Heart vs Head with Kish from Lilywhite Lab | The Newcastle Dichotomy, The Xavi Simons Mystery & The Vicario Question (Q&A)

Jack welcomes Phil back to the pod to bask in the glory of the perfect weekend: a Tottenham win and an Arsenal defeat. We discuss this specific brand of joy, how football dictates our mental health, and the unique "shine" the world takes on when results go our way. We then dive into the performance against Brentford, specifically the 'redemption' of Xavi Simons. Has he finally staked his claim and he absolutely ran the show? Conversation moves to Thomas Frank, his willingness to change his stance on Simons, the newfound aggression in the side, and why we must remember that he is learning on the job. We also touch on a fantastic showing from Archie Gray, look ahead to the Champions League clash with Slavia Prague, and close with a word on Mo Salah’s incendiary comments at Leed and why they make us all the more grateful for the graceful way Sonny bowed out. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finally, Spurs win a game at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium! Xavi Simons was star of the show as Spurs overcame Thomas Frank's old side at a time when the knives were well and truly out for the Danish manager. Spurs played with more intent and purpose than we've seen in a while (outside of the PSG game) and it paid off - there surely can be no reason to not play Xavi from now on? Jack dives into his feelings on the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Kish from Lilywhite Lab to try and make sense of the trip to St James' Park. We examine the reaction to the Newcastle game, trying to separate the emotional relief of the result from the rational assessment of the performance. Discussion then turns to the confusing case of Xavi Simons. Is his continued omission a simple struggle to adjust to the Premier League, or a more worrying reflection of a clash with Thomas Frank’s style of play? We also dive into the midfield engine room and ask if it is finally time for Archie Gray to permanently displace Rodrigo Bentancur. Listener questions this week cover the Vicario Debate and whether it's time to upgrade or is the criticism overblown? And we find out who Kish would pick to replace Thomas Frank if the axe ultimately falls. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two worldies from Cristian Romero have spared Spurs yet another defeat in the Premier League after a wholly uninspiring performance from Thomas Frank's men. Tottenham's performance, however, pales in comparison to the shambolic officiating on display to award potentially the worst penalty ever seen. Jack has plenty to go on about with this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Gavin to dissect yet another miserable afternoon in N17 as Tottenham fell to a 2-1 defeat against Fulham. We digest the reality that Spurs have managed just one home win all season, and ask if time is finally up for Thomas Frank. Is he simply unable to handle this level of football, or is it too hasty to pull the trigger? If he does go, who steps in? They look into the potential candidates to replace him and weigh up the pros and cons of another managerial reset. We also touch on the ownership, despite the noise of a boardroom reshuffle, we ask if a leopard can truly change its spots, and discuss what we actually need to see to believe the club isn't entering a death spiral. Finally, we look ahead to Tuesday night’s trip to Newcastle. Is there any hope of a result at St James' Park, or are we destined for another walloping? Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the third time in less than seven days, Tottenham have tasted defeat. Only one win at home all season, and we lose to Fulham who had only one point away from home until today. Where do we go from here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by Charlie Parrish to pick the bones out of the 5-3 defeat to PSG. We discuss why, despite the result, there were genuine green shoots of promise in Paris, diving into the stylistic shifts and personnel tweaks Thomas Frank employed, and what this new look means for the rest of the season. We also debate the Xavi Simons situation, is he just taking time to adapt, or is he the latest victim of the club's disjointed squad building? Questions this week cover whether we need to ignore the spectre of Arsenal’s success to truly enjoy Tottenham again, what tracks would feature on Thomas Frank’s Apple playlist, and the morality of passing on Spurs fandom to our children. Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is on the mic to react to a breathless 5-3 defeat to PSG in the Champions League. It was a performance that arguably defied the scoreline. Plenty of attacking promise and evidence that Thomas Frank is attempting to be more positive, but ultimately undone by moments of madness at the back and the sheer quality of PSG. Discussion covers the harsh reality of individual errors at this level, why there is reason for stoicism rather than panic, and the undeniable positives to take from a chaotic night in Paris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack is joined by friend of the show Phil to pick through the wreckage of a 4-1 battering at the hands of Arsenal. We discuss how the universe seems to have conspired to let Eze bag a hat-trick against us, the alarming lack of fight within the squad, and the urgent need for the Lewis family to make good on their promises and re-energise this husk of a football club. We also put the spotlight on Thomas Frank, is he the man for the long term, or is he struggling under the pressure of the job? Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spurs barely even put up a fight in this shambolic display at the Emirates. Thomas Frank needs to have a word with himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices