OhSoSpurs — The Tottenham Hotspur Podcast

Which players have adapted to Roberto De Zerbi's system and which areas still need work? Professional coach and A licence holder JJ breaks down the Getafe friendly and what it tells us about Spurs' pre-season.

The vertical play is back, Kinsky is clipping balls over the press, and Archie Gray got a live coaching lesson from De Zerbi on the touchline. But the creativity in the final third? Still a work in progress.

Chapters:
00:00 What's working in De Zerbi's pre-season?
00:30 Vertical play returns — Spurs go down the middle
02:38 Kinsky playing over the press
04:03 The goal, broken down: Tonali to Gallagher
07:45 Tonali isn't Pirlo — so what is he?
10:16 Van Hecke's aerial surprise
11:40 Halfway verdict: three big ticks
12:27 Archie Gray and the De Zerbi touchline moment
15:02 Defensive distances: no more open motorways
16:49 The big area of improvement: final-third creativity
19:36 What to watch in the next friendly

Follow JJ (The Fullco) for more coaching content — channel linked above.

What did you spot in the Getafe game that we missed? Tell us in the comments.

#KeepItLilyWhite #OhSo33

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Everyone's arguing about which striker Spurs should sign. Jim and A-licensed professional coach JJ (The Full Co) ask a better question: does De Zerbi's system want an out-and-out number nine at all? They break down what a false nine actually does — pinning defenders, posting up, dropping into pockets to bring runners in — and why the traditional penalty-box striker is disappearing from the top of the game. Plus: how De Zerbi manipulates opposition presses, why Spurs looked like they had three number 10s in pre-season, the Gallagher trade-off, and how recruitment has swung from athleticism to technicians — with Osimhen, Gakpo and Solanke all viewed through that lens. A review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts would make us very happy. #KeepItLilyWhite #OhSo33
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New partnership, new data. Jim and analyst Enya Collins put the whole Spurs defence and the new midfield through Gradient Sport's event-based grading — every action scored on its own merit rather than against other players. Danso grades as a proper box defender, Van de Ven's numbers explain why he needs a high line, Senesi makes a surprising case to start, and Van Hecke barely has a weakness. Then the flags: Robertson's game is built on athleticism at exactly the age it fades, and a pattern emerges suggesting Spurs' recruitment has been over-indexed on athleticism for years. Plus the verdict on the new midfield: why £100m Tonali and Mateus Fernandes grade as a genuinely complementary duo. Data by Gradient Sport. A review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts would make us very happy.

#KeepItLilyWhite #OhSo33
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Cody Gakpo to Spurs is the debate splitting the fanbase — so Jim, Si and Stu settle in. Stu has watched Gakpo since his PSV debut and explains why the Brennan Johnson comparison misses badly, Si brings the numbers, and the panel asks whether £70m is really the problem people think it is. Also: the research showing homegrown players carry a 40% price premium (the "Premier League tax"), why "best striker at the club" is exactly Richarlison's problem, what's dragging Romero's £34m fee down, how much control De Zerbi should have, the academy reset behind Archie Gray's armband, and where Spurs finish if Gakpo and Savinho both arrive. A review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts would make us very happy.

#KeepItLilyWhite #OhSo33
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Tottenham are strongly linked with Cody Gakpo and the link has split the fanbase. Jim is joined by A-licensed professional coach JJ (The Full Co) to break down what Gakpo would actually bring to De Zerbi's Spurs: why he's closer to Kudus than Brennan Johnson, how a 6ft 4in powerful runner reshapes the left side, how he fits the high press, and why the "not enough goals" argument collapses under scrutiny — plus what a Gakpo signing means for Mathys Tel and the balance of the squad. GA = goals + assists combined. #KeepItLilyWhite #OhSo33
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