Tottenham's stop-start season continues. Should fans be worried?
Some important wins have been followed by disappointing performances against the top four and defeat in both domestic cups - Are Tottenham still making progress?
After a series of heavy defeats to top four clubs earlier this season, a 1-0 loss to Manchester United may not feel that bad for Spurs fans. However, in Sunday night’s loss, the team failed to show that they could pose a threat to a top side, a contrast to how they battled, at least in some games, last season.
If we look across Spurs’ form at the start of 2025 it’s mainly about continuing the patterns identified in the first half of the season. At least if you focus on the league: wins against Leicester and Crystal Palace, a loss to Manchester United. They are still perfectly mid-table in sixth place.
So, has anything changed? Perhaps differences have reduced, with both the loss and the wins closer. Spurs’ victories over Palace went from a 4-0 trouncing to a 3-2 last-gasp victory. Conversely, a 3-0 away defeat to United shrunk to a 1-0 home loss. Perhaps this reflects teams across the league becoming increasingly familiar with one another. Less positively and despite the closer outcome, Spurs managed barely half the shots in this game they had in losing to United in October.
Beyond the WSL, the start of 2025 has been frustrating for Robert Vilahamn’s team. Spurs are out of both cups – losing to West Ham (2-1) in the League Cup, a game they did more than enough to win and then more recently to Everton (2-0) in the FA Cup. Against Everton they were without a few key starters as Molly Bartrip, Ashleigh Neville and Bethany England, were all rested to manage the load of five games across two weeks, with Neville and Bartrip used as late subs.
It may be somewhat salutary that in both the League Cup and FA Cup this means Spurs miss out on a tie against WSL leaders, Chelsea, a team they are yet to beat. But given the boost Spurs’ FA Cup run provided last season, going out to two opponents that they have already beaten in the league this season, feels like a backwards step.
Turning to the United game we saw some familiar notes. In both the away fixture and yesterday’s game, United’s goals arrived courtesy of forays down their right – Spurs’ left – and crosses which Elisabeth Terland slotted home. Last time it was Spurs’ ex-player, Celin Bizet who terrorised Vilahamn’s left side, sending in balls for Terland. This time it was Jayde Riviere who, at least in the first half, had the beating of Amanda Nildén, with the Swedish left-back strangely hesitant on the ball.
Meanwhile, Bizet was quieter but, in good news for those who bemoan the ‘niceness’ of women’s football, her every touch was roundly booed by the home support, still bitter about her summer move. On the other wing we got to relive a now classic WSL matchup with Neville up against Leah Galton. There was not a clear winner this time out but Neville was kept sufficiently busy that in the first half especially as she could not provide the attacking outlet she has in other games.
It was only in the final move of the game that we got a glimpse of the incisive passing that marked Vilahamn’s first term at the club - at least until the move fizzled out with a weak Clare Hunt shot. In other phases of the game, we saw something that has become more common in Spurs 2025 vintage: a reliance on long-balls. This is partly explained by January signing Lise Kop, whose long passes are more accurate than Becky Spencer or Eleanor Heeps, Spurs’ previous options between the posts. But it also speaks to the team’s inability to effectively cut-through teams when playing out from the back, and consequent search for a Plan B.
Spurs’ problems with progressing the ball and chance creation have been exacerbated by Eveliina Summanen’s absence – the defensive midfielder had been key to Spurs ability to break up opposition play but also to move the ball forward quickly. In this game both Summanen and Drew Spence were unavailable and Vilahamn used new signing, Swedish centre-back, Josefine Rybrink alongside Maite Oroz in the pivot. The defensive security Rybrink provided seemed to allow Oroz more scope to get forward than she has when played alongside Olga Ahtinen or Drew Spence and she was one of Spurs’ better players on the night. But, without a playmaker in front of her Oroz struggled to create.
Spurs’ third signing of the winter window, Danish midfielder Olivia Holdt, made a late entry coming on in the 77th minute for Martha Thomas. She did not quite have the impact she had in her debut when her late free-kick won the game. But this time out she demonstrated an ability to link up the attack that had been sorely lacking – not just in this game but across most of the season, since Spurs’ playmaker of last season, Grace Clinton, returned to United. The good news for Spurs is that as she continues to gain fitness Holdt may start narrowing that deficit.
In this game we also got a reprise of the tactic first seen when Spurs were chasing the game against West Ham in quarter finals of the Subway Cup: Hunt as target woman and Anna Csiki taking up a defensive midfielder role and then dropping deeper to spread the ball from the left. In neither game has this resulted in a goal, but it has produced chances and speaks to Vilahamn’s increasing willingness to try different tactics when the game-state demands it – something that perhaps differentiates him from his Spurs’ men’s team counterpart. Csiki’s improving performances have been another positive from the early 2025 games.
Spurs’ next league games are not going to be easy – away at Arsenal and then home to Manchester City. A point from either would be a surprise. But if Vilahamn’s team can get through these without suffering injury and without soul-crushing losses they then have a run of ‘winnable’ games and a decent chance to build rhythm. And, if they keep beating teams below them in the league Spurs are in a good place to cement a top half finish. While that would not be spectacular, in a tight league with little differentiating teams outside the top four, stability is sometimes progress – if an unspectacular variant of it. The question is whether they do manage this or whether the two cup losses prefigure something worse.
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Same for me - RV says a lot but when a game comes around the players clearly cannot stick to it with their constant kamikaze backpassing and crossfield play. Infact I would go as far and say many do not have the skills to even play this system and why we should be signing better more skillful players and not like for like. The players are out there. Also our frontline continues to be non existant no matter who plays and we clearly do not have anyone with a bullet kick do we?
You mention that we miss Summanen, I am not convinced, Clemaron was a far better player wheras Summanen blows hot and cold too much in hard games with a high % of poor passes and overturns. Until we either change our attitude to investing in better players or moving to a different more tactical male/female Manager we will struggle to get into the top half of the WSL and stay there. We can even lose the games you feel easier after Citeh. A Brighton loss and the confidence will drop further and will not help at all against the run thereafter. Meeting the top 3 twice like this has really turned our season around but realistically the signings is where we fail - clearly we could not even attemp to persuade Kelly to come to us for 6 months and that is a real worry. Is it we cannot afford her or players of quality do not want to come to Spurs. Questions have to be asked. Then the massive drop in support at the game yesterday is also worrying (but somewhat expected due the late reschedule) and no wonder why Munns/Levy will not underwrite this project when the likes of Chelsea buy their success. I just cannot ever see us challenging for CL status - ever. Levy would be more hoping we get relegated and he closes the books on this project and passes it back to Broxbourne.
I’m going to be more critical of Vilahamn, regarding yesterday.
If you watch back the game from October, Spurs were very front-footed and arguably the better side for 35 minutes at United - indeed, probably should have been 2 goals to the good by the time United opened the scoring.
Yesterday was a return, tactically, to the Rehanne Skinner days of sitting deep and seemingly more concerned with not conceding than actually taking the game to United.
Individually, there were too many weak performances, from so-called established players.
I think he may find himself under severe pressure if the next 2 results go as expected.