Midweek contenders, weekend survivors: The crisis facing Tottenham Hotspur

COMMENT

There is a particular moment in every troubled season when a club stops looking up the table and starts nervously glancing downward.

For Tottenham Hotspur, that moment has arrived ... again. After last week’s sobering 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, Spurs now sit just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League, with fans still waiting for the new-manager bounce. And whenever Tottenham stumble into chaos, English football inevitably reaches for the nostalgia button.

Enter Harry Redknapp.

The mere suggestion that the 79-year-old could return for another rescue act has started circulating again. Redknapp, after all, famously stabilised Spurs when he arrived in 2008 with the club rooted to the bottom of the table before guiding them towards European football.

It sounds absurd – until you look at the table.

The instability has not helped. Igor Tudor is the latest man tasked with steadying the ship, but the early results have hardly calmed nerves in North London.

Before him, Thomas Frank struggled to generate consistent performances, leaving Spurs trapped in a cycle of promise one week and frustration the next.

The bigger shadow looming over it all, however, belongs to a familiar face.

Mauricio Pochettino – the man who guided Tottenham to their modern high-water mark, including a Champions League final – is widely believed to be watching events unfold with interest.

For many supporters, the idea of Pochettino waiting in the wings is both comforting and slightly haunting. Comforting because they know what he can build; haunting because it reminds them just how far the club has drifted since his departure. Perhaps the strangest element of this entire campaign is Tottenham’s split personality.

In Europe, particularly in the Uefa Champions League, Spurs have looked energetic, organised and capable of troubling elite opposition. They even reached the round of 16 without needing the playoff route. Then the weekend arrives and the same team seems to forget how football works.

Goals conceded cheaply, leads squandered and matches drifting away have become recurring themes. It is as if Tottenham operate in two parallel universes: midweek contenders and weekend survivors.

If Spurs fans want a reminder of how quickly football fortunes can flip, however, they need only glance north.

Last season, Manchester United and Spurs were long-terms patients in the ward for dysfunctional former giants. There was chaos in both dressing rooms, inconsistent results and endless managerial debates defined their campaigns as both clubs finished just above the relegation zone.

When Spurs edged United in the Uefa Europa League final under Ange Postecoglou, to book their seat at Europe’s top table, they seemed to be on the road to rehabilitation. Yet, while Spurs have spiralled downward, United have rediscovered stability under Michael Carrick.

Will Spurs actually go down?

The rational answer remains “probably not”. Clubs with Tottenham’s financial muscle, squad depth and infrastructure rarely fall through the trapdoor. A short run of positive results can quickly open breathing room. But the fact the question is being asked at all is extraordinary.

This was supposed to be a season of progress, perhaps even a push towards further silverware. Instead, Spurs find themselves glancing anxiously at the teams below them and wondering where the next league win will come from.

Whether the answer lies with Tudor, a nostalgic Redknapp rescue mission, or the long-awaited return of Pochettino, one thing is clear – Tottenham are running out of time.