profspur
@profspur.bsky.social
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I write the profspur analysis newsletter
https://profspur.substack.com
pinned post!
In my latest: Shots fired against the conventional wisdom of football technocracy, or as one of you aptly put it, Football Centrism.
profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-h...
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You Can't Hack Football
On the danger of forgetting who you are.
https://profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-hack-football
8 days ago
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This Kinsky to West Ham thing canāt be real, right?
about 1 hour ago
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The thing is, facts don't imply their own explanations. We can both agree e.g. that it's raining, but if you think it's raining because of meteorological factors and I think it's raining because you've upset the Sky Shaman, my position is not validated by the fact we agree on.
about 17 hours ago
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Combined in the PL this season, Xavi, Odobert, Tel, Richarlison, and Kolo Muani have scored 11 goals on 10.33 xG. If you think the problem is the players and not that they've only had 10.33 xG combined--which is less than each of Igor Thiago and JP Mateta *alone*--you're not thinking clearly.
about 21 hours ago
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To test this, btw, ask what you think would happen if we set a release clause for each of these players identical to the value of each front-line player in each promoted side and each relegation-zone side right now. Would they take our players instead?
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about 23 hours ago
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If you think Xavi, Tel, Kolo Muani, and Odobert are relegation-level players you've completely lost the plot.
about 23 hours ago
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'Working miracles' is mind-blowing language here.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 23 hours ago
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I'm a US American from the steel capital of the country and attended a large urban public school with more than 2000 others.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 24 hours ago
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Itās true as a general principle and I agree (with myself) that sacking Frank doesnāt solve the fundamental problems. But itās also true that whereas sacking Ange solved zero problems and caused some, sacking Frank solves 1 problem, which is Frank.
add a skeleton here at some point
1 day ago
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This is a very good side, actually. All but 5-6 teams in the league would be happy to put this 11 out against anyone. We have significantly better squad depth this season to cope with injuries.
1 day ago
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Itās been hectic since back and I have to leave again in a couple days (wife and I together this time), but just wanted to thank you all sincerely for the kind and supportive messages. You are are better community than I deserve.
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2 days ago
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Not good
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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My impression so far is Bissouma is (as usual) a class above doing the unsung shit.
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3 days ago
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Watching the match replay now
3 days ago
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Couldnāt watch today but wtf?
3 days ago
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After returning to UK a few days ago, I caught an unexpected flight back to Boston early this morning to make sure my wife is safe because ICE is terrorizing my community in Maine. Will be less responsive to things for the time being.
4 days ago
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Itās true Iām playing college football in Cambridge in my 40s but not even I have this kind of confidence in my longevity.
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5 days ago
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Morgan Gibbs-Yikes
5 days ago
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It occurs to me that Spurs should be sponsored by Huy Fong Foods (California-based producer of the correct sriracha).
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
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When a manager is in trouble there's often lots of talk of whether the players are still playing for the manager, running hard for the manager, etc. What this underestimates is how much pride elite athletes take in playing for themselves and each other. Sluggish or bad performances benefit no one.
5 days ago
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This context is important. When I stood up for Ange last season it was because the underlying numbers were really, really good for most of the season, despite the results. People have asked why I'm less patient w/ Frank. Simple: because of this:
theanalyst.com/articles/tot...
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Tottenhamās Champions League Position Cannot Save Doomed Thomas Frank | Opta Analyst
Tottenhamās underlying numbers are as bad as their Premier League position suggests. There is little reason to believe Thomas Frank can turn this around.
https://theanalyst.com/articles/tottenham-thomas-frank-stats-premier-league-expected-points
5 days ago
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Also I think Solanke is criminally underrated. In terms of all-around play--finishing, aerial, hold-up, combining, dribbling, pressing, positioning--there are very few strikers in the Premier League I'd rather have. Probably won't happen but he should be Kane's backup for England.
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
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Solankeās goal: Heās not getting enough credit. Fortunate in the end but the move to drag the ball forward into the goal with his trailing leg on a pass behind him was intentional (& skillful). Risk always it will hit your planted leg when you do that, but did well to make a play on the ball there.
5 days ago
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Straight back to London today for pickup football, possibly overestimating my energy levels.
6 days ago
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Yes, also we're not a good counterattacking side. We're so compressed out of possession that when we win it back it's like watching a crumpled old sponge unfold. It takes forever to get people wide and forward to receive outlet passes, so we end up dawdling on the ball in transition scenarios.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 days ago
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Bit of a noisy table, but weāve taken the lead 18 times this season, surrendered it 7 times, and had less possession in 2nd half in 14 of 17 games in which weāve taken the lead.
6 days ago
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Again this worries me bc I spotted it in the very first game v PSG, when we tanked a 2-goal lead by abandoning controlled possession. We've done this over and over again this season, sometimes surrendering leads, often allowing 2nd-half hope for opponents. It's the pragmatism fallacy in action.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 days ago
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Lot's of responses along the lines of 'it's understandable to sit off, players are tired, depleted squad, etc.' but frankly I think that's a fallacy and I don't know why it's conventional wisdom that controlled possession (v 10 men) is more physically taxing than defending for 35 minutes straight.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 days ago
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I thought we were excellent yesterday. It was an aggressive, comprehensive victory over a quality side. But again the choice to stand off in 2nd half troubles me. We conceded 0.00 xG and 0 shots in the first half going at them, gave them their only chance in 2nd half sitting off w/ 45% possession.
6 days ago
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For a moment yesterday in the 2nd half, Vicario put his studs on the ball as the back line flanked him and Dortmund were sitting off. We were up 2-0. Yet the guy next to me was screaming obscenity at Vicario, and likeā¦Vicario was doing the exact right thing in that scenario.
6 days ago
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Titans of European football
7 days ago
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Nah man I donāt like this working on set pieces 20 mins before kickoff.
7 days ago
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Watching GKs warm up and Kinsky just took it in his instep out of the air from a corner kick and volleyed into the top corner, a precious reminder that even the keepers are better outfield players than Iāve ever been and will ever be.
7 days ago
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Ok Iām going to the match tonight after all. Curiosity wins out over fiscal prudence and intelligent time management once again.
7 days ago
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And when I went to purchase a last-minute ticket this morning I was put in a queue, so havenāt done so.
add a skeleton here at some point
7 days ago
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This would be a good deal if we didnāt throttle our football program last summer and still had use for a highly technical winger.
add a skeleton here at some point
7 days ago
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Can anyone recommend a lunch spot with drinks in Hackney?
7 days ago
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If we lose Tel I'm going to be furious.
add a skeleton here at some point
8 days ago
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In our last 7 games we have 4 losses and 1 win (which we ālostā on xG) and have had a lower xG than our opponents in 5 of the 7:
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8 days ago
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Do not tell me he dropped Tel from the UCL squad.
8 days ago
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Of our 11 total wins in 31 games this season: 1 against a League 1 side; 2 against non-top 5 European league teams; 2 against promoted teams; 1 against relegation zone team. That leaves just 5 wins against PL staples + Villarreal.
add a skeleton here at some point
8 days ago
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Since I wrote this at the beginning of November, saying Spurs were riding our luck and results would probably take a turn for the worse, Spurs have played 16 more games in all comps, with a record of 4 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses, with a total xGD of .29.
profspur.substack.com/p/spurs-are-...
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Spurs are Riding Their Luck
A look at the underlying numbers 15 games into the 2025-26 season.
https://profspur.substack.com/p/spurs-are-riding-their-luck
8 days ago
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Frank has now had 20 games with Romero + VDV, surrendering 1.35 GA/90 and 1.18 xGA/90, compared with .8 and .86 respectively last season. Strong case to be made that, ceteris paribus, attacking is the best form of defending.
8 days ago
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reposted by
profspur
duty.
8 days ago
I implore you to read this. Bang on points, as usual, from The Prof. Most importantly, get behind these players. No matter what other fuckery is occurring, the players need supportā¦especially if you want some semblance of a club that matters when the dust settles.
#COYS
add a skeleton here at some point
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reposted by
profspur
In my latest: Shots fired against the conventional wisdom of football technocracy, or as one of you aptly put it, Football Centrism.
profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-h...
loading . . .
You Can't Hack Football
On the danger of forgetting who you are.
https://profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-hack-football
8 days ago
8
32
10
In my latest: Shots fired against the conventional wisdom of football technocracy, or as one of you aptly put it, Football Centrism.
profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-h...
loading . . .
You Can't Hack Football
On the danger of forgetting who you are.
https://profspur.substack.com/p/you-cant-hack-football
8 days ago
8
32
10
reposted by
profspur
No Score Draws āš»ā½
8 days ago
It's Monday and I just want to feel something
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Whatās going on?
8 days ago
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What Insta feeds me as āSpurs content.ā What even is the point of this.
9 days ago
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My biggest concern about Spurs at this point is less about results or league table than about what at least looks like the fact that the football we're playing has alienated our best players. 17th last season never lost the players and is nothing compared to the quality and value loss on the line.
9 days ago
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This is true as a general principle and I generally advocate for it, but if you have a case where there's no evidence of what we're supposedly moving toward, and it's basically the same thing for 31 games, and that thing is bad, 'give it time' is like standing over a rock waiting for it to animate.
add a skeleton here at some point
9 days ago
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