NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 523
Submitted by Norman Giller

The Transfer Window closed at seven o'clock tonight with Tottenham Hotspur satisfied that they now have a squad to take on the best in the Premier League and in Europe. They brought in on loan from Paris Saint-Germain explosive utility forward Randal Kolo Muani to feed off the passes of Xavi Simons, and we shell-shocked Spurs supporters started to get our confidence back.

Muani was an urgent acquisition as Tottenham's medical team reported that Dominic Solanke's ankle injury is more serious than first thought. Muani was a free-scoring player with Nantes and Eintracht Frankfurt before joining star-studded PSG.

I wonder what Ange Postecoglou thought when Spurs announced the capture of Muani, who had been on his wanted list a year ago?

I considered leaving this column completely blank, which captures my thoughts after that 1-0 bashing by Bournemouth (some would say that would be an improvement on my usual drivel). But that would be ducking my duty and responsibilities, which is an accusation that could be aimed at several Spurs players on Saturday. This was an absolute shocker, just as our hopes were being built by atomic activity in the transfer window.

We could not have complained had Bournemouth won by five or six goals. That's how one-sided the game was and as recorded HERE by our Spurs Odyssey guru Paul H. Smith. He deserves a medal for sticking to his post and reporting from what must have seemed a war zone where only one side was fighting and firing. It was not Spurs.

After that promising start to the season, Thomas Frank suddenly discovered the mountain he has to climb to make Spurs at the very least consistent. But there is cavalry riding to the rescue.

Dutchman Simons was introduced to the Tottenham faithful before the embarrassing duel with Bournemouth, and he has the sort of tricks and dynamism that was so obviously missing against the well-ordered Seasiders.

Hectic work by technical director Johan Lange made up for having Eze stolen from under Tottenham noses by the Arsenal. He was the man who had the job of untangling all the red tape that enabled today's late capture of Muani.

The frustration of missing out on Eze and Gibbs-White strengthens my commandment of never believing a signing until the player is seen wearing a Lilywhite shirt, just as Simons was when introduced to the crowd on Saturday. I wonder how long it was into the match before he wondered whether he had done the right thing joining Spurs from RB Leipzig?

But Thomas Frank has been given the support he deserves now that Spurs have added Muani and Simons to the signings of Mohammed Kudus, and Joao Palhinha. They are a quality quartet.

Anyway, it all gives us something to look forward to as we now take a brief break for the internationals. I will be back here on Monday September 15 with reflections on what I hope is a resounding victory at West Ham. I did say 'hope', which has too often seemed a difficult currency to find at Tottenham. Things WILL get better, uh, I hope...

COYS.

Here we go with the fourth week of our quiz that tests your knowledge of Tottenham players and the club's history...

Who played 51 times for England, started his career with Millwall and from which club did he join Spurs for the first time in 1992?

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 4. Deadline: midnight this Friday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in the previous 11 seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake - two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a real stinker of a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. This is when I lose what few friends I have.

This season's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2026, plus three signed books to be revealed at a later date.

Last week I asked: Who played 18 times for England, started his career with Charlton Athletic and from which club did he join Spurs in 2011?

Answer: Scott Parker/West Ham

See you back here on Monday September 15.

COYS!

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