EXCLUSIVE: 'I know what it's like to get relegated with Tottenham - here's how they can avoid repeat'
EXCLUSIVE: Tottenham are at risk of suffering relegation from the top flight for the first time in nearly 50 years
Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation fight this season might be unexpected but it isn’t the first time a star-studded Spurs team has had a battle on its hands. Nearly half a century ago, a squad including the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Steve Perryman dropped from ninth in 1975/76 to 22nd and bottom the following year.
Peter Taylor was part of the group that finished dead last, having joined from Crystal Palace a few weeks into the season. He knows as well as anyone else that there’s no such thing as being too good to go down.
The former England caretaker manager watched two of his old employers face off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Palace left Spurs reeling. And he is well aware of how much relegation can sting - especially when it’s so unexpected.
“The more I think about it, unfortunately we couldn't have been good enough because we got relegated,” Taylor told Mirror Football. “We probably weren't consistent enough, because we had some very good players but maybe we weren't consistent as much as we should have been and that's why we got punished and probably got what we deserved.”
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The current Spurs side has been forced to contend with injuries and suspensions, with centre-back Micky van de Ven the latest to pick up a ban after his red card in the last league game. However,Taylor wonders if the biggest loss is elsewhere on the pitch.
“One thing I would say is the difference between when I was there in my first year and now is that we had Glenn Hoddle, we had Alfie Conn,” he adds. “So I think we had more flair players than what they've got at the moment.
“Looking at them the other night, they needed a [James] Maddison badly. I can imagine a Glenn Hoddle being out there and even if Glenn didn't have to do any defending or anything like that, you know on one of his days or one of his nights he's going to open somebody up and score.
“I don't think they had too much of that [against Palace]. They worked hard but I didn't see enough of the old Tottenham.”
That league defeat was followed by another painful blow as Atletico Madrid put five past Spurs in the Champions League round of 16. The manner of the loss - a fourth on the spin under Igor Tudor - sparked questions over the future of the Croatian manager.
Taylor was relegated under Keith Burkinshaw, a manager who would stick around and lead the club to silverware once they were promoted back to the top flight. When it comes to Tudor, though, he believes the damage was done before the former Juventus boss took the reins.
“Me, personally, I wouldn't have changed Thomas Frank,” he says. “He knew the Premier League, he showed that when he was at Brentford.
“Unfortunately too many people were negative towards him. They weren't supporting him, they wanted him out, but I personally wouldn't have changed that.
“All managers will have different styles, they'll have different opinions on the game. That's why in pre-season, you have five weeks together to get ready for that first match.
“At the moment, with too many changes up top, it means they're starting all over again every other week. It can't be right. So, to me, you're giving a player an excuse and I think that's a dangerous situation.”
Spurs’ most recent win came against Eintracht Frankfurt in January when Frank was still in charge. They have had little trouble scoring goals but have struggled defensively, with their last league clean sheet coming on New Year’s Day.
Captain and centre-back Cristian Romero has served a four game ban following a red card against Manchester United, though he is expected to miss Sunday's game against Liverpool after clashing heads with team-mate Joao Palhinha in midweek. The Old Trafford dismissal was his second of the season and Taylor has called on the Argentina international to step up and bring the togetherness the team needs with time running out to escape the drop.
At this stage of the season Taylor is less worried about quality on the pitch and more concerned with togetherness. Spurs don’t need to win games with perfect performances - they just need to win at all costs.
“I would accept the last nine matches being absolutely rubbish football but three or four wins out of it,” he adds. “That's what they need and I think a good changing room helps that.
“We had a decent changing room at Tottenham when I was there. We had the best captain I've ever played under in Steve Perryman, who would do everything for the manager and everything for the team.
“That's what they need [now] but that's what I didn't see [against Crystal Palace]. I'd like to see a changing room win rather than a quality win.
“[Romero returning will help] if he does it right but I've got my doubts. I went to the Liverpool game where he got sent off as well so he's got to prove he deserves to be captain.”