After picking up four points from their opening two Premier League 2 games of the season, Wayne Burnett’s Spurs under 23 side will be going into Saturday’s North London Derby with Arsenal with good confidence in the squad (kick off is at 1pm). Always a highly competitive fixture, this game at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground (it is I believe being behind closed doors, so no spectators will be allowed in including myself), could see Arsenal make it four wins over Spurs at under 23 level in a row, should they win tomorrow. Spurs won one and drew one game from their opening two Premier League 2 matches of the season, while tomorrow’s rivals also won one and drew one of their opening two PL2 games of the season (they also beat Ipswich Town in the Checkatrade Trophy). Steve Bould’s Arsenal side have a fantastic squad of really talented young players who could make life difficult for Spurs on Saturday afternoon. 19 year old France under 20 international William Saliba who was signed from French side Saint-Étienne last summer, is a very highly thought of and talented central defender, who started Arsenal’s last under 23 game, so he could possibly start again tomorrow. Full Northern Ireland international Danny Ballard is another central defender, and he is a commanding one too, who has impressed against Spurs in the past at this level. Creative and highly skilful attacking midfielder Salah Oulad M’Hand (17) is an attacking player who has played in every game that the Arsenal development side have played in so far this season, and the young Dutchman is somebody who can and will take on and beat players. Also forwards George Lewis and Folarin Balogun are players who could cause Spurs’ defence some problems when the two sides meet. There is no doubting that this will be a very difficult game for Wayne Burnett’s side however, I know that Spurs have the quality to overcome Arsenal however, it does promise to be a fascinating game. I believe that Arsenal will be providing audio commentary for tomorrow’s game, also Spurs should be providing Twitter updates along with their match report on their official site. I would like to wish the lads all the very best of luck for this important league game.
Subs from: De Bie, Skinner, Pedder, Pochettino, Etete.
Injured/unavailable: George Marsh (serving a three game suspension).
Doubtful: Malachi Fagan-Walcott.
Previous meeting: Spurs 1-3.
My score prediction: Spurs 3-2.
My one to watch: Although there are so many Arsenal players that I could choose from, the one I’m going to choose for my one to watch section is clinical centre forward Folarin Balogun. The 19 year old is a very quick player whose movement off the ball and reading of the game makes him a very difficult player to defend against. Balogun scored 10 goals from 15 Premier League 2 appearances last season, so if he does play tomorrow then he is a player that the young Spurs defenders will have to be aware of.
After making it two wins from their two opening games of the Under 18 Premier League South season following an impressive 2-0 win over Arsenal last Saturday, Matt Taylor’s Spurs side will be looking to continue their perfect start to the season when they take on Brighton this Saturday (kick off is at 11:30am). Spurs striker Dane Scarlett (16) seems to have been greatly impressing so far this season, after being directly involved in five goals from our opening two games of the campaign. And this talented group of young Spurs players could have a really good chance of mounting a title challenge this campaign in my opinion, along with the likes of Chelsea and Fulham. This weekends opponents Brighton who are coached by Mark Beard, finished last season in sixth place in the Under 18 Premier League South with 24 points, and from our two league meetings with them we won one and lost one. A well structured side who do play good football but can also be direct in their play on occasions, Brighton gave us two difficult games last season. The first one which was played at Hotspur Way saw them beat us 3-2 in a game in which they were the better team, while the reverse fixture at the American Express Elite Performance Centre saw us narrowly win that game 1-0. Brighton pressed our players really well in both contests and they also created a lot of chances in both of those league games. Having seemingly signed quite a few players from other countries for the start of this season, such as the likes of Samy Chouchane, Casper Nilsson, Andy Moran and Leigh Kavanagh, this game would be interesting to see in regards to seeing several new players for Brighton. Mark Beard’s side drew their opening league game of the new season 1-1 with a talented Chelsea team, while they followed that up by losing 3-1 at home to Fulham last weekend. Some of the potential Brighton players who could potentially cause Spurs problems on Saturday include hardworking and versatile Irish forward Matt Everitt, impressive centre half Antef Tsoungui and tricky right winger Jack Leahy.
Brighton have produced some really promising young players during recent years such as Aaron Connolly and Ben White, and they are always a difficult team to play against at under 18 level. Spurs, who defeated north London rivals Arsenal last Saturday will surely be going into this game with their confidence high, and they’ll fancy their chances of making it three wins in a row. Lining up against Arsenal with the same side that beat West Ham in game week one, it was fantastic to see midfielder Michael Craig come off the bench to return from injury after over a year out. I did write to Brighton to see if it was at all possible for me to report on our game against them on Saturday however, they said that no spectators could attend as it will be played behind closed doors. Finally, I would just like to wish Matt Taylor’s side all the very best of luck for this important game.
My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Lo-Tutala (c), Cesay, Lusala, Muir, Hackett, Devine, Matthew Craig, Mundle, John, Santiago, Scarlett.
Subs from: Solberg, Cassanova, Michael Craig, Mathurin, Whittaker,
Injured/unavailable: N/A.
Doubtful: N/A.
Previous meeting: Spurs 1-0.
My score prediction: Spurs 3-1.
My one to watch: Brighton’s hardworking forward Matt Everitt (second year scholar) who was a player who had a good game when we played Brighton away last season. A versatile player, the 17 year old Irishman can play as a nine, ten or out wide.
After drawing their PL2 season opener (1-1) against a tough Brighton side last Saturday, Wayne Burnett’s Spurs under 23 team will be looking to go one better when they take on London rivals West Ham United on Friday at Hotspur Way (kick off is at 12pm). Spurs fielded a strong side against Brighton in game week one, of which included the likes of Brandon Austin, Jack Roles, Jack Clarke, Dennis Cirkin and Harvey White. However, Brighton are a very tough side who are difficult to break down and in the end Spurs drew 1-1, with Kazaiah Sterling scoring our goal, while West Ham who are managed by Dmitri Halajko lost 1-0 away to reigning PL2 Division One champions Chelsea. A well structured side, last seasons PL2 Division Two champions impressed greatly last campaign as they bounced back to the top division in English under 23 football at the first time of asking. Some of you may remember talented Portuguese forward Xande Silva (23) scoring a hat-trick against our under 23’s in our opening game of the 2018/19 season, and the goal scoring forward is a still a part of West Ham’s development side. Another potential danger man for Spurs on Friday is 17 year old centre forward and Irish youth international Ademipo Odubeko who scored a brace against Southend United for West Ham’s development side in the EFL Trophy in their first game of the season. However, the clinical centre forward who has great off the ball movement, didn’t feature in the league game against Chelsea on Monday, so he could possibly be injured. Two other players who are under 23 that didn’t feature in that Chelsea game who could possibly feature in Friday’s London Derby is skilful goal scoring winger Nathan Holland (22), and winger and England youth international Amadou Diallo. So West Ham have a lot of attacking talents at this level that could cause Spurs problems when the two sides meet. However, from a defensive point of view West Ham have talented Portuguese central defender Gonçalo Cardoso (19) whose first team experience with Boavista will definitely be useful for them at this level.
This will be another very difficult and highly competitive game for Wayne Burnett’s side and with 18 year olds Dennis Cirkin and Harvey White pictured training earlier today (Wednesday) along with Jack Clarke ahead of the first teams UEFA Europa League qualifier against Lokomotiv Plovdiv on Thursday, we could be without them for Friday’s PL2 game. Once again, sadly I will not be able to attend and report on our under 23’s upcoming game against West Ham on Friday due to the current situation however, you can likely follow live updates on the official Spurs Twitter account, and there will also be a report on the official site after the game. In case you missed it the trialist who featured during pre-season (Keenan Ferguson) for our under 23’s, has signed a contract until the end of this season. The right back (20) formerly of Sheffield United played the whole of our under 23’s PL2 season opener against Brighton last Saturday, at right back. I would like to wish Wayne Burnett’s side all the very best of luck for Friday’s London Derby against West Ham United.
Subs from: De Bie, Muir, Pedder, Bennett, Richards.
Injured/unavailable: N/A.
Doubtful: Malachi Fagan-Walcott.
Previous meeting: 1-1.
My score prediction: Spurs 2-1.
My one to watch: A player with good pace and skill, as well as being a really clinical finisher, Republic of Ireland youth international and striker Ademipo Odubeko (17) could be West Ham’s main danger man on Friday if he does play. The former Manchester United schoolboy scored twice for West Ham’s development side in the EFL Trophy against Southend United this season, and for me I have been impressed with his fine movement off the ball whenever I have seen him play against Spurs. He will definitely be a player to watch out for if he is involved in Friday’s under 23 game.
After recording a hugely impressive 4-1 win over London rivals West Ham United on the opening day of the Under 18 Premier League South season, Matt Taylor’s Spurs side must now prepare to take on North London rivals Arsenal, at Hotspur Way on Saturday morning (kick off is at 11am). Once again spectators and people reporting on games are not being allowed entry to this game due to the current situation, so I won’t be able to report on this North London Derby however, you can (I will be doing this) follow live updates from Google simply by typing in Tottenham under 18’s. As for the match itself, both teams recorded victories on the opening day of the league season with Spurs beating West Ham comprehensively away, while Ken Gillard’s Arsenal side beat Southampton 4-2 at home. Always a highly competitive fixture, meetings between the two sides in recent seasons have seen very varied results (the last meeting between the two sides finished 2-2), and that reflects the unpredictability and competitiveness of North London Derby’s. Ken Gillard’s Arsenal finished in eighth place in the Under 18 Premier League South last season after picking up 17 points from 16 league games, while Matt Taylor’s Spurs finished nine points above them in fourth place. An exciting and attacking and forward thinking side, Arsenal are a team that move the ball around quickly and with real purpose in the final third as they look to break down the oppositions defence. Despite playing Arsenal’s developments sides first two competitive games of this season, creative and highly skilful attacking midfielder Salah Oulad M’Hand (17) will definitely be a player to watch out for if he turns out for Arsenal’s under 18’s on Saturday. Another attack minded player who has the potential to cause Spurs’ defence problems on Saturday morning is creative England youth international and central midfielder Charlie Patino (16).
While centre forward Luke Plange (17) who scored a goal in Arsenal’s opening day win over Southampton, also scored three under 18 league goals in ten appearances for Arsenal last season, so he could well lead the line for Ken Gillard’s side on Saturday. From a defensive point of view Republic of Ireland under 19 international Mazeed Ogungbo (17) will make life difficult for the Spurs forwards with his commanding defending. This will be I imagine a very difficult, competitive and demanding game of football on Saturday morning in Enfield however, if Spurs lineup with the likes of Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett (he scored two and assisted two last Saturday) which I imagine that they will, then I think that Spurs have a good chance of making it two wins from two in the league. Absent from last weekend’s win over West Ham was attacking midfielder Max Robson (17), he also missed our under 18’s last friendly of pre-season, so if Robson is missing for Saturday’s North London Derby then that will be a shame for Spurs, as he offers so much from an attacking point of view. Finally, I would just like to wish our under 18’s all the very best of luck for this weekend’s important league game against North London rivals Arsenal.
My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Lo-Tutala (c), Cesay, Lusala, Muir, Hackett, Devine, Matthew Craig, Whittaker, John, Mathurin, Scarlett.
My one to watch: Arsenal’s 17 year old central defender Mazeed Ogungbo (17) who can also fill in at fullback, a position which he played in against Southampton last Saturday. A commanding defender who also reads the game well, I was really impressed by Ogungbo when I saw him play for the Republic of Ireland’s under 19 side last year.
Our under 23 side will play their first competitive game of football since the second of March, when they host Brighton & Hove Albion at Hotspur Way in their opening PL2 game of the season on Saturday afternoon (kick off is at 1pm). Just like our under 18’s who get their league season underway on the same day, Wayne Burnett’s side will be eager to return to playing competitive football however, Spurs have been handed a difficult opening day fixture in Brighton. After a good pre-season which saw them unbeaten in four of their five friendly games, Spurs’ opponents on the other hand have already played their first competitive game of the season. As Simon Rusk’s Brighton side lost 3-2 to League Two side Leyton Orient on Tuesday, after initially coming back after being two goals down. A side that Spurs have never beaten in the PL2 in four attempts (we have drawn one and lost three of those meetings) Brighton did the double over us last season. They beat us 2-1 at Stevenage Borough’s Lamex Stadium, and 4-1 at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton, those two games were difficult ones last season. Quite a physical side who do play good football but can also be direct in their play (Brighton’s physical centre forward Bojan Radulovic caused us numerous problems in our 4-1 defeat last season), Brighton finished in third place in the PL2 Division 1 last season, seven points behind champions Chelsea. Simon Rusk’s side were the joint top scorers in the division last season with 36 league goals from 18 games. Brighton have a number of players who could cause problems for Spurs on Saturday, one of those is Sweden youth international and left winger Peter Gwargis, who scored seven goals and registered four assists from 17 PL2 games last season. Another potent Brighton forward is Northern Irishman Ben Wilson (18) who scored a brace against Leyton Orient earlier in the week. Like Wilson, physical Swiss forward Lorent Tolaj could also cause Spurs problems at the back on Saturday.
36 year old former Wales international turned Brighton under 23’s player-coach Andrew Crofts would provide Brighton with invaluable experience in the midfield, if he plays. While talented teenager and central midfielder Jensen Weir (recently signed from Wigan Athletic) was a player who had a great game when he played against our under 18’s in the FA Youth Cup last season, so he could also be a player to watch out for. However, Brighton just have a very talented squad of players and for Spurs to get a victory on Saturday they will have to be on top form. Another Brighton player who I didn’t mention but could even feature on Saturday is 21 year old Republic of Ireland international and tireless central midfielder Jayson Molumby. Wayne Burnett’s side on the other hand could be boosted by the presence of experienced young players such as Anthony Georgiou, Kazaiah Sterling and George Marsh for the game against Brighton, with all three players having featured prominently for Spurs’ under 23’s in pre-season. A difficult game it will be for the young Spurs lads on Saturday afternoon in their opening game of the 2020/21 season however, I wish them all the very best of luck for this match. Due to the current situation I will be unable to report on our game against Brighton due to it being behind closed doors however, Spurs will publish a match report on their official site during the weekend.
Subs from: De Bie, Lusala, Skinner, Richards, Etete.
Injured/unavailable: N/A.
Doubtful: Malachi Fagan-Walcott.
Previous meeting: Spurs 1-2.
My score prediction: Spurs 3-2.
My one to watch: Brighton’s physical and clinical centre forward Lorent Tolaj was excellent for their under 18’s last season scoring eight goals from 11 Premier League South appearances. The Switzerland under 19 international starred in our under 18’s 3-2 defeat to Brighton at Hotspur Way last season with his strong running, physicality and his clinical finishing, so he is my player to watch on Saturday afternoon.
Our under 18’s first competitive game of football since late February take place this Saturday, when Matt Taylor’s side take on London rivals West Ham United at Little Heath Sports Centre (kick off is at 11am). A match which they will have been looking forward to since the Premier League South Fixtures were released earlier this week, this league match will be one that our under 18’s will be really hoping to win, to the start the season well. After a good season last campaign in the Premier League South in which Taylor’s side finished in fourth place in the league, the young Lilywhites will be hoping to build on that fourth place finish this season. This weekends game against West Ham will be a tough one, as the East London club did the double over us in the league last season, beating us 3-2 at Hotspur Way and 3-1 in East London. A talented and attacking side, Kevin Keen’s team finished in third position in the league last season after having played 17 games. Keen’s side has some exciting and talented players who are eligible to play on Saturday, one of those players is 17 year old centre forward and Irish youth international Ademipo Odubeko who scored a brace against Southend United in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night. A clinical finisher in front of goal, it is worth noting that Odubeko could well play for West Ham’s under 23’s who play against Chelsea in the PL2 two days after the under 18 game on Saturday, but he is definitely a player to watch out for if he is involved. Left winger and England youth international Amadou Diallo is another potent attacking player, but the skilful second year scholar featured prominently for West Ham’s under 23’s last season and might not feature on Saturday against Spurs. However, some of our opponents players who are more likely to feature include right winger Kai Corbett who scored four goals in 11 Premier League South games for West Ham last season.
Two more players who could well be involved for the home side on Saturday are centre backs Jamal Baptiste (first year scholar) and Michael Forbes (first year scholar). Baptiste actually made seven appearances for West Ham’s under 23’s last season while still a schoolboy, while Forbes was recently signed from Northern Irish side Dungannon Swifts. There is no doubting that this will be a tough and highly competitive first game of the season for Spurs, but it will be really interesting to see how they line up and also how many first years scholars they include in their squad. I would like to wish our under 18’s all the very best of luck for Saturdays game which is being played behind closed doors due to the current situation. Hence I will be unable to report on the game however, there will be a match report published on the official Tottenham Hotspur site during the weekend.
My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Lo-Tutala, Cesay, Matthew Craig, Muir (c), Hackett, Cassanova, Devine, Mathurin, Robson, Whittaker, Scarlett.
My one to watch: A player with good pace and skill, as well as being a really clinical finisher, Republic of Ireland youth international and striker Ademipo Odubeko (17) could be West Ham’s main danger man on Saturday if he does play. The former Manchester United schoolboy scored in our last meeting with West Ham last February, and for me he really stood out in that game with his fine movement off the ball. He will definitely be a player to watch out for if he is involved in Saturday mornings game.
Our under 18’s get their 2020/21 season off on Saturday morning when they take on London rivals West Ham United at Little Heath, in their first Premier League South game of the new season (kick off is at 11am). Head coach Matt Taylor currently has 25 players who are a part of his under 18 squad for this season (not including under 16’s who stepped up to play in friendlies during pre-season), this number of players in the squad is very unlikely to change, as players at this level very rarely go out on loan. After not having played a proper game of football since late February prior to this seasons pre-season friendlies, Matt Taylor’s under 18 side played four friendlies during pre-season. Playing against the likes of Oxford United and Ipswich Town’s under 18’s at Hotspur Way, Spurs won two of their four games however, results aside like for our under 23’s, our under 18’s would have just been so happy to have been playing football again in a competitive scenario. Last season Spurs’ under 18’s finished in fourth place in the Premier League South, 14 points of champions Fulham. Spurs had a bit of a difficult start last season due to it being a very different and new squad of players from the 2018/19 season when Spurs finished as runners up in the league however, we did come good last season. Playing an attractive brand of attacking football under Matt Taylor, we also looked well structured and were good at scoring goals and breaking teams down. Some of last seasons standout players for the young Lilywhites, were in my opinion Max Robson, Marqes Muir, Rafferty Pedder (now part of the under 23’s), Dermi Lusala, Kacper Kurylowicz (now part of the under 23’s) and J’Neil Bennett (now part of the under 23’s). We have got a really talented squad of 25 under 18 players for this season, with some of the younger ones stepping up to represent our under 18’s in competitive games last season. Winger and now first year scholar Roshaun Mathurin was one of those players to step up to the under 18’s on occasions last season, a very skilful player with an eye for goal, Mathurin didn’t look at all out of place in the team.
Left back and England under 16 international Jordan Hackett was another player who stepped up to play for the under 18’s, and I thought he looked really comfortable in the side both from an attacking and defensive point of view. Good at getting up and down the left flank, Hackett looked like a terrific passer and crosser of the ball, and he also read the game really well. Another England under 16 international in striker Dane Scarlett was another player who stepped up to play for our under 18’s on five occasions last season while a still a schoolboy, during the early stages of the campaign before getting injured. A centre forward with fantastic off the ball movement, Scarlett impressively featured along with fellow first year scholar Alfie Devine (also 16) for our first team on two occasions during pre-season. Yet another England under 16 international, recent signing from Wigan Athletic Alfie Devine was a mainstay in Wigan’s under 18 side last season while still a schoolboy, and he helped them to reach the quarter finals of the FA Youth Cup. Operating primarily as a number eight in midfield, the highly technical Devine is clearly another very talented player who could well step up to play for our under 23’s during some point this season. So they are just some of the under 18’s first year scholars who I personally feel could make a big impact on the team this season. However, we also have a number of international youth players in our under 16’s for the coming season, one of those is England and Northern Ireland youth international and centre forward Jamie Donley who played for our under 18’s on three occasions during pre-season, scoring four goals. With a lack of recognised centre forwards in the under 18’s this season, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see the schoolboy get a fair few minutes for Matt Taylor’s side this season just like Dane Scarlett did last season. As for the second year scholars I personally believe that the highly talented goal scoring midfielder Max Robson (17) could be one our under 18’s key players this season before he steps up to under 23’s, quick, skilful and clinical in front of goal, Robson is a real creative force and goal threat.
Central defender Marqes Muir (17) really grew into the 2019/20 season as it progressed and he was another very good performer, who could become a key player again in the side this season. Skilful and tenacious right back Dermi Lusala (17) is yet another player who again after having a very good 2019/20 season, could become another key player in the team, although I would imagine that he would step up to play for our under 23’s on occasions, as he did play for them on two occasions during pre-season. We have such a talented group of second year scholars however, the final second year scholar that I’d just like to briefly focus in on is 17 year old central midfielder and Scotland youth international Michael Craig. The twin brother of Matthew Craig who featured more prominently for our under 18’s last season, Michael who is a very intelligent midfield player, started the first few games of last season well before unfortunately getting injured last August. He hasn’t played a game since then and he wasn’t in the squad for any of our under 18’s pre-season friendlies. As it stands (I am not sure whether or not the Premier League Under 18 Cup is taking place this season) our under 18’s will just be competing in the Premier League South and the FA Youth Cup this season. Matt Taylor’s side will play two new teams this season in the Premier League South, one of them is Crystal Palace who join the division after being granted academy category one status (Swansea City dropped out of the league and are now a category two academy side). While the other team were already a category one academy side (West Bromwich Albion) but have joined the Premier League South having previously been in the northern division to make up the numbers, after Leeds United and Burnley joined that league. With teams like Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham in the Premier League South, the league is always a very competitive and difficult one. However, with a very talented group of first and second years scholars this season, Spurs could in my personal opinion mount a challenge for the title just like we did during the 2018/19 season.
The FA Youth Cup on the other hand is an extremely difficult competition to win however, if players such as Dane Scarlett, Alfie Devine, Max Robson and Marqes Muir play for us in those games, then I feel that we have a good chance of going far in that competition. However, going back to the league which starts on Saturday, some of the standout fixtures include the North London Derby against Arsenal who we face for the first time in almost a year in game week two. Always an exciting and highly competitive fixture, that game is always one to look out for when the fixtures come out every season. However, games against the likes of talented, attacking and highly structured sides such as Chelsea and Fulham are always very difficult ones, as is the London Derby against West Ham who are another very good team. And in more recent seasons games against the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Reading have been difficult ones, and I would expect more of the same this season. When you support a club like Spurs who have one of the best academy set ups in the country if not Europe, you just can’t not be optimistic going into the start of each new season, and this season is no different for me. I feel that we have another fantastic squad of players who can achieve great things in both the Premier League South and the FA Youth Cup this season and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they get on. As I said in my preview of our under 23’s season, we are of course living in uncertain times due to the current situation, and as is the case with all of our under 23’s games, all home matches at the moment will not be open to fans. That is of course disappointing news however, it is also extremely understandable too, but I remain optimistic and hopeful that fans will be allowed back into see games in the not so distant future. In the mean time I shall keep on doing my match previews for games as well as keeping fans updated on Twitter about how our under 18’s and 23’s get on and what the results are, and who scored our goals and got our assists. As for away games at under 18 level I am unsure whether certain clubs will allow me in to report on games at this time, but I shall find that out nearer to the time.
I would like to wish our under 18 side all the very best of luck for the 2020/21 season and I have no doubt that they will do the club proud.
Spurs’ under 18 squad for the 2020/21 season (as it stands):
Goalkeepers: Thimothée Lo-Tutala, Isak Solberg, Aaron Maguire, Adam Hayton.
Fullbacks: Dermi Lusala, Jeremy Kyezu, Kallum Cesay, Jordan Hackett.
Central defenders: Marqes Muir.
Midfielders: Michael Craig, Matthew Craig, Nile John, Yago Santiago, Max Robson, Alfie Devine, Jez Davies, Khalon Haysman, Dante Cassanova, Oliver Turner, Renaldo Torraj.
Wingers: Romaine Mundle, Eddie Carrington, Roshaun Mathurin.
Forwards: Tarrelle Whittaker, Dane Scarlett.
Our under 18’s Premier League South fixtures for the 2020/21 season can be viewed on the official Tottenham Hotspur website.
Our under 23’s get their 2020/21 season off on Saturday afternoon when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion’s under 23 side in their first PL2 league game of the new season (kick off is at 1pm). Head coach Wayne Burnett currently has 27 players who are now a part of his under 23 side (not including players who have stepped up to play for them from the under 18’s during pre-season). However, this will of course likely change as players head out on loan during the transfer window, but for now Burnett’s side includes some experienced younger players of which includes a Cyprus international in 23 year old Anthony Georgiou, who played all five of our under 23’s pre-season friendlies. Other experienced players include Brandon Austin, George Marsh, Kazaiah Sterling and Shilow Tracey, I would personally imagine that all of these players will be loaned out at some point during this transfer window. After Wayne Burnett’s side enjoyed a good pre-season which saw them lose only one of their five pre-season friendlies, and that was against League Two side Leyton Orient, things are looking good for this seasons PL2 campaign. In what sounded like a series of impressive performances against some good senior teams, arguably the stand out win of Spurs’ under 23’s pre-season was their 3-1 triumph over League Two side Colchester United at Hotspur Way. Other good results included a 2-2 draw with Crawley Town, a 3-1 win over Dulwich Hamlet and a 2-2 draw with London rivals Arsenal’s under 23’s last Saturday. It’s always great to go into a new season with good form and that good form is particularly impressive when you realise that when Spurs played their first pre-season friendly last month, that was their proper game of football since March. Last season Spurs finished in tenth place in PL2 Division One and ten points of bottom of relegated bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers. I thought that we did quite well last season in general, although we did struggle a bit for goals with the now departed Armando Shashoua being our top scorer with five.
However, after starting last season really brightly with two impressive wins over Liverpool and Manchester City, Spurs did have a difficult period where they did struggle a bit to pick up wins, but they did recover in time to finish relatively strongly to avoid the drop to Division Two. Some of last seasons standout players for the young Lilywhites, were in my opinion Armando Shashoua, Harvey White, Jubril Okedina, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, Dilan Markanday and Shilow Tracey. The 27 players who are a part of Wayne Burnett’s under 23 side this season are all very talented young footballers who to be at a club like Spurs, have to be special. However, some of the players who could prove to be really important (most of which are players who are yet to make their PL2 debut) include Rafferty Pedder, Elliot Thorpe, Chay Cooper, Max Robson, Dermi Lusala and Aaron Skinner. Only one of those listed players has actually featured for our under 23’s in a competitive match however, I personally believe that they could all have breakthrough seasons for our under 23’s, and make a really positive impact on the team in games and on their results in the process. Attack minded midfielder Rafferty Pedder (18) is a player who can operate either as a CAM or CM, although he did seem to play at right back against Arsenal’s under 23’s on Saturday. A player with really good pace and agility, the midfielder did really well for our under 18’s last season, and he made more competitive appearances for them than any other player. Pedder is a skilful player who loves to drive forward with the ball, make clever passes and also get stuck in to make challenges, he is one player who I believe could make a good impression on Burnett’s side this season. Elliot Thorpe (19) is quite a similar player and he loves to get forward with the ball at his feet, and take players on with skill. Thorpe can play either as a ten, eight or four, and he made a really positive impression on the under 23 side last season despite not getting a lot of minutes.
Skilful, versatile and direct winger Chay Cooper is another player who is yet to make his competitive debut for our under 23’s, but after an excellent season with our under 18’s last season, he could well be ready to make the step up to under 23 football and make a positive impact with his important goals, creativity and high work rate. Meanwhile 17 year old second year scholar Max Robson was outstanding for our under 18 side last season, contributing goals and assists, as well exceptional off the ball pressing. The Haywards Heath born player who can operate as a CM, CAM or as a support striker, would be great to see step up and play for Wayne Burnett’s side on occasions this season as he continues to progress. Right back Dermi Lusala who I recently wrote a long piece on, is another second year scholar who had a really good 2019/20 season for our under 18’s. Quick, skilful and tenacious, the Londoner who can also fill in at centre half and left back if needed is a player who featured for our under 23’s on a couple of occasions during pre-season, and that could be a sign that he will be a part of the squad this season. Finally CDM or CB Aaron Skinner formerly of Bury and Bolton Wanderers and who joined Spurs last November, is a player who also did well at under 18 level last season. Now in his first season as a professional at Spurs, Skinner played in all five of our pre-season friendlies after joining up with the under 23 side for this season. A tough tackling and tireless CDM who reads the game to good effect, Skinner is also good at centre back (predominantly LCB) and being good on the ball and bringing it out from the back well are real strengths of his game. More established under 23 players such as wingers Dilan Markanday and Maurizio Pochettino, central defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott (currently injured) and right back Jubril Okedina are all players who could become key members of the team throughout the season. Having featured prominently for Spurs’ first team during pre-season, young players Harvey White and Dennis Cirkin have both played a considerable amount games for the under 23’s over recent seasons.
However, White and Cirkin could well become a part of the first team squad this season due to the hectic schedule that the first team have. We could also see a Spurs side full of under 23 players for our League Cup third round tie against either Leyton Orient or Plymouth Argyle, due to the fact that our first team also could have a Europa League qualifier just two days later. So that is something to keep an eye on however, going back to our under 23’s season, as it stands they will only be competing in the PL2 this season and they will not be competing in the EFL trophy due to the heavy schedule of games that Spurs have this season. I am not sure whether or not the Premier League Cup or the Premier League International Cup will be taking place this season however, I am sure that the Premier League will inform everyone regarding that soon. Back to the PL2, we obviously start off against Brighton & Hove Albion, a side who we have never beaten at this level in the PL2 before. They are a good technical side with good physicality about them, and we have found it fairly difficult to play against them over the last two seasons, drawing once against them and losing on three occasions. So that will be a tough opening game at Hotspur Way however, some other difficult fixtures include playing Blackburn Rovers who are again a very physical side but who are also very aggressive both on and off the ball. Over the last two meetings between the sides we have conceded seven goals and scored zero, so playing them will be tough as always. Some other standout fixtures include the North London Derby against Arsenal, we play our local rivals on Sunday the 27th of September at Meadow Park, and on Friday the 29th January at Hotspur Way. Other big games include a London Derby against the reigning champions of Division One Chelsea, and fellow London rivals West Ham who we face for the first time in almost two years when we play them in game week two. And the final team who we will face this season that I would like to focus in on briefly is Derby County.
Derby are another physical team who do like to field overage players however, they are good at moving the ball around the park at pace and also particularly good at getting good crosses into the box. So the two games against them will be tough however, to be honest all games in this competitive division are tough ones and teams have to be performing really well to come away from these games with points. I’m of course really looking forward to seeing how Spurs get on in the PL2 this season and I wish all of the lads the very best of luck however, we are living in uncertain times due to the current situation. The club have said that there will be no fans let into either our under 23 or under 18 home games (all of which are being played at Hotspur Way) until it is safe for fans to return. So in regards to me reporting on games it does look like it will be a little while before I return to reporting on our under 18’s and 23’s matches however, I remain optimistic and hopeful that fans will be allowed back into see games in the not so distant future. As for away games at under 23 level, some of these games starting next month will be played at stadiums so that could mean that some fans are allowed into those games. However, if that is not to be the case then hopefully some of our away league games will be streamed by the home club, but as I say I will take every game as it comes at the moment. I am feeling positive about this season for our under 23’s and I really think that they will have good season in the league and yes there are some top teams in our division. However, we have quality players and I just hope that we start the season strongly, see how it goes and build on that. As for my match previews that I do for every under 23 game, I will keep on doing them this season.
Spurs’ under 23 squad for the 2020/21 season (as it stands):
Goalkeepers: Alfie Whiteman, Brandon Austin, Jonathan De Bie, Josh Oluwayemi, Kacper Kurylowicz.
Full backs: Dennis Cirkin, Jubril Okedina.
Central defenders: Aaron Skinner, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster.
Midfielders: George Marsh, Jamie Bowden, Jack Roles, Elliot Thorpe, Rafferty Pedder, Harvey White.
Wingers: Anthony Georgiou, Shilow Tracey, Dilan Markanday, J’Neil Bennett, Jeremie Mukendi, Maurizio Pochettino, Chay Cooper.
Under 23 players out on loan: TJ Eyoma (on a season long loan with Lincoln City), Troy Parrott (on a season long loan with Millwall), Oliver Skipp (Technically part of the Spurs first team. He is on a season long loan with Norwich City).
Our under 23’s PL2 league fixtures for the 2020/21 season can be viewed on the official Tottenham Hotspur website.
After our first team played their last friendly of pre-season against Championship side Watford on Saturday afternoon, I thought that I would write a piece on how our academy players got on, after watching all four of our friendlies. A number of our academy players got chances in the four friendly games against Championship opposition, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Harvey White and Dennis Cirkin being the youngsters who featured most prominently. 19 year old Jamie Bowden and first year scholars Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine also got some game time from the bench, while 19 year old Jubril Okedina and 21 year old George Marsh were unused substitutes in our 2-1 defeat to Watford on Saturday. 22 year old USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers featured the most out of all our academy players, and the centre half played two half’s and two full games from the four. A strong central defender who is also good on the ball, the Southend born player did well in my opinion. After being out on numerous loans over recent seasons, I thought that Carter-Vickers didn’t look out of place and I also thought that he showed during these games his quality on the ball. After a really successful loan with Luton Town during the second part of last season as he helped them to beat the drop in the Championship, Carter-Vickers was always one of the standout players at under 18 and 23 level when he was coming through the ranks at Spurs. And although he wasn’t really tested in much of our four friendlies, I thought that he kept good positioning and was just solid in his play, plus his distribution was good. There was one moment in the first half of the Watford game where he slid in and put his body on the line to put a Watford player off when he was trying to latch onto a low cross from the right hand side, that was brave defending from Carter-Vickers, something that he was always known for at youth level. It will be interesting to see whether Carter-Vickers stays at the club for part of this season due to the many fixtures that we have across the first stage of the season, or whether he will be loaned out again for the sixth time in his career.
18 year old central midfielder Harvey White who turns 19 later this month was the second academy player to feature the most for Spurs during pre-season. The Maidstone born former England under 18 international featured in all four of our friendlies, playing one half in two of those games, around half of a half in one and just over 80 minutes in our final game against Watford. A versatile player who has featured both at centre half and at left back at youth level for Spurs, White is a clever midfield player. One who is valiant off the ball as he showed on some occasions in pre-season, but he is also so composed, efficient and tidy with the ball. The first year professional showed that composure in the games that he played in against the likes of Birmingham City and Watford, and he really held his own and didn’t look at all out of place in any of the games that he played in. He kept things moving in the central areas of the pitch but he also had the confidence to make some ambitious and long forward passes, in one of our games he also delivered a peach of a free kick onto the head of Eric Dier who came close to hitting the back of the net. An expert set piece taker whose deliveries are consistently excellent, White also impressed with his tireless running on the pitch for José Mourinho’s side, as well as tracking back well too. White got back to help fill in for players who were perhaps out of position and he made a couple of good challenges. However, out of all the games that White played in during his second pre-season with the first team, the game against Watford during the weekend just gone particularly stands out. He was really efficient in midfield during that game and his anticipation and reading of the game was good, the teenager got on the ball an awful lot against Watford and he was just very tidy with it. He showed that combative nature of his game and a real willingness to scrap for the ball, he also got back well during a particularly dangerous Watford attack to slide in on a player in the Spurs box to help prevent him or rather putting him off from finding the back of the net.
White looked very mature out on the pitch at Vicarage Road and against some physical and high quality players, I felt that he took to the game really well. I can remember him making his competitive debut for our under 18’s in an away league game against Norwich City back in the 2017/18 season as if it was just yesterday. The confidence, composure and ease in which he played in midfield during that game was something that he has been able to replicate for them, for the under 23’s and for the first team in friendlies during recent seasons. A really exciting player is young Harvey White, and his creativity from deep and his excellent passing range and ability to make defence splitting forward passes is something which is really special and a key strength of his game. Of course he is also very, very good on the ball but also his ability to shield it from opponents is another strength to the Carrick-esque young players game. White can also play further forward in a more advanced midfield role, and he is a player who I think has deceptive pace but who can also take players on however, his passing ability, composure and fantastic vision are his best attributes, and I could personally see White making his competitive debut for Spurs during the early parts of the season. Fellow 18 year old Dennis Cirkin played the third most minutes of all our academy players during pre-season, and the Dublin born player who was mentioned by Spurs manager José Mourinho during a press conference last season, was another who impressed in recently friendlies. The England youth international who operates primarily at left back, is another real talent that has come through the ranks at Hotspur Way during recent years. Cirkin played in all four of this pre-seasons friendlies, and he started off by putting in a fine second half performance at left back against League One side Ipswich Town in friendly number one. Another player who is very good on the ball and who reads the game well, Cirkin defended solidly during that game whenever tested, even though Spurs were on top of the game throughout.
The player who captained our under 18’s on many occasions last season, followed up his performance against Ipswich Town by also looking good in the next two games against Reading and Birmingham City respectively, as he combined both his defensive and attacking duties well. Cirkin showed good defensive discipline and a real calmness whenever he was tested down his side of the pitch however, his most testing game came against Watford at the weekend. Once again playing at left back Cirkin held his own at the back as well as looking good going forward however, the young man was tested when Watford defender Christian Kabasele ran at him and took him on. Kabasele managed to get the wrong side of Cirkin inside the Spurs box and after making some contact with him the referee adjudged it to have been enough for him to point to the spot. However, once again I thought that the young left back did himself proud over the course of the four friendly games, and he is another player with so much potential who we could be seeing more of for Spurs, this time in competitive games this season. A player who possesses a fair amount of pace, Cirkin is a player who is great at going forward and beating players with his skill. He also loves to embark on long slaloming runs which with his fine balance and strength makes him hard to disposes. A good passer of the ball who can also come inside, Cirkin is also strong defensively and he likes to get stuck in and make tenacious challenges. Having grown up in Tottenham and supported the club from a young age, 19 year old Jamie Bowden getting more minutes for the Spurs team during the pre-season for the third consecutive season would have been another proud moment for him. Bowden is a really classy midfield player who after getting a good 16 minutes against Ipswich Town in our first friendly, where he played interestingly as a CAM. Bowden got a good number of touches during that time and he also looked sharp on the pitch as well, the Republic of Ireland under 19 intenational also played in a further two friendly games against both Reading and Watford respectively.
Bowden didn’t get lots of minutes in both of those games (he got just over 25 minutes) however, he showed a real willingness to get involved and make an impression. The second year professional who was the captain of our under 23 side last season despite missing a fair few games with injury, Bowden got himself stuck in during the Watford game and he made decent challenge early on to stop a Watford attack. A really creative and tenacious and tigerish player who often operates as the deeper of a two in midfield, Bowden loves to spray the ball around the park, recycle possession and keep the ball moving as he doesn’t like too hold on to it for too long. Like Harvey White he is a player who shows real composure on the ball and he also knows when to get stuck in and and try to prevent an attack. A player who really impressed for the Republic of Ireland’s under 19 side when he made his debut against Denmark last season, Bowden could well get minutes for our first team in a competitive game this season early on in the campaign. The League Cup third round game against either Leyton Orient or Plymouth Argyle could be a game that a number of our youngsters feature in, due to us having two games in quick succession during that particular week. First year scholars Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine (both 16) also impressively got minutes for our first team during our four recent pre-season friendlies. Dane Scarlett is a centre forward who featured for our under 18’s in competitive games on five occasions last season scoring one goal, Scarlett impressed me with his off the ball movement and runs into the box during those games last season while still a schoolboy. The England under 16 international featured in the first two of our pre-season friendlies when he came on relatively late in the game. Showing good off the ball movement in the game against Ipswich Town, Scarlett came so close close to getting a foot on Jack Clarke’s whipped low cross from the right flank to tap it home. Scarlett is clearly a very talented player who I look forward to watching for Spurs at youth level over the next couple of seasons.
The other first year scholar to feature for our first team after coming late on in the first two games of pre-season was central midfielder Alfie Devine, a summer signing from League One side Wigan Athletic. Devine who only recently turned 16 did show some flashes of quality during his relatively short minutes on the pitch against Ipswich Town, and he is a clearly highly rated player to have featured for Spurs’ first team at only 16. I was also impressed with what I saw of Alfie Devine during the limited minutes that he got when we played Wigan Athletic’s under 18’s in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup last season, he is clearly a player who has a great passing range. I would like to wish all of our academy players who featured for Spurs’ first team in pre-season all the very best of luck for the 2020/21 season.
In my final in-depth piece on one of our academy players before the start of the 2020/21 academy season, I thought that I would write a piece on a player who I thought had a really good season for our under 18’s during 2019/20, Dermi Lusala. The Edmonton born right back who is also more than capable of operating as a right sided centre half or as a left back, was along with Max Robson and Marqes Muir one of our under 18’s best players last season, in my opinion. Lusala used to play for fellow London club Brentford prior to them shutting down their academy, and he would then join up with Spurs as a schoolboy in 2016. A student at St Ignatius College, Lusala was a very talented athlete as a schoolboy, a skilful, quick, agile and tenacious player, the 17 year old is currently in his second year of scholarship at Spurs after signing scholarship terms in the summer of 2019. The following piece like I do with all of our young academy players, is about giving Spurs fans who may not have seen much of our up and coming academy players a feel for what type of players they are, i.e. attributes and style of play. Having joined Spurs as an under 14 player, Lusala has risen up the various youth ranks at the club since joining them in 2016. The versatile defender was a part of the Spurs under 17 side that won the Euro Youth Cup out in Germany while still a schoolboy, and Lusala would even step up to play for our under 18’s in a competitive league game during the same season. Giving a good account of himself in that game against London rivals Chelsea despite the fact that he was rather harshly sent off later on in the match, I was very impressed with how Dermi got up and down the right flank so effectively and efficiently. The defender who has represented England at under 16 level on five occasions, was included in The Guardian newspapers Next Generation series 2019: 20 of the best talents at Premier League clubs, started pre-season of the 2019/20 campaign by travelling to Germany with a Spurs under 19 side to compete in the annual Oberndorf tournament.
After getting a good amount of game time at the Oberndorf tournament Lusala started the season with our under 18 side. He made his first competitive start for them of the season in our league opener against Fulham in August 2019, he would then go on to make a further 18 competitive appearances for our under 18’s before the season was curtailed in March 2020. The then first year scholar would also step up to play for our under 19’s in the UEFA Youth League on four occasions, giving a good account of himself in each of those games. Lusala was in my opinion a very consistent performer for Matt Taylor’s under 18 side throughout the season, and he really helped the defence in big games, like those against Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup and then league leaders Fulham. Had the season have gone on any longer then I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to have seen the young right back feature for our under 23’s in the PL2, such was the way in which he was playing for our under 18’s prior to the curtailment of their season. Since the academy players returned to training for the pre-season of the 2020/21 campaign, Lusala has featured in two friendlies for our under 18’s and one for our under 23’s, in a 3-1 win over National League South side Dulwich Hamlet. I would imagine that Lusala will make his competitive debut for our under 23’s at some point this season, he would be competing with Jubril Okedina (19) for a place in Wayne Burnett’s side. So what type of player is Dermi Lusala? Well he is a very attack minded right back who is able to combine both his attacking duties with his defensive duties very well. He is a good athlete who is quick and he gets up and down the flanks very well and effectively, he is also a very skilful player. And he reminds me in some ways of how Kyle Walker-Peters used to play as a right back at the same age, as Lusala is just so skilful and capable of beating players with both skill and pace.
Lusala likes to go on long surging forward runs down the right flank and he also likes to overlap the Spurs winger on occasions. He loves to skip past players to evade them when he is going forward and with his strength (even though he is not the biggest of players), balance and agility he is difficult to just shrug off the ball, and that is a real strength of his game. A fullback who loves to dribble forward with the ball at his feet, Lusala is also quite creative with the ball out wide and his crosses are good ones. Although he loves to go forward down the flanks Lusala is also defensively disciplined, and he is a very good defender too. Superb at making sliding challenges, the Londoner is a reliable player who reads the game well and who maintains good positioning during games. He is a solid player who has great stamina and I really felt that he grew into the 2019/20 season as it went on, and he got stronger and stronger during the campaign. Part of a very talented 2003 England age group of which includes Jude Bellingham and Karamoko Dembele, Lusala’s inclusion in the England under 16 side as a schoolboy must speak volumes for how highly he is rated within the England youth setup. The right back who was competing with Kallum Cesay for a place in Matt Taylor’s under 18 side last season, really showed his versatility throughout the campaign, filling in with great effect at RCB, LCB and left back, this was extremely impressive that he is able to play anywhere across the back line. There are three games in which Lusala has been involved in for our under 18’s over the last couple of seasons that I would just like to focus in on as I bring this piece to a close. The first game was in fact Lusala’s debut for the under 18’s in their penultimate league game of the 2018/19 season against Chelsea. Operating at right back the then schoolboy got up and down the right flank so well during that game. Not afraid to take players on and beat them, Lusala held his own at the back and showed his strength and fine reading of the game.
Also making some good challenges throughout the match the defenders game was harshly brought to a sudden halt, when he was adjudged by the referee to have been the last man when bringing down a Chelsea forward on 79 minutes. Lusala had been covering for somebody else at left back when he was shown a rather harsh straight red card. The second game that I’m focusing in on came in an under 18 league game against Fulham last season, when he operated at left back. Again showing good anticipation, Lusala was brilliant going forward going on many a skilful and purposeful run however, the quality of his challenges against the high flying Fulham players was very good. He also made one outstanding late defensive intervention to prevent Fulham from scoring an almost certain goal. The final game came against Leicester City’s under 18’s shortly before Christmas in 2019, when Lusala played at RCB alongside Luis Binks. Reading the game really well for a player who isn’t a centre half, Dermi was really commanding and aggressive in his defending at the back, making some good blocks and he also brought the ball out well from the back as Spurs won the game 4-3. After enjoying a tremendous 2019/20 season I would like to wish the very promising Dermi who should be very proud of himself, all the very best of luck for the new 2020/21 campaign.
superhotspur 