lack of signings and current squad issues.

“Welcome back to Rule the Roots Podcasts.”

Youth Focus and Future Prospects

4:06 to 6:28

Analyzing Tottenham's focus on young talent and its implications.

“you're sort of putting a lot of pressure on young shots.”

Injury Concerns and League Position

6:28 to 8:06

Examining the impact of injuries on Tottenham's performance and league standing.

“I think that's pretty substantial, to be honest.”

Reflections on Recent Matches

8:06 to 10:54

Reflections on the game against Manchester City and its implications.

“I think I've, as I am a dar now, I think I've darred doing this live.”

Looking Ahead at Season Challenges

10:54 to 14:07

Discussing the challenges and expectations for the rest of the season.

“without kind of doing their utmost to get themselves out of it.”

Analyzing Spurs vs. Man City: Tactical Insights

14:07 to 18:15

Explore the tactical changes and player performances in the Spurs vs. City match.

“But Javi Simmonds, yeah, he was really good.”

The Intangible Factors in Football

19:16 to 22:57

Discuss the psychological aspects influencing team performance against top clubs.

“for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow.”

Evaluating Player Contributions and Squad Depth

22:57 to 28:00

Assess the contributions of individual players and the overall squad dynamics.

“people weren't very charitable with Ange Bostokoglu with regards to this.”

Analyzing Squad Depth and Player Performance

28:00 to 28:50

Discussion on player performance and squad utilization amidst injuries.

“I don't know if it's a starter or even a second choice, but yeah, it is quite annoying that his agent keeps spouting off and then when he does get a chance, he absolutely stinks the gaff out.”

Humorous Anecdotes on Player Illness

28:50 to 30:00

Light-hearted reflections on past player mishaps and illnesses during games.

“Romero, I don't really know what's happened.”
Show all 17 chapters

Goalkeeping Challenges: Vicario's Form

30:00 to 31:10

Analysis of goalkeeper Vicario's recent performances and positioning issues.

“Just someone taking a piss in a corner flag like Sunday League.”

The State of Goalkeepers in the League

31:10 to 33:50

Discussion on the current standard of goalkeepers in football and potential transfers.

“Again, it was still kind of a good effort from Cherki because he had to kind of, you know, bend it into the far corner.”

Reflections on Aging Players and Nostalgia

33:50 to 36:50

Conversations on the aging player phenomenon and personal reflections on age in media.

“So, you know, I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of sort of loads of up and coming players or anything anymore.”

Transfer Window Analysis: Tottenham's Dilemmas

36:50 to 40:00

In-depth discussion on Tottenham's transfer strategies and missed opportunities.

“no joy in the modern world and everything.”

Transfer Window Frustrations

42:01 to 46:54

The hosts discuss the missed opportunities and frustrations of the January transfer window, highlighting the lack of proactive recruitment amidst injuries.

“So, but all that being said, there's thousands of players out there.”

Reaction to Fan Scrutiny

46:55 to 49:54

A passionate discussion on the scrutiny faced by Spurs fans and the media's portrayal of their mentality, especially in light of recent matches.

“We'll start hearing about war chess and stuff when the...”

Looking Forward to Future Matches

49:55 to 54:20

The hosts shift to a lighter tone, discussing upcoming matches and the camaraderie of attending games despite team struggles.

“And we're just the easy target because no one cares about Spurs and it's just easy to take a shot at us and no one's going to kind of bring you to task on it.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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1:36Phil:Brilliant Connor Gallagher. Players in white waiting in the middle, including Celagni!

1:47Jack:Can you believe that? The audacity and Spurs from two down have levelled it. Hello everybody. Welcome back to Rule the Roots Podcasts. Phil, how are you doing?

2:05Phil:I'm okay, unless we're going to talk about transfers.

2:09Jack:I think, yeah, we probably should at some point talk about transfers. It is, oh, look, 6.30, 6.30 on the dot. It'll be interesting to see what the lag is with this going live at the same time. But, you know, while we're recording, it's 6.30 on the dot. Tottenham Hotspur don't look like they are going to be signing anybody right now. How are you feeling about that, mate? are you seeing an 11th hour bid coming in for Ackley Ush despite what your man Tom Barkley said?

2:46Phil:No, actually. I mean, I think we've all done these transfer windows lots and lots of times and I think that there's clear indicators about when or if things are going to be happening and when was it? Ali Gold tweeted, didn't he, that unlikely to be any income and Matt Law and I think Tom Barkley as well all kind of said it. That was about, what, midday or around then? So, yeah. I don't expect anything, Jack, although we are signing someone from Hearts. Yeah, we're signing like a child, aren't we?

3:21Jack:What's he called? Let's find out what his name is. We're signing James Wilson we're signing. We got a here we go from Fabrizio Romano.

3:34Phil:A pity here we go.

3:35Jack:18-year-old striker to join the THFC project. I mean, again, it's one of those things where you're like, cool, if he's highly rated and he seems to be, that's great. And I'm glad to see Tottenham Hotspur Football Club being ambitious and thinking about the future and all that type of thing.

4:01Jack:However, it's sort of what we've seen over the past few years, isn't it? like when we signed your tails, your Rodder Bears, you're sort of putting a lot of pressure on young shots. I don't expect this striker will be playing at all. I doubt he'll get any minutes whatsoever. But if we, say, get to a place where we have to chuck him in, we have sent Dane Scarlett out on loan and he isn't immediately really good, people are going to be on his back. And that's, again, because of the club, isn't it?

4:32Phil:Yeah, it is. it's a very strange approach to things. We seem to have our eye on the ball, relatively speaking, in terms of young players who aren't ready. And then we can also spot someone like Andy Robertson that might be able to do a job. But there's like this huge vacuum in between them, right, about players that actually might be useful right now in the predicament that we still find ourselves in, both in terms of our league position and mounting injuries that probably won't get any better. it's really strange, isn't it? I just don't really understand it. Unless we get like a complete left field loan in from what in the next 25 minutes, which is obviously not going to happen.

5:15I just can't understand the thought process behind it.

5:20Phil:And, you know, we'll get Langer doing his, I assume doing his interview on the Spurs channels talking about the window and they'll say it's a success and they can point to Conor Gallagher coming in and Souza and stuff and trying for Semenyo, which is a bit pathetic in itself, isn't it? Even kind of talking about it. But we're short, aren't we? We're still short. We were short before we started getting his injuries racking up.

5:53Phil:Short, under six foot. You're worthless, mate.

5:56Jack:Well, we are short. We are short. The squad is absolutely decimated. Do you, I mean, do you sort of, hinting at it there, do you buy the idea that, I mean, Frank himself said it, that we are, the squad is in a worse place now than at the start of the transfer window, which is a borderline insane place to find yourself, isn't it? Especially when you look at how perilous our league form is right now.

6:25Phil:Yeah, yeah, I just, I really just don't get it. again like I can understand the fact that we've got players that are injured um so they'll be coming back at some point but if you look at the injury list none of them are back until like April at the earliest or the majority of them so again we're just kind of leaving ourselves really really short and we've got a hope that we get no other injuries even though again we're seeing players like Jed Spence go down and Solanke I know rolled his ankle but says he's fine we know that that doesn't bode well usually right that these players that seem to be just a knock or whatever or these kind of inconspicuous injuries that can really cause us some problems I really just don't know what to think of it mate I think that um yeah we're just we're just being left left short and I can't understand the reasoning um and again I don't think the explanation will go anyway to actually give us any information on it so it's concerning because yeah all right I think that We're nine points off West Ham at the moment.

7:26Phil:I think that's pretty substantial, to be honest. And I know that we've got a rough run of fixtures coming up, and not to hang too much on the Man City result, because I think that a lot of that was to do with Man City taking their foot off the gas and letting us back into it.

7:44Phil:I still want to see us compete. It's not OK to just, again, write off a half a season just because we've got injuries. You should be doing everything you can and making some moves so that we can be competitive. Because now it's just a ready-made excuse again, isn't it? Oh, you know, Spurs threadbare squad can't be expected to compete and we just have to love these fans.

8:05Jack:Just a heads up right now. I think I've, as I am a dar now, I think I've darred doing this live. I don't think we're going out live. I'm not so sure. I think it's just recording. I don't really know what I've done wrong. So I'll still put this audio out, obviously. And anybody listening can hear me talking about this now. I'm not going to cut this out either. This is as live. There you go. Look at that. That's what you get for this unfiltered as live rule the roost recording. The Man City game, like you say, it can be something of a false prophet, can't it? because, you know, there is that temptation probably amongst people within the club to say, wow, you know, yeah, the squad's short and we've got injuries, but look what we did against Manchester City, one of the best teams in the country.

9:00Jack:And as you say, that's sort of Manchester City losing the game. But it's also Spurs having a sort of weird hoodoo over Manchester City. it's also sort of Spurs you know perhaps being a bit sort of buoyed, G'd up for half a game and doing alright to feel that you can sort of replicate that, I mean Solanke for example, Solanke can barely manage 60 minutes right, we don't have Richarlison, we've sent Dane Scarlett out on loan Mouane is by all accounts has wanted to try and get out of the club or transfer window it just it just seems quite mad doesn't it that like you say that we we are we still have a significant portion of games to play i do think like you say like although it is a sort of false profit i do have that little bit of comfort from results like the man city game i mean let's see how the rest of the month goes um but that little bit of comfort as to maybe we won't go west ham throwing away a two goal lead away at Stamford Bridge I think there's you know there's I'm not saying we're completely free of it but there's that little bit of me that thinks okay we should be okay from relegation but I don't I don't think that's really acceptable is it for Spurs to just say we're okay we're not going to get relegated like that's sort of where the bar's been set now isn't it And that's really sad and kind of frustrating, don't you think?

10:44Phil:Yeah, absolutely. And I think that that's a big problem that we're facing now. We can talk about tactics and set up and hierarchy and all that sort of thing. But this idea that we're just kind of, as you say, accepting that Spurs are about 17th, 15th, 14th club without kind of doing their utmost to get themselves out of it. Yeah, I just, I don't really kind of like it because if, you know, all that happens is if next season starts badly, both in terms of recruitment and results, we find ourselves back down there again. And then what's three seasons on the spin where we're just accepted losing.

11:23Phil:You can't do that that often. And because you will end up getting relegated. So yeah, it's again, just so, so strange, isn't it? So, so strange.

11:33Jack:I'm just seeing Marcus Rashford trending on Twitter so I was just sort of seeing if there's anything there he's still on loan from United doesn't he or did Barcelona buy him in the end?

11:45Phil:yeah I think he's still on loan yeah

11:47Jack:well I don't know oh okay so it's trending because Michael Carrick wants Marcus Rashford back wants to recall him apparently but how true or not that is I don't know it's probably just a quiet news day and they know that you stick Marcus Rashford in something, you're going to get clicks, aren't you? Clickety clicks. No further news on Spurs right now. Seems to be nothing on Aklayouche. Again, still, there was all those sort of movements, weren't there, of that lad going from, who was it? Where was he going from? Sunderland to Monaco. And people sort of felt that that might somehow signal that they were freeing up a space for Aklayouche.

12:29Jack:Tom Barkley has said that Aklius was seen as an option if we didn't get Xavi Simmons in summer,

12:38Phil:which seems a bit weird, doesn't it?

12:41Jack:I was sort of under the impression that Aklius was more of a winger. But, okay, fine, fair enough.

12:52Jack:Yeah, I mean, I don't really want anything to disrupt Xavi Simmons as it looks like he's actually finding his feet. if he's seen as competition for Chevy Simmons as opposed to somebody who can play alongside him. Again, it's sort of annoying. Simmons, are you happy with him? He was pretty much star of the show, wasn't he, against Man City the other day?

13:18Phil:Second half he was, yeah. Got nowhere near it in the first half from what I can recall. I mean, it was a very kind of strange game to watch, wasn't it? I mean, I know it didn't have the kind of same jeopardy that it did a couple of seasons ago when we played them. And, you know, the whole Ange blowing his top over people suggesting we should throw the game and all that. But I was quite checked out of it whilst watching it. You know, it wasn't so much that I wanted Spurs to lose because, again, it's February. I think there's still so much football to play. It's not really, wouldn't necessarily be about us.

13:47Phil:But you just kind of prime yourself from being like, well, if we lose, I'm not that fussed. And if we win, that's great. Or if we get a result, that's good. But it's still a bit annoying, you know kind of giving Arsenal um some impetus but um I think City yeah again just kind of let us back into it and you know we can talk about yeah well done Thomas Frank and all that and I don't really kind of want to sound churlish but I will do we only changed it because Romero had to come off right and then suddenly kind of stumbled upon this kind of 4-4-2 which is quite funny that that's the system that ended up kind of being able to unpick them.

14:29Phil:But Javi Simmonds, yeah, he was really good. And I think that he's shown quite a lot of, you know, I think the kind of the initial narrative about him was he's too kind of lightweight for the Premier League. And that's about sort of physicality and just kind of getting up to speed. But he is a bit of a dirty bastard, isn't he? Yeah, I love it. Which I think goes a long way. And I think he's willing to kind of put his foot in and sort of, you know, got sent off for it the other day against Liverpool. but there is something about kind of having that sort of will to kind of, not to kind of hurt people, but, you know, trying to kind of push the envelope in order to swing things in your favour.

15:04Phil:And he seemed to be doing that really well. You know, he won so many kind of ground duels, didn't he, yesterday? And just looked like a really sort of class player. Again, I just, I don't know what City were doing. They got really kind of rattled.

15:14Jack:Have you seen how rattled they've been after that game as well? I mean, fair enough, we did. I agree. We got away with one for the first goal. I think, you know, I'm surprised it went to VAR and the goal got given because, you know, Solanke has put his foot through Gay for the goal. And, you know, I wouldn't have complained if it had been ruled out, but it didn't. Don't you just get on with it? City get decisions like that all the time, don't they? And to be that route, Rodri looking like he's got tears in his eyes, Pep Guardiola doing his weird. What do you think? Yeah, when he goes all quiet and I hate it.

15:54Jack:I hate that mode of Pep Guardiola. I can't stand it. I find it so. We're almost as bad as I find spit juggling Guardiola on that. Oh, God.

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16:08Phil:Since you mentioned it, I can't not see it. He's even on Match of the Day just like zooming in on his face while he's doing it. With that weird like Spanish Kevin Keegan sitting next to him. I think so. there? I was watching loads of Man City Spurs, Man City It's the fact it looks

16:25Jack:at first I always thought it was a little ball of chewing gum and with Charlotte no it's just like a spittle pearl. What's wrong with him? He is a weird bloke isn't he? I think you've got to be weird to be as sort of successful as he is but he is proper weird you know. Remember him scratching all his head up after that

16:48Phil:That's a bit concerning like everyone was like ha ha he's losing it and you're like he's literally tearing the skin off his face i think someone he's i know he's a millionaire and everything he's pep guardiola but maybe someone needs to kind of check and see if he's all right i think he's had a lot of stuff

17:00Jack:going on in his private life hasn't he as well so um that could be unless unless we sort of get him in the quarterfinals semi-finals of the champions league that might be the last time we face pep Guardiola Manchester City which is quite it is quite bizarre that you know we have this hold I cannot I just I can't explain it I couldn't begin to explain it I can I can put forward those sort of ideas about like you know I've tossed it around on here before about DNA and about the mentality going into games and stuff but it's so pronounced how good we are against a team that are whatever you think about the way it's been assembled one of the best teams in English football history another one from this time they've never not won a game or they haven't not won a game that they've gone into half time 2-0 up since like 2016 or something it's a long time LinkedIn is pretty great at a lot of things like helping you tap into the latest trends and insights in your field.

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19:33Phil:Yeah, I mean, let's extrapolate this out a little bit because there has to be something in the sort of the intangible that people will readily dismiss about football where it's like, oh, it's Man City. We do well against them. Even though it's completely different players. Like before you could be like, oh, it's Harry Kane. You know, Harry Kane has that sort of mentality and he'll drag people through it. And then you're like, well, he's gone. Or Sonny still kind of has a bit of that. So, you know, he's... And Madison will be someone who jumps on that. now there's absolutely no explanation for why this set of players who have been utterly dreadful for months and months still managed to kind of draw on that that that again that intangible and you know as i say to extrapolate it out it kind of again not to sort of again be churlish and criticize thomas frank but i feel like that's a big thing that he misses not necessarily about man city but he misses those kind of um you know the hearts and minds stuff i think that that's quite telling for me.

20:35Jack:What sort of stuff?

20:38Phil:Well, just the way he kind of talks us down, you know, talking about kind of how good other teams are and stuff and just, you know, talking about how we're going to lose games and things like that. I think he misses the massive, the other side of football, where it can be all like spreadsheets and tactics and data, but you have to be good at the other stuff as well, as in getting these kind of horrendously toxic alpha male players to actually perform by telling them the right things at the right time I just don't think he kind of manages to do that I know it's I know it's bad and I know

21:08Jack:there's probably like I say there's that level of like confirmation bias now because I want everything that he does to just seem silly or whatever but did you see when we did get the the equalizer on the on the touch like I think it's Chris Cowlin got a video of him on the touchline just doing all this sort of like pointing like the focus pointing his head to the players and fist pumping at the crowd and all that type of stuff and i just thought just turn it in mate like just do you know what i mean like celebrate with your coach is fine you know you've got every right to do that but interacting with the crowd fist pumping doing the overdramatic i know it doesn't at all it's just It's like, just, you know, I just, I don't want to, and I said this in the post-match stream, I don't want to like sully the vibes of a good result yesterday.

22:08Jack:It was a good result and I enjoyed it. I don't care about the ramifications for Arsenal and all that type of thing. Like, there's a long way to go. we're not winning the league for Arsenal or any of that nonsense. Do you know what I mean? I'm not, we'll talk about that. Actually, we'll talk about some of the things that Sky Sports were coming out with and everything. But in terms of Frank, because as you say, like the first half was such a catastrophe and the second half was again, reactive. It was again, a wonder goal that actually did the job. And it was a one. I mean, we can talk about that as well, about Solanke's goal, but it was a wonder goal.

22:47Jack:once again, I don't really feel like he sort of masterminded a comeback. And I know it's unfair, but, you know, people weren't very charitable with Ange Bostokoglu with regards to this. Man City are a team that we always kind of do well against, as we said before. So to really credit our manager with a good result against City is, you know.

23:14Phil:Yeah, yeah. And I think it's telling that he points to the fact that, you know, and he'll go back over these like eight or 10 games that he likes. He's liked him been doing recently and pull out the kind of the good bits that we've done. And he made a point yesterday, and I think it was in the post-match where it must have been, where he said about, you know, nothing fell for us in the first half. And then it started to fall for us. And I know football is kind of played on fine margins sometimes. But as you say, that isn't necessarily sustainable that if the ball drops a foot to your left or a foot to your right, that's going to change how whether you get relegated or not.

23:52Phil:That's not enough. There needs to be kind of more intent and kind of more design to it. Yeah. But that being said, you know, still, you know, a great kind of improvised goal, shall we say. But again, as you say, it's not it's not by design. um Connor Gallagher was uh was all right wasn't he Connor Gallagher actually it was quite good

24:14Jack:so was João Polinha um two two often maligned figures in the in the top I mean Connor Gallagher has only been there five minutes and he's already maligned isn't he but still um look two roughhouse midfielders let's call them that that people aren't particularly fond of yet undeniably gave us a little something didn't they is that again though does that point to because what i have seen some of the uh i'm using this in a shorthand term not in a pejorative term what i've seen some of the tacticals saying is that well yeah they're they're sort of chaos ball agents and yesterday again turned into sort of chaos ball right spurs were up against it and we were sort of fighting for our lives and managed to scrabble a couple of goals back so it stands to reason that the likes of conor gallagher and chao palina would be doing all right in that if we want to be the team that's on the front foot though if we want to be the team that's dominating games from the off they aren't the players that you can do that with um i don't really do i mean i don't know enough about that side of football to really offer a comment on that but what i can do from the eye test to say that both of them and I think Conor Gallagher in particular, Conor Gallagher in particular, they were pretty brilliant I thought yesterday in that comeback at least.

25:42Phil:Yeah, yeah as I say I mean it was partly due to the fact that we certainly in the kind of midfield had another body in there so that we could get kind of closer to stuff you know. I think the big thing about Conor Gallagher's transfer, again, not that this necessarily should be the driving force to why you spend 40 odd million or 30 odd million on someone. He's quite good at getting second balls and we've been terrible at getting second balls all season. So he's going to get some of them. As you say, though, is it enough to kind of... It's probably not a bad foundation to have. And I think that you do need players like that in your squad, but you need kind of quality elsewhere as well to supplement that.

26:24Phil:Pallina at centre-back for certain games, certainly on the right of a three, I think works quite well. I mean, I know he was doing that in the first half when we were terrible, but I feel like that's, in terms of he and his limitations and what he's good at, I feel like that might be something that we'll certainly revisit because Danso's out and he snapped his toe ligaments.

26:47Jack:he's out for a significant amount of time apparently like he's I mean come on man

26:55Phil:it's bizarre isn't it stuff like that where we're just inventing or kind of calling back to old injuries that Gary Lineker had for ages and things like that so yeah I mean so I think that it's a happy accident that we found a spot for him because I think that we do it's very hard to say we look better on the pitch with him because we're so kind of, I wouldn't even say hot and cold, we're lukewarm and cold at the moment. But I feel like he's... There's certainly a bit... There's certain benefits to him that if we kind of work out the best combination of squad, then I think he can be very kind of useful.

27:33Jack:Do you think much of Dragason?

27:38Phil:I feel quite sorry for Dragason because it seems like whenever he plays for us, he's always in a makeshift kind of defence. in a system that doesn't suit him you know for angie's system he wasn't suited to that at all right and he looked atrocious similarly um yesterday where he was asked to play on the left you know what's his first start in a year or something like that that's tough that being said him getting done by turkey was not a good look was it mate that doesn't matter but again i think that he's probably got some uses in the squad. I don't know if it's a starter or even a second choice, but yeah, it is quite annoying that his agent keeps spouting off and then when he does get a chance, he absolutely stinks the gaff out.

28:30Phil:But yeah, I don't think we've got a privilege of saying, oh, we should have got rid of him or we should be getting rid of him in five minutes left for the transfer window because he's probably going to play quite a lot of games.

28:43Jack:Well, yeah, I mean, he's our starting centre-back now, isn't he? Well, it depends how long Van der Ven's out for, doesn't it? But Mickey is, I'd say, patchy, isn't he, at least, with his form and fitness. Romero, I don't really know what's happened. Somebody said to me on the stream yesterday that apparently he felt sick at half-time or something.

29:05Phil:apparently he was sick and he had an illness which he was um which was the case for the frankfurt game as well but he toughed it out so he kind of um again tried to sort of tough it out but he did look kind of out on his legs towards the end of the first thing when they say an illness

29:20Jack:he's got the trots i think he needed to sit on the toilet for a few minutes or something he was

29:26Phil:run he was when he was trying to chase down church it did look like he'd shit himself so

29:30Jack:I am surprised remember the whole thing when Eric Dyer took off the pitch to Apu I don't even think it was a lockdown game was it? was it slightly pre-lockdown? who were we playing? I can't remember who we were playing

29:45Phil:his Aris certainly was not

29:48Jack:I'm surprised we don't see that more often you know

29:52Phil:the famous Gary Lineker shitted himself on the pitch in what was it the 86 World Cup and then wiping his shorts and it was all over him. But yeah, you'd think so. Just someone taking a piss in a corner flag like Sunday League.

30:05Jack:You're off to play football later, aren't you? You know?

30:10Phil:I live right nearby, so I go to the toilet beforehand like a gentleman. Some lads do kind of... Yeah, it's a school playing field as well. It's a school like AstroTurf pitch. So some lads like pissing the corner.

30:22Jack:They're really on AstroTurf. Come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

30:27Phil:Outside, like on the AstroTurf, but piss out through defence, I assume.

30:32Jack:What goblins do you play with? What's going on there? It's Croydon, mate. Absolute Herbert. Julien Mavicario as well. Look, I've stated my agenda on him. Another whiffy performance. I'm going to ask you, do you think he should have done better with the Cherokee goal?

31:00Phil:Yeah, I think it was both a good strike and poor goalkeeping, if that makes sense. So, I mean, it's obviously difficult to score anyway, but his positioning was terrible. That's the problem, his positioning. He was so far over. Again, it was still kind of a good effort from Cherki because he had to kind of, you know, bend it into the far corner. But yeah, I mean, he made that great save off of Cherki that went out for a corner that didn't get given. it was quite funny to see him consoling Donnarumma at the end who do you think you are who do you think you are

31:37Jack:it's like

31:39Phil:Vicario is probably older than Donnarumma isn't he Donnarumma is only like 26 I think

31:44Jack:let's have a quick look yeah I mean I just I just sort of feel like I know there was that yeah Vicario is 29 so he must be he must be older than that than Donnarum yeah Donnarum is 26 because he's been playing forever hasn't he basically

32:04Phil:yeah since he was like 16 I think yeah he looks

32:09Jack:I always sort of feel like there's shades of like a a young Christopher Lee about him and I'm not just trying to like oh yeah hack me in another sort of Lord of the Rings reference but I do I do feel like there's a bit of Christopher Lee there about him um Christopher Lee vampiria something something about him yeah because there's been all the links haven't there for Cario to go Inter is it Inter or AC one of them

32:37Phil:is Inter

32:38Jack:apparently wants him but that surely wouldn't be until the summer and then who are the good it's not really our job to know is it but are there loads of good goalkeepers that will step in and make us better but I see people say like Mike Mignon from I think from AC actually ironically enough is somebody that like you know is lots of people love the idea of um but I think there'd be a queue of other teams ahead of us for him wouldn't there

33:05Phil:so yeah yeah it does I mean again I think that um my girlfriend asked me about who's the best goalkeeper in I think she said the league and I was like used to you before he used to have a kind of a standout I mean I guess it's Raya but you used to have like a good sort of handful excuse the pun of who is the best goalkeeper but it's all just much of a much so now you've got Allison and Edison to know where Edison's not there anymore but you know it I do feel like it's a bit of a there's a bit of a dearth they all just seem sort of like quite middling don't they yeah

33:51Jack:I think the thing I've got to say is I reckon I knew a lot more players when I used to play games a lot more, like in terms of when I played FIFA, habitually when I played like football manager or championship manager back in the day, I knew a lot more players as a consequence of doing that. So, you know, I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of sort of loads of up and coming players or anything anymore. But even just anecdotally, I feel like you barely hear about any players. Game's gone, mate, basically, isn't it? That's it. That's it. When all is said and done, game's gone. It's just fallen to pieces.

34:25Jack:No good goalies anymore. No, like, see, we tried to sign a Scottish player. All the nerds and the Wokies kicked off about that, didn't they? You know? Can't have any hard Scotsman anymore on your team. Nothing. Not allowed anything anymore.

34:43Phil:no no no sort of can be assos knocking around who are kind of you know in their twilight years who could come in for six months and help you out no egg davids you know that those sorts of players because they're all cooked by this time aren't they or they've just been like i'll just

34:57Jack:go and play in america who's the equivalent of that who who is the sort of who's naked davids now really i suppose like these players like de bruyne and stuff like that who just go to

35:09Phil:gone to Italy and just I mean how old is Busquets he must be about 48

35:15Jack:I think he's part of Xavi Hernandez's coaching lot in here now depressingly Sergio Busquets is 37 do you know what I mean but again do you know what I saw the other day I was like oh Jesus so Lester Burnham the lead the protagonist of american beauty right the the film that was you know the sort of the turn of the

35:46Phil:millennium midlife crisis thing dirty old man sort of not in those days he wasn't it was just you

35:52Jack:know fair game in those days wasn't it well the character was kind of 42 yeah 42 i thought he was in his 50s but no 40 42 years old in uh yeah in in american beauty one the one that got me was when

36:07Phil:And it was, I think it was like Homer Simpson's 37. Oh God, yeah.

36:14Phil:Or Frasier is like 42.

36:16Jack:The one that spun me out the last time is that when I last re-watched The Sopranos, I suddenly was like the same age as Tony in the beginning series, in the first season. I think he's 37 at the beginning of The Sopranos in the first season. And that's how old I was when I last watched it. And I was suddenly like, I don't know if I can do this again. because when I first started watching it, I was like the same age as AJ and all that type of thing. And then getting to this point when you're suddenly like older than like the protagonist that is again having a midlife crisis and is starting to notice that there's, you know, no joy in the modern world and everything.

36:52Jack:I'm like, this is, isn't this supposed to be escapism? Do you know what I mean? What's going on? You know? Yeah. So I think the, what is it? It's 7.03, mate. The transfer window has slammed shut.

37:10Jack:Is there anything whatsoever for Tottenham Hotspur? James Wilson, great. Whoopi.

37:21Jack:And, yeah, there's nothing else. I mean, we didn't go for Raheem Sterling, which is kind of refreshing. I was sort of worried that we would do. and I think Sterling's a grand player but he's been cooked for three four years now um so I'm glad we didn't do that but I know I know it's difficult I know it's a difficult month I get and I do get the sort of the the idea of not wanting to hamstring the club with with panic buys paying players wages who you know turn out to not be very good if that hampers our sort of plans on summer all that type of thing i do get all this and i do get that these are all sort of logical arguments these are all sort of fine things to put forward but like you said earlier it just feels like it's kind of the the ready the ready what was it what was it that Boris Johnson wrote for that face?

38:25Jack:Oven ready. We kept going on about everything being oven ready. I did my nut in that, but Enoch have that oven ready excuse, don't they? I'm not going to say that. They have a ready baked excuse where which is that oh, you know, it's difficult in January, all this sort of thing, when ultimately what we've seen is Enoch acting exactly the same way that we've seen Enoch act in what the last 20 plus transfer windows that has seen spurs slowly but surely get to the place that we're in now which is a team that not so long ago was on the verge on the verge of being a serious title contender if we added the right amount of players to it to now a team who is on the verge of being a relegation candidate which is is entirely up to them is it's entirely down to them and that's the thing like i don't let thomas frank off the hook i didn't let andrew postocoglia off the hook but the problems at spurs are not of either of those men's making really both of them might have exacerbated things at certain times i think thomas frank is doing a really really good job of exacerbating the problems at spurs right now um but it's it's hard to feel any sort of enthusiasm or trust in this ownership after what a summer of saying that or at least you know the late summer of getting all that stuff leaked to the press that they they want to do things differently they're going to show everybody they're going to show us that they mean business because this January transfer window has been woeful hasn't it like you know we wanted Semenya we didn't get him so spring is here and there's a whole new way to chai at Starbucks that's made perfect for you choose your sweetness dial it up or keep things light add a touch of pistachio a hint of strawberry or vanilla, or make it a spring classic with lavender.

40:33Jack:Because this season, there's endless ways to chai at Starbucks. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points.

40:49Phil:Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue. Instant room upgrade.

40:56Jack:Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with Kayak and get your trip right. Bad advice? You talking to me? Kayak. Got that right.

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41:15Jack:Tuesdays, it's the premiere of ABC's hottest new crime show. R.J. freaking Decker has that live and breathe. He's a private eye. It's not a standard murder. It's someone bigger. And a public mess. trying to get some back to prison today you go to prison one time and suddenly it's all the jokes rj decker series premiere tuesdays on abc and stream on hulu is that it yeah i mean i think simenyo was the player to get in the summer last summer we missed the boat on that and then suddenly

41:47Phil:you know um he's obviously gone gone to city um you could look at in the fact that we did some business early which is good you know we um we didn't used to do that we always used to wait until deadline day to get the deal done rather than kind of be a bit proactive so we've done that a bit you know all right we signed conor gallagher i think it seems because bentuker get injured and we kind of pulled the trigger on it quickly that's what it seems like anyway but i just i just can't believe that given how many injuries we've had in the last two weeks that we just haven't we haven't thought been minded to kind of try and get again just to kind of hammer the point home just some kind of loans in just just anyone I mean yeah Raheem Sterling when I saw that Mateta wasn't you know his move to kind of AC Milan had fallen through as much as again you talk about wanting players on loan I was a bit like is that the sort of player we want but again that we probably would have again I'm being hypothetical but so it is a balancing act isn't it and I think I don't think we found a balance we could have panicked bought some players that really weren't suited and would have really kind of hampered us in the long term I think but again like we've always said it's not our job to kind of identify players that might be available I think a big sort of problem with the January transfer window now is the kind of this new Champions League format where we've got the playoff of the teams that you expect after the kind of the have a good showing in the group stages of the old champions league that you might be able to poach in january but now there's all of those teams are basically still in the hat right they've still got their qualifying games to go through so you know you can understand like someone like at kliushu i don't it doesn't seem like we were actually in for anyway it just seemed like a lot of um uh nonsense rumors as you say because it was more about when we're looking at javi um but someone like that they're not going to let him go until they know if they've made the knockout rounds because it's, you know, they don't need to.

43:53So, but all that being said,

43:56Phil:there's thousands of players out there. You told me you haven't been able to kind of identify anyone or have a list, you know, like they talk about like, what, that Thomas Frank was a list of 30 candidates to take over his first job. You're like, 30 candidates? Like, where have you got that from? It's just made up, isn't it?

44:13Jack:I think it's just, it can't.

44:15Phil:It's nonsense. Unless you're looking at every single manager in the league, plus Alex Ferguson, plus... It's mad. Anyway, but my point is, where's the list? Where's the scouting? You've got to have a list of five players in every position that you might be able to approach if you need them. I mean, I don't understand how you're not doing that. I'm just looking on transfer market now.

44:43Jack:at sort of the, you know, all the strikers in the Premier League getting the list of it. And, you know, you start, when you scroll down the list, you're just like, there's nobody that really inspires me that much, especially when you like, when you see Brennan Johnson is like relatively high up the list of strikers, attackers in terms of market value. I mean, to be precise, he's 38th on the list, but like joint 30, let's say, he's valued the same as Dominic Solanke, put it that way. You generally have players that are all grouped together, so they will probably be on the, probably the sort of 10th, 11th rung of most valuable attackers in the Premier League.

45:32Jack:And then again, it does make me think like, I know it was good value. I think Spurs got a good deal for Brennan Johnson, but it just it seems like the sort of deal that you do as like one of the dominoes isn't it like you you let Brennan Johnson early as well first of January that was done but you let him go when you know you've got your guy lined up like it does it sort of seems weird to be like well we want to sign Semenyo so we will get rid of Brennan Johnson first the guy that all right the manager doesn't really fancy but still scores goals and you know is more often than not fit um it seems kind of weird to let him go on a speculative basis i've it's just there's there's a lot of way that just doesn't make sense well half of it's done well you're getting a good

46:23Phil:value for a player that you that you're surplus to requirements whether people agree with that or not but it just leaves us short because you're just not doing the it's mad and maybe you know parity parity leaving maybe that that's done something and that's kind of thrown a sparring in the works but where's this spreadsheet of players you know i can't i can't believe it um yeah and i i suspect that with us that because we've had such a thin squad over the last few years when you get one injury you talk about dominoes that's when you start overplaying other players and then they get injured and they get injured and it just falls apart i don't think we're done i don't think we're done in terms of injuries because that's not how it goes all right i know we we play a game a week for for the next few up until when the champions league next round is what start of march or mid-march but um yeah i just i just i just don't understand it it's it's really frustrating.

47:22Phil:Again, it's just a waste of time. Time is so precious to us. And now we've just got another... That's alright. We'll start hearing about war chess and stuff when the... Season ticket renewals. And we just know how it goes.

47:36Jack:What happened to Matoma? Is he a chopped unk now? Is that what's happened?

47:43Phil:I think he got a bad injury, didn't he? I just don't think he's been... No one's been speaking about him. I think he's playing, but But yeah, I don't... I think that injury's ruined him.

47:57Jack:Washed. Wiffy baller. All that, right?

48:03Chopped on.

48:04Jack:Chopped on. I love it. It's so good. It's good. I've no right to be using that term whatsoever. But sometimes these sort of expressions just hit different, don't they? You know what I mean? like they're

48:19Phil:yeah

48:19Jack:they're really good um Arsenal have I'm just having a look I'm sort of half looking at Twitter seeing if anything's happening Arsenal have signed England under 19 international Jadon Dixon on a four year deal the deal was for 3.2 million pounds plus add-ons it's viewed as a massive signing as they've beaten several clubs to his signature um and Lily White Rose has just said just a casual reminder that he was actually on Tottenham's books and they didn't offer him a scholarship and he joined Stoke for free so I mean it's what it's difficult in it it's one of those

48:58Phil:things players slip through the net at a young age but yeah of course it would just be really

49:04Jack:irritating when if he goes on to be really really good and playing for them playing for that stinking horrible rabble um there's nothing to talk about in terms of transfers mate it's you know as far as I can see from looking through it's it's done so you know a bit annoying and everything I guess the the the sort of final thing I wanted to touch on at the beginning um is that yes we have whatever hampered Manchester City's charge towards Arsenal at the top of the table there was a a bit of joking kind of conflictedness from Spurs fans ahead of the game i didn't i'll be honest i didn't really hear anyone talk about it that seriously i think we're too early on into a season for people to be sort of worrying about what arsenal do in that respect but sky sports spent pretty much the entire week going into that game saying awful spurs fan mentality blah blah blah basically creating that straw man that again we were all losers and we wanted the team to lose and they really amped up the drama of the team of the fans not being behind the team yesterday against Manchester City in the first half despite the fact that you know it was more just that the team were playing abysmally what they're supposed to get behind and then as soon as Spurs turned it around everybody's all very happy their gambit was well Spurs fans shouldn't be very happy about that they've given Arsenal a route straight through to the table and i just think fuck off like do you know what like fuck off like why why is there this level of scrutiny on this fan base basically constantly fuck off like just fucking leave us alone like the people in that ground pay absolutely fucking shit loads to sit in there just fucking leave them alone like leave them alone leave us alone do you know i mean we're crap Arsenal are going to win the title is bad enough just leave us alone you know sorry I'm losing it mate but it really is irritating it's so forced as well as you say I mean

51:14Phil:even with the and stuff I know we did a pod about it at the time um what two years ago and we were kind of like laughing and joking about it and it was all sort of like good humor whether or not there was some you know reality to it all it's they were just forcing because it's a good narrative again because the one set of fans that you're allowed to stick the boot into regardless if it's about you know usually they stick up for fans that they're you know not us but fans are asked to kind of travel here and there and pay loads of money but they don't do that anymore because they realize that they're they're all and i'm talking about they as in sky you know bbc pundits all these kind of things they're all suckling off our teats mate with it So they're quite happy to kind of put us back in our box as fans.

52:00Phil:And we're just the easy target because no one cares about Spurs and it's just easy to take a shot at us and no one's going to kind of bring you to task on it. So, yeah, it was a weird, like, obviously a very kind of strange atmosphere for a number of reasons yesterday. I mean, I didn't go, but, you know, from watching on the TV. So there was no expectation. and then suddenly the team starts doing well when there's not only there's a no expectation because they're two nil down but also no expectation because the fans aren't even that fussed or kind of just weirdly you know in a malaise about it also mentality is a huge problem which kind of vaguely goes back to my earlier point about frank not being able to kind of get the right um messages across and whatever even the galvanizing element of well the fans don't like as everyone's calling a shit, you know, whatever, pulling it together just doesn't seem to be any of that at all.

52:58Jack:You are at least looking forward to us winning the Champions League? That'd be good fun, wouldn't it?

53:03Phil:I'll raise a smile. Yeah, I'll raise a smile. There is a route through it, by the way, there is a route through it. And if our, if our injuries fall in at the right time, we could find ourselves kind of, I axing it a bit.

53:15Jack:Do you know what would be mental? If like, imagine if by like the semi-final, if in some some way shape or form by the semi-final we've suddenly got mohammed kudus james madison dejan kolosevsky back we got solanke still fit you got richarlison back in the mix there's a bit of you that's sort of suddenly like that's a different team actually in it like that that's a that's a different team entirely i don't know why why am i doing this to me i'm actually getting excited talking about it. That's what football is. He's pathetic.

53:47Phil:Football shouldn't be reality, should it, Jack? It should be romance. We've got to just pretend things are good. We've got to dream. We don't want to be told like the parameters of things. I want to dream outside of it. That's true. I want to enjoy it. I don't want to think, I don't want to be told, well, we can't do that because your net spends this. Get out of my face with it. I mean, yeah.

54:11Jack:Yeah. Well, we've got the North London Derby to look forward to first mate so yeah that'd be good

54:17Phil:I mean the football the game itself won't be but the actual going of it will be

54:21Jack:it'll be nice when we're in that pizza gaff or in bluecoats or something slobbering some chicken wings beforehand and a load of pints

54:31Phil:but yeah we shouldn't go to that pizza gaff again because they're very sort of pro-gooner remember we were singing pre North London Derby before and we got told off by the word saying

54:40Jack:not on a match day and you thought well why are you open then

54:43Phil:Because there's Arsenal fans in there. Yeah, no. She said that. I was like...

54:47Jack:Stinks, whiffy, that. Also, they put semolina on the crust, which I don't like. I think that is an abomination.

54:53Phil:Your oven should be hot enough and your dough should be good enough that you don't need to fake it without...

55:00Jack:Artificial crunch. Get out my face again. Phil, enjoy playing football, mate. I'm sorry I absolutely woefully messed up the live, but still, you know, we'll put this out anyway. Um, anything to add?

55:15Phil:No, that's it. I think we're going to beat Man United. How about that?

55:19Jack:Ooh.

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55:30Jack:The IRS said I filed my return. But I haven't. One in four taxpaying Americans has paid the price of identity fraud. What do I do?

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55:46Jack:I'm so relieved.

55:47Phil:No problem. I'll be with you every step of the way.

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From the publisher

Jack is joined by Phil to unpack another transfer window of frustration as the deadline SLAMS shut.

Spurs failed to get any significant last-minute deals across the line, leaving the fanbase refreshing their feeds only to see more youthful acquisitions rather than the first-team ready starters we desperately need.

We ask if this is a major worry for the remainder of the campaign. With the squad looking threadbare to say the least, have the club taken a massive gamble by refusing to strengthen the senior ranks when we needed it most?

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