Cartilage Free Captain: All Posts by Dustin George-MillerA 100% Serious Ridiculous Tottenham Hotspur bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48355/cartilagefree-fave.png2024-03-28T15:32:18+00:00https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/authors/dustin-george-miller/rss2024-03-28T15:32:18+00:002024-03-28T15:32:18+00:00Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg “not happy” with reduced playing time
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<figcaption>Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Sounds like a summer exit may be in the best interest of all parties.</p> <p id="pJERci">When Ange Postecoglou assumed the head coach position at <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a>, it was understood that there would be changes to the player roster over time as he retooled Spurs’ bloated squad into one that could more easily adapt and learn his tactics. Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was a regular starter under Antonio Conte, but found his playing time reduced significantly under Big Ange, who preferred players such as Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma, and (eventually) Rodrigo Bentancur to anchor the center of his midfields.</p>
<p id="vrnFL4">It’s meant that Hojbjerg has been linked with a departure from Spurs for the past two transfer windows. Publicly, Hojbjerg hasn’t kicked up much of a fuss, even apparently rejecting loan moves away from the club this past January. But he’s still considered to be a rotation option, a far cry from his status under Conte.</p>
<p id="UJEp8k">Hojbjerg, currently away with the Denmark national team during the international break, was asked about his reduced role at Spurs <a href="https://www.tipsbladet.dk/nyhed/premier-league/utilfreds-dansk-stjerne-traeneren-maa-forklare-det">by Danish outlet Tipsbladet</a>, and this time he didn’t pull any punches.</p>
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<p id="e3zH8c">“Of course, I’m not happy with what’s going on at the club. It’s not a secret, but it’s also not something I’m screaming about. </p>
<p id="iS4Zmy">“I can go to bed at night knowing that I have done what I need to show the coach he has to believe in me. This is not the case at the moment, and it is the coach who has to explain why.”</p>
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<p id="60gMen">Yeah, so this is pretty frank, and if I’m honest I have no real problem with it. Professional footballers want to play football, and I’m sure it’s both jarring and irritating that Hojbjerg has gone from a key player to essentially a late match substitute and a rotation option. That has to sting. But that’s also football.</p>
<p id="mekfMr">It does suggest to me that Hojbjerg, who enters into the last year of his contract in June, is almost certainly going to be one of the players who will leave the club this summer. Postecoglou is said to want another option in central midfield, which means someone (or multiple someones) has to go, whether that’s Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, or even Yves Bissouma. It’s pretty clear that Big Ange wants something different from his central midfielders and that Hojberg doesn’t have the profile Ange needs. </p>
<p id="YJUUYU">That doesn’t mean Hojbjerg isn’t a good player — he absolutely is, and it’s those qualities that will probably mean he’ll land on his feet somewhere else and hopefully for a decent fee.</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/28/24114605/tottenham-hotspur-transfer-news-rumors-pierre-emile-hojbjerg-not-happy-playing-time-postecoglouDustin George-Miller2024-03-28T15:02:15+00:002024-03-28T15:02:15+00:00Longtime scout Ian Broomfield to leave Tottenham amidst recruitment shake-up
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<img alt="Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea FC - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p5TShoiRgThN-YCyFp2qMIu5wWw=/113x0:4771x3105/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73238877/1775230001.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The moves come as Spurs continue to transition to a new data-driven recruitment structure.</p> <p id="a5SdFS">In the past year, <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> announced that it was undergoing a thorough review of all football-related policies and processes as it attempts to reorient itself as a modern, nimble football club. Today, according to several sources including The Athletic, Spurs are continuing that transition by restructuring the scouting system. That process will include <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5375065%2F2024%2F03%2F28%2Ftottenham-scouts-summer%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fcartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com%2F2024%2F3%2F28%2F24114555%2Ftottenham-hotspur-news-ian-broomfield-chief-scout-departure-reorganization-backroom-staff" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">the forthcoming departures of five members of Tottenham’s scouting team, including long-time scout Ian Broomfield</a>. </p>
<p id="SOOdo5">This process has already led to the appointment of Scott Munn as Chief Football Officer, Johan Lange as the club’s Technical Director, and a move towards a data-driven system of recruitment and evaluation. Rob Mackenzie has also rejoined the club as the head of recruitment. Broomfield, along with scouts Augusto Benito, Colin Jackson, Tika Musonda, and Dave Butler will leave the club as part of a reorganization.</p>
<p id="40BMZ5">Broomfield has been a fixture at the club over two stints — he was chief scout around 2010 when Harry Redknapp led Tottenham to the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> for the first time, left the club a few years later, only to return with the title of Senior Scout.</p>
<p id="6Vv3Xk">It’s tempting to look at the release of a long-tenured servant of the club like Broomfield and make a value judgement, but I’m not sure that would be wise. We know that Munn and Lange have a different vision for how they want Spurs to operate internally and in the transfer market, and that changes were coming. This appears to be one of the consequences. It doesn’t mean that Broomfield and the other scouts were fired, nor do the reports say whether the departures are voluntary or not. It probably doesn’t matter. What does is that Spurs are now committed to a particular structure, and to filling the internal roles with people who best fit into that structure. </p>
<p id="yT2KTn">Ian Broomfield has clearly done a ton of great work for Tottenham in his role, and he should be commended for it. Hopefully whoever are in place as part of Spurs’ new recruitment team continue to build on that platform.</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/28/24114555/tottenham-hotspur-news-ian-broomfield-chief-scout-departure-reorganization-backroom-staffDustin George-Miller2024-03-27T13:11:10+00:002024-03-27T13:11:10+00:00Tottenham Hotspur announce home preseason friendly vs. Bayern Munich in August
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<img alt="SV Darmstadt 98 v FC Bayern München - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GFsdS_6gb6JHx9Jbb1_CSmJCtvA=/0x0:4778x3185/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73235998/2089030700.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Welcome back, Harry.</p> <p id="PjW03c">It’s only March, but <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a>’s 2024-25 preseason plans are already taking shape. Spurs had already announced a postseason trip to Melbourne, Ange Postecoglou’s home town, and there are strong indications that the club will make a return trip to Asia (and specifically Seoul) after last summer’s successful tour to the region.</p>
<p id="3VGZ4v">Now, Tottenham will play another friendly — and it might get a little awkward. Spurs formally announced that they will host Bundesliga giants <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10, as part of the totally real and not at all made up for sponsorship purposes VisitMalta Cup.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We will face six-time European champions <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBayern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCBayern</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/VisitMalta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VisitMalta</a> Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 10th August, 17:30 kick-off.<br><br>Find out more ⤵️</p>— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursOfficial/status/1772926847677878526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2024</a>
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<p id="7vozf4">This will, of course, be Harry Kane’s first return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since he was sold to Bayern Munich this past summer. And unless Bayern significantly turn things around in the league and/or win the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a>, Kane will return to the Lane with exactly as many trophies won as he had when he left.</p>
<p id="ilVPxf">The venue is a little interesting — when we first heard rumors about a Bayern friendly last month, it was in the context of both teams planning preseason tours to Asia, meaning it was likely that match was going to take place in Seoul. I didn’t anticipate it’d be a home friendly, but I probably should have — now that I see it online, I’m almost certain that a home friendly between Spurs and Bayern, with all proceeds going to Tottenham, was part of the transfer negotiations between the clubs for Kane’s sale. </p>
<p id="VmzzhC">This will also likely be the last preseason warm up for Tottenham, with the new Premier League season kicking off the following Saturday, August 17.</p>
<p id="lnwafX">I’m sure Kane get a warm welcome from the Tottenham crowd, or at least he should. After all, he is still Tottenham’s all-time leading goal scorer and arguably the best player in club history, even though he did leave us to spend time with his German “special friend” and their new family a few blocks north. Not that we’re still bitter about that.</p>
<p id="5AeEI1">Oh, and Eric Dier’s there too. That won’t be awkward either.</p>
<p id="RbrDph"></p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/27/24113409/tottenham-hotspur-announce-home-preseason-friendly-vs-bayern-munich-in-augustDustin George-Miller2024-03-26T14:14:30+00:002024-03-26T14:14:30+00:00Tottenham Hotspur International Roundup
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<img alt="Thailand v South Korea - FIFA World Cup Asian 2nd Qualifier" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NUaxM-8dTUxjhgDPoVsIi5lBnLM=/0x0:3594x2396/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73233694/2114753334.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Apinya Rittipo/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="agPZeg">International football breaks are a pain in our collective rear ends, especially this one in particular which are mostly international friendly matches with no real importance or consequence. But it’s a slow news day, and so it’s worth taking a minute to check in to see how Spurs’ players are getting along while they’re away with their national teams. </p>
<p id="kKHVbv">Today is one of the other big days — there are a number of scheduled friendlies, so keep your fingers crossed for no more injuries before the players start to trickle back to North London.</p>
<p id="vN8hRd">I think this is pretty comprehensive, but if I missed anybody, please let me know in the comments.</p>
<p id="X9x37I"></p>
<h3 id="jLcWiA">Argentina</h3>
<p id="LHOpM3"><strong>El Salvador 0-3 Argentina (Friendly) — March 22</strong><br><em>Cuti Romero: started, scored Argentina’s first goal,subbed 73’</em><br><em>Giovani Lo Celso: started, scored Argentina’s third goal, subbed 73’</em></p>
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<p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Cuti Romero’s goal for Argentina against El Salvador<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/wOE5bV0jSB">pic.twitter.com/wOE5bV0jSB</a></p>— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) <a href="https://twitter.com/thespursweb/status/1771521811282288958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2024</a>
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<p id="qwzfb2">Next match: Tues. March 26, vs. Costa Rica (Friendly)</p>
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<h3 id="J2d32w">Denmark</h3>
<p id="1ZrcHZ"><strong>Denmark 0-0 Switzerland (Friendly) — March 23</strong><br><em>Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: started, subbed at 83’. Didn’t score but did body-check the referee.</em></p>
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<p lang="da" dir="ltr">Højbjerg <a href="https://t.co/OdbnqxrOZm">pic.twitter.com/OdbnqxrOZm</a></p>— The Spurs Watch (@TheSpursWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSpursWatch/status/1771640599424163911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2024</a>
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<p id="ZMv0EF">Next match: Tues. March 26, at Faroe Islands (Friendly)</p>
<p id="9zh86e"></p>
<h3 id="Fonmly">England</h3>
<p id="2g7Qyp"><strong>England 0-1 Brazil (Friendly) — March 23</strong><br><em>James Maddison, Richarlison both unused subs for England and Brazil</em></p>
<p id="yR7vkA">Next match: Tues. March 26, vs. Belgium (Friendly)</p>
<p id="kbXamA"></p>
<h3 id="05T6Au">Ireland (U21)</h3>
<p id="MBsjkd"><strong>San Marino U21 0-7 Ireland U21 (U21 Euro Qualification) — March 22</strong><br><em>Josh Keeley: started, 90 minutes, clean sheet</em></p>
<p id="WJIYo1"></p>
<h3 id="x8Szw8">Italy</h3>
<p id="QYua8y"><strong>Italy 2-1 Venezuela (Friendly) — March 21</strong><br><em>Destiny Udogie: started, 90 minutes</em><br><em>Guglielmo Vicario: unused substitute</em></p>
<p id="whbZt3"><strong>Italy 2-0 Ecuador (Friendly) — March 24</strong><br><em>Guglielmo Vicario: started, 90 minutes, clean sheet, 1 save</em></p>
<p id="SAZcEd"></p>
<h3 id="vJL8BT">Republic of Korea</h3>
<p id="JW1pal"><strong>Korea 1-1 Thailand (World Cup Qualifier) — March 21</strong><br><em>Son Heung-Min: captained, 90 minutes, scored 1 goal</em></p>
<div id="XjMBcL"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZwB3NhK-cCs?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="SS8jBO">Next match: currently in progress vs Thailand (World Cup Qualifier). Sonny has already scored once.</p>
<p id="BXESqn"></p>
<h3 id="Yn7yWe">Romania</h3>
<p id="gojAzO"><strong>Romania 1-1 Northern Ireland (Friendly) — March 22</strong><br><em>Radu Dragusin: started (at RCB), 90’</em></p>
<p id="AuZ9Mg">Next match: vs. Colombia (Friendly), Tues. March 26</p>
<p id="xzAiip"></p>
<h3 id="c27XhX">Senegal</h3>
<p id="aoDmrK"><strong>Senegal 3-0 Gabon (Friendly) — March 22</strong><br><em>Pape Matar Sarr: started, subbed 73’</em></p>
<p id="zkz1Dn">Next match: Tues. March 26, vs. Benin (Friendly)</p>
<p id="IMld2a"></p>
<h3 id="jCr6e7">Sweden</h3>
<p id="5cP1qL"><strong>Sweden 1-0 Albania (Friendly) — March 21</strong><br><em>Dejan Kulusevski: started, 90 minutes, 1 assist (Nilsson 24’), 1 yellow card</em></p>
<p id="ad1gIi"><strong>Portugal 5-2 Sweden (Friendly) — March 25</strong><br><em>Dejan Kulusevski: started, 90 minutes, 1 assist</em></p>
<h3 id="OvVwKU"></h3>
<h3 id="tPioe8">Wales</h3>
<p id="1Yh2SN"><strong>Wales 4-1 Finland (UEFA Nations League Group A Semifinal) — March 21</strong><br><em>Ben Davies: captained, started, 90 minutes</em><br><em>Joe Rodon: started, 90 minutes</em><br><em>Brennan Johnson: started, scored 1 goal (73’), subbed at 73’</em></p>
<div id="r4K1ej"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qi5sIOL0YQs?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="sVbqIU">Next match: Tues. March 26 vs. Poland</p>
<h3 id="UDo1jH"></h3>
<h3 id="zAtr0f">Uruguay</h3>
<p id="lo6dHi"><strong>Uruguay 1-1 Basque Country (Non-FIFA Friendly) — March 23</strong><br><em>Rodrigo Bentancur: subbed on at 63’</em></p>
<p id="0Af90U">Next match: Tues. March 26, vs. Ivory Coast (Friendly)</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/26/24112381/tottenham-hotspur-international-roundup-march-2024Dustin George-Miller2024-03-25T20:29:24+00:002024-03-25T20:29:24+00:00Les Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe shortlisted for Premier League Hall of Fame
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<img alt="WORLD CUP QUALIFIER Soccer" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VZyEZNjq1UUi2Q7kVJuP3Lpcj8w=/0x0:1615x1077/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73232325/649933312.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Paul Marriott/EMPICS via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>GO! VOTE NOW! DO IT!</p> <p id="PAkQet">Want to know a cool thing? Here’s one: two <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> greats have been shortlisted for induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame this season — <a href="https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2024/march/jermain-defoe-and-les-ferdinand-included-on-latest-shortlist-for-premier-league-hall-of-fame/">Les Ferdinand and Jermain Defoe.</a></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Presenting the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PLHallOfFame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PLHallOfFame</a> nominees for 2024 <br><br>Vote now for your two picks! </p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1772231965640409094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2024</a>
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<p id="Zy38f4">That’s great! Both are absolutely deserving. Striker “Sir Les” Ferdinand joined Spurs from <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com">Newcastle</a> in 1997 and spent six seasons as a player, scoring 39 goals in 143 appearances until 2003 when he joined West Ham. Ferdinand also spent six seasons in Tottenham’s coaching setup from 2008-2014, working with Spurs’ strikers alongside Tim Sherwood. Ferdinand went on to assume leadership roles at QPR, rising as high as Director of Football Operations. He currently is seen as a television pundit.</p>
<p id="C3zlhE">Jermain Defoe was the main man when I first started following Tottenham Hotspur in 2007. Defoe had two stints at Tottenham Hotspur from 2004-2014, with an “interregnum” at Portsmouth from 2008-2009. He’s among the greatest strikers to ever play at Spurs, presently the sixth highest goal scorer in Tottenham’s history with 143 goals in 363 appearances. He’s also the ninth all time leading scorer in Premier League history. “JD Trouble” is currently a coach in Tottenham’s academy setup.</p>
<p id="WVfcz5">There are a couple of other Spurs-world nominees — academy grad, former Spurs midfielder <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com">Manchester United</a> great Michael Carrick is also a nominee, as is He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.</p>
<p id="WtlOQw">The Premier League Hall of Fame is a relatively new phenomenon — it inducted its first members only back in 2021, a class that included Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham. Consequently, there aren’t (yet) any Tottenham players currently in the Hall. That could change this season.</p>
<p id="f2DO3U">But this is going to be a tough field. There are a LOT of good names on that list and only two of them will be inducted this year. Here’s a full list of the inductees:</p>
<ul>
<li id="XF6sxI">Michael Carrick</li>
<li id="zMHiea">Andrew Cole</li>
<li id="QIZQg1">Jermain Defoe</li>
<li id="Obb01N">Cesc Fabregas</li>
<li id="U2Z0g7">Les Ferdinand</li>
<li id="dGruuX">Robbie Fowler</li>
<li id="qQhRUL">Eden Hazard</li>
<li id="UTqad3">Gary Neville</li>
<li id="pcQ4CM">He-Whose-Name-Must-Not-Be-Uttered</li>
<li id="5F93p4">Michael Owen</li>
<li id="d1j6IQ">David Silva</li>
<li id="lYjuLs">John Terry</li>
<li id="CAzXYg">Yaya Toure</li>
<li id="VuLoBF">Edwin van der Sar</li>
<li id="SKb56E">Nemanja Vidic</li>
</ul>
<p id="t2G4on">If God is just, one (or both) of Ferdinand and/or Defoe will make it. <a href="https://www.premierleague.com/hall-of-fame/nominees">You can help by voting at the Premier League’s website</a> up through April 8, 2024.</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/25/24111845/tottenham-hotspur-news-les-ferdinand-jermain-defoe-shortlist-premier-league-hall-of-fameDustin George-Miller2024-03-25T13:50:42+00:002024-03-25T13:50:42+00:00REPORT: Rodrigo Bentancur has been playing with a broken toe “for a few weeks”
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<img alt="Fulham FC v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tmQ11CzKu8FJa6nWkyZth_azmIc=/0x0:5909x3939/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73231142/2089949248.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Well that maybe explains some stuff?</p> <p id="61nSgw">Don’t you just love it when you discover that one of your favorite team’s players has been playing through an undisclosed injury for a while and you just found out about it? That’s the case with Rodrigo Bentancur. ESPN Argentina reports that Lolo, currently away with Uruguay during the international break, <a href="https://www.espn.com.ar/futbol/mundial/nota/_/id/13419623/rodrigo-bentancur-uruguay-analizo-partido-pais-vasco-dijo-esta-jugando-lesionado">has apparently been playing with a broken toe</a> that he sustained in training just prior <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham</a>’s match against Crystal Palace on March 2.</p>
<p id="NrHLQ4">Here are the relevant quotes, run through Google Translate:</p>
<blockquote><p id="IwCblU">“I broke it two or three weeks ago, but I’m still playing the same. I broke my phalanx. I had to stop for three or four weeks to weld it, and it was impossible. It was before the game against Crystal Palace in training, but here I go, recovering. Once warm up, I forget about it.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="Xi5hTP">Cool. Coooooooooooooooool. </p>
<p id="v8zJQV">OK, so maybe I’m overreacting a bit. If it’s the kind of injury where you tape the toes together and just get on with it, maybe it’s not so bad; it very well could be the kind of injury you just play through, like basketball players taping dislocated fingers together on their non-shooting hand. That said, Lolo’s looked a little off lately, and it’s not too difficult to draw a straight line from those performances to the fact that <em>he’s playing through a broken toe.</em> At least he didn’t get MORE injured, I guess. Always good to look at the positives.</p>
<p id="f03bnx">Bentancur was a second half substitute in Uruguay’s 1-1 friendly draw against a non-FIFA-sanctioned Basque Country team. Uruguay plays another friendly against Ivory Coast in Lens, France on Tuesday.</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/25/24111353/tottenham-hotspur-injury-news-rodrigo-bentancur-uruguay-broken-toe-few-weeksDustin George-Miller2024-03-24T12:00:00+00:002024-03-24T12:00:00+00:00Bristol City vs. Tottenham Women: game time, open thread, and how to watch
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<img alt="Tottenham Hotspur v Bristol City - FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup - Group D - Brisbane Road" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XcQRuIT5hJ8jm7A3hDXmDNzKFx4=/0x0:4428x2952/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73229184/1797510311.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Spurs are away to the WSL cellar-dwellers.</p> <p id="9Qzyvm">Happy Sunday, Spurs fans! I know most of the American contingent are preoccupied with the NCAA college basketball tournament, which continues today. It’s a quiet weekend since we’re in the throes of another seemingly-meaningless international break and Spurs don’t play until next weekend.</p>
<p id="0DyUfV">But guess what — Spurs DO play this weekend! Tottenham Hotspur Women are away to Bristol City in WSL league action, with a chance to make it two wins on the trot. Bristol City are, uhhhhh struggling, bottom of the table, winless in their last 12 league matches, with only six points thus far. There are no easy matches in the WSL, but this is probably as close as Spurs are going to get. </p>
<p id="0uPPQp">Use this thread to talk about the match, or about any other games happening today. </p>
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<h3 id="hbEU4e">Bristol City vs. Tottenham Hotspur</h3>
<p id="BnCuEn"><strong>Sunday, March 24, 2024</strong><br><strong>10:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. GMT</strong><br>TV: not televised<br>Stream: <a href="http://faplayer.thefa.com">The FA Player</a></p>
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<h3 id="jVSJaO">Lineups</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our team for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRCTOT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BRCTOT</a> <a href="https://t.co/cw6C6AT8Mi">pic.twitter.com/cw6C6AT8Mi</a></p>— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpursWomen/status/1771884936854695936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the RED corner! ❤️<br><br> Bentley returns between the sticks<br> Maddie Durrant's first matchday squad<br> Emily Syme's 50th appearance <a href="https://t.co/qKKA01xrgW">pic.twitter.com/qKKA01xrgW</a></p>— Bristol City Women (@bristolcitywfc) <a href="https://twitter.com/bristolcitywfc/status/1771885277700653462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a>
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https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/24/24110137/bristol-city-vs-tottenham-women-game-time-open-thread-and-how-to-watchDustin George-Miller2024-03-22T14:01:08+00:002024-03-22T14:01:08+00:00Alfie Whiteman seems extremely cool and I’d like to be his friend
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<img alt="Blackburn Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League 2" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9atdubVxMugupp28-vbmLy5HeBM=/0x0:4006x2671/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73225632/1482408227.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Can your other club’s fourth string keeper successfully DJ a jazz fusion radio set? I don’t think so.</p> <p id="tkKgmB"><a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman is having a moment, and weirdly it’s not because of what he’s doing on the football pitch. Late last month he made his major radio debut, presenting <a href="https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/sweet-tooth-w-alfie-26th-february-2024">an eclectic mix of jazz fusion, psychedelia, funk, and soul on NTS Radio</a>, a London-based station that broadcasts in over 50 countries both over-air and online and is known for its eclectic musical broadcasting. The website background of Alfie’s mix features a still of Millhouse from The Simpsons, standing alone and forlorn on a playset.</p>
<p id="8mshmr">It’s wild stuff, and illuminating of a player that has slipped under radar of most Tottenham fans over the past number of years. In fact, based on the attention he’s gotten over the past few weeks, Alfie just might have just inherited the mantle (from Eric Dier, no less) of the most <em>interesting</em> player on Spurs’ squad.</p>
<p id="GPDmAd">Let’s start with that radio mix. “Sweet Tooth” opens with a jazz fusion track by David Axelrod, and the hourlong set melds through a hazy series of songs by artists including the Cocteau Twins, Vincent Gallo, Elliot Smith, Jon Brion, and even a track from the soundtrack to the movie <em>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</em>. It’s contemplative and mellow, the kind of music you put on after a long day at work as you sink into your easy chair with a glass of bourbon. I listened to it in full and I love it, it is EXACTLY my jam, though no doubt it would definitely be an outlier in most football locker rooms and clearly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. (It’s definitely not Taylor Swift, right <em>Richarlison?</em>)</p>
<p id="aS2531">That doesn’t seem to be something that particularly bothers Alfie. It’s clear that he’s a guy who has figured out who he is, acknowledges that he’s different from most people, and is perfectly okay with that outcome. <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2024/03/18/alfie-whiteman-tottenham-hotspur-interview?utm_source=tftw">In an interview with <em>The Fader</em></a> (omg, a Spurs player with an interview in <em>The Fader</em>, you’ll never sing that), Whiteman talks about his melancholic set that bounces around between genres, and how he put it together.</p>
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<p id="t2qrjP">“I definitely genre jumped a bit, which I think is fine. I don’t know the rules of it so I built it almost like you’re in my headphones. It was the start of the new year so I picked songs with a kind of more somber tone. I gravitate towards the sadder things, whether that’s film, photos, or music just because of the emotion that they can evoke. Even the Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders track, it could be a sad song but it’s also a very powerful happy track.</p>
<p id="JV1aqD">“My dad had a big influence on my music taste and choices. Growing up I was constantly hearing him playing his jazz records in the car. He would also take me to see live shows, too. He took me to Roy Ayers’s last show in London at Ronnie Scotts. I was very lucky. At the time I wouldn’t really think too much about it, but now I realize how cool that was. So the David Axelrod track is one from home. In my record collection at home there’s a lot of stolen records from my dad’s collection. Every time I go around I’ll take one record and then my dad will text me, like, ‘Have you been at it again?’”</p>
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<p id="zvKSgC">It goes deeper than music. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaaaaaaalf/?hl=en-gb">Whiteman’s Instagram feed</a> is full of sun-dappled, sometimes intentionally grainy, occasionally mildly racy, photographs of himself and those close to him, along with snippets of video, reflecting an obvious interest in photography and film that seems far removed from the highly-regimented and extremely public life of a top-flight professional footballer. His style can be described as low-key neo-hipster cool, all trucker caps and knit woolen beanies, t-shirts with Arabic print, blue jeans, hoodies.</p>
<p id="MCcZvq">Alfie just released <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Jbkt5I7ec/?hl=en-gb">a book titled <em>Pill Face</em></a><em> </em>(which you can purchase!) that features nothing but photographs of silly faces he’s made from the various supplements, vitamins, and medications he takes as part of his fitness regimen, and advertised with self-deprecating humor.</p>
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<p id="WU3MXz">‼️‼️‼️PILL FACE‼️‼️‼️</p>
<p id="CnzYcL">Have you ever wondered, ‘How is Alfie’s skin so good? His hair & nails so healthy? He never seeming [sic] to look tired & fatigued as well as being so mentally stable?’</p>
<p id="bl486V">Well fear not, because if you have been pondering these mysteries & wanting feel more like me, you can now buy a little book containing the vitamins I take.</p>
<p id="Te0R0Z">There are 67 pages of silly faces constructed and consumed by me, as well as a contents page where all pills are labelled.</p>
<p id="t6NELc">All copies will be hand signed :) ‼️link in bio‼️</p>
<p id="DiAkcd">(Disclaimer: sufficient sleep, a healthy diet (one sweet treat per day allowed) and adequate exercise recommended for noticeable improvements in wellbeing)</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hMmC8KYHGC2gkFAM8FVoaEYbdvA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25349586/Screenshot_2024_03_22_at_9.25.00_AM.png">
<figcaption>The artist at work. Source: <a class="ql-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/aaaaaaaalf/?hl=en-gb" target="_blank">Instagram</a>
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<p id="BKHrKe">Earlier I mentioned how Whiteman’s (for lack of a better term) <em>interestingness</em> seems to mirror that of Eric Dier, a guy similarly full of multitudes, known for hawking avocados, <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tech/spotlas-app-social-network-recommendations-a4524776.html">creating his own restaurant app</a>, and <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2020/2/11/21133537/the-existential-holiday-of-eric-jeremy-edgar-dier">taking EasyJet flights to Morocco</a> on vacation. So should we be surprised that the two got along famously? No, we should not.</p>
<blockquote><p id="yrFyeH">“Eric Dier was playing for Spurs for a while and I got along with him, he’s gone to <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> now. But me and him would share a few songs. Obviously, before games it’s quite stereotypical what you might imagine, probably some Drake and Lil Baby or something along those lines. But I also don’t dislike that music. It’s not what I listen to all the time, but I can listen to it. Before games I feel like there’s a whole thing of being a Gladiator ready to go out to battle and to fight your life. People might play “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and I get that, don’t get me wrong. I’ve had the Prodigy, and Mobb Deep in my headphones before.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="un5zEy">And what does he listen to for hype music? Uhhhhhhhhhhh.</p>
<blockquote><p id="5YcDpa">“Maybe some Aphex Twin or Brian Eno, maybe even a bit of Boards of Canada. I have a whole ambient playlist that I listen to even when I travel to training and I have a 20-minute walk in the morning. I’m often listening to a sort of more mellow, calming music.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="NEHmZB">But that’s just who he is. This isn’t an affect, or a persona that he invents as a face for the public. It’s a perfect expression of his true self, and it feels like a big step for Whiteman to put himself forward for public perception like this.</p>
<blockquote><p id="content_block-260752">“When you think about hipster, I’m thinking a fisherman beanie and Red Wing boots. My teammates do call me a hippie but I’m not trying to be anything niche. It’s just what I like, it’s just who I am. I’ve kind of kept my private life separate from my work life until now because I didn’t want to use a football to boost other things. I wanted to have my organic life away from work and just be Alfie, but now it’s like, it’s got to happen. I’m not like I’m a superhero living two lives.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="bH68Vx">In short, Alfie Whiteman is a guy who’s eclectic, self-assured, and comfortable in his own skin. He seems awesome. I love him. I want to be his friend.</p>
<p id="PmAF77">It’s a sad reality of modern football that very often the people you come to appreciate as fans in your chosen sports teams don’t stick around for long. Alfie is 25 now and only has one senior appearance for the club, the 4-0 Europa League win over Ludogorets in 2020. He’s spent much of the past two seasons on loan in Sweden, and is currently behind his academy teammate and friendly competitor Brandon Austin as Spurs’ fourth choice keeper. It’s unlikely that he’ll be at the club much longer, although his contract runs through 2025 and he’s been linked with a move away for so long it almost feels cliche to mention it. But wherever he goes next, I’m convinced he’ll remain Alfie Whiteman, and in my opinion that’s pretty cool.</p>
<p id="rUCs7v">It’s unlikely I’ll ever get to meet Whiteman, but despite the 22-year age difference between us I think we’d get along. I’d love to sit down with him over a beer (or a scotch?) and talk music, and art, what he likes to read and how he spends his free time. Does he play board games? Has he ever roasted his own coffee? Maybe we could even talk a bit of football. Alfie, if you’re reading this, my email’s in my profile. </p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/22/24108534/tottenham-hotspur-news-goalkeeper-alfie-whiteman-is-extremely-coolDustin George-Miller2024-03-21T12:49:58+00:002024-03-21T12:49:58+00:00Photos leaked of unreleased 2019 statue of Harry Kane
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<img alt="TOPSHOT-FBL-GER-BUNDESLIGA-DARMSTADT-BAYERN" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2c5RTSef7ayITP_Nz2J-ZbGW4h0=/0x0:4200x2800/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73222832/2082111028.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>lol</p> <p id="ipwZql">Harry Kane can’t seem to catch a break. After a public and rather messy breakup with <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> this past summer, Kane was sold to Bundesliga giants <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a>, ostensibly because he wanted to win trophies. It hasn’t gone to plan — Bayern flamed out of the Pokal and are currently 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the table, making it very likely they will not win the league for the first time since 2012. Bayern’s last chance to win a trophy is in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a>, and it likely means running a gauntlet past Arsenal, <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com">Manchester City</a>, and possibly Barcelona. Kane is scoring goals in buckets, but his current team is in decline while the team he left to trophy hunt is back on the ascendency.</p>
<p id="LTrlxr">So what fresh hell can be foisted upon him now? How about a statue that nobody seems to want? Outlet Big Issue has received exclusive photos of <a href="https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/harry-kane-statue-pictures-waltham-forest-council/">a heretofore unseen bronze sculpture of Harry Kane</a> commissioned by the London borough of Waltham Forest for £7200 of public funds in 2019, but which has been hidden away somewhere in East London because they can’t find anyone to take it.</p>
<p id="TqIPCS">Surely it’s not THAT bad, you say? Oh buddy.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> ⚽️EXCLUSIVE: This is the statue of Harry Kane which has been sat in storage for years<a href="https://twitter.com/BigIssue?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BigIssue</a> has obtained pictures of the statue, commissioned in 2019, and as-yet-unseen<br><br>Waltham Forest Council spent £7,200 on it, at the request of residents. But it hasn't found a home... <a href="https://t.co/HdNMFKv7Xw">pic.twitter.com/HdNMFKv7Xw</a></p>— Greg Barradale (@GregBarradale) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregBarradale/status/1770423299824054586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a>
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<p id="0VkdqL">Now, as one who has advocated for a statue of Harry Kane outside of White Hart Lane in the past, I appreciate the effort here, but only barely. For starters, there are plenty of poses a sculptor could’ve chosen for a statue of Harry — his iconic leaping arm-thrusting goal celebration, ripping the mask off after scoring against Arsenal, or even preparing to shoot that deflected goal at <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com">Aston Villa</a>. All good options. What I would NOT have chosen is Harry Kane in an England shirt sitting on a park bench holding a ball on his knee.</p>
<p id="of6vW7">Big Issue states that numerous locations, including Chingford Rail Station and Ridgeway Park, where Harry Kane played as a boy, have been mooted as a location for Kane’s bronze but nobody seems to want it, so it’s languished in storage for five years. (It’s certainly not going to find a home outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium anytime soon.) But football fans are fickle, as are parishioners who tend to get upset when public money is used to fund the creation of weird bronze statues of footballers that nobody seems to want.</p>
<p id="olW4Lr">As for the statue itself? Well, it’s not <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39442098">the bust of Cristiano Ronaldo</a> but it’s not great! Comments I’ve seen range from “You know it tastes of Easter egg chocolate” to “It should probably remain hidden.” Comments from the Carty Free writer’s room ranged from “Why isn’t his mouth open” to “Can’t tell if Beavis or Butthead.” </p>
<p id="drpuj7">Kane hasn’t publicly commented, which is probably wise in this circumstance. In the meantime, I’m still waiting impatiently for my bronze statue of Erik Lamela.</p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/21/24107519/tottenham-hotspur-news-harry-kane-statue-unreleased-bronzeDustin George-Miller2024-03-20T17:38:59+00:002024-03-20T17:38:59+00:00Richarlison: therapy “saved my life”
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<img alt="Brazil Training Session" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/biuNU-Yx_tResmUyrdQ7ZnBH2lM=/0x0:4461x2974/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73221123/2098806184.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Richarlison shared his story with mental heath after Brazil announced the appointment of a team psychologist.</p> <p id="lwL2Oj">Ever since his public struggle with mental health last season, Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has become an outspoken and very positive proponent of therapy, especially among athletes. Richarlison has spoken on numerous occasions about the struggles he had while recovering from injuries last season juggling the twin pressures of Premier League football and the burden of playing for Brazil as their starting No. 9. </p>
<p id="rY5hwl">He’s doing so again now. Richarlison is currently back with Brazil for the upcoming international break, just after the <em>Seleçao </em>announced the appointment of a new mental health professional who will work with the national team. <a href="https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/selecao-brasileira/artigo/_/id/13397206/selecao-brasileira-richarlison-o-que-mudou-brasil-apos-desabafo-saude-mental">As reported in ESPN Brazil</a>, Richy spoke to the whole of the Brazilian squad, talking about his struggles, how he finally worked up the courage to ask for help, and how therapy has aided him in his mental health recovery.</p>
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<p id="sVUSgl">“My speech was important to the team. I saw the psychologist there, I never had before. It was important. And the love I received from people... you know the prejudice people have when someone says they are looking for help? I had it myself, I don’t have it anymore.</p>
<p id="FbNvRO">“As a player with an active voice, I tell people to look for [mental health support] because it helps. It saved my life. I was already at the bottom of the well. It’s very important for the <em>Seleçao</em> to have a psychologist to help athletes. Only we know the pressures we are under, not only on but also off the field. I suffered more even outside [football]. It’s important to have a psychologist.”</p>
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<p id="3dirfr">Richarlison’s struggles didn’t entirely stem from his performance on the football pitch. He has also said how he had struggled with people close to him outside of football who were taking advantage of his fame and fortune in order to enrich others. For Richy, part of the recovery involved cutting people he’d known for a long time completely out of his life, and then living his life as a model for others.</p>
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<p id="2gFxch">“It’s a very big responsibility. I myself have a very public image, and children especially look up to me. I always try to walk the line so as not to disappoint. I know the responsibility I carry for this shirt, for a great club in England. I try to walk the line. </p>
<p id="u57u1B">“Carrying the responsibility, was as I said, my biggest problem at that time was more off the field, the people who were around me, living in my house, disappointing me. I dealt with it for seven years. It was my biggest disappointment. Now it’s over, and I am living in a beautiful moment.”</p>
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<p id="Iv24r9">I’m just going to say it again — Richarlison is a wonderful human being and an important advocate for mental health. He’s using his platform to call awareness to the importance of therapy, especially for athletes, and modeling behavior that will hopefully influence others. I love it. </p>
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2024/3/20/24106912/tottenham-hotspur-players-elsewhere-richarlison-mental-health-brazil-therapy-saved-my-lifeDustin George-Miller