2021/22 Premier League fixture preview – Part 1

The Premier League officially announced the fixture list for the upcoming 2021/2022 season this morning.

Fans have reacted with mixed opinions on the order of fixtures. Some believe that a tough start could get Spurs into action early on and show how ready they are to be competing for a place in the Champions League spots. Others would have rather had a weaker opponent to help build confidence for the Lilywhites.

We all know that, no matter the order, Tottenham will have to play all 19 Premier League opponents twice in order to complete the season and push for a return to the Champions League.

Here is what to expect from Spurs’ first 10 fixtures:

Matchday 1: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City

Stadium: Tottenham Stadium

Tottenham start their Premier League campaign facing the current holders Manchester City on opening weekend. Having recently losing a Carabao Cup Final to Pep Guardiola’s side, Tottenham will be keen to gain revenge and make the perfect start to the season, winning one of the significantly harder matches of ahead of an action-packed year.

Matchday 2: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Tottenham Hotspur 

Stadium: Molineux Stadium 

Tottenham then travel to the Midlands to face Wolves, hoping to win their first away fixture. The hosts will have a new manager in post, but may be lifted with news of a return for Mexican forward Raul Jimenez. It is a game Tottenham will be favourites to win, but will face a Wolves team hungry to defeat the London side on home turf.

Matchday 3: Tottenham Hotspur vs Watford

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Watford travel to North London following their return to the Premier League. Despite being a promoted side, the Hornets will be keen to put a fight up to show their claim for Premier League survival, or maybe a higher finish?

Matchday 4: Crystal Palace vs Tottenham Hotspur 

Stadium: Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace are known for being a “steady” team in the Premier League. The Eagles have remained as a team who finish amongst the mid table position in the league table, but are by no means favourite to claim a higher finish than their typical 12-15^th usual finish. Tottenham will be expected to win, but Crystal Palace can always throw a surprise result at a “big 6” side as shown before!

Matchday 5: Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The first in a London Derby double header starts at home against Chelsea. The Blues are expected to be competing to win the Premier League following a Champions League Final win over Manchester City. The big question is “who will have the pride of London” in this game? It promises to be a thriller!

Matchday 6: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Stadium: The Library

The first North London derby of the season takes place at the Library. In their way stands a Tottenham team eager to maintain their stronger North London reputation after a 2-1 defeat in the previous season. A game which will have fans from across the globe watching.

Matchday 7: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa 

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 

Tottenham face Aston Villa after games against their biggest London rivals. Tottenham will come into the game as favourites but Aston Villa will look to exploit the quality of Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins to force a surprise victory.

Matchday 8: Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Stadium: St. James’ Park

The Magpies always seem to salvage a result against Tottenham, whether it be home or away. Despite being underdogs, do not write off Steve Bruce’s side!

Matchday 9: West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur 

Stadium: London Stadium

In another London derby, Tottenham will face rivals West Ham United, aiming to beat the Hammers after falling to a defeat and a draw in both fixtures last season. Whilst West Ham finished above Tottenham last season, Tottenham will be keen to prevent a similar finish next season. 

Matchday 10: Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United  

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Manchester United will be keen to avoid another 6-1 defeat to Tottenham, but they may not be in a similar league position as they were at that point last season. They since managed a 3-1 win at the Tottenham Hotpur Stadium, one of the last matches of the rather short Jose Mourinho era at Spurs.

Spurs’ full fixture list for 2021/22 can be found here.

Spurs fixture list for 2021/22 announced

Spurs’ fixture list for the 2021/22 season has been announced.

The Premier League season kicks off with one of the toughest games on paper, but Spurs will be confident having beaten Manchester City on all three occasions at the New White Hart Lane without conceding.

The North London Derby will take place on the 25th September (away) and 15th January (home) with the last game of the season taking place in Norfolk against Norwich City.

Spurs are facing another conjested fixture list this season with a potential 65 games on the cards.

Fixtures 2021/22

Premier League games in bold
Confirmed FA Cup, League Cup and Europa Conference League games in regular font
Potential FA Cup, League Cup and Europa Conference League games in italic

August 2021

Sat Aug 14 – Manchester City (H)
Thu Aug 19 – TBC – UEFA Europa Conference League – Play-off, First Leg
Sat Aug 21 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
Thu Aug 26 – TBC – UEFA Europa Conference League – Play-off, Second Leg
Sat Aug 28 – Watford (H)

September 2021

Sat Sep 11 – Crystal Palace (A)
Thu Sep 16 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 1
Sat Sep 18 – Chelsea (H)
Wed Sep 22 – TBC – Carabao Cup, Round Three
Sat Sep 25 – Arsenal (A)
Thu Sep 30 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 2

October 2021

Sat Oct 2 – Aston Villa (H)
Sat Oct 16 – Newcastle United (A)
Thu Oct 21 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 3
Sat Oct 23 – West Ham United (A)
Wed Oct 27 – Carabao Cup, Round Four
Sat Oct 30 – Manchester United (H)

November 2021

Thu Nov 4 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 4
Sat Nov 6 – Everton (A)
Sat Nov 20 – Leeds United (H)
Thu Nov 25 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 5
Sat Nov 27 – Burnley (A)

December 2021

Wed Dec 1 – Brentford (H)
Sat Dec 4 – Norwich City (H)
Thu Dec 9 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Group Stage, Match Day 6
Sat Dec 11 – Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
Tue Dec 14 – Leicester City (A)
Sat Dec 18 – Liverpool (H)
Wed Dec 22 – Carabao Cup, Round Five
Sun Dec 26 – Crystal Palace (H)
Tue Dec 28 – Southampton (A)

January 2022

Sat Jan 1 – Watford (A)
Wed Jan 5 – Carabao Cup – Semi-Final, First Leg
Sat Jan 8 – TBC – Emirates FA Cup, Round 3
Wed Jan 12 – Carabao Cup – Semi-Final, Second Leg
Sat Jan 15 – Arsenal (H)
Sat Jan 22 – Chelsea (A)

February 2022

Sat Feb 5 – Emirates FA Cup, Round 4
Wed Feb 9 – Southampton (H)
Sat Feb 12 – Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
Thu Feb 17 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Knockout Play-off, First Leg
Sat Feb 19 – Manchester City (A)
Thu Feb 24 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Knockout Play-off, Second Leg
Sat Feb 26 – Leeds United (A)
Sun Feb 27 – Carabao Cup Final

March 2022

Wed Mar 2 – Emirates FA Cup, Round 5
Sat Mar 5 – Everton (H)
Thu Mar 10 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Round of 16, First Leg
Sat Mar 12 – Manchester United (A)
Thu Mar 17 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Round of 16, Second Leg
Sat Mar 19 – West Ham United (H)/Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Final

April 2022

Sat Apr 2 – Newcastle United (H)
Thu Apr 7 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Quarter Final, First Leg
Sat Apr 9 – Aston Villa (A)
Thu Apr 14 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Quarter Final, Second Leg
Sat Apr 16 – Brighton & Hove Albion (H)/Emirates FA Cup Semi-Final
Sat Apr 23 – Brentford (A)
Thu Apr 28 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Semi Final, First Leg
Sat Apr 30 – Leicester City (H)

May 2022

Thu May 5 – UEFA Europa Conference League – Semi Final, Second Leg
Sat May 7 – Liverpool (A)
Sat May 14 – Emirates FA Cup Final
Sun May 15 – Burnley (H)
Sun May 22 – Norwich City (A)
Wed May 25 – UEFA Europa Conference League Final

Lamenting losing Lopetegui

Following the sacking of Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho nearly two months ago, Tottenham Hotspur have been without an official manager. Ryan Mason was presented with chance to take over on an interim basis until the end of the season, becoming the youngest manager to manage a Premier League side in its near 30 year history, but this was always meant to be a temporary arrangement.

Spurs have failed on numerous occasions to replace Mourinho, with a variety of reasons undermining the appoinment of his successor. Attempts were believed to have been made for the likes of Julien Naglesmann, Erik Ten Hag, Antonio Conte and, of course, Mauricio Pochettino. It is also thought that Julen Lopetegui also passed at the change to manage the club – in this article, I will talk about how he could have been the perfect replacement for Mourinho.

Lopetegui, manager of Spanish side Sevilla, has had a successful spell at the La Liga side since being appointed in 2019. The Spaniard lifted the Europa League trophy in 2019/2020 – his first season at the club – and he spearheaded Sevilla’s push for La Liga title this season. Though that challenge faded over the closing matches, finishing 4th and qualifying for the Champions League with the highest points total in the club’s history was still a significant achievement. The overwhelming financial might of domestic rivals Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will always make it difficult to overhaul Spain’s ‘Big Three’.

Julen Lopetegui took over at Sevilla after a disappointing season, with the club finishing 6^th in La Liga. However, the Spaniard took full advantage of Europa League qualification, leading ‘Los Nervionenses‘ to a record 6th Europa League title in 2019/20. Sevilla also finished 4th in La Liga – with just goal difference separating them from Atletico Madrid in 3^rd – guaranteeing them a place in the following season’s Champions League. Lopetegui achieved another 4th place finish and guided the team out of the Champions League group stages this season, underlining the progress he has made.

Spurs, on the other hand, massively underachieved under Jose Mourinho. Under Mauricio Pochettino, the London club consistently gained Champions League football via a high finish in the Premier League, but are set for another season away from Europe’s elite competition after his sacking.

After years of underinvestment in the squad, Daniel Levy backed Mourinho in last summer’s transfer window, but only Pierre-Emile Højbjerg could be described as an unqualified success. Lopetegui has shown that he can work on a modest budget while getting the best out his players. Jules Koundé, for example, has developed into one of Europe’s most promising young defenders under Lopetegui’s guidance. In short, Lopetegui was backed by Sevilla’s board to bring in the right players to fit his tactics and complement the existing squad and it proved to be successful. He could have had similar success at Tottenham with the help of Fabio Paratici.

Lopetegui’s style of football would also bring welcome relief after a year and a half of Mourinho. A tactically astute, possession based, high energy approach is much more in keeping with Spurs’ set-up under Pochettino, and his use of wing-backs and a false nine would suit players like Sergio Reguilón (who played under Lopetegui at Sevilla) and Harry Kane.

However, the move to bring him to Spurs was ended in another failure. Several sources have reported that the Spaniard rejected Tottenham due to family reasons. Other sources report that he made it clear he wanted to stay at Sevilla as he is settled and would prefer not to relocate. Who would blame him? The project he has built at Sevilla is incredible and what is happening right now at Tottenham is something that most top level managers have shown little desire to become part of.

Paulo Fonseca looks like he will be appointed as the next Spurs manager, and I hope he brings the success we crave, but I can’t help but think that Tottenham will regret not prising Lopetegui away from sunny Spain.

Paulo Fonseca – Fairytale Football?

Fonseca was born in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique in 1973, but moved to Portugal with his family once he turned 14. He started out at his local club F.C. Barreirense before moving to the Primeira Liga for successive loan spells with Leça, Belenenses and Marítimo. Further spells at Vitória Guimarães and Estrela Amadora followed with Fonseca making nearly 250 league appearances before his retirement at the age of 32.

His first managerial job was with S.U. 1º Dezembro before spells with Odivelas and C.D. Pinhalnovense who he led to successive Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) quarter finals. A move to second division side C.D. Aves lasted a season before leading Paços Ferreira to third and a Champions League place, success which saw him take over at reigning champions FC Porto.

He made a promising start, winning the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, but by March results had slipped and Fonseca was sacked. He returned to Paços de Ferreira, but once again was there for a single season, this time moving to Braga, leading them to fourth place and winning the Taça de Portugal.

However, it is his spells outside of Portugal which are more relevant to what Fonseca would bring to Spurs. Let us analyse his time at both Shaktar Donetsk and Roma.

In May 2016, Fonseca left the homes comforts of Portugal and joined Ukrainian juggernauts Shakhtar Donetsk. There were lots of expectations for him once he joined, with Shakhtar coming off a golden era that had won eight league titles, six Ukrainian cups and a UEFA Cup under Mircea Lucescu.

During his three years with Shakhtar, he won the league and cup double every single season and attracted many suitors in Europe due to his team’s high intensity, positive, pressing football.

Fonseca mostly deployed a 4231 formation that aggressively clogged the middle of the pitch in order to push the ball towards the flank. Any ball that flirted with the back four was met with great hostility.

Fonseca’s side tries to dominate the middle of the pitch in both offence and defence. Once the ball was pushed out wide, both the winger and fullback would engage in order to trap the opposition. The midfielder would then cover the space left behind by the fullback.

The result that put Fonesca’s side on the map was his 2-1 victory over City that secured them a place in the Champions League Round of 16. How did he do it? By deploying a midfield block, forcing the ball to wide areas by keeping the wingers inside and quickly transitioning from defence to attack and exploiting space. He also invited the high press, to create space between AND behind opposing defensive lines as well as having positional superiority against City’s fullbacks to give two pressing options.

He left Ukraine loved, for both his merits on the pitch and his charismatic personality. He won seven trophies in his three year spell with the club, and gave them memories that they will never forget. Such as dressing up as Zorro after going through to the Champions League Round of 16.

Due to his popular style of football, plaudits from key influencers, such as Pep Guardiola, and his footballing merits, it’s no surprise that Fonseca earned a managerial role in one of Europe’s top five leagues. On the 11th of June 2019, Roma announced the arrival of their new manager.

During his spell at Roma, he finished 5th in his first season, and 7th in the next. Some factors that explain these poor results were out of his control, such as disputes with the board and key injuries. His flaws are his in-game management, and his indifference towards defence.

Nonetheless, he provided an exciting brand of football that oozed chance creation. How did he do this? His two most popular formations werethe 4231 (imported from his Shakhtar side) and a newer experiment, the 3421.

I will not go into depth for his 4231 formation, but know he’s very much capable of using it. He is not married to a single formation, which is important to note for tactical flexibility. In defence it’s very much a 442, and in offence it switches to a 3241.

In the 2020/21 season, Fonseca adopted an exciting 3421 that has placed his side in the top creators, with a frankly mediocre side that housed veterans such as Pedro and Džeko. A key injury to arguably his side’s most promising player, Nicolò Zaniolo, also derailed the side.

Target men are critical in his system as they clog up the middle, bait the oppositions centre backs, which opens up space for the inverted wingers and fullbacks. Džeko served this role well. Since the wingers tuck in, they essentially play as two number 10s as the fullbacks provide the width.

Another key takeaway are the number of late runs that his centre midfielders perform. Fonseca overloads the middle, which requires runs into the box. Jordan Veretout had 10 goals in his recent campaign, the most of any midfielder. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg or Giovani Lo Celso could benefit from this.

31% of Fonseca’s attacks came from the middle of the pitch – the most in Serie A last season. It starts from short positional play in the back, with the goalkeeper being expected to keep it short. Lulling the opposition into the middle, they often swing the ball out wide for a cross.

His defensive strategy has not changed much since Shakhtar, using an aggressive midblock that does not leave much space for runners behind. His players attempt to clog the middle and force the opposition out wide. Bryan Cristante served as a libero, a versatile centre back that engages the attacker.

The wingbacks tuck in and form into a back five, as seen in the photo above. Once possession is retained once again, Cristante either looks for runners on the flanks, or Veretout collects the ball from deep, emphasizes the importance of short transitional play.

In short, Fonseca’s tactical system can be described as:

• Building from the back
• Overloading the middle in both attack and defence
• Creativity from the inverted wingers
• Absorbent target man that opens space for run

Nile John scoops Scholar of the Year award

Nile John has been named as Spurs’ Scholar of the Year.

The 18-year-old midfielder has made huge strides this season, with John’s senior debut coming on as a substitute in the 4-0 win over Wolfsberger in the Europa League. He was also an unused substitute in the last game of the season against Leicester City.

While John started the season with the Under-18s, he was turning out regularly for the Under-23s by January. In all, he made 16 appearances for the Under-18s, including in the FA Youth Cup, in addition to his 10 games in the Premier League 2.

Alongside fellow Hotspur Way prospects Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett, John was recently named in England’s Under-19 squad. He has now been called up to Young Lions squads at every level from Under-15s through to the Under-19s.

John joined Tottenham Hotspur at the age of seven and looks set to have a very promising future. He is skilful with the ball, quick and has a huge work rate. Despite standing a just 5ft 8 in, he doesn’t shy away from a challenge and is deceptively strong. If he can add more goals to his game, he will be pressing his claims for a regular spot with the first team in the not too distant future.

A full season with the Under-23s may await, but given how quickly John is developing, the club may feel he is ready for first team football and find him a loan move. Either way, we look forward to seeing more of Nile John’s obivous talent over the coming months.

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Academy coaching staff expands with Brill appointment

Leyton Orient’s goalkeeping coach, Dean Brill, will join Spurs this summer to take on a role with the club’s Under-23 and Under-18 squads.

35-year-old Brill joins the Academy coaching team at Hotspur Way and, with 400 career appearences to his name, it is hoped Brill’s experience will aid the development of a clutch of talented goalkeepers in the youth set up.

Brill’s career highlights include a Football League Trophy win with boyhood club Luton Town, lifting the Scottish Cup with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and helping Leyton Orient back into the Football League by winning the National League title.

Brill had originally been brought to Leyton Orient as a goalkeeping coach in 2017 after a bad injury in Scotland, but under former Spur, the late Justin Edinburgh, Brill came out of retirement and became a key member of the league winning side.

Brill retired from playing for good in January of last year to join the O’s coaching staff – speaking to the Leyton Orient website, he said: “It’s been a crazy four years, and to finish back where I started, and to get the experience to go on to try my hand at something else, which is developing young goalies, something I’m really passionate about...It’s so special to see these young players develop, and to pass on your experiences to help them grow.“

Those ‘young goalies’ include prospects Thimothee Lo-Tutala and Isak Solberg and it is hoped Brill’s influence will see a homegrown talent challenge for a first team spot in the coming years.

Welcome to Hotspur Way, Dean!

Spurs set to host Joshua fight

Anthony Joshua’s next fight is set to be staged at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in September.

His WBO defence against mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk is yet to be finalised, but it is expected that the deal will be done after Joshua’s undisputed world title fight against Tyson Fury fell through.

If the bout was to go ahead it is hoped that the 62,000 seated venue will be at full capacity, with crowds starting to return to football grounds and other sporting venues across the country and the Government looking to lift all restrictions on 21 June. However, increasingly concerns around the Delta variant may push this date back.

Joshua, who also holds the WBA and IBF belts, was due to face Kubrat Pulev at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer, but the fight was postponed until December and switched to Wembley Arena due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

31-year-old Joshua has 24 wins from 25 fights (22 of them by knockout) with one loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. on his record. The Ukrainian Usyk has 18 wins from 18 fights and is was the first cruiserweight in history to hold all four major world championships before moving up to the heavyweight divsion.

Two NFL games are also set to be held in October. A return of live events to the stadium will bring welcome revenue into the club after various postponements in 2020 and 2021, including Guns ‘N’ Roses who have been delayed twice and now will not appear until next year.

Spurs players formed England’s core in 2018, but now only Kane remains

With a week to go until the final squad announcement, Gareth Southgate has released a provisional Euro 2020 squad of 33 players which will be trimmed to 26. The current crop of talent at Southgate’s disposal is likely to excite England fans. However, with an abundance of attacking flair in the likes of Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling, the question begs as to who the man in the waistcoat will choose to play alongside England captain Harry Kane. Or alternatively, who he decides to drop in order to accommodate the more reticent talents of Kalvin Phillips and James Ward-Prowse.

Danny Rose and Harry Kane celebrate Eric Dier’s decisive penalty against Columbia.

Tottenham fans will have noticed the scarcity of players picked from their club, with Kane being the sole representative of the Lilywhites. This is unlikely to shock those who have followed the performances of other England hopefuls currently playing in N17. This couldn’t be more contrasting to the 2018 World Cup Squad in which Southgate named Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier and Eric Dier alongside Kane; making Spurs the most represented club in the squad.

With La Liga champion Kieran Trippier making the current squad, the obvious stagnation in the performances of Dele, Dier and Rose compared to the improvements in rival players is particularly noteworthy.

Danny Rose

A player who made five appearances for England in the World Cup finals just two years ago, Rose’s recent decline has seen him exiled to train with youth teams at Hotspur Way. After failing to gain the trust of Jose Mourinho, the left-back has played just two Premier League 2 matches, as well as zero first-team appearances in over a year.

Rose in action for Tottenham Under 23s.

After scenes on Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary showed Rose clashing with Mourinho concerning his lack of playing time, as well as wishfully asking Daniel Levy about interest from Italian giants AC Milan, it was clear that Rose would be phased out of the club.

Still only 30-years-old, Rose will no doubt attract a number of suitors at the lower end of the Premier League as his contract ends this summer. Having once been widely considered an elite European left-back, Rose’s fall off can be closely correlated with that of Spurs themselves.

Eric Dier

Dier has always given his all for Spurs.

Right-back, centre-back, central midfielder: Eric Dier has plied his trade in each position, whilst seemingly mastering none. Dier’s form in the latter stages of the Premier League campaign has left a lot to be desired. With countless calamitous errors and a lack of quality on the ball, it is a mystery how the 27-year-old has managed to cement himself into both Mourinho’s and Mason’s first choice teams.

Dier was a bit-part player at the 2018 World Cup, but did however provide one of the most memorable moments when he slotted the winning penalty in the Round of 16 versus Columbia. The man ended years of penalty shoot-out dread and now finds himself exiled from a Euro’s squad in just a two-year spell.

With Football.London reporting Spurs’ interest in numerous centre-back options this summer, Dier’s days in North London may well be coming to an abrupt end.

Dele Alli

In perhaps the most shocking decline of recent Premier League years, Dele is under threat of becoming a ‘streets won’t forget’ baller.

It is becoming increasingly easy to forget the player who won back-to-back Premier League Young Player of the Year awards in 2015/16 and 2016/17. The extravagance has is still apparent in Dele’s play, but poor ball retention and the tendency to let games drift him by seem to have become all too regular an occurrence.

Much like Rose, Dele’s relationship with previous boss Mourinho was somewhat fragmented. Is it time to cash in on the 25-year-old, or does he still hold an important future at Tottenham?

Will Dele be sold to make space for new attackers this summer?

Time to move on?

If Spurs are serious about being a Champions League level club that can challenge on all fronts, it is essential that the quality of the squad reflects these ambitions in the upcoming campaign. In my opinion, this would mean selling players who are no longer at an International level of quality, and clearly Winks, Dier and Rose fall into this category.

Every Spurs Home Shirt of the Premier League Era – VOTE For Your Favourite!

Since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93, Spurs have worn a total of 25 home shirts (yes, including the one-off 125th Anniversary shirt. No, not including the long-sleeve/short-sleeve variations of the 1995-1997 kit). The newly released 2021-22 home shirt will be the 26th.

Including the latest edition, Spurs have had seven different kit manufacturers; Umbro (2 kits); Pony (2); Adidas (2); Kappa (3); Puma (the most with 7); Under Armour (5); and, our current manufacturer, Nike (5). There have been 6 kit sponsors; Holsten (4); Hewlett Packard (3); Thomson (3); Mansion (5); Autonomy/Aurasma (3); and our current and most frequent shirt sponsor, AIA (8).

Here are all the 26 versions of the famous lilywhite shirt worn in the Premier League – you can vote for your favourite below. Where does the new 2021-2022 shirt rank?

• 

  1991-1993

• 

  1993-1995

• 

  1995-1997

• 

  1997-1999

• 

  1999-2001

• 

  2001-2002

• 

  2002-2004

• 

  2004-2005

• 

  2005-2006

• 

  2006/07

• 

  2007 – 125th Anniversary Shirt

• 

  2007-2008

• 

  2008-2009

• 

  2009-2010

• 

  2010/11

• 

  2011-2012

• 

  2012-2013

• 

  2013-2014

• 

  2014-2015

• 

  2015-2016

• 

  2016-2017

• 

  2017-2018

• 

  2018/19

• 

  2019-2020

• 

  2020-2021

• 

  2021 – 2022

Who Next For Tottenham Hotspur?

On a day that will likely go down in the history books for numerous reasons, Tottenham parted ways with head coach Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho, along with all of his backroom staff bar Ledley King, was relieved of his duties earlier this week. Alasdair Gold confirmed that, contrary to rumour, Mourinho’s departure was not at all connected to the announcement of a European Super League.

Fabrizio Romano first broke the news that Ryan Mason would take over first-team management.

It has now been officially confirmed that ex-player and current Head of Development Ryan Mason will be in place as Interim Manager until the end of the season. Fans will be hoping Mason will be able to reinvigorate a dejected Spurs squad who have looked lacking in confidence and form for some time.

The 29-year-old, who was forced into early retirement for medical reasons in February 2018, faces a Southampton side in need of a win on Wednesday night. However, the fixture that is on everyone’s lips is the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. Will the new manager effect be enough to claim Spurs’ first piece of silverware in 13 years?

Many managers have already been tipped to take over in N17. The following options are some that Daniel Levy and co. should be considering as the heir to Mourinho’s pragmatic throne.

Julian Nagelsmann

Nagelsmann guided RB Leipzig to their first ever Champions League semi-final in 2020

One highly sought after option lies in Nagelsmann. Just 33-years-old, the retired centre-back would represent a young, exciting breath of fresh air for Spurs. The RB Leipzig boss applies a vertical attacking system, whereby the priority for each player in possession is to advance the ball. This would signal the death of the boring, ambitionless sideways passing which Spurs fans have become accustomed to.

Whilst Nagelsmann does not prioritise high possession, his team are always pressing the opposition high up the pitch and attempting to force mistakes. He has adopted both a back three and back four in his time in the Bundesliga and has shown ability to adapt to differing styles of play.

The Lilywhites face stiff competition for the German’s signature, with giants Bayern Munich reportedly keen to bring Nagelsmann to the Allianz Arena after the departure of Hansi Flick. Although, after Leipzig’s 0-1 victory over Spurs in the 2020 Champions League, Nagelsmann was seemingly impressed with the Tottenham Hotspur stadium and fans. “The first ten minutes were very noisy, very loud. In the end, it was a pleasure to be a part of this game” (BT Sport Interview). Many Spurs fans will be hoping that Nagelsmann will be able to experience that atmosphere week in, week out next season.

Brendan Rodgers

With experience of a Premier League title challenge at Liverpool, as well as having excelled recently at Leicester City, Rodgers provides a safe, yet ambitious option for Spurs.

Rodger’s Leicester side recently advanced past Southampton to reach their first FA Cup Final since 1969.

Having unearthed a number of impressive signings for his clubs, including Phillipe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino for Liverpool as well as Youri Tielemans and Wesley Fofana for Leicester City; Rodgers’ recruitment history would bode well for the club’s future.

With no need to adapt to the demands of the English game, Rodgers could slot straight into the managerial hot-seat at Tottenham. Having won promotion to the Premier League in 2011 with Swansea City, Rodgers has implemented his philosophy at multiple clubs. He looks to combine possession-based football with a strict demand for tireless work from players. Levy could well see the Northern Irishman as the to coach Spurs back to success.

Christophe Galtier

Galtier is renowned for his calm presence on the touchline.

A less prominent option who will have certainly raised eyebrows in the Tottenham boardroom is LOSC Lille manager Galtier. The 54-year-old has gained many plaudits for guiding his impressive Lille side to top spot in Ligue 1, so far managing to hold off Mauricio Pochettino’s scintillating PSG.

This feat is even more impressive when you take into account the quality of player that Lille have repeatedly sold in recent years. For example, Nicolas Pepe, Victor Osimhen, Gabriel Magalhaes and Yves Bissouma just to name a few. Galtier’s ability to build a competitive side whilst adhering to financial stability within the club could likely entice Levy into a move for his signature.

With a playing style focused on maximising attacks, Spurs fans would likely be thrilled with the prospect of a return to free-flowing, risk-taking football.

Massimiliano Allegri

After appointing Mourinho, one of the most successful managers of all time, it was clear that Levy wanted to taste immediate glory with Spurs. If this is still the primary concern for the chairman then Max Allegri will surely be seen as a viable option.

A manager lauded for his versatility and tactical intelligence, Allegri guided Serie A giants Juventus to five consecutive titles before beginning a sabbatical period in 2019. His teams do not prioritise a high press, instead focusing on absorbing pressure and developing more pragmatic attacking patterns. This raises the concern, would this style of play be too close to that of Mourinho? Furthermore, would the players and fans respond positively to the appointment?

Allegri is said to have been learning English in preparation for a Premier League job.

The 53-year-old has not been secretive about his desire to manage in England in the future. However, the question begs, whether the increase in the pace of the English game would allow Allegri to implement his preferred tactics in North London.

Many more names have been flouted in respect to the vacant Spurs hot-seat including Eddie Howe, Nuno Espirito Santo, Ralph Hassenhuttl, Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard.