Martin Lipton is the chief sports reporter for The Sun and one of the few old-school journalists still covering Spurs, and so his voice carries far greater gravitas than the run-of-the-mill mob that infest the modern era of reporting. He’s mature, informed, and understands football. Lipton’s piece about the perilous state of Tottenham makes tough reading, but not a word is out of place.
Spurs could realistically get relegated from the Premier League this season, though it’s still considered unlikely by most statistical models. Tottenham has been in abysmal form: winless in the Premier League in 2026 and there’s the stark reality of zero wins from their games this calendar year, including a heavy 4-1 loss to Arsenal in the recent North London derby.
They’ve won only 2 of their last 18 league matches overall. Thomas Frank was sacked in February after poor results (including a home loss to Newcastle), with Igor Tudor appointed as the new manager, but the immediate impact hasn’t turned things around yet.
Injuries have plagued the squad, contributing to the slump.
Lipton called the first team squad an Invertebrates XI, which feels true, especially when one notes the mindless shouting of Vicario, and the appalling losses of possession from the likes of Xavi Simons, against the Gunners.
The relationship between the board and the fans, never that great, is now fractured beyond repair. That is despite last week’s welcome freeze on ticket prices and extension of reduced costs for younger supporters.
Arsenal obliterated Spurs, who now look on at the once-admired ENIC, and the gloss has well and truly come off the multipurpose stadium operation.
The fan ire stems from perceptions that ENIC prioritises financial stability and profit over on-pitch ambition and success. Fans point to chronic underinvestment in the squad (e.g., low wages relative to revenue, reactive rather than proactive transfers, and a “sell-to-buy” or penny-pinching approach), which they blame for the club’s current poor form and serious relegation threat.
Years of appalling recruitment, leaving Tudor to work with the worst toolbox the club has offered in more than a decade.
Many describe the club as mismanaged for decades, with ENIC accused of treating Tottenham as a business asset rather than a football club with winning aspirations. Phrases like “sucking the life out of our club,” “greed,” and “lack of ambition” appear frequently in fan discussions.
Betting markets have shifted dramatically: Spurs’ relegation probability is now around 16-18%, and Supercomputer models (like Opta) put the chance lower, around 3-4.5%, but it’s been creeping up after recent defeats. Media and analysts describe it as a genuine relegation battle now, with Spurs in the mix alongside Forest, West Ham, and Leeds.
Fans are no longer asking, with a sense of worry, “if” Spurs could be relegated. They are wondering “how” the spiralling club can avoid it.
Many outlets call it a “very real possibility” or even warn of “catastrophic” financial consequences if it happens (massive revenue drop, player exits, etc.), given Spurs’ status as a historically big club that hasn’t been relegated since the 1970s and never in the Premier League era.
One senses that ENIC may step up its search to find a buyer while they still have something worth selling.