{"id":368697,"date":"2026-03-05T06:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T06:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/368697\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T06:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T06:20:09","slug":"tottenham-will-go-down-unless-one-problem-is-addressed-urgently-jamie-ohara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/368697\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Tottenham will go down’ unless one problem is addressed urgently: Jamie O’Hara"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\/ Add as preferred source on Google <\/a> <\/p>\n

Jamie O\u2019Hara sees one very concerning sign with Tottenham Hotspur at the moment as the club attempts to steer clear of relegation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his first press conference as Tottenham boss a couple of weeks ago, Igor Tudor confidently stated that Spurs will stay up<\/a>, but one doubts the Croat will have the same confidence after his first two games in charge.<\/p>\n

The interim Spurs<\/a> boss watched his side deliver two lacklustre displays against Arsenal and Fulham, and deservedly lost both London derbies.<\/p>\n

Following the loss to Fulham, Tudor admitted that there are numerous problems to fix at Tottenham<\/a>, but one pundit does not see any signs of improvement in the players.<\/p>\n

\"JamieCredit: James Veysey\/Shutterstock for London Football AwardsJamie O\u2019Hara says Tottenham players do not have the stomach for a fight<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hara admitted that he expected a new-manager bounce after Tudor\u2019s arrival, but instead was appalled by what he saw from the Spurs players over the last two games.<\/p>\n

The pundit suggested that the poor performances against Fulham and Arsenal were down to the attitude of the players, claiming that this Tottenham squad<\/a> does not have the stomach for a fight.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hara told Sky Sports News\u2019 Fan Club<\/a>: \u201cI was expecting a bit of a manager bounce. Arsenal had a couple of sticky performances against Wolves and Brentford, so I was expecting the team to go into this game with a high attitude, a bit of passion, fight, relentless pressing, and not letting easy crosses in the box.<\/p>\n

\u201c[It was the] complete opposite. It was miles away from where I thought it was. I know there\u2019s injuries, but the attitude of the players is my biggest concern. The attitude to defend, to run, to compete, and not to concede goals. That for me is basic 101, and then you can talk about creativity, whether we\u2019re good enough, whether we\u2019ve got the players, the formation, but the basic defending, basic mentality of a football club.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re down at the bottom, when you\u2019re fighting for results, Spurs haven\u2019t got it. They have not got the stomach for a fight, and it was evident in that Arsenal game, and it was actually embarrassing. I couldn\u2019t believe what I was watching because, having been a player myself at Tottenham, one thing you do first and foremost is fight and don\u2019t let people get the better of you.<\/p>\n

\u201cArsenal got the better, and I know they\u2019re a better team, but they\u2019re getting better of you on the pitch in every way, running, defending, just everything about it. I couldn\u2019t believe it. As a player who played in situations where you\u2019re down in the dumps, first and foremost, 20 minutes, track runners. Don\u2019t let your man get the better of you. Don\u2019t let him run past you.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that is a mentality. That is not about ability. That\u2019s not about talent. That is a mentality and a culture at a football club where players are like, \u2018Nah, I don\u2019t want to do that. I pass him on.\u2019 What do you mean, pass him on? It\u2019s the first 15 minutes of the game.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hara singles out Xavi Simons for not showing fight for Spurs<\/p>\n

The former Tottenham midfielder asserted that some of the Lilywhites\u2019 stars are simply not earning their right to play by matching the opponents\u2019 work rate.<\/p>\n

He singled out Xavi Simons<\/a> for failing to track his runners, calling on the Dutchman to fight rather than try flicks and tricks.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hara added: \u201cI went and done the clips this morning. It took me five seconds to see the clips because I knew. First 15 minutes of the game, you\u2019re passing players on, you\u2019re not tracking runners. It was embarrassing. Forget talent. Forget creativity.<\/p>\n

\u201cXavi Simons, you are in a relegation fight. You\u2019re in a fight. You\u2019ve got to play like you\u2019re in a relegation fight. None of these players are playing like they\u2019re in a relegation fight. Passing on, tracking runners, not getting back, allowing shots on the edge of the box. Embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey haven\u2019t got the stomach for a fight. When you\u2019re in it as a player, there\u2019s a different set of skills when you\u2019re down at the bottom of the table. But saying that, look at Arsenal, look at the pressing, their running, the way they\u2019ll go after teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpurs don\u2019t even want to run. They\u2019re passing players on. That\u2019s what matters. That\u2019s what counts when you\u2019re at the bottom. That\u2019s how you get results. They\u2019re not tracking runners. They\u2019re not getting tight. They\u2019re not dying on the pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t have Newcastle running nearly six kilometres further than you. Arsenal, in the North London derby, when you\u2019re fighting for everything, they\u2019re running four-and-a-half kilometres further than you as a team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing. And that, for me, is a culture and a mentality at a football club which is in disarray. These players do not want to run. They don\u2019t want to fight. They want to pass players on. They want to make it easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want to turn up in the Champions League<\/a>, and you\u2019re playing Copenhagen, and you want to play nice football, and Xavi Simons, little flicks and tricks, all that rubbish. But when it matters in the Premier League<\/a>, when you\u2019re fighting for points, they haven\u2019t got the stomach for it. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve noticed, and that\u2019s what needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed quickly, because Spurs will go down.\u201d<\/p>\n

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