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Tottenham Hotspur fans may be surprised to learn the step that their former chief football officer has taken, less than a year after exiting the North London club.

There have been sweeping changes in Tottenham’s leadership structure since last summer, with the headline act being the removal of Daniel Levy as the Spurs chairman after 24 years at the helm.

Even prior to Levy’s exit, chief football officer Scott Munn was also let go by Spurs after two years in the role.

The Australian director, who worked with the City Group for a long time before his move to North London, has now taken up a rather surprising role.

Former Tottenham chief Scott Munn takes up role in Kazakhstan

After leaving Tottenham, Munn joined as the new head of soccer operations and growth at Italian side Parma.

However, The Athletic have now revealed that the 52-year-old, despite continuing to be listed as a board member at Parma, has decided to take up a new role.

The former Tottenham Hotspur CFO has now been appointed as the general secretary of the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF), which is certainly a world away from the positions he has held in his recent past.

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Kazakhstan are ranked 110th in FIFA’s global rankings, and have never qualified for the European championship. They finished bottom of their second from the bottom of their European qualification group for the World Cup.

Munn has been critical of Spurs’ medical department

Since departing Tottenham, the Australian director has made some worrying remarks about the culture and mentality at Spurs.

In an interview with Football 360 back in February, Munn even claimed that Tottenham had not implemented the findings from their review of the medical department.

Those comments appear pertinent at the moment, with the Lilywhites continuing to go from one injury crisis to another.

Xavi Simons has ruptured his ACL. His season is over. His World Cup is gone. And Tottenham now have four games left to prove that the most devastating injury of a devastating season will not be the one that finally breaks them.

It happened in the 58th minute at Molineux on Saturday. Simons went down after a challenge from Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, tried to run it off (the way you do when you’re not ready to accept what your body is telling you), then collapsed in front of the Tottenham medical staff.

He left Molineux on a stretcher. On Sunday evening, he confirmed on Instagram what the initial scans had already suggested. Ruptured ACL. Surgery in the coming weeks. The World Cup, gone. The season, gone. “None of it makes sense,” he wrote. “I’m heartbroken.”

In a season of almost unrelenting misery at N17, this was the cruellest blow yet. The timing made it unbearable. This was a player who’d spent months being underused, misused, and in the case of Igor Tudor, apparently invisible.

It took De Zerbi exactly one game to unlock what Simons was actually capable of. The goal against Brighton was extraordinary. The assist was immaculate. The performance was the first genuine glimpse of what this Tottenham team could become. And now he’s watching the rest of the fight from a treatment table.

Spurs are two points from safety with four games to play. They need fuel. The Simons injury can be it, if they choose to make it that.

This Tottenham squad has responded to adversity before

When Mohammed Kudus suffered his quad injury in January against Sunderland (the one that sparked the chain of events leading to Brobbey’s unpunished push on Romero, which ended Romero’s season), Tottenham fell apart. The winless run in 2026 stretches directly back to that moment. Eleven players out simultaneously at one point. A squad that had no answer when its best attacking players disappeared.

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That’s one way to respond to serious injury. It’s not the only way.

De Zerbi arrived at a club in freefall. No wins in 2026. Players who’d stopped believing they could win games. A fanbase preparing for the worst. He changed things immediately, not through tactics or formations, but through connection.

The Italian has spoken about his players needing a “father-like figure,” someone who makes them feel important even when everything around them is chaotic. He arranged a squad dinner to build that connection before the Sunderland game.

He got a performance out of a group that hadn’t won a league match since December. He did all of this while Simons, Romero, Kudus, Maddison, Odobert, Davies, and Solanke were either absent or broken.

The losses keep coming. His response to them keeps mattering.

Four games, two points, no Xavi Simons, no excuses

Aston Villa away. Leeds at home. Chelsea away. Everton at home. That’s what the next four weeks look like for Tottenham Hotspur. Villa are in form and fighting for European places. Leeds are scrapping for survival. Chelsea are erratic enough to be beatable. Everton? That’s the game that could define everything.

Simons cannot play in any of them. The temptation (the very human temptation) is for the players who can to carry that grief onto the pitch and let it become an anchor. Let it drag them down. Use it as an excuse when things go wrong.

The alternative is to make it something else. Every great escape in football history has had a moment where the odds became absurd enough that they stopped mattering. Where the situation was so far gone that the only thing left to do was play without fear. Spurs are two points from safety. They won a game against a relegated side 1-0 with a substitute’s tap-in. Their best player for the run-in isn’t playing anymore.

That’s not a reason to give up. For a team with nothing left to lose, it might just be a reason to go and win something.

Tottenham Hotspur sit two points from safety with four games to play, and a growing body of evidence suggests that refereeing decisions, applied with staggering inconsistency all season, have played a genuine role in putting them there.

Look, we’re not going to pretend Tottenham’s problems are entirely the fault of referees. Three managers, a broken squad, and a run of form that makes for genuinely grim reading. Those are real problems. They belong to the club and nobody else. But what has happened to Spurs in front of match officials this season isn’t just bad luck. It’s a pattern.

The evidence has been building since August. It came to a head this week when the Premier League’s own KMI panel admitted what most Spurs supporters had already concluded: Bryan Brobbey should have been sent off during the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on April 12.

Not only was the decision wrong on the day, but it directly cost Spurs their captain for the rest of the season. Cristian Romero suffered a partial knee ligament tear in the collision that followed. The admission from the KMI panel? Four days later, after the points were already gone. Roberto De Zerbi summed it up perfectly: “Can we play again that game?”

No. They cannot.

Three identical pushes, three completely different decisions for Tottenham

This is where it becomes impossible to dismiss as coincidence. Over the course of this season, match officials have dealt with three near-identical push incidents in and around the penalty area. All three involved Tottenham. And somehow, they came to three different conclusions.

Randal Kolo Muani had a goal ruled out in the north London derby for an alleged push on Gabriel Magalhaes. The contact was marginal. Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said the Arsenal player “backed in” and that Gabriel’s reaction was excessive. The goal did not stand.

One week later, Raul Jimenez pushed Radu Dragusin in the build-up to Fulham’s opener at Craven Cottage. The goal stood. Hackett described the decision as wrong, telling Football Insider: “The bar is somehow being raised for pushing incidents. All that leads to is confusion.”

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Then came Brobbey on Romero at Sunderland. A two-handed push. Romero’s season ended. Brobbey stayed on the pitch.

So which is it? Is a push a foul or isn’t it? Because right now, the answer seems to depend entirely on whether you’re playing Tottenham or playing against them. Tottenham were so exasperated by the pattern that they wrote to PGMOL chief Howard Webb seeking clarity. PGMOL declined to comment. Of course they did.

Spurs vs West Ham: Saturday’s officiating subplot

The Wolves win on Saturday was huge. But even that came with its own officiating subplot, and this time, the injustice didn’t land on Spurs. West Ham beat Everton 2-1 on the same afternoon. Everton had a strong handball appeal waved away by referee Stuart Attwell and ignored by VAR.

West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes appeared to handle the ball in the box while attempting to mark Thierno Barry. The shout was dismissed. The decision kept West Ham two points clear of the relegation zone.

The standard of evidence required to award that penalty, in a match with direct relegation implications, was no higher than the standard used to disallow Kolo Muani’s goal in the north London derby three months ago. The decisions went in opposite directions.

Throw in the fact that Andre got away with a clear red card on Bissouma – a red card that Romero himself would have been brandished in a heartbeat – and it becomes all the more frustrating. You could forgive mistakes and inconsistencies if the luck at least evened itself out, but Spurs haven’t been awarded a penalty all season, and red cards against Tottenham seem to come at a premium.

The cumulative cost for Tottenham Hotspur

This season has already seen more refereeing errors than the entirety of last season. 58 KMI errors by the end of March compared to 44 across the whole of 2024-25. The errors are not being distributed equally.

Let’s be specific about what’s happened to Spurs: a goal wrongly disallowed vs Arsenal, a goal allowed against them vs Fulham that shouldn’t have stood, and a red card not shown vs Sunderland that the league’s own panel later admitted was incorrect. That last decision cost them their captain and directly led to a 1-0 defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur are keeping an eye on a prolific Japanese international, but they may face competition from several of their Premier League rivals for the player this summer.

The Spurs forward line will likely look very different next season, whether the club are relegated or survive in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear that he is a fan of Dominic Solanke, but reports indicate that Richarlison could be on his way out of Spurs, while Randal Kolo Muani may also not have a future at N17.

It has now emerged that the Lilywhites have set their sights on a centre-forward who has been prolific in the Eredivisie this season.

Tottenham eyeing move for Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda

TEAMtalk have claimed that Spurs’ search for a new striker has taken them to the Netherlands, where one man is making a big name for himself this season.

Ayase Ueda has found the back of the net 26 times for Feyenoord this season, and his displays have brought him to the attention of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham. That includes 25 goals in 29 Eredivisie games.

The Japan international’s movement, composure and his effectiveness in high-tempo systems have impressed scouts, who see him as being well-suited to the Premier League.

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The report says that Tottenham have conducted background work on Ueda over recent months as they plan for the summer window.

It is explained that the 27-year-old had previously attracted interest from figures connected to the club’s recruitment network, with the Lilywhites’ interest in the player not new.

Feyenoord paid just £6.9m to sign Ueda from Club Brugge back in 2023.

Three Premier League clubs could challenge Spurs for Ueda

However, TEAMtalk expect Tottenham to face intense competition from Premier League rivals for the Feyenoord star this summer.

It is revealed that Leeds United, Everton, and Brighton have all sent representatives to the Netherlands to watch Ueda in action this season.

All three clubs are prioritising attacking reinforcements, and the Japanese striker’s profile aligns with their recruitment strategies. It is suggested that Feyenoord may thus face a battle to hold onto their star man this summer.

The prospect of Tottenham Hotspur dropping out of the top flight has prompted Gareth Barry to question the collective mentality of the squad as they enter a defining period in their modern history.

We are right in the business end of the Premier League season, and Tottenham Hotspur still find themselves on the wrong side of the dotted line, currently sitting in the bottom three.

However, all hope is not lost for Spurs, who will need to secure at least two wins from their final four Premier League outings if they are to keep their hopes of survival alive, as that would see them hit the landmark 40-point mark, which could well guarantee their safety.

However, for Tottenham, it will undoubtedly prove difficult, especially when their relegation rivals are showing significant fight and refusing to go down easily.

West Ham United and Nottingham Forest currently stand among the most in-form sides in the division over their last five games and, should they maintain this level, they could well avoid the drop at the expense of the Lilywhites.

Gareth Barry questions Tottenham Hotspur mentality as relegation threat looms

Former Premier League midfielder Gareth Barry has now opened up on whether the club actually deserves the threat of relegation this term.

As opposed to their rivals, who have found form since the turn of the year, Tottenham have struggled domestically, managing just one win in their last 16 league outings, with their only victory coming last weekend against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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Speaking to Tribal Football, the former England international explained that while individual quality remains high within the squad, the lack of cohesive team play has been their undoing.

He suggested that the dressing room has lacked the necessary consistency and that results ultimately reflect the performances seen on the pitch throughout a frustrating campaign.

He said: “Yeah, I think any team that are down there, results will speak for themselves. I mean, it is the dressing room, it has been a very up and down season for them. Watching them play, they are frustrating sometimes.

“I think the players are definitely it is the old one. The players are too good to go down, but if you are not playing as a team, then you do not deserve to win games.

“And that is where I see Spurs at the moment, that the players have definitely got more ability than some teams that are fighting ahead of them, but, yeah, I think deserve. He has got a real, real tough job now to try and find the points from somewhere.”

Spurs backed to bounce right back up next season

Barry also addressed whether the Premier League would miss a club of such stature, given that Tottenham have been one of the few sides to remain in the English top flight for a prolonged period.

The last time the Lilywhites played in the second division was in the 1970s, making them a fixture of the top tier for almost half a century and an integral part of the competition’s identity.

While discussing the potential fallout of a drop to the Championship, Gareth Barry suggested to Tribal Football that the club possesses the infrastructure and talent to recover quickly.

He noted that while it would be a shame for the league to lose such a historic competitor, the club remains a huge entity capable of retaining some of its most valuable assets.

He added: “No, I think, listen, a team like Tottenham, if they were to get relegated, listen, the odds are massively stacked in their favour to come straight back up.

“It will be a shame if the Spurs are one of the teams that have always been in the Premier League, it is we want the big clubs competing in the Premier League. So it will be a shame if they were to go down, but no, I do not think it will kill them. They are a huge football club.

“They will be able to keep some of their top players that are going to be more than capable of bringing them back from the Championship. So, yeah, I can see why some of the Championship clubs will be looking forward to them going down with that new stadium.”

This weekend had Spurs reeling again when two of their highest-profile players went down seriously injured. The attacking options are short, but Roberto De Zerbi could find his solution in a place his Tottenham predecessors didn’t think to look – Tynan Thompson.

It has now been confirmed that Xavi Simons‘ season is over. The ACL rupture he suffered in Spurs’ 1-0 win over Wolves last Saturday means that he likely won’t play a game again this season. Dominic Solanke is also out for an indeterminate amount of time.

With Spurs’ attacking options gutted by six injuries to first team players, the situation quickly went from bad to absolutely dire for Roberto De Zerbi and if Tottenham are to survive relegation, solutions will have to be found.

De Zerbi still has one potential solution which his predecessors this season were reticent to look to, mainly, the many young talents currently at Spurs’ academy.

Hotspur Way academy to the rescue?

Spurs have, without a doubt, one of the strongest youth teams in the Premier League. Their U21 team had been the league winners in the 23/24 season, and the academy had been carefully assembling a mass of youth talent for the past few years.

Luca Williams-Barnett, Jun’ai Byfield, Callum Olusesi, have all become recognisable thanks to their first team involvements in this season. And although Tynan Thompson is yet to make a first time appearance, needs must at Tottenham right now and lack of winger options, as well as Thompson’s incredible talent, could hand him his first start for Spurs.

Tynan Thompson perfectly fits into the current Tottenham set-up

It’s not the first time this season that Spurs’ lack of options on the wing forces them to look for different solutions. Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor had both at some points (and with limited success) employed fullbacks in winger positions, notably Pedro Porro or the Brazilian youngster Souza. Even Djed Spence played left-wing in the Champions League.

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But neither Souza nor Porro, nor in all honesty Randal Kolo Muani or Mathys Tel, who have been used in winger roles extensively this season, fit the profile of a true winger.

Tynan Thompson on the other hand has all the qualities of a winger and despite his lack of experience he would certainly be a more effective fit than Spurs’ available senior options.

Thompson excels at 1v1s, stands out for his athleticism, physicality and creativity, and his 13-goal tally is nothing to scoff at, even at youth level. This makes him a potential candidate to positively impact Spurs’ squad in this crucial Premier League survival run-in.

For too long this season, Tottenham have shoehorned square pegs into round holes. A front three of Mathys Tel, Richarlison, and Randal Kolo Muani brings experience, but it lacks the cutting edge and fearless creativity required from Premier League wingers.

It’s about time Spurs put some faith in the academy and played a youngster with actual experience on the wing. After all, you might just unearth the next Mikey Moore.

Tynan Thompson’s lack of experience is a caveat for his inclusion in the first XI, and he would probably need protection from his older teammates.

But De Zerbi’s recent decisions to employ the experienced double pivot in Bentancur and Yves Bissouma could provide the assurance that a young player like Thompson needs to be effective and hopefully alleviate some of Spurs’ attacking problems.

Mikey Moore has revealed why he decided to go against Tottenham Hotspur’s wishes last year.

Spurs will be delighted with how Moore has fared on loan at Rangers this season, with the teenager demonstrating why many at Hotspur Way consider him a generational talent.

Moore has seen his market value skyrocket in light of his consistent display at Ibrox, and Tottenham fans will be excited about what the winger can achieve on his return to North London next season.

The Spurs academy graduate has been shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Men’s Young Player of the Year award, but none of this would have been possible if his parent club had their way.

Tottenham wanted to recall Mikey Moore last October

It was not all smooth sailing for the 18-year-old at the start of his loan spell at Glasgow as he went 10 games without a goal.

It took the sacking of Russell Martin and the arrival of Danny Rohl for the youngster to turn his fortunes at Ibrox around.

Mikey Moore has revealed that Spurs wanted him to come back as early as October, but he wanted to stay until January and do his best to turn things around.

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The winger told The Scottish Sun: “I’m so grateful to the Rangers fans. I think we’ve got a connection now where I love them and they like me a little bit!

“We’ve got a good connection. And I think that’s a credit to them for sticking with me because at the start of the year, it was looking like I was going to rent a flat back out in London somewhere. So, I’m grateful to them.”

When asked if he spoke to Spurs about returning to Hotspur Way, Moore responded: “Yeah, I’d had conversations. I think people back at Tottenham probably wanted me to come back home. I think it was around October time. But I said, ‘I’ve got two, three months left until the January window and I’m going to do my very best to change it’.

“And obviously, a new gaffer come in and he helped me do that. His arrival was a big boost for me. I was thinking, I’m going to show them what I’m about now. Yeah, so that was massive for me. And yeah, I’m enjoying myself now.”

Moore wanted to prove his mentality after having it ‘easy’ at Spurs

The England U18 star admitted that he had things easy while coming through the ranks of the Tottenham academy.

He revealed that he had a bit of culture shock in his early days at Rangers and explained that he was keen to prove himself with the Gers.

Moore added: “There’s no point talking about the start. The start was the start. But it’s been good for me to come back from that. Before coming here, I’d had it easy in my academy. Then I went into the first team at Spurs and again, I think I had it all quite easy.

“But then I come up here and it was a bit of a bit of a shock to me. So I needed to come back from that. I needed to show mentality. And when you talk about the togetherness in this team, I think the boys showed that, because they helped me as well.

“It’s not just down to an individual. I think the gaffer come in too, he helped me straight away. The boys also helped me through it. From there, I’ve kicked on. And now I need to just show consistency in these last four games and show I can be a player we can rely on.”

With injuries piling up and options thinning, Roberto De Zerbi faces a selection headache ahead of Tottenham’s crucial clash with Aston Villa. We have now predicted Tottenham’s starting XI.

Time is slowly becoming an enemy of Tottenham Hotspur as they remain in the relegation zone with four games to go.

Two points currently stand as the difference between Spurs and safety, but the impressive form of their relegation rivals has only made it more difficult for the Lilywhites to climb out of the drop zone.

This weekend once more provides Tottenham with an opportunity to leave the bottom three, but they must beat Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, while West Ham United needs to lose or draw.

De Zerbi certainly has a big task on his hands on Sunday, and we have now attempted to predict how the Italian might line up against Aston Villa.

Tottenham predicted XI vs Aston Villa as Roberto De Zerbi replaces Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke

Goalkeeper – Antonin Kinsky: Guglielmo Vicario could be back in contention for this clash, but we do not see De Zerbi dropping Kinsky, who has been impressive since taking his place between the sticks.

Right-back – Pedro Porro: The Spaniard has certainly looked like a live wire since De Zerbi took charge when going forward. In a squad that is in desperate need of creativity, he offers that spark, and we expect him to keep his place in the starting XI this weekend.

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Centre-back – Kevin Danso: It was a much better outing for the centre-back, who bounced back in style after his costly mistake against Brighton, helping his side keep a clean sheet. With Cristian Romero out, we expect him to continue at the back for Tottenham.

Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: While everyone seems to be picking up injuries, van de Ven, who has had injury issues, has managed to stay fit, and De Zerbi will be hoping it continues that way as the business end of the season approaches.

Left-back – Destiny Udogie: The Italian missed out against Wolves, but De Zerbi hinted that Udogie’s knock is nothing serious and that he could be in contention for this weekend’s game, so we expect him to come in for Djed Spence.

Pivot midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: With each passing game, Bentancur is proving his quality. He was once again superb against Wolves, and we see no reason why he will be benched.

Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: De Zerbi continues to lean on experience, and we do not see that changing in this encounter. We expect the Bentancur and Bissouma partnership to continue, with no changes in the pivot role.

Centre-midfielder – Conor Gallagher: The midfielder offers a lot in the middle of the park, as he not only leads the press but also joins in attack while helping out in duels. De Zerbi certainly likes him, and we can see him sticking with him in this game.

Right midfielder – Kolo Muani: His performances in the last two games have been largely underwhelming, but De Zerbi looks set to stick with him and is determined to help Muani find his form. Tottenham remain short in attack, so he should keep his spot.

Striker – Richarlison: Dominic Solanke picked up a muscular injury against Wolves, and that should see Richarlison come in for him after grabbing the assist for Joao Palhinha’s winner in the last game.

Tottenham Hotspur may be forced into a difficult situation regarding Xavi Simons if they get relegated from the Premier League.

According to reports, the likes of Man United and Bayern Munich were plotting a move for Xavi if Spurs went down, but the attacking midfielder’s ACL injury has likely ended his chances of a summer move.

Some sources have claimed that the 22-year-old Tottenham star is expected to be out of action for the rest of the year.

Simons admitted that he is heartbroken about not being able to help Spurs stay up, but the North Londoners may now be forced to do something they do not want to if they fail to secure their Premier League status.

Xavi Simons has no relegation clause in his Tottenham contract

It has been reported that most members of the Spurs squad will have their salaries cut substantially if the club are relegated, many of them by as much as 50 per cent. Tottenham have Daniel Levy to thank for that.

However, The Telegraph’s Matt Law has now revealed that Xavi has no such relegation clause in his contract.

The journalist claims that the Netherlands international is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of seven months after undergoing surgery, which means that he is unlikely to play until December.

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The fact that he has no relegation clause means that the Lilywhites would have to continue paying his £195,000 per week salary next season even if they find themselves in the Championship.

Spurs may have to change their summer plans after Xavi’s injury

Some experts have claimed that Tottenham’s revenue will drop by a whopping £250m if they get relegated, which means that paying the former Leipzig man’s wages in the second tier is likely to prove very costly for the club.

Additionally, it was suggested a couple of days ago that Xavi’s injury may force Tottenham to change their plans for the summer window.

That update, which came from TEAMtalk, suggested that De Zerbi’s men were planning to cash in on the attacking midfielder and use the funds to help their squad rebuild, but that may no longer be possible.

Fresh concerns have emerged over Dominic Solanke’s injury, with doubts now growing over whether the striker will feature again in Tottenham’s crucial fight for Premier League survival.

Tottenham Hotspur continue to deal with an injury crisis as the run-in heats up, with four games left in the Premier League.

Xavi Simons became the latest to join a rather long list of players whose season has effectively ended, joining Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski.

The Dutchman injured his ACL in the clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers and will now miss the World Cup this summer, but he was not the only one to come off with an injury.

Tottenham sweat on Dominic Solanke injury amid fresh setback fears

Roberto De Zerbi provided a somewhat positive update on the centre-forward’s condition, but fresh reports have now offered further clarity.

According to The Telegraph, Solanke is now at risk of missing the rest of the season following the injury picked up at Molineux last weekend.

It is claimed that early scans have suggested the forward may have suffered a grade-two hamstring injury, which can take between three and eight weeks to recover from, potentially ruling him out of the World Cup as well.

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However, this report has not been confirmed by the club, and fans will keep a close eye on De Zerbi’s press conference before the game against Aston Villa.

Tottenham turn to Richarlison as injury concerns mount

In the centre-forward position, Tottenham still have some cover to fill in for the Englishman should he be out for an extended period.

Richarlison came on for Solanke at the weekend and made an immediate impact, grabbing an assist for the opener.

De Zerbi will now have to turn to the Brazilian for the remainder of the season, but with his injury record, the big question is whether he can stay fit across the final four games.