I rarely get to write a blog post nowadays; I do the podcast which takes up a lot of my time and I also have to do that work thing to pay the bills but on a regular basis I do think about a topic or a question I would like to delve into in a written blog form. Sadly, it would appear there is only one thought lingering for us all and that is what league we will be watching our beloved Tottenham play in next season AND how has it come to this.
On the 21st May, so one year anniversary coming in under three months, we won our first trophy in 17 years when we lifted the Europa League trophy. The moment was special. I shared it with my daughter, watching on TV as the final whistle went we hugged, we shouted… and one delicate flower shed a tear or two… but I stopped after my daughter mocked me.
It feels a long time ago now and I guess it is. However I remember going into that game with Manchester Utd thinking it was make or break. If we lost we would have no Champions League revenue, we would be ending the season 17th so poor return financially from league place and knowing our owners we would be trouble for some time as no fresh cash would be injected to help us. Manchester Utd in a similar situation, their owners cutting back on everything you can imagine to save money and so it seemed a real fight for which “big club” currently struggling would grab the lifeline.
We did it, we won. We beat Manchester United. We lifted a trophy. So, Champions league, money, a team who know how to win (finally) and we are going to build…. right?
In the space of a few months we sacked the manager who won, sold the captain who lifted the the trophy and then after a poor start to the season where we were struggling for goals we sold last seasons top goal scorer as the manager we appointed didnt rate him.
There is absolutely a debate to be had on each decision and in isolation there are good arguments for each decision but when you lay it out like that it seems madness. When you add to that the manager was VERY popular with the players who all felt they had come through a terrible situation together and winning the trophy showed they could kick on… and then Son, very popular figure and Johnson just as popular removed from the dressing room.
Thomas Frank, who I could write a whole blog on how much I hate, also, it would appear, did not inspire and instead seemingly annoyed many senior players and led to awful discipline – reports following the sacking of Frank suggests players would be late to meetings, training and generally would ignore Frank.
Manchester United, despite no UCL money spent big in the summer signing new forwards and improving their attacking options considerably. They then gave the manager a chance but when it was clear it was not going to work removed him and have gone from strength to strength now challenging for a top four finish.
We had the UCL money and spent poorly, did not address key squad issues and now we are in a relegation battle.
For anyone in denial please do realise we are in big trouble. Based on the past 20 Premier League seasons teams in our current form at this time of year have been relegated 19 times with the one survival being by goal difference settled on the last day of the season. I do not know about anyone else but I am not sure my heart can take that.
We have to turn things around and fast starting with our next fixture away at Fulham, a place we have not won in our last five visits…
This next part of the blog is now purely my opinion on who I think is to blame for all of this… and its a guy called Barry… ffs Barry… no, all joking aside this all comes down to our owners and the board of this club and I think the more we see this “Lewis Family” operating without the filter of Daniel Levy the more we realise just how awful they are.
The club under ENIC/Levy grew commercially to a global brand and force but the one thing that we as football fans pointed to for years was it would grow faster and be stronger if it was based on ‘on field’ success; however this season has shown just how much that is true as commercial partners from shirts deals with Nike and AIA and stadium corporate deals are all at risk as companies have notified the club of their plans to exit the agreements early this summer – or would if relegation happens. The Guardian newspaper estimates over £100m would be cut from the clubs income over night should relegation be confirmed as commercial partners cancel agreements and two huge partners in the NFL and F1 are said to be monitoring things – both also quoted to the press that they have been shocked that since Daniel Levy left how very little communication they have had from the club.
The Lewis Family, who promised much in the summer have failed to deliver on any of their assurances to fans and have seemingly vanished from public eye or the press, returning to the shadows as ENIC did. It raises an interesting question to ponder; did we all blame Levy for decades only to now learn that man was working miracles under the shackles of the Lewis Family / ENIC regime? A big question but one I am considering currently.
In the summer when Ange was let go there was a statement that the club felt they needed a manager who can compete in all four competitions – clearly a dig at him for making Europa league the priority – but this statement at the time was a bad joke and has only gotten worse.
Ange in his first season finished 5th. The squad was not good, not designed for his football but was in transition and first team players were signed basically from the funds of selling Harry Kane. There was no Europe that year for the club and so in the next season, with a fourth competition the club signed ONE first team player and the rest teenagers.
This was done due to the policy of lower wage bill and the hope that the players can develop. Does this say “compete in four competitions” and so it came to pass that was impossible and once again we enter a new season, new manager with a totally different football model and so squad needs changing again and the signings did.. well did nothing.
The hilarious moment we signed Xavi, a very Ange player for Frank just for the Dane to tell the press he didnt know how to use him summed up the stupidity of every part of the club. No joined up thinking and lots of good words but never backing them up with actions.
January 2026, team in terrible form and dropping down the table. Players leaking non stop how unhappy they are with the manager and yet they backed him (selling Johnson) but failed to sign anyone citing ‘we have so many injuries if we signed people we would have a problem down the line’ seemingly forgetting loan deals exist! Gallagher literally signed when Bentancur got injured as was offered to us…
So, does Lange shoulder all the blame? No but he does deserve a lot of blame. His recruitment of younger players has shown he has an excellent eye for talent but senior players have said no to us on a regular basis and could that be Lange inability to convince OR wages.
The wage structure is an issue and again another promise was made to us about breaking the structure to help the club push on… words… no evidence… Gallagher has joined on a big wage but no one else. Johnson leaving balancing as always.
The neglect from the board, the decisions they have made have killed momentum, morale and hope or belief at the club. This cannot be fixed by the players, it cannot be fixed by a manager even its only the board who can fix this mess and I am honestly worried they do not care.
The players and coach need to fight, we need them to fight desperately and I hope every fan supports them to a man as they try to do that to keep us in the top flight and give us options for the summer when looking to recruit a new full time manager (a whole other blog).
However its all for nothing if the board learn zero lessons from this season. They learnt all the wrong lessons from last season and this year I fear we will see a repeat.
The club is in free-fall and its horrible to watch.. not one fan deserves to see Tottenham relegated but this board and our owners 100% deserve to go down and be hurt financially.
