Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has slammed the Spurs team’s attitude and mentality, believing they “don’t have the strength to fight for relegation”.
O’Hara revealed the team’s problems after Sunday’s disastrous north London derby defeat to Arsenal in a passionate analysis of Spurs’ woes.
The 4-1 home defeat left Tottenham 16th in the Premier League, four points clear of the drop zone with 11 games remaining.
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If they do not win the league in 2026, relegation to the second tier of English football for the first time since the 1977/78 season is becoming a reality.
New manager Igor Tudor will be aiming for his first win in his role as Spurs take on Fulham on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, but O’Hara gave a hard-hitting assessment of the issues facing the Croatian and what Tottenham must fix to maintain their Premier League status…
“The attitude of the players is the biggest concern.”
He told the Sky Sports News fan club: “I expected some pushback from the manager. Arsenal had some tenacious performances against Wolves and Brentford, so I expected the team to go into this game with a high attitude, a bit of passion, a fight, relentless pressing and not letting easy crosses into the box.”
“(It was) the complete opposite. We were miles away from where I thought we would be. I know there are injuries, but the attitude of the players is my biggest concern. The attitude of defending, running, competing, not conceding goals. That’s basic 101 for me, and then you can talk about creativity, whether we have enough, whether we have players, not just the formation, but also the basic defense, the basic mentality of a football club.
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The Football Show assesses whether Tottenham are too good to be relegated from the Premier League this season
“Spurs don’t understand that when you’re down at the bottom of the table, when you’re fighting for results. They don’t have the will to fight. That was evident in the Arsenal game and it was actually embarrassing.”
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, because as a player myself at Tottenham, first and foremost it’s about fighting and not letting people lose.
“Arsenal have improved and we know they are the better team, but on the pitch they were better in terms of running, defending, everything. It was unbelievable.”
O’Hara questions Spurs’ mentality and culture
Spurs are on a nine-game winless run and have won just two top-flight games in the past four months.
“As a player who played in an inferior situation, first and foremost he’s a track runner for 20 minutes. You can’t let him beat you. You can’t let him get you,” O’Hara said.
“And it’s the mentality. It’s not a question of ability. It’s not a question of talent. It’s the mentality and the culture of the football club and the players are like, ‘No, I don’t want to do that. Pass him on.'” What do you mean by hand him on? It’s 15 minutes from the start of the game.
“I went to take a clip this morning. It took me five seconds to watch the clip because I knew it. For the first 15 minutes of the game, you’re just passing guys, you’re not chasing runners. It was embarrassing. Forget about talent, forget about creativity.”
“Xavi Simmons, you’re in a relegation fight. You’re in a fight. You have to play like you’re in a relegation fight. None of these players are playing like they’re in a relegation fight.
“I made a pass, chased a runner, didn’t go back and allowed a shot on the edge of the box. It’s embarrassing.”
He added: “My biggest worry is whether they can last the games. I think the players we’ve brought in are hanging their heads down and thinking of excuses like, ‘Oh, the board hasn’t done that, we haven’t signed anyone.’ Yeah, I understand all that, but as footballers you have to find a way to get out of this hole. That’s what I’m worried about, because I don’t know if they’re doing it.”
“I don’t know if they’re looking at the exit door before the job is actually done, but the job now is to stay in the Premier League.”
O’Hara: They don’t have the will to fight.
Spurs have lost each of their last five Premier League games, but this season they rank bottom for the most turnovers, meaning they have lost the ball near goal more than any other team.
“That supports my point,” O’Hara said. “It’s shocking. It’s a form of relegation because if you don’t run, if you don’t chase runners, if you don’t give the ball away in your area, if you allow people to get on top of you and press you, you’re going to lose the game.”
“They don’t have the stomach to fight. When you’re in the game as a player, when you’re down at the bottom of the table, you need a different set of skills. But having said that, look at Arsenal, look at their pressing, their running, the way they chase teams.
“Spurs don’t even want to run, they’re running past players and that’s what’s important. That’s what’s important when you’re at the bottom of the table. That’s how you get results. They’re not chasing runners. They’re not tense. They’re not dying on the pitch.
“You can’t have Newcastle running almost 6km further than you. When you’re playing for Arsenal, the North London derby, everything, they’re running 4.5km further than you as a team.
“It’s embarrassing. For me, it’s the culture and the mentality of a football club that is in turmoil. The players don’t want to run. They don’t want to fight. They want to pass on the players. They want to take it easy. They don’t want to run. They don’t want to fight. They want to pass on the players. They want to take it easy. They don’t want to run. They don’t want to fight. They want to pass on the players. They want to take it easy.
“They want to be in the Champions League and you’re playing in Copenhagen and you want to play great football, but Xavi Simons is all about little flicks and tricks and crap.
“But when it matters in the Premier League, when you’re competing for points, they have no appetite for it. That’s what I’ve noticed and that’s something that needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed soon because Spurs are going to collapse.”
“The teams at the bottom, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, they’re going to run. They’re going to fight. They’re going to scrap because they know they can go. They’ve been there before. Spurs don’t want to go. The players don’t want to go. They want to be in the Champions League and play great football.”
“They are in a relegation battle and the biggest realization for me was how embarrassing it was to watch that, especially in the Arsenal game. Forget about creativity. Forget about the chances you can create because you have decent players. That’s why Spurs are in such a predicament.”
