Planet Football

Tottenham Hotspur are six games away from an unthinkable Premier League relegation and their first season outside of the top flight since the 1970s.

An awful season on the pitch and several years of bad-decisions off it have left Spurs floundering far below their usual European-challenging habitat.

Despite everything, Spurs firmly belong in the category of ‘too good to go down’ – but that hasn’t saved several other big clubs from the drop in years gone by.

Middlesbrough (1996-97)

Middlesbrough aren’t exactly one of English football’s glamour clubs, but they’ve been in the top flight more seasons than they’ve been out of it in their proud history.

The 1996-97 campaign was only their second successive back in the top flight, but they’d built a quite ridiculous squad that featured Fabrizio Ravanelli and Juninho under player-manager Bryan Robson.

Ravanelli scored 31 goals in all competitions that year, 15 of which came in the FA Cup and League Cup – where Boro finished runners-up in each.

The club were also docked three points for postponing a fixture against Blackburn Rovers at short notice without FA approval amid an injury and illness crisis – which proved pivotal in them finishing 19th on 39 points.

Boro came straight back up, but the lightening-in-a-bottle feeling a talented, cosmopolitan squad gave Teesiders has never quite been emulated since.

Blackburn (1998-99)

Blackburn went from Premier League champions to Division One in the space of just four years, and they finished as high as sixth 12 months before they dropped.

The evergreen Roy Hodgson was sacked in November and Brian Kidd failed to turn Rovers’ form around.

The days of Alan Shearer banging in the goals were long gone, while his former strike partner Chris Sutton’s form fell off a cliff. Kevin Gallacher and Ashley Ward finished as Blackburn’s top scorers with just five goals apiece.

Blackburn mustered just 38 goals in 38 games; Shearer managed 34 when they won the title in 1994-95. A miserable fall from grace.

West Ham (2002-03)

Only one side in Premier League history has been relegated with more than 40 points – the West Ham side of 2002-03.

The Hammers squad that season boasted David James, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Trevor Sinclair, Frederic Kanoute, Jermain Defoe and Paolo Di Canio. No team has ever been more ‘too good to go down’.

It was a particularly gut-wrenching way to get relegated, given they looked doomed for the drop during a miserable winter before coming miraculously close to achieving the greatest of great escapes.

Glenn Roeder’s side picked up just 20 points and four wins from the first 27 games of the season.

They then picked up 22 points from their final 11 games, winning six and losing just one – away at 17th placed Bolton Wanderers.

The Hammers had lined up Didier Drogba for the summer window, alongside rebuilding the fourth stand at Upton Park. What might’ve been.

Leeds (2003-04)

Even now, the phrase ‘doing a Leeds’ is a synonym for “falling into the abyss” in football terminology. The term even has its own Wikipedia page.

From Champions League semi-finalists to humilated basketcase in the space of three years. Leeds flew close to the sun and got themselves burnt.

Newcastle (2008-09)

Newcastle weren’t one of the clubs in the Premier League when it was rebranded in 1992, but they provided the competition with some of its earliest iconic moments.

They’d fallen since those lofty heights by the mid-noughties, but come 2008 there was renewed hope that Keegan was to bring the good times back.

King Kev steadied the ship and led the Magpies to a strong finish in 2007-08, and, eventually, a respectable 12th-place finish – a placing it was hoped could be built upon.

But few foresaw what kind of owner Mike Ashley would turn out to be. Keegan resigned a few weeks into the campaign after a major falling out with the board.

Then came Joe Kinnear. Then came Shearer in his first and only job as manager – and the legendary striker was unable to save them from the drop.

To make things worse, Sunderland survived at their expense. It feels very similar to the season Tottenham are currently going through.

Leicester (2022-23)

Following their historic title win in 2016, Leicester solidified in the top third of the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers.

The Foxes finished fifth in 2020 and 2021, the latter year also marked by winning the first FA Cup in the club’s history.

But Leicester were beginning to strain financially and sold legendary goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the summer of 2022.

Rodgers’ team began the 2022-23 campaign dreadfully, before picking up form around the World Cup break.

Results spiralled again in the New Year and the manager was sacked at the start of April with Leicester staring down the barrel.

Dean Smith took over and won nine points from the final eight games, not enough to prevent Everton from overhauling them.

A squad containing James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Youri Tielemans and Jamie Vardy slipped into the Championship. Three years on and Leicester are facing relegation to League One.

READ NEXT: Revisiting the last Tottenham XI to be in the Premier League relegation zone

Tottenham Hotspur dropped into the Premier League relegation zone on Friday night for the first time since January 2009.

After 6,281 days outside the bottom three, West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves saw Spurs slide into the drop zone before they go to Sunderland on Sunday under new management.

Given the talent in Roberto De Zerbi’s squad, it’s a shameful position for Spurs to be in.

But we would fancy the last Tottenham team to be in the bottom three to turn over the current one.

The XI that faced Portsmouth on January 17, 2009 had no business being bottom of the league. Hence why Juande Ramos was sacked in late October and replaced by Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp doesn’t like to talk about it, but he took over with Spurs rock-bottom on two points and winless after eight games.

The manager, lured from Portsmouth, sparked an immediate improvement to win three of their next four and embark on a run that got them out of the drop zone. But they were back there – and bottom – when they welcomed Pompey to White Hart Lane in mid-January.

A 1-1 draw was enough to get them back above the line, on the way to an eighth-placed finish. Which is certainly closer to where this team ought to have been…

GK: Heurelho Gomes

Gomes was new to Spurs at the start of 2008-09, a £7.8million signing from PSV, and he suffered as much as anyone before Redknapp arrived.

A series of errors led to the sacking of his goalkeeper coach three months into the season, but from there it got better for the 11-cap Brazilian. He remained No.1 for three seasons which saw Spurs go from bottom of the Premier League to the Champions League quarter-finals.

READ: Heurelho Gomes: ‘I became a keeper at 17 as I’d promised mum a house’

RB: Vedran Corluka

Corluka’s Spurs story reads much the same as Gomes’: new to Tottenham at the start of 2008-09; a regular for three seasons; then loaned to Germany.

The Croatia full-back, capped 103 times, enjoyed a positive spell at Spurs, even if he begged Redknapp to let him leave in 2013 after losing his place to Kyle Walker.

CB: Jonathan Woodgate

Sadly, this was the ex-Real Madrid defender’s last season as a Premier League force.

A groin injury at the start of 2009-10 led to only three league appearances in his final two seasons at Spurs.

Still, while he might not have reached 50 league appearances, he did score the winner in a cup final for Spurs, something only Brennan Johnson can claim to have done since.

CB: Ledley King

Anyone might look at Tottenham today and wonder how a side with Cristian Romero and Micky van der Ven is in the bottom three.

But that is nothing compared to the befuddlement still prompted by a team featuring Woodgate and the classy King as their centre-backs being bottom of the table.

Even with both barely half fit – as was too often the case – they were too good to be flirting with the Championship.

Even when King had to be replaced just before the break versus Pompey, in his place came Michael Dawson, who was no mug either.

LB: Gareth Bale

Bale was still very much jinxed at this point of his Tottenham career and remained eight months away from his first win as a Spurs player.

Once that curse was lifted, the Welshmen did alright for himself, we suppose.

RM: Aaron Lennon

There was underperformance aplenty at Spurs in 2008-09 but few fingers could be pointed at the England winger.

Lennon finished the season as the Spurs supporters’ Player of the Season, the club’s Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season, and received a third successive nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

CM: Didier Zokora

Spurs was the 123-cap Ivorian’s only Premier League club, which surprises us for reasons we’re not sure of. Feels like he might’ve played for Wigan, Swansea, someone or other.

Zokora played 134 times in three years at Tottenham between joining from St Etienne and leaving for Sevilla when Wilson Palacios showed up at Spurs.

CM: Luka Modric

Modric was a £16.5million signing the summer before and he was very much still finding his feet in the Premier League. Many doubted if he ever would.

The Guardian had already labelled him a ‘misfit’ and Arsene Wenger, apparently, reckoned he was too lightweight. They were wrong.

And so was everyone who voted for Modric as La Liga’s worst signing when he moved to Real Madrid.

LM: Jamie O’Hara

The winter of 2009 was an odd time for the Spurs academy graduate. O’Hara had made the breakthrough the season before under Juande Ramos but Redknapp never seemed convinced.

The following season, he was sent on loan to Portsmouth, a spell during which he admitted he wanted Spurs to lose in the FA Cup so he could play at Wembley for Pompey. Understandable sentiment though it was, probably one best kept to yourself.

CF: Jermain Defoe

Defoe was a central figure against Pompey since it was there he left 10 days prior to re-join Spurs for £15million.

The visiting fans weren’t best pleased to see him; even less so when he scored the equaliser to get Spurs off the bottom.

CF: Darren Bent

Spurs would have climbed even higher had £16.5million striker Bent not missed a late sitter that prompted Redknapp to say:

“You will never get a better chance to win a match than that. My missus could have scored that one.”

READ NEXT: Not just Tottenham – 5 big European clubs at risk of relegation this season

Tottenham are still looking over their shoulders at the prospect of an unthinkable relegation from the Premier League – but they aren’t the only club at risk of a rare drop from the top flight.

Spurs finished one place above the relegation zone last season, but the points gap with the bottom three meant they were never really in danger. It’s different this time around, though, with Roberto De Zerbi facing the daunting task of guiding them away from unprecedented danger.

Regarded as one of the ‘big six’ in the Premier League, Tottenham dropping down to the Championship would be a shocking story.

However, while this may bring no comfort to their fans, they aren’t the only big club facing a similar narrative this season.

We’ve looked across the European leagues to pick out some clubs you might be surprised to see in relegation battles.

Sevilla

Like Spurs, the rut Sevilla have got stuck in has been coming for a while. A hat trick of fourth-place finishes between 2019-20 and 2021-22 has been followed by a steady deterioration.

They finished 12th in 2022-23 (whilst inevitably winning the Europa League), 14th in 2023-24 and 17th in 2024-25, when they ended up just one point above the bottom three.

Once again, they are hovering just above the relegation zone at the moment. Fears over their position caused the sacking of head coach Matias Almeyda in March, to be replaced by Luis Garcia (not the former Liverpool player, but a 53-year-old who was most recently in charge of Alaves).

Sevilla have only won one of their past nine games and their next opponents are Atletico Madrid, so it could easily become one in 10. Real Madrid on the penultimate matchday could be a decisively tricky tie, too.

All three of the teams below Sevilla have won more recently than them. 19th-placed Levante, who are five points behind, are another of their remaining opponents.

The 2000-01 season was the last time Sevilla weren’t in the Spanish top flight. They’ve had seven top-four finishes since then, but have been flirting with danger a few too many times in recent years.

Not even signing Neal Maupay has helped them much. Could it finally catch up with them?

Fiorentina

Despite coming sixth in Serie A last season, it took Fiorentina until their 16th game this season to claim their first league win. Head coach Stefano Pioli paid the price along the way.

No Serie A side has ever survived after failing to win any of their first 14 games in a season, but a respectable turnaround in fortunes under Paolo Vanoli has given La Viola a chance of becoming the first.

Top-flight material since 2004, they lifted themselves out of the bottom three with a win over Bologna in January to cap off a four-game unbeaten run, and although they slid back into the drop zone briefly, they have been out of it since their last game of February.

Mathematically, though, Fiorentina are not out of the woods just yet. With seven games left, they are five points above 18th.

Realistically, the bottom two in Serie A – Verona and Pisa – already look like goners, meaning there’s just one relegation spot left to avoid. Lecce, Cremonese and Cagliari are all beneath Fiorentina at the moment, but the former could still take points off La Viola when they meet in April.

Fiorentina also still have games against European hopefuls Roma, Juventus and Atalanta on their schedule for the run-in.

They have put together another four-game unbeaten run at present, but things might yet get nervy again. Perhaps they should lure Rui Costa out of retirement.

Nice

One of the other clubs in Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos empire, Nice have suffered a steep decline in fortunes this season.

Only two teams are relegated automatically from Ligue 1 and Nice appear clear enough of that danger zone.

However, the team that finishes third from bottom goes into a play-off to preserve their top-flight status – and that’s a trap Nice could conceivably fall into.

With six games left, they are four points above Auxerre – who they are due to meet in what could be a tantalising penultimate game of the season. Moreover, they have three of the current top four to play before then.

They have been in Ligue 1 since 2002, but will have to fight for that status over the coming weeks.

Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg have been a Bundesliga outfit without interruption since 1997, but face an uphill battle to preserve that status into a 30th year.

They fell into the bottom two at the start of March with a 4-0 loss to Stuttgart. A week later, they changed their coach for the second time this season.

Now with six games left, Wolfsburg are four points adrift of even the relegation play-off spot in the Bundesliga (and a further two away from a 15th-place standing that would save them automatically).

They have the joint-worst defence in the German top flight this season, having conceded more than 60 goals. Remarkably, they are yet to win over the second half of the season, last tasting victory in January against St. Pauli.

Legia Warsaw

Legia Warsaw are Poland’s most successful club and the only to never have been relegated from the top flight since the Second World War. But they find themselves in a potentially perilous position with seven games left this season.

Although they began the campaign playing in the Europa League qualifiers, Legia have found wins few and far between domestically. They are currently outside the bottom three only via goal difference.

It’s an incredibly tight table, though. Legia are eight points above the bottom of the table and the same distance away from fourth place in the opposite direction. It could all turn out to be just fine.

But the sight of such a powerhouse of Polish football being so close to the relegation zone is certainly intriguing as the business end of the season arrives.

When the sheer horror and despair of 2026 sends you seeking comfort in lovely Dele goals from the good old days, the obvious first port of call will always be his Crystal Palace masterpiece.

It remains a flawless example of the essence of Dele. Of the impish and impudent brilliance that made him, for a short but dazzling period, among the most exciting young footballers on the planet.

There’s a balletic quality as in three touches but one fluid rotational movement controls the ball, flicks it over his head and then sticks it in the bottom corner.

Lovely, soothing, comforting stuff.

But for me it will only ever be good enough for second place. There is another goal. An even better goal in a bigger London derby.

Eight years ago (sob) today, Dele scored twice in a 3-1 Spurs win at Chelsea. Beating Chelsea is not something Spurs generally do a lot of. And especially not at Stamford Bridge.

Dele, though, was a man who could make things possible. Chelsea were among his favourite opponents and all five of his Premier League goals against them for Spurs came in victories. There was another famous brace at White Hart Lane a year before that brought the long unbeaten run of the eventual champions to an end.

The Chelsea of the following season were… not that Chelsea. Antonio Conte was in the process of his destroy and exit – albeit one that would deliver FA Cup success at the end of a season riddled with huffing and acrimony.

They were long out of the title picture by the time Spurs rocked up on Easter weekend. So was everyone else, to be fair, for this was the start of the Premier League’s Guardiola Years. His City side were on their way to a hundred points and over a hundred goals and an eventual title-winning margin of 19 points.

Spurs and Chelsea and the rest were reduced to battling it out for Champions League places. Alvaro Morata headed Chelsea into a 30th-minute lead after some Hugo Lloris flapping, but those who only know what Spurs are like now might be shocked to learn that there was a time when that falling a goal behind didn’t mean they would automatically go on to lose heavily and have to sack another manager.

No, back then Spurs were very capable of bouncing back. And bounce they did. Christian Eriksen bamboozled Willy Caballero with a knuckleball that dipped and fizzed and found its way into the middle of the goal with the keeper reduced to the status of a hologram. Level at the break.

The second half belonged to Dele. His second, points-clinching goal was a scruffy affair – albeit one that still featured his trademark quick feet and quicker thinking to manufacture and exploit a tiny oasis of space and calm in a penalty box of chaos.

But his first goal? Ah, now that was a thing. One of the striking things about that Palace goal is the fluidity of Dele’s movements throughout the mechanics of it, but this goal is really an even better example. Because this one came not from perfectly fluid motion in one spot but combined it with running at full tilt.

His two touches without breaking stride as he ran between Chelsea’s centre-halves to first bring down Eric Dier’s long pass from defence and then clip it past Caballero and in off the post were flawless. Both were vastly more complicated and difficult than Dele made them look.

Like the Palace goal, that apparent ease was deceptive. We know now just how much Dele struggled for his art. But art it was to watch him in those times, and in those moments where nothing else mattered and he turned Premier League matches into his own personal kickabout.

Ah, Spurs fans, do you remember when football could just be fun? Wasn’t it great.

But it doesn’t end there. The artistry of Dele’s goal is one thing, that of the celebration quite another. Just look at it. It’s like a renaissance painting. Dele, mischievous grin on his face like he’s just mugged off a couple of mates in the weekly five-a-side down at Power League, cupping his ear as the Chelsea fans turn every shade of fury in the background.

We can see the various hand gestures with which they congratulate Dele on his goal and celebrate their good fortune at being able to witness such splendour in person, but alas we can only imagine what words of wisdom accompanied them.

It was Tottenham’s first win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League era. And, since they’d achieved all of their goals in one game, there has been no need for a second.

READ NEXT: Who will stay or go if Spurs are actually relegated to the Championship?

Roberto De Zerbi has replaced Igor Tudor as Tottenham Hotspur head coach, signing a long-term contract with the club in danger of being relegated from the Premier League.

According to reports, De Zerbi’s contract includes no relegation clause, meaning if Tottenham go down, he’s going down with them.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be the best – and most out-of-place – stadium in Championship history if that does happen, while the club’s wage bill, international experience and many other factors would likely set records in the second tier.

But would De Zerbi be the most out-of-place manager in Championship history? He would certainly find himself on this list of the finest coach to manage in the division. The best? One man is very difficult to top…

Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds United)

And that man is Bielsa, who brought Leeds back to the Premier League in 2020, ending a 16-year hiatus.

The Argentine legend failed to earn promotion in his first year at Elland Road, but Leeds’ improvement was astronomical. It was clear to see why so many incredible managers looked up to him, and it also became clear to those unaware that Leeds United are a pretty big club.

But Bielsa managing in the Championship was just absolutely mental.

As alluded to, Bielsa was idolised by world-class coaches such as Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone and Mauricio Pochettino. He is one of the most influential managers of all time and had no right spending two years in the Championship. Leeds fans will be forever grateful that he did.

Rafael Benitez (Newcastle)

Champions League-winning manager Benitez was unable to keep Newcastle in the Premier League in 2015/16, but he surely would have managed it had Steve McClaren left sooner. They were a different team in those final months of the season, but the ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid manager simply didn’t have enough time to steer a sinking ship to safety.

Some expected Rafa to leave St James’ Park following the club’s relegation, but he stayed to become a cult hero, and Newcastle returned to the top flight at the first time of asking.

In 2016, Benitez had managed both Real Madrid and Newcastle in the second tier of English football. This sport is wild.

Vincent Kompany (Burnley)

In terms of managers who looked out of place in the Championship, there isn’t much competition for Bielsa, Benitez and De Zerbi, if he fails to keep Spurs in the Premier League. Bielsa’s arrival in West Yorkshire sent shockwaves around the world of football, whereas our next examples only look a bit mental with the benefit of hindsight.

Kompany used the managerial and coaching knowledge he gained from playing under Guardiola and then managing Anderlecht to guide Burnley to promotion in 2022/23.

Burnley’s possession-based football saw the Clarets finish 10 points clear of second and 21 clear of third, with an impressive total of 101.

As a rookie head coach with no major achievements in management, Kompany wasn’t exactly out of place at Burnley or in the Championship, but he is now manager of Bayern Munich, which is quite the gig.

Burnley were relegated with Kompany at the helm in 2023/24, but he still earned the Bayern job after sticking to his principles throughout the season. Despite being a former world-class defender, his team plays some of the best attacking football in Europe, helped by having Harry Kane and Michael Olise.

Enzo Maresca (Leicester City)

In the same boat as Kompany, Maresca was Leicester City manager in the Championship after graduating from the Guardiola school of football.

The Foxes finished top in a very competitive Championship season, and their 97-point haul was enough for Chelsea to appoint the Italian.

A year after managing Leicester against Rotherham and Plymouth Argyle, Maresca’s Chelsea were smashing Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. Incredible.

Roberto De Zerbi appears set to be appointed Tottenham‘s manager, but is he the right man for the job?

The Italian’s possession-oriented attacking approach earned plenty of plaudits during his time at Brighton and Marseille, but what about his volatile personality? Will his exacting tactical demands gel well with the players? What will a De Zerbi Tottenham team look like?

Here’s our best guess at how Tottenham will line up in De Zerbi’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for the remainder of their relegation dogfight:

GK: Guglielmo Vicario

The last guy made the blunder of bowing to pressure and dropping the Italian for a big match.

*Mick McCarthy voice* That went well.

De Zerbi will likely have to call upon a hopefully-not-too-bruised Antonin Kinsky in his first couple of games after Vicario underwent surgery on a hernia.

But it was scheduled “to have as minimal an impact on our season as possible” and it’s expected that Vicario will be back for most of the run-in.

Still, if Kinsky can put his Atletico nightmare behind him and showcase his ability to play out from the back, then De Zerbi might just keep the faith.

RB: Pedro Porro

Using Porro further forward actually worked quite well in Tudor’s only win, albeit an ultimately meaningless one over Atletico Madrid.

That remains an option amid an ongoing injury crisis in the attacking areas, but we expect him to return to his natural role going forward.

Djed Spence might have something to say about that, though. The England hopeful is arguably a bit more suited to the modern inverted style favoured by the Italian. A solid alternative, at least.

CB: Cristian Romero

The club captain went well over a month without playing a Premier League game following a suspension and concussion absence.

But Spurs’ 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest shows that the club’s issues go beyond personnel and availability. His long-awaited return brought no quick fix.

Still, he’s undoubtedly among the first names on the teamsheet. A quality defender in the right system. Whether he remains available for De Zerbi in the long term remains an open question, though.

CB: Micky van de Ven

Tottenham actually looked okay with Van de Ven at left-back in the first half against Nottingham Forest.

Tudor overcorrected after going to a set-piece goal by hooking the Netherlands international at the break, at which point Spurs capitulated in his absence.

De Zerbi is famously idiosyncratic and might surprise us with one or two selections, but building his team around the bedrock that delivered last season’s Europa League trophy seems like an absolute no-brainer for the task at hand.

LB: Destiny Udogie

Udogie has been eased back into action with minutes here and there.

He’s only made eight league starts this season, while three bookings in his last three appearances have demonstrated he’s a bit rusty.

Being left out of Italy’s World Cup play-off qualifiers might be for the best. If Udogie can stay injury-free and regain his sharpness, his pace and energy will be a major asset in De Zerbi’s high defensive line.

DM: Archie Gray

After slotting in admirably at right-back at boyhood club Leeds, he’s spent his first couple of seasons with Tottenham doing a jack-of-all-trades job as a utility man all over the pitch.

Tottenham’s best player in their recent rut, Gray has finally had a chance what he can do in his favoured midfield role, where his long-term future undoubtedly lies.

De Zerbi has older, more experienced heads to call upon but few of them offer as much in possession as the 20-year-old.

DM: Rodrigo Bentancur

De Zerbi is the kind of brave, uncompromising coach who’d put Lucas Bergvall in alongside Gray.

We’d love to see it, and it’d certainly make a refreshing change from the stodgy Bentancur-Palhinha partnership that struggled badly to progress the ball and defined Thomas Frank’s uninspiring early months.

But that midfield engine room would be collectively younger than Luka Modric. It might well be Spurs’ midfield of the future, but leaning so heavily on youth and potential would be a bold (stupid) approach in the midst of an almighty relegation scrap.

At least until the end of the season, we can see De Zerbi utilising the experience of a seasoned Uruguay international. The balance might just work.

FWR: Mohammed Kudus

Another player reportedly on the cusp of a timely return from injury, Kudus looks set to offer De Zerbi something that Tudor, and Frank in his final months, were crying out for: dynamism.

All too often of late, Tottenham’s attack has looked static, one-dimensional and predictable.

Kudus’ exceptional dribbling and explosive pace adds another string to De Zerbi’s bow. Kaoru Mitoma was often the difference-maker for De Zerbi’s Brighton and we could see the Ghanaian fulfilling a similarly important role here. With their fixtures, they’ll need it.

CAM: Xavi Simons

The highly-rated Netherlands international was superb, by far Tottenham’s best player, in their Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

So it was baffling, to say the least, to see him back on the bench for the crunch match against Nottingham Forest. That call, like most of Tudor’s calls, backfired.

Admittedly, Simons doesn’t strike us as the ideal candidate for a relegation dogfight, be it his physicality or his temperament, but his creativity and quality are sorely missed when he’s absent.

The entire De Zerbi project might hinge on building a system that works with Simons in it. At least while Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are (presumably) sidelined for the run-in.

FWL: Mathys Tel

Positives have been hard to come by in recent weeks. Gray’s form is top of the list.

Then it’s Tel just starting to show why Spurs bought him, with decent performances against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. We’re not sure we can think of a third bullet point.

It looked like just Spurs’ luck, then, when the 20-year-old forward hobbled off against Nottingham Forest.

But it’s not thought to be a bad injury, and the suggestions are that he’ll be available for their next outing away to Sunderland.

Tel might be severely lacking when it comes to numbers, but his bright performances of late ought to have earned him a sustained run of starts. Particularly when the competition is so lacking.

ST: Richarlison

Tudor went with a Dominic Solanke-Richarlison strike partnership in his final two league matches, an approach that bore mixed results.

There’s two decent options there, but we expect De Zerbi to choose one or the other as the spearhead of his 4-2-3-1. Solanke might well be Tottenham’s medium-term No.9. We could see Richarlison leaving this summer.

But for now the Brazilian seems to be one of the few players in the Spurs squad built for a relegation scrap. He’s been there before with Everton and his goal against Liverpool is evidence that he won’t shirk the fight.

READ NEXT: Who will stay or go if Spurs are actually relegated to the Championship?

The prospect of Tottenham being in the Championship has gone from ‘unlikely’ to ‘this could actually happen’ and has all of us wondering what will actually take place if a ‘big 6’ club goes down.

Along with the huge drop in finances, there will likely be a fire sale as players who think they are too good for the Championship – although have not shown that this year – will look for a way out. But of the entire squad, who will stay and who will go?

Here’s what we reckon will happen with every member of the current Tottenham squad should Spurs go down.

Guglielmo Vicario – Go

Of all the Spurs players to have had a drop off this season, Vicario’s has been the most notable with the Italian going from one of the best keepers in the league to someone who seemingly can’t even hold a ball.

He’s on a reported £75k, but even if that was halved that would be a lot for an underwhelming keeper in the second tier so a departure seems likely.

Antonin Kinsky – Stay

There’s being out in the shop window and then there’s whatever that was with Kinsky in Madrid.

His 15-minute nightmare is unlikely to have attracted many suitors which means he may well stick around given he is only 23. Spurs will likely recruit another keeper but if given the chance, Kinsky could rebuild his currently tattered reputation.

Brandon Austin – Stay

Third keeper Brandon Austin has played just one league game for Spurs since 2019, so clearly isn’t too fussed about first-team football. He’ll stick around.

Pedro Porro – Go

Once thought of as one of the top full backs in Europe, Porro’s decline has been rapid this year.

The nature of football though means sometimes players can turn it around and Porro has been linked with a move back to Manchester City.

Whether that comes off or not remains to be seen but a move away seems likely.

Radu Dragusin – Stay

Spurs paid £21.5m for Dragusin but it is hard to see exactly what they paid for.

The Romanian has looked woefully out of his depth on many occasions this year and even if Spurs do want to get rid, who would want to buy him?

He is pocketing a reported £85k a week and even if that was halved due to relegation, is anyone likely to offer him something similar? He has a contract until 2030 and may well choose to pick up that pay cheque.

Kevin Danso – Stay

Danso hasn’t actually looked too bad since arriving in January 2025 and has become Spurs’ long-throw taker, an incredibly important role.

Having him stay would be a plus for Spurs as he would easily be one of the best centre backs in the Championship but it may take some convincing considering he is 27 now and will want to play at the top level.

Cristian Romero – Go

The season is not even over and it looks like club captain Cristian Romero already has one foot out the door.

Marca reported this week that he has a release clause in his contract that will allow him to leave for one of three clubs – Real Madrid, Atletico or Barcelona.

That fact coming from a Spanish newspaper seems dubious but if it is true, one of those would need to stump up €60m.

Even if it isn’t true, he looks certain to leave and is the joint top earner at the club.

Ben Davies – Stay

A drop down the pyramid may well come at a good time for the now 32-year-old Davies.

His contract expires in the summer but Spurs could do worse than offering him another year for some leadership within the presumably much changed dressing room.

Micky van de Ven – Go

Another one flirting with the departure door is Romero’s centre-back partner Van de Ven.

The 24-year-old has been pining for a move away, particularly to one of the La Liga clubs, but his performances on the pitch haven’t exactly started a bidding war.

He is on slightly less than Romero at £90k a week but also looks certain to leave regardless of if Spurs stay up or not.

Ashley Phillips – Stay

Centre back Phillips is only 19, so seems likely to stay.

Destiny Udogie – Go

Juventus have been said to be sniffing round Udogie and are hoping Spurs go down so they can get a cut-rate price for the Italian.

Injury issues may put off some suitors but he is another one that likely sees himself too good for the second tier.

Djed Spence – Go

It was not long ago that Spence was fighting for a starting spot in the England team and yet it is now a question as to whether he will even be at the World Cup.

He has made Thomas Tuchel’s inflated 35-man squad for the upcoming friendlies but he has been some way off it this year and may want a move to restart his career.

Souza – Stay

Souza only joined Spurs in January and is 19 so unless he kicks up a fuss, he seems likely to stay.

Joao Palhinha – Go

Palhinha is only on loan and while he showed promise at the start, he too has crumbled under the pressure of a club falling down the table.

Spurs have an option to sign him permanently in the summer but he seems unlikely either club or player would want that.

Yves Bissouma – Go

Thomas Frank had much publicised problems with the discipline of Yves Bissouma and a player who can’t be trusted is not someone you want to pin your hopes on in the often soul-crushing endurance test that is the Championship.

His contract also expires in the summer so he will most likely leave.

Archie Gray – Stay

If there was one player the Spurs hierarchy could pick to stay next year, chances are it would be Archie Gray.

He is the one player who will come away this year with any kind of credit, as he has done a job all over the pitch.

He’s only 20 but seems a Premier League quality player already, and will have plenty of suitors. He does, though, seem the kind of player who would help Spurs back up if they do drop down.

Rodrigo Bentancur – Go

One of the better players in this underwhelming Spurs side, which means his departure would be likely.

A return to Italy would seem most plausible with his contract ending this summer.

Callum Olusesi – Stay

Only 19 so likely to stick around.

James Maddison – Go

Maddison’s absence has been keenly felt this year but it seems unlikely he would stick around in the Championship.

He’s 29 now and while there will be concern over his return from a cruciate ligament injury, he is good enough for at least one Premier League club to have a punt. Perhaps someone like Newcastle.

Lucas Bergvall – Stay

With a contract until 2031, Spurs do have a bit of power in the future for Bergvall provided there is no relegation release clause in there.

He has been linked with United but Spurs should fight hard to keep him there with the promise of a quick return to the top flight.

Dejan Kulusevski – Go

One player that has been sorely missed, Kulusevski fits neatly into the category of too good for the second division so will most likely leave.

A return to Italy could be on the cards but do not rule out another Premier League side taking a punt on the Swede.

Conor Gallagher – Go

Spurs only signed Gallagher in January which means they will most likely have to eat a big loss for a player who sees himself as better than the Championship.

A move to a mid-table Premier League club looks likely.

Pape Matar Sarr – Stay

Only 23 so perhaps young enough that Spurs can convince him to stay and he looks a level below Premier League quality at the moment.

Xavi Simons – Go

Bought in as an Eberechi Eze alternative, Simons has become the face of this floundering Spurs side.

He has registered just five goal involvements in 25 league matches and has been uninspiring since moving to north London.

With a reported inflated entourage it seems likely he would kick up a fuss and force a move. How much Spurs get back of the £51.8m they paid for him remains to be seen.

Mohammed Kudus – Go

Kudus had a bright start when he made the move across London but his form faltered in October and then into November.

A purple patch in December was followed by a muscle injury in January which has kept him on the sidelines but he, and his agents most likely, will be looking for a move should Spurs go down.

Wilson Odobert – Stay

Odobert is only 21 so seems likely to stay.

READ: Ranking 5 available managers who’d keep Tottenham up if Tudor gets sacked

Mathys Tel – Stay

Tel didn’t get much of a look in under Frank but has featured more since the Dane’s sacking.

In that time he hasn’t looked great but there are some signs of a player in there. A year scoring goals in the Championship may boost his confidence ahead of a return to the Premier League.

Richarlison – Go

Richarlison has been around long enough that it seems unbelievable that he is still only 28 and yet he is the one leading any hope of a Spurs survival fight.

Should he, and the club, fail in that, it seems likely he will leave.

Dominic Solanke – Stay

It seems an awfully long time since Spurs forked out £55m for Solanke doesn’t it?

Injuries have disrupted the trajectory of the now 28-year-old and that kind of medical history may make others think twice about signing him.

He has featured 12 times this year and just 62 times since August 2024 so may have to stick around next season.

Randal Kolo Muani – Go

Kolo Muani is only on loan from PSG so will likely return at the end of the year.

James Wilson – Stay

Wilson is a 19-year-old prospect so will likely stay.

READ NEXT: Who has the easiest run-in of Tottenham, West Ham, Nottm Forest & Leeds?

The threat of relegation has grown larger for Tottenham after their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, leaving Igor Tudor’s side 17th in the Premier League table.

Thanks only to West Ham losing to Aston Villa at the same time, Tottenham remain outside the bottom three, but only by a point. There were already doubts about whether Tudor was the right man to lead Spurs away from the relegation mire when he was appointed as their caretaker manager for the rest of the season, but his failure to win any of his five league games in charge so far have only served to amplify those concerns.

If they are to stay up, Spurs might genuinely have to change their manager again. But they are going to struggle to convince the calibre of manager they would want.

With that in mind, axing Tudor for a different caretaker manager, rather than a permanent replacement, may have to be the way to go. Finding one with experience of English football may give them a better chance.

But who would give Spurs the best chance possible of avoiding disaster and staying up? We rank some of the potential candidates to replace Tudor by who’d be most likely to keep them in the Premier League.

Mason became Spurs’ go-to man in rocky waters when they sacked Jose Mourinho in 2021 and Cristian Stellini – another ill-fated caretaker manager who didn’t last long after Antonio Conte’s exit – in 2023.

Mason’s underwhelming spell at West Brom earlier this season has cast doubt on his managerial potential, but he knows the Spurs environment well.

However, he would be inheriting a different kind of challenge if he returned to Tottenham now. They were seventh when he replaced Mourinho and fifth when he succeeded Stellini.

Those appointments were made with the sense of Spurs having little left to lose. Now they do have something serious to lose: top-flight status for the first time since the 1970s.

A Spurs player of more than 300 appearances between 1979 and 1990, Hughton had some spells as their caretaker manager in the late 90s, winning four of the 11 matches he oversaw.

He later became a Premier League manager with Newcastle, Norwich and Brighton. His experience with the latter, whom he led from the Championship to the top flight, would be the most appropriate background for what he would be taking on if he returned to Spurs.

Hughton kept Brighton in the Premier League for two seasons before being sacked as they sought a more adventurous style of play. It provided the platform for them to progress into the established top-flight club they now are.

After some time working with the Ghana national team, Hughton hasn’t managed at club level since his spell in the Championship with Nottingham Forest ended in 2021.

The Premier League – and what it takes to stay in it – has changed since Hughton was last at the helm of one of its clubs, but his connection with Spurs could become something to lean on.

Klinsmann enjoyed two spells as a Spurs striker in the 90s, scoring 38 goals from 68 games for the club.

Most of his subsequent experience as a manager has been with national teams – Germany, the USA and South Korea – but he has spent time in charge of Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin before.

He recently threw his hat into the ring if Spurs need to replace Tudor, stating: “Who wouldn’t want the job? It is Tottenham.

“Whoever you choose, you need a person who can connect to everyone emotionally, that knows the club, that feels the club, that feels the people.

“Because, to get out of this mess, they need to develop a fighting spirit, a really nasty, ugly, fighting spirit and that goes only over the emotions.”

If that’s what Klinsmann could instil for Spurs, then it sounds like what they need. But actions speak louder than words, and the actions of their players haven’t fit the bill this year.

Postecoglou wouldn’t be drawn on the prospect of returning to Spurs when asked recently. It would certainly be an embarrassing U-turn for the club he led to the Europa League trophy last season.

Finishing 17th in the Premier League was what cost him his job, but it would be enough for what Tottenham need now.

The added benefit of reverting to Postecoglou would be his prior understanding of most of their players. In theory, he wouldn’t need much time – which is firmly not on Spurs’ side – to get his ideas back into their heads.

Increasingly becoming one of the favourites to take over from Tudor, Dyche getting a chance with Tottenham would be fascinating.

The potential to get revenge on Forest, who sacked him earlier in the season, in the relegation battle would be an enticing subplot.

During his spell in charge of Burnley, Dyche earned plenty of praise for keeping his side resilient against the threat of relegation, even if he didn’t always succeed in keeping them up.

At his best – which may be behind him after his spells with Everton and Forest – Dyche was a master of getting the basics right for struggling sides.

Some pundits wondered what he’d be capable of achieving at a bigger club. They probably didn’t mean in these circumstances, but now could be the time.

Tottenham have lost more Premier League home games than Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool combined since they moved into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019.

The state-of-the-art new ground has been praised for its facilities, but it’s been a struggle for Spurs to make it a difficult place for the opposition to go.

Jose Mourinho praised Tottenham’s stadium as “the best in the world” after he took over while the club were still getting used to their new home. But it wouldn’t be long before games were being played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think so,” Mourinho responded when asked if the new stadium can become a fortress.

“But we need to do it with the fans. Without them you can create a kind of fortress, but based on the tactical side of the game.

“But, I think with fans, you can do it in a much stronger way because you add the emotional side of the game that only your fans in your stadium can give to you.”

That didn’t quite come to pass, although they weren’t shockingly poor in their first full season with the stadium packed out – the 2021-22 campaign in which Antonio Conte led them to a top-four finish ahead of their north London rivals Arsenal.

Spurs won 13 of their 19 league outings on their own patch that season and boasted a better home record than the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.

What they’d give for a record like that now, with their dismal record at home one of the key reasons for being mired in the relegation battle this season.

After beating Burnley on the opening weekend, Spurs have won just one of their last 15 outings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They have the worst home record in the entire division, having picked up even fewer points on their own soil than Championship-bound Wolves and Burnley.

“We would like our home to be a fortress,” Thomas Frank discussed back in October.

“Can we make our home an unbelievably difficult place to come to? Then the job is half done in terms of what you like to try to achieve. And that is like an unbelievable cohesion between the team and the fans.

“It cannot only be the team, it cannot only be the fans. It needs to be both. We need to bring energy to each other. We need to work unbelievably hard, perform well, try to be positive – but also need a little bit of help.

“Every game goes a little bit up and down. You have good spells, bad spells. We need the fans, especially in the tough moments. The better they can be behind the team, the better it will be.”

Unfortunately for Frank, he never got his wish. Spurs’ home form never picked up, and the Dane was sacked, while his successor Igor Tudor has failed to turn things around. The interim has overseen defeats to Arsenal, Crystal Palace and now relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Here’s the breakdown of the Premier League home table since Tottenham moved to their new stadium.

Note: to create this table, we’ve used our sister site Football365 and their brilliant Premier League Tables resource – a goldmine for creating and exploring custom tables.

READ NEXT: Ranking five misfits who’d still take the Tottenham job as Tudor sack grows inevitable

It may well be a last throw of the dice for Igor Tudor as Tottenham take on Liverpool on Sunday, desperate to find a way to halt the longest losing streak in their history.

Tudor has lost all four of his games in charge of Tottenham so far, picking a different lineup each time. That makes predicting his next Spurs XI (could it be his last?) a bit tricky – but we’re going to try.

A trip to Anfield awaits Spurs on Sunday as attention switches back to the Premier League after the debacle of their 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Tottenham’s list of absentees isn’t helpful. Micky van de Ven is suspended, while the injury list includes Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

Destiny Udogie could be on the verge of a comeback, while Spurs will have to assess Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha after their clash of heads on Tuesday that forced them both off.

So what starting XI will Tudor scramble together to take on another English side who lost in midweek and have a manager under scrutiny – just not on the same full-blown crisis scale?

Here’s a quick reminder of the four different lineups Tudor has started with so far:

v Arsenal (3-5-2): Vicario; Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Gray, Bissouma, Gallagher, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Simons

v Fulham (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Dragusin, Van de Ven, Gray; Gallagher, Palhinha, Bissouma; Kolo Muani, Solanke, Simons

v Palace (3-4-3): Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven; Gray, Palhinha, Sarr, Souza; Kolo Muani, Solanke, Tel

v Atleti (3-4-3): Kinsky; Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Porro, Gray, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Tel

And here’s how we think/guess Tottenham will set up on Sunday, in a 3-5-2 shape…

GK: Guglielmo Vicario

Tudor simply has to revert to starting Vicario after the much-scrutinised decision to switch to Antonin Kinsky – and then take him off after 17 minutes – on Tuesday.

Kinsky struggled on his Champions League debut, so the fair thing to do would be to take the 23-year-old out of the spotlight.

Vicario has started all 29 of their Premier League games this season. Whilst he hasn’t entirely convinced in his own right, the Italian will make that 30 on Sunday.

RCB: Kevin Danso

Tudor will have to decide whether to use a back three or back four against Liverpool.

He has gone with a three in all but one of his matches in charge so far, so we’ll assume that’s what he’ll prefer, even though Van de Ven’s absence and the question mark over Romero could put that in doubt.

Danso came into the starting lineup against Palace and completed the full 90 minutes in that game and against Atleti.

Tottenham conceded eight goals in that time, which isn’t a great reflection for their defence, but given their available personnel at the moment, he will likely be a senior option in their backline.

CB: Cristian Romero

Romero may need to be assessed after his head injury, but he didn’t come off as badly from the collision as Palhinha.

The centre-back will likely be able to return to action, which will be important for a Spurs side missing Van de Ven.

Alternatively, if Romero can’t play, Spurs may have to drop Archie Gray into the back three or go with a four instead.

LCB: Radu Dragusin

After starting Tudor’s first two games in charge, Dragusin missed the Palace match and sat on the bench against Atleti.

As long as he’s fit enough, Spurs probably need him to step back into their starting defensive line in Van de Ven’s absence.

RWB: Pedro Porro

Porro has become the only genuine candidate for the right-back role due to Djed Spence shifting over to the left-hand side.

Archie Gray could be an alternative at right-back, but Porro is the more natural fit there and will be expecting to start a fourth game in a row.

CM: Archie Gray

Gray is the only player to have played every single minute under Tudor so far, although that hasn’t all been in the same position.

He’s played at right wing-back, left-back and in his natural position of central midfield.

As mentioned, depending on Romero’s availability, Spurs might need him in some sort of defensive role on Sunday. But if Romero does play – and Palhinha doesn’t – Gray could operate as the holding midfielder.

CM: Pape Sarr

Sarr is one of only four players – along with Gray, Vicario and Van de Ven – to amass more than 300 minutes of gametime under Tudor so far.

However, he will be in a battle with Yves Bissouma – who wasn’t included in their latest Champions League squad list but is in contention this weekend – for a starting berth on Sunday.

CM: Conor Gallagher

Gallagher started Tudor’s first two games in charge before coming off the bench in the two since.

Any question marks over Palhinha’s availability could play into his hands for a chance to return to the starting lineup, when his energy could be crucial to keep Liverpool at bay.

LWB: Djed Spence

Spence was an obvious choice to return to the starting lineup in midweek, since January signing Souza isn’t in Spurs’ Champions League squad list.

Tudor can pick freely between them for Sunday, but the more senior Spence would be the safer choice against a team like Liverpool.

He would presumably be in a direct battle against Mohamed Salah. The fact that Spence is right-footed should help his chances of dealing with whenever Salah cuts inside, but it will still be a tough one-on-one clash.

ST: Randal Kolo Muani

Tudor reunited with Kolo Muani after their time working together at Juventus last season and has chosen him as a starter in all four of his games so far.

The Frenchman scored the first goal of Tudor’s Spurs spell, but hasn’t found the net again since.

It could cost him his place in the starting lineup after being taken off in all four games so far, but if Spurs go with a strike pairing, it may make more sense to stick with him over someone like Xavi Simons.

ST: Richarlison

Richarlison’s appearance against Atleti was his first as a starter under Tudor, but the former Everton forward has a good record against his old rivals Liverpool.

From 15 appearances against them in the Premier League, Richarlison has scored five times, including three from five as a Spurs player.

The only teams he has ever scored more against are Leicester and Wolves, and while Tudor could also call upon Dominic Solanke, Richarlison is likely to be in slightly better shape.

READ NEXT: Spurs manager crash-outs ranked as Tudor joins Mourinho, Conte…