Spurs’ September Challenge and EFL Championship Insights
Fitzie’s back, and English football hasn’t exactly been standing still. So, three quick hits today: the early EFL Championship picture, a pivotal month looming for Tottenham, and a transfer window that threw money at a problem and dared the manager to make it all make sense.
Hoddle #1: Early EFL Championship Ripples
Four games in. Too early for sweeping judgments, but not too early for warning signs and quiet optimism.
Charlton’s bright start feels especially valuable. These are the points that matter when the table tightens and the relegation fight turns nasty in spring. Banking 10 points now could be the difference between scrambling in April and breathing room.
Swansea look sharp. QPR do too. Both sit on 10 points and both have that early-season swagger. But this is the Championship – teams can fly through August and fall apart by Christmas. We’ve seen it all before.
West Ham stumbled out of the blocks in their first three, then suddenly clicked, dismantling Wolves to remind everyone why they still look like automatic promotion material. That performance carried the authority you expect from a side with serious ambitions.
At the other end, the alarm bells are already ringing. Preston have opened with four defeats from four, while Burnley are winless and stuck near the bottom. It’s not fatal in August, but it’s uncomfortable.
Top eight so far:
- Swansea – 10 pts
- QPR – 10 pts
- Charlton – 10 pts
- Wolves – 7 pts
- Boro – 7 pts
- Bristol City – 7 pts
- West Brom – 7 pts
- Birmingham – 6 pts
Bottom three:
- Stoke City – 3 pts
- Burnley – 2 pts
- Preston NE – 0 pts
Plenty of time for this table to twist itself into something unrecognisable. It always does.
Hoddle #2: Spurs Stare Down a Crucial September
No European football. Fewer midweek distractions. For Tottenham’s men, that strips away excuses and shines a spotlight directly on Roberto De Zerbi.
The squad is largely settled now, with one big asterisk: Richarlison’s future. Once that’s resolved, De Zerbi will know exactly what he’s working with.
September offers only four fixtures, but they’re loaded with consequence: three league matches and a trip to Anfield in the EFL Cup. Spurs showed flashes against Newcastle but walked away with nothing. That can’t keep happening. This month is about turning “promise” into points before a brutal October arrives.
Tottenham Hotspur men’s schedule:
- Forest – 5 September
- Everton – 12 September
- at Liverpool (EFL Cup) – 15 September
- Villa – 19 September
The women’s side are about to step into their own new era. The season starts this weekend against West Ham, then comes Liverpool and Palace, with cup ties sprinkled in. Big personalities and leaders have gone: Beth England, Molly Bartrip and others. That leaves a very different dressing room and a lot of open space for new figures to step up.
Tottenham Hotspur women’s schedule:
- West Ham – 6 September
- at Liverpool – 13 September
- at Palace – 20 September
- West Ham (League Cup) – 23 September
- Villa – 27 September
- at Brighton (League Cup) – 30 September
Two Spurs teams, two fresh slates, and a month that could set the tone for everything that follows.
Hoddle #3: Fitzie’s Verdict on Spurs’ Transfer Window
Spurs didn’t tiptoe through this window. They kicked the door off its hinges.
The hierarchy backed their manager heavily, throwing more than £300m at a squad that flirted with relegation last season. Big names went out: Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario among them. Big money came in: Mateus Fernandes, a headline arrival and a clear statement that this club wants to reset its level.
There was clever work around the edges too. Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson on free transfers is the kind of business that usually belongs on a different club’s highlight reel. That’s strong, opportunistic recruitment.
Then came the premium splash on Savio, brought in to inject quality and incision on the wing. Omar Marmoush feels like a smart, quietly ambitious addition. Mykhailo Mudryk, though, is the wild card. The talent is obvious, the fit less so. If De Zerbi can unlock him, Spurs might have a devastating weapon on their hands. If he can’t, what does that mean for the club’s longer-term planning?
Sandro Tonali’s arrival only underlines the ambition. On paper, this is a transformed squad. The board have done their part. The pressure now lands squarely on De Zerbi’s shoulders.
Not everything hit the mark. Letting Will Lankshear go looks like a misstep. A loan path seemed possible, a way to grow him without cutting ties. Spurs did protect themselves with a sell-on clause, but it still feels like a door closed too early.
Then there’s the goalkeeper situation. It doesn’t fully convince. Martin Dúbravka doesn’t look like a genuine threat to Antonín Kinský’s spot, and there are still doubts around Kinský himself. This felt like a window where Spurs could have upgraded decisively in goal. They didn’t.
Even with those concerns, the overall picture is strong.
Fitzie’s transfer window rating: B+
Money spent. Gaps filled. Risks taken. Now comes the only part that really matters: can this expensive, retooled squad actually win enough football matches to justify the gamble?
