In short
Tottenham’s disastrous home defeat to Chelsea is debated as either a Thomas Frank tactical/system failure or a deeper squad/culture problem, with heavy focus on Tottenham’s lack of press resistance, poor midfield balance, and underwhelming attacking output.
Guests
The episode is hosted by Cal (Royal Roots Podcast). The transcript also references other voices/tweets (e.g., “Kish from LilyWhiteLab,” “Nathan A. Clark,” and “Jack”), but no additional named co-hosts or interview guests are clearly identified.
Guest backgrounds
Cal is a long-time Tottenham supporter and podcast host/commentator, discussing squad-building (“Levy-nomics”), match analysis, and fan culture.
Key claims
The Chelsea match was “gutless,” confusing, and tactically overcomplicated (four defensive midfielders, no 10/wingers). Tottenham’s midfield can’t play through pressure; home performances are especially poor. Squad spending has not produced enough quality; leadership/experience has declined after departures of Kane, Son, Lloris, etc.
Notable examples
Richarlison, Johnson, Solanke transfer fees vs league goals; Xavi Simons’ early “lost” cameo; Ben Tankor contract; Van de Ven’s struggles without Romero; XG at home near-zero; Arsenal/Spurs home-loss stats; Spence/Van de Ven public frustration; Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes/Caicedo-style midfield dominance.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOReflecting on the Chelsea Defeat
2:02 to 5:39
The hosts analyze Tottenham's disappointing performance against Chelsea.
“but I've been treating him mean, keeping him keen.”
Analyzing the Squad's Quality
5:39 to 12:10
Discussion on player performance and the implications of squad quality.
“competitive rivalry um how much of that is down to him and how much of that is on the players Are we blaming the system or are we sat here saying we simply don't have enough good players?”
Fans' Expectations and Reactions
12:10 to 14:00
The hosts discuss fan perceptions and reactions to the team's performance.
“Um, it was, there was, I don't, it was just, it's one of those, it's one of those performances actually that I'm more wound up now about a couple of days after the fact that I was at the time.”
Analyzing Tottenham's Poor Performance
14:00 to 14:56
Discussing the lack of effort and confusion displayed by Tottenham players during a recent match.
Challenges of European Competitions
14:57 to 15:31
Exploring the difficulties faced by new coaches managing teams involved in European football.
“this is the other thing about Thomas Frank is he's never done Champions League before.”
Player Reactions and Leadership Dynamics
15:32 to 16:46
Examining players' reactions during and after the game, and the implications for team leadership.
Critique of Managerial Respect
16:47 to 18:48
Discussing the respect between players and management, and concerns over public criticisms.
“And especially before this Chelsea game, it was all very, we're excited about this one.”
Culture and Attitude Issues at Tottenham
18:49 to 19:48
Debating whether the culture within the club allows players to down tools when not satisfied.
“You're in a changing room full of alpha males.”
Culture and Attitude Issues at Tottenham
20:51 to 21:33
Debating whether the culture within the club allows players to down tools when not satisfied.
“only to find the batteries aren't included or buying furniture, but missing the tools to build it.”
Culture and Attitude Issues at Tottenham
21:36 to 21:51
Debating whether the culture within the club allows players to down tools when not satisfied.
Show all 26 chapters
Tottenham's Current Squad Issues
21:52 to 22:44
Discussing the changes in the squad and whether current players are up to the challenge.
“Ready to make anything online make sense?”
Comparing Tottenham's and Chelsea's Cultures
22:45 to 24:27
Analyzing how Chelsea's financial power has shaped their culture versus Tottenham's approach.
“We just don't – I've said this a few times – we don't fit.”
Concerns Over Home Performance
24:28 to 25:29
Expressing frustration over Tottenham's poor home performances and lack of competitive spirit.
“Everybody's just coming to Tottenham, playing us off the pitch, and then just leaving with the points?”
Fan Engagement and Atmosphere Issues
25:30 to 28:00
Debating the impact of fan demographics on match atmosphere and team support.
“Did I interrupt you hanging flags up, Cal, to get you on this pod?”
Reactions to Tottenham's Performance
28:00 to 29:14
Discussing the lack of entertainment and fan reactions to the team's play.
“and then us just tread water for a few years, be sort of propelled by, like I was saying, Kane and Son and not really do a lot else outside of that.”
Analyzing the Chelsea Match
29:14 to 30:56
Evaluating Tottenham's poor performance against Chelsea and lack of attacking options.
“I know we like to look back at the old stadium as this wonderful place, and it was a wonderful place.”
Defensive Struggles and Leadership Issues
30:56 to 33:38
Examining the defensive issues and the impact of missing leadership figures on the team.
“You look at Van der Ven when he was captain against Bodo, was it Bodo Glimt or Monaco?”
Midfield Dynamics and Player Performance
33:38 to 36:24
Discussing the midfield dynamics and performance inconsistencies of players like Paulinha and Madison.
“and they would be for any football club whatsoever.”
Evaluating New Signings and Future Strategy
36:24 to 42:05
Analyzing the performance of new signings like Xavi Simons and their integration into the team.
“I don't know what part of you is real and what's not.”
Assessing Player Performance and Management Decisions
42:05 to 45:04
Discussion on player performance, management choices, and tactical adjustments.
“It doesn't mean he has to start every game.”
Squad Planning and Transfer Strategies
46:33 to 55:01
Exploration of squad improvements, transfer strategies, and financial commitments.
“Uncovered windows can make your home feel up to 20 degrees hotter.”
Managerial Stability and Future Prospects
55:01 to 56:00
Analysis of managerial stability, fan expectations, and club direction.
“So we've got Champions League up next, then Manchester United, international break, then straight in for a North London derby.”
Analyzing the Chelsea Defeat
56:00 to 57:59
Discussion on Tottenham's performance against Chelsea and the implications of the loss.
“But yeah, if it had been three or four, I think the conversation would have been really loud.”
Future of the Manager
58:00 to 1:01:08
Debate on whether to sack the current manager and the importance of stability.
“But if the away form starts to go, yeah, I think he'll go.”
Champions League Aspirations
1:01:09 to 1:05:22
Exploration of Tottenham's chances and expectations in the Champions League.
“Maybe you need to start bringing back the old taking a tinfoil FA Cup to the games to inspire them.”
Podcast Segment on Boxing
1:05:23 to 1:06:20
Light-hearted discussion about boxing and the host's podcast experiences.
Transcript
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1:09They say you can tell a lot about a person by the contents of their freezer. So what does a bottle of Jägermeister say? It says you have standards. You don't cut corners. and you like your Jägermeister shots the way they're meant to be enjoyed. Ice cold. As for the frozen taquitos and mystery leftovers, we'll keep that between us. Drink it cold or don't drink it at all. Jägermeister. Damn, that's cold. Drink responsibly. Jägermeister liqueur, 35 % alcohol by volume. Imported by Masked Jägermeister, U.S. White Plains, New York.
1:41Chad Pedro.
1:42Jack:Oh, one back, though, by Moises Caicedo. And Chad Pedro, surely.
1:50Chelsea put their stamp of superiority on this fixture again.
1:58Jack:Hello, everybody. Welcome back to Royal Roots Podcast. This is a pod I've wanted to actually do for a while, but I've been treating him mean, keeping him keen. Cal, how are you doing, mate? There is a collective groan around the country.
2:17it's a big I think it's a big deal because uh all the fighting cop guys have been on um
2:23Jack:mark no I haven't had I haven't had Alex from Bristol on but he doesn't like me so no you know fair enough I don't think he doesn't like anyone though does he no he's a little egg he doesn't like me he still treats me like the noob like he still treats me like the noob there was there was a time one of the funniest things that I always remember this the champions league final i was part of the group but i wasn't really part of the group like i'd been friends with t for quite a few years and um flav and that but i still didn't feel quite part of it it was champions league final day and i was still paying for patreon um to listen to the fighting cock all the extra stuff and we were going to have lunch we were going to have something to eat before the final and bardi blessed body's turned around and gone this is why you pay for patreon so you can have lunch with us and i still feel that way sometimes and alex yeah he doesn't he still makes me feel that way sometimes like i'm still paying for the patreon did you get one of flav signed photos that he used to do back in the day no i didn't i didn't even get a pin badge either you know um but that's the infamous pin badges yeah um cal i i've got to say i've first first and foremost you know in terms of the collective crime thing i think you're often quite mischaracterized i do think you're uh what is it what is it um you know when they bring on like remember back in the day what was his name milo yiannopoulos who had come off and spout loads of like controversial opinions and instead of calling him like right wing or a baddie or something people would just say he's a provocateur you know that's that's you know he's just start he's just trying to have the conversations yes you know i kind of i'm not i'm not well i sort of am likening you to to milo yiannopoulos a little bit there but not really so much in the output this is more in a tottenham landscape so i feel you know when i when i hear that like oh cow's super negative cow's this cow's i'm like i think he's just having a bit of a laugh i think he's he's prodding the bear but with that said thomas frank um you're getting rid of him
4:26just so you know he's he asked the question i i yeah and we were just talking about this off air and he was like oh should we talk about off the record i was like no people are starting to dangle their feet now they're dangling their feet in the get him out pool you know um i don't know i've actually been mulling this over because i've kind of had the weekend to myself um and you do you are going to think about it after a performance that bad like that was that was really really bad they looked like they looked like a group of players that never seen each other before, let alone play football with each other.
4:59And to answer the question, no, don't get him out. But I'm looking at flights. As I said the other day, I'm starting to dangle my feet a little bit.
5:13Well, look, I mean, how much is his fault right now?
5:18Jack:Because I've got to say, right, let's talk about Chelsea. Let's talk about this through the prism of Chelsea, right? that is that's one of the most despicable i've seen some people say that's the worst performance i've ever seen in my life it's not i mean come on that's less recency bias is playing a thing there but that is one of the most tepid despicable displays i've seen in a in a kind of supposedly competitive rivalry um how much of that is down to him and how much of that is on the players Are we blaming the system or are we sat here saying we simply don't have enough good players? Because I am quite torn on it.
5:59Jack:I think if I was like, if it was a gun to my head and I was asked, I would still blame the players. I do think there's things that Frank can be doing better and I will get into that. But what I'm looking at right now is a squad that has been assembled by Levy-nomics, if you like, who has gotten the best deal where he can here and there. Richarlison being a prime example of this, right? A player who we thought he's going to be all right. He might improve the squad. There's a deal to be done there. Wages will be all right. And let's be real. Other than the odd tiny little streaks, he's a completely useless footballer.
6:38Jack:Like he's a, he's just, he's, he's a waste of space in my opinion. And I know it's harsh, but it's kind of how I felt about him for quite some time. And I'm just sort of sick of doing this game of hanging on to these players and hoping that they'll be good because they play all right in little fits and spurts here. Now, Richarlison, what I will say is when he's good, he's brilliant. He's shown he can be an exceptional footballer, but either he doesn't have the drive to do it. He doesn't have the application to want to stay and be that good for it. He doesn't. So, look, I'm going off on a tangent there.
7:13Jack:Players, system, frank. What are you saying, Cal? Because that Chelsea game was gross, wasn't it? It was really bad. And Kish from LilyWhiteLab tweeted something straight after the game. And he said, if everyone's playing badly, it's a system issue. And I'm inclined to agree with him, really. No one played well. everybody played bad but and I think you but at the same time I think you look at our team and you look at our particularly our midfield no one is press resistant no one well there's Basuma bless him he was kind of casted out before being late a couple of times and then there's bless him has broke his ankle but like I said I had some time this weekend and I wrote some things down Richarlison 58 million 18 league goals in two years Johnson 18 league goals 55 million in two years tell free league goals 35 million these prices i've got off transfer market um odabare one league goal uh 29 million solanke nine league goals 64.3 million that's 241 million pound for 49 league goals in two seasons and then we gave langer a promotion it kind of says a lot doesn't it about the running the i can't and i kind of got not shouted down but i said on a fighting Cock a few months ago.
8:31He's a bit, he's par, isn't he, Langer? But when you look at that, when you look at that list and our attacking threat, you know, you've got Richarlison and Solanke that are averaging nine goals and Johnson, nine goals for 50 million a season. It's really bad. But the main thing really is the midfield, isn't it? There's just no press resistance there. Ben Tankor is a conversation every week. We've given him a new contract. We've given him a new contract. And we don't even have Levy there to shower anymore. It's just, it was, like I said, it kind of looked like at the start of the game that Thomas Frank has put together this really convoluted, really complicated plan involving four relatively defensive central midfielders, no 10, no wingers, and one striker, and then gone, go and win the game.
9:23And then we lost Bereval after a couple of minutes. and then we brought Xavi on, who looked completely lost, bless him. And we just never got going. It just never got going. And I think when a new manager comes in, I think absolute basics for a new manager is win home games. We're the ones paying the money. I thought about going on Saturday. It was£89 to sit in the South Stand, Jack. £89. I thought, fuck that. I'm not paying£89 to sit in a stadium we've won three times in the last year.
9:59Jack:That's the thing though, right? As much as you're going to get your Nevels or whoever going on about fans booing, about the lack of support in the stadium. Oh, you know, they've shown they can do it against Arsenal, but they don't do it week in, week out. This is the thing that a lot of people neglect, is that the cost of going to this ground in particular, us and the Emirates, is astronomical but what they get up the road at least is a a hierarchy that seemingly actually wants to win stuff look maybe the lewis family are gonna are gonna switch things up but again i still sort of make the point they have been in charge for 20 plus years like daniel levy was a part of them and there's been a lot of very convenient kind of like hand washing of the sort of levy era from the people who have still been in charge of the football club for two decades who have seen us basically meander down this cul-de-sac.
10:52Jack:We're watching Harry Kane now, and I keep going on about him on this, but it is quite painful in the respect that we're watching Harry Kane now. Best player in world football, right, for my money. Best player in world football who we used as an excuse to not buy more players. Instead of looking at this and saying we've inherited literally a once-in-a-lifetime footballer here, has come through our academy, the greatest English striker of all time has come for our academy is got that elite mentality wants to better himself wants to do everything this is our chance this is Tottenham's chance to make our mark this is our chance to win the league go for the Champions League go for the lot of it we didn't we coasted we coasted on his and also and bear in mind we had Sonji and Min alongside him as well like they've made cultivated the most incredible partnership the Premier League's ever seen most potent partnership the premier league's ever seen an incredible piece of scouting on our part a bundesliga transfer that's worked out in our favor but again you know cheap piece of business good piece of scouting but we just used the two we coasted on the two of them right and and so we're sat here now without players of that caliber in the squad and still as you say wanting to because even what is it category c even even even even to go and watch one of the as you would call them dog meat teams in the premier league right yeah you're looking at 60 70 pounds at least to go and watch it it's a lot of money it's a lot of money wages are stagnating like everyone is skint in this country now right and you're asking people to part with a lot of money for really a subpar product what when you can when you can spend 15 pounds a month and get a cine world unlimited pass and go and sit in the cinema you know like it's i don't know man it's like it plays a part and yeah I know people are going to say well the players feed off of this energy and all this type of thing and fans shouldn't boo then they can't be that entitled why can't they like well why I'm sort of getting to this point on why can't fans expect their club to at least all right not win every game I get that but at least be watching a team of players that seems to let's be honest give a fuck about what it is that they're doing because I didn't I didn't get any of that from that Chelsea game at all.
13:07Jack:It was meek. Um, it was, there was, I don't, it was just, it's one of those, it's one of those performances actually that I'm more wound up now about a couple of days after the fact that I was at the time. I felt a bit more sanguine, like doing my like post-match thing. I was kind of like, look, bad result. I think I'll mellow in a couple of days time. And at that point I hadn't seen like the, the Spence and Van de Ven video either, which I mean where are you at on that what did you feel about that I think some people are upset because it's like oh well we've and I get it and I go to games and I pay that the money that I was just talking about and some fans feel like well we paid with this money you should give us a little clap after the game when we've played like that I'm already in the bar I've already gone I'm not waiting sitting there and after you've watched your team play like that like that badly I'm not in the stands going all right I'll wait here they might give us a little clap in a minute I think it's a fuck like but I don't blame them at all we were so bad and I do I they were just they had the ump you could just see Spence he's kind of wait for just like fuck off fuck off gaffer like he just wasn't interested he wasn't interested they just we were so bad they they just had the ump the pair of them and they just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible and you know I don't blame them as human beings as young men as well we always forget how young these guys are you know um I don't blame them I don't blame them at all and I don't think it's that big a deal and to be fair to Thomas Frank he didn't make a big deal out of it it was it was yeah it didn't look good but it was nothing it was nothing really um like I said they just looked it was gutless but it more they just looked confused they just looked like they didn't know what they were doing they just looked like they'd never played football before and I'm sorry that That is a system issue.
14:56That is just, I just think when you play, this is the other thing about Thomas Frank is he's never done Champions League before. He's never had to juggle European football before. And you can see why Man United are playing so well because they've got no Europe. It is such a massive advantage for a new coach to come in and have a whole week to prepare for games. He's used to that. He's used to having the whole week to get his really convoluted for central midfield plan together. He's had three days. We've played Newcastle. we've lost a whimper against them and then he's put together this really convoluted plan so just saying you know what let's just play how we always play let's just have a go and it just they just look confused and it looked like they just didn't know what they were doing at all but in terms of that video i didn't really care didn't bother me didn't bother you i didn't care about the whole
15:44Jack:them not clapping the fan stuff like i mean i never go to games anymore but when i used to i was never i'm not one of those people not precious not precious about fans doing that i've never been precious about like an old player celebrating against the club if they score it all that do you know what i mean i'm not not at all bothered about any of that type of thing i'd actually prefer it if they were extra yeah if harry if they were shushing if cupping their ears to us the lot dx like the lot yeah suck it like you know give us dogs abuse if he if he lifted up his shirt and it's one of those pre you know like the why always me if he lifted one up and said i left because you're shit you know what I mean I'd actually rate it you know if he did that yeah um you know it annoyed me in the respect that I get that the players are human they're frustrated I think just keep that sort of thing in the house that's the thing especially Mickey van der then he's supposedly one of this like leadership group or that type of thing I think sort of like coating the manager off a bit in public is just he's not very good and he did cut that fairly solemn almost like i just felt a bit embarrassed for him you know he sort of stood there staring at the players as they're walking off ignoring him and he got brought up in the post-match post-match presser as well do you see yeah um it actually got put to him which i thought was uh it was quite interesting um he obviously like brushed it off and to be fair that's what it is you know like when you remember all the old stories back in the day when it was like you know apparently Robbie Keane and Edgar Davids had a punch-up on the training ground and everybody sort of made this out into like oh this is a big thing that happened but I remember like yeah when you go to a few of those legends nights a few years on and you hear them talking about it there's punch-ups all the time between players and stuff like they're always having rounds they're always falling out and stuff it's not it's not really that big a deal so things like this you know we saw an all or nothing when Son and Lloris were sort of kicking off of each other and stuff this sort of thing just happens right i'm sure managers are used to getting coated off here and there the only thing the only like nagging thing for me is seeing that happen so publicly right seeing like i say van de van one of the leadership group all that type of stuff right doing this kind of thing to the to the manager publicly do you think he has got their full respect like because i sort of i took exception to and i mean it might be harsh it might not be but going into yeah before most of these games before most matches we've played this season frank has always been very quick to like respect to the opposition go on about how great the opposition manager is and again lots of managers do this it's one of those games where they all sort of pat each other on the back they all have a glass of wine after each game with each other all that type of thing i get it they're all in like legion with each other so on and so forth but frank sometimes I think pushes that to the nth degree.
18:36Jack:And especially before this Chelsea game, it was all very, we're excited about this one. You know, it's going to be good. It's a big game, this. And I'm sort of like, I just... Do you think he's a bit small time still? This is just my nagging concern, my nagging concern about him. And footballers, right? You're in a changing room full of alpha males. They're all alpha males, right? They were all absolutely top of their class. If they were in normal school, they were the best kid at every single sport at school. They were that kid, right? And now they are in the tiniest percentile of people in their profession, in the Premier League, right?
19:15Jack:All absolute alpha males. And they smell blood. And if they even get a whiff of the sense, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Because I feel like that's how it was with Ange at the end. I feel like by the end, they were like, nah, this fellow ain't got it. You know what I mean? will play for the Europa League. And I'm not going to say it wasn't partly his thing, but I think they knew there was an opportunity there on an individual basis. He obviously knew as a gaffer and put his eggs in that basket. But at the same time, I feel like they're down tools on him. And certain things I've heard along the way have suggested that as well.
19:47Jack:I've heard that, that Borderline, they hated him towards the end. But this is the thing for me. If they're doing that to him, they're doing that now. Conte hinted at this before. Is there a culture at this club where we've allowed this to grow? We've allowed players this sort of sense of power to think, well, it's not really working with this fella, so we're down tools and the club will get someone else in. Or is this just quite simply how football is now, do you reckon? The world's biggest soccer tournament has arrived and you can trade the entire tournament on Calci. On Calci, you can trade every match from the opening stage all the way to the final.
20:23Jack:On Calci, you're trading against peers in a live market, meaning there's no house. And as the probability changes, you can buy in and out of your position. For a limited time, download the CalShea app and use code CUP26 to get$10 when you trade 10. K-A-L-S-H-I CalShea. Trade the beautiful game. 18 plus only restrictions and eligibility requirements apply event contract trading involves risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices, values, and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see calshea.com slash regulatory. Imagine buying your kid a toy only to find the batteries aren't included or buying furniture, but missing the tools to build it.
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21:51Jack:or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. I'm always trying to struggle to find out what's a Tottenham problem and what's just a modern football thing now. The squad's completely different, isn't it? It's a completely separate, different group of players as it was under Conte. Like there's hardly any of them there really. but at the same time these cycles do seem to repeat themselves but like you call it Levy-nomics I always call it I always used to call it Peckham Springs where it was this flash stadium but we've just filled it with kind of 10 to 15 million pound players that perhaps aren't up to it like it is a bit Peckham Springs at Tottenham and it hasn't really it hasn't really changed and and i think chelsea even though that's a completely different group of players but they still come to this game and they still want to win this game and they've still got that mentality from using the i call it the gta cheat code because they've just used abramovich's money and just fucking bought all the guns and all the all the money and all that like in grand theft auto and now they've just turned into this kind of they've bought their way into just being this powerhouse and so they've bought the culture right and perhaps you're right perhaps it is a Tottenham it is a Tottenham problem where we haven't done what needs to be done in terms of spending money and everything else to change the culture of the football club we've still got this kind of plucky underdog kind of thing but we're not that we're no plucky underdog no one wants us to win Chelsea should be the most hated club in the country and then not it's probably Tottenham like there's just when it was when it was us against Leicester people were painting us out to be the villains in a way not this might be Tottenham's first Premier League victory as well We were big bad Tottenham in that title run.
23:44Jack:So you're absolutely bang on with that. We are not that. We just don't – I've said this a few times – we don't fit. We don't fit into that we're not a big red club, we're not an oil club, but we're not a plucky underdog either. We're a big club with a massive stadium and loads of money, but we're not one of the established elite that sits at their table and we've won the Premier League a couple of times because that's really what counts on Sky Sports is. You have to win the Premier League a couple of times so you can sit there and talk to Paul Scholes and go, oh, look at us. Oh, we're friends, red club friends.
24:16Like, it's, we don't quite fit. And the only way we are going to fit is to, you can't beat them, join them type scenario where you've got to spend loads of money and win a couple of leagues. And then suddenly you're in that elite group. So it is, I think you might be right. It might be a Tottenham culture issue. but I do think that Thomas Frank at the weekend set us up to not lose and that's been the kind of the feeling all season is to is to set us up to not lose get a couple of set pieces and win the game and you know what the really fucking irritating thing to go back to the home form is that people are coming to our stadium beating us they're not even getting out of second gear Aston Villa didn't even have to get out of second gear Bournemouth played us off the pitch Wolves played us off the pitch.
25:01Everybody's just coming to Tottenham, playing us off the pitch, and then just leaving with the points? And it's just like, nah, man. Like, I'm sorry, you can't set us up to not lose games. We've still got good players. We're still a very, very big football club. I want to see a little bit more out of this group of players, really. I know they're not great. The midfield needs massive work, but this isn't good enough right now, especially at home.
25:26Jack:it's an absolutely despicable stat that's been doing around this this weekend which is Arsenal opened the Emirates in 2006 Spurs obviously opened up the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019 Arsenal have only lost six more games at the Emirates in that time in the entire time I think we're on 30 something I can't see where it is but there's there's a good number and they're like in the early 40s I think from what I'd seen they'd done yeah so we've they've lost 48 times at the Emirates we've lost 42 times at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and there's a 13 year difference yeah fuck I mean it's get them all out not foreigners I mean All the football people.
26:27I was going to say.
26:31Jack:He's gone there. He's gone there. What's that called? Brilliant slip. Yeah, exactly. Did I interrupt you hanging flags up, Cal, to get you on this pod? Every single lamppost in my area has them. But it pisses me. It's like they've got the ladder and they can only get halfway up the lamppost. And I think to myself, that's a half mast. You can't have that. That's fucking disrespectful. That's disrespectful, that is. You're not reclaiming anything with that, lads. You're bowing out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The home form is tricky, isn't it? It's tricky. And there's always going to be, you know, we sort of alluded to it, there's always going to be conversations about if it's too expensive, is it the type of fan, you know, people are always going to say, you're going to get a more discerning upper middle class customer that perhaps doesn't have that same visceral kind of energy to spur a football team on in the classically you know working man's game and all that type of thing but is that just an old-fashioned viewpoint you know like rugby is a very posh game isn't it they seem to manage to generate decent atmospheres so just because someone's got a few quid to chuck out a football match doesn't mean that they're not going to want to cheer their team on.
27:51Jack:Some people are always going to say, well, if there's something to cheer on, we'll cheer it on. And you could argue that since we've opened up the new stadium, we've basically seen the Pochettino team die and then us just tread water for a few years, be sort of propelled by, like I was saying, Kane and Son and not really do a lot else outside of that. But there's definitely something there. There's some problem there. And I'm not just going to have that. It's just the fans. And I've seen, you know, there's various, somebody said, I'm sorry, I forget the app, but somebody said to me, like, we need to look into the fact that the pitch is, you know, to do with the fact that the pitch is retractable, that there's something to do with injuries or something.
28:38We are a reactive fan base though, aren't we? I remember an early. I think aren't all fan bases? I don't know. Early years of the fighting cock, Felonius Filth said, he said we sit on our hands and wait to be entertained like and that's very early seasons and he would have said something he would have twinned that with something really misogynistic because that's the early season and that's him he's just a horrible man's where i get it from but he he's right we do we are reactive fan base we do sit there and wait to be entertained and certain games like a palace at home warm of home we just kind of you always notice the atmosphere just kind of drop.
29:16It's just... And even... It was the same at the old stadium. I know we like to look back at the old stadium as this wonderful place, and it was a wonderful place. But it was kind of the same at the old stadium. I remember us beating them 1-0 Palace when Sonny scored that day. And I remember thinking, well, the game was a bit quiet today. And we've always been like that. We've always been a little bit reactive. And I think, yes, it is too expensive. I didn't go at the weekend. It is too expensive, etc, etc. But we are like that as a fan base. We are a little bit reactive. But it's up to the team to kind of give us something to cheer about.
29:59We had literally nothing to cheer about at the weekend and pretty much every home game this season. You talk about worse performances. That was up there. That was pretty bad because even in the games where we've lost three and four under Ange, There was periods in the game where we've actually had a go and created something. We didn't create anything in the weekend. What was the stat? 0.05.
30:21Jack:0.02 or something, wasn't it? XG. At home. We never looked like scoring. It wasn't even one of those points, you know, you get into the 60th minute, you think, oh, there's still time. We might. Didn't look like it at all. It looked like they were just waiting for the final whistle to go. Yeah. It was a shambles. It was terrible. but then people say I saw people online saying I can't believe Richarlison's playing over Tell and then I think and then I saw that and I thought to myself is this the conversation we're having Richarlison or Tell you might as well have a fucking couple of six-year-olds out there like that's and it's that list and seeing that tweet was what made me start looking up the stats and looking up how many goals they scored our attacking options are bad they're really bad and we need to like I said I can't believe Langer's got a promotion the Gita should be down the road to be honest he should be gone like that group that list of players that amount of money we saved 200 million pound by having Harry Kane and then we saved it saved that close to again because Hoongmin's son was 15 million and he ended up being an elite footballer and that's another thing you talk about the leadership I'm jumping around a bit Jack sorry you talk about the leadership I talk about Van der Ven and Porro we miss son because he was a leader in the sense where he brought people together.
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31:41You look at Van der Ven when he was captain against Bodo, was it Bodo Glimt or Monaco? He lost his head for a minute. Poro didn't know leadership material against Duke. Van der Ven was awful against Chelsea as well. He was awful, wasn't he? He was. He was. He was really bad. He was really, really bad. And normally in those bad games, you can say, well, do you know what? The defence played well. He was awful. He was all over the place.
32:06Jack:He gets quite rattled, I think, when he's not got Romero alongside him. And it is one of those things, if we're talking about being a reactive fan base, but one of those things I've sort of had in the back of my head, I do think Mickey van der Ven's a very, very good player. But I just wonder how much better he looks because he's got Romero alongside him. Because I don't think he's impeccable as a defender one-on-one. He does get beat sometimes. He isn't as good in the air as he should be for a player as sort of big as he is. I don't think he's, you know, He gets out of jail because of his pace a lot of the time, which is fine.
32:40Jack:It's an asset. It's like King and Dawson. When King and Dawson were together, Dawson was great. As soon as you took King away, he was terrible. And it's the same with once you take Romero away from Van der Ven. Van der Ven hasn't been terrible, but he can get caught square on. If Anthony Gordon's running at him, he's the type that can kind of just make him send him for a hot dog. But, yeah, and you're right. he's not as good in the air as he should be at 6 '4". And Romero just makes him such a better player because Romero is our best player, isn't he? By quite some distance, I think, really. By quite some distance, yeah.
33:16Jack:It makes me feel like a bit of a mug for wanting to get rid of him, to be honest, because just that emotional decision of just like, he always wants to play for Argentina. He doesn't want to play for Spurs. And then you sort of think, can you blame him now? No. But like you say, of the leadership group, I mean, the other ripple of that is in very quick succession, we've lost Kane, Lloris and Son, who are three huge figures and they would be for any football club whatsoever. Scroll back another couple of years, that's Alderbarrell and Vertonghen as well, who have also gone from the pack. Moussa Dembele.
33:50Jack:When you look at that Pochettino team, and I know we're always going to go on about them and they probably are going to be the greatest team of our lifetimes, maybe. You don't know, but almost every single player on that team was a leader you know every single one of those players was like big they were like a proper like alpha horrible sort of footballer right I just kind of feel like with this lot right now they're all and I don't want to get all toxic about it I don't want to get all like you know they all need to man up a bit I'm just saying like I just think there's a lack of experience there and there's a lack of just genuine quality I really think like the it's tough and the problem is we've got so many players who I still think we just don't really know quite what their limit is quite I look at someone like Pedro Porro for example right Pedro Porro who can be absolutely phenomenal when Spurs are flying he looks phenomenal right and he looks he looks like a brilliant player but then some days he can either disappear or just be disgusting I don't think he was I don't think he was particularly bad against Chelsea I think he was just all right really I'm being brutally honest but some games he can he's getting beaten all day like he was he was getting a run around I think against Everton a bit what tends to happen with him is it takes him 20 minutes to download the data and it will get skinned for 20 minutes and then he wakes up in boxing they call it download the data yeah it takes him 20 minutes to kind of go alright he's going to do this now and then he wakes up and then he I love Poirot I think he's a really good player.
35:30He's been one of our best players this season. Yeah, and it's our technical, the guys that can actually use the ball and pick a pass is him and Romero, and that's it. And I think that's pretty much where the issues come from, is Paulina is a god to me. He's great, but he shouldn't have been on the pitch after 50 minutes in that game. We didn't need his style of play. We didn't need him on the pitch after 50 minutes. But you look at the bench and there's just no options. There's no players. And that's down to injuries as well. You know, it's easy to forget about the injuries. Madison and Kulisevsky are massive losses for us.
36:07And I know Madison's part of the leadership group as well. But I wouldn't, he's not leadership type, is he? He's a bit too much bill cream in his hair for that. You can't, you can't, you can't. A bit too much YouTube. You can't have a leader. Someone's got a hair transplant. You just can't. You're wearing a syrup, mate. I don't trust you. I don't know what you are. I don't know what part of you is real and what's not. Do I take advice from you? No, mate, you're wearing a syrup. So just get out of my sight, to be honest.
36:38You're not having him. I like Madison. I thought he was our best player. I thought he should have got player of the year last year. I thought he was our best player last year. And we really missed him towards the end of the season once he got the injury. But that's him, isn't it? He gets injuries. He's made of absolute crisps. Not even Brannigans. Not even real British men's crisps. No, those little olive oil sodden ones you get in Spain.
37:01Jack:Do you know what I mean? They're in a see-through packet. Remain crisps. I love those. I smashed them, mate. Yeah? I don't know if you noticed. You know, like in America, right, you get big bags of stuff, right? But they are like, it's like an in-proportioned bag, but it's massive. In Europe, they do like long bags. Oh, okay. Yeah. so you know I'm I know my crisps mate and uh I believe it yeah
37:30Jack:what were you talking about well let's talk about let's talk about um Chevy Siemens Shao Polinia two kind of two two sort of battlegrounds right um after the game yesterday well yeah I think it was after the game or it might have just been yesterday in the in the wake of it. Nathan A. Clark basically put out one of his sort of pie charts as I call them. He hates Paulinha doesn't he? He hates his guts. I've got to say like almost performatively so I'm just saying Nathan. You've nailed your colour cinema so we get it. We get it. You don't like the big burly Portuguese man. All right. But he's basically and it's you know it's quite stark.
38:13Jack:He's making the point that look people are digging out Xavi Seamans. This is the service he's getting. And it showed basically Jaupelinha's passing arrows, which are sideways and backwards as we'd assume they are. Where are you, like, how do you feel about Jaupel? Because I still think he's a very useful player. People don't really get past him. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I love him. I think he's really good. But I think it's about the type of midfielders we have right now. I think there's a place for him. I wanted to sign Johnny Smasher from Johnny Cardoso. I called him Johnny Smasher. We owned half of him and didn't he beg us not to sign him?
39:00Yeah, please, let me go to Athletico, please. I'll play that type of shit football instead of this type of shit football. I'll buy myself out.
39:07Jack:I'll give you the money back. Yeah, like fucking hell. We had like a little voucher. We love a little gift voucher, don't we? We had a little gift voucher for him. We had a gift voucher for Matisse Tell. But, yeah, I just think it just speaks to the type of midfielders that we have. And I think there was absolutely a place for him this summer to buy someone like him. If you're going to get a coach like Frank, who's apparently tactically adjustable and he's going to play different ways, you have to have different types of players, don't you? And I think there's absolutely a place for him. But like I said, after an hour on Saturday, he did not need to be on the pitch anymore.
39:45Like, we don't need someone to break up play. we need someone that's going to use the football and get us up the pitch and try and create something. We need to get another attacker on the pitch. The issue is you look at the bench and you go, fuck me, who do you bring on? That's the problem. I'm fine with him. I'm fine with him being part of the squad. I think he's been great. But it's damning, isn't it, that he's probably been our best player this season? That a defensive smasher in midfield, which I do like him, has been our best player. And our top scorer is Mickey van der Ven. Second is own goals.
40:15it just speaks to the style of play that we're playing
40:20Jack:Do you think it does let Xavi Seamans off the hook, I mean should he be on a hook he's literally just signed for us he's a young player, he's adapting to you know a new country a new style of play, a new league all that type of stuff but would you like to see a bit more from him because I would but I really like him I think he's a decent player, I think he will be a good player but two thoughts can coexist, right? I still would probably, I think he would probably say he's been a bit disappointed with how he's played so far, wouldn't he? I think the goal was his fault. He played back-to-back hospital passes.
40:58He played one to Jed Spence in an area which he shouldn't have passed him. And then he got the ball, the ball's somehow come back to him. He's played another hospital pass to Mickey Van Der Ven and Mickey Van Der Ven's got done. It was his fault. But at the same time, I think he's been let down a little bit. Like, I think he got brought on, again, in this really weird, convoluted game plan that Frank had come up with where we're going to play four quite defensive central midfielders and no 10 and no winger and no real outball. And he was brought on after five minutes and kind of gone, right, go on the left and do what Beraval was going to do.
41:38And it was just, I think he was let down a little bit there. But he looks off the pace. they pressed us really well Chelsea and that was the other disappointing thing is they look fitter and they look sharper and they they just pressed us really well and we just couldn't get out and that is the issue with Simmons is that he's really struggling to adjust to the pace of the league like Florian Verz but Florian Verz cost fucking twice the money so you know he should be getting hat-tricks every game the amount of money he cost but 50 million these days is not what it used to be right um but um he should be a lot better he is definitely adjusting to struggle he's definitely looks a little bit lightweight as well he's just getting barged off the ball but i think again that comes down to him being ready to kind of when he gets the ball knowing what to do with it he just doesn't look like he knows what to do with it but i agree with you i think he's a good player and i think you just have to keep playing him and you have to keep playing him as a 10 he has to just play his way out of this.
42:38It doesn't mean he has to start every game.
42:41Jack:Keep him in the mix, isn't it? I'm not saying he has to start every game, but he has to get half an hour every game in that 10 roll to get used to it. Don't let him hide. Don't stick him on the bench and just completely kill his confidence. You saw how upset he was at Everton when he got hooked after 60 minutes. He should have stayed on the pitch because he was playing well. He was playing well. Keep him on the pitch. He was starting to grow into the game. But Frank was like, no, we need another defender on. We need another fucking plod of midfielder on the pitch. Someone else that can pass it sideways.
43:11Jack:There's not enough sideways passes registering on my iPad or whatever it is. Get him out, Jack. Get him out. Mate, the notes, honestly, red flag for me of a manager is always players coming onto the pitch with pieces of paper full of notes. There's nothing you should be saying to your players in game that is that complex that requires notes on a piece of paper. I'm sorry. That's just maybe me being proper football man or whatever, but you should be able to have easily translatable tactical adjustments that you can just pass on to a player and say, you go there, you do that, we'll do that drill that we've done in training.
43:48Jack:Not pieces of paper, all that type of stuff. And like you say, it goes into that everything's a bit convoluted, everything feels a bit overthought. It just doesn't – it's not really clicking, is it? And I just, what I don't get is that PSG game. I think about the PSG game at the start of the season, the Super Cup. Yeah. We were knocking the ball about all over the place. It was lovely. We were playing some decent football. PSG, I know they'd just come back off their holidays. I think they'd not even had more than two or three training sessions before they went into that game. Correct, yeah. So, you know, I get that.
44:25Jack:But still, when I look at how we were playing, we took the game to them. whereas as you say and as has been observed it just feels like frank now is like what are the opposition going to do how is it that they play and how can we stop them from doing that as opposed to this is who we are this is how we play we're going to take the game to them this is the way we're going to attack them it just it just feels like there's no real idea of how we attack other than give it kudos you know and it's and the blessing throughout all this yeah i'm not advocating for frank to go i'm not i'm like i'm not doing that at all i like thomas frank i think he's i think he seems like a good bloke uh i was up for him when we were linked with him like i thought yeah all right brentford are decent they look like a solid side you know wissa and buemo he's turned them into like really top quality players they play all right football you know um but it's just it's just it's just a struggle at the moment in it it's just a struggle watching this i like to think that the pieces of paper are kind of motivational things that they're not tactical are all batteries the same that's like asking if all soccer players are the same.
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46:29Activation required. See pays.com to learn more. Terms and conditions apply. Uncovered windows can make your home feel up to 20 degrees hotter. Stay cool and And save up to 50 % off custom window treatments during the 4th of July mega sale at blinds.com. From outdoor shades to room darkening blinds, finding the perfect fit is easy. Get free samples, expert design help, and professional measure and install services. Or DIY with confidence and support every step of the way. Shop up to 50 % off site-wide, plus huge savings on doorbusters, right now during the 4th of July mega sale at blinds.com. maybe they'd liven him up a bit if the note said your mum's ugly you got no friends and then that's like the first thing that is there's like you can't right i'll fucking i'll show you do you know what i mean like i don't know i just matty wells says your shit prove him wrong yeah he's been talking about you said something about your mum last night right i think that might liven him up a little bit maybe you know with this hundred billion coming in and how they use that because you know, you could, that's a down payment for maybe four or five, 50 million pound players.
47:35If we go out and get a couple of midfielders, you know, an eight and another 10, I think you go and buy another 10. I think you just have to just, this season, in terms of squad planning, for this season, forget Maddison and forget Kulisevsky. They've both had really fucking bad injuries, an ACL and a broken kneecap. Forget them for this season. Just forget them. And go and, in terms of squad planning, go and buy another eight and another 10. and a left winger and a nine and a left back because you just can't trust a doggy to stay fit. The thing with Kudos at the minute is it feels like he always needs another touch.
48:13He always needs one more touch. He doesn't get it and then do something with it. He always needs one more touch. But it feels like that for a lot of the players, doesn't it? They're just not in sync yet. They're not in sync yet. They're not working well together yet. and maybe that is because maybe it is just a little too complicated for them and maybe there's just need, like this is our system, this is how we're going to play, go play and just get used to it. Just get used to playing together. I don't know.
48:41Jack:I mean, the thing is though, right, in terms of like Spurs adding to this squad, improving this squad, the truth of the matter is we have to spend loads of money. We really do. Like obscene amounts of money. We have to become that club that we haven't wanted to be, but you just have to be. Moses Cossedo, best player on the pitch on Saturday. Him and Enzo Fernandes are fucking unreal. Enzo Fernandes cost£120 million. Yeah, and Cossedo cost£115 million. And everyone spoke about them being flops at first and this and that. Two of the best midfielders in the world. Unreal. Two of the best players in the world.
49:20Jack:But if you want players of that calibre, you have to pay for it. You just have to. we can't we can't continue to try and do this like let's try and get there on the cheap where it works we got some that one time and that worked out yeah and how many other players have we tried to buy in that time since that just have not worked out who to be honest we sit and call shit and this and that who probably aren't they're just not that i think prime example this is someone like hoibier right prime example this is somebody like hoibier who is a serviceable premier league footballer right he's a he's a decent enough player but is he ever going to be rodry is he ever going to be miser's casino no he's not so you know if we want that if we want to compete at that sort of level also did it they bought declan rice you know and you can say whatever you want about him if he's got too much brill cream i don't know i don't know how he'd he'd rank on your on your ratings there cal but is that syrup is he wearing a syrup But still, he cost them what?
50:23He's a top man. 100 million pounds. Again. And they're comparable. We hate talking about them, but they are the best comparison in the big six, if you like, because all the others are kind of oil clubs. And, you know, you've got the big red two as well, but Arsenal, it's similar because of the new stadium, how they've had to change. They're kind of, they're not funded by some oligarch or whatever. They are comparable to us. and you do have to look at them and go, that's kind of the model, not the football. Well, we're playing the BTEC version of their football at the minute. But that is the model, isn't it?
50:59Is this self-funded club with a new stadium, right?
51:02Jack:They tried it for a long time as well, didn't they? Like the dying years of Wenger, they were always adding some, you know, shithouse from the French League or something like that and hoping they were going to get the next Thierry Henry out of him. and they just kind of bobbled along for a few years yeah getting the odd good player getting the odd awful player like we have and then they've clearly just thought we can't do this anymore we just have to ensure that we are buying world-class players all the time and also being ruthless because it's not just about the buying of the players it's being ruthless with them as well Ramsdale was their top dog for a long time they brought Ramsdale in they built all that media around him they loved him he was Arsenal through and through even though he's a Yorkshireman do you mean there was him walking around kind of wherever in london wearing his arsenal top all that sort of thing he was he was begging he was begging to be part of that club to be part of the culture and he was a good keeper for them and he still is a decent enough goalkeeper but they decided he's just not quite good enough if we want to if we want to be the best team in the country and so they've kept making those incremental games chucking money at it and lo and behold here they are top of the table they're going to walk they are going to walk the premier league this year They are.
52:13Jack:Makes you sick, doesn't it? But that's the other thing in defence of Frank is the league's hard now. You think about that period where, you know, Arsenal were, you know, they built the Emirates. And even actually us when we first built the stadium, we was able to kind of limp into the top four even though we weren't playing that well, right? And they were the same. They'd limp into the top four even though they weren't playing that well because the league just wasn't as strong. Now the league is strong. Everybody's got money. everybody's not shy in spending it everybody's having Sunderland have come up and they've bought Granit Xhaka from Leverkusen like who are champions league club won the won the league undefeated a couple of seasons ago like everybody's everybody's got money now it's a tough league so you can't sit on your hands and go do you know what let's give Bentancourt a new contract like what the fuck like you can't sit on your hands you can't wait it's pathetic in there I was raging about the Ben Zanker contract.
53:13Jack:I'm not going to lie. And I like him, but he's not the same player since pre-ACL. He's just not. He doesn't have the legs for it anymore, which is why he's so risk-averse now. The ACL is, you know, and it's not entirely his fault because he's had the ACL, then Matty Cash done him, then he got a concussion, then he did a racism and missed 12 games. Well, that bit was his fault. But the rest of it wasn't his fault. But, like, he's had a real bad run of it. But he's clearly, sorry, I'll just kick my table. Clearly not the guy he was. And then we've gone, yes, give him a new deal. It's just really bad squad planning, really.
53:53We needed to look at that area and go, okay, we need another eight. Let's go. Adam Wharton, let's go. Elliot Anderson, let's go. Do you know what I mean? Like, go and get, not that you can buy from Nottingham Forest because they're run by Nutter. but you know we looking at in terms of squad planning that just says oh that just says signing him to a new deal is just it's just like oh we'll be all right ah he's good enough
54:18Jack:it's just classic but this is it this is it isn't it this and this is the sort of culture we've we've we've had for too long now too long if we want to be a serious outfit if we because this is the thing people look at us and say oh you're entitled how can you how can you have entitlement as a spurs fan that you're gonna sign players to try and win the premier league which is quite simple in the fact that we get charged we get charged as if that's what we're going to do that's the sort of talk that the club put on for a while they they embarrass us you know they embarrass us with this chat that we want to be a serious club right we have to we have to we have to own that we have to hold that every time the club come out with this stuff about being a super club and all that sort of thing right but if they're not going to act that way if they're not going to back it up then we are going to just continue to to be able to but look this this is all based on this is all based on enic it's not based on the lewis family so you know viv viv and vinay they might be sorting this out you don't know and i guess to that point manchester united well we you know we've got Champions League as well.
55:26Jack:So we've got Champions League up next, then Manchester United, international break, then straight in for a North London derby.
55:35Can you, if things continue to look ugly,
55:39Jack:do you think people will get like, you know, itchy trigger fingers? Because there is some talk that he's a Levy man. That's the thing, that he was Levy's appointment. That's all the bit, trust me, bro. but still you know I'm gonna because all the well Levy and Vin were like well it was a group decision they said didn't they when they when we got Frank I'm gonna choose not to believe that one really do you know what I think because like I said people are dangling their feet in that conversation but I think that easily could have been three or four at the weekend and if it was three or four I think the noises would have been really loud right If we'd have lost three or four at home to Chelsea and we played like that, I think...
56:27It should have been.
56:28Jack:They messed up. It should have been. It should have been. They had some great chances. But yeah, if it had been three or four, I think the conversation would have been really loud. The adult in me, the adult in me says, we've got to get out of this cycle of just sacking managers, of just blaming the coach and just sacking coaches. the adult in me says you got to give him two years we gave ang two years and deep down he just wasn't up to it like he just wasn't um but the adult me says two years but if we get if there's a couple of pumpings in there the noise is going to get really loud is my answer but do you think they we'll get rid of him, mate.
57:16Jack:Come on, commit. Commit, Cal. I'm not asking you, I'm asking, I'm asking, adopt Vinay's head. If they, if we take, if we get pumped at Arsenal, which I don't think we will, I could easily see, because of how good, it's away, isn't it? It's their place. I can, the thing is, I can still see us scumming a slimy little win even. Do you know what I mean? I could see us getting results in the away games. And this is Kulamawani's, like, moment. This is the one thing he does in a Tottenham shirt. Yeah, yeah. I still think there's a player there in him, but we can't get the fucking ball up to him because we've got no players that can play the ball.
57:52Or we're not playing to a system that's going to help him.
57:58I think we're going to get results in the away game because that's just how our season's gone so far. But if the away form starts to go, yeah, I think he'll go.
58:08Jack:I don't know how I feel about that because who comes in? That's the thing. that's why again the adult in me is saying we can't keep doing this we can't keep just bringing in managers I think we've got to just ride it out I think that's how we end up with Hassan Huttall or someone like that do you know what I mean to the end of a season yeah yeah what's his name the Leeds fella I always forget his name as well they're going to bin him off soon aren't they again oh Daniel Farker he's just not up to him he's the Neil he's just he's Neil Warnock Alan Kerbishley he's just a good championship manager you promoted then you got to sack him they knew it as well they were talking about sacking Farker at the start and really he needs to just own his name his name's fuck isn't it really it's Daniel Farker like just own your name so they try it definitely sounds like some sort of German like Germanic expletive doesn't it oh fuck yeah it's the German Mrs.
59:06Jack:Bouquet isn't he like you know it's Bucket mate just own it Spurs in Champions League action to Morakao FC Copenhagen Thomas Frank mixing it up against his compatriots I'm sure Mark Nesbitt will be somewhere having a little tug that was a bit crass wasn't it it's fine treat yourself how do you how do you how do you feel do you think we should be battering this lot are you writing off the Champions League yeah I think I don't And I don't think you can judge this season or Thomas Frank on Champions League football. We finished 17th and then we're in the Champions League. It was so funny, wasn't it?
59:51Seeing the league table, the Champions League, and then you drop down to 17th and there's us with the little C next to us because we're in the Champions League. It was fucking wicked. I love it. Love it. It's almost, it's great because you get the money and we get to watch Champions League football. But for Thomas Frank, it hasn't done him the favour because he's never done this before. he's never had to balance champions league football before and you have to you have to play your best players every game when you've got champions league football because the standard is so high it's not like Europa League if we'd have been in the Europa League or the conference league it might have helped him a bit because he can play the kids he can mix and match and he can you know you can you can rest players champions league he can't do it you've got to play your best players every game and I think that's why Kudos perhaps looks a little bit tired because He's having to play all the time.
1:00:37But this is an opportunity, really, for him. I don't think you can judge him on our Champions League run. I think it's a bonus. We're not going to win the fucking thing. And there's a part of me now that kind of thinks, do you know what? We've won the Europa League. I kind of just want this. Just give us cups. Let's just win FA Cups and League Cups. Fuck the league. Love an FA Cup. Love an FA Cup. There's a part of me that just kind of feels like, do you know what? As long as we finish somewhere respectable in the league, I don't give a shit. We're not going to win it. And getting in the top four is like, all right, we'll get in the top form in the Champions League, but give me some cups.
1:01:07Give me some days out at Wembley.
1:01:10Jack:Maybe you need to start bringing back the old taking a tinfoil FA Cup to the games to inspire them. You know that old magic of the FA Cup? Yeah. Get that back, mate. Get that back with your£80 ticket to watch us play Doncaster Rovers or whatever. Yeah, exactly. I think, yeah, for the Copenhagen game, I think it's an opportunity for him. And it's a good thing that after such a bad performance that we've got a game so quickly, that's always a good thing because it's like we haven't got to sit there and soak in it for the next week. We've actually got an opportunity to go and right the wrong. Copenhagen, they're a decent side because they're in the Champions League, but it's an opportunity for us to go right right home.
1:01:48Let's fucking have a go. Let's spread our legs a little bit. Let's actually have a go now instead of going, oh, let's try not to lose. Let's get some set pieces. No, let's get attacking players on the pitch and let's have a go. and if we did you just say let's spread our legs I don't know why I said it and I thought that doesn't make sense but I'm dealing with it I'm just going to live with it let's just spread our legs and just go down
1:02:14it doesn't make sense but it's funny
1:02:16Jack:no I don't but now I've just got visions of you spreading your legs which is spread eagle spread eagle quite unpleasant why can't we win why can't we win the Champions League Cal isn't that isn't that one of those loser mentalities I've heard about fans like you why we don't win stuff like the Champions League saying on podcasts we're not going to win the Champions League that's what it is mate fans like you yeah well well you never know you never you never know but we're not like but I mean I think we do know don't we that's the problem we do yeah we at yeah we at shit house our way to Europa League and it was magical and wonderful and I wouldn't change it for anything like one day it was great but the Champions League is just a different beast in it it's it's it's yeah it's a different beast especially when you look at look at look at the quality look at PSG look at Bayern now Madrid aren't like shoddy either are they you know it's obscene I saw something on Twitter say oh for fuck's sake it's Bayern against PSG but I've got to watch Frank Ball like we could sit there in front of the telly is it actually is that it's the same time is Bayern against PSG.
1:03:29Why couldn't we have gotten that one,
1:03:30Jack:those scabby five o 'clock kickoffs? You know what I mean? Yeah, just get it out of the way so we can watch some actual properly good football. Like, yeah. Oh, shit, I didn't see Bayern got Arsenal as well. So we'll get to see Harry Kane come back and hopefully haunt them. Anyway, Calvi, got anything to plug, mate? No, not below the belt. Boxing is so niche and I don't mind, but if I could double my listenership, get five more, that'd be great. But yeah, boxing is such a niche sport, but if you want to listen to it, then listen to it. It flabs on it sometimes, but most of the time I will fill it up with people that know more about boxing than me.
1:04:12So it's all the guys that used to write for Boxing Monthly, John McDonald, Chris Williamson, Mark Butcher of Fighting Cock fame. He was on a couple of episodes ago. Such a smart guy, such a funny guy. He's trying to dip his toe back into the football world as well. So, yeah, that's it.
1:04:29Jack:That's it, really. What's your part of that? Do you just go on and say, Tyson Fury, he's good, isn't he? What about him? He did some good punches, didn't he? Yeah. He sparked him right out. That is, you know, like I am that, you know, as a football person, right, when the World Cup's on, you can spot the people that aren't football people who have watched the game. and they'll be like, oh, that Portuguese, what's his name? That kick he did at that part in the game, that is me with boxing every time. Every time there's a fight that's got some weight behind it or something, when it's one of the Fury fights or something like that, I watch it and I'm an expert for the night.
1:05:11Jack:I'm like, oh, look at the way he's been dodging it. How can the judges have given it that way? He did all those other punches in that round. Which round was it? I don't know. you know it's one of those sports felonious always says this boxing because it's so basic at its core it's just a couple of geezers or or women in each other people will talk about it with authority whereas me and you wouldn't sit there watching the rider cup i don't know if you even like golf but you wouldn't sit there watching the rider cup and go needs to use his six iron there you know like i wouldn't have a fucking clue like i can watch golf and go that was a good shot or no it wasn't but people will talk about boxing with like such authority so i know i'm pretty good but these guys i recorded are much smarter than me um but yeah below the belt little yellow logo thank you so much cheers cal appreciate you coming on mate no worries take care
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From the publisher
Jack is joined by Cal from Below the Belt and The Fighting Cock to pick apart Tottenham’s dismal showing against Chelsea, and ask the question, was it one of the worst Spurs performances of all time?
They discuss whether Thomas Frank is really cut out for a job of this scale, unpack the van de Ven and Djed Spence incident that hinted at dressing-room tension, and debate whether the issues lie in personnel or system.
The pair also look ahead to the Champions League clash with Copenhagen and what kind of signings Spurs need to make to truly push on.
Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen.
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