Hotspur HQ

Tottenham Hotspur have been destroyed by injuries this season somehow even worse than in previous years. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are still not back yet, Dominic Solanke only recently returned from being out for months, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall leave huge vacancies in midfield, Wilson Odobert is done for the season, and Mohammed Kudus's multi month injury looms largest.

But arguably no single player has been made more unreliable by recurrent injuries than starting left back Destiny Udogie, whose increased absences this season have, if anything, highlighted both how hard it is to trust him but also how important he is to the starting lineup when he does play.

Udogie's latest injury has kept him out since the beginning of February, and it is the second hamstring issue that has cost him a month of action and a handful of games. There was optimism he could return any game now, including this weekend against Liverpool, but that has not been the case.

Destiny Udogie will be ready for Nottingham Forest

However, Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor finally did get a chance to provide Spurs supporters with a positive Destiny Udogie injury update ahead of the Liverpool game. Per Tudor, Udogie is almost ready to return and is going to be ready when Spurs take on Nottingham Forest.

The Tottenham vs. Forest game is massive for both clubs, because Spurs, right now, are just one point above Forest and West Ham United in the Premier League relegation fight. So that is an even bigger must win for Spurs than the other must win games Spurs have already scuffed up, including last weeke's 3-1 debacle of a loss to London rivals Crystal Palace.

Having Udogie back in time before the next international break for the March 22 game on Sunday against Nottingham Forest will be massive. Udogie is a great progressor of the ball and a better defender than Djed Spence despite all the social media nonsense, and with Tudor unwilling to trust Souza as a starter yet, Udogie is really the only valid option at left back.

When Udogie returns vs. Forest, it would also be nice to see him starting behind Mathys Tel on the left wing. Tottenham fans have barely seen that axis this season, but when they have been given glimpses of it, it has looked like a pairing capable of delivering results to this otherwise downtrodden Tottenham side in the 2025/26 Premier League season.

There is a strong chance Antonin Kinsky is not playing for Tottenham Hotspur, and while a loan move to another club is more likely, Kinsky may want a more permanent reset. It is not just about the moment against Atletico Madrid in which Kinsky was hung out to dry in a huge Champions League knockout tie against a big club without having started for months.

No, Kinsky's struggles on a slippery pitch that everyone else was already slipping on - albeit with usually less dire consequences - throughout the entirety of the last couple of months, were the culmination of a problem brewing throughout the season at the club. Guglielmo Vicario had been allowed to start week after week with no consequence to his horrendous goalkeeping, back breaking errors that cost points all the way down to a relegation battle, and laughable leaderhip.

Meanwhile, Kinsky, a much more promising goalkeeper long term, was never given a chance up until the moment he was thrown to the wolves against Atleti, and then his new manager, Igor Tudor, cold shouldered him as he walked out of the game after just 17 minutes.

Antonin Kinsky will play for Tottenham again

But at least Tudor had the decency to say the words Kinsky needed to hear from him, even though the comments from the manager at the press conference before the next game against Liverpool are coming a bit too late.

Tudor said of Kinsky, as captured by Chris Cowlin, "He will play, for sure. The day after on the training pitch he was very positive. It's a very rare situation that's happened probably for the first and last time in my life and the life of a lot of people. In his career, Kinsky will make other mistakes but he has a strength and quality. He has a very good career in front of him."

Not only is it nice to hear Igor Tudor say something positive about Antonin Kinsky after he initially hung his keeper out to dry, but the bigger story here is him saying that Kinsky will get another chance to play in goal for Tottenham Hotspur before this nightmare 2025/26 season ends.

That is huge for Kinsky to know that he is going to another crack at the job and that he is not being fully thrown under the bus by his coach and his team. Yes, Kinsky made those mistakes, but anyone would have fallen on that pitch, and it is not like VIcario's play merits starting every game. Kinsky needs more reps, he needs more chances, and he is good enough for this job.

Tottenham Hotspur are in need of a savior. First, they must save themselves from relegation, which unfortunately appears imminent if the injuries keep stacking up along with the losses, but over the long term, they need a manager they can truly believe in for more than just one or two more seasons. Enter Mauricio Pochettino.

The Tottenham icon once led Spurs to the door step of Champions League and Premier League titles, and while they did win the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou last season, they have never been able to compete at the elite level of football like they did under Poch - even with huge names at manager like Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

Pochettino to Tottenham has become an increasingly popular topic for Spurs supporters over the last several weeks. There are no other options, and only someone like Poch who truly loves the club would be willing to take the risk of coaching them in this dark hour of need. Plus, Pochettino has been speaking openly about his admiration for the club, while even attending the Champions League battle with Atletico Madrid in the first leg in Spain.

Manchester United think Poch is going to Spurs

Now, a report from ESPN's Mark Ogden states that Manchester United do not regard Mauricio Pochettino has an option to take over from their own - more successful - interim manager, Michael Carrick. Per Ogden, senior Man United officials actually expect Pochettino to return to Tottenham Hotspur as their next manager after the 2026 World Cup with the United States is done.

So even another Big Six Pemier League club are of the belief that Poch to Tottenham is likely and will not even pursue him as an option. That speaks volumes and is a huge hint for Tottenham fans that a Pochettino reunion is not just possible; it is likely.

Pochettino himself has been maintaining that he is focused on doing well at the World Cup for the United States men's national team, as they are one of the host nations this year. And, well, let's just say there are plenty of bigger distractions off the pitch that Pochettino does not want to give his players another one to worry about.

But in the back of everyone's minds, including those at other clubs it appears, the long term topic of conversation for Pochettino is Tottenham. There is a strong belief among the supporters that the club never should have let him go the first time around.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have become increasingly frustrated with how often Archie Gray is pushed and pulled in different directions, forced to play a number of positions that are not his own, as his versatility becomes something of a punitive point that prevents him from getting the reps he needs to be a holding midfielder of the future for Spurs.

Most recently, Gray was forced to play left back and then on the right wing against Fulham, and there have even been multiple game this season in which he has played at the right back position. Under Thomas Frank, we also saw Gray have to play other positions besides the midfield, and, famously, Ange Postecoglou had the 20 year old midfielder starting several games at center back in his rookie season at Tottenham, perhaps playing more as a defender than as a midfielder that year.

Spurs supporters are fed up with this, but they are at least happy to hear that the new interim manager, Igor Tudor, is at least able to admit that he is part of the problem and that playing Gray in so many different positions is indeed a problem.

Archie Gray might play out of position again

Tudor said at the press conference before Tottenham battle Liverpool, via Spurs Army, “That's the problem. He needs to, every game, change the position, tomorrow again. Four games here, four positions for Archie Gray. He's an amazing player, but that's been that. Something's wrong. Beautiful guy, beautiful player. I didn't know him before so much, so from inside, he has my big respect.”

Archie Gray has turned heads in a positive way over the last few games for never letting his head drop and for being one of the players most likely to push for a turn around in the match. He was the team's best player in the loss to Crystal Palace, and despite everything around him going wrong, he was still tremendous in the midfield.

The U21 talent has the chance to be special, but it is hurting his development having to change positions. Tudor just hinted that it will happen again vs. Liverpool with the "tomorrow again" comment, so while Tudor is at least refreshingly honest in his approach at press conferences, it is not like this admission is going to change things. And that is because the root of the problem for both Tottenham and Gray is a combination of a lack of quality in the squad and horrendous luck with injuries.

Tottenham Hotspur have been the unluckiest team in the Premier League with injuries and absences these past two seasons, and even new interim manager Igor Tudor cannot help but give exasperated exclamations in press conferences that this is a situation he has never seen before - and he has been around the block many times in world football.

On Sunday, Tottenham will face another stiff test in the league against reigning champions Liverpool, as they are increasingly closer to the relegation zone following another awful defeat last week, 3-1 to local rivals Crystal Palace.

Compounding matters was a concerning collision late in the game between captain Crisitan Romero, who had just returned from a suspension, and defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha. Tudor is now confirming that both players will be out against Liverpool.

Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero are out

In addition, Micky van de Ven is out with a suspension, meaning Tottenham will be without their starting center back duo. Veteran center midfielder Yves Bissouma is also out, per Tudor, and Conor Gallagher recently spiked a fever, putting his status in some question. That means Spurs are going to be without three more players due to injury, Van de Ven to suspension, and even potentially Gallagher being a fifth man out with illness.

Tudor said, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "No, Romero and Palhinha out. Micky is out. Bissouma has a problem and Conor has a fever but we hope he will be ok. Always something happen. Very rare and I've never seen this in my career."

That means Igor Tudor and Tottenham Hotspur will have to turn to Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso as the center backs with Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, and Xavi Simons as the midfield trio. Tudor has been playing folks, including Gray and Pedro Porro, out of position to mask holes due to injuries and suspensions, so it is possible we see some more annoying curveballs in the announced starting lineup on Sunday.

Liverpool are not in their best period this season and are asking serious questions about their own manager, Arne Slot, but they have a much stronger squad than Spurs and have been much better in the table this season. So Sunday's game is going to be very tough, and the real key will be if the players can start rallying mentally with more effort while cutting down on the sort of individual errors that have made getting results even tougher for them.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters are pretty immune to the misery that defeats can cause at this point but, even by their own standards, that was a bad one. On Tuesday night, Spurs were 4-0 down after just 22 minutes against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, with goalkeeper Antonín Kinský hooked by Igor Tudor after just 17 minutes following two calamitous errors. In the end, the Lilywhites only lost 5-2 at the Metropolitano which, given the start, actually was not too bad.

This, astonishingly, was Tottenham's 45th defeat since the start of last season, if you include the UEFA Super Cup shootout defeat as a loss. This means Spurs fans have watched their team lose more frequently that pretty much anyone else in Europe during this period:

Teams with most defeats across Europe's top 12 leagues (24/25 & 25/26)

Note: Only clubs that have been in their top-flight in both 24/25 & 25/26 have been included.

Looking at all of Europe's major leagues, no team has lost more matches across all competitions since the start of last season than Tottenham's tally of 44. Their European adventures mean Spurs have played more than anyone else, but this is still a staggering statistic.

Of the other contenders, Hellas Verona, Heidenheim, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Winterthur, AVS Futebol and Panserraikos all appear destine for relegation, so could the same happen to Spurs?

Well, if West Ham manage to beat Manchester City on Saturday night, and then Nottingham Forest win against Fulham on Sunday, Spurs would kick off at Anfield in the relegation zone, at which point it really feels real, if it does not already.

The mauling in Madrid makes the second leg of that Champions League tie a mere formality, but remaining a Premier League club has to be the main priority. The entire Tottenham support is now against Tudor, and it's frankly baffling that he remains in situ, amid reports that Sean Dyche has turned down the possibility of taking the job.

Spurs will venture to Merseyside having lost six successive matches for the first time in the club's 143-year history, with little reason to suggest that this sequence is going to come to an end. A week later, Forest will visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, at which point they may be below Vítor Pereira's team. So, with the second leg against Atlético and nine Premier League fixtures still to play, that tally of defeats could still exponentially increase.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been used to their club playing below its financial standard for years, and now the consequence of this is that Spurs are facing relegation. The club is in a state of crisis on the pitch, hovering just one point above the drop zone after another terrible loss, 3-1 to Crystal Palace, and their latest 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid is a sobering reminder of how far away they are from competing in the Champions League.

Well, Spurs could be set back even further this summer transfer window, rather than springing forward and making the sort of big moves that build on new additions like Mohammed Kudus and Xavi SImons.

According to a report from the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law, The Fan Advisory Board were recently told by the club that although Daniel Levy was deposed as CEO in August and his stringent wage structure was removed, the club's finances are apparently not as healthy as once thought. New leader Vinai Venkatesham totally threw Levy under the bus and said that he mismanaged the club with key mistakes that will now force Spurs to sell this summer transfer window to avoid financial penalties.

Maybe Daniel Levy wasn't so good with money?

It is a bomb from the blue for Tottenham Hotspur supporters, who thought, as anyone logically would, that Levy was such a stickler because he was simply cautious with money. The notion was that Levy put the financial over the sporting for the good of ENIC, and now to hear that he was suddenly actually wasteful is a bit suspect and highly concerning.

Tottenham have the biggest stadium in the Premier League, a raucous supporter base, and one of the top 10 highest revenues in world football, even after finishing 17th and not playing in the Champions League last season.

This news will feel, to many Spurs fans, like a preemptive excuse to not improve the team after what will usurp the 2024/25 season as the club's worst in history. It's really not even going to be close, and if Spurs are relegated, they will have financial issues and the need to sell players to keep to the Championship financial constraints.

But even if they stay up, it sounds like the bleeding could continue, and it all sounds like a familiar set of excuses and sudden twists pointing to the same familiar conclusion to Tottenham fans: that Tottenham will perpetually find excuses not to act like a big club. And such is their identity.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters were at least hopeful that replacing Thomas Frank with Igor Tudor would pay dividends for some of the younger players stuck in a rut or cast aside, and while no issues have been as obvious as the way Tudor snubbed Antonin Kinsky after his mistakes against Atletico Madrid, it is hard to see any young player getting into a better situation under the interim coach.

Take, for example, Mathys Tel. He, once again, was initially snubbed by Tudor but then shone off the bench as a rare bright spot for the Tottenham attack. So fans were hopeful that Tudor would ilsten and reward him, instead of stubbornly ignoring the young Frenchman like Frank, who even nearly drove him out via a loan transfer in January.

Well, while Tudor did give Tel the start against Atletico Madrid, no sooner did he sacrifice the 20 year old forward despite the fact that he was Spurs best player on the pitch. Tudor subbed Tel off as early as half time, so did the starting lineup appearance against Atletico Madrid then even count as a starting appearance?

The Conor Gallagher for Mathys Tel change was insanity

What made the decision even worse is that it made no sense from a footballing perspective. Spurs were losing and in need of goals, so Igor Tudor took out his best attacking player, by far, and replaced him with a box to box midfielder who has been horrendous with no creativity in Conor Gallagher. And Tottenham were predictably worse off for it, with Gallagher playing poorly yet again.

Before his substitution, Tel had two key passes and three dribbles completed in one half of football against the vaunted Atletico Madrid defense despite having no real help around him with Randal Kolo Muani delivering yet another disaster class and Richarlison also playing poorly. Those are sensational numbers in a big game, and yet Tel was punished for them.

Tottenham Hotspur blew more money than they needed to in order to sign Conor Gallagher from under the noses of Aston Villa, and, perhaps, the impetus for signing the English No. 8 came from a sudden, multi month injury to veteran center midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

Well, Bentancur is still out, and while he was no great shakes for Tottenham when he was healthy and had actually lost his starting job to Archie Gray early in the season, at least he was a competent backup. The same cannot be said for Gallagher.

Facing his former team in the Champions League Round of 16, Gallagher only proved why Atletico Madrid were so eager to get rid of him in not just the last winter transfer window when he did move to Spurs, but also in the preceding two transfer windows.

Conor Gallagher failed against Atletico Madrid

Gallagher was dreadful. He failed to progress the ball or show any creativity, which is a recurring theme for him. People talk about his effort, but effort counts for very little when that effort is not put to use. Even in terms of winning the ball or carrying it, Gallagher's overall impact on the game is minimal, and despite running quite a bit, the overall effect on the running is equivalent to him being a passenger in the game.

Tottenham had nothing to lose with a big deficit in the second half, yet even with that unburdening them, Gallagher still did not provide any sort of verve to drive the ball forward. He shows no risk of initiative with his passing, which is actually an even bigger step backwards from what he was doing previously in the Premier League for both Crystal Palace and even Chelsea.

Rodrigo Bentancur had a similar issue of not being creative or brave enough with his passing, but even he did create at least something for Spurs to sink their teeth into and was a better screening defender. Gallagher's running ends up leaving more gaps in the Tottenham midfield, so the movement is not necessarily beneficial.

All told, with each passing week Gallagher starts and struggles for Tottenham Hotspur, the fans are more wistful for Bentancur and want him back from his injury, even thouguh they used to be sick of him in the midfield. That speaks volumes to how unimpressed they are with Gallagher and how little confidence they have in him to improve, since he isn't exactly a high upside investment.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are bracing for the worst this summer transfer window, and even if Spurs do survive the relegation battle, there is a good chance a number of high profile players exit the club. But one notable name Tottenham fans are actually hoping leaves is starting goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who is being courted actively by big Serie A clubs.

The trio of Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan have all shown an interest in Vicario. Formerly of Empoli in Serie A, Vicario began his career at Tottenham very brightly, but he has slowly become a problem over time. Even last season at the end of the year when Spurs conquered the Europa League, fans began to whisper about Vicario being a liability on the ball, on crosses, and in terms of making crucial errors that cost them games.

This season, Vicario has been exposed. He has made a number of dreadful mistakes, and as the season has gone on, even his shot stopping has become poor. No starting goalkeeper in the Premier League has a worse save percentage than Vicario. So just as Tottenham are interested in upgrading and cashing in on Vicario to a Serie A club, Vicario may be interested in moving back to a league that he likes better while saving his confidence; playing for Spurs right now is not exactly a joy for these players, though, of course, Vic and the others are not blameless in this for their attitudes.

Guglielmo Vicario gives Inter Milan the green light

Juventus and Luciano Spalletti have been courting Vicario aggressively as a replacement for the disappointing Michele Di Gregorio, even though he was even better than Vic when both were in Serie A. Meanwhile, their biggest rivals, Inter Milan, have been just as interested, tabbing Vicario as their ideal replacement for a declining Yann Sommer, though the declining Swiss keeper's save percentage is still significantly better than Vicario's this season.

Now, La Gazzetta dello Sport's Gregorio Spigno is reporting that Guglielmo Vicario himself has given Inter Milan the green light for a transfer out of Tottenham Hotspur, bringing him one step closer to fulfilling months of rumors linking him to the Nerazzurri and thus ending his tenure at the N17.

Inter are about to coast to a Serie A title, whereas Spurs are fighting relegation. For Vicario, Inter are obviously an upgrade. And now, with Spurs knowing where Vicario wants to go next, they can aggressively scout potential upgrades on him, like James Trafford, while negotaiting with Inter favorable terms on a transfer fee.