Hotspur HQ

Tottenham Hotspur still are not at a point in James Maddison's return from an ACL tear where they can count on him for a start, much less a full 90 minutes, but he has been consistently playing more and more bit by bit to the point where Spurs can think strongly about returning him to the starting XI this weekend in the crucial final game of the season vs. Everton.

Spurs need a draw desperately to stay alive in the Premier League vs. the Toffees after getting trounced by Chelsea 2-1, shredded by a bitter rival for the fourth and final time in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

In truth, Maddison did not do a whole lot in his approximately 20-25 minutes on the pitch against the Blues at Stamford Bridge, creating no chances nor drawing any fouls or completing any dribbles. He was about as effective as any of the other attacking players on Tottenham, which is to say he did a whole lot of nothing.

Tottenham need a James Maddison start

However, when watching him receive the ball, turn, his first touch, and his passing, it's clear and obvious to every single Tottenham Hotspur supporter that James Maddison is several levels of class above his teammates.

Spurs are sorely lacking in attacking quality. None of their attackers would be a starting player for Spurs under normal circumstances, as the season ending injuries to crucial summer transfers Mohammed Kudus and Xavi SImons have been felt badly - as have the lingering injuries from last season to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

But even then, it is no excuse how Tottenham have mismanaged the striker position. Maddison might actually be the one guy Spurs can count on the most for a goal this weekend against Everton, and that's truy terrible on the rest of the forwards, especially with Richarlison quietly sliding back down to another poor patch of form.

The technical level and lack of creativity or ability to do the fundamentals well off the dribble or even with simple passes is also a major issue. Tottenham have forwards who are not able to get the ball to open players for goals, and Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani have made first touches that have fans vomiting in their seats.

Watching Maddison play really shows you how low the level is at Spurs, because, compared to the others, he looks like Lionel Messi or Raul Gonzalez in the technical department.

I generally avoid criticising referees, aware of just how tough a job it is at the highest level. The installation of the video assistant referee (VAR) has added another layer of complexity, with the state of officiating utopia we naively thought the technology would facilitate nowhere to be seen.

We know Tottenham Hotspur have been putrid this season, perhaps deserving their existential struggle thanks to the complacency and incompetence of those running the show upstairs. Still, they wouldn't be in their current precarious situation if they'd hadn't been so erroneously dealt with by PGMOL.

You don't want to hide behind poor refereeing as the primary reason for blips, sustained malaises, or terrible seasons. I covered Arsenal for a couple of years and was subject to unrelenting cries of an FA conspiracy from their neurotic fanbase every time something didn't go their way.

However, now I'm starting to feel like one of those overtly emotional Gooners who attributed blame to anyone or anything but the football itself.

Two big refereeing decisions went against Tottenham in Chelsea defeat

This was a disastrous Tuesday for Tottenham, starting with Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth that confirmed those folk down the road as champions.

Having been only three when the ’Invincibles’ were crowned, this is my first experience of an Arsenal title success. I said in my recent newsletter that it was a fate I'd long accepted, but nothing prepares you for the official confirmation. Never before have I resented the happiness of my closest friends so much. Damn you, Iraola.

Anyway, after that all went down, there was just no way we were going to get the result we needed at Stamford Bridge. An absolute graveyard of a ground for this football club, Spurs would've wilted had Calum McFarlane picked 11 supporters at random from the stands in his starting XI, especially seeing as we were the ones more desperate for a result.

Nevertheless, the game was delicately poised heading into the final quarter thanks to Richarlison's tap-in. With Chelsea offering little after scoring their second, just one moment was required. James Maddison's arrival supplied greater hope of invention, and although momentum was once again hard to muster when chasing a game, Stuart Attwell could have given us a helping hand.

The moment of contention arrived when Attwell halted Mathys Tel's corner to book Marc Cucurella for hauling Micky van de Ven to the ground. Now, a penalty can't be awarded for a foul that occurs while the ball isn't in play, but the worst of Spaniard's grappling most certainly takes place after Tel has taken the corner.

It's hard to precisely discern when the foul takes place in relation to the ball being kicked, and I think we've been subject to more egregious instances of misfortune (there's a long list), but God, would it kill the referees to give us something? Our wait for a Premier League penalty in 2025/26 goes on.

Then, minutes later, the brutish Liam Delap gets away with staring down Djed Spence and landing a nasty forearm/elbow into the side of his face. On the scene, Attwell was quick to brandish a yellow card. Fine, but how has the VAR not stepped in?! It's as clear a red card as you're likely to see, especially when you consider some of the dismissals that have compromised the Lilywhites this season, namely Xavi Simons against Liverpool and Cristian Romero at Old Trafford.

Had the just decision been made, and not merely overlooked by the hapless folk at Stockley Park, then Spurs would've had at least 10 minutes with a man advantage. We probably wouldn't have made the most of it, but that's beside the point.

Officials are continuing to drastically hinder our quest for survival, yet the club seemingly remains content with the weekly ongoings. There's no conspiracy, but why are those in charge merely accepting such incompetence?

The 2025/26 Premier League season has been a full referendum on the malaise of Tottenham Hotspur, which should have already been apparent last season when they finished 17th in the league, though the Europa League title shrouded over just how putrid they were domestically.

Spurs can blame the refs and injuries, but every fan watching this team this season knows that they deserve to be in the position they are in - and they are lucky not to be confirmed as a relegated side with how poorly they have played.

With destiny in their hands, Tottenham, once again, gave one of their most hated rivals easy points, losing 2-1 to Chelsea when all they needed was a draw to confirm safety. And even their best performers are letting them down.

Mathys Tel was a real disappointment

After two crucial errors undid a great goal against Leeds United and led to a back breaking draw in the relegation fight, Mathys Tel was shocking against Chelsea, proving to Tottenham Hotspur fans that while he is the best attacker the team has, that's really only by default at this point.

Maybe more concerningly, he showed that he is nowhere near the level that Tottenham need in order ot be able to ocmpete with their biggest rivals again. Because despite his eye for the spectacular, effort, and ability to creating shooting opportunities for himself, Tel is severely lacking in the basics.

There were multiple times when all he had to do was complete simple pass into the box to an open teammate to create a clear goal scoring opportunity, and he completely fluffed it. Mathys Tel is young, but with his purported quality and his years of experience in the top flight, you'd expect him to make better decisions than he does and to complete obvious passes at a higher clip than he does.

It was one game and certainly a game to forget against a tough opponent, but Tottenham have to admit that Tel has done this more than just in the Chelsea game. Roberto De Zerbi, the fans, and the club have every reason to believe in Tel because the highs are so high and the raw tools are all there, but it's also important to admit that Spurs have never seen it come together.

This offseason, De Zerbi is going to have to work closely with Tel, because he has to get better at the fundamentals. Lows being this low cannot be tolerated at a club as big as Spurs from a marquee position like the left wing.

Tottenham Hotspur only needed one point against bitter rivals Chelsea in order to seal their Premier League status, but, instead, on the same day Arsenal were confirmed league champions for the first time in decades, Spurs wet the bed again.

They were abysmal, in truth, no matter what Roberto De Zerbi says, and the worst player on the pitch was, once again, striker Randal Kolo Muani. It is simply appalling how Kolo Muani continues to find new lows, and though it has been said already by Spurs supporters that he makes the old Timo Werner loan look wonderful by comparison, even that statement doesn't do justice to how poor Kolo Muani has been.

Because forget just calling him the worst loan signing in Tottenham Hotspur history. Randal Kolo Muani is building a very serious case for himself to be the worst signing in Tottenham history, the worst forward in Tottenham history, and even the worst player in Tottenham history.

Randal Kolo Muani is one of the worst ever

Sure, there are less talented players who have been at the club before, and Kolo Muani did have enough quality to bag a Champions League hat trick against finalists and parent club PSG (nevermind that Spurs lost anyway). But in Spurs worst season in history with relegation on the line, Kolo Muani has, by far, been the worst player on a team filled with putrid performers.

That fact was sealed yet again when Tottenham lost 2-1 to Chelsea. Kolo Muani was a disgrace to the sport. He's been at that status of futility for weeks, if not months, now, and Tottenham fans can only lament why the club didn't simply terminate his loan in the winter when they had a chance and Juventus were somehow willing to take him off their hands.

Offering no goal threat, finishing ability, or any semblance of work rate, Kolo Muani is a highly paid mercenary who has been totally satisfied with watching Spurs burn to the ground. Tottneham fans are crumbling their fists at how little he gives in the attack or in any other phase, and they cannot fathom how Roberto De Zerbi continues to start him, especially on the right wing where he isn't a good fit anyway.

Kolo Muani was a disaster again vs. Chelsea, and with another legitimat 2 out of 10 performance in a Spurs kit, he has sunk to another low. If Spurs start him against Everton on the final day, then, really, shame on them as a club.

There is zero question that Mohammed Kudus has been the best player on Tottenham Hotspur this season, and he has been sorely missed these past several months with a major hamstring injury he suffered in January. Kudus was already expected to miss a couple of months, but after the initial time line came and everyone thought he would be ready to star for new manager Roberto De Zerbi, it was announced that the Ghanian international had suffered a setback and would be out for the remainder of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Tottenham have managed to get themselves within one point of safety in the Premier League even without Kudus, who was arguably the best dribbler in the entire Premier League and basically carrying the Spurs attack in the worst of the Thomas Frank "era".

Spurs supporters simply cannot wait for Kudus to come back next season at full strength, and they are beyond ready for his debut under Roberto De Zerbi. In fact, in response to a Spurs fan posting how excited he is to see Kudus play under De Zerbi, the man himself wrote on X "Watch ME" with an hour glass and a raised hands emoji.

Mohammed Kudus is a stellar player

Prior to his season ending injury, Mohammed Kudus was averaging 2.7 dribbles completed and 1.2 key passes per game with five assists. He was doing this as the star man of an attack that was basically dead in the water and not even trying to score goals under Thomas Frank.

Tottenham are much better under De Zerbi with more progression and control over games, as the midfield has been miles beyond under his leadership. Conor Gallagher, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Joao Palhinha are all playing way better than they were previously, though the attack hasn't quite woken up with all the injuries and the poor performances of the strikers.

Xavi Simons and Kudus were the two big splashes that even Daniel Levy couldn't resist making - or screwing up - but between the two of them, Kudus was already adjusted to the Permier League as a former West Ham star. He's also been the one out the longest and will return sooner than Simons, who tore his ACL not but a few weeks ago, and in just two words, he has Spurs supporters even more excited for his return to the starting lineup. Kudus is a special player, and he will thrive under a more attacking - and more competent - manager.

Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha has been one of the most difficult players in the squad to figure out. When Spurs were actually winning games at the beginning of the season under Thomas Frank, which is so far removed from the past that it's almost hard to believe this was even the case at all, Palhinha looked like a lock to stay at Spurs permanently and have Johan Lange and Co. activated his 25-30 million euro buy clause from Bayern Munich to follow in the foot steps of the much younger Mathys Tel.

But as Tottenham fell off under Frank as the season went on in their descent towards the Premier League relegation fight, so, too, did Palhinha's play and influence. He was riding the bench and a big part of the problem when on the pitch, getting overruled in the midfield with sloppy positional errors and even worse passing as Spurs struggled to progress the ball or maintain any semblance of midfield quality and control even against the worst of opponents in the English Premiership.

Lately, though, Palhinha has been a man revived, and new Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has managed to have him join the crew of Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur as veteran midfielders who have gone from major liabilities to players driving Spurs charge to safety in the relegation battle - and Tottenham are now just a point away from confirming their place in the 2026/27 Premier League season.

Joao Palhinha may not stay with Tottenham after all

While De Zerbi and Spurs are wanting Joao Palhinha to be more in than out, an old friend from the Portuguese top flight is complicating things by trying to bring the former Fulham star back to his home country.

According to reporting from George Lyall of Sky Sports and Portuguese outlets like A Bola, Sporting CP are very interested in poaching Palhinha from Bayern Munich under the noses of Tottenham and their option to buy cause. They are among a number of clubs reportedly interested in Palhinha and may even be negotiating currently to make a move this summer.

Obviously, the ball is in Tottenham's court. If they want him, he is theirs due to their clause, and they have the right of first refusal in that way. But it's also partialy in Palhinha's court. If Palhinha would rather move back to Portugal now that he is 30 and sees more playing time with Sporting, as well as actually having top European football with Spurs either finishing 17th or 18th this season, then they could tempt him. Sporting have now thrown another wrench in the discussions around N17 about keeping Palhinha.

Richarlison officially won't be going to the 2026 World Cup with the Brazil national team. Despite a close relationship with new Selecao manager Carlo Ancelotti, including great success during their time together at the Merseyside with Everton, and a catalogue of success with the national team, Richy won't be in the final squad in North America after the breakout performances of Endrick for Lyon - and the desire to see if Neymar can give Brazli "One Last Dance" this summer.

In truth, while Richarlison's snub may seem surprising to some Spurs fans, he hasn't played well enough over the past couple of seasons to merit inclusion. And if anything, his wasteful display against Leeds United probably sealed Ancelotti's decision to leave him at home, which still may not have been an easy decision for the Italian legend.

Still, while Richarlison will be bitterly disappointed at being left off the team, his snub is actually great news for Tottenham Hotspur. Because Richy now has a real chip on his shoulder, if he didn't already, in the final two games of the 2025/26 Premier League season with Spurs still needing one point against two tough teams, Chelsea and Everton, to secure survival over rivals West Ham United.

Richarlison won't be going to the World Cup

Tottenham need someone to emerge as a true hero in the attack. Dominic Solanke is still injured, and he's not going to be able to play on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge. And it sure as heck isn't going to be Randal Kolo Muani to lift Spurs up, as he's been the worst striker in the entire Premier League this season with no signs of getting better under Roberto De Zerbi.

Aside from the young Mathys Tel, Richarlison is it, and he is Tottenham's leading scorer for a reason. Spurs need a motivated, hungry, and energetic Richarlison to show up against Chelsea and his former employers Everton. We know Richy always gives his all to the club and is at his best when his team is up against it, and it's time for the Brazilian international to live up to that reputation.

He has pride to play for, in addition to Spurs survival, and those two ingredients make for a dangerous dish when it comes to Richarlison. Tottenham fans want to see the full fury of Richy out on the pitch after Carlo Ancelotti, of all people, discarded him for the summer, and this may be the motivation to tip him over the edge for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly willing to give up on Alfie Devine after an impressive loan spell at Preston North End.

The 21-year-old joined the club from Wigan Athletic when he was 16, and became the club's youngest-ever player when he featured in the FA Cup tie against Marine five years ago. Devine has long been touted for big things, and we've seen sustained periods of good form in the second tier this season.

A dynamic and athletic midfielder with box-crashing capabilities, Devine has just completed his fourth loan since joining the club. Previous English Football League stints at Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle failed to return much success, before he scored six times in 32 games for Belgian Pro League side Westerlo last season.

He moved through the gears at Preston, having signed a new deal with Spurs last summer. Devine settled in at Deepdale and was named their Young Player of the Season after scoring eight times in the Championship.

Now, PNE, who finished 14th, are hopeful of securing the midfielder's signature on a permanent basis.

Preston ready to pull Devine trigger

There was an agreement in Devine's loan deal that Preston could buy the 21-year-old outright for £4.5 million. That'd be a club-record fee for the Championship side, who don't want to let Devine return to north London.

According to Alan Nixon (via Lilywhite Rose on X), Preston are attempting to negotiate a payment structure with Spurs that'd allow them to pay off the transfer over multiple years—a common practice.

It's not yet clear whether Spurs are willing to accept such a proposal, although it's one I don't think the club should be entertaining anyway. We'd bank some pure profit on a player we've nurtured since he was 16, but Devine is surely more valuable to us than £4.5m? Even if he's not integrated into Roberto De Zerbi's squad next season, another successful loan in 2026/27 could see his value inflate further.

This isn't a player we should be borderline discarding for a relatively minute fee.

Spurs hold the cards, with Preston having the option to sign Devine permanently, not an obligation. Shouldn't we be giving De Zerbi the chance to work with him this summer, given that our midfield has hardly emerged as a position of strength this season?

The Italian will build this Tottenham squad in his image, and he may appreciate Devine's lung-busting runs.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero is one of the best center backs in the Premier League, and although he has been missed over the past few games due to a right MCL injury, the fact is, Spurs have been getting results in his absence and are now just one point in one of their last two games away from safety in the relegation battle.

Nobody disputes Romero's individual quality, and he does care more about Spurs than it may have seemed several weeks ago after he and fellow star center back Micky van de Ven deeply disappointed the Spurs faithful with a string of poor performances.

But there's been something unsettling about Romero this season that has led many Spurs fans to be of the opinion that it is perfectly OK if the Argentinian star wants to finally call it quits and join a "bigger" club in Spain this summer transfer window after flirting with a move in 2025.

Cristian Romero can be constructively critiqued

Perhaps this point was articulated best by former Tottenham Hotspur star center back Toby Alderweireld, who was, quite frankly, twice the player and leader that Romero is. Alderweireld was a star center back alongside fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen for Spurs in the 2010s when they were at their best under Mauricio Pochettino.

In a recent interview with Tom Allnut of The Times, Alderweireld wasn't afraid to criticize Cristian Romero for being a disappointment despite his obvious individual quality. He said, “I think he’s an unbelievable player, in moments. For example, with the red cards, you don’t help your team. When your team needs you, you need to be the captain steering the ship, not putting it in more trouble. He’s a very good player but he should have done better in some situations. For me, centre backs are players you need to count on, to be flawless, not crazy. Win your battles, be secure, that’s the number one. Long balls, passes between the lines, of course that’s a plus, but the basic is to be secure. A captain has to be aware not to — I don’t say he’s causing trouble — but not to be a risk to himself. I call them trustful leaders. You need to be a calm person.”

What Toby Alderweireld is saying about Romero may seem a bit scathing, but nothing he is saying here is inaccurate at all. Every Tottenham Hotspur supporter has felt at some point that Romero has let them down with rash challenges and bad games in big spots at the worst possible time, hurting the team with a rash or overly aggressive mistake.

In a way, he has been like a better Guglielmo Vicario. The flashy stuff is there, but the basics and the security are not, and it can cost Tottenham points. Alderweireld isn't currently attached to the club but is a legend of the club as a center back, so he is in the best position to say the unspoken out loud.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to Stamford Bridge knowing that a point would all but confirm their Premier League status for 2026/27, and Roberto De Zerbi is hopeful that James Maddison will be able to play a part.

Maddison's absence as a result of a devastating knee injury sustained last August has been keenly felt, and Spurs' rotten luck on the fitness front has exacerbated the unavailability of our primary playmaker.

Xavi Simons recently succumbed to a similarly severe ligament injury and will sit out for the remainder of 2026, but Spurs will hope to have a fully fit Maddison purring for what we can only hope will be another top flight campaign next season.

The Englishman had spent weeks in the matchday squad, operating as a cheerleader on the touchline before De Zerbi handed him his first minutes of a wretched campaign late on in last Monday's then-ambivalent draw with Leeds United.

While the slickest iteration of Maddison isn't yet ready to come to the fore, we were treated to glimpses of the creator's magic, and he surely should've earned a penalty that would've given us the chance to earn all three points.

De Zerbi discloses Maddison's status for Stamford Bridge trip

Our situation suddenly isn't so desperate thanks to another late-season Geordie favour, but we'd rather have Maddison available as an option on Tuesday night than not.

As expected, De Zerbi confirmed that the Englishman, who entered the fray in the dying embers against Leeds but was treated to 13 minutes of stoppage time, isn't ready to come into his starting XI midweek.

“At the beginning of the week, he didn’t work for a small problem, but yesterday and today, James is working very well,” the Italian said. “Now, he is not ready to play 90 minutes. I want to speak with him tomorrow morning and to take the best decision with him.”

The update's encouraging, with his recovery over the weekend suggesting there will be a spot on the bench for Maddison in west London. This doesn't scream of a game where we'll desperately require his craft and ingenuity, as was the case last week, but Maddison's invention will come in handy if we're chasing the result we'd love to secure.

Anything but a defeat, which are admittedly common at the Bridge, will keep us up. Well, unless there's a 13-goal swing on the final day. Surely, such a scenario is beyond the ’Spursy’ realm.