Claim OwnershipRule The Roost - A Tottenham Hotspur Podcast
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Rule the Roost is a Spurs podcast where proper football man-isms meet arthouse pretension.
Every Monday, Jack’s joined by a guest to wrestle with whatever state Tottenham are in – from match discussions to transfer talk and identity to existential dread.
Thursdays are for Q&As, your chance to ask serious (or not) questions.
And after every match, there’s a solo pod recorded on the final whistle: unfiltered, emotional, and usually involving Jack crying about Ledley King (and now Son Heung-min too).
If you like your football chat somewhere between pub preacher and quasi-intellectual, you’ll probably get on with this.
Expect plenty of pop-culture references too.
Up the Spurs.
623 Episodes
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Merry Christmas from Rule The Roost.
Whether you are avoiding conversations with your racist uncle, on a post-dinner dog walk, or just trying to escape the washing up Jack is here with a festive stocking filler.
Yeah, things haven't been great, but as it's Christmas, let's focus on the good times. Jack has asked friends of the show, familiar voices from the Rule The Roost universe, and the wider Spurs podcasting community to send in their absolute favourite Tottenham memories.
It is a compilation of nostalgia, joy, and a necessary reminder of exactly why we love this lump of coal of a football club.
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Jack is joined by Phil to reflect on the weekend's loss to Liverpool.
While losing to Liverpool is fairly commonplace for Tottenham, we discuss why the continued poor results and wretched home form are now a cause for major concern. We ask the uncomfortable question: Are Spurs actually too big to go down?
We then dive into the psyche of the fanbase and the debate around "purity of ethos" versus winning at all costs. Does a rigid focus on playing a certain way hamper the club's ambition, or is that identity the only thing that matters?
Finally, we delve into the Tottenham career of Fabio Paratici, who is reportedly on the verge of a move to Fiorentina. We question whether we will actually feel his loss, and run the rule over the signings made under his stewardship.
Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
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Jack reflects off the back of yet another home defeat and defeat to Liverpool - something you'd think we're accustomed to be now, but still the frustration grows. From bad refereeing to questionable decision making from the players - it still felt like a largely uninspiring affair, aside from a rousing ending spearheaded by Richarlison. It needn't be all negatives, but we seriously need to start winning games.
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Jack is joined by Billie T to dive back into the shocking performance against Nottingham Forest, lamenting the wheels coming off the previous (minor) upturn in form.
We ask if Spurs fans are being too hasty and emotional in calling for Thomas Frank’s head now? Should we stick with him and ride this out, or is it only right that we hold dear to our identity as an attacking side and refuse to compromise?
We try to find some positivity amidst the mire of the season, touching on the growing partnership between Xavi Simons and Archie Gray, and why the increased inclusion of the latter shouldn't become a culture war.
Billie then answers your questions, discussing the idea of Mohammed Kudus playing a central midfield role to emulate Mousa Dembélé, and which fixture we would choose to play without VAR.
Things then get a bit festive as we find out Billie’s all-time favourite Christmas present and his definitive Christmas dinner side.
Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
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Jack is joined by Mark Nesbit to discuss the fallout from Tottenham's humbling at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
We dive into the "who was to blame" debate between Archie Gray and Guglielmo Vicario, which leads to a wider conversation about the goalkeeper spot. Is it imperative we replace him? And if the backup options aren't good enough either, is this just another sign that the recruitment and talent ID at the club is broken?
We discuss whether this is Daniel Levy's legacy playing out before our eyes, and why the Lewis family need to address this sooner rather than later to stop the club sliding into a death spiral.
Finally, we get onto Thomas Frank, should he be sacked? Would it be unhealthy to replace another manager so soon, and if we did, who on earth would take over?
Theme Ghost Cat by Gillen
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After some promising form, a strangely abysmal performance from Spurs at the City ground.
Forest fans will no doubt be revelling in this one after the summer's bitter back and forth between the clubs - but once again this felt like the sort of performance that Spurs might have lost, whoever the opposition was.
Do Forest have better players at their disposal? Is Spurs' technical floor too low?
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Jack previews Forest, as the title would suggest.
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Jack is joined by Adam Nathan from An Echo of Glory to react to another great night in Europe as Spurs dispatched Slavia Prague.
We discuss whether Thomas Frank is finally turning the corner, fuelled by the burgeoning synergy between Xavi Simons and Archie Gray and how pivotal that partnership will be for the rest of the campaign.
Conversation then shifts to Mauricio Pochettino, who told the BBC this week that he has "unfinished business" in the Premier League. We ask the big question: would we actually have him back? Is the romanticism worth the risk, or should that door remain closed?
Adam then tackles listener questions, including a deep dive into the pros and cons of Pedro Porro... is his attacking output enough to justify the defensive questions?
Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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
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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.
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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
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Spurs barely even put up a fight in this shambolic display at the Emirates. Thomas Frank needs to have a word with himself.
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Jack welcomes The Fighting Cock’s head honcho Flav back to the show ahead of the North London derby for a defiantly anti-Arsenal chat.
They get into Flav’s disdain for the commodification of the fixture and whether the divide between the clubs has ever felt this wide since the peak Wenger years.
Flav then answers your questions, from which injured player deserves the super magic sponge, to whether you’d trade a 4–0 derby win for a week of Marv-from-Home Alone-style trauma.
There’s also a debate about rogue roast dinner condiments, the place of HP and chilli sauce at Christmas, and Flav’s favourite Radiohead tune.
Theme is Ghost Cat by Gillen.
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With the international break upon us, Jack brings some light relief to Rule the Roost by welcoming Dan Kilpatrick, Tom Hayward and Sean Walsh for a Spurs quiz special. Before the games begin, the panel reflect on Troy Parrott’s standout week with the Republic of Ireland and whether Spurs were too quick to let him go.
Then it’s onto Quizmaster Tom Foin’s meticulously crafted questions, from top-scoring nationalities to North London Derby brain-teasers, as the lads battle it out for Spurs trivia supremacy.
A fun, semi-competitive detour from the usual soul-searching and arse wobbling.
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brilliant pod - balanced and not a bitter person. A regular on my rotation.
Aged badly in a handful of hours Jack... Great pod. City up next #facup 😁 x
my fav spurs mouth pieces :)
My first stop for Tottdngam nonsense. love your shit mate...and it only costs me a coffee.... 👊🏼🔥❤️
love this Jack... you passed doofbag
Hard times Jack.... keep it up fella👊🏼
Best line re Richarlison and Yves...so true
Nice one Jack..... keep 'em coming ✌️
Conte stubbonness is cokjng to the fore. Refusing to swap out his preferred players will drive the fans mad. Early days but.... I forsee the first signs of a painful divorce. We are playing poorly and scrapping through. No real threat from Royal ever, and keeping Son on. The boy needs a few games rotated. Deki and Doherty or Djed needs to be tried asap.... arghhhhhh
Good ramble chat Jack.... 👏
Pod class 🍺👍✌️
Pretty much my favourite spud pod x
love you pod dude x keep it up
Dele broken hearts
That was good chat lads... more please 🙏