Tottenham Slips Toward Relegation Zone After Son Heung-min Exit, Winless Run Grows

Center back Cristian Romero, who took the captain’s armband this season after Son Heung-min, has struggled to steady Tottenham’s defense amid frequent red cards and suspensions. [Photo=Yonhap/Reuters] — Center back Cristian Romero, who took the captain’s armband this season after Son Heung-min, has struggled to steady Tottenham’s defense amid frequent red cards and suspensions. [Photo=Yonhap·Reuters]

Tottenham Hotspur’s slump has deepened into a relegation fight in the English Premier League, with local media pointing to a leadership vacuum after captain and star Son Heung-min left for Los Angeles FC and to criticism of the club’s top management.

After 31 league matches, Tottenham sits 17th at 7-9-15 for 30 points, just one point above 18th-place West Ham United (7-8-16, 29). In the EPL, the teams finishing 18th through 20th after 38 rounds are relegated to the Championship.

The recent form is worse. Tottenham is winless in 13 straight league matches (5 draws, 8 losses) and has not won since a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Dec. 29. The club has not won a league match this year, its longest winless run in 91 years.

Home results have been especially poor. Tottenham has only two home league wins in 16 matches (4 draws, 10 losses). The Independent reported that, excluding second-division Sheffield Wednesday, which was docked points for financial issues, it is the worst home record across England’s top four professional divisions.

The season did not begin this way. Tottenham started under then-coach Thomas Frank and picked up notable wins, including against Manchester City. But results collapsed from November, and Frank was fired on Feb. 11. Interim coach Igor Tudor has failed to lift the mood, going 1 draw and 4 losses in five league matches since taking over.

After 31 league matches, Tottenham is 17th at 7-9-15 for 30 points. [Photo=Yonhap/Reuters] — After 31 league matches, Tottenham is 17th at 7-9-15 for 30 points. [Photo=Yonhap·Reuters]

British outlets have cited the loss of a team focal point. The Guardian, in a March 12 analysis of what it described as a growing defeatist mood in the squad, said Tottenham has failed to replace players who “truly loved the club” and connected teammates and fans, including Son, Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Eric Dier (AS Monaco).

Questions have also followed the new captain. Romero, a central defender, has been unable to anchor the back line because of frequent dismissals and disciplinary bans. Tottenham has conceded 50 goals in 31 league matches (1.61 per game), the league’s fourth-worst defensive record by that measure.

Injuries have compounded the problems. Midfield playmaker James Maddison tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a preseason friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium in August and was ruled out for the season. More key players later went down, and seven regulars missed the March 22 match at Nottingham Forest, a 3-0 loss, because of injuries.

Criticism of the club’s leadership has intensified. The Guardian faulted what it called an obsession with commercialization, writing that even as the team slid, the stadium video boards flashed ads for revenue-generating events such as the Skywalk attraction, rugby, the NFL and pop concerts. It also argued that frequent coaching changes have taken a toll, saying players who repeatedly heard they were steeped in a “culture of failure” since Mauricio Pochettino eventually began to play that way.

The Independent also criticized Daniel Levy, identified as the club’s previous chairman, and majority owner ENIC Group. In a March 23 report, it said “years of underinvestment, shortcuts and poor management” had caught up with Tottenham, and singled out the appointments of CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sports director Johan Lange as among the club’s worst hiring decisions.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon