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Tottenham Hotspur are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League and Wayne Rooney has given his verdict on the players who have dragged them down into the fight

Wayne Rooney has slammed the Tottenham Hotspur players amid their ongoing run of poor form that has put the club in danger of being relegated from the Premier League.

Spurs are currently in 16th place in the top-flight standings and just one point above the drop zone with nine matches left to play.

Spurs have lost 14 of their 29 Premier League matches this season, and went on to part ways with Thomas Frank last month before appointing Igor Tudor as his replacement.

Tudor was appointed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season, but has lost all four matches that he has taken charge of, including three in the top flight and one in the Champions League.

The most recent defeat was the 5-2 hammering at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night, which followed a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League a few days earlier.

That run of form has led to increased speculation about Tudor’s future at Tottenham, with several candidates being linked as potential replacements, including former Everton and Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche.

Tottenham return to top-flight action this weekend, where they will face Liverpool at Anfield. Ahead of the fixture, Rooney has criticised the Spurs squad for their attitude in games.

“The players need to look at themselves, because I think they’ve been an absolute disgrace,” Rooney said on the Stick to Football podcast.

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“The performances, the attitude, the lack of desire, the lack of fight, the lack of anything in them.

“I was watching the Crystal Palace game, and I said it last week, I really felt sorry for Tottenham fans.

“I’m looking at Tottenham fans, and they’re sat there and they’re not even angry anymore, they’re just disappointed and sad.”

Tudor’s future has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks, despite only taking the job at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.

Despite the rumours, Tudor is still expected to be in charge for Tottenham’s trip to Merseyside on Sunday to face Liverpool, with the 47-year-old speaking to the media in a pre-match press conference on Friday.

After that, Tottenham will face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, where they will need to overturn a three-goal deficit in order to progress to the quarter-final.

Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United icon Gary Neville has delivered his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur's struggles as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League

Gary Neville believes Tottenham Hotspur's relegation would be "very good for the Premier League". Spurs sit just one point above the bottom three with nine league fixtures remaining.

The Lilywhites' form has plummeted further under interim head coach Igor Tudor, who has lost his first four games in charge. Pressure has increased on the former Juventus and Lazio boss after Tuesday's 5-2 thrashing at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Tudor is now set to take his side to Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday, with Tottenham potentially finding themselves in the bottom three by that stage if West Ham and Nottingham Forest win their matches beforehand.

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And former Manchester United full-back turned pundit Neville has had his say on The Overlap podcast - sharing his view that Spurs suffering drop could be a good thing for the English top-flight.

He said: "I refuse to predict relegation. I hated it, the idea of seeing a club go down.

"But I must admit seeing Tottenham go down wouldn't be great for Tottenham fans and I think Tottenham are an amazing club, but it would be very good for the Premier League from a competitive perspective and the idea of Leeds staying up, of Sunderland staying up.

"I'll tell you what I was more worried about at the start of the season, that every club which came up was just going straight back down again.

"I think the Premier League doesn't necessarily need Tottenham to go down, but it needs clubs other than the ones that come up to go down.

"It would be sad to go down, but maybe they've had it coming."

Despite sharing his views on Spurs' potential drop into the Championship - the 51-year-old does not believe such a scenerio will materialise for the Lilywhites.

He added: "I don't think they will go down.

"If you're going to make another change, that for me will probably need to be today or tomorrow because you don't wait."

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reached out to Tottenham's Antonin Kinsky on Instagram after the Spurs keeper was substituted in the first half of the Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois has revealed that he reached out to Tottenham' Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky following his performance on Tuesday night in the Champions League, suggesting that the Atletico Madrid pitch was at fault.

Kinsky was brought in to replace Guglielmo Vicario for the Champions League last-16 first leg in Spain, but had a tough outing before being substituted after just 16 minutes.

His errant pass enabled the La Liga side to score within the first five minutes, and a defensive error soon made it 2-0.

Kinsky's worst moment of the evening occurred when he attempted a first-time pass, only to scuff his kick and present the ball to Julian Alvarez, who had an unguarded net to aim at.

In a ruthless move, Tottenham manager Igor Tudor then replaced Kinsky, bringing on Vicario for the rest of the match, which Spurs would go on to lose 5-2. The visibly upset goalkeeper immediately headed for the tunnel, reports the Mirror.

Courtois has since extended his support for Kinsky, arguing that the Wanda Metropolitano pitch has been problematic.

He stated: "I sent him a message on Instagram because it’s tough. In the end, it hasn’t happened to me as much as it has to him, but after the Ajax match here at home, I also took quite a bit of flak."

The Real Madrid goalkeeper later stated: "It’s mentally tough to keep going, you need the support of your team, to feel good again in training and to play well.

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"Ultimately, I think the pitch is causing more problems, not just for Tottenham or Atletico but for many teams that have played there."

Tudor finds himself under immense pressure having suffered defeat in all four of his fixtures in charge, prompting speculation regarding his future.

The Croatian acknowledges he made an error in introducing Kinsky to the starting line-up, though believed prior to kick-off it represented the correct decision.

He said: "After seeing what happened, for sure it was the wrong decision. But it was, for me, the right decision to do, thinking before, because the team changed competition and it was, in the moment, right to do.

"Unfortunately, what happened happened. I’ve never changed my goalkeeper after 14 minutes. It’s not easy, it happened."

Courtois did question Tudor's choice to withdraw Kinsky following his second mistake, suggesting that the young shot-stopper "may have been able to regain some of the confidence he had lost with a few great saves."

Ange Postecoglou has been somewhat scathing in his review of Tottenham's fortunes since he left, and it isn't the first time he's refused to hold back

Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou didn't hold back when assessing the club's current fortunes in light of recent events. Spurs' season hit a new low on Tuesday when the club conceded four goals in 22 minutes en route to a 5-2 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid.

It's undoubtedly left some fans wishing Postecoglou was never shown the door and replaced by Thomas Frank, barely a fortnight after winning the Europa League. Incumbent Igor Tudor has lost each of his four games in charge, but the writing was on the wall for some.

Postecoglou ended the club's 17-year search for major silverware, while Spurs also recorded their worst Premier League finish after placing 17th. But the 60-year-old seemingly saw the hard times that were coming, and football.london explores some of the other contentious comments he's made about Tottenham since departing.

'Not surprised' at current struggles

Speaking to TNT Sports about whether he was surprised to see Tottenham in their current predicament, Postecoglou responded: "No, I wouldn't say that.

"I am still invested in the club because I have an attachment to those players, I worked with them for two years. The last time I interacted with the fans there was 200,000 on the streets of London. It pains me to see it. It definitely looks like the players are fairly lost at the moment. There's obvious pressure there. It's a real difficult time.

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"It all manifested itself with what happened last night. It's almost the worst case scenario, you're playing a side away from home, Atletico, who never drop below a performance level of two. They're always at a really strong level. It was a horror start for them."

Antonin Kinsky had an even more difficult game than most after a frenzied start in Madrid saw him hooked after 17 minutes. It was the latest indicator that all is not well under Tudor, with reports since emerging of player unrest in north London.

Spurs 'not a big club'

Postecoglou's fiery nature came to play during a recent cameo on The Overlap, where he gave his candid assessment of the club. No longer under pressure to keep up appearances with his former bosses, the ex-Celtic chief hinted at the restrictions that prevented him (and continue to prevent the club) from truly becoming part of the English elite.

"Obviously, they've [Spurs] built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities," said the Australian. "But when you look at the expenditure, particularly in the wage structure, they're not a big club. I saw that, because when we were trying to sign players, we weren't in the market for those players."

Asked by Jamie Carragher about whether he felt there was a mentality issue at the club, Postecoglou "100 per cent" agreed. He even used the term "Spursy" to summarise the lack of self-belief that permeated throughout his two-year spell.

"That was the thing I was trying to break," he continued. "My whole thing about winning something in my second year, I was doing that for the club. Nobody internally would dare say that because they were too scared, they'd been close a few times.

"Then you break that by winning something and what do you do? You tear it all up and you start again. That's the curiosity, what are you trying to achieve?"

Emotional farewell

Despite stating he was eager to return for a third season, Postecoglou was shown the exit by Spurs in early June 2025. And the Aussie gave a heartfelt account of his time at the club not long after it was confirmed he'd be leaving.

"When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride," he wrote. "The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.

"That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.

"We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them."

Those foundations have essentially crumbled at the first hurdle, with Tottenham's Champions League campaign the only source of pride at present. Needless to say, things are worse now, two managers down the line, than they were when Postecoglou was sacked.

Postecoglou signed off his farewell by thanking certain figures at the club and the fans, adding he "always felt that they wanted me to succeed." And there are more than likely a few who would like to see him return in an effort to do so again.

Ange Postecoglou was recently asked about Tottenham Hotspur's struggles 10 months after winning the Europa League with the north Londoners

Ange Postecoglou took a step back from his recent role, as the ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager tempered previous remarks he made about his former club.

The Australian is taking a break from the touchline following his gruelling spell at Nottingham Forest, but joined UEFA's Technical Observer Panel last year.

Postecoglou was dispatched to Paris by his new employers to observe PSG's clash with Chelsea - but took time out from work to discuss the difficulties of his former club.

The 60-year-old guided Spurs to a Europa League triumph last season and secured them a place in the Champions League.

However, he was sacked by the club at the end of last season shortly after the victory. Not long after his replacement Thomas Frank was sacked, Postecoglou said Tottenham do not "act like a big club" when it comes to wages and transfers.

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After watching PSG beat Chelsea 5-2, the ex-Australia manager appeared to row back on some of his comments.

Quizzed by Joe Cole about the lack of investment on TNT Sports, Postecoglou said: "That's a broader argument but the reality of it is they've got to deal with it now, that's the most important thing.

"The football club, I said it a couple of weeks ago, wasn't behaving to me like a big football club in terms of the kind of players it was attracting. But it is a big football club, we saw that last year.

"There was a couple of hundred thousand people in London going nuts there and I felt it, how big a club it is. But in the Premier League it's a slippery slope once you take your eye off the ball with certain things. But all that is not important right now.

"What's important now is where they are in the league, they need to maintain their Premier League status which is obviously paramount to what they want to build. Those kind of questions you kind of go, 'okay, we want some real direction here'.

"I think it's pretty clear what Tottenham fans want – they want the team to play a certain way, they want success, every team wants success."

He also offered some guidance for beleaguered manager Tudor, insisting the Croatian has to instil some belief into his side. Postecoglou added: "It's hard for me to comment from the outside but, for me, it's about instilling some belief, show them the kind of players they are, not that they can be, that they are, what they've already shown."

Fast forward to this week, Spurs were resoundingly defeated in a disastrous 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, leaving their position in Europe's premier competition perilously uncertain.

Tudor, who has suffered four consecutive defeats since succeeding Thomas Frank, is under significant pressure as the club stumbles into a Premier League relegation battle.

This Sunday, they travel to Anfield in the Premier League to face Liverpool. The fixture looks like an ominous one, given Spurs' recent form and the fact they will be without Micky van de Ven for for the clash due to suspension.

Despite being sacked by Nottingham Forest earlier this season, Sean Dyche has been tipped to potentially replace Igor Tudor as Tottenham Hotspur interim manager

Sean Dyche is reportedly aware that Tottenham Hotspur have an interest in appointing him as their next temporary manager, should Igor Tudor be swiftly dismissed. Spurs are currently reeling from a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.

Tudor was appointed by Tottenham last month as their interim boss until the end of the season, and has overseen defeats in each of his four matches in charge.

As a result, there has been speculation about Tudor’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Dyche emerging as a potential replacement.

A report in The Sun has claimed that Dyche is aware of interest from Tottenham in potentially appointing him as a replacement for Tudor until the end of the season.

Spurs are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, as they currently lie in 16th place in the table and just one point above the drop zone.

Tottenham also have an uphill task to remain in the Champions League with the three-goal deficit from Atletico from the first leg.

The aforementioned report goes on to claim that Dyche is a candidate to replace Tudor at Tottenham, but the north London club would still only want to appoint the former Everton and Nottingham Forest boss on an interim basis until the end of the season.

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A separate report from The Independent has claimed that Tottenham are currently considering appointing Dyche as a replacement for Tudor, whose future remains increasingly uncertain.

Spurs will face Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend, and Tudor is already expected to be in charge for the fixture after it was confirmed that the 47-year-old will speak to the media in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

Tudor was asked about his future at Tottenham and the difficulties he’s faced since taking charge of the club.

“It is not a topic for me,” Tudor said on Tuesday. “It is not about my job, it is about how to help the team. It will be always be about that.”

He added: “I recognise what we are and which problems we have. I recognise that every game, something happens. Sometimes it is very difficult to explain.

“I see also the wish of the players to do the right things. We started good, let's say. These two or three minutes, I feel it during the game.

“These things, when they happen, what I said before, in the moment where we are now, unfortunately, it is like that.

“Even these slippery things happen, it explains the moment, because they didn't do it. The pitch was the same for both teams.”

Tottenham are facing a fight to remain in the Premier League but the threat of suffering relegation down to the Championship doesn't bother one player

One Tottenham player has told his teammates that he is 'not too concerned' about the club suffering relegation from the Premier League because he believes he can and will LEAVE this summer.

Spurs are embroiled in a fight to avoid dropping down to the Championship following a disastrous 11-game winless run that has seen them fall to 16th, just one point above Nottingham Forest in 17th and 18th-place West Ham, who sit in the final relegation spot.

Igor Tudor's side travel to Liverpool next up and could well be inside the bottom three come the game at 4:30pm on Sunday, as both West Ham and Forest are in action before them.

But the threat of relegation does not bother one Tottenham player, who has expressed to his teammates that he is not worried about the possibility of dropping out of the Premier League because he is confident he will find a new club come the start of next season, according to The Athletic.

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Meanwhile, it's added that some players who are determined to pull Tottenham away from relegation danger have indicated displeasure at the application of others, who they feel are not motivated to dig in and help the club remain in the Premier League this season.

Tottenham's woes were worsened following Tuesday's 5-2 hammering at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and football.london reported post-match that the club's squad feel Tudor has imposed himself too forcefully since his arrival at the club last month.

Tudor replaced Thomas Frank's as Spurs' head coach until the end of the season but the Croatian has endured a nightmare start to life in north London, losing each of his opening FOUR matches. They were beaten by Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace in the Premier League before the crushing defeat in Madrid.

And Tottenham's players believe that Tudor's approach since his appointment has come across as 'disrespectful' and 'borderline mocking'. The ex-Marseille and Juventus manager picked Antonin Kinsky in goal for the trip to Atletico but substituted him in the 16th minute after making a couple of early errors to leave Spurs 3-0 down.

The decision to drop and then bring on Guglielmo Vicario, the club's usual No.1 goalkeeper, represented yet another instance of Tudor's dubious team selection changes. His efforts to enforce discipline have spectacularly misfired, and this has bred frustration and scepticism among the playing staff regarding his authority.

After the full-time whistle at Atletico, Tudor then appeared to ignore Kinsky as the 'keeper departed the field, choosing not to speak to him about either the substitute or what his disastrous 16-minute performance could mean for the rest of his Tottenham career.

It has since been reported that Kinsky is anticipated to seek a loan move away from Spurs in the summer transfer window, as he looks to regain some confidence and get valuable game time.

The young Tottenham goalkeeper had a night to forget in the Champions League last 16 first leg clash at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday

Kevin Danso knows the Tottenham players will gather around Antonin Kinsky in the aftermath of his humiliating night in Madrid.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper was making his debut in the Champions League proper but within six minutes slipped as he kicked the ball, sending it straight to Atletico's Ademola Lookman and the ball was worked to Marcos Llorente to score. Micky van de Ven then slipped on 14 minutes on the rain-soaked pitch and that allowed Antoine Griezmann to run through and fire home.

There was more pain in Spain to come for Kinsky though two minutes later as he made a complete mess of another kick, this time sending it two yards into the path of Julian Alvarez, who had the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net.

Spurs interim boss Igor Tudor immediately hauled off Kinksy, replacing him with Guglielmo Vicario. The Croatian coach did not even acknowledge the young Czech as he walked straight down the tunnel crestfallen as some of the Tottenham substitutes ran after him.

Danso could only watch in horror as those early goals hit the back of the net in the 5-2 defeat and he quickly spoke to the goalkeeper as he trudged off.

"It's a very difficult moment for him. I think in football these kind of things happen, it's just about not letting it affect him too much. It's a difficult situation but we as a team will definitely get around him," said the Austria international. "These things happen, unfortunately it happened to him today but he's a great goalkeeper and he's definitely going to bounce back."

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On the quick substitution, the defender added: "From what I see, I think it was the manager's decision and we've got to respect that.

“Our main focus is just trying to gather something from the game, take some positives and get a few goals back for the return leg."

In all 3,000 Spurs fans made the trip to the Metropolitano, a number of them leaving before the game was done as their club's plight continues to worsen. Danso acknowledged that it is as difficult a time, perhaps more so, for the fans as it is for the players.

“Definitely. First of all, these things happen and we're working very hard and each and every one of us is looking at ourselves in the mirror, working hard and we want to turn this around," said the centre-back. "Everybody's giving everything they've got and I think it's down to us to dig a little deeper and give it just that bit more."

Spurs face nine huge Premier League games ahead to escape relegation and Danso believes that these kind of high pressure games are exactly why players get into the sport.

"I think that's why you become a professional footballer, you dream of big games and big moments," he said. “Sometimes there's difficult moments and this is the time to show character, belief and just trying to gather the boys up, dust ourselves off and go again.

“In a situation like this you show what type of team we are. We know that and it's all about us and it's all about what we can do and I think it's enough talking now. We've just got to talk to each other and give that little bit more and dig deep."

Harry Redknapp has delivered an update on a potential return to Tottenham following Igor Tudor's disastrous start to life at the north London club

Harry Redknapp has admitted he doesn't think he will return to Tottenham should the club decide to sack Igor Tudor. The 78-year-old former Spurs manager was linked with a sensational move back to north London following Thomas Frank's departure last month.

However, Tottenham instead went down the route of appointing ex-Juventus and Marseille boss Tudor as head coach until the end of the season. But Tudor has endured a nightmare start to life at Spurs, losing each of his first four matches across all competitions.

Tudor began with a 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal in the North London Derby and Spurs haven't recovered since, losing against Fulham and Crystal Palace in the Premier League before Tuesday's 5-2 thrashing at a rampant Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.

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While Spurs plan to stick with Tudor ahead of Sunday's trip to Liverpool in the Premier League, speculation has increased tenfold on the Croatian's future with some supporters and ex-players calling for him to be sacked despite having less than one month in the job.

And Redknapp's name has come up in the conversation, with former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara tipping the veteran to replace Tudor and keep the club in the Premier League. But he played down talk of a stunning return to Spurs on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Press Association at the Cheltenham Festival, Redknapp said: "I've been asked a few times if I'd go back to Spurs and it's probably not going to happen, is it? Would I go back? Of course I would, but I doubt very much it’s going to happen."

He added: "They've got it all on to stay up, it's going to be hard. I’m looking at their fixtures and Nottingham Forest are playing alright, West Ham are playing very well, it's going to be tough for Tottenham. My only concern at the minute is The Jukebox Man (his horse) in the Gold Cup, I’m nothing to do with Spurs any more.

"They haven't been in touch, not at all. I hope Spurs stay up and I hope West Ham stay up."

Ahead of this weekend's Premier League fixtures, Tottenham sit 16th in the table, one point above Nottingham Forest in 17th and 18th-place West Ham, who lie in the final relegation spot.

There is genuine concern that Spurs may be relegated to the second tier for the first time in 49 years, and some players feel that Tudor has come across as 'disrespectful' since arriving at the club.

That emerged following Tuesday's defeat at Atletico, where Tudor decided to substitute Antonin Kinsky following a humiliating 16-minute spell, conceding three goals from three errors.

Kinsky was replaced by Vicario soon after, and Tudor's attempts to instil discipline have backfired, with football.london reporting this has left the group of players frustrated and doubtful about his leadership.

Some feel that Tudor has over‑asserted himself since making the move to Tottenham, coming across as 'disrespectful' and 'borderline mocking' throughout his first four weeks in the position.

Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was asked whether he would return to the club he won silverware for less than 12 months ago amid the club's struggles this season

Ange Postecoglou refused to say whether he would make a return to Tottenham, amid uncertainty over interim manager Igor Tudor's position at the club. The Australian coach could only laugh and offer a simple "no comment" when the prospect was put to him on Tuesday night.

Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs in June, weeks after leading the Lilywhites to Europa League glory and a first trophy in 17 years. The 60-year-old has since taken charge of Nottingham Forest and been sacked again, and was working for UEFA at the Parc des Princes for Chelsea's defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

But with Tottenham's staggering defeat to Atletico Madrid fresh in the memory, and his former side in a relegation fight, Postecoglou was asked about Spurs' struggles.

Appearing on TNT Sports, the ex-Celtic boss was if he was the least surprised person to see Tottenham in the position they're in? He responded: "No, I wouldn't say that.

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"I am still invested in the club because I have an attatchment to those players, I worked with them for two years. The last time I interacted with the fans there was 200,000 on the streets of London.

"It pains me to see it. It definitely looks like the players are fairly lost at the moment. There's obvious pressure there. It's a real difficult time.

"It all manifested itself with what happened last night. It's almost the worst case scenario, you playing a side away from home, Atletico, who never drop below a performance level of two. They're always at a really strong level. It was a horror start for them"

Postecoglou believes Tudor, who has tasted defeat in all four matches he has taken charge of, must attempt to relieve the pressure on his players.

"There is no way that anyone would say, objectively, these players are performing at the level they are capable of," Postecoglou continued.

"You've just got to try and ease the pressure on them somehow. Even last night, I thought it was a tremendous opportunity for them because they've done really well in the Champions League, they're on the good side of the draw. Atletico away is tough but you've still got to take them back to Tottenham but it just felt like the pressure was there.

"I'm sure they would have trained on the pitch the night before but the amount of times they were slipping over, I think that's still pressure. There's just a real desperation in everything they do.

"Mentally, you're desperate and that manifests itself in a physical way. You're lunging for things, you're rushing things. It's hard for me to comment from the outside.

"For me it’s just about instilling some belief into the players. Show them the kind of players that they are, not that they can be."