I know this ain’t the platform for this kind of commentary but -

If we don’t sign someone in the next couple of days

Post our wage bill comparison as well pls pls pls.

*5* players over 100K compared to Arsenal, Chelsea, United is so so so funny.

We aren’t there yet guys!!! We need players!!!

As I prepare to go and see my beloved Spurs for the first time on the 29th, I’m well aware of what kind of team I’m going to watch.

• A team that is bottom of the wage list in top 6 comparisons.

• A team that has 10 starters missing.

But for the first time since Poch, a manager I believe in.

We really are so good when there’s space to play into.

I hope that the rebranding of the club isn’t getting away from our traditions/values.

I don’t want us to be Spurs. I want us to be Tottenham Hotspur.

Is Levy the person that understands that? I don’t know. But I am worried after that rebrand.

I think it’s less Romero, more full backs.

Romero has never been a huge box defender. He’s always been a great open space defender.

Our fullbacks being so poor 1v1 and aerially has caused teams to progress wide against us more this year than centrally.

I agree with that.

I think our underlying issue is that we CAN be exposed/exploited.

Getting players that can’t be exposed in buildout or defensively is the next step for us.

Do you think the underlying numbers support a gulf in quality between our players and top sides?

I really believe our fullbacks are the biggest issue we have with defensive quality.

Attacking wise - we are just as good if not better than most top 6 sides. Tottenham create chances and threat as well as anyone.

Defensively - looking at Arsenal and Liverpool and their defensive rating, it makes me envious.

Is this a tale of control defensively, or a gulf in player quality?

Spurs ratings so far 24/25.

Big takeaways for me —

- Much more dangerous in many ways, and Solanke has definitely impacted us positively. This is really apparent in our press and PPDA.

- We are really poor defensively. Box defending and 1v1 defending being a huge issue.

If you’re a Tottenham fan, you know Daniel Levy is not going to solve our issues in one window. It’s not how he’s ever operated and he never will.

Ange needs time and also so do our players. With a squad age of just 24 years, we are a project.

Stylistically we are moving in the right direction.

Now that’s almost too reductive.

What I mean is - Pep found the players that match his identity. We’ve also started that process with the purchases of

Mickey Van de Ven
Wilson Odobert
Dominic Solanke

Each profile fits Ange’s identity and style of play. So what’s the solution?

Patience.

So - how do we fix it?

Easy! Take a look at the last guy to play a super high line + high possession rate.

Pep Guardiola. How did he change City from leaking high quality chances on the counter + finishing the chances his team created?

High Quality Players.

Pep stacked his team with elites.

Now, the negatives -

Two metrics I want us to really highlight - shot conversion and shot protection.

What these tell us about Spurs -

1. we’re not converting our chances at a high enough rate

2. we’re conceding chances centrally and high quality chances at that

Let’s highlight why we’re so good stylistically (or in theory). In the first three games we established something we didn’t do much last year - control.

Possession much higher up the pitch, with majority of our possessions ending in a box entry.

That’s excellent.

One of the biggest issues since the Newcastle game that’s been brought up is the STYLE of Angeball.

Basically - how we throw numbers forward and how we create chances.

Personally, I believe this to be a much simpler fix than most. I think our stylistic approach, when looking at metrics, is top.

the consensus from the first 3 games —

• We’re good + better players we score more goals

• Our right side could be so much better depending on the profiles (especially at RW - Kulu #8)

• Buildup dynamics stink with Maddison dropping in/Udogie high/Bissouma single pivot.

small thread on each 🧵

I think it’s definitely the more fiscally responsible option. I think either option is fine but buying big players leads to earlier success.

I’m wanting more sustained success which is where young players get us.

Personally I can see Spurs start to move to a point in this project where we do one of two things —

1. Buy highly rated youth and try and raise them into high quality players

2. Buy extremely niche high value players to supplement what we have

It seems more like 1 is the current plan under Ange.

Really hope these two start to add that bit of quality up top.

I agree. I think we are trying to develop them which is MUCH harder to do. Add Odobert and even Johnson to that list.

But it will be difficult. The only way for them to grow is to be put into the fire.

We’ve been spoiled the past couple years with super high quality front players.

We don’t have that anymore and I think this is probably the biggest tell. Quality of player just isn’t there in this team to create and finish high quality chances

Our away form against the top 6 is really really troubling ngl

Spurs fans are missing the biggest issue with this.

1 single pass breaks our entire press, and then another breaks our entire team.

The issues that I’m worried about have nothing to do with how we attack or the amount of chances Spurs concede (which is relatively low).

It’s the quality of chance.