Youths Everywhere

We saw so many firsts for young players across the two midweek cup matches, from club debuts to European starts to making the bench with the senior team. On the whole it was a good week for growth, even if the performances weren't flawless.

I'm going to keep it short and sweet with these recaps since the next fixtures are less than 24 hours away.

In this issue: Charlton Athletic recap | Ferencváros recap | Previewing the weekend matches | News from around the Lane

The Men's team will be out on international break the following weekend, but the Women's team has a couple more games in which to build some momentum.

Women's League Cup Group Stage Matchday 1 recap | Charlton Athletic 1 - 2 Tottenham

Bradley 45' | Bühler 8', Naz 86'

I have to say we made hard work of this result, as we too often do in cup games against lower-division opponents. Luckily we had some high-quality subs on the bench to call upon and Jess Naz was able to prevent a penalty shootout (only for an extra point, not elimination, but still). But with this being the first three-game matchweek of the season, the initial rotation was very necessary to give more game time to new and young players as well as some squad members working their way back from injury. All's well that ends well.

Starting XI:

Katelin Talbert made her club debut in goal, which was probably always going to happen but was semi-enforced by Becky Spencer's injury scare against Aston Villa.

Luana Bühler made her return from pre-season injury and celebrated the occasion by scoring her first-ever goal for Spurs. She's not a young player, but hey, she understood the assignment this weekend!

Olga Ahtinen and Beth England also got starts to boost their buildup of fitness this season.

It was great to see Charli Grant, Matilda Vinberg, and Anna Csiki get their first starts of the season, but also to see Lenna Gunning-Williams get her first start with Spurs as a senior player. I was intrigued to see her lining up at the #10 role rather than striker, and while she had some room for improvement as could be expected, she never looked daunted by the responsibility and was active throughout the game.

I thought Robert Vilahamn managed the in-game rotation nicely, too. Maite Oroz had already played heavy minutes in her first couple of games with the club, so it was good to see her get a rest at halftime. Bühler's injury return was limited as well, and the final triple substitution brought on some of our most experienced players to finish the job alongside a young player, Araya Dennis, making her debut.

Top three things:

1. An opportunity for development. Sure, the team performance wasn't as fluid and decisive as we would prefer to see, but these early-season cup games are the best chance for Vilahamn and his players to try out new tactics, build new relationships on the pitch, and prepare for tougher tests down the line. And I want to give some credit to Karen Hills' Charlton team for actually presenting a decent challenge despite their Championship status; former Spurs player Ellie Brazil in particular was giving Grant a run for her money on the left defensive flank and provided a hard-earned assist for Charlton's goal just before halftime. There was some minor controversy with the player who scored, Katie Bradley, getting away with a very obvious second yellow card offense not long before she equalized for the Addicks. But it wouldn't be a Spurs Women cup match without a little chaos. Scenarios like this one are character-building for the squad and could even be the start of another unexpected cup run.
2. Attacking set piece improvement. When we signed Clare Hunt this summer I predicted we would see more set piece goals thanks to her aerial skills, but it's actually other players in the squad that have stepped up so far—literally in Bühler's case for her headed goal to start the scoring in this game. We've also seen Ash Neville get creative with a series of give-and-gos after a throw-in to help set up the final goal in the Crystal Palace match. We learned from the most recent press conference that Vicky Jepson has been in charge of working on attacking set pieces with the team, so kudos to the assistant gaffer.
3. Uncertainty in the goalkeepers union. Although Vilahamn had said Spencer was all right after the Villa game and could have been in contention for this cup match, it always made sense to rotate and give one of the untested keepers a shot. Newcomer Talbert got the nod and while she had a few moments of confidence with the ball at her feet, she displayed some debut nerves on some of her captures (or lack thereof). I don't put her at fault for Charlton's goal because of the close-range nature of the shot, but we were fortunate that Charlton players shot wide of the mark on two occasions where she was caught out of position. Talbert's risk-taking playing style is a big departure from what we've been used to with Spencer, who is known for her calm distribution but has a tendency to stay on her line when making a save. I'm certainly not writing off Talbert after one appearance, but it's worth noting that she's inevitably under pressure to make the most of her limited appearances if she wants to have her half-season loan extended. And just for the sake of having a full view of our options, I would like to see Eleanor Heeps given a chance to prove herself as well.

All of that being said, Talbert's Cruyff turn was absolutely delicious and had me hollering at my TV. Like I've been saying about Guglielmo Vicario on the Men's side, I want our goalkeepers at Spurs to be comfortable making bold choices and backing their own abilities to get out of tricky spots. Don't make me repeat the club motto...

With this first win of the group stage, we go into second place on goal difference, one goal behind Aston Villa after their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Goal difference could be crucial in this competitive group, and with Villa already gaining an edge, that makes our direct matchup effectively a must-win. We don't want to be stressing about pulling off another blowout against Palace on the final group matchday.

SAtP Player of the Match: Jess Naz

As if you even had to ask.

But a big honorable mention to Drew Spence for finding Naz with such a perfect pass that I knew it was going to be a goal before she had even shot.

Notable and quotable:

• Vilahamn focused on the positives in his post-match comments.

When you find a way to win a game, you should celebrate that.

He also had a lot of appreciation for Hills' team, both her tactics and the players—Brazil especially.

• As for his thoughts on our game-winner:

Her X-factor is one of the best in the league. She’s so strong, powerful, quick, and she has the finishing to be a top player in this country playing with the Lionesses. Her next level is to be more consistent.

I take his point about the consistency, as we saw her have a much quieter performance against Villa on the weekend. But what she has become quite reliable about is providing the big goals that matter—especially off the bench.

• I liked his full answer on Spence, noting that it's not just the young players in the squad that can develop and raise their game to a new level.

Europa League Matchday 2 recap | Ferencváros 1 - 2 Tottenham

Varga 90' | Sarr 23', Johnson 86'

No clean sheet for the Men's team either, though it was such a late goal for Ferencváros that it was more of a consolation goal situation than true pressure on the result. We had been fortunate that they had a goal called offside early in the game, however, and I felt that the Hungarian team put up a better fight than Qarabağ did on the first matchday. And it was a battle!

Starting XI:

Hence the title of this issue! We had a few literal teenagers in the starting lineup, although there were plenty of experienced players to balance out the youthful enthusiasm.

This was a milestone game for many of them. Will Lankshear made his outright first-team debut (claiming the auspicious legacy number of 888), while he and Mikey Moore both got their first Europa League starts. On the bench, Alfie Dorrington made his first European matchday squad, as did Dante Cassanova and Damola Ajayi with their first senior matchday squad inclusions. None of the three current Academy players ended up making an appearance in the game, but they provided valuable help in preparing for the match by participating in the training sessions. Sergio Reguilón had also made the trip for that reason but isn't registered in the Europa League squad, so didn't make the bench.

Top three things:

1. Sarr steps up. Somehow Pape Sarr still feels like a youngster to me, but at 22 and in his third season with the club, he was one of the more tenured players on the day. He had a rip-roaring first half and scored his second goal of the Europa League campaign, and could have scored a couple more goals with the chances he got. He's also made three goal contributions over the last three games, including an assist in the intervening Premier League match.
2. That man again! Brennan Johnson just can't stop scoring. What a contrast it's been to see him go from celebrating (or not) his goals with eyes downcast to celebrating with an undeniable swagger born of confidence. It also helps that he's been receiving great service from a variety of sources—his fellow substitute James Maddison in the case of this latest goal. I'm genuinely curious to see how long he can keep his scoring streak going in such hot form.
3. Archie Gray's versatility is valuable. Gray started at centerback rather than one of the fullback spots where he's featured before, not to mention his preferred position of defensive midfielder. Suffice it to say that it was a good learning experience with some real teachable moments, but he handled it all with maturity and unflagging effort and also managed to get involved in the attack at times. He's become a very integral member of the Europa League squad already and in addition to the benefits for his own development, his capability to start has allowed more senior players to get some much-needed rest (like Micky van de Ven in this case).

SAtP Player of the Match: Pape Sarr

With so much competition now in the attacking midfield, Pape Sarr had started to fall out of focus at the beginning of the season. It's a credit to him that he's taken the peer pressure as motivation to better show what he can offer. He can provide a real attacking threat from outside the box, as we've seen in the past, but in this game he operated as a fox in the box during a scrappy portion of the match, giving us the all-important first goal.

With so many games this season requiring frequent rotation, Sarr will have plenty of opportunities to put his stamp on the season. I'm mostly just happy to see the twinkle back in his eye!

Notable and quotable:

• Johnson has scored the game-winning goal in each of the last five matches, all competitions. He also holds an active scoring streak for the same five games.

• Spurs have recorded five successive wins for the first time since February-March 2021.

• The last time an English team beat Ferencváros on Hungarian soil was Leeds United in 1969... featuring Archie Gray's great uncle Eddie. Incredible stat!

• Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for the young players after the game.

On Moore:

He's got so much growth and he wants to learn. I couldn't be happier with him and I'm very pleased that he's part of our football club.

And on Moore and Lankshear collectively:

They're fully-fledged members of our squad. I've been keen to give them game time and [this game was] an ideal time. I'm confident they'll handle themselves. I've got no fear, they've earned their spot.

Previewing WSL Matchday 3 — Liverpool

We might be meeting Liverpool at a good time for this first matchup of the season. Matt Beard's team have picked up just two points so far in the league (against very beatable opponents) and suffered a 2-0 away defeat to Manchester United in the League Cup. They are low on results, low on morale, and low on goalkeepers—Teagan Micah is injured, and two youth keepers are going to the U17 World Cup.

Spurs' injury situation is about the same as it was midweek, with Luana Bühler fully returned to play but Ella Morris a game-time decision to make the squad against Liverpool. Amy James-Turner and Wang Shuang are both still out but are said to be making "good progress" in their recovery, according to the latest team news. And as I mentioned earlier, Becky Spencer is okay after her knock at Aston Villa. If she is fit to play I suspect she'll retain her starting spot in the league, but if there's at all a doubt we could see Talbert get another match.

Liverpool have been difficult to beat since they rejoined the Women's Super League two seasons ago. However, they've not been scoring much yet this season, so we should see anything less than a draw as a disappointment from this home fixture. Although Liverpool finished above us in the table last campaign in 4th place, if they continue on their early-season trends they may struggle to maintain their "best of the rest" status. Spurs, Manchester United, and Aston Villa have all looked like more cohesive teams.

My player to watch from Liverpool is their new Canadian striker, Olivia Smith. She's a rising talent for her national team as well. In the W Gold Cup last spring, she registered two goals and two assists across the group stage before Canada's eventual semi-final exit. She already has one goal for Liverpool, a 7th-minute goal against West Ham United that was canceled out late in the game by Riko Ueki.

For Spurs, the striker selection will also be key. Beth England made a big impact off the bench in the two league games so far but didn't impress as much in her start in the League Cup. Martha Thomas has been getting the nod for WSL games but has yet to get on the scoresheet, and looked less likely to score in her second match than the first, in which she sent too many shots straight at Crystal Palace's keeper. Perhaps Jess Naz could be the ideal solution since she hasn't looked as threatening out on the left wing. So many of her best games last season came when she played in the striker position.

Other than the forward line decision, I'm curious to see if Ella Morris will finally make her Spurs competitive debut. No rush if she's still got the injury concern, but it would be nice to see her in action soon. I would love for Ash Neville to be able to have some regular rest this season.

Previewing PL Matchday 7 — Brighton

Brighton have had a mixed bag of a season so far. They're under a new manager, Fabian Hürzeler (fresh from helping St. Pauli gain promotion to the Bundesliga top flight) after Roberto De Zerbi left for Marseille.

To focus in on their performance in the attack, they've only been held scoreless once—a 0-0 draw against Ipswich Town—and have scored multiple goals in all but two games across the Premier League and the League Cup. But those goals have come from a wide range of players, with only Danny Welbeck and João Pedro having scored two or more—and Pedro is out for this weekend's match. That makes the task easier for our resurgent defense.

Destiny Udogie is available again after being precautionarily held out of the Europa League fixture, but Son Heung-min is expected to miss another game. Since he's already been withdrawn from the South Korea squad for the upcoming international break, it can't be a bad thing for him to get an extra weekend of rest. We'll want to have the skipper available for the derby against West Ham United on the other side of the break. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are still out, but Radu Drăgușin is back in the squad after serving his Europa League red card suspension. With Udogie back, I would be happy to see the same lineup from the Manchester United game, with some early sub appearances from players like Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore, and Djed Spence to continue their development.

Candidly, I don't think I've watched a single Brighton game yet this season, so I don't have any insights to offer on their new playing style under Hürzeler. I believe he had a reputation as an attack-centric manager at St. Pauli, which would track with how many goals they've conceded over their last three games (including two from struggling Wolves in the League Cup). Notably, Bart Verbruggen and his defense allowed Cole Palmer to score four goals in one half in last weekend's matchup with Chelsea. Yikes.

Spurs definitely have the momentum edge going into this away fixture, and it would be great to enter the international break with a win and a mostly healthy squad. Fingers crossed!

News from around the Lane

The only real news from the club this week was the bevy of international call-ups on the Men's side across all the age levels.

• From the senior team, the notable call-ups were Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro. Solanke joins up with the England squad in hopes of making his first appearance since 2017 (his only senior England cap to date). Porro is also making a return to international play with Spain, albeit after a much shorter absence than Solanke. And although Archie Gray is a full-time member of Spurs' senior squad, he'll be playing with the England U21 team for their Euro qualifiers.

• I cannot for the life of me recall what the Elite League is, but regardless, we've got four players representing Spurs in the latest England squad: Luca Gunter, Dane Scarlett, Ashley Phillips, and Will Lankshear.

• Mikey Moore and Leo Black are both joining up with the England U19s.

• Callum Olusesi earned his first call-up for the England U18s.

That's all! Apologies for the lateness of this midweek edition, but I got sucked into an American soccer vortex last night. Don't ask me about my USL and NWSL teams' playoff chances, please. At least Spurs are keeping me happy of late!

COYS

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