Danny Murphy has predicted the outcome of the Premier League relegation battle and named the major disadvantage facing Spurs in the fight with West Ham.
Just one point is separating West Ham and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur going into the final seven games of the Premier League relegation run-in.
The fight for survival has been between the Hammers, Spurs, Nottingham Forest and Leeds of late.
But after defeats to Aston Villa and Forest respectively last time out, many believe it may now be a straight shootout between West Ham and Tottenham to avoid dropping into the Championship.
Murphy: West Ham’s togetherness will keep them up over Spurs
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will climb above Tottenham Hotspur with a win over Wolves when the action resumes after the international break.
That would mark some turnaround which highlights the big difference between the Irons and their rivals from north London.
This team stays up ahead of Spurs 😎
Only debate is Dinos or Todibo….
While West Ham have been on the up with just three defeats from their last 13 games, Tottenham have fallen off a cliff and are yet to win a domestic game this year.
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That has seen Nuno’s Hammers close a 12-point gap on Tottenham to a solitary point with seven games to go.
While Spurs potentially being relegated for the first time in half a century has been making all the headlines, most feel the north Londoners will find the wins needed to survive.
But Danny Murphy has named the major disadvantage facing Tottenham in the relegation fight with West Ham.
Murphy has stated he feels Spurs will be the ones to drop, highlighting the fact West Ham and Forest have togetherness, organisation and ‘a bit about them’ whereas ‘capitulating’ Tottenham simply do not.
“They (Tottenham) look all over the place,” Murphy said on talkSPORT.
“They showed a bit of resilience second half of Liverpool. Other than that, the games I’ve seen have been pretty woeful. And they don’t look together…
‘Capitulating’ Tottenham destined for drop over West Ham says Murphy
“When you’re fighting down on the bottom, the one thing you’ve got to have is a resilience and togetherness and a desire to defend. The really worrying thing (against Forest) was the capitulation. The energy didn’t go the other way, which it should do when you’re 1-0 down in terms of your reaction. They shrunk. They shrunk and it looked, there was a bit of fear in them, which is understandable because they’ve struggled at home so badly. And the expectation of the crowd is there, the disgruntlement’s there and it takes a strong mindset to play through that.
“Defensively, you have to be clued up, switched on, do the basics right. And they don’t. They don’t. And that’s the coach’s fault..
Is this the WORST prediction of the season? 😂
Rob Earnshaw predicts West Ham to get just 3 more points…
“I don’t know, I’ve got a feeling no (Spurs won’t stay up) at the minute…
“When I watch Forest second half against Tottenham, they didn’t half have a good shape without the ball. Really good shape.
“West Ham now under Nuno. They’ve got a good shape, good platform. I know Villa beat them. Villa are a good side. You know, you can go to Villa when you’re playing well, never mind when you’re (down the bottom) and get beat.
“But that was only West Ham’s second defeat in seven. So they’ve got a bit about them. They’re having a go. And the reason I think Tottenham, if they keep the manager, will go is because I don’t see anybody who’s just about to get fit or sitting on the bench waiting in the wings who’s got the capability of grabbing a game and calming everybody down and getting them playing…
“I’ve looked at all the teams’ fixtures down there and I think they (Tottenham) are struggling.”
Murphy was keen to stress a change of coach from Igor Tudor could give Spurs the spark to turn it around.
Adolf Hutter looks set to become Tottenham boss, according to reports this week after Roberto De Zerbi turned them down.
West Ham will have more than one eye on who is appointed with fears a new manager bounce could condemn them to the Championship.
Relegation run-in remaining fixtures: