Rule The Roost - A Tottenham Hotspur Podcast

On today's 15-minute briefing: Spain Kick Into Gear: Spain are finally looking the part against Saudi Arabia. Dani Olmo is just such a wonderful player, and with Lamine Yamal in the side, they can probably pose a massive problem to absolutely anyone. Belgium Underwhelm: Belgium underwhelm yet again, but I have to give a massive shout out to Iran, who dug deep to pick up a huge point. The Story of the Tournament: Are Cape Verde the story of the World Cup? Going toe-to-toe with Spain and now Uruguay—it is incredible to watch. Egypt Get the Job Done: Egypt show up and get a result against New Zealand that was probably expected of them, but you have to give credit to NZ, who made them work incredibly hard for it. Messi Makes History: Lionel Messi becomes the outright World Cup leading scorer with two great finishes against Austria, surely solidifying himself as the GOAT. He did miss a penalty though, which makes me wonder: did he miss it on purpose because he didn't want to break the record with a pen? Either way, Argentina are safely through to the next round. France Battle the Elements: Despite a chaotic two-hour rain delay against Iraq, Kylian Mbappe just keeps the goals coming. But once again, Michael Olise is looking like one of the best players in the world right now. France also book their spot in the next round. Haaland vs Mbappe Awaits: Erling Haaland bags two against Senegal, who are genuinely a good side and managed to cut right through Norway's defence. That vulnerability is going to be fascinating to watch in their upcoming clash with France—it is officially Haaland vs Mbappe. Jordan Say Goodbye: Finally, Jordan officially exit the competition after their result against Algeria. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's 15-minute briefing: Pochettino's Magic: The battle of the jocks saw the USA come out on top against Australia. Mauricio Pochettino simply continues to work his magic, and the hosts are looking seriously impressive. Scottish Heartbreak: A really difficult one to swallow for the Scots against Morocco. Looking back at the crucial moments, I have to ask: should they have had at least one penalty in that game? Brazil Bounce Back: A good result for Brazil against Haiti, showing they can absolutely put the so-called lesser nations to the sword. But do they actually have enough quality for the real monsters of the tournament? I am not entirely convinced yet. Turkey Tumble & Almiron's Red: Miguel Almirón was sent off for covering his mouth against Paraguay—honestly, this is the sort of no-nonsense officiating I can get behind and something the authorities should have been doing for a while. As for the game itself, the result caps off a very disappointing World Cup for Turkey, whom many were expecting so much more from. Dutch Delight: A huge result in what many expected to be an evenly contested fixture between the Netherlands and Sweden. The Dutch played some scintillating football at times, which makes me wonder: perhaps they have been written off too soon? Heartbreak for Côte d'Ivoire: Absolute heartbreak for Côte d'Ivoire, who were genuinely brilliant against Germany. There is a lot of talk around Diomande at the moment, and he is definitely good value for it—a great player. But Deniz Undav was the hero for Germany, showing great composure to secure the winner. Wasteful Ecuador: Eloy Room continued the tournament's theme of standout goalkeeping performances for Curaçao, but you have to say Ecuador were incredibly wasteful in front of goal. Japan Show Up: Japan are showing more signs of being the team everyone said they were ahead of this tournament, putting in a great attacking performance to ruthlessly punish Tunisia. Tournament Update: Qualified Teams: Mexico, USA, and Germany. Eliminated Teams: Haiti, Tunisia, and Turkey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Conor Mummery where the lads kick things off by checking in on England’s World Cup campaign, celebrating Harry Kane reaching 10 tournament goals as he puts Croatia to the sword, and reflecting on his legendary status. Attention then turns to young defender Luka Vuskovic’s recent performance, evaluating reports of friction between the youngster and Roberto De Zerbi, who reportedly feels the teenager is still a few years away from first-team readiness. We celebrate Jan Paul van Hecke officially getting the "Here We Go" confirmation, before breaking down an incredible bit of off-air drama on talkSPORT. With Ben Foster revealing that Daniel Levy texted Simon Jordan claiming Spurs "had their pants pulled down" on the financial terms, we question if this confirms years of suspicion that Levy’s obsession with "winning" negotiation squabbles has held the club back—and whether the hierarchy are finally moving differently. Finally, we talk about Sandro Tonali, sharing our honest ratings of him as a player, how he fits into the modern game, and what his addition would mean for our midfield. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Baker from the Above Average FPL podcast to break down a fascinating week of Tottenham transfer strategy as the summer rebuild begins to take shape. The lads dive straight into the sensational links bringing Sandro Tonali to N17, evaluating how his technical profile perfectly aligns with Roberto De Zerbi's tactical vision. We also look at the massive optics of the deal—after a gruelling relegation battle, does buying a star player directly from a near rival like Newcastle represent a massive show of dominance from the Spurs hierarchy? Attention then turns to a massive boardroom dilemma following Brighton's bid for teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic. We debate whether using one of Europe's most sought-after young assets in an effective swap deal for Jan Paul van Hecke—who only has a year left on his current contract—makes long-term sense. Plus, we celebrate Pedro Porro's big new contract extension, explaining why his elite fitness and availability make him the ultimate weapon for De Zerbi, before questioning if a rumoured move to Brentford means the end of the road for Pape Matar Sarr. Finally, the show wraps up with some World Cup scouting as Baker highlights the players who have taken his fancy during the tournament so far. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the very first episode of the Rule the Roost World Cup Digest - your 15 minute morning wrap-up of the biggest talking points from across the tournament. On today's 15-minute briefing: Opening Day Reflections: Lovely opening ceremony—unapologetically LATAM and a massive spectacle to get us underway. It is just a shame the referee didn’t get the carnival brief, marring the Mexico vs South Africa clash with a terrible performance and red cards aplenty. South Africa looked a bit sluggish, but it was a great moment for Raúl Jiménez - a feel good World Cup story. Poch is Cooking: Mauricio Pochettino has the USA absolutely balling out. In their match against Paraguay (who are absolutely no pushover), they looked exactly like peak 2016/17 Spurs. Well done. Canada's Spursy Vibe: Canada played some brilliant stuff that felt incredibly familiar. Plenty of style but perhaps lacking those killer final balls and ruthless finishers. However, that Cyle Larin goal was undeniably great. South Korea & Sonny: South Korea are playing some fantastic football, but is Son Heung-min starting to look a bit washed? Plus, I lament the fact that Lee Kang-in doesn't want to follow in Son's footsteps and make the move to N17. Brazil vs Morocco Preview: Looking ahead to tonight's massive matchup. After revisiting some classic matches from the 90s and 00s and seeing just how brilliant they were, it begs the question: have the broader tactical changes in modern football been the main reason for Brazil's struggles of late? Scotland's Late Night: It is a shame that the World Cup kick-off times are so late here in Europe, but we are wishing Scotland all the best as they get underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Gavin for a Thursday Q&A to dissect the frustrating fallout from Tottenham's clash with Leeds United. The pair kick things off by venting about the baffling VAR decision to deny James Maddison a clear foul, reacting to the midfielder's own frustrations posted on Instagram. We ask the broader question of whether the current implementation of VAR is fundamentally ruining the sport, before finding a much-needed silver lining in Maddison's return to the pitch. We discuss how, despite lacking full match fitness, his sheer step up in quality was glaringly obvious and ask if he is the missing piece required to secure safety. Attention then turns to the relegation battle and the absolutely monumental weekend clash between Newcastle United and West Ham. Jack asks Gavin just how heavily our survival hinges on that specific result, while trying to nail down exactly what Tottenham need to do to save themselves. Finally, Gavin tackles a massive selection of listener questions, covering everything from the Premier League's potential refereeing conspiracies to the depressing four-year anniversary of beating Arsenal 3-0, debating whether Roberto De Zerbi would actually stick around for a Championship rebuild, and guessing which underwhelming players we will inevitably be linked to if the worst happens. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can listen to more preview pods, evergreen content and get all pods ad free at patreon.com/rtrpod West Ham denied a last minute equaliser to keep the pressure on Spurs means that we can now open up a gap at the bottom of the table... but we have to take it. Surely we have every faith in Roberto De Zerbi now to equip these players to do what's needed in this crunch game against Leeds. We'll also hear from Keir Starmer and Adam Curtis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices