Recency bias? Football is a game of form no? So when we discuss form we need to sample a recent data set surely? What happens your data if you go from 40 games, and instead move to 28 - the total number of games Bissouma played last season?

I'm picking his last 10 games, and the entire year of 2025. That's not cherry picking, that's pegging to most recent performances.

I dont really buy into ratings, but in his last 10 appearances, FotMob gives him 2 games above 7 - Bentancur has 4. Not to mention the period in from Feb-Apr, where Bentancur has 8x7+ games. I can't find a run of 10 games where Biss has anything near that in 2025.

Sure but I don't think I agree that Bissouma's falling out of favour with fans is related to his melanin; but has everything to to do with one of our most senior players setting a terrible example for our predominantly younger team. Look at Reguilon, Gil, Lo Celso, Winks, Skipp - when we turn....

100% agree. However I'm not sure I buy the narrative that being white somehow makes you immune to the scrutiny of the media or the fans online and offline.

David Bentley, Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale were all disclipine by the club too.

Agreed fans lean into the racist tropes but objectively he's been very inconsistent on the pitch, and two managers now have spoken publicly on his lack of professionalism off the pitch/training, not withstanding the very controversial circumstances before he signed.

It's hard to listen to TEI/VFTL with how hypocritical and toxic it gets. Swinging wildly in what's good and what's bad every other EP.

The rumour of the death of international football has been greatly exaggerated

A lifetime supply of salt from Woolwich?

Seb - it’s everything- this is it - the game
is about glory

Thanks Dan, words have impact, you're a great writer, glad you've acknowledge the error in your choice.

Such a lovely piece. This is what it's all about!

If you printed all the horrible names that people called managers from the stands you'd be out of a job pretty quick. It'll be interesting to see the sentiment in the comments of your article.

Not sure any Spurs fan will see Ange as a clown regardless of the outcome of the final; this is case of letting red-top 'banter' take precedence over high quality journalism. DK is a good one, sad that he, and now you stoop so desperately for clicks; the real clowns in this circus are pointing.

So your argument is that, it's absolutely fine to refer to him being a Schrödinger's clown because you don't know why he's reading it..The scenario where DK has created of a clown or a hero is exactly what he's done, you can't walk it back - "His future and status may feel less binary if..."

We need the most accurate passers and controllers of the ball. I’d still say Kulu is a safer bet

All mistakes today, but the fallibility is a biproduct of the system.

Shame