We stop doing the “everyone’s rubbish” routine and actually audit the squad. What’s a genuine upgrade, what’s just frustration, and who simply doesn’t fit. Vicario and the modern keeper problem, Dragusin as the obvious sale, Udogie’s injuries, Porro’s trade off, midfield balance (and the Paulinha debate), the Kulusevski and Maddison contract time bomb, and why Tel is the one attacker we’re building around. Plus, we end with the uncomfortable truth: even if you bin Richarlison and send Kolo Muani...
Jan 20, 2026•56 min
We’re back with Harry Brooks and we get stuck into Conor Gallagher to Spurs, why he’s basically plug and play, and why managers love him. We talk about what he actually gives Spurs off the ball, how he can become the press trigger we’ve been missing, and why his engine and discipline make him such a reliable week to week performer. There’s also a bit on Valiz likely heading back to Brazil, a quick Souza check in, and the bigger question of squad balance and what this means for Sarr, Gray and Ber...
Jan 14, 2026•49 min
“Brazilian fans are brutal… the training ground is being invaded… any kind of malcontent he will see in N17, he’s already been through it all in Santos.” We’re joined by South American football expert Tim Vickery as Spurs close in on 19-year-old Santos left-back Joao Souza. Tim explains why fans feel trepidation about South American imports, then makes the case for why this one’s different: Souza came through a brutal relegation scrap with training-ground invasions and still stood out because he...
Jan 12, 2026•39 min
We sit down with The Athletic's Dan Kilpatrick to talk about the weird new Spurs emotion: numbness. Dan explains how a decade in the press box switched off the “fan brain”, why he’s now trying to work out what kind of supporter he even wants to be, and why watching Spurs can feel like booking time off just to be annoyed. From Romero’s captaincy posts and the club’s outside image, to Frank’s grip on the squad, the lack of leadership, and the muddled structure behind the scenes, it’s a proper zoom...
Jan 09, 2026•47 min
We’re back with Anatole Pang to talk about the bit of Spurs you never really see: the structure, the decision-making, and why everything keeps looping back to the manager taking the heat. We get into the missing director of football role, how long proper turnarounds actually take, why the squad feels like it was built without a plan, and what has to change in the next 6 to 12 months if Spurs want a real football identity again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 06, 2026•47 min
We’re joined by Adam Rosenbaum , Brentford season ticket holder and fan culture photographer, after a grim nil nil where Spurs looked like they had no interest in winning. We talk about what Thomas Frank’s Brentford actually were, why none of it is showing up at Tottenham, and whether this is tactics, players, confidence, or just the job swallowing him whole. Plus we get into Brentford fans turning on Keith Andrews despite being ninth, why football discourse has gone fully binary, and the moment...
Jan 02, 2026•45 min
We’re back with coach Harry Brooks to deep-dive on wunderkid Luka Vuskovic and why the hype is getting silly for an 18-year-old centre-back on loan at Hamburg. We chat through what makes him so dominant, why his aerial numbers are outrageous, how he plays off both feet, and why he keeps popping up with goals like he’s a striker. We also get into the one obvious weakness in his profile, whether he can handle the Premier League right now, and what Spurs even do if he comes back when Romero and Van...
Dec 30, 2025•58 min
We’re back with Harry Brooks to talk about what football’s turned into, why so many players default to the safe option, and how control has started squeezing the life out of decision making, even at youth level. Then we drag it back to Spurs, what Thomas Frank might be getting wrong, why “process vs outcome” matters, and why the club feels like it’s trying routes and patterns without a real foundation underneath. We also get into what “risk” actually is, why U-shape football drives us mad, Brenn...
Dec 16, 2025•56 min
We’re joined by journalist Tom Barclay for a look behind the curtain. We start with Mo Salah’s explosive mix zone interview, the panicking Liverpool press officer and what life is really like in those corridors after full time. Then it’s Spurs: Vicario getting booed, Thomas Frank calling out “true Tottenham fans”, the tension around performances and why supporters still crave moments and vibes as much as XG. We finish on Brentford, Xavi Simons, Spurs’ search for a left winger, January rumours an...
Dec 09, 2025•52 min
We got Kish from LilywhiteLab on to dig into Thomas Frank and the big question around Spurs right now. Why are we so blunt in attack? Why are the tactics so conservative when we have the talent to play a more ambitious brand of football? We go through the double pivot obsession, the back five against Arsenal, and what Frank got wrong with Bentancur and Pallinia sitting in front of it. We ask whether this is about the manager, the personnel, or the hangover from finishing seventeenth last season....
Nov 25, 2025•45 min
Back in 2021, Spooky and Flav sat down to try and figure out something that’s been baked into supporting Tottenham for generations: why do we hate Arsenal so much? This episode digs into the roots of it all, from the early days of the rivalry to how it plays out in the modern game. What’s interesting now is listening back with a bit of distance and asking whether anything has really changed since we recorded it. The context has shifted, the clubs have shifted, but that feeling between the two fa...
Nov 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min
In this one we sit down with Spurs commentator Rob Daly, the voice living rent free in all our heads after Bilbao. We chat about how he finds the right words in the biggest moments, the art of shutting up and letting the crowd breathe, Clive Allen nearly in tears, academy kids changing games from nowhere, and why podcasts are his cheat code for understanding fan mood. It is a proper love letter to commentary, to Spurs, and to that night in Bilbao. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...
Nov 19, 2025•55 min
This episode on The Lab we took a little detour from our usual look into Tottenham Hotspur culture. We had the chance to sit down with Eddie Hearn and Spurs fan, Commonwealth title holder and British title challenger Sam Gilley. Sam is gearing up for his fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the undercard of Chris Eubank versus Conor Benn 2, so we got into everything around the event, the buildup, the atmosphere, and what it means for him at this stage of his career. Eddie gave us great insi...
Nov 13, 2025•53 min
We sit down with journalist and author Tom Barclay to unpack Miracle in Bilbao: The Inside Story of the Europa League Triumph , Clowngate, and what really changed tactically in Europe. We talk press room dynamics, Ange’s spiky side, and why the Europa League run was more plan than player mutiny. We get into Thomas Frank’s pragmatism, creativity concerns, and the fan mood at home, plus the Levy shock and how it blindsided everyone outside the club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...
Nov 12, 2025•1 hr 1 min
On The Lab we’re joined by Dan Kilpatrick from The Athletic to look at where Spurs are heading under Thomas Frank. We talk about the defensive foundations being built, the exciting talent still to come back, and how key players like Kulusevski can transform the attack. We get into midfield tweaks, Xavi Simons’ potential, and the big opportunities ahead in the January window with fresh backing from the Lewis era. Plenty of reasons to believe this can still turn into a strong season. Learn more ab...
Nov 06, 2025•45 min
Billie joins us representing Change For Tottenham , discussing a fan-led movement to revive the home atmosphere at Spurs. Working alongside Return of the Shelf and THFCFlags , supporters are pushing for a unified singing section, better engagement from the club, and a stadium experience that reflects the passion of Tottenham Hotspur fans. From European away days with flags travelling alongside the team, to the legacy of the 1882 movement and grassroots mobilisation, we explore why the atmosphere...
Oct 30, 2025•42 min
This week on The Lab feed I’m sharing something a little different. Iain from the excellent Poddingham Podspur invited me on to talk about how The Fighting Cock began, why I started The Lab, and what drives me to keep making Spurs content. I wasn’t planning to release this here since it was recorded for someone else’s show and it can feel a bit self-indulgent to talk about myself. But listening back, I think dedicated Fighting Cock and Lab listeners might enjoy the behind-the-scenes chat. Hopefu...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Spurs presenter Ben Haines joins The Lab to talk about the Europa League win in Bilbao, how the “Winners” documentary came together, and what changed inside the club under Vinai Venkatesham and Thomas Frank. We get into Ange’s standards, Thomas Frank’s culture work, analysts clipping live during matches, and why increased access has lifted trust among supporters. Ben also shares the story behind Sonny’s emotional farewell interview and what it takes to ask bold questions when you only have ten m...
Oct 21, 2025•56 min
We’re joined on The Lab by Anatole Pang to break down Tottenham’s rapid front-office rebuild. We unpack the Lewis family’s stance on takeover bids, why we believe Spurs have created twin “sporting director” roles for Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, how Vinai Venkatesham is centralising power as CEO, and what all this means for transfers, wages, set pieces, and Tottenham’s long-term football identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 15, 2025•47 min
We’re joined by author Gareth Dace to dive into Tottenham Hotspur’s most formative decade. From Keith Burkinshaw’s progressive blueprint and the revolutionary arrivals of Ardiles and Villa, to Archibald and Crooks igniting White Hart Lane, the sale of Chris Waddle to Marseille, Clive Allen’s 49-goal season, and that deafening 1984 UEFA Cup shootout, this is Spurs in the 80s in full color. We get into Irving Scholar’s vision, the PLC era, Hummel, the Shelf stand rebuild, hooliganism, and the Alan...
Oct 15, 2025•1 hr 2 min
We're joined by football finance expert Ben White to unpack Tottenham’s £100 million capital injection from the Lewis family. We explain why it is being done as a share issue rather than a loan, how amortisation and PSR shape what Spurs can actually spend, the Macquarie cash-advance story, and why Chelsea’s model is risky. We also talk timing, ownership intent, January vs summer windows, and what success looks like over the next three to five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...
Oct 09, 2025•42 min
We’re joined by The Athletic’s Dan Kilpatrick for a wide-ranging chat on Ange Postecoglou’s spell and the hangover at Forest, Thomas Frank’s pragmatic start, Xavi Simons’ early impact, Richarlison vs Tell, and what ENIC’s next move could look like. We also get into the US ownership question, Premier League voting blocs, and how the club’s summer hinted at a shift in ambition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Oct 09, 2025•47 min
Hello and welcome back to The Lab . Today we’re talking about something that’s uncomfortable but important: the ethics of who owns our football clubs. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Firehawk – and yes, ENIC/Tavistock . What do reputable human‑rights organisations actually say? What can PSR stop – and what can’t it? And what does any of this mean for Spurs? I’m joined by Jake Wieczorek , who works in human‑rights and democracy assessment. No lectures – just information, context and a conversation. Read Jak...
Sep 22, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Thomas Frank’s adaptability, Xavi Simons’ star power, and Spurs’ new set piece edge. In this episode of The Lab, we're joined by journalist and creator Adam Clery from The Adam Clery Football Channel to dig into what Tottenham’s summer really changed. We break down why Simons is a “nightmare” and a genuine floor raiser, how Frank’s flexible approach contrasts with Postecoglou’s, and why Spurs’ set piece surge is more Brentford blueprint than copycat. Adam explains why Mohamed Kudus feels like th...
Sep 17, 2025•49 min
A deep dive into Tottenham Hotspur as a modern business. Private equity professional and lifelong Spurs fan Anatole Pang joins to unpack what a £4–5bn football company should look like, why Tottenham still feels under-structured, the role a true Director of Football should play, how Paratici and Lange fit, what the Gibb River review signals, and how valuation and cash flow actually work in football. We also touch on whether the club is really “for sale,” how owners think about operational reform...
Sep 10, 2025•56 min
Author Andrew Pettifer joins The Lab to talk about his new book When the Final Whistle Blows: Glory, Grief and Tottenham Hotspur . It is a season-long memoir of following Spurs with the OzSpurs community in Sydney, and a tribute to Cameron White, a beloved chapter lead whose final days coincided with European glory. We get into fandom from afar, why belonging matters more than trophies, the chaos of 5 a.m. kickoffs, and why Andrew is donating all proceeds to cancer research at a Sydney hospital....
Sep 04, 2025•40 min
Tottenham’s summer 2025 transfer window was full of peaks and troughs, ending with a squad that feels reshaped and refreshed. The arrivals of Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Kōta Takai, Mohammed Kudus, João Palhinha, Xavi Simons, and Randal Kolo Muani addressed key areas, though questions remain about depth at centre-back and the absence of a true left winger. Kudus looks ready to make an immediate impact, Simons is viewed as a special talent, and Palhinha adds vital steel. Luka Vuskovic’s loan shows m...
Sep 02, 2025•45 min
We sat down with Ben Bowman and Kish from Lilywhite Lab to dive into Tottenham’s huge capture of Xavi Simons. We break down what makes him such a special talent, why his ball-carrying, creativity, and mentality set him apart, and how Thomas Frank could build a side around him. We also look at where he fits with Brennan Johnson, Mohammed Kudus, and the rest of Spurs’ attack, what this means for breaking down low blocks, and how the signing changes our ambitions this season. Is this the shift Spur...
Aug 29, 2025•54 min
We’ve started the season with a bang under Thomas Frank, beating Manchester City and showing the kind of tactical adaptability we’ve been crying out for. Mohammed Kudus and João Palhinha look like inspired signings, Richarlison is thriving, and for the first time in a while, we’re genuinely excited to watch Spurs. But alongside that optimism is the familiar frustration with transfers. We came close to landing Eberechi Eze only for the deal to collapse, leaving us short of creativity with Maddiso...
Aug 27, 2025•45 min
In this episode of The Lab , we examine Daniel Levy’s place in the modern Premier League and whether his long-established approach can still deliver success for Tottenham Hotspur. With the transfer window in full swing, we assess Spurs’ business so far, the gap to their rivals, and the club’s ability to compete at the top under Levy’s cautious, opportunistic style. Joining us is Dan Kilpatrick, News Editor at The Athletic , who offers sharp analysis on Levy’s methods, Spurs’ squad building, and ...
Aug 13, 2025•40 min
