Sarr's Statement

All right, time for another disclaimer. If you're wondering why this issue was so delayed, it's because something's been weighing heavily on my mind the last few days—over the last calendar year if I'm being totally honest. Let's just get into it now and then it'll be back to regularly scheduled newsletter business. I can't promise it will be brief, because this is me we're talking about!

In this issue: Pub Talk | Manchester United Recap | Bournemouth Preview | Transfer Talk: Spurs Women signings | World Cup Recap |

Pub Talk: Premier League clubs and ethical precedent

When I started using "pub talk" as my catch-all segment it occurred to me that there would be some subjects that feel a little too serious for that title, but at the same time, we really should be having more conversations about a lot of these difficult topics amongst our friends and family. The time for brushing them under the rug has long since passed because there are real consequences to letting the status quo go unchallenged.

I've been experiencing a severe sense of cognitive dissonance these past two weeks watching Yves Bissouma get heaped with praise and adoration. As it happens, I think he has played fine but not exceptionally—he's busy on the ball but not always productive with it, in contrast to players like Maddison and Sarr who have been more impactful—but I realize that's an opinion. His performances are not the actual problem for me, but rather the fact that every time I see him on the pitch I am painfully reminded of a dark time in our club's recent history. I cannot ever feel good about watching him play for Spurs because he reminds me so keenly of the time I was most disappointed in the club and seriously considered stepping away from supporting them.

I'm a little surprised at how quickly so many Spurs fans have forgotten those circumstances under which we signed him: because he was a person of interest in a sexual assault case at the time, we were able to get him for a reduced fee from Brighton. Other clubs didn't want to take the risk of signing him when he could yet turn out to be guilty (or perhaps had a genuine moral conviction against doing so), but Tottenham's board decided that was an acceptable risk and outweighed any ethical considerations. I obviously disagreed then, and I still don't feel good about the decision to approve his transfer, regardless of how well he has or hasn't played since. It was opportunistic and morally dubious, associations I don't want to have about the club I love but nevertheless must continue to try to process; I know I can't be the only fan who still feels some resentment about being forced into that dilemma. I know because I've had those conversations. Many of us are still hurting from the initial decision over a year later.

Knowing what I know about the efficacy of the criminal justice system I personally won't ever feel comfortable embracing Bissouma wholeheartedly, but I accept that for many people the fact that he was never charged with a crime is enough for them to move on. That's their prerogative. What I don't agree with is that we as a collective fanbase should move past the poor way the club conducted itself in pursuing his transfer. There's a reason that a player who had previously been so highly sought after by multiple clubs was able to be secured for such a "steal," and we should feel some shame about that. Genuinely, we should. Because Bissouma's individual innocence is entirely beyond the point. The issue here is the precedent it sets going forward, and the message it sends in conjunction with the decisions of other Premier League clubs in recent sexual assault and domestic abuse cases involving their players.

Overall, the picture being painted—starkly—is that such allegations are merely an obstacle in the way of these players having a successful career, not distinct cases with their own victims, whose welfare never seems to be a priority for the clubs in question. They are more concerned with losing value on a club asset, or in Spurs' case with Bissouma, taking advantage of an ethical grey area to gain an advantage in the transfer market. None of it is right. And I really think we need to hold our club to a higher standard. One way to do that is to acknowledge that the player currently winning accolades (in a literal sense, earning Player of the Match twice in a row) came to the club in a manner that contradicts the club's supposed values. And were a similar situation to come up in a future transfer window, we must be united in opposing such a signing. The practice of signing a player under criminal investigation cannot become normalized.

So that's why I haven't joined in with the love fest for Bissouma (which bizarrely included some fans calling for him to be named captain before the announcement—really??). The club has obviously decided that now is the time to push him as a key figure on the team in their marketing and social media, and a lot of fans have been happy to go along with it. I would just urge everyone to remember that we don't actually know what happened in that nightclub in 2021, one way or the other, and it might be prudent to think twice before eagerly proclaiming "What a guy!" about him. I would have hoped more fans realized by now that truly, we do not know these players at the end of the day. I know I have been disappointed by too many of my favorites in recent years to let myself get overly attached to a player emotionally ever again.

But just to reiterate, the bigger issue here is that we have to start demanding better not only of our own club, but of football in general. This sport (this industry if we want to be honest about the economic reality) cannot be a refuge for abusers. And you can say what you want about American sports and their quality, but at least the leagues here all have explicit codes of conduct and rules around when players who have been arrested or charged can/cannot play or move teams. These rules help organizations do the right thing without facing unexpected legal consequences (a potential problem that factored into Manchester United's recent decision on Mason Greenwood—which is a whole other topic I could write extensively about but won't for the sake of space). The rules don't always work perfectly, there are always loopholes to be exploited, but at least there is a clear message of zero tolerance that teams, players, and fans alike all must recognize. See the bookmark below for further reading on this topic.

Can English football learn from U.S. sports about how they handle abuse allegations?

Governing bodies in the U.S have a greater say over disciplining players. After Greenwood, does the UK need to look at what it does?

The AthleticDaniel Taylor

I had to address my feelings about Bissouma before writing any more for my newsletter this season because I was tired of avoiding the Bissouma issue by omission. But going forward, my stance is pretty much going to be: I will mention him when relevant (goals, assists, etc.) but I won't be devoting significant time to his performances. This is the compromise I have to make to continue feeling okay about writing about and following this team. It would certainly be easier if I could be the type of fan who doesn't think about these kinds of things, but that's just not how I was raised or who I am as a person. I understand if y'all have different feelings and will respect them, but that's where I'm at. Thanks for reading, as always.

PL Matchday 2 recap | Tottenham 2 - 0 Manchester United

Sarr 49', Martinez (OG) 83'

It's wild to think that the last time we beat Manchester United was that runaway 1-6 at Old Trafford during the pandemic. Finally, we took the full three points off of them again, this time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It was Ange Postecoglou's first game managing Spurs in front of the home fans, and he and the players alike got a warm reception that surely helped fuel the victory.

Starting XI:

Pedro Porro's inclusion was a bit of a surprise, considering that Emerson Royal had scored in the first game, but he looked more comfortable at right fullback than I had expected. His defensive weaknesses were mostly compensated for by the midfield, and it's undeniable how much he offers going forward. Pape Sarr was the only other change from the first game, replacing Oliver Skipp. It's safe to say Pape made the most of his opportunity!

On a selection note, it's just so refreshing to finally have a manager who is comfortable making changes to the starting lineup and experimenting with different partnerships across the pitch, as well as trying individual players out in more than one position. This flexibility is going to make us much more nimble as the season goes on—and less predictable to the opposition. Right now, experimentation is most needed across the forward line, the one area of the team that hasn't quite seemed to gel just yet. We have a lot of quality options though, so it kind of feels like Ange can't go wrong—and the cohesion will come.

Tactically, we saw a very similar approach from the first game against Brentford. The second half saw some tweaks with Son Heung-min shifting into the striker role in place of Richarlison, as well as a big impact from Ivan Perišić and Ben Davies as substitutes. Both goals came in the second half as well, the first shortly after halftime thanks to a great run into the box from young midfielder Pape Sarr (his first goal for Spurs!) and the second caused by a linkup between the two aforementioned substitutes that forced an own goal.

We looked sounder defensively in this match, partially due to a standout performance from new goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. I think this first Premier League clean sheet will do great things for his confidence going forward. Some of the younger players will also be feeling heartened by contributing to a win over one of the league's heavyweight clubs.

That being said, this wasn't exactly Manchester United at full strength; their captain Bruno Fernandes was particularly out of form and missed some big chances. I had noted in my match preview that Spurs would do well to exploit the lack of chemistry in United's midfield, and indeed, our new-look midfield was much more effective than theirs. Mason Mount was practically anonymous.

Both teams had less than clinical finishing from the forwards, but I'm still not concerned about our goals coming from the midfield and defense so far. It's never a bad thing to have the goal load distributed across the whole team, which the most successful teams across the globe have prioritized. I also think the work our forwards were doing off the ball and in maintaining possession over the course of the game should be recognized. Sonny especially had some bright moments in the second half.

SAtP Player of the Match: Pape Sarr

This was a statement start for Sarr—and a sign of how much competition there is for spots in the midfield this season. And as usual with Pape, I was struck by how mature of a player he is for his age; I always trust him when he's on the pitch because his decision-making is so strong, and his technical ability so great. Getting the goal was the cherry on top of a fantastic performance. It wasn't an easy finish, either, but he was practically already celebrating before it even hit the net. I loved that display of confidence. It's a shame he didn't get more opportunities last season.

Notable and quotable:

• Manor Solomon made his competitive debut for Spurs, subbing in for Dejan Kulusevski in the 88th minute. Deki hasn't had the most assertive start to the season, so there's definitely room for Solomon to feature more often. I'm intrigued by him after his strong pre-season.

• Pierre-Emile Højbjerg got his first minutes of the season but had a somewhat uneven performance. His first few touches were quite sloppy and he nearly put United through on goal at one point. But he seemed to realize his job was on the line and grew into the game. There's still a decent chance he departs before the end of the transfer window.

• A couple of quotes from two of our newest players to show just how fully COYS they already are:

I think that is the direction of modern football. You have to take some risks to perhaps break some of the pressing lines. You have to attract them forward and then maybe go through them. Life is about risk and that is what you have to do.
-Guglielmo Vicario

I love this style of football to be honest, I love to play with the ball because the trainer gives us the trust to play with the ball. It’s not that when we have the ball the trainer is screaming to play it long every time, you can hear him saying ‘keep calm, keep calm, just keep playing’. With the high-line with Cuti, with me, with Pedro and Destiny we know the time to go back because we trained for this the whole week, of course we take some risks, but what is football without risks?
-Micky van de Ven

To dare is to do, innit?

• I also wanted to share this great quote from Ange about James Maddison.

I think we got him at a brilliant time because he's always been a brilliant footballer but where he is in his life, he's really come in with this desire and ambition to be successful.

You need those kinds of characters because we've got a young group and he doesn't have any baggage in this club at all. He's come in with fresh eyes and just said 'Well it's a massive club with a great stadium, great training facilities, we've got nothing to have our heads down for, let's go.'

Maddison is kind of emblematic of the reset we all needed as fans. Why shouldn't we be excited about this club we love? Why shouldn't we feel like the world (or league) is our oyster? There's everything to play for, especially now that we have a manager and a playing squad who are fully bought in. Sometimes it takes a bit of honesty from a newcomer to give us a fresh perspective.

Previewing PL Matchday 3 — Bournemouth

Ah, Bournemouth. They were kind of a tricky team for us last season, with two 2-3 scorelines, one of which we came out on the better end of and one of which we did not. Our win came in the away fixture, so I'm taking that as an encouraging sign for this weekend's game, which is at Vitality Stadium.

Bournemouth have had an interesting transfer window so far. They prised Tyler Adams away from newly-relegated Leeds United, picked up promising youngster Alex Scott (a one-time Spurs target), and signed Max Aarons from beleaguered Norwich City. Besides Justin Kluivert, I'm not even vaguely aware of any of their other summer signings, but they seem to have reinforced in just about every position possible. Adams is the only one that strikes me as a real difference-maker, but that could just be the American in me talking.

Despite having a decent keeper (Neto, who saved a penalty in their last match against Liverpool), they still shipped three goals. Their first match wasn't much better, a 1-1 draw with West Ham. I can candidly say I didn't watch either of these fixtures, so I don't know much about what to expect from Bournemouth, considering they have quite a few new additions in their starting lineup from last season.

As for the Tottenham side of it, I'm curious if we might see Son start in the striker role. While it would be tempting to then drop Richarlison in favor of Perišić at LW, since he has a decent linkup with Sonny from last season, I would be interested to see if Richy fared better out wide than the central role he's started in so far. There's also an argument that Kulusevski hasn't fully earned another start, but more so that Solomon deserves a chance. The one possible forced change is someone coming into the 10 position in place of Maddison, who picked up a minor injury in the last game. This could be the time for Gio Lo Celso to make his season debut, or we could see a more experimental swap like Kulusevski moving into the midfield. Otherwise, I would expect the defensive lineup to stay the same since Porro had a fairly strong showing.

Getting the first back-to-back win under Ange would be a great way to build some momentum at the start of this season, so fingers crossed we take care of business ahead of the second leg of the away trip, a midweek match against Fulham in the League Cup.

Transfer talk: Spurs Women signings

After my complaints about the prior signing, a loan move for Grace Clinton that didn't really address any of our areas of concern, Spurs Women finally filled a couple of key positions last week.

First up was Olga Ahtinen, a Finnish defensive midfielder joining the club from Linköpings FC. The 26-year-old signed a two-year contract. At her previous club, she was named Most Valuable Player in 2022. She's also a seasoned international with Finland alongside her new teammate, Eveliina Summanen.

I'll be honest, I cannot recall watching her play for Finland, and I definitely don't have room in my football diet for the Swedish league, so I can't tell you much about her tactically. But people who are knowledgeable about the Damallsvenskan think that she's a great talent, so let's trust them! We haven't had a midfielder who truly specializes in the defensive role since Maéva Clemaron left the club, so I'm excited to see Olga add a much-needed layer of protection in front of the backline.

Then we signed Czech goalkeeper Barbora Votíková on a two-year contract. She is also 26, so another peak-age player. She's played primarily in her home country, but then made the move to PSG in 2021. That year, she was nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year in the D1 Arkema. Barbora also plays internationally with the Czech Republic.

It's hard to know what to expect from this keeper. But it's probably fair to say that the 1st keeper spot is Becky Spencer's to lose after such a strong summer at the World Cup. Rehanne Skinner's approach of splitting games fairly equally between two keepers was an unconventional approach and unlikely to be utilized by new manager Robert Vilahamn.

We also got news last week that Shelina Zadorsky has signed a contract extension of one year.

Interestingly, the announcement of her new deal noted that Zadorsky had previously served as the club's captain—which kind of suggests that she might not be anymore. With the arrival of Luana Bühler, there is a good chance that Shelina won't be a regular starter this season, so it would make sense to transition to a new captain who will be an ever-present player on the pitch. Ash Neville would be my personal pick, but we'll see who Vilahamn chooses (as well as any vice-captains), and if the captaincy announcement gets as much fanfare as it did on the Men's side. Regardless, it's great to see Shelina 1) back in good health and 2) recommitted to the club for the start of a new era.

World Cup recap: Not-just-Spurs edition

Beth England was the only Spurs player to reach the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup, and although it didn't end how she and her England teammates would have liked, she can still be proud of her tournament. I wish she had been given more minutes to show the world what she could do, but alas.

Spain were just far too dominant for England to have any hope of winning that final. Mary Earps had a phenomenal performance in goal that prevented the scoreline from getting dire, but there are several English players who will have felt they could have done much more.

It was hard to necessarily feel good about Spain winning as a neutral, not just because of the Spanish federation president's vile behavior during the celebrations, but because of all the controversy before the tournament even began—and the players who sacrificed their opportunity to play at the World Cup to stand up for better treatment. Just a rotten situation all around.

If there is a significant overhaul of the federation, Spain could very well be set up to go on a run of dominance for many years to come. They have a lot of promising talent in their youth pipeline, not to mention that many of the players who won this year's World Cup are still quite young and will surely be back for the next edition. Imagine this team playing with the benefit of adequate resources and a safe working environment, knowing what they achieved without!

I can honestly say my excitement around the World Cup waned in the latter stages, not just because the USWNT had been knocked out early, but because so many other likable, deserving teams also had their tournaments cut short. I would have happily cheered Australia on if they had made it to the final, as well as Japan.

But I'm still heartened to know that the overall health of the women's game is in a good place; the expanded 32-team tournament was a resounding success when you consider the group stage survivals of teams like Colombia, Jamaica, and Morocco. Nigeria and South Africa are of course not total newcomers to the World Cup, but still had commendable Round of 16 finishes despite their own lack of funding & support. And even teams that didn't reach the knockouts made a name for themselves on the world stage for the first time, like Haiti, Panama, and the Philippines. Nations like New Zealand, Portugal, and Ireland continue to make progress.

On the flip side, many of the traditional powerhouses of the women's game, like Germany, China, Canada, and Brazil have been put on notice alongside the US. This is a good thing. Hopefully, it will inspire some soul-searching from these federations, as well as changes to everything from the coaching staff to youth development and more.

It's a shame that we still don't know where the tournament will be held in 2027, but wherever it is, we can count on it being full of surprising results, crushing disappointments, and heights of joy. So, football.

As is the new tradition, we'll end with a grab-bag gallery: a fun moment with Dane and Pape from training, one of Venom's numerous funny faces during the game, Sonny and Pedro with very different levels of intensity, and some lovely fan art by @bungttak23.

Oh, fine. I'll throw in Roy Keane having an existential crisis:

I will do my best to get the next issue out quickly after the game since there's a quick turnaround for the next match!

COYS

Thank you for reading!

If you’re enjoying the newsletter, make sure to sign up for a free subscription to receive new issues in your inbox. You can also buy me a Ko-fi to support my work with a one-time tip. Your support keeps Spurs Across the Pond running and is much appreciated!

You can also find me on Twitter and podcasting at N17 Women and The Tottenham Depot.,