The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Monday, January 31

Hi, all!

I actually watched Fan, the Bollywood movie someone’s suing over because the filmmakers didn’t include a promotional song. I can confirm that the film did not need the song. (Today’s the last day to watch it on Amazon Prime in the US, by the way. I’ll warn you that it isn’t a light film.)

Ramble of the Day

I have done a few style files over the years, spotlighting a range of managerial looks over the years. While some received compliments for great casual looks on the touchline, I don’t think any of the managers I spotlighted over the years are actually contenders for football’s best dressed manager. For me, the most serious contender for the made-up award is San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney.

Stoney’s a relatively young manager, becoming a head coach for the first time in 2018 when she was picked as the first Manchester United manager. She quickly established herself as a rising star in the women’s game, enough to take on the ambitious task of leading NWSL expansion side San Diego this year. She also very quickly emerged as a very stylish manager.

Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images

Like the other manager I’ve spotlighted, Stoney has a simple uniform: make the coat the star. I have a longstanding appreciation for coats, and she picks them better than just about every manager I’ve seen. This look is a classic, all thanks to that stellar coat. (I also just got a coat like this and will probably style it exactly the same by accident one day.)

Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images

Also like many of her counterparts, Stoney relies on neutrals. The coat-first approach allows her to make the best of it, I’d argue. It allows for two things: the flexibility to pick out more unique coats, like this dark red one, and for said coat to really stand out.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Arguably, Stoney arguably relies on black too much but she’s creative in finding ways to liven up primarily black looks. I can’t tell if the inside of this black coat is red or if Stoney’s wearing a long red layer underneath, but there’s a drama to this particular combination of the colors that creates some visual interest.

Lately, Stoney has become more adventurous in her choices. recently sporting an animal print coat during a Sky Sports broadcast. It isn’t my favorite, but I cannot deny that my eyes instantly gravitated towards her. It does the work of being the most visually interesting ensemble on the screen, which I think really solidifies her candidacy as the game’s most stylish manager. (It also goes to show how easy it is to be the best dressed manager in the game — there are so few contenders that just picking fascinating coats, despite being a talent, is maybe all it takes.)

CBS

In San Diego, Stoney will have the chance to wear more than just great coats — something she said she’s looking forward to. It’s still early days in her tenure — San Diego will not play its first game until March, meaning all of her public appearances as the team’s coach have been in promotional shots or during the NWSL expansion and college drafts. So far, though, she’s worked blazers into her rotation, coordinating with the club’s crest for the college draft.

It makes me excited to see what she’ll wear on the touchline during her first NWSL season, one that’ll see her visits climates hot and cold during warmer and cooler months. She’s experimental in a way few managers in the game are, and will now be coaching in a country that will allow her to showcase tactical and sartorial flexibility.

tl;dr: I think Casey Stoney might be the best dressed manager in the game.

Stay informed, read this: Nerisha Penrose profiles singer-actress Mary J. Blige on perceptions of beauty from a Black woman’s point of view for Elle

Links of the Day
content warning: sexual misconduct

A Fulham supporter died after suffering cardiac arrest during the team’s 1-1 draw against Blackpool.

Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault.

US international Amy Rodriguez retired after a 15 year career.

WCQ: Iran qualified for the 2022 World Cup; China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines qualified for the 2023 World Cup

Sunderland’s Lee Burge will miss four to five weeks with an inflamed heart.

Transfers: Liverpool signed Luis Díaz from Porto; Newcastle signed Bruno Guimarães from Lyon

A longer read: Ed Aarons and Romain Molina on female referees in Zimbabwe, who are accusing officials at the FA of sexual harassment for the Guardian