There was an odd atmosphere on Monday night. The on-pitch burners reminded me of the ultimate pointlessness of life itself, but the tifo set us up and the crowd got going. This faded as anxiety took over, rekindled only when we scored. I can’t go away but it sounded as if the fans at Villa gave everything to get behind the team. It doesn’t feel like a do or die atmosphere at home. Partly this is anxiety, but also there’s something niggling away at me about a degree of resignation. Not acceptance, but somehow fate will decide and it’s out of our hands as supporters.
I thought Frank’s organisational and motivational powers would meet the needs of a squad with unrealised potential. At Brentford he got the best from his players and made them better, as individuals and as a team. Ange’s approach was wonderful when it worked but too frequently he was outwitted by the PL norm of hard running, disciplined and well-drilled teams.
In reality, he clearly wasn’t able to take that step up. It felt as if in his head, he was still managing Brentford, only the players somehow looked different. The team became disorganised and disillusioned. Those in charge (I use this term because it’s not clear whether the board or the Venkatesham/Lange combo were taking these decisions, although I’m pointing the finger at the latter) acted too late. They then showed their disconnect with the situation in general and presumably with the mood of the players by appointing Tudor. He appears, in public at least, to have employed the tough love approach. I paraphrase, but as he said in answer to the question what’s wrong, ‘the defence, the attack, oh and the midfield.’
He was right but that’s not the point. His approach was never going to turn the team around, not in the time available to him anyway. Our decision-makers misjudged the mood of the squad and this could prove to be fatal. They failed to understand let alone address a fundamental question that applies to any team in any sport at any level – motivation. They researched Tudor’s ability to turn things around in failing clubs without digging into how he achieved this and whether his methods fitted the needs of the Spurs squad. Also, Tudor the temp wasn’t going to be around for long, so this limits the players’ investment in him and his methods. Plus the fact that all these players could get a good deal at another club. This disconnect wasted precious weeks and points. It is a crucial error, avoidable if the decision-takers had done their jobs properly.
What did our players have to play for? One answer is, play for the shirt. Another is professional pride, but these are abstract concepts. Most people in any job need something more tangible, and usually that boils down to two things, money and colleagues. At Spurs it’s not money because they are well-rewarded, so you play for your teammates and your coach. They may hold the badge up to the fans, but that is a tangible sign of team spirit and their loyalty to their manager.
De Zerbi knows this, and this is what he has achieved in a short space of time. The players have, I assume, little automatic fidelity to a club that has messed them around. They see all too clearly the problems we’ve faced in squad building, transfers and the managerial churn. In saying this, I’m not excusing them totally because they are professionals and their effort has at times been lacking, but this is the modern world, where players expect to be coached into their patterns of play. De Zerbi has given them this and a degree of positivity. It’s hardly original, but he’s buoying the players up in public and private by all accounts, treating them as individuals and developing their confidence. Men like Gallagher, Bentancur and Paulinha are shining because he gives them responsibility and plays them in roles familiar to them. In a remarkably short space of time, the defence and midfield are organised, working hard and playing as a unit.
There’s hope there, which I guess is all we can wish for right now and is an emotion I’ve not experienced since mid-January. I’m conscious that I’m down about this season but we have those two points and goal difference in the bag.
However, at the same time the improvements have brought the problems into stark relief. I’ve already discussed the biggest one, the decision makers’ dereliction of duty. The other is that our front line is poor and we lack the creativity to make enough chances to increase our sense of security. Tel is a promising young player -what a beautiful goal – who lacks the poise and nouse that hopefully comes with age and experience, except we need something now. Richie had a game to forget on Monday, while Muani provoked a vigorous discussion on Bluesky as to whether he is the worst loan signing the club has ever made. Good judges went for Gedson but at least we could hide him out of the way in midfield or on the bench, whereas Muani is crucial to our goalscoring aspirations.
One move from Monday summed this up. Tel facing his own goal was trapped on the ball, again, and ended up wildly hacking the ball across our box, fortunately just missing the attackers. It ended up with Muani, who in space proceeded to botch his move with a mindless run and dreadful control, so we lost possession. Then Tel did what he did, when calmer heads should prevail and we let slip the valuable two points that could have meant safety.
It’s in our hands. There’s hope, but sadly there’s no trust. You simply can’t trust them. Danso solid but makes the injury time error. Tel does what he does. Richie misses in front of goal. We give the ball away easily, still. On countless occasions we destroy an attacking opportunity for want of decent ball control or an accurate ten yard pass, which is not asking much. The most predicable element of our play is that we will make a key mistake.
But hope lies in our redemption stories. Kinsky shows remarkable courage in overcoming the Athletico debacle, where other keepers more experienced than he have seen careers disintegrate after such a confidence destroying game. His fortitude spreads from the back into the rest of the team. And Maddison made an immediate and discernible impact in the short time he came on. He probably won’t be fit enough for 90 minutes before the season ends so the decision is whether or not to use his limited minutes from the start or save him until later.
I would describe myself as mentally and emotionally resilient, thanks to my caring parents, although I did not realise this at the time, to me it was just normal. As a Spurs fan this helps successfully navigate the ups and downs, a perspective where the highs feel more exhilarating than ever because they are so precious while the lows can jog on, there’s always next week.
But I am exhausted by this, this mess, this shambles, this self-imposed purgatory. I’m not motivated to write as often as I used to. I just want to write, it’s awful, awful, awful awful. I don’t want to think about it but think about little else. Tottenham always on my mind after all. I’ve never demanded success or trophies, they will come our way if we play decent football and hubristic expectation is not part of me being a fan. Loyalty, family, being there, the camaraderie of good friends and those who sit around me, that’s what matters. If we go down, that remains and will sustain me. If we’re useless, I can handle that too, but this is all so avoidable and that’s what undermines my long-established coping strategies.
I’ll handle the banter and the comments, although currently they come from all sides. Friends (albeit it gently), comments from strangers if I wear something with the badge, topical comedy on the radio and TV, it’s ok because I know what being a fan means to me and that will carry on regardless of the outcome. It’s my club that has got to me. Years of negligence, of lousy decision-making in the transfer market, the arrogance of those in charge who thought we could manage, whose cursory disregard of supporters is unforgivable. Whose sloth in taking remedial action at the beginning of the year could take us down.
The true heart of Tottenham Hotspur beat at half time when the club showed a montage of those fans who died this year. Ten or more minutes passed as we applauded their smiling faces, one by one, wearing navy blue and white, each one representing a lifetime of support, some long, some tragically brief. I wish their families long life.
On Monday I met a long-standing season ticket holder who goes to every home game. Well, almost every one. He’s missed two this year, family stuff, which means he’s not seen Spurs win for 13 months. But he’s still here and so am I. I say I rise above the banter, but as my son pointed out, on the last day W Ham, AFC and Palace are all playing in London. For those of us who live in town or journey home through central London, that could be fun. And if those in charge ever made that journey on public transport, ever had to come out of their bubble, ever talked to those who have passed and truly listened, Spurs would never have reached this point.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Alan you are a true mensch. Ive always like your writing and its refreshing because its so real and a mirror to Tottenhams reality.
Its a difficult time (words that we say and hear constantly over the past seasons)
There is one thing I hold onto and that is our manager. Yes just a short time and we dont know whats next for him…and that feels a bit scary……but every word he says I hang onto for there isnt anything else to hold onto at Spurs apart from the dreams of years from years ago.
Roberto De Zerbi like you holds a mirror to the reality of Tottenham and maybe its neccessary that he puts always a positive spin on it even when we are under a grey umbrella. He,like you, has honest perceptions and both of you are right in your estimations. (Although RDZ did say we can win five games..i took that as a war cry rather than a literal prediction)
I agree on your comments about the brass. just watching their faces when they cameo them on TV is sickening. De Zerbi is fighting hard to bring light to Tottenham and those two are in the dark shadows with not only not only now smiles at all (I think even at Villa) but no expresssion…it sounded like the last days from the January window when there was silence. Its RDZ that is brining all his energy in and the one I want to look at for hope.
Ronnie Wolman
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First of all responsibility. It doesn’t matter who is making the decisions responsibility ultimately rests with the owners. Part of the problem at Spurs is all responsibility is offloaded onto the manager whether he has any control over the situation or not. We aren’t unique in that respect. Sacking managers has gone down well with (gullible ?) fans while the problems remain. When you read stuff by Spurs fans you might believe current issues are abnormal. But when Arsenal have won the league 13 times (probably 14 by the end of the season) and we’ve won it twice it tells you the culture of the club has been problematic for a long time.
De Zerbi can only work with what he’s got, until the summer at least. The club lost their only clinical finisher when the sold Brennan Johnson and didn’t replace his goals. The run in is basically about effort and organisation. Criticising players as not good enough is pointless when they are all we have. Come the summer it might make more sense assuming better replacements are suggested ( of course they have to be affordable, available and really an improvement). Generally though these sort of comments stop at “not good enough”.
In any event you will only know what the shape of the team will be and how good the players really are when De Zerbi has had some time to work with them. At the moment he’s firefighting.
What is really needed is a change in culture. Not a return to what was there before, 2 league titles tells you that isn’t good enough. Rather an evolution into a proper, professional club where a player’s attitude is as important as their ability and managers aren’t changed every 6 months. For that to happen the owners would have to take some responsibility for the club they own.
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Well, Alan, that’s a lot to unpack! But let’s bring it down to the essence…the next two games. The team has clearly been on the wrong end of enough bad reffing and VAR decisions to explain away as bad luck, or unfortunate coincidences, or incompetence. And the team can use this sense of injustice to create the old Wimbledon mantra of ‘We’re Tottenham and we don’t care!’ and use it against both Chelsea and Everton. It gives us even more incentive to battle for our lives (as if we need it) and because we play better away from home I believe we can get something from this game. If it goes to the last game of the season then it’s a crapshoot and wouldn’t it be just perfect (sic) for VAR to decide the balance of sporting life and death.
I’ll pick up on your point about professional pride. I think it means more than you give credit for. Pros are pros and they’ll battle and run through walls for 100 minutes if they have a purpose which brings me to the crux of the matter – if we cannot beat or draw both Chelsea and Everton then do we deserve to stay in the Premier League? There are 100 excuses why we are in this position and I’ve mentioned a few of them but if we are good enough and want it enough then our team can’t ask for anything more than to show what they’ve got. Win and we deserve to stay up. Lose and we can’t blame anyone else.
I was saving the following for your end of season post after the last match but can’t wait until then to share what Shakespeare wrote 400 years ago…it’s spookily appropriate:
A glooming peace this morning with it brings,
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head.
Go hence to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon’d, and some punishèd:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Vivienne and her Romero.
Eaststander
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In retrospect, after sacking Thomas Frank, they should have appointed a caretaker manager (maybe one of the coaching staff) instead of an interim manager. Then gone to work on getting their target De Zerbi into the club two or three weeks earlier than they did.
I thought the Maddison penalty denial was a shocking decision (and there have been others during 2025-26). They say good/bad penalty decisions are evened out over the season. So, what we need now is our full season’s share of awarded penalty decisions crammed into the last two matches.
But as you say, Alan, it’s come down to the last two games and it’s in our own hands to get the points we need to stay up.
It’s good to observe the suspension of unrest among supporters groups, who were demonstrating against the club. I think that single-minded support has helped, alongside the De Zerbi appointment.
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Morning Alan. Thanks for the piece. My thoughts on Tel, amount to this…
l expect after his infamous cross through the penalty box I would expect the more experienced players to tell him not to repeat that pass and instead to “get rid” or even a more considered comment as I “get it forward”.
So as the ball was dropping he decided the safest action was to watch the ball. Keep his position and overhead kick it forward, thereby follow the advice! In retrospect a crazy call but probably not for a young player either belief in his capabilities!
Anyway onwards and upwards ( please 🤞). As long as we turn up for the final 200 mins of the season i look forward to a far better future under Roberto.
Mal.
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I, like most of you I’m sure, am exhausted mentally. This season has been the worse I’ve seen as a fan. I still believe if we kept Frank we would be higher up the table, not much but maybe 2 wins higher. We needed a rebuild, he was, as he explained, trying to sort out defence as we conceded too much last year, but since Cuti seemed to have issues with the board over transfers and injuries and stopped playing since January (alongside VdV, Porro and Vicario after the Fulham booing), as if leading a player revolt, the board felt Frank dismissal would help, alas, it did nothing but make it worse. Hiring Tudor will be the most idiotic thing the board ever did, we wasted 5 games, goal difference went from plus to minus in quick time, and one point from 15 is abysmal.
RDZ has done great job, we will always wonder what if he managed since Frank firing instead???!?.. The next two games will decide our season, wether we are still PL or down, but why oh why does it have to be Chelsea next? If it was anyone else I’d be more hopeful, but them!!? Lets hope Newcastle can turn up and help us go into final game with it in our own hands..
A final note, I’m disappointed when I read/watch/listen to stuff online etc that most, if not all, fans want us to go down, I understand some London based clubs but Leeds fans saying they not bothered if they lose to Wham if it means Spurs go down, same with Newcastle and Aston Villa.. did we do something do them or is it more that they believe Wham easier to beat next year than Spurs? I’m hoping the players don’t feel same way as it’s eerily similar to when West Brom players came out after our match with them when Leicester won the league, saying “they prefer if Leicester won so played better against us than them”… I’m hoping Newcastle want to finish above Sunderland so will go to win, plus Farke saying ,”if you don’t perform 100% while wearing Leeds jersey then be dropped for next game” holds true…
once again my heart says we can stay up, but my head keeps saying different….
COYS
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Sunday. Up or down, the club culture must be rebuilt. We all know that. I still can’t see how it happens with the current owners, who remain the constant in the embarrassment that Tottenham has become in terms of the football – you know, the thing that allegedly this club is supposed to be about? All of us who follow Spurs can identify the issues really. They’re systemic, complex and not easy to solve. The reality check of the last two seasons could be valuable if it actually forces a handbrake on business as usual. I don’t believe that will happen in any meaningful way, though, due to financial realities as much as anything.
It’s been an abrasive season for us all. But for me, Romero’s latest act is the cherry on the imploded cake. A player who can’t even be arsed to stick around and support his team mates, or respect the club that pays him his millions by gracing it with his presence in a series of critical games. That’s nothing to do with football. It’s everything to do with character. He’s always been overrated by our fanbase, but his actions and contributions this season have frequently been incompetent, immature and now just plain don’t-give-a shit. It’s emblematic of where we are. This is our captain? This?
I’m lucky enough to have a ticket for Sunday. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt quite like this about a game. I was a kid but I remember ’77, just about, only because my uncle told me to pack it in with the tears! Quite right. It will be strange if we get over the line on Sunday. The relief and the elation. Tempered with the anger that will also be in the air. If the unthinkable happens, perversely I think we might be more united in defiance: this won’t break us or our club. And it won’t. Anyway, keep it simple. COYS!
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Well put again, Alan.
2 wins:
spurs1 Everton 0 Sunday.
lange and vinai fired Monday .
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There’s a few things to sort out going forward. One thing I am hoping is that having saved the club from relegation De Zerbi will be in a stronger position dealing with the club hierarchy than Frank was. There’s a list of things to sort out but before talking about them I’ll start with a request that we forget “I want my Tottenham back”. Two league titles when Arsenal have now won fourteen tells you the club’s culture has been wrong for a long time, before the current board, before Daniel Levy. It’s about going forward, not backwards, evolution not regression.
Start with the scouting. Its not that Spurs haven’t signed some good players, its more that some of them look like they could do more than they deliver. I would argue a lot of that is to do with character. We’ve got both extremes in the current squad. On the one hand there’s Romero, who as far as I can see doesn’t give a damn what happens to the club. On the other there’s Archie Gray who came out when we were still battling relegation and said if we went down he wouldn’t be asking for a transfer. Put simply we need no Romeros and more Archie Grays. You don’t figure out a players character by just looking at his skill level, but as far as I can see that’s what both the scouts and the fans have been doing.
The really worrying one is the medical side. We’ve been in an injury crisis for two seasons now and there’s still no explanation as to why. Its not just the number of players injured, its how long they are out for. Unless that can be sorted whoever is Spurs manager will be patching up teams throughout the season.
Succesful clubs keep the same manager in place for a long time. We have been doing the opposite. At least leave De Zerbi alone for a season and see what he can do. Ideally leave him in place for much longer. It’s taken Arteta six seasons to win the league, I think Arsenal would argue their patience has been well rewarded.
What I’m hoping is that this season will have been such a shock to the system that the owners will start running the club properly. Whether that involves replacing some of the hierarchy or changing policies doesn’t matter. Firing people always seems to go down well with fans but personally I’m not a huge fan of sacking as a reflex action. It didn’t work with managers, why would it work with anyone else ? But one way or another the club needs sorting out.
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