Football Daily | Kulusevski and Maddison return to form but are Tottenham also back?

As Tottenham edged to victory over Coventry, a familiar face among the post-match salutations. Could that be Dejan Kulusevski? For it was he, playing 526 days since his last Spurs appearance. Much has changed though still much stays the same. Ben Davies’s deflected late clincher catapulted Spurs up to … 16th. When Kulusevski last played on 11 May 2025, Tottenham were 17th, the position in which they finished both that season and in 2025-26.

So what has changed? Ange Postecoglou was tinned that summer despite winning the Flamin’ Bigger Vase. Thomas Frank was an appointment the soccer sensibles agreed was smart. A coach with impeccable credentials in improving players, willing to work in tandem with club suits, an ideal apex for an org chart. With lovely hair, too. Frank was sent packing in February, his popularity ratings plunging to depths unseen since Alan Sugar had the bright idea of appointing George Graham, who had paid his gardener to shape his lawn into the Arsenal crest. In football’s world of irrelevant but interesting (you sure? – Football Daily Ed) coincidences, the last time Spurs beat Coventry in the league, when Sergiy Rebrov’s goal completed a 3-0 stroll in 2001, the manager’s programme notes had been written by Gorgeous George, who the day previously had been the recipient of Sugar’s “you’re fired” flex.

Igor Tudor’s tenure resembled a slasher movie, an appointment on the nod from a sporting director, Fabio Paratici, who had already left. Classic Spurs. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, it turns out. Or close to, until Roberto De Zerbi was handed the keys and a control none of his predecessors commanded. The transfer spend has been heavy, and when Kulusevski arrived in the 87th minute on Monday, the game not yet won, he did so following an absence where Spurs signed 20 players either permanently or on loan, at a cost of £530m.

Scoring Spurs’ opening goal on Monday was James Maddison. Football’s king of the oche was absent for almost as long Kulusevski. Last season, as De Zerbi attempted to arrest the slide towards relegation, ‘Madders’ initially sat on the bench on a vibes-only basis and closed out the season with not much more than 30 minutes of play, and had little time to do Maddison things like his arcing beauty against his hometown club on Monday, which opened the scoring for Spurs.

Good feelings at last, following a sunshine break in Marbella where, according to De Zerbi, his players became less a squad than a family. “You have to play for your friend and your brother, not like 11 robot players on the pitch,” he cooed. With two of his stars back in tandem, De Zerbi’s enforcer intensity brought a first league win of the season, to help Tottenham off the bottom. “With them in the dressing room there is another atmosphere,” De Zerbi roared. Jam tomorrow? Glory, glory? Lads, it’s etc …

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“People still call me a ‘party boy’. That stigma has been overused and has followed me since I retired from football. I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy myself as a player. You never hear that I didn’t turn up for training or wasn’t fit … now I’m not a kid trying to get into management for the first time. I’m a manager” – Dwight Yorke speaks to Morgan Ofori from his home in Dubai about his career ambitions, having been linked with the vacant Ghana job.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Further to Peters and Lee [Monday’s Football Daily letters] another 70s example that occurred to me was the West Ham players Mervyn Day and Bill Green. They were both in the West Ham United team from 1976-78, and in Carlisle United’s greatest season 1974-75. When Green was still at Carlisle, he played against West Ham’s Day. So plenty of Green Day commentary opportunities there. Of course, the band hadn’t formed yet, but who knows, perhaps they thought of the band’s name whilst watching some old 70s football footage” – Bob Dunning.

On the subject of musical football matchups, all I can say is that it’s just a shame Gareth Barry was at Manchester City a few years too late to play alongside David White” – Tim Russell.

As an aside to the music makers and fitba’, in the late 60s at the old Highbury, we would be entertained at every first team match by the local constabulary brass band. Such was the style of play, it did introduce a some element of entertainment into our visits to the old stadium” – Tommy Boyd (and, surprisingly, others).

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Bob Dunning. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here. 

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