Rule The Roost - A Tottenham Hotspur Podcast

Jack is joined by James Maw from The Athletic to try and make sense of another incredibly turbulent week at Tottenham Hotspur. The pair kick things off by exploring Roberto De Zerbi’s comments post Sunderland. We ask whether the famously intense tactician taking the squad for a lavish dinner and claiming they need a 'father' rather than a coach could be the Hail Mary we need right now.

The conversation then turns to the news that Cristian Romero will miss the remainder of the season. Jack and James reflect on what could very well be the Argentine's final game in a Spurs shirt, asking if the mainstream media narrative has unfairly influenced how sections of our own fanbase view our first cup-winning captain in 17 years. Frustrations then shift towards the boardroom, as we vent about the deeply tone-deaf Tottenham executives posting personal corporate achievements on LinkedIn while the club's top-flight status hangs by a thread. We question whether this perfectly illustrates the absolute disconnect between the suits and the terrifying reality on the pitch.

Looking ahead to a monumental clash against Brighton, the lads discuss whether De Zerbi can actually pull off a desperate result against his former, highly in-form side. Finally, James dives into a massive selection of your listener questions. We explore the potential revisionist history surrounding Daniel Levy, debate whether we would actually dominate the Championship given our previous cup struggles against Tamworth, and question Tottenham's lack of progressive passers.

Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Adam Michie to pick through the wreckage of a miserable defeat at the Stadium of Light. The pair discuss the perceived lack of fight on display against Sunderland, asking if this squad has already accepted its Championship fate without so much as a whimper. The loss further compounded by the opposition manager’s brutal post-match assessment that Tottenham simply weren't strong enough to worry him.

We then turn our attention to Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge. We analyse how De Zerbi Ball translated to the pitch and question the massive, surprising decision to leave Xavi Simons out of the starting lineup.

The conversation inevitably shifts to the consistently poor officiating we continue to endure. Jack and Adam ask if it is time to buy into the conspiracy theories after the referee completely ignored Brian Brobbey's blatant push that sent Cristian Romero crashing into Antonin Kinský.

With Romero now potentially out for the rest of the season and maybe missing the World Cup, we ask the tough question: are we shedding tears for Tottenham losing our only competent defender, or for Argentina? Facing the very real prospect of the drop, we then dive into the terrifying financial realities of relegation. With over £831 million in net debt and a massive looming drop in revenue, Adam explores whether this is truly end-of-days stuff for the club, before we desperately try to find even the smallest glimmer of hope to cling to.

Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tottenham are getting relegated and all of our players are useless tbh - leave me alone, I'm angry
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Rosa from the Hometown Glory podcast to process yet another devastating blow in this miserable season, as we react to the news that Mohammed Kudus has suffered a fresh injury setback. We discuss the club's grim update, and Tom Barclay's confirmation, that the winger may now require surgery, before turning our ire firmly towards Johan Lange. We dissect the sheer ineptitude of his January claims that Spurs did not need to panic buy because of returning players, and ask what on earth the medical department is doing behind the scenes.

The conversation then tackles the terrifying reality of tonight's clash between West Ham and Wolves. With a West Ham win set to plunge Tottenham into the relegation zone for the first time in 18 years, the pair debate whether dropping into the bottom three adds a whole new layer of psychological pressure, or if the squad is already drowning in anxiety. Looking ahead to the weekend, Rosa shares her expectations for Roberto De Zerbi's highly anticipated debut against Sunderland, and we discuss how Antonin Kinsky will cope in goal under the Italian's high-risk system as well as debating actually how good (or bad) Guglielmo Vicario is.

As always, we dedicate the second half of the show to your listener questions. We explore whether there is any morbid curiosity about what relegation would actually mean for ENIC and the squad, debate whether a committee of podcasters could genuinely run the club better, and try to remember what it actually feels like to celebrate a win. We also cast the key roles for the inevitable drama mini-series of this disastrous campaign, and craft our most fanciful, silly fanfic scenarios for survival.

Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by podcast royalty, Flav from The Fighting Cock, to process the goings on at Tottenham Hotspur over our extended break from the pitch. With Roberto De Zerbi officially through the door, the pair discuss whether the glowing reports from the training ground have genuinely changed our initial opinions of the volatile Italian. We explore the shifting power dynamic in the dressing room, arguing that while this squad infamously tuned on Thomas Frank, they simply will not be able to get away with ignoring De Zerbi's intense, demanding presence.

The conversation then tackles the massive goalkeeper dilemma looming over the crucial trip to Sunderland. With Vicario out injured, we dive deep into the Antonin Kinsky debate. The pair ask if his disastrous Champions League debut can be quickly forgotten, and if his natural ability with the ball at his feet could kickstart a redemption arc under a manager who demands extreme bravery from his keepers.

Finally, we wrap things up on a lighter, more desperate note as Jack puts Flav on the spot, asking exactly what he would say if he was suddenly tasked with delivering the ultimate, backs-against-the-wall Tottenham team talk ahead of this weekend's relegation six-pointer.

Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices