Rule The Roost - A Tottenham Hotspur Podcast

On today's 15-minute briefing:


The Pepe Mystery: Côte d'Ivoire secure a 2-0 win over Curaçao, lit up by a couple of absolute belters from Nicolas Pépé. Watching him strike them makes me wonder all over again: why on earth was he so poor during his time at Arsenal?


Germany Stunned: Ecuador confirm their place in the Round of 32 with a thoroughly impressive 2-1 victory over Germany. This is exactly the kind of result that Scottish fans would have had a very keen eye on as the groups shake out.


Dutch Dark Horses?: The Netherlands pick up a 3-1 win over Tunisia, featuring a lovely goal from Jan Paul van Hecke. It begs the question: are the Dutch quietly turning into genuine dark horses for this competition?


Elanga's Math Blunder: A 1-1 draw sees both Japan and Sweden confirm their places in the next round. The funniest moment came from Anthony Elanga, who genuinely thought Sweden were knocked out at the whistle... spoiler alert, Anthony, they weren't!


A Bump on the Nose for the USA: Turkey finally show the world what they are actually about, giving the USA a proper bump on the nose on their way out of the tournament with a 3-2 win. It's a timely reminder for Pochettino's men that they absolutely have to stay sharp if they want to go deep.


Get In, Australia: A gritty 0-0 draw against Paraguay means the Aussies are officially through to the knockout stages! Well in. They’ve lined up a tie against Egypt next, which promises to be a cracking game.


Norway’s Bizarre Rotation: Norway, with qualification already secured, decided to rotate their entire starting eleven against France and got soundly beaten 4-1. I have to ask: isn't the entire point of being at a World Cup having the opportunity to flex your best lineup against one of the greatest sides on the planet? Baffling decision.


Senegal Smash Iraq: Pape Gueye hit a couple of eye-catching screamers as Senegal gave themselves every chance of a best third-place berth, dismantling Iraq 5-0. I can confirm their progress was officially locked in a few hours later following the conclusion of the Group G fixtures.


Cape Verde’s Glamour Tie: A 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia means Cape Verde's absolute fairytale World Cup dream continues. They have lined up a massive glamour tie against Messi's Argentina in the Round of 32... and honestly, who knows? The way this tournament is going, maybe they could spring a monumental surprise.


Bielsa in Meltdown: Spain navigate a tricky 1-0 match against Uruguay to top the group, a result that completely sent Marcelo Bielsa into absolute meltdown on the touchline.


Belgium Finally Show Up: A comprehensive 5-1 routing of New Zealand sees the Belgians finally look like a football team, driven by an inspired, top-tier performance from Leandro Trossard.


Injury Time Chaos for Iran: High, unadulterated drama between Egypt and Iran. Iran have more than likely secured their place in the Round of 32, but it was pure chaos at the death.

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Phil and Jack brave the sweltering UK heatwave to bring you a comprehensive update on all things Tottenham Hotspur. We kick off by reflecting on England's stuttering World Cup campaign before diving into Jan Paul van Hecke's outrageous, record-breaking performance for the Netherlands. After smashing tournament statistics for touches and passes, did Spurs pull off a masterstroke by paying a premium to secure him before his value skyrocketed?

We then unpack some defensive dilemmas, discussing reports that Cristian Romero is encouraged by Roberto De Zerbi and wants to stay, and what Micky van de Ven's awkward left-back appearances mean for his structural role at Spurs. We also look at the latest on the Sandro Tonali saga following Craig Hope's exclusive update, question whether Newcastle's stubbornness will ultimately break, and analyse the stats behind West Ham's Mateus Fernandes to see if he's the perfect technical engine for our midfield. Finally, we wrap up with thoughts on Martin Dubravka arriving as our new passing goalkeeper.

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On today's 15-minute briefing:


Hate Watchers in Disarray: Portugal completely dismantle Uzbekistan 5-0. The big talking point? Cristiano Ronaldo finally gets himself on the scoresheet, leaving the hate watchers in absolute disarray.


England Frustrated by Ghana: A tricky, frustrating goalless draw for England as Ghana dug incredibly deep to earn a well-deserved point. It leaves me with one major question: should Ghana have actually had a penalty in this one?


Croatia Keep the Dream Alive: Croatia did exactly what they needed to do against Panama. A narrow 1-0 win, but it puts three vital points on the board to keep their World Cup campaign alive.


Colombia’s Goalkeeping Obstacle: Colombia spent the match rifling long shot after long shot against DR Congo, only to eventually settle it with a bit of a tap-in. We saw some more spectacular goalkeeping on display, and despite having three separate goals disallowed, Colombia get the win and march into the Round of 32.


Host Nation Joy Continues: A fairly uneventful 2-1 win for Switzerland over Canada, but the big news is that both teams are safely through to the next round. Huge well done to Canada for keeping the host nation joy alive and kicking.


Alajbegovic — Remember the Name: Bosnia and Herzegovina progress with a 3-1 win over Qatar, lit up by an absolute screamer from Kerim Alajbegović. Remember the name. At 2-1 Qatar were piling on some serious pressure, but ultimately it wasn't enough to stop the Bosnians going through.


Goal of the Tournament?: Morocco were made to work hard for their 4-2 win over Haiti, but it was illuminated by a strike from Wilson Isidor. Is that the goal of the tournament thus far?


No Joy for the Tartan Army: A harsh 3-0 defeat for Scotland against Brazil, which leaves them all but out of the competition. I don't feel the scoreline is an entirely fair reflection of how the game actually went, but Brazil were utterly clinical with the chances they created.


Historic South African Shock: Surely one of the biggest shocks of the tournament so far. South Africa secure a famous 1-0 win to cruise into the Round of 32 for the first time in their history, dumping out a South Korea side who have looked largely underwhelming throughout this World Cup.


Mexico’s Home Warning: Another massive 3-0 result for Mexico on home soil against Czechia. Luis Chávez’s first international goal was an absolute beauty. They are looking dangerous—I certainly wouldn't want England drawing them anytime soon.

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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.

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Jack is joined by touring stand-up comedian and Spurs fan Aidan Jones to talk all things Spurs and stand-up. We kick things off by talking to Aidan about his viral video where he stopped a live gig to celebrate Spurs surviving relegation, before diving into how his critically acclaimed show Chopin's Nocturne blends classical piano with raw comedy, and how an Aussie in London ended up adopting the club.

The conversation then pivots to the massive news broken by David Ornstein over the weekend: Lucas Bergvall has reportedly asked to leave N17. We debate whether it was naive to think we could develop both him and Archie Gray at the same time, question if Roberto De Zerbi is simply acting as a brutal hand for course correction, and ask if we are cashing in just to fund moves for Sandro Tonali and Mattheus Fernandes.

Finally, we look at the newly released fixtures—specifically that horrifying end-of-season run-in—before getting into a brilliant round of listener feedback. We pass on some high praise from Ben Haines, share our intrusive thoughts during Spurs matches, and tackle your questions, including which Chopin piece perfectly soundtracks Tottenham Hotspur.

Find info for and buy tickets to Aidan's shows here: https://linktr.ee/aidanjonescomedy Follow his Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/aidanjonescomedy/

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