Spurs Survive, but the Real Reckoning Is Still to Come

Tottenham avoided the nightmare of relegation with a final-day win over Everton, but the relief inside the stadium is only temporary. What looked like a celebration quickly shifted into something more uneasy, because the scale of the season’s failure is still impossible to ignore.

The victory ensured Spurs stayed in the Premier League and sent West Ham down, yet the atmosphere at full time was mixed with anger, embarrassment and deep frustration from supporters. A banner aimed at ENIC made that clear, and the chants of “We Are Staying Up” sounded more like the language of strugglers than the self-image of a club with Spurs’ resources and ambitions.

A season of collapse

This was not a one-off wobble. Spurs finished 17th for a second straight season, and the article paints a picture of a club undone by poor appointments, weak performances and bad decisions on and off the pitch. The Europa League win last season and the subsequent managerial upheaval only delayed the reckoning.

The club’s leadership will now come under immediate scrutiny. Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange were both present for the final-day drama, but the piece argues that their grand statements about ambition have not been matched by reality. Former chairman Daniel Levy’s departure in September removed a familiar lightning rod, but it also left the current hierarchy more exposed when things went wrong.

The managerial mess

Spurs’ choice of Igor Tudor as Thomas Frank’s successor is described as a major mistake. Frank arrived as a sensible appointment after his Brentford success, but he struggled in Tottenham’s chaotic environment and was gone after eight months. Tudor then lasted only 44 days, with five defeats in seven games, and his spell is remembered for its harshness and lack of empathy, especially the treatment of young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after early errors against Atletico Madrid.

Roberto de Zerbi has been the rescue act. He came in before the end of the season, helped steady the team psychologically and guided them to the points needed for survival. The article credits him not just for results, but for understanding the urgency and emotional state of the squad.

What comes next

De Zerbi has already signalled that the work for next season must begin immediately. He said Spurs do not need a total overhaul, but they do need “first level players” if they are to become a top team again. That gives the club a clear summer objective: strengthen the squad without repeating past mistakes.

There are also big individual questions. Cristian Romero’s future is uncertain, Micky van de Ven has publicly said 17th place is unacceptable, and the club still needs to convince its best players that the project is worth staying in. Spurs have survived, but the article’s message is blunt: survival is not success, and the real inquest starts now.