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We nearly got him? Ahh fuck.
Indeed, my first thoughts when I saw this thread were "oh no, not Le Tiss!"
Superb footballer though, when I'm ever trying to explain to people about footballers who have a purely natural talent, a genuine gift for football, Le Tiss is one of the people I mention as an example.
Latest chat with Graham Roberts was with Matt Le Tissier, probably the best player never to play for us (more about that in a minute).
Matt was born in Guernsey, had trials with Oxford when he was 14, but he was homesick and went back home. He was spotted by Southampton, aged 15, and joined their YTS scheme, once his schooling was completed.
He confirmed that he was a Spurs supporter, as was his dad, and Hod was his idol. He recalled how his dad surprised him with a trip to London for the 1981 FA Cup Final, and he got to miss school for the afternoon. Unfortunately they couldn't stay for the replay. He also remembered the UEFA Cup Final in 1984 as a stand-out memory.
Although Matt was linked with several clubs during his time with Southampton, he never spoke to anyone else, except us. In fact, terms and conditions were agreed in 1990 and a contract was drawn up, to be signed and finalised at the end of the season. The reason it fell through was nothing to do with money - Matt's fiancee at the time didn't want to move to London! So we missed out on one of the best natural talents of the game due to some silly tart he didn't even stay married to!
However, he has no regrets on how things turned out, as Southampton enabled him to perform at his best. He loved his time there, and said that if they had been relegated during his time, he would not have left and would have given them at least one season to get back. His best manager was Alan Ball as he had belief in his ability and built the team around him. Although he had issues with Glenn and his man management (apparently Hod is the only manager he ever swore at!), Hod was the best tactician by a million miles. Matt was gutted to have been left out of the World Cup squad by Hod in 1998, and he found out on Teletex. Things were awkward between them for a while, but they have sorted things out since and now on better terms.
Someone said that it was criminal that he only got 8 England caps, but we seem to struggle to get the best out of players that are a bit different.
Matt was then asked about his phenomenal penalty taking. He scored 47 out of 48 in his career and cited three reasons for his success. Firstly, he wanted to take them (some players have a mental barrier up and really don’t want to take one). Secondly, he was able to sidefoot the ball with power, which gave him better accuracy than using his instep. Thirdly, he could change his mind as to where he was going to place the ball right up to the last second before striking it. He remembered that Tim Crossley saved his one failure (the same Tim Crossley that saved Lineker’s penalty in the ’91 Final). Matt was more annoyed that although he managed to get to the rebound, he blasted it over the bar.
He loves being a pundit, as it allows him to still be involved with football, without the pressures of being a manager. He did try taking his coaching badges, but was bored and he doesn’t think that all players should be coached the same (not having badges didn’t do Fergie any harm). He admitted that he enjoyed sitting alongside Merson, as you never know what he’s going to come out with next.
He was asked about Poch - he was surprised that he was let go after his first dodgy spell, as it looked as if he was building something special. He was also surprised that Jose was appointed as his replacement, because of the way we try to play. He’s not decrying his achievements, but doesn’t seem the Spurs way. He also feels that Poch will be back.
Matt’s view on Hojbjerg was interesting – he thinks that he is a good holding midfield player, but a little bit short on technical ability. He’s not going to push us up to Champion’s League level, but then again, he may step up in a better team. He had been impressed by KWP, and felt he changed the game when he came on against Man U.
He was asked where he thinks we need to improve; no surprise that he said our full backs, central midfield and replacements for Jan and Toby (he must watch us a lot!). Thinks Harry and Sonny are as good a front two as you can get.
His most difficult opponent when playing us was Gazza, with Pat Van den Hauwe also getting a mention.
His best goal, technically, was a goal against Blackburn, but his favourite goal was against Woolwich when they beat them 3-2 in the final competitive game at The Dell in 2001.
My question was how he felt about clubs changing stadium, and how long it takes to make the new one feel like home. He only had one year at St Mary’s and he felt it took a couple of seasons to really settle in, as The Dell was a ground that other teams didn’t particularly enjoy playing at. He said that he and his dad are still to visit our new stadium, they had plans before lockdown, and he is looking forward to it.
His opinion on VAR is that it is a good system, but poorly officiated, and still not applied consistently. It would be improved if ex-players were involved, to get a perspective from someone who played the game.
He was quite diplomatic when asked about Gareth Bales’ behaviour – although he feels that he has been treated harshly by Real Madrid, he also feels that he doesn’t help himself by acting up.
Someone brought up Ali Dia (if you don’t know what I’m on about, Google it, otherwise I’m going to be here all night!). Matt couldn’t believe how bad he was, thought he had won a competition to spend the day with the team. He actually came on for Le Tiss after 20 mins as he felt a twinge in his thigh. Souness had to take him off after 20 minutes he was so bad.
Matt touched briefly on Harry Redknapp’s time at Southampton, and how it was a mismatch right from the start, as it was obvious that Harry’s heart wasn’t in it.
The best story he told was the one where he met Matthew Harding (the Chelsea chairman). Harding had a Panini sticker of Le Tiss, and asked him to autograph it and then tried to sign him for the Chavs. Le Tiss said that the only way that he would play for Harding is if he bought Southampton for £7m. Harding said that he would and call it Chelsea-by-the-Sea. Le Tiss then went off camera and produced a framed personal cheque signed by Harding, made payable to Chelsea-by-the-Sea for £7m! Robbo mentioned that he should have been with Matthew Harding in the helicopter that crashed, he had a lucky escape.
Matt plays a lot of golf and his hero is Ernie Els, and he met him at some golf tournament. When he asked for a selfie, Matt was chuffed that Ernie knew who he was!
In the Messi v Ronaldo debate, he prefers the former, as he feels that Messi is a naturally gifted player, whereas Ronaldo is a bit more ‘manufactured’.
He enjoyed doing the ‘Harry’s Heroes’ programmes, would do the Jungle only if he was skint, and had the best time on Countdown, won three of his ties, but lost the fourth.
I wasn’t sure whether to dial into this one, as Matt is not a Spurs legend, but it was a great evening, he was brilliant on the night.
Next up is Paul Stewart.
Matt was born in Guernsey, had trials with Oxford when he was 14, but he was homesick and went back home. He was spotted by Southampton, aged 15, and joined their YTS scheme, once his schooling was completed.
He confirmed that he was a Spurs supporter, as was his dad, and Hod was his idol. He recalled how his dad surprised him with a trip to London for the 1981 FA Cup Final, and he got to miss school for the afternoon. Unfortunately they couldn't stay for the replay. He also remembered the UEFA Cup Final in 1984 as a stand-out memory.
Although Matt was linked with several clubs during his time with Southampton, he never spoke to anyone else, except us. In fact, terms and conditions were agreed in 1990 and a contract was drawn up, to be signed and finalised at the end of the season. The reason it fell through was nothing to do with money - Matt's fiancee at the time didn't want to move to London! So we missed out on one of the best natural talents of the game due to some silly tart he didn't even stay married to!
However, he has no regrets on how things turned out, as Southampton enabled him to perform at his best. He loved his time there, and said that if they had been relegated during his time, he would not have left and would have given them at least one season to get back. His best manager was Alan Ball as he had belief in his ability and built the team around him. Although he had issues with Glenn and his man management (apparently Hod is the only manager he ever swore at!), Hod was the best tactician by a million miles. Matt was gutted to have been left out of the World Cup squad by Hod in 1998, and he found out on Teletex. Things were awkward between them for a while, but they have sorted things out since and now on better terms.
Someone said that it was criminal that he only got 8 England caps, but we seem to struggle to get the best out of players that are a bit different.
Matt was then asked about his phenomenal penalty taking. He scored 47 out of 48 in his career and cited three reasons for his success. Firstly, he wanted to take them (some players have a mental barrier up and really don’t want to take one). Secondly, he was able to sidefoot the ball with power, which gave him better accuracy than using his instep. Thirdly, he could change his mind as to where he was going to place the ball right up to the last second before striking it. He remembered that Tim Crossley saved his one failure (the same Tim Crossley that saved Lineker’s penalty in the ’91 Final). Matt was more annoyed that although he managed to get to the rebound, he blasted it over the bar.
He loves being a pundit, as it allows him to still be involved with football, without the pressures of being a manager. He did try taking his coaching badges, but was bored and he doesn’t think that all players should be coached the same (not having badges didn’t do Fergie any harm). He admitted that he enjoyed sitting alongside Merson, as you never know what he’s going to come out with next.
He was asked about Poch - he was surprised that he was let go after his first dodgy spell, as it looked as if he was building something special. He was also surprised that Jose was appointed as his replacement, because of the way we try to play. He’s not decrying his achievements, but doesn’t seem the Spurs way. He also feels that Poch will be back.
Matt’s view on Hojbjerg was interesting – he thinks that he is a good holding midfield player, but a little bit short on technical ability. He’s not going to push us up to Champion’s League level, but then again, he may step up in a better team. He had been impressed by KWP, and felt he changed the game when he came on against Man U.
He was asked where he thinks we need to improve; no surprise that he said our full backs, central midfield and replacements for Jan and Toby (he must watch us a lot!). Thinks Harry and Sonny are as good a front two as you can get.
His most difficult opponent when playing us was Gazza, with Pat Van den Hauwe also getting a mention.
His best goal, technically, was a goal against Blackburn, but his favourite goal was against Woolwich when they beat them 3-2 in the final competitive game at The Dell in 2001.
My question was how he felt about clubs changing stadium, and how long it takes to make the new one feel like home. He only had one year at St Mary’s and he felt it took a couple of seasons to really settle in, as The Dell was a ground that other teams didn’t particularly enjoy playing at. He said that he and his dad are still to visit our new stadium, they had plans before lockdown, and he is looking forward to it.
His opinion on VAR is that it is a good system, but poorly officiated, and still not applied consistently. It would be improved if ex-players were involved, to get a perspective from someone who played the game.
He was quite diplomatic when asked about Gareth Bales’ behaviour – although he feels that he has been treated harshly by Real Madrid, he also feels that he doesn’t help himself by acting up.
Someone brought up Ali Dia (if you don’t know what I’m on about, Google it, otherwise I’m going to be here all night!). Matt couldn’t believe how bad he was, thought he had won a competition to spend the day with the team. He actually came on for Le Tiss after 20 mins as he felt a twinge in his thigh. Souness had to take him off after 20 minutes he was so bad.
Matt touched briefly on Harry Redknapp’s time at Southampton, and how it was a mismatch right from the start, as it was obvious that Harry’s heart wasn’t in it.
The best story he told was the one where he met Matthew Harding (the Chelsea chairman). Harding had a Panini sticker of Le Tiss, and asked him to autograph it and then tried to sign him for the Chavs. Le Tiss said that the only way that he would play for Harding is if he bought Southampton for £7m. Harding said that he would and call it Chelsea-by-the-Sea. Le Tiss then went off camera and produced a framed personal cheque signed by Harding, made payable to Chelsea-by-the-Sea for £7m! Robbo mentioned that he should have been with Matthew Harding in the helicopter that crashed, he had a lucky escape.
Matt plays a lot of golf and his hero is Ernie Els, and he met him at some golf tournament. When he asked for a selfie, Matt was chuffed that Ernie knew who he was!
In the Messi v Ronaldo debate, he prefers the former, as he feels that Messi is a naturally gifted player, whereas Ronaldo is a bit more ‘manufactured’.
He enjoyed doing the ‘Harry’s Heroes’ programmes, would do the Jungle only if he was skint, and had the best time on Countdown, won three of his ties, but lost the fourth.
I wasn’t sure whether to dial into this one, as Matt is not a Spurs legend, but it was a great evening, he was brilliant on the night.
Next up is Paul Stewart.
A tremendously gifted player, when you look back at the best 50 goals scored in the EPL, he scored half of them. I know Bergkamp's goal for Woolwich vs Newcastle was voted number 1 but Le Tissier scored at least three or four very similar goals of the same if not better quality.
Technically the best English player of the 90s along with Gazza. Looking back with Gazza's injuries and problems, there could have been a case to build the England side instead around Le Tissier at some point; but he didn't help himself by not making the move to a bigger club. Maybe he thought he wouldn't be able to deal with the pressure, he is a more complicated character than meets the eye - as with most geniuses!
Technically the best English player of the 90s along with Gazza. Looking back with Gazza's injuries and problems, there could have been a case to build the England side instead around Le Tissier at some point; but he didn't help himself by not making the move to a bigger club. Maybe he thought he wouldn't be able to deal with the pressure, he is a more complicated character than meets the eye - as with most geniuses!
I got the impression that he felt he wouldn't have got the same freedom to play to his best ability elsewhere. He's very laid back, and was happy being a huge fish in a tiny pond.
Found his level at Southampton IMO. If he was as good as the thought he was, he would have left and played for a bigger club and won things. A great talent but never anywhere near being a great player.
Some would disagree! closest he came to leaving was for us but didn’t happen but I think he would have been a good fit for here.
What Eli said
Genius? Dont make me laugh! How is a player that played his whole career for a team consistently in the relegation zone and only got 8 caps for a distinctly average England side a genius? A highly talented finisher that had a poor team built around him and could try things others couldn't due to their poor side at that time. If he'd moved to a Utd or maybe even us, that wouldn't have happened and if you know one thing about LeTissier its that he struggled any time he was asked to play as part of a system. Main reason he hardly got any caps as he didn't want to fit into the structure that Hod imposed on him for the benefit of the team something much required at that level. In fact he was totally ineffective for England his highest level played at much like a wild horse with a harness on. If LeTissier's a genius what would you call players like Maradona, Ronaldinho, Messi, Ronaldo etc?
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Sugar didn't pull the plug. He wasn't even a the club at the time LeTiss came close to joining
You can’t win if you stay at one club your downed you want another club and a new challenge you get downed again, dearie me.
Goal of the Month in the '90s was basically the Matt Le Tissier show. He was one of my favourite non-Everton players, along with Shearer.
Magical player. Xavi said he idolised him when growing up.
Never said he was in that calibre, just that for him, enjoying playing was more important to him than anything else. Realistic enough to know that he got the freedom he did by staying with Southampton, where he was adored. One of the few players who played for someone else that I could happily watch, silky skills and scored some superb goals.
I think he would have become a global sensation had he moved to Man U, the bloke was sensational and is the most wasted of English talents, what did he end up with 1 cap? Ridiculous
8 caps, actually. But that's not the point, really. He didn't want to move, because he didn't think he would be happy at another club, that's what came out of his comments.
Didn't realise it was that many, I think if he'd have gone into a major international tournament and showed 50% of what he was capable of he'd have been a target for some major clubs around the world and maybe had his head turned, if he played today I'm pretty sure he'd be in a top team.