Category: U23’s

Spurs Under 23’s 6-0 Ramsgate FC: (match report)

Posted on by superhotspur

Spurs’ Under 23 side played their first friendly of pre-season on Saturday afternoon, when Wayne Burnett’s side took on non-League side Ramsgate FC at the WW Martin Community Stadium. Spurs were very impressive against the non-League side and during the first half their high intensity game proved far too much for Ramsgate. During the second half the home side grew into the game more, but then Spurs added two further goals to win the game 6-0 on the day. Spurs started the game with Joshua Oluwayemi in goal. A back four consisting of Marcel Lavinier, Marqes Muir, Jubril Okedina and Jordan Hackett lined up in front of him. Twins Matthew Craig and Michael Craig started the game in central midfield, whilst Yago Santiago and J’Neil Bennett started out on the flanks, either side of CAM Dilan Markanday. Kion Etete led the line for Spurs. Unfortunately I couldn’t manage to get a team-sheet today at the match, so therefore I don’t know the names of the Ramsgate players, and can only refer to them by their number. I do apologise about this. Ramsgate got the game underway on a very hot summers day in Kent, but it was Spurs who started the match the better of the two teams. Spurs were up for the game right from the start, and they took the lead very early on in the match through the skilful Dilan Markanday. The 19 year old latched onto Matthew Craig’s forward pass before travelling with the ball towards the edge of the Ramsgate box, and then hitting an unstoppable low effort past the Ramsgate goalkeeper and into the bottom right hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

Ramsgate’s number five ended up hitting the ball against Markanday on the edge of the Ramsgate box soon after the game got back underway. However, Markanday’s first touch let him down, and the Ramsgate goalkeeper was able to gather the ball. Kion Etete managed to win the ball off of Ramsgate’s number six soon afterwards after pressing him well, before then threading a nice pass to J’Neil Bennett inside the Ramsgate box. Bennett showed good composure on the ball before just tucking it low past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net, 2-0. A lovely lofted through-ball from Spurs captain Jubril Okedina managed to pick out the run of Markanday, who ran forward into the Ramsgate box, before hitting an effort against the crossbar. Yago Santiago was quickest to the rebound, but his following effort was saved by the goalkeeper. After Michael Craig made a forceful challenge on number 18 to win the ball, he passed the ball to J’Neil Bennett, who then forced a save out of the goalkeeper. A really well worked move ended in Spurs scoring their third goal of the game, not long afterwards. Bennett’s pass down the left to Etete saw the Spurs striker advance into the oppositions box, before then threading a pass across to Markanday in the centre of the box, and his low effort went into the back of the net, 3-0. Soon after Ramsgate got the game back underway J’Neil received the ball on the left flank. He then cut inside onto his right foot and let fly, and his wonderful effort hit the crossbar. Roshaun Mathurin came on to replace Kion Etete, after he had picked up an injury. Yago Santiago went up front, whilst Mathurin occupied the right flank.

After Markanday had played a quick one-two with Santiago in the Ramsgate box, he had a shot blocked. And then a couple of moments later the player from Barnet had an effort saved from inside the Ramsgate box. Dilan Markanday was really dictating the game from the CAM role, and he won a free-kick right on the edge of the Ramsgate box after being fouled followed a wonderful turn from the Spurs man. J’Neil Bennett’s following curling effort was saved by the Ramsgate goalkeeper. After Bennett had received Markanday’s pass down the left he traveled into the Ramsgate box, before squaring the ball to Markanday, but his flicked effort on goal was blocked by a Ramsgate defender. The excellent Dilan Markanday got a first half hat-trick after latching onto the Ramsgate goalkeepers pass out from his own box, and he then slotted the ball beyond him and into the back of the net to make it 4-0 before half-time. Spurs got the second half underway and an early move from Spurs saw Bennett pass the ball to Mathurin down the right side of the Ramsgate box, but his resulting effort on goal was saved. Spurs made a number of changes shortly afterwards as Thimothée Lo-Tutala, Jeremy Kyezu, Dante Cassanova and Khalon Haysman came on to replace Joshua Oluwayemi, Jordan Hackett, J’Neil Bennett and Michael Craig. Just before he had been replaced J’Neil Bennett had won a free-kick on the edge of the Ramsgate box, but Dilan Markanday’s resulting effort went over the crossbar. After playing a one-two with Haysman down the right flank Marcel Lavinier crossed the ball into the Ramsgate box. Santiago received the ball and trapped it under his feet, before then having a shot blocked by Ramsgate’s number two.

Ramsgate’s impressive number ten tried to catch Lo-Tutala off his line with an effort from distance, but the Spurs goalkeeper saved his effort. Markanday managed to latch onto a long ball over the top inside the Ramsgate box, but his resulting low effort was saved by the goalkeeper. However, Markanday was again involved in play in the final third moments later. This time he went into the Ramsgate box before squaring the ball for Haysman. His initial effort was blocked by a defender, but his second effort saw him curl the ball into the top right hand corner of the goal, to make it 5-0 to Spurs. Jez Davies came on to replace Matthew Craig in central midfield before Lavinier played a long ball up to Haysman, who ended up rounding the Ramsgate goalkeeper and coming very close to finding the back of the net with his effort, which went just wide of the goal. Lo-Tutala was alert to tip behind a powerfully struck effort from distance from Ramsgate’s number four. J’Neil Bennett then came back on (the game had rolling substitutions) to replace Dilan Markanday, and he made an instant impact. After winning the ball off of Ramsgate’s number six on the edge of their box, Bennett finished emphatically inside the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 6-0. Matthew Craig came on to replace Marcel Lavinier for the final minutes of the game. The excellent J’Neil Bennett went on an excellent surging forward run past a couple of Ramsgate players and into the Ramsgate box, before unfortunately giving away a foul. 

Ramsgate’s number ten came very close to lobbing the ball over Lo-Tutala towards the end of the game, before Ramsgate’s number two blocked Bennett’s effort at the other end of the pitch. Spurs’ Under 23 side play Enfield Town in their next pre-season friendly, which is on Tuesday.

Player reviews:

  • Joshua Oluwayemi: The 20 year old goalkeeper didn’t actually have a save to make today, as during the first half Ramsgate didn’t actually have a shot on goal. Oluwayemi only played the first half of the match. 
  • Marcel Lavinier: Playing at right-back Marcel Lavinier often stayed deep, although he did support the attack on occasions. The former Chelsea player put in a solid defensive performance. 
  • Marqes Muir: RCB Marqes Muir brought the ball out from the back well along with Jubril Okedina, but he wasn’t tested an awful lot at centre-half on the day. But what he did do he did well.
  • Jubril Okedina: The Spurs captain wasn’t tested too much today, like Marqes Muir, but he was solid in defence and got in front of the forward players well in situations. Okedina also made some fine long forward passes.
  • Jordan Hackett: Like Marcel Lavinier on the opposite flank, second year scholar Jordan Hackett (17) often stayed deep. He defended well and made some good passes down the left flank. 
  • Matthew Craig: Forceful in the challenge, Matthew Craig patrolled the midfield alongside his twin brother well. Matthew was authoritative in the central areas of the pitch and he also assisted Dilan Markanday’s opening goal of the game. This was a good performance from the hardworking midfielder, who also filled in at RCB during the latter stages of the second half.
  • Michael Craig: Playing as a number eight, Michael Craig put in a strong performance in central midfield and he showed good strength both on and off the ball during his time on the pitch.
  • Yago Santiago: Former Celta Vigo Academy player Yago Santiago started the game out on the right wing. Santiago showed good feet and was involved in some good play during his time on the pitch. Santiago later played at centre-forward, and I was impressed with his movement off the ball at times when playing in that position.
  • Dilan Markanday: My man of the match, see below.
  • J’Neil Bennett: The 19 year old was excellent out on the left flank throughout his time on the pitch. Bennett showed great skill and pace, and he was constantly looking to take the Ramsgate players on. Some of his forward runs were brilliant, especially when he came inside from the left flank onto his right foot. Both of his goals were well taken.
  • Kion Etete: The centre-forward was only on the pitch for 23 minutes, when he was forced off because of injury. Etete linked the play well up front and even dropped deep on occasions, and the 19 year old was directly involved in two goals (two assists). This was a good performance from Kion, even though he wasn’t on the pitch for too long. Hopefully he’ll be back playing again soon.
  • Roshaun Mathurin: Replacing the injured Kion Etete and then going out to play out on the right flank, skilful winger Roshaun Mathurin showed good skill on the ball in the wide positions, and his movement off the ball was also good.
  • Thimothée Lo-Tutala: The second half substitute made one good save late on in the game.
  • Jeremy Kyezu: The 18 year old defender came on during the second half, and during his time on the pitch he played at left-back. He did well in the second half.
  • Dante Cassanova: The midfielder played in central midfield and he won the ball well in the central areas of the pitch. 
  • Khalon Haysman: The second half substitute made a really good impact on the game. Haysman (17) moved the ball around well from midfield, scored a well taken goal and also came close to scoring a second after rounding the Ramsgate goalkeeper and only just misplacing his effort.
  • Jez Davies: Former Leyton Orient Academy player Jez Davies came off the bench during the second half and made some nice passes and was also nice involved in the game.

My man of the match: Dilan Markanday. I lost count of the amount of chances that the highly skilful CAM was involved in today. The 19 year old really controlled the game at times, and with his excellent balance and ability on the ball he really caused a lot of problems for the Ramsgate defence. Scoring a well deserved hat-trick, Markanday took all three of his goals well, but the wonderful skill which would have surely ended in him scoring his fourth goal of the game but for a foul from a Ramsgate player, would have been the best of the match. It’s also worth noting that he worked really hard off the ball as well. Dilan was involved in a lot of what was great about Spurs’ performance today. I’m hoping that he will get a chance to play for the first team this pre-season. 

Spurs Under 23’s versus Ramsgate FC: (match preview)

Posted on by superhotspur

Wayne Burnett’s Spurs Under 23 side will play their first game of pre-season on Saturday (the game starts at 15:00pm), when they travel to Kent to play Ramsgate FC at their newly refurbished WW Martin Community Stadium. Spurs play the Isthmian League South East Division side for the first time in a number of years, and it will be a good test for the Spurs Under 23 team, in what is their first of five pre-season friendlies this summer. Spurs’ first team are also playing on Saturday afternoon, as they take on Leyton Orient in their first match of pre-season, so that means that some of the players from the Under 23 side will be playing in that game rather than in the Ramsgate game. I have noticed on Spurs’ social media channels that Tobi Omole, Dane Scarlett, Harvey White, Kion Etete, Jubril Okedina and TJ Eyoma are just some of the players who have been training with the first team recently. Ramsgate play their football in the eighth tier of English football, one tier below our opponents next Tuesday – Enfield Town. Whilst I don’t know a great deal about Ramsgate’s side, I do know that it will be a good first test for Wayne Burnett’s side, and one which will hopefully also see some of the Spurs Under 18 side get minutes in. Although there is currently 31 players in our Under 23 side. Skilful former Gillingham forward Ashley Miller (26) is one player who could cause Spurs some problems on Saturday. This is a good opportunity for Spurs’ Under 23 side to test themselves against a physical senior team, and it should be a good competitive game in front of a good crowd.

I’m really looking forward to attending my first Spurs Under 23 game in person since March 2020, and of course I will be reporting back from the Ramsgate game, with my match report hopefully out at some point on Sunday. I would like to wish the team all the very best of luck for the match.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Lo-Tutala, Lavinier, Fagan-Walcott, Lyons-Foster (c), Cirkin, Devine, Michael Craig, Bennett, Pedder, Markanday, Mukendi.

Subs from: Kurylowicz, Lusala, Muir, Santiago, Mundle, Robson, Donley.

Injured/unavailable: N/A.

Doubtful: N/A.

Previous meeting: N/A.

My score prediction: Spurs 4-1.

My one to watch: Skilful former Gillingham forward Ashley Miller (26).

My preview of Spurs’ Under 23’s 2021/22 season:

Posted on by superhotspur

Spurs’ Under 23 side play their first pre-season friendly on the 17th of July against non-League side Ramsgate F.C. This is followed by friendlies against Enfield Town, Hastings United, Crawley Town and finally Barnet on the seventh of August. The new Premier League 2 season for the category one Academy sides should start in August, usually around the weekend that the Premier League season starts, but that is yet to be confirmed. Last season Wayne Burnett’s Spurs side had a very good season in the PL2 Division One, finishing third (their best ever finish at Under 23 level) in the league. Recording some memorable results over the course of the season, the quality of their performances (of the games that I did see) was really impressive. This season Spurs’ Under 23 side will play two new teams in Leeds United and Crystal Palace, who won promotion from the Second Division last season. Leeds United are one of my teams to watch this season, as the team who won their league comfortably last season and who play a number of first team players, are incredibly difficult to play against. With their pressing football proving too much for many teams in last seasons Premier League 2. Other teams to watch out for this season are the current champions Manchester City, who were unplayable at times last season, and they were by the far the best team that Spurs came up against in their division. Chelsea were also impressive last season and they did the double over us in 2020/21, as did Derby County, who are always a difficult team to face at Academy level. 

Along with competing in the Premier League 2 this season, Spurs’ Under 23 side will also compete in this seasons Papa John’s Trophy, against League One and Two sides. In our group this season are Cambridge United, Oxford United and Stevenage Borough. Any further domestic competitions that Spurs will be competing in, if at all, have not been announced yet. 31 players (not including Oliver Skipp. And not including players who could be with the first team squad) are so far part of the Under 23 squad as such, and that does not include players from the Under 18 side, who could be already training with the Under 23’s. That is a lot of players, but I would imagine that a fair few will go out on loan before the season starts. Players such as TJ Eyoma, Tobi Omole, Harvey White, Troy Parrott and possibly others like Jamie Bowden, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Kion Etete are players that I personally think might go out on loan this season. Depending on how many players do go out on loan I would personally imagine that second year scholars Dane Scarlett and Alfie Devine will get a lot of game time for the Under 23’s this season, even more than they did during the season just gone. Perhaps even first year scholar Jamie Donley might get the odd game for the Under 23 side, as he already made a good number of appearances for the Under 18’s last season. Another player that I reckon could potentially step up to play for the Under 23’s this season and possibly even in pre-season, is creative and skilful winger and second year scholar Roshaun Mathurin (17).

From the Under 23 side itself, a player such as Rafferty Pedder (19), is somebody who could really have a breakthrough season with the Under 23’s in my opinion, and make a lot of appearances. Capable of playing in central-midfield, as a CAM or out wide, the Maidstone born player made two starts last season for the Under 23 side, and he is someone who can really dictate the tempo of matches from the middle of the pitch. He also loves to get on the ball and drive forward with it at pace. Skilful and goalscoring midfielder Max Robson missed a fair few matches for the Under 18 side last season but he did make his Under 23 debut in 2020/21. And he is somebody who I definitely feel could flourish this season. As could forward thinking right-back Dermi Lusala and versatile player Kallum Cesay,(both first year pros). There are also many other players who I’m looking forward to seeing this season for the Under 23’s. I’ve got a good feeling about this season and while results are not everything at this level, I do believe that this very talented group of players could really challenge the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Leeds United for the league title. An interesting season awaits and while I’m unsure if I’ll be able to get to all of the competitive matches again next season to report on the matches, I do plan on reporting on all five of the Under 23’s pre-season matches. I already have my ticket for the Ramsgate game on the 17th of July, and I’m really looking forward to that game. I would like to wish the Spurs Under 23 side all the very best of luck for the 2021/22 season.

Spurs’ Under 23 squad for the 2021/22 season (as it stands): 

Goalkeepers: Josh Oluwayemi, Kacper Kurylowicz, Thimothee Lo-Tutala, Isak Solberg. 

Full-backs: Dennis Cirkin, Marcel Lavinier, Dermi Lusala, Jeremy Kyezu, Kallum Cesay. 

Central-defenders: Tobi Omole, Jubril Okedina, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, TJ Eyoma, Maksim Paskotši, Marqes Muir.

Midfielders: Harvey White, Jamie Bowden, Rafferty Pedder, Elliot Thorpe, Nile John, Matthew Craig, Michael Craig, Max Robson, Yago Santiago.

Wingers: J’Neil Bennett, Dilan Markanday, Jeremie Mukendi, Romaine Mundle.

Forwards: Kion Etete, Troy Parrott.

Under 23 players currently out on loan: Brandon Austin (on loan at Orlando City SC).

Six Spurs Academy players that I’m hoping to see feature for the first team during this pre-season:

Posted on by superhotspur

With the first pre-season match for the Spurs first team (against Leyton Orient) just 12 days away, I thought that I would write a little piece on six Spurs Academy players that I’m personally hoping will feature for Spurs’ first team in pre-season. Nuno Espíritio Santo’s side are so far scheduled to play four pre-season friendlies, starting with a friendly game with Leyton Orient to compete for the JE3 Foundation Trophy on the 17th of July. We later face MK Dons in a friendly, before taking on Chelsea and Arsenal in The Mind Series, in August. So that’s four pre-season matches which could well mean a good number of opportunities for Spurs Academy players and Academy graduates to feature in. Below are just six players that I am personally hoping might feature in those friendly games, but obviously there are a good number of other players who I do believe will most probably play for the first team in pre-season, and that I would also like to see play. Such as Dane Scarlett, Alfie Whiteman, Nile John, Dennis Cirkin and Alfie Devine. However, the six players that I have listed are just some of the players that I personally would really like to see (some are yet to play for the first team) play for Spurs’ first team, but of course I would be delighted to see other Spurs Academy players and graduates also play for Spurs in those four friendly matches.

The players:

Jubril Okedina: Versatile 20 year old defender Jubril Okedina enjoyed a fine 2020/21 season. He spent the first half of the season with our Under 23 side, where he captained the side on eight occasions. Okedina spent the second half of the season out on loan with a very successful Cambridge United side, and he impressed for them during his 15 competitive appearances, and most of his appearances came at RCB. A good reader of the game who is also good in the air and in the challenge, the Londoner is more than capable of playing as a right-back and also as a centre-half. Jubril missed most of his first season full-time at Spurs’ Academy because of injury (he made only two appearances in 2017/18), but he would end up becoming an important player for the Spurs Under 18 side during the following 2018/19 season. A defender who has good pace and who is good at getting up and down the right flank when playing at right-back, Okedina is good on the ball and at bringing it out from the back. However, he also has good passing ability, and he showed on loan at Cambridge United that he wasn’t afraid to make long and ambitious forward passes from deep. A player who has got and better and better in my opinion over the last couple of seasons, Okedina actually made the bench for Spurs’ senior team under former manager José Mourinho, in a pre-season friendly against Watford last year. I’m a big fan of Okedina’s style of play and the way in how he defends in games, and also how cool and composed he is under pressure, and I certainly think that he would do well if given a chance with the first team this pre-season.

TJ Eyoma: After making a very impressive total of 52 competitive appearances with League One side Lincoln City last season, defender TJ Eyoma will have gained a lot of valuable experience from playing regular first team football. The London born player is an assertive centre-half who can also play as a right-back, and Eyoma showed this throughout the 2020/21 season. He has made well over 50 competitive appearances for Spurs’ Under 23 side since making debut for them during the 2016/17 season, and the 21 year old has already made his competitive first team debut for the club (in 2018/19). TJ also got a good amount of game time during the 2018/19 pre-season and he particularly impressed in a friendly against AC Milan. Very good on the ball and with his distribution, Eyoma brings the ball out from the back really well, but he also defends well inside the penalty area and is dominant in the air. However, he doesn’t make sliding challenges as much as other defenders, as he seems to prefer to make standing challenges. He is also impressive at right-back and has shown over the years that he isn’t afraid to get forward to join the forward players, while showing good skill on the ball. Eyoma is also very good at making important blocks. I would personally really like to see TJ get a good amount of minutes in pre-season, especially as he has just returned from a successful loan at Lincoln City. I am confident that he would certainly do well at Championship level next season on loan, but it would be great to see TJ play for Spurs again during pre-season.

Brooklyn Lyons-Foster: Elegant and very versatile defender Brooklyn Lyons-Foster can play as a right-back, RCB, LCB, left-back, as a four and as an eight in midfield. The 20 year old from north London has been a regular for the Spurs Under 23 side over the last couple of seasons, and he even made his debut for them as a 16 year old back in 2017. A tall defender who has great technical ability, Lyons-Foster was outstanding during his first year of scholarship at Spurs in 2017/18, and he has progressed well since then. A former England Under 17 international who played for his country alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Brooklyn is a real footballing centre-half. He is quick, very good on the ball, has fine distribution, takes responsibility in situations, and from what I’ve seen he is a good leader. Lyons-Foster is also very capable of reading the game to great effect, and also at making last ditch blocks and challenges. Personally speaking I reckon that he is physically ready to play men’s football on a regular basis, and what will help as well is the fact that he can play in so many different positions. A decisive defender who likes to join the attack in situations, the former Watford schoolboy player has impressed me whenever he has played as a number four in recent years, with his assertiveness in that role and passing ability making him standout when playing that role. Last season he made 21 competitive appearances for Spurs’ Under 23 side and was also directly involved in four goals (two goals and two assists). Lyons-Foster was actually a part of Mauricio Pochettino’s 2019/20  pre-season squad that traveled to Asia, although he didn’t get any minutes.

I would really like to see Brooklyn get some game time in pre-season to really show fans what he’s about, and what type of defender he is.

Oliver Skipp: Having already made 23 competitive first team appearances for Spurs, midfielder Oliver Skipp certainly won’t be a new name to Spurs fans. The Welwyn Garden City born player was excellent at 2020/21 Championship champions Norwich City last season, featuring in all but one Championship game for them. Skipp is a tigerish defensive midfield player, but apart from his defensive duties which he does so well, he can also offer a lot going forward. The 20 year old who turns 21 in September made a really good impression on the Norwich side last season, and the player who constantly would play above his age group for Spurs at Academy level has a tremendous footballing brain. Skipp, as many fans will know is great at breaking up play in the central areas of the pitch, and also at keeping things moving. However, Oliver is also very good at receiving the ball in the middle of the pitch and then driving forward with the ball at pace. A tireless but skilful midfielder, Skipp has incredible stamina, but he is also a very mature player, who likes to lead on the pitch. He is constantly pointing things out on the pitch and giving advice to his teammates. Without doubt one of the best players that I have ever seen play at Academy level in England, now could well be the time when Skipp takes that next step up and starts to get regular football for Spurs. This could also allow Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to get rest next season, as I believe that Skipp would do a fine job in Premier League games, as he has already shown on occasions. However, for this pre-season and in particular the friendly games against Chelsea and Arsenal, it would be great to see Skipp get good minutes in both games.

Elliot Thorpe: Creative midfielder Elliot Thorpe (20) can play either as a four, an eight or as a CAM. A tenacious midfield player, who didn’t play an awful lot of competitive football at Under 18 level for Spurs, after a fine season with Spurs’ Under 23 side in 2020/21 Thorpe earned his first call up to the Wales Under 21 side, at the end of that season. Scoring two goals last season from 18 competitive appearances (both goals game in a 4-1 home win over Liverpool) the Hinchingbrooke born player has looked really good whenever I have seen him over the course of the last two seasons. Constantly looking to receive the ball into his feet, the technical midfielder likes to accelerate forward with the ball into promising forward positions. He has a good weight of pass, makes good forward runs off the ball and can also produce moments of magic in the final third, but he is also a very hardworking player who likes to get stuck in and make challenges. Formerly of Cambridge United, Thorpe is definitely a player that I would really like to see play for the first team in pre-season, and he has yet to play for the first team. I think that Thorpe wouldn’t look out of place playing for Spurs’ first team in pre-season, as he is a very technical player. I would be intrigued to see him get the chance to play for them as he is a player who I rate very highly.

Troy Parrott: Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott (19) had some difficult times out on loan last season. But there is no doubting the centre-forwards’ obvious talent, and he showed this in an end of season friendly against Andorra for the Republic of Ireland, when he changed the game by scoring two well taken goals. Parrott was out on loan at Millwall last season, where after a promising pre-season injuries disrupted his progress at the Championship side. He later went out on loan to League One side Ipswich Town, where he spent the second half of the season. He scored two goals from 18 competitive appearances for Ipswich, and he impressed with his fine runs off the ball and desire and hunger to try and impact games. Parrott was a very prolific centre-forward for Spurs at Academy level, and the player who has already made four competitive appearances for Spurs’ first team did impress in the 2019/20 pre-season. With Spurs playing in the Europa Conference League this season, a good pre-season for the talented and clinical striker could well mean that he gets plenty of game time in the cup competitions for the Spurs first team, unless he goes out on loan again. He has excellent movement off the ball and is a really good finisher, who also works incredibly hard to press opposition defenders.

Some notes on Spurs loanee Brandon Austin’s performance against New York Red Bulls: 

Posted on by superhotspur

Brandon Austin made his fourth consecutive MLS appearance for Orlando City SC on Sunday, as Orlando took on New York Red Bulls at the Exploria Stadium. Orlando lost the game 2-1. In the sixth minute of the match New York Red Bulls took the lead, after Cristian Cásseres Jr. came inside onto his left foot on the edge of the Orlando penalty area. He then curled the ball (Austin saw it late) into the top left hand corner of Brandon Austin’s goal, leaving the 22 year old with no chance of saving it. Austin comfortably gathered Fábio’s deflected, looping effort on goal, before saving Wikelman Carmona’s effort from distance, late in the first half. In the second half Austin gathered an early cross from Kyle Duncan, before then gathering another ball into the Orlando box, not long afterwards. The Orlando goalkeeper did well to hold a powerful cross from Cásseres Jr. at his near post. However, once again Austin could do nothing to prevent New York Red Bulls’ second goal of the game. After receiving the ball inside the Orlando penalty area Fábio managed to shrug off an Orlando defender, before then powerfully curling the ball inside the bottom left corner of Austin’s goal. In the final moments of the game Brandon came out of his penalty area to clear the ball away from Tom Barlow.

My end of season Spurs Academy loanees reviews (2020/21):

Posted on by superhotspur

With the 2020/21 season now finished thoughts will now turn to the 2021/22 season, with pre-season beginning very soon. However, over the course of the 2020/21 season a really good number of Spurs’ Academy players went out on loans to other clubs. For those players who went out on loan who are still at Spurs, I will be writing a short piece on each player, talking about their time out on loan. Regardless of how many games that they played for their respective loan clubs, every player would have gained invaluable experience by being around a competitive senior football team on a day to day basis. Well done to all of the Spurs Academy loanees of the 2020/21 season.

The players:

Brandon Austin: Goalkeeper Brandon Austin (22) is actually still out on loan with Orlando City SC in the MLS, and he has played the last three competitive matches for the MLS side. Austin joined Orlando on loan back in January, and their MLS season only started in April of this year. Peru international Pedro Gallese is Orlando’s first choice goalkeeper, but he has been away on international duty with Peru in the Copa América. This has allowed Austin to get invaluable game time for Orlando, where he has so far made three appearances for them in the MLS, and in those three games he has impressed me by putting in some really mature performances. After making his debut in a 3-2 win over Toronto FC, Austin followed this up by keeping a clean sheet against San Jose Earthquakes, before then making a crucial early save in a 2-1 away win over Inter Miami CF only last week. As Peru have advanced to the quarter finals of the Copa América, Brandon will most likely play against New York Red Bulls on Sunday. This is a really great loan move for Brandon, and hopefully he will get quite a few more games during further international games for Pedro Gallese. This is actually Austin’s second loan move, after he spent the second half of the 2019/20 season out on loan at Danish side Viborg FF, a loan move where he impressed by putting in some really strong performances. I wish Brandon all the very best of luck for the remainder of his loan at Orlando, and I look forward to seeing the very talented and commanding young goalkeeper back at Spurs in the future.

Joshua Oluwayemi: Last season as a first year professional Joshua Oluwayemi went out on his first ever loan move. Oluwayemi joined National League side Maidenhead United in the autumn of 2020, and while he was at Maidenhead he was the second choice goalkeeper, with Taye Ashby-Hammond the first choice goalkeeper for Maidenhead, when Joshua was there. The penalty saving specialist only made two appearances for the team from County Berkshire, making his debut as a substitute in a league game against Altrincham. The 20 year old made one further appearance for Maidenhead, with that coming in a 3-2 FA Trophy defeat to Weymouth FC. He returned to Spurs not long after that game, and would become the main goalkeeper for the Spurs Under 23 side during the second half of the season.

Jubril Okedina: A player who had a really good first loan at then League Two side Cambridge United, 20 year old defender Jubril Okedina played really, really well whenever I saw him play for the Cambridgeshire based club during the second half of the 2020/21 season (he joined Cambridge United in the January of 2021). The versatile defender made 15 appearances (14 came in League Two) for Mark Bonner’s side, who would end up winning promotion to League One. Okedina particularly impressed me in games against Crawley Town and Carlisle United during his time at Cambridge United, with his fine reading of the game resulting in him looking very comfortable playing senior football in central defence. Although he made his debut playing at right-back, Okedina played the rest of his games at RCB, and he looked really assured in that position, after starting the 2020/21 season really well for the Spurs Under 23 side. Okedina is a player who I’m really hoping will get a chance to play for the Spurs first team in pre-season, and then maybe go out on another loan move. It will be interesting to see whether Jubril returns to Cambridge United on loan, a club that former Spurs player Shilow Tracey has returned to after also spending the second half of last season on loan there.

Cameron Carter-Vickers: Central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers made 26 appearances on loan at AFC Bournemouth last season, scoring one goal and registering one assist. Carter-Vickers (23) rarely missed a game during the second half of the season for the Championship side, and he was defensively solid and impressed many fans, as he helped Bournemouth to reach the Championship Play-Offs. This was Carter-Vickers’ sixth loan move, but it was arguably his best so far. The USA international did well last pre-season for Spurs, and it will certainly be interesting to see whether he goes on another loan move this summer.

Malachi Fagan-Walcott: Unfortunately what looked like a great loan move to Scotland’s second division was ended early on by an injury to centre-half Malachi Fagan-Walcott. The 19 year old had only returned from an injury back in the January of 2021 for the Spurs Under 23 side, before then joining Dundee FC on loan for the rest of that season. Fagan-Walcott made his Dundee FC debut against Raith Rovers in a 3-1 defeat, but he impressed the Dundee fans in that game. However, the England youth international only made one further competitive appearance for Dundee, before suffering a season ending injury. Hopefully Malachi will be back for pre-season of the 2021/22 campaign.

TJ Eyoma: Decisive and composed defender TJ Eyoma made an incredible 52 competitive appearances for League One side Lincoln City last season (scoring one goal). During his second loan at Lincoln City, the 21 year old played both as an RCB and as a right-back. Eyoma was consistent, and he put in some very good performances over the course of the season, even playing in central defence for Lincoln in the League One play-off final at Wembley, which Lincoln unfortunately lost. I watched a good number of Eyoma’s games last season, and considering that this was his first full season of playing competitive senior football, I thought that he did really well. And just the sheer amount of games that he played says a lot for how consistently good he was. There was one league game in particular against Portsmouth at Fratton Park in the January of this year which really stands out. Playing as a right-back in that game TJ went on some excellent forward runs down the right flank, while also staying deep and defending really well when he had to against Portsmouth’s Ronan Curtis. It was a brilliant performance from the former England youth international, and he is another player who I am hoping to see get a good amount of games for the Spurs first team this pre-season.

Oliver Skipp: Defensive midfielder Oliver Skipp (20) made an impressive 47 competitive appearances for the 2020/21 Championship champions Norwich City, last season. Skipp was ever present in the side that comfortably won promotion to the Premier League, and the England Under 21 international who featured at this years Under 21 European Championships, was yet another of the Spurs Academy players who did very well out on loan. The footballer from Welwyn Garden City was a really solid player for Norwich City over the course of the season, and he only missed one league game last season, and that was because of injury. The player who scored one goal and registered two assists with Norwich, will hopefully add to his total of 23 competitive first team appearances for Spurs’ first team next season. He showed out on loan with Norwich that he is more than ready to play competitive senior football at a very high level.

Harvey White: Creative central midfielder Harvey White (19) was yet another player who would have definitely benefitted from spending time out on loan during the second half of last season with Portsmouth. The player from Kent started the 2020/21 season really well with the Spurs Under 23 side, and he scored three goals and registered seven assists during the first half of that season. White also made two competitive appearances for the Spurs first team. The left footed midfielder made 22 appearances for Portsmouth last season, scoring one goal (it was a brilliant headed goal from the edge of the penalty area) and registering one assist. Although he wasn’t always a starter, especially after Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett left his role at the club, Harvey was yet another player who went out on loan and showed a real hunger and desire to impress on the pitch. Particularly impressive in games against the likes of Oxford United and Northampton Town, White showed his fine passing ability and reading of the game, as well as looking to get on the ball and keep things moving in the central areas of the pitch. It will be interesting to see whether Harvey does return to Portsmouth on loan for the 2021/22 season.

Jack Clarke: Although not a Spurs Academy player, former Leeds United player Jack Clarke did make eight competitive appearances for Spurs’ Under 23 side during the first half of last season, scoring two goals and registering one assist. The 20 year old England youth international joined Championship side Stoke City for the second half of the 2020/21 season, making 14 appearances and registering two assists. The York born winger wasn’t always a starter for Stoke, but he was very direct and forward thinking during the games that I watched him play (his performance against Watford stood out). The player who made his first team competitive debut for Spurs last season could well feature again for Spurs in pre-season this year, and it will be interesting to see whether or not he will go out on another loan move this summer.

Troy Parrott: Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott (19) joined Championship side Millwall (Troy’s first loan) on loan during the summer of 2020. After scoring two goals for Millwall during pre-season things were looking good for the start of the season. However, after picking up an injury Parrott had to wait until September of 2020 to make his competitive debut for Millwall, but early on in that game he picked up another injury which ruled him out until November. He did go on to make 13 further appearances for Millwall, but he ended up leaving them in January to return to Spurs, before then going out on loan to League One side Ipswich Town. At Ipswich Parrott often played almost as a second striker, and I must say that his runs and movement off the ball was just like watching him play at Academy level for Spurs over the years. He did end up scoring two goals for Ipswich during the second half of the season, with the first goal coming in an impressive performance against Plymouth Argyle, while the second goal was against Fleetwood Town on the final day of the season. There must have been times over the course of the season that weren’t easy for Troy, especially when he was injured, but he always gave 100% and was always very unselfish in his play. Troy is yet another player who it will be really interesting to see where he goes next season out on loan, or if he does end up staying around at Spurs. It is worth noting that he did put in an excellent second half performance for the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly against Andorra recently, when Troy scored two goals.

Some notes on Spurs loanee Brandon Austin’s performance against Inter Miami CF: 

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Brandon Austin made his third MLS appearance for Orlando City SC on Saturday. It was another solid performance from the 22 year old goalkeeper, as Orlando won the game 2-1, in Miami. Early on in the game and after a good start from Inter Miami, Brandon had to make an early save. After Lewis Morgan had passed the ball to Jay Chapman inside the Orlando penalty area, Chapman tried his luck on goal from about seven yards out. However, Austin matched his effort by making a really fine reflex save, as he got both hands on the powerful effort to push it away, before it was cleared. Not long afterwards the lively Lewis Morgan threaded a forward pass towards Brek Shea down the left side of the Orlando penalty area, but Austin came rushing out off his line to collect the ball in time, it was an important intervention. Later on in the half Austin managed to hold Jay Chapman’s effort from distance, before later punching clear Lewis Morgan’s corner kick. Constantly communicating with his defence, Austin didn’t have too much to do in the second half, apart from Inter Miami’s goal, which I certainly don’t think that he was at all at fault for. Inter Miami substitute Gonzalo Higuaín was allowed space to get his effort from about 30 yards away, and his quality effort was right in the inside netting of the bottom right hand corner of Austin’s goal, and despite him doing his best to get towards the ball, the effort was just too good. This was another strong performance from Brandon, who could potentially play again for Orlando next weekend, when they face New York Red Bulls.

Some notes on Spurs loanee Brandon Austin’s performance against San Jose Earthquakes:

Posted on by superhotspur

Making his second competitive appearance of the season for Orlando City in the MLS, young Spurs goalkeeper Brandon Austin (22) made his home debut for Orlando, at the Exploria stadium on Wednesday against San Jose Earthquakes. Austin didn’t have too much to do as Orlando comfortably won the game 5-0, but keeping a clean sheet will only boost his confidence, with Orlando’s first choice goalkeeper Pedro Gallese away with the Peru national team at the moment. Early on in Wednesday’s game Austin came rushing off of his line to clear the ball away after an opposition player had played it forward from deep. The goalkeeper from Hemel Hempstead then gathered a cross from the right flank from Paul Marie with relative ease. Looking confident and alert, Brandon Austin did really well to push over Javier Eduardo López’s powerful effort from just outside the Orlando penalty area, over his crossbar and behind for a corner kick. During the second half and with Orlando in full control of the game, Austin had very little to do, and he didn’t actually have to make a save during the second half of the match. He did gather a deflected cross from the left flank comfortably, before then gathering a low one from the right flank well. Well done to Brandon for making only his second MLS appearance, and I wish him all the very best of luck for his and Orlando’s next game, which is against Inter Miami on Saturday.

My piece on Spurs’ promising young centre-forward Dane Scarlett: 

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Centre-forward Dane Pharrell Scarlett enjoyed an excellent first season full-time at Spurs, during the 2020/21 season. Next season Scarlett will be a second year scholar, but during his first year of scholarship at the club he scored a phenomenal total of 25 goals from 27 competitive appearances (includes first team appearances) for Spurs at all levels. The Hillingdon born footballer also registered four assists. In the following short piece I will be writing about some of Dane’s best attributes as a player and also his style of play, as well as talking a bit about the last two seasons for Dane. Scarlett made his Spurs development side debut for a Spurs XI in a pre-season friendly against Enfield Town in the August of 2019. But he first made his competitive Under 18 debut for Spurs on the opening day of the 2019/20 season at Fulham’s Motspur Park training ground, against the west London club. The then schoolboy footballer started against a very good Fulham side on that day. Fulham saw a lot more of the ball than Spurs during that game, when he played almost as a second striker to Kion Etete, and although he didn’t get on the ball much in promising positions, he did work very hard off the ball. Scarlett featured in four more games for Spurs at competitive Under 18 level that season. He came very close to scoring in a league game against Norwich City, in what was a good cameo performance, before then scoring a good centre-forwards goal in the next game against Aston Villa. However, Scarlett unfortunately sustained a bad season ending injury early on in his next league game (after making a sliding challenge), which was against Chelsea in November 2019 (Scarlett also made the bench on one occasion for Spurs’ Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League).

That injury would have been very difficult for the England youth international, but Dane came back for the 2020/21 season after impressing with the Spurs first team  in some pre-season friendlies. He scored two goals and registered two assists for Matt Taylor’s Spurs Under 18 side against West Ham United on the opening day of the Under 18 league season, and what followed in terms of goalscoring was nothing short of phenomenal. Of the standout individual moments from Dane during the season just gone, a 7-0 Under 18 league win over Southampton stands outs when Dane was involved in five goals (four goals and one assist). Also, his hat-trick against league runners up Crystal Palace would have been a memorable moment for the 17 year old, as would his first competitive goal for the Spurs Under 23 side, back in the December of 2020. However, Scarlett also made three competitive first team appearances for the Spurs first team during the 2020/21 season, registering one assist (he became the youngest player to assist in the competition since Kylian Mbappé). His goalscoring/assists record during the season just gone was almost on the levels of Reo Griffiths’ outstanding 2017/18 season, a season that Griffiths scored 34 competitive goals in. Obviously I haven’t seen as much of Dane at the same stage in his career as I saw of Troy Parrott during his first year of scholarship. However, I feel as if I have seen him enough to write a bit about his style of play. Dane Scarlett is a very good finisher of goals, but something I have been very impressed with has been how good he is in the air. Scoring a good number of goals with his head, his headers are often powerful ones with a nice accuracy to them. A commanding presence up front for the Spurs Under 18’s during the 2020/21 season, Dane seems to exude confidence in those games, but also for the Under 23 side he did cause problems for defenders. With a good example of this being in a Premier League 2 game against Chelsea last year.

During the Spurs Under 23 game game against Chelsea the centre-forward scored a really good and powerful header against Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech, after some good movement inside the Chelsea box. The centre-forward was playing out on the right flank as a winger, and his movement off the ball was really impressive, as was his desire to track back and help out the Spurs right-back during the game, and his defensive work during that game was very, very good. Scarlett is obviously a very good finisher, and he is a striker who will score a variety of different goals (he is good from distance also). But if opposition defenders make errors in and around the penalty area then the last thing they need is a centre-forward of Scarlett’s quality around, more than ready to find the back of the net, if given the chance. Apart from his aerial ability the Spurs Academy player who signed his first professional contract with the club last season, is a player who likes to try a variety of finishes (he is a very good finisher). Although he does like to finish with power and style, in my opinion it is actually Scarlett’s off the ball movement which is perhaps his greatest attribute as a player. Terrific at pressing defenders (whenever I have seen him play) and never giving them a moment to focus on the ball, his off the ball work reminds me of Troy Parrott’s, at the same stage in his career. He is so good at getting himself into good goalscoring positions, and he seems to almost ghost into fine positions from which he can score from. A physical player who is not afraid to battle for the ball, Dane takes responsibility in games and he is also a leader too. He is a confident player with good pace, and he showed this in first team games last season against Ludogorets Razgrad and Wolfsberger AC respectively. 

Dane has come back from a bad injury and performed remarkably well during the recent 2020/21 season, and whenever I have seen him I have been so impressed with his off the ball movement, and that desire to run the extra yard for his team. A player who has just had a very promising season, Scarlett has a very promising future in the game, and with Spurs in the inaugural UEFA Conference League next season, the 17 year old will surely get more first team appearances. The centre-forward should be very proud of all that he has achieved during the 2020/21 season, and I wish him all the very best of luck for next season.

Farewell and good luck Kazaiah Sterling:

Posted on by superhotspur

Having been at Spurs for many years (Kazaiah was previously at Leyton Orient) centre-forward Kazaiah Sterling left the club last Thursday, after it was announced by Spurs. Sterling (22) came up through the Academy ranks at Spurs to make two competitive first team appearances for the club, but to those Spurs fans who watch Academy games, they would have first been aware of Kazaiah during the 2014/15 season. During that season the player from north London made a number of competitive appearances for the Spurs Under 18 side as a schoolboy, and he even scored a fine goal against Chelsea in the semi-finals of that seasons FA Youth Cup, at White Hart Lane. Sterling did well for the Under 18 side during the following 2015/16 season, and he would step up to play for the then Spurs Under 21 side on three occasions in competitive competition, scoring once. The former England youth international missed quite a bit of the start of the following 2016/17 season through injury, but his goals in the FA Youth Cup were one of the main reasons why we reached the semi-finals of the competition that season. Also capable of playing out wide or as a second striker, Kazaiah Sterling scored two goals from three appearances for the Spurs Under 23 side that season, a season which he finished strongly. The 2017/18 season saw Kazaiah promoted to the Under 23 side, although he also played for Spurs’ Under 19 side in the UEFA Youth League.

A very technical forward, who is a very clinical centre-forward and particularly good  in situations when he only has the goalkeeper to beat (one on ones), Sterling made his competitive first team debut for Spurs during the 2017/18 season. After he came off the bench against Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia in the UEFA Champions League, at Wembley Stadium. Sterling also scored an impressive amount of goals at Academy level for Spurs during that same season. Although he was a part of Spurs’ (the first team) pre-season for the start of the 2018/19 season, Kazaiah picked up an injury that summer which would rule him out until the October of 2018. He returned to Spurs’ Under 23 side and he would score four league goals from seven Premier League 2 appearances, before joining Sunderland on loan for the second part of the season. After impressing in France for Spurs’ development side in pre-season in the summer of 2019 where Kazaiah put in some really good performances, he joined Doncaster Rovers not long after scoring two goals for Spurs’ Under 23 side, in their Premier League 2 opener. However, he picked up an injury not long after he joined Doncaster, which would sadly rule him out for the rest of the 2019/20 season.  Kazaiah did return for pre-season of the season just gone, and after playing a good number of games for Spurs’ Under 23 side he joined League 2 club Southend United on loan. 

During his time in Essex Kazaiah scored one goal from 12 appearances for Southend, before returning to Spurs and joining Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton for the second part of the season, where in total he made nine appearances, before again returning to Spurs. I always enjoyed watching Kazaiah play for Spurs and I’ve always thought that he is a quality player, but has just been unlucky with injuries. I used to like to watch him in the warmup to games, as during the warmups he would rarely not find the back of the net when the players used to try and beat the goalkeeper from the edge of the six yard box. A skilful player who was more than capable of playing development side football as a first year scholar, Kazaiah is very good at scoring goals from inside the oppositions box. And his goalscoring record at Academy level for Spurs has always been impressive, as has all the different kinds of goals that he has scored at that level. A player who shows great composure in front of goal and who also likes to place his efforts on goal rather than go for power. Some games which really stand out from watching Kazaiah over the years include the time when he scored two goals in the FA Youth Cup against Norwich City in 2017. And also an excellent individual performance for Spurs’ Under 23 side in the Premier League 2 against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2018.

I truly believe that the hardworking centre-forward has a very good future in the game, and I very much look forward to following his progress. Farewell and good luck, Kazaiah.