The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Tuesday, June 19

Hello, everyone!

It’s nice checking my weekly Tim Sherwood Google alert and seeing this ol’ website pop up.

Ramble of the Day

I was thinking about Ryan Giggs, a man who is not at the World Cup, last night. He naturally came up in conversation about...David Villa, another person who is not at the World Cup. (That is not to disrespect Villa, who I’m sure is more than happy with that World Cup winners medal in his possession.)

Now, every single time I think about Giggs, I go back to his stint as a player-coach at Manchester United. I find the concept of player-coaches to be somewhat hilarious, though I understand their practicality and also recognize that it is sometimes a good way for a young coach to get experience. However, I always wonder how much a few of them have to fight the instinct to play themselves.

This is where Giggs comes in. He spent most of his time as the United player-manager sticking to his box, clearly not that interested in just giving himself minutes. That being said, I cannot stop thinking about the time he switched himself on against Hull City.

I always wondered if the scenario went something like this:

SETTING: It is a Tuesday afternoon at Old Trafford in Manchester, with full time approaching. Player-manager Ryan Giggs is on the touchline, coaching his longtime club to a 3-1 victory over Hull City in the Premier League.

GIGGS: This match is missing something.

(GIGGS unzips his track jacket to reveal a Manchester United jersey with his name and number on the back.)

GIGGS: Me.

I doubt it did, and it has not really shaped my view of him as a coach, as that video of his last team talk as United’s caretaker manger (slash player) has done the work there. However, I cannot stop thinking about this, more than four years later.

tl;dr: Random thoughts about Ryan Giggs.

Links of the Day

The plane carrying the Saudi Arabian team at the World Cup experienced an engine fire, but all passengers have safely arrived in Rostov-on-Don.

Croatia’s Nikola Kalinić has been sent home after refusing to make a substitute appearance against Nigeria. Coach Zlatko Dalic said publicly that the player picked up an injury.

FIFA has opened up an investigation into the homophobic chant used by fans of Mexico during their match against Germany.

Mini transfer roundup: Wolverhampton have signed Rui Patrício after the goalkeeper terminated his contract with Sporting Lisbon; Marc Navarro has joined Watford from Espanyol

Today’s longer read: Colin Udoh on a Japanese man who may be the biggest Nigeria fan at the World Cup for ESPN