***Spurs vs Saudi Sportswashing Machine***, League Cup, 29th October 2025 at St James Park

[Baleforce]

It made the game much more exciting though, as you know everything that was happening would matter. It wouldn't be wound back 10 minutes to find a minor technicality to disallow everything that had been going on.

I don’t want excitement, I want correct.

 

[billyiddo]

That's largely the issue with the cry for PL proven. We can't get the very best because they are already stationed and performing for the other Top 6 sides, so really people are asking for the best of the rest which is what we have been in recent years anyway, sure we've done it badly but that's what we've done. If specifically target PL players you are almost by definition picking from the 2nd or 3rd tier. Which I think is the complaint in the first place.

There's a lot of money in the PL and so a lot of well financed player recruitment departments across the league, nothing wrong with targeting players in the league for that reason imv

As with the rest of our transfers buying domestically has also been hit and miss

 

[Gutter Boy]

I don’t want excitement, I want correct.

There's no such thing. All referring decisions (bar ball crossing the goalline) are subjective.

 

[balesleftboot]

No, I don't have any complaint with the team selection -- just surprised by the reaction that very few people seem bothered to go out of the cup.

I would place more importance on this match than Copenhagen for sure. I've no problem with the eventual goal being success in the CL but you'd be crazy to believe it's any more than a remote possibility this season.

Exactly. Football - for the fans at least - is surely about winning things. Saudi Sportswashing Machine won a trophy AND got Champions League football last season. Guess which one they celebrated more. I don't see any open top bus parades for finishing in the top 5.

I can sort of understand it from the boards perspective prioritising financial gain but from fans it baffles me.

We achieved Champions League football many times under Levys reign yet most still weren't happy because we weren't anything.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Agree completely.

As an aside, I remember when we were linked to Gordon when he was being sold by Everton. Myself and a pretty small number of others wanted him but a large majority on here were saying he was rubbish.

He was wanted by Paratici
Imagine him on the left now

 

[glasgowspur]

He was wanted by Paratici
Imagine him on the left now

He's a good player and I wouldn't turn my nose up at him.
However, where I do think he would struggle with us is that he's quite "physical", similar but not as bad as joelinton, and he'd spend more time suspended than playing.
No way any player of ours is ever getting away with that.

 

[Baleforce]

There's no such thing. All referring decisions (bar ball crossing the goalline) are subjective.

How about offside?

 

[RunTMC]

Kudus is overrated on here, yeah i said it.

Nailing your sails to your masts I see!

Edit: nailing your masts to your sails I think

Edit 2: Nailing your colours to your sails?

Edit 3: fudge me - nailing your colours to your mast. That’s got to be it!

 

[thfcsteff]

I hear everyone, but would also ask what would have been our line-up with a fully fit squad? Would it have deviated much from what we saw last night?

For me, Dragusin plays with the other 4 of the back 5. I have a feeling Gray may have started over Bentancur and there is a case for Muani in the left forward or number 9 positions. Richi may have played as well though even in that scenario.

Clearly the bench may have been stronger to impact the game. What I'm basically saying is that there are clearly other natural root causes other than just squad availability for what we saw last night. Root causes that come with a change in the guard and the start of a new manager's journey.

The good news is that you could see the work-in-progress pieces quite prominently. We clearly had big phases of that game where we were in the ascendency. We had a few breathtaking moves that could have resulted in goals. It wasn't all bad.

I'm not as arrogant to think that this current Spurs going away to the league cup winners and 5th place league CL qualifiers made us anything other than underdogs last night. The biggest consequence might be for some of the peripheral players not getting game time in future rounds but even that might not be an issue if we are never going to exit this injury cycle we seem to be in.

Well-said! This cannot be emphasized enough.

 

[thfcsteff]

Exactly. Football - for the fans at least - is surely about winning things. Saudi Sportswashing Machine won a trophy AND got Champions League football last season. Guess which one they celebrated more. I don't see any open top bus parades for finishing in the top 5.

I can sort of understand it from the boards perspective prioritising financial gain but from fans it baffles me.

We achieved Champions League football many times under Levys reign yet most still weren't happy because we weren't anything.

It was their first trophy since 1969, which in turn had been their last tophy since 1955.
Of course they were excited.

We achieved Champions League football repeatedly under Poch, and learned in a few seasons how to make it through that competition. The only reason we didn't win it in 2019 is because the previous summer had seen not one bit of squad investment. That and one of the worst decisions I've ever seen in a major final.

I find it baffling that fans would rather settle for a Carabao Cup than push to try for the biggest prizes...especially as we oh so nearly won it in 2019.

 

[kb 1984]

That and one of the worst decisions I've ever seen in a major final

Yes playing an injured Kane was a bad idea but I have seen worse

 

[thfcsteff]

Yes playing an injured Kane was a bad idea but I have seen worse

hahahaha, I disagree with you! I was of course referring to the appalling penalty decision against Sissoko.

 

[kb 1984]

hahahaha, I disagree with you! I was of course referring to the appalling penalty decision against Sissoko.

Yes I knew what you were referring to but I thought playing Kane was a bigger mistake. We pretty much had 89 minutes after the pen sadly Kane was a passenger that night.

 

[Baleforce]

Yes I knew what you were referring to but I thought playing Kane was a bigger mistake. We pretty much had 89 minutes after the pen sadly Kane was a passenger that night.

Eriksen and Son were brick as well.

 

[Bishop]

Eriksen and Son were brick as well.

The whole team was poor, but an unfit Kane was especially so.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I felt the same way about Dier tbh, but at least you understand even if you for some weirdo reason rate Johnson.

I don't even hate him, I just think he's bloody awful and watching his fail at doing the basics is just painful to watch. But hey keep players like him and then wonder why the attack is brick.

I think Johnson does what a lot of players cannot do and that is score goals. He consistently gets himself to the back post when other players do not (even on Wednesday night he got himself onto a ball and put it back across goal for what would've been a tap in for a half reasonable striker who would've followed in instead of standing around aimlessly like Richarlison did). I noticed two balls that went into similar areas after Kudus came on and Kudus had not made the run to the back post.

Sure Johnson is not much of a dribbler and he is also poor at holding the ball up but he does have attributes if used correctly. He is no longer first choice at Spurs and I don't think replacing him in the squad is much of a priority - would be way down my list after a top class CM, a top class keeper, another option at Centre forward and competition at full back as a minimum.

One thing he certainly isn't is one of the worst ever signings at Spurs. His goal in the Europa final alone has repaid his transfer fee.

 

[Finney Is Back]

He was wanted by Paratici
Imagine him on the left now

Paratici was also trying to get us Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before he went to Napoli.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Yes I knew what you were referring to but I thought playing Kane was a bigger mistake. We pretty much had 89 minutes after the pen sadly Kane was a passenger that night.

The most ridiculous thing about starting Kane was the fact that there was no way he could still be on the pitch if the game went to extra time and penalties. Benching him and bringing him on after 70 minutes or so would've scared Liverpool with just their slender 1-0 lead I think.

 

[Gutter Boy]

How about offside?

There's still interpretation about when the ball is played (cameras aren't good enough to show the exact moment of connection) and definitely interfering with play.

 

[Finney Is Back]

There's still interpretation about when the ball is played (cameras aren't good enough to show the exact moment of connection) and definitely interfering with play.

I think it would help if they just thickened the lines a bit for offside VAR decisions. If any overlap then onside. Many of the VAR overturned offside decisions where a goal is awarded initially as the lino thinks the player is onside, are overturned for extremely small transgressions that, as you say, can be because it is impossible to get the exact moment the ball is played. I think just thickening the two lines a bit would mean those 'goals' stay goals, which I think is in the interest of football.