Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham fan Jack Hussey spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club panel about how Spurs supporters are feeling after the damaging home defeat by fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

"I think a lot of people were shell-shocked," he said. "Across the week there had been a concerted effort among the Tottenham fan groups to build bridges with the club.

"There was also Cristian Romero's sign-off which is 'all together, always' and that was reciprocated by the club.

"A lot of people went into the game not even contemplating that Forest would win, which seems naive considering how bad our season has been. Sometimes you just get caught up in the belief.

"The situation we are in is dire and the fact Spurs could get relegated by Chelsea at the expense of West Ham staying up, in the year that Arsenal win the title, is a triple whammy for Spurs.

"Hopefully, we won't be in that situation and we will muster something to pull away from it, but it's got to happen sooner rather than later."

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Former Tottenham midfielder David Howells believes "there is enough character and talent" in the squad to avoid the club's first relegation in 49 years.

With Spurs sitting one point above the bottom three, Howells thinks the players would benefit from hearing from someone such as club legend Steve Perryman, who was assistant boss on one of the occasions Spurs staved off relegation during the 1990s.

"I do remember Steve Perryman being brilliant around that time," Howells said. "He said despite all the success he had as a player and the trophies that he won, one of the things that stayed with him was the shame and embarrassment of getting relegated with Tottenham Hotspur.

"If I could get Steve Perryman in that current dressing room today, I would put him there now and have that chat with the guys.

"I'm not saying there are any players not trying, but I think sometimes you hear a different voice and especially a voice like Steve Perryman, a legend of the club saying stuff like that... when we listened to Stevie talking like that, it resonated with us."

Howells added: "It can only come from the players. We will scream our heads off in the stadium, but it has to come from them.

"To not have Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the changing room all season has been a massive reason for where we are, but I do think Tottenham have the characters to stay up.

"I don't know if those two will play again this season, hopefully they do, but looking around the rest of the group, I think there is enough character, talent and hopefully belief to do it."

Tottenham, who have have failed to win any of their past 13 league fixtures, will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in their first match after the international break on Sunday, 12 April.

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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"It's really difficult for the players to play in an environment that's so deflated and toxic." I can only imagine Danny Murphy meant the training ground, because Spurs fans gave everything on Sunday to create an atmosphere of support and positivity, both inside and outside the stadium.

We lined every inch of pavement, lit flares, sang songs and roared our support at the team bus as it arrived in N17.

We took this energy with us into the stadium, waved flags specially designed by a fan-led movement and cheered our team into battle. There could have been no doubt that we were fully behind the players.

Unfortunately, I think it might be time to accept that the players are also giving everything they can - and it simply is not enough.

To be clear, I am not saying I think these Spurs players are Championship level - although we could do with offloading a few in the next transfer window - because the majority in this squad are clearly better than their performances this season suggest.

However, even the most talented players can struggle in unstable conditions. The chopping and changing of managers, the lack of structure in training and on matchdays, the unfathomable injury crisis, the eroded trust in any of the decision-makers and the devastating absence of psychological safety have all contributed to the mess we are witnessing on the pitch.

Igor Tudor's team selection and decision to play key personnel out of position against Nottingham Forest was as baffling as it was infuriating.

While this capitulation is years in the making, not merely a product of the past few months, it is painfully clear that the current man in charge is as out of his depth as his predecessor was - if not more so.

I have never felt so grateful for an international break. I hope the club uses this time wisely.

Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external

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Former England captain Wayne Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show about Tottenham's 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest: "Getting positive results against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, it felt like they were getting back on track - then to play the team you're fighting against relegation at home and lose 3-0 is an absolute nightmare.

"Obviously, West Ham losing helps them a little bit, but it couldn't have been a worse day for Tottenham.

"You think only a few years ago they were in the Champions League final and won the Europa League last season. To be on the brink of getting relegated is an absolute disaster. I can't believe they're down there, to be honest."

On the battle for Premier League survival: "One win changes everything. One win brings Leeds and Forest back into it.

"[Of Spurs' remaining opponents] they could beat any of them on their day. I think the big thing is confidence. We've seen in the last week, they get a point at Anfield and then beat Atletico.

"A lot is on confidence and belief, not just from the players, but from the fans as well, and that just seems to be as low as it can get at the minute."

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Former Brighton and Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi is open to becoming the new permanent Tottenham head coach should the club stay in the Premier League. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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Tottenham players appear like they "don't know they're in a relegation battle", says former Premier League striker Jay Bothroyd.

The unthinkable scenario of Spurs being relegated from the top flight edged closer to reality on Sunday when they lost 3-0 at home to fellow relegation battlers Nottingham Forest.

Now just one point from the relegation zone and with more tough fixtures on the horizon, the concern among the fanbase grows stronger with seven games remaining.

"It really feels like Tottenham haven't been in this position before. Even though they were down there last season, they were safe. There was no risk of them going down," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"This season, it just seems like their players don't know they're in a relegation battle. They don't understand what is expected of them in this moment. A lot of it is just hard work, hard graft, then the quality should rise.

"They went into that game on Sunday and Forest just dominated them from the beginning. They created chances, they worked hard, they won their individual duels, they were beating them on first and second balls. It didn't seem like Spurs had a clue. Even [Igor] Tudor was sitting on the sides and he had his head in his hands.

"Unless the players can really galvanise themselves, the squad looks disjointed completely and they're not fighting for one another. [Cristian] Romero is supposed to be captain but he is just going through the motions.

"It's looking really, really bad, but I can't imagine a Premier League without Tottenham in it."

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Tottenham's performance against Nottingham Forest was "bizarre" after what they showed against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, says Spurs fan and YouTuber Hollie Agombar.

Igor Tudor's side put themselves in an even more precarious position in the Premier League on Sunday when they succumbed to a 3-0 home defeat by relegation rivals Forest, leaving themselves just one point above the drop zone.

After an impressive performance to beat Atletico on the night on Wednesday, many fans would have been hoping they had turned a corner before the weekend.

"Whenever you think you're on top as a Spurs fan, whenever you think you are coming back, all of a sudden they hit you with realism and they go and do that. I don't know what to think any more as a Spurs fan," Agombar told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"All week we had the 'all together' thing with the fans and the club. You saw us all out in our thousands in the street getting behind the team, because it has been pretty dire recently. Everyone arrived in high spirits so then the game starting and the goals starting to go in after awful defending just kind of put it into perspective.

"Us fans are trying all we can and we're just not getting it from the players.

"Tudor was a roll of the dice. He has done it everywhere he has been before in a short stint of time, so I can kind of see why Spurs went down this route.

"In midweek, we didn't really have anything to play for in the Champions League match but you saw bodies on the line - then in the Premier League it is a total contrast when there is so much to play for. It's just really bizarre."

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Former Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast about Tottenham's 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday and their survival chances: "It was amazing to see the fans showing that support [before the game] because there has been this disconnect for months with the players.

"After getting that point at Liverpool, everybody thought that could be the turning point, then following it up by beating Atletico - and then probably the biggest game for Tottenham in the past few weeks, they just didn't turn up. What a win for Forest.

"With the Premier League as it is today, nobody is too big to go down.

"You've got the top six or top eight, but everybody under that at the start of the season just looks to get safety and 40 points is normally that golden number.

"Tottenham were close last year, they had warning signs last year and winning the Europa League patched over a few cracks."

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Igor Tudor has earned just one point from his five league games - including a 4-1 thumping by Arsenal - as well as being dumped out of the Champions League following the chaotic first leg at Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham have won just 30 points from 31 Premier League games this season - their joint-lowest return after 31 games of a league campaign, along with 1914-15.

They are winless in their past 13 league matches (D5 L8), which equals the second-longest winless league run in their history dating back to 1912, with the record standing at 16 in 1934-35.

They must avoid setting a new record if they are going to survive, with relegation rivals West Ham's 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa the sliver of hope needed on a wretched afternoon.

"I think it's impossible for him to stay. I really do," ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy told Match of the Day.

"It's really difficult for the players to play in an environment that's so deflated and toxic.

"The only way you can change that is either winning games, which they're not doing, or change a manager - what the fans want.

"If they keep him in charge, it's five league games without a win. A new guy comes in, gets one win and it can turn quickly. It's a risk worth taking and I think they'll take it.

"The players don't really look like they're at it. They've had a couple of decent performances this week and maybe people thought that the corner had been turned, but confidence was low again after they conceded.

"He made two changes at half-time and that didn't make them any better. If anything, they got worse as the second half went on."

Bruno Saltor took Tudor's news conference and believes the head coach and his staff will get time, with three weeks until they travel to Sunderland after the international break.

"Yeah, of course, we feel the support of everyone at the club and we're just focusing on how we can help the players," he said.

"What gives me belief? The last two games, against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid and the first half today. We should've been at least 1-0 up. Right now, every small detail is going against us. It is about turning it around and that's what gives us confidence."

Read more analysis on Tottenham's defeat

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Spurs fans

Raj: Every time you think you cannot be let down by the club any further, they find a new way to disappoint you. It feels like everyone and everything is conspiring against us - dodgy ref decisions certainly. But, ultimately, poor performances and poor decisions from the board have brought us here. I've never felt more disconnected from the club or out of love with the game than I do right now.

Pat: After the impressive win over Atletico Madrid, one would have thought a braver line-up and style of football would have been the better choice. But they retreated to play an ineffective, long-ball style, which was so comfortable for Forest. It's a sad indictment on the owners and how they have made poor appointments, signings and maintained an out-of-date wage structure. Only a miracle can save us now.

Steve: It is seven games too late to have appointed a capable successor to Thomas Frank. With seven games and a three-week hiatus in prospect, it is now or never to bite the bullet. If Forest can have four managers in a season and then they come up with Sunday's performance, three for Spurs can't be a bad idea! Someone who can introduce all our defensive players to one another and instil the idea of teamwork into them...

Hugh: Guidance is required now otherwise Championship football awaits! This guy should never been appointed manager. Therefore, let's right the situation and appoint a manager with Premier League experience!

Forest fans

Sean: The first goal was key in this match, and for Igor Jesus to get back in the Premier League goals just on half-time delivered a real gut punch for both Tottenham's squad and their fans, which they didn't recover from. We looked totally at ease in the second half, and Morgan Gibbs-White had to score against them. The icing on the cake was seeing Taiwo Awoniyi bag another goal from the subs' bench. This has been a great week to be a Forest fan. We need to keep it going.

Luke: That's as good an away win as I can remember, and just at the right time. It felt like last season's standards, and we need that two or three times more to be safe this year. I wish we were playing again on Wednesday, and I bet the players do too. Still dreaming!

Michael: Wow! Just wow! I wasn't expecting a three-goal win, especially when you saw how the Spurs fans opted to get behind their team. Brilliant defending all day and three well-crafted goals that have been hard to come by. It could all change in a week, but hopefully this gives Forest the confidence to push on and get more points. COYR!

Ben: Not so much a huge win but an utterly essential one. Even when Forest were on the back foot in the first half, the commitment from the players was excellent and it meant they were in a position to capitalise when the chance arose. The goal advantage certainly helped Forest dictate the game more in the second half and three goals and a clean sheet will do their confidence the world of good. Not clear of the danger yet, but the momentum and control is back with Forest!

Tottenham are facing a crunch decision on the future of interim head coach Igor Tudor with the the club's season in further crisis. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

The international break is seen as the perfect time for key figures at Tottenham to call time on Tudor's spell in charge. (Football Insider), external

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Pundits Danny Murphy and Joe Hart join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

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• Tottenham 0-3 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 2-0 West Ham

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Where do Tottenham go from here?

It could not have been any more damaging if they had tried and a sixth defeat in seven Premier League games pushes them closer to relegation.

Tudor's position will now surely be in doubt just over a month after being appointed as Thomas Frank's replacement.

The former Croatia defender has earned just a point from his five Premier League games and suffered a humiliation against Forest - who had not won in the Premier League for two months.

Tottenham are in disarray and could suffer relegation from the top flight for the first time since 1977.

It could have been scripted. Spurs did start with some purpose following the backing from the fans but that evaporated in the second half.

Igor Jesus' goal silenced Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Gibbs-White's goal was the cue for some fans to leave.

Awoniyi added more pain but after just two home league wins all season - against Brighton and Brentford - it should not come as a surprise.

Tottenham were cheered on and booed off and their Premier League fate is increasingly in the balance.

Tottenham coach Bruno Saltor, speaking to Sky Sports about why he has stepped in for Igor Tudor:

"Personal matters, family matters and I am stepping in as it is not right time for him to speak.

"Every mistake right now is going against us, every detail is going against us and it affects the players as well.

"You can see how much they are fighting. We are in a difficult situation, everyone knows. In the first half we were the better team and need to be consistent with that.

"We were 1-0 down and wanted to be a little more aggressive with players coming back from injuries. It didn't work as planned but it was our intention.

"It hurts us, it is painful, really painful, but the fans were outstanding today - from before the game until the end of the game.

"We need to carry on because we care, we care for Spurs, we are family and want to get out of this situation.

"I am 100% sure we can get through this situation."

Did you know?

• This is just the third time that Tottenham have lost by 3+ goals at home to a side starting the day in 17th or lower in the Premier League table, along with 0-3 defeats to West Ham in October 2013 and Sheffield Wednesday in August 1998.

• Tottenham haven't won any of their last 13 league matches (D5 L8), equaling their second longest winless run in league competition in their history (also 13 in November 1912). They've only had a longer run once before, going 16 without a victory between December 1934 and April 1935.

• Tottenham have won just 30 points from 31 Premier League games this season – accounting for 3pts/win all-time, this is their joint-lowest return after 31 games of a league campaign, along with 1914-15 (30).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Spence, Danso, Romero, van de Ven, Porro, Gray, Sarr, Richarlison, Tel, Solanke.

Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Udogie, Souza, Palhinha, Gallagher, Bergvall, Xavi, Kolo Muani.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Aina, Sangare, Anderson, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus, Hudson-Odoi.

Subs: Ortega, Morato, Awoniyi, Yates, Dominguez, Netz, Bakwa, McAtee, Ndoye.

There are three games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Newcastle v Sunderland (12:00)

• Aston Villa v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Tottenham v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off 14:15 GMT unless stated

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People have been panning Tottenham boss Igor Tudor but they will look upon him in a different light if his side win this game.

Maybe he just needs to identify the opposition's threat a little bit better than he does opposing managers - that clip of him mistaking someone else for Arne Slot at Anfield last week did make me chuckle.

Nottingham Forest's issue is that they don't score enough goals and that lack of attacking threat might just cost them here.

I know I keep mentioning it, but Forest manager Vitor Pereira has still not won a Premier League game all season, after 12 attempts with Wolves and Forest.

I don't think he will win this week, either, although this is going to be an extremely tight game.

Spurs' first aim will be to avoid any calamities like their red card against in their previous home league game.

They have a few injuries, but they still have a fair bit of quality in their team.

Tottenham also have a bit of positivity and momentum after Wednesday's home win over Atletico Madrid, even though it wasn't enough to turn around their Champions League tie. Now they need to build on that.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

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