Tottenham's Premier League survival hopes suffered another blow on Saturday as they lost 2-1 at Fulham, their fourth consecutive league defeat. Manager Igor Tudor, visibly deflated after the match, spoke of 'big problems' within the squad, criticising the attack's lack of quality, the midfield's inability to run, and a defence not prepared to 'suffer'. He accused his players of lacking 'brain' and being unable to read the game.
Tudor's outburst drew comparisons to Antonio Conte's infamous rant after a draw against Southampton in March 2023, when the Italian questioned the players' commitment. 'Tottenham's story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something, but why?' Conte had said. Tudor's defeatist tone shocked observers given his reputation as a specialist in relegation battles.
The statistics paint a grim picture: since beating Everton in October, Spurs have won just two of 19 league matches, taking 12 points from a possible 57. They are winless in ten games and have lost their last four. With 10 matches remaining, they sit four points above the relegation zone, a position that seemed implausible weeks ago but now feels very real.
Injuries have decimated the squad. Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Wilson Odobert are all sidelined, while Cristian Romero serves a four-match suspension. Dominic Solanke and Radu Drăgușin have missed large chunks of the season. Structural issues also persist: the squad that challenged for the title a decade ago was not adequately refreshed, partly due to the cost of the new stadium and a reluctance to spend.
Defending Europa League champions and one of the Premier League's founding members, Tottenham now face the very real prospect of relegation, a fate that would be unthinkable given their history and resources.
