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Tottenham Hotspur knew they were facing a must win proposition against rivals Crystal Palace on Thursday night after back to back losses to rivals Arsenal and Fulham, and they had just watched Nottingham Forest draw Manchester City while West Ham defeated those same Cottagers the night before to put themselves a point away in the Premier League relegation fight.

And instead of fighting back, Tottenham imploded, never recovering from a brutal Micky van de Ven red card. Here are four players who proved during Spurs 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace that they do not belong at this great club.

ST Randal Kolo Muani

The most obvious name to include, Randal Kolo Muani is a hired gun who used up all his bullets in a desperate attempt to prove to his actual employers PSG that he wasn't a monumental waste of money on their part.

Despite the fact that Tottenham were shopping Kolo Muani in the winter transfer window after the overrated French striker basically gave up on the team openly by not even pretending to try during games, Spurs supporters were optimistic that Igor Tudor, who coached him effectively at Juventus, could get the most out of him.

Nope. Kolo Muani was as bad as he has ever been against Crystal Palace, and you can just tell that he does not give two pennies about Tottenham Hotspur.

CB Micky van de Ven

And neither does Micky van de Ven. It was a joke to see VDV wearing the captain's arm band against Crystal Palace, and he made the honor look like a joke, too, with a horrendous red card against Crystal Palace that proves every negative thing the press says about Cristian Romero actually holds true for this guy.

Van de Ven's attitude is getting Spurs relegated, and it is baffling to think a player with his character believes he is the next great Real Madrid center back. Sergio Ramos, Pepe, and Fernando Hierro would turn this guy into orange juice pulp.

CM Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher is in the running for the worst Tottenham signing of all time. He was a bad idea at the time, and he is only getting worse and worse with each passing game. You would have been forgiven for forgetting that he was subbed into the match after VDV's red card, and it is no coinincidence that Spurs imploded upon his introduction into the match.

GK Guglielmo Vicario

Out of all the players on this list, Guglielmo Vicario was the least bad against Crystal Palace, but that's like handing out an award to the healthiest fast food restaurant. Tottenham fans rightfully booed Vicario for another game in which he failed to do anything of value between the sticks, and there is no way he is still starting in goal for Spurs next season.

It's games like this that show you who really belongs at the club, and after Tottenham Hotspur were demolished 3-1 by Crystal Palace in a must win game, it's patently obvious that there are number of big names who do not deserve to wear this prestigious badge.

Micky van de Ven may have dreams of grandeur at European football's biggest clubs, but with the arm band around him after Cristian Romero's terrible red card, Van de Ven committed an even less forgiveable red card. And after Van de Ven was sent off for an embarrassing pullback at the end of the first half, the entire game fell apart for Spurs, who gave up three goals in a flurry to go down 3-1 in mere minutes.

Van de Ven put them in a hole they could not recover from, and days after a disaster class against Fulham in which he, once again, disrespected his own fans, the young Dutch defender sealed the fact that he will never, ever be a leader for this team - and if he thinks Real Madrid or Barcelona will want that kind of character in their dressing room, he is sorely mistaken.

Micky van de Ven lost the game for Tottenham

Meanwhile, young center midfielder Archie Gray was one of the few players to distinguish themselves positively, and after assisting late against Fulham over the weekend, the teenage sensation added another assist to his ledger to initially give Spurs a lead that did not last long at all, thanks to Van de Ven's pig headedness.

Gray was everything Van de Ven was not. Whereas Van de Ven was selfish and ill disciplined, Gray always thought about the others. He put his teammates first and worked his socks off, making no excuses and never crying nor let his head drop, which is an example many of his more veteran teammates need to follow.

You can see why the two ultimate mentality monster teams in world football, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, want to sign Archie Gray so badly. He may not be rated by some people in his own country and even his own club fan base, but all those with a footballing brain can see that the former Leeds United prospect has that someting special.

Gray did not get to fully enjoy playing in his preferred position, and yet he was still an effective player for Tottenham on a night when, once again, nothing seemed to go right for the Lilywhites. Whereas Van de Ven lost the game for Spurs, Gray never wilted. These are the characters and young leaders Tottenham need.

Are Tottenham Hotspur actually going to get relegated? Given that they were missing ten senior first-team figures for Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage, new manager Igor Tudor has very limited options from which to choose, although that is not the case in goal. So, he should consider leaving out Guglielmo Vicario and giving Antonín Kinský an opportunity, something predecessor Thomas Frank never did.

Ahead of Thursday night's clash with Crystal Palace, the pressure was cranked up on Spurs just that little bit more. That's because the night before, West Ham United won 1-0 at Fulham. In the meantime, Nottingham Forest came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Manchester City which, worse still for Spurs supporters, massively helped Arsenal's title aspirations.

At the bottom, Tottenham are now just one point clear of both West Ham and Forest, meaning they could find themselves in the bottom three by the time they kick off at Anfield on 15 March. To avoid this fate, the Lilywhites must beat Crystal Palace at home on Thursday night and, ahead of this massive clash, Tudor should consider a bold decision in goal.

Guglielmo Vicario has slowly withered away at Tottenham

Replacing Hugo Lloris as Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper was never going to be easy, given that the French World Cup winner made 447 appearances for the club, only eight men have more. To fill this role, Ange Postecoglou chose Guglielmo Vicario and, three seasons into the Italian's time in North London, he is still yet to look convincing.

Note: Statistics via FBref & SofaScore.

In the Premier League this season, Vicario has faced the third-most shots, but ranks fourth-bottom in terms of save percentage, above only Bernd Leno, Sam Johnstone and Lucas Perri.

Overall, Vicario's statistics are generally pretty middling if not alarming; only Emi Martínez and Nick Pope have been responsible for more errors leading to a goal, while the fact he ranks fourth in terms of runs out underlines Spurs' chaotic back-line. In short, the 29-year-old is simply not a calming presence nor a commanding figure, so does Antonín Kinský deserve an opportunity?

The Czech international arrived last January as Spurs searched far and wide for someone better than Fraser Forster. The 22-year-old made ten appearances last season, before being sidelined upon Vicario's return from injury, and has seen just two outings this time round, both in the EFL Cup against Doncaster and Newcastle.

Ahead of October's visit to St James' Park, there was some talk among Spurs supporters that Kinský could displace Vicario, only for a less-than-convincing display on Tyneside to quieten that chatter. Nevertheless, as Tudor searches for any solutions to Spurs' slide towards oblivion, he needs to change something, and the goalkeeper is a rare spot he does have a choice to make, so why not give Kinský a chance?

Tottenham have no idea how to win games of football, but they'd ought to ditch their amnesia when Crystal Palace come to town on Thursday night.

Igor Tudor's arrival hasn't yet had the desired effect, with the Croatian overseeing back-to-back defeats at the start of his tenure. Still, Palace's visit presents a big opportunity for this broken squad.

I maintain the belief that merely one win could make all the difference. Our winless run dates back to the end of December, and the threat of relegation is real. Victory on Thursday, no matter how it arrives, could alleviate such fears.

Tudor isn't expected to welcome any players back midweek, with Spurs poised for another extended break until they're next in Premier League action as a result of the upcoming FA Cup slate.

Here's how the Lilywhites could line up against the Eagles.

Tottenham predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2)

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario (GK)—Statistically, Vicario has been one of the worst goalkeepers in the Premier League this season. The glory days of 2023/24 feel like a lifetime ago. Still, he remains our No. 1.

Kevin Danso (CB)—Danso played just a few minutes on Sunday against Fulham but should be ready for a return to the starting lineup on Thursday.

Radu Drăgușin (CB)—Assuming Tudor sticks with a back three (perhaps unwisely), Drăgușin will likely remain at the heart of it. Hopefully, this is the Romanian's final appearance in lilywhite.

Micky van de Ven (CB)—Van de Ven has struggled in Cristian Romero's absence as of late, with the Dutchman among those who don't seem up for the fight. Let's hope we see something different midweek.

Midfielders

Pedro Porro (RWB)—Porro's return didn't pay immediate dividends, but the Spaniard tends to enjoy his outings against Palace. The Spaniard offers this team some much-needed technical quality out wide.

Yves Bissouma (CM)—I'm not sure what direction Tudor will turn in midfield, but Bissouma has started both of the games overseen by the Croatian.

Pape Matar Sarr (CM)—Sarr was pretty good in the second half on Sunday, and he should be included over Conor Gallagher if Tudor is picking between the two. Gallagher hasn't settled at all since joining the club in January.

João Souza (LWB)—Tudor spoke positively of the young Brazilian ahead of Thursday's game, and I think his inclusion is necessary from a tactical perspective.

Forwards

Xavi Simons (AM)—After a poor couple of showings, Tottenham need the very best of their creative Dutchman against the stubborn Eagles. The away side are set to dig in, and moments of attacking inspiration must be supplied by the Puma boots of Xavi.

Dominic Solanke (ST)—Toss-up between Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, for me. Either could find themselves in Tudor's frontline after both struggled to have an influence at Craven Cottage.

Tottenham Hotspur still have a chance to move up to 15th in the Premier League table with a win over Crystal Palace on Thursday night, but now their next London derby matchup is an even bigger must win for manager Igor Tudor and his men after they watched not only Nottingham Forest share the spoils 2-2 with title challengers Manchester City but also watched West Ham get a big win.

Thanks to a goal from left winger Crysencio Summerville and an assist from Jarrod Bowen - both of whom have been linked in transfer rumors to Tottenham - the Hammers prevailed 1-0 against London rivals Fulham. You know, the same Cottagers that made mince meat out of Spurs yet again this past Premier League weekend in 2-1 fashion.

The draw from Forest and the win from Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham now mean that Spurs are a measly one point ahead of these two sides in the relegation battle. Spurs are 16th in the league table with 29 points while Forest and West Ham both have 28 points (with Forest just above the drop zone by virtue of goal difference).

Tottenham could have signed Crysencio Summerville

Now, Spurs are still ahead of these two, but they cannot afford to lose their breathing space by dropping any points against the Eagles on Thursday night. All the pressure is on Tudor and the team in this reunion with Europa League hero Brennan Johnson.

As if watching West Ham and Nottingham Forest get big results were not enough, the Hammers added another blow to Tottenham Hotspur by having Summerville be the one to score the winning goal for them in the game.

Summerville was sensational all around, registering six combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn in a great progressive and creative performance in addition to the goal. The young Dutch left winger has been a real positive since signing over from the EFL Championship last season, and he could very well continue to shape this relegation race.

Having just lost 4-1 and 2-1 to London rivals Arsenal and Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur are facing what is seen widely by the fan base as a must win matchup on Thursday against another local rival in Crystal Palace. Complicating things, though, will be the absence of a key defensive player in Djed Spence, who would have been the projected starting left back with Destiny Udogie himself still injured yet again.

Spence was a late scratch from the lineup on Sunday in the eventual 2-1 loss to the Cottagers, as he has been dealing with a calf injury. Although many Tottenham fans would readily start the young Souza over him at the natural left back position, Tottenham manager Igor Tudor baffingly didn't even start his 19 year old winter transfer with Spence out, instead opting to play Archie Gray out of position there.

In his latest injury update on the squad before Tottenham Hotspur take on Crystal Palace, Tudor confirmed that Spence will not be playing against the Eagles. He is expected to return against Atletico Madrid and Ademola Lookman when Spurs open up their Champions League Round of 16 tie. Via Spurs Global, Tudor specifically said that he hopes Spence will be able to play then. He also refused to give updates on Dejan Kulusevski and Udogie.

Djed Spence is out vs. Crystal Palace

Spence has been a bit of a disappointment this season, though he's had his moments, including once on the left wing. He is a decent defensive player and can pass as a right back, but as a right footed left back, he has been an outright disaster. Spence struggles to progress the ball or support the forwards, so his absence may actually be a blessing in disguise because it should force Souza to play.

Tudor cannot possibly make the mistake of starting someone who isn't a left back at left back for a second game in a row, especially after seeing how well Souza performed at the position when he came on in the second half to give Fulham some life.

Tottenham Hotspur are staring down another game without emergency left back option Djed Spence, as starter Destiny Udogie remains without a time table for return due to his latest injury. In the last game with Spence out due to a calf injury, Spurs manager Igor Tudor bumbled his way into a common mistake his predecessors have made, starting Archei Gray out of position at left back.

And all Tottenham fans want is a voice of reason to tell Tudor to start Souza. The Brazilian phenom was the first signing Spurs made in the winter transfer window from Palmeiras, the most touted defensive player in the Brazilian Serie A. Every time he has played this season, including off the bench in the loss to Fulham over the Premier League weekend, he has impressed.

Yet Tudor is not willing to commit to Souza as the obvious option. At the press conference prior to Thrusday's must win London derby battle against mid table side Crystal Palace, Tudor made a positive admission on Souza but then caged it with the usual frustratingly conservative response.

Igor Tudor won't commit to Souza

Tudor said of his teenage left back, via The Spurs Watch, "He was good, I saw something in him. He is there and waiting for his moment to play."

While it was nice to hear Tudor at least praise Souza somewhat, Tottenham fans will not take too kindly to this response because it is wishy washy from a manager who is usual much more straight to the point than Thomas Frank.

But Ange Postecoglou, Tudor is not. Tudor is talking about how Souza is "waiting for his moment", implying Souza will not start against Crystal Palace with Spence still confirmed to be out injured for one more game. Then, though, who will start at left back? And why not Souza?

Even when Spence is healthy, Souza has already shown that he is the superior option to the England international, as the right back hamstrings the entire offense with his inversion on the left. He simply cannot progress the ball or even play as an attacker, hurting the forwards badly.

Souza, though, is athletic, technically proficient, and further along than expected. If, by his own admission, Tudor is impressed with what Souza has done so far, then what is holding him back from starting his best option at the left back position? Tottenham fans will want to know this, especially if Tudor makes the same blunder again.

If Tottenham are to get themselves out of this mess, some of the squad must come to terms with the fact that they may not actually be as gifted as they, or others, believe them to be.

The proof is in the pudding, with the extremities of Spurs' squad failing to cope with a litany of injuries. Those who perhaps wouldn't have been given much of a chance in the absence of an availability crisis are struggling to make the most of a glorious opportunity, and the Lilywhites risk succumbing to the second tier for the first time since 1977 as a result.

Relegation is no longer a fantasy we could once laugh off, instead an apocalyptic potential. We boast a four-point buffer over 18th-place West Ham United, but the Hammers have been playing far better football than us in recent weeks.

Egos must be stripped and the reality of the situation must be met head on. At the moment, though, there are three overrated players who are aiding the club's demise.

The Italian shot-stopper seemed destined for cult hero status in north London after an excellent first season. Dare I say it, Vicario was even a fan favorite, and we grew to know and love the goalkeeper's family, too.

However, since fracturing his ankle in November 2024, Vicario's form has nosedived. He's been an erratic mess for the past 12 months, and has produced a wretched 2025/26 campaign between the posts.

The 29-year-old is the antithesis of serenity, and his failure to instill calm permeates through this Tottenham team. There's a distinct unsteadiness to his play, and not even his stellar shot-stopping abilities have masked his flaws with his feet and in the air this term. According to Opta, Vicario's save percentage of 63.6% ranks fifth-lowest out of all qualifying Premier League goalkeepers. He's also let in 3.4 more goals than expected, the joint-worst underperformance in the league.

I'd have turned to Antonín Kinsky long ago, but it looks like Vicario will remain our No. 1 for the remainder of this miserable season. I want to love him, but he's made it impossible this term.

There's surely not a single Spurs fan who rates Drăgușin or senses anything but dread when he's included in the starting XI. His agent, on the contrary, suspects his client to be in a similar realm to the likes of Paolo Maldini and Franz Beckenbauer.

This bloke—Florin Manea, apparently—has been attempting to engineer a move away pretty much since the Romanian international stepped foot in north London. Unfortunately, he's been unsuccessful on that front.

A long-term knee injury meant Drăgușin missed much of 2025, and he's been called upon as of late thanks to Cristian Romero's lengthy suspension and Kevin Danso's injury. There was early promise in the North London Derby, but it wouldn't take long for the center back's true form to manifest.

He's just a bad defender, and an even worse footballer. We will be doomed if we have to see much more of him the rest of the way.

I didn't mind the Conor Gallagher signing in isolation. He's a useful squad member with a profile seemingly apt for the Premier League in its current state. However, he was not the midfielder this Tottenham team needed.

So far, Gallagher, who's reportedly the club's highest-earner after we splurged £40m on his services in January, has looked like a fish out of water. His role seems unclear, with Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor thrusting Gallagher into zones of the pitch where he doesn't feel particularly comfortable.

Utilising him as a box-crashing attacking midfielder would be my recommendation for profile maximisation, because the glint in Gallagher's eye has dissipated. He's a lost soul right now, struggling to do anything right.

But hey, at least he's got plenty of Championship experience.

Even as Tottenham Hotspur struggle to actually play Archie Gray in his best position again, the biggest clubs in European football are circling around the talented young English center midfielder with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund all registering interest in a player who could be one of the most underrated on the transfer market if Spurs go down.

Not only do Spurs have to do everything possible to stay up in the Premier League and avoid losing Gray, but they also need to do whatever they can to value Gray right now. There are more ways to lose a burgeoning young talent than just relegation.

As if Spurs needed more evidence that Gray has the potential to be special, another key midfielder, Xavi Simons, gave Gray some effusive praise in a recent interview with Pro: Direct Soccer. Simons stated that his 19 year old teammate is the best player at the club in training. While he praised other Spurs players, including fellow top summer signing Mohammed Kudus whom he called underrated, he saved his highest compliments for the even more underappreciated Gray.

Xavi Simons is a big fan of Archie Gray

There are those even within the Tottenham fan base who refuse to acknowledge Gray's talent, and they are likely shrouded by the fact that he is utilized suboptimally. Even just recently, Gray started as a left back against Fulham and then later played on the right wing in the game, so Igor Tudor is making the same mistakes that Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank did with the teenage star.

Simons has trained with some of the best players in the world at PSG and Barcelona, and he also played with talented footballers at PSV and RB Leipzig. So if Simons is going this far to praise Gray even compared to peers he respects like Kudus, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, and more, then Tottenham had better take notice.

Tottenham Hotspur, in general, have had a serious problem with recruitment over the years. For every Mohammed Kudus and Micky van de Ven, there are five Radu Dragusins, Randal Kolo Muanis, and Guglielmo Vicarios to take their place. The latest transfer target from Serie A has interim manager Igor Tudor written all over it, and Juventus center back Federico Gatti is not the kind of player Spurs should be going after.

In general, it has been baffling to see how often Spurs are linked to fairly underwhelming center back options, even as they have about four excellent central defenders on their books - five if you include Kota Takai along with Luka Vuskovic as standout young loanees to the Bundesliga - and this isn't a new phenomenon in 2026 either.

Per a report from Turin based newspaper Tuttosport, new Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti is ready to finally sell the cult hero Gatti this summer, sacrificing him so the club can sign more talented players as the Italian international has predictably floundered in a more modern attacking based system. Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are the two notable Premier League clubs with interest in the 27 year old, who is no longer remotely a young player with upside.

Federico Gatti is the player version of Igor Tudor

Gatti has been below par this season, and it honestly speaks volumes that Forest are the other club interested. That is the level with which Spurs have regressed to, and it is reflected in the Premier League table by the fact that both former clubs of Ange Postecoglou are locked in a relegation fight.

This season, Gatti has brought little value to Juventus. He has avoided mistakes, which is a positive, but he has also offered very little actual progression in terms of his passing, nor has he been winning the ball for a team that should be playing on the front foot. In a lot of ways, Gatti epitomizes the mediocrity that has seeped Juve; he is OK but nowhere near good enough.

And that is the sort of player Tottenham need to avoid. The interest in Gatti has Tudor written all over it, and what can be said about Gatti can also be said about Tudor, which may be why he liked the center back so much when he was coaching in Turin. Tudor is a cult hero and admirable figure, but he has little in the form of talent or accomplishments. He is inoffensive but nowhere near good enough.