Tottenham's new era begins plus verdict on Harry Kane replacement
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00:00 The season has started. James Tottenham begun with a 2-2 draw away at Brentford.
00:05 It was a game that was delayed due to some water issues at Brentford Stadium, a bit of an odd one.
00:10 But Spurs took the lead early on, but then were pegged back and then actually went behind before Brentford
00:16 sort of succumbed to another Spurs goal.
00:18 It was an interesting game. The second half didn't quite live up to the first.
00:22 What were your thoughts on it?
00:24 Well, I think it almost felt like a bit of a dawn of a new era, didn't it?
00:29 Second half was certainly much better than the first half in terms of the way Spurs played.
00:33 And we controlled long periods of the second half, couldn't really break down Brentford's low block.
00:39 Not as creative as we perhaps should have been in the final third, perhaps a little bit rusty.
00:43 Son Richarlison obviously not played a lot of football in pre-season.
00:46 I think that sort of showed in the second half. Kulosevski was a little bit in and out as well.
00:52 But I mean, the first half was just crazy, wasn't it?
00:54 I mean, no water in the stadium, delayed the kick-off, four goals in the first half.
00:59 Spurs going ahead, really good free kick from Maddison, great header from Romero.
01:03 He then goes off a concussion.
01:04 So, you know, the back four's in chaos after 14 minutes.
01:09 We've got three debutants as well in the back five.
01:12 You know, Postacoglou threw van de Ven in.
01:14 He'd only had three training sessions, but threw him straight in for his debut.
01:18 Destinio Dogue at left back and Vecchiaio in goal as well.
01:22 And then we go and lose Romero after 14 minutes.
01:26 So, it was hell to scale to that first half.
01:28 It was end-to-end, far too open, I think, if I'm being completely honest.
01:32 But, you know, Spurs showed flashes of being the great entertainers,
01:36 I think, that we're going to be this season.
01:38 Lots of positives going forward in the first half and the second half.
01:41 But Maddison in particular, getting on the ball, finding those pockets of space.
01:45 He's going to be a brilliant signing for us.
01:46 You know, I've championed him all summer.
01:48 And before we signed him, I was crying out for him.
01:51 And I think we saw he's going to be fine in that number 10 shirt and then wants that responsibility.
01:58 Bissouma, absolutely outstanding.
02:00 You know, I think we've mentioned him a few times on these videos as one to watch this season,
02:03 but he grew into the game.
02:05 Second half, he was absolutely terrific.
02:07 Man of the match performance.
02:09 But obviously, lots of things we need to work on, particularly at the back.
02:12 You know, we were carved open for the second one.
02:16 Rico Henry got down past Emerson Royale far too easily.
02:19 A little bit unlucky with the own goal.
02:22 And then obviously, Son giving away that penalty for the equaliser,
02:25 which was, I thought, pretty soft, to be honest with you.
02:28 But VAR overturned it.
02:31 You know, could have gone either way that one, let's say.
02:34 But it goes down in the soft bracket for me.
02:38 But overall, I think a draw was a fair result.
02:40 You know, second half, we could have won it with Chelsea and had a couple of decent chances.
02:43 One, the keeper managed to save Flecken.
02:46 One, he probably should have pulled it into the other corner and the shot was blocked.
02:51 But overall, I think a positive start.
02:53 We had lots of the ball, perhaps faded in the second half, as to be expected.
02:56 We were perhaps not quite on it and where we need to be with our disrupted pre-season.
03:01 But I think overall, plenty of positives to take.
03:04 The goalkeeper still needs to settle in.
03:06 Van de Ven showed flashes of the player that I think he's going to be.
03:08 He's got a lot of potential.
03:09 We saw that turn of acceleration and he actually won quite a lot of aerial duels as well.
03:14 It was quite commanding.
03:15 So I think lots and lots of positives to take out.
03:17 But we do definitely need to tighten up on the back.
03:20 But that'll come when we get used to playing the system that Anj Pasterkoglu wants us to play.
03:25 But overall, a sense of positivity, a decent point at Brentford.
03:30 You know, they've only lost one in the last 15 at home.
03:32 Real tough team to break down.
03:34 The way they play is quite difficult to manage.
03:36 So I'll take a draw on the first game of the season and we move on to Man United on Saturday.
03:42 Of course, there was one notable absentee from this draw, Harry Kane.
03:47 Someone we've spoken about for God knows how long now.
03:50 Obviously, even just last week, we were sat here and thinking, you know what, he might well actually just stay.
03:55 But then all of a sudden, he's gone.
03:58 I mean, from your point of view, James, it must be a big blow that you're losing a 20, 30-a-goal season striker
04:04 and someone who's been in the club since he was a kid.
04:08 Yes, we certainly went through all the emotions as a family this weekend.
04:12 When we got that announcement on Saturday, absolutely, absolutely devastated.
04:16 And seeing him in a Bayern Munich shirt on Saturday night, you know, was just a real surreal experience, to be honest with you.
04:23 It just didn't look right, you know, playing in the number nine shirt for Bayern instead of the ten for Tottenham.
04:28 You know, lots of emotions, really disappointed with the timing.
04:32 I think that's the overriding feeling.
04:34 You know, I think really, really disappointed in Tottenham, you know, letting him go.
04:39 You can understand why. He's got a year left on his contract.
04:42 He clearly wasn't going to sign.
04:43 And I think that made me feel slightly better that Postacoglu came out and said,
04:46 'Look, you know, he knew from day one when he walked through the door that Kean wanted to go.'
04:51 So that softened the blow a little bit for me.
04:54 But I think it's just the timing, you know, the eve of the new season, we let him go.
04:59 It just feels like Tottenham have failed him, really.
05:02 You know, when we should have invested in the team, Mauricio Pochettino called for that painful rebuild after the Champions League final.
05:08 And we just didn't show the ambition that, you know, a player of Kean's stature deserves and warrants, really.
05:15 So Spurs have failed him.
05:16 I think you could also look on the flip side and, you know, look at Kean's career in a Spurs shirt and his legacy.
05:22 Obviously, the leading goalscorer, beating Jimmy Gribbs' record last season.
05:26 Incredible player, goes down as one of the all-time greats.
05:29 But he has been in the team and almost part of the collective failure as well.
05:34 When we've all most been so close to touching those trophies, you know, the semi-finals,
05:38 the League Cup finals twice, you know, the Champions League final, albeit he was injured.
05:42 So, you know, unfortunately, you know, he's been part of that team that didn't quite get over the line.
05:47 And, you know, his legacy at Spurs is he's one of the all-time greats.
05:51 But, you know, there will be a tinge of feeling, I'm sure, from Kean leaving through the exit door at the weekend that, you know, it was nearly, it was a nearly feeling, wasn't it?
06:00 It was almost there, you know, and I'm sure he'd love nothing more than to win a trophy with Spurs.
06:06 And, you know, still don't rule it out.
06:07 He didn't say it was goodbye, did he?
06:09 So I could still see him coming back, perhaps a couple of years in Germany.
06:13 He's obviously, you know, likely to win trophies.
06:16 I have to say I'm pretty pleased he didn't win the trophy on Saturday to stop that talk of he's only there one day and he's won a trophy, you know.
06:23 At least now he's going to have to go and earn it and put in some yards across the season.
06:27 So I was quite pleased about that from a personal point of view, just to stop the text messages coming in from friends and seeing the social media sort of memes and mimicking.
06:37 But you can only wish Kean all the best, can't you?
06:39 I think that's the overriding feeling.
06:42 He's been a terrific servant for Spurs.
06:44 He's been the talisman, you know, a bit of a Roy of the Rovers, isn't he?
06:47 Look at where he came from, the journey that he had at Spurs out on loan several times, you know, almost sold.
06:54 People doubted him, didn't think he was going to make it.
06:56 And he's been sensational for Spurs, you know, absolutely one of the all-time greats.
07:01 And we wish him all the best.
07:02 It's so weird not seeing him in the line-up on Sunday and, you know, really disappointing.
07:07 And, you know, I've got a tinge of anger, I think, towards Spurs as well.
07:12 You know, they've taken the money.
07:14 We've not backed Kean when we should have backed him.
07:17 And obviously now we've got a big war chest that we must spend.
07:20 I think that's the only way that Spurs will accept this, is if Daniel Levy now spends that money and we reinvest in the team.
07:28 And so with Harry Kean gone, what is next for Tottenham?
07:32 That's, I think, the big question.
07:33 You know, who do they go after next?
07:35 And obviously we're in this whole massive rebuild, a new manager, Spurs, as we mentioned, they're losing Harry Kean.
07:42 It's sort of, it's essentially like a new era for Tottenham Hotspur, except of course, the one constant being Daniel Levy at the very top.
07:49 But who do they go after next?
07:50 Is there a replacement lined up or is it just a case of just having to manage without Harry Kean?
07:57 Well, I think as we spoke about earlier, that, you know, the fact that Posse Koglu knew he was going or he would go should a deal get agreed.
08:04 Obviously, the timing's not great and it took a lot longer than it should have done.
08:07 But I said that when we signed Maddison, you know, potentially that's one half of the Kean replacement.
08:12 And he definitely brings the leadership, the goals, the assists, not the 30 goals a season, but he certainly brings, you know, 10, 12 goals and perhaps the same number of assists.
08:21 So you can't replace Kean with one player.
08:24 So he definitely is a partial replacement.
08:28 I think he's going to be an excellent signing, but Spurs now need another centre forward.
08:32 I'm not convinced about Richarlison, if I'm completely honest.
08:35 I think he deserves a run in the team and he deserves a run in his rightful position.
08:40 You know, he works hard and actually the way Posse Koglu plays, the striker is almost like a sacrificial lamb in many respects, leading the press and doing all the dirty work, essentially.
08:50 So, you know, I do think he does suit that role and I know Posse Koglu has been speaking very highly of him.
08:56 He is the Brazil number nine as well, but he just doesn't look comfortable in a Spurs shirt yet.
09:00 You know, he had a couple of opportunities against Brentford and he just looked a little bit rusty.
09:04 So a goal or two early doors would certainly do his confidence the world of good, but he needs, you know, at the very, very least, some competition.
09:12 And we've been linked with the Genk striker, Giff Dorban.
09:15 I mean, he looks a bit of a wonder kid, doesn't he?
09:17 I don't know too much about him. He's the kind of kid that you find on Championship Manager, who comes to the ranks.
09:23 But he seems highly rated, scoring lots and lots of goals in the Belgian league.
09:27 But, you know, what sort of a barometer is that really for the Premier League?
09:31 You know, I quite like Olly Watkins.
09:32 You know, we were talking off the side there earlier and, you know, that kind of player, he's got goals, he's got pace, he's very direct.
09:38 He can use his left foot, right foot, good in the air as well.
09:42 So I'd be going all out for a player like Olly Watkins, proven Premier League experience.
09:51 Well, I think that is really important.
09:55 So, you know, he definitely brings us goals.
09:59 Lots of talk about Eze from Crystal Palace.
10:01 I think he's represented by CAA base, which is strong links with Daniel Levy and Tottenham in particular.
10:08 That would be an expensive deal to do.
10:09 Whether we get that one over the line or whether we pursue that, I'm not sure.
10:13 But it'd certainly be a great addition to the midfield.
10:16 And then we need another commanding centre-back.
10:19 You know, I'd be going all out for Leporte at Man City.
10:21 I think, you know, he's, I wouldn't say he's surplus to requirements at City, but he's certainly not playing, you know, as much football as perhaps he would like.
10:28 You know, terrific ballplay centre-back.
10:31 Slight question mark over his injury record, but he would improve Spurs, you know, no end.
10:35 And, you know, when you're looking at a centre-back trio there of Romero, Leporte and Van der Ven, I think that leaves us a lot stronger,
10:43 because it was a little bit worrying to see Brentford getting behind so easily at the weekend.
10:47 So, you know, if we were to reinvest in a top centre-half, a top midfielder and a really, really strong forward,
10:54 you know, we've obviously got 100 million, perhaps 120 million, depending on the rumours and the add-ons, etc.
11:00 We've spent, you know, quite heavily in the summer already, to be fair to Spurs.
11:03 We've actually laid down over 100 million, but we, you know, we can't not spend the care money before the end of the window.
11:10 And as Posse Koglu says, we need to get players out of the door quickly to make sure that we free up spaces in the squad and not be taking all the transfers down to deadline day.
11:18 I think that, you know, we really don't want to see a repeat of that.
11:20 We call for it every season, every summer, but, you know, I don't want to see Spurs active on deadline day.
11:27 You know, we need to get the players in and get them integrated into Posse Koglu's team as quickly as possible.