The relegation battle set to be played out over the next seven Premier League matches is ‘fascinating’ for any impartial observer, commentator or fan not emotionally invested in any of the trio of possible candidates for the trapdoor.
One footballing giant from West Ham United, Nottingham Forest or Tottenham Hotspur is destined to leave behind the footballing ‘land of milk and honey‘ to face the slog and graft of the Championship next season.
With all of the financial implications that entails.
All three sides have had their managerial upheavals this season: West Ham by comparison look the most settled having bitten the bullet and removed Graham Potter early: Nuno Espírito Santo is at least building a more resilient West Ham who apparently face a 50/50 chance of escaping the drop.
Tottenham however left it late – mid February – to perform their managerial mis-step. The unfathomable decision to appoint Premier League virgin Igor Tudor looks to have tipped Spurs headlong into the forefront of the relegation battle whilst their board now seems frozen in a state of anxiety over whether to ‘stick or twist’ once more.
West Ham fans will certainly be praying they keep their lame duck manager until the season finale.
Reported in the telegraph.co.uk Spurs are apparently considering an “SOS” call to a former ‘Forest manager to save their skins – in what would be one of the oddest conclusions of a Premier League season as two of this term’s ‘Fired from Forest‘ managers competed with their former employers to avoid relegation.
“Spurs consider SOS call to Sean Dyche” runs the article.”Tottenham Hotspur will consider turning to Sean Dyche to rescue the club from relegation if first-choice Roberto De Zerbi continues to insist that he will only take the job at the end of the season…”
De Zerbi being no mug, will no doubt wait to see the outcome of this seasons scrap before committing to the north London side. Hammers fans will be hoping that Spurs’ indecision lasts a couple of weeks longer by which time the damage Tudor’s bumbling is creating could be irreversible.
Whisper it quietly but this two week international break is -surely – the time to make the change… Fingers crossed from West Ham’s point of view that the procrastination at our nearest rivals just ‘keeps on keeping on‘ for a wee while longer….