Tottenham’s defeat in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final means their wait for a first trophy since 2008 goes on, but that result feels like the least of their problems right now according to former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas.
Spurs have got to attract a new manager in the summer after sacking Jose Mourinho last week and, for anyone contemplating taking the job, there are so many things that appear uncertain.
Harry Kane’s future is one of them, but there are a lot of other things that need to be figured out at the football club in order to appease the fans, who are hopefully going to be back at their stadium in large numbers at the start of next season.
We saw the first part of that move to get the supporters back onside when the owners got rid of Mourinho, now the next part is convincing them that the people running the club can be trusted after their decision to try to enter the proposed European Super League (ESL).
I think chairman Daniel Levy and owners ENIC were already on thin ice with the fans anyway after the season Spurs have had, but things seem worse than ever now.
There is more disruption to come, because the players will speak to the press a lot during the European Championship. It is all going to come out about what was going on under Jose, who is happy and who wants to move on. All of that will play out over the summer.
When it does, there are some big decisions to be made – and the owners have to get them right to restore some stability to the club after what has been a disastrous few months.
Tottenham were top of the Premier League in mid-December and, with the quality they have got in that squad, they should not have capitulated the way they have done since.
Everything from the amount of points they have lost from winning positions to their defensive mentality, and the way they have brought Gareth Bale in and not played him, has been frustrating and confusing to watch.
Things have fallen apart in Europe too. Arsenal have also had a shocking league campaign but the Gunners are into the Europa League semi-finals and have a great chance of making the Champions League through winning that.
Spurs have missed a golden opportunity to be in that position themselves, because this year’s Europa League is the weakest I have seen for a long time, and it was there to be won by a team with the players they have got.
So in every aspect, it has been an absolutely awful season, unless they can somehow salvage a top-four finish from here – and I don’t see that happening.
The way things have been going, I’m just surprised they have still even got a chance of making it. That’s probably the only positive you can take from their situation now.
(BBC Sport)
