<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2745026 alignleft" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/718d477b-bob-holmes-columnist-250424-1.webp" alt="bobby" width="300" height="400" />
That is the question being asked about Spurs after Sunday’s defeat by Arsenal left them teetering four points above the drop zone.
Does a club ‘teeter’ with such a safety margin? It does if it’s Spurs.
It might be polite to add the “Europa League Champions” prefix, but it hardly seems relevant now.
We could also call them the fourth-placed team in the Champions League group phase, but that would be rubbing it in.
Supporters are worried. Relegation doesn’t bear thinking about, but they can’t help but think about it.
It would be a catastrophe, make no mistake. Pessimists say, “It could set us back a generation.”
Even those who think they would bounce straight back concede that membership of the Big Six will expire.
To think Spurs were one of the half-dozen Premier League “giants” that signed up for the Super League.
There will be one or two fans wishing it had happened – at least relegation would not have been possible.
Since 1950, the club has spent only one season (1977-78) outside the top flight.
Opta calculates there’s only a 5% chance of it happening, which sounds a tad optimistic, given the gloom among fans this week.
The Cockerel has not been crowing; it has been crying. And with justification. How on earth has it come to this?
It has been coming for a while &#8211; ever since former chairman Daniel Levy prioritised the stadium over the team.
It often happens. There are countless examples of teams suffering when building costs escalate – as they almost always do.
Players get sold so the stands can be finished and it goes downhill from there.
Spurs don’t have to look far: Arsenal’s Invincibles won the league in 2003/4 at Highbury.
But as soon as they started to fund what is now the Emirates Stadium, they were never the same again.
They’ve not been champions since and Arsene Wenger’s reign just petered out.
Yes, it has taken them a generation to get back. Arsene should have known.
The Gunners had more justification for shifting than Spurs as their stadium was smaller.
And they did so from a position of greater strength. They were champions and had a generational manager.
Spurs were neither and did not really move anyway, building on the same plot of land.
They’ve done a great job. The new place is acclaimed as one of the finest stadiums in the world.
Cashless, with a range of restaurants, the longest bar in Europe and roll-in pitches, it’s a magnificent, multi-purpose venue.
It’s hosted Beyonce concerts, big-time boxing and Gridiron.
But as Spurs wits have noted, it’s just a pity they don’t play proper football anymore.
Sightlines and acoustics are superb – but even they have backfired: they make the home team look worse and the boos louder.
The intention was to build a fortress; instead, it’s a popular destination.
Visiting teams love it. The facilities are fine and Spurs are generous hosts.
They have won there only twice this season and have taken just 10 points out of a possible 42. Only Wolves have a worse home record.
To be fair to Levy, the club has risen in the Deloitte Money League table with the stadium playing a starring role.
Match-day revenue has surpassed that of both Liverpool and Manchester City, reaching a whopping £126.4million last season.
Overall, Spurs have seen a 40% rise in commercial revenue since it was built.
If the worst were to happen, the stadium’s extra-curricular revenue streams will insulate them from the chilliest forecasts.
But the BBC estimates that they would still be looking at a loss of £261m (RM1.370 billion) in broadcasting and commercial revenues.
Back in the day, relegation for some clubs might have been seen as a chance to regroup and come back stronger.
Burnley did that last season, but are likely to go straight back down again.
Spurs are not Burnley – they are many times bigger – but it’s a hell of a bun fight in the Championship and there are no guarantees.
Besides, how will fans react to slumming it with the likes of Preston, Oxford and Derby?
It’s doubtful if those high-end restaurants will be fully booked while a less-than-heaving South Stand will be a sad sight.
But we can’t put all the blame at the door of the stadium: Spurs have also lost their two best players.
Harry Kane wanted to leave – to win a trophy, Ha-ha! – so Spurs did well to cash in on him at his age.
Son Heung-min followed, and without these two, Spurs have been shadows of their former selves.
They also lost the much-loved manager Mauricio Pochettino and have not found a worthy successor.
The scrappy Europa League win over Manchester United was a false dawn.
But this season they have been ravaged by injuries, especially in midfield, where James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have yet to kick a ball.
Attempts to address that have come way short.
Thomas Frank was an underwhelming appointment and now they have Igor Tudor as a temp, keeping the dugout seat warm for Pochettino, presumably.
Levy, himself, of course, was sensationally sacked by the new board, heavily influenced by owner Joe Lewis’s son and daughter.
But survival is in their own hands as they have to face four of their potential relegation rivals.
Crunch games will be those against Crystal Palace, Leeds and Forest, all at home. They also visit doomed Wolves.
So there are points to be had.
But with even Wolves improving, will they do it?
Opta suggests they will, but it would be very Spursy to go deep into Europe and find themselves in the backwaters of England next season.
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The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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