Tottenham's Downfall was Foreshadowed ... But No One Listened

Were Mourinho, Conte and Postecoglou Right About Spurs All Along?

The signs had been there for a while – signs that Tottenham Hotspur, one of the most respected footballing institutions in the country, was on the brink of imminent collapse.

Three of the game's biggest characters arrived at the club and immediately felt something was wrong – between a lack of investment in the squad, manager hirings and firings seemingly made on a whim, and an absence of any sort of trophy-winning ambition, Spurs long ago accepted their status as nearly, but not quite.

DAMN BRO THEY ARE REALLY GETTING RELEGATED😭 pic.twitter.com/iS62LmDUzm

— (fan) Trey (@UTDTrey) March 6, 2026

Settling on such a middling status, there was always the risk that things could go south rather quickly, and when Ange Postecoglou was brought in at the start of the 2023/24 season, his high-octane, all-out style of play uncovered the critical weaknesses in the Tottenham system, both in the squad and in the way his higher-ups operated.

The thing with opening Pandora’s box is that once the lid is off, it’s very hard to put what came out back inside, and that is exactly the thing that first Frank, and now Igor Tudor, are discovering, with the North Londoners sitting just a point above the Premier League relegation zone.

Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou all warned us that this was going to happen … So why did no one listen?

Unhappy Managers

With their shocking 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace last night, it was the first time for many Tottenham fans that they have actually had to stare relegation straight in the face. The most out-of-form side in the league and just a point clear of the dire West Ham and Nottingham Forest squads, there are clearly some systemic issues at the club that no one is addressing.

However, while Spurs' table position may come as a surprise to many, the issues behind the scenes at the club are a surprise to very few; having bared witness to countless huffy post-match press conferences from a myriad of former managers, they all have one thing in common – this is not how they would run a club.

Mourinho came first, and initially, his ultra-defensive, unexciting brand of football was heavily supported by Spurs fans – at least it was getting them results. However, it quickly became predictable, easy to play against and, more than anything, dull, and results quickly dropped off.

FACT: Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte have both won trophies at every club they’ve managed except for one...

Tottenham Hotspur. pic.twitter.com/0JFBsEIaMM

— The Footy Section (@FTBLsection) January 9, 2026

However, no one expected Levy to sack Mourinho just six days before the Carabao Cup final with Manchester City, a game which presented Spurs with an opportunity to break a 13-year trophy drought. Predictably, they lost. Mourinho’s sacking was sign number one.

Just six months after Mourinho left, in November 2021, Antonio Conte was appointed, brought to the club in place of Nuno Espírito Santo, who was shown the door after just three months despite being the winner of Manager of the Month in August.

Never one to withhold an opinion, Conte was always going to speak out if he didn’t agree with something, and, two years into his spell, after giving up a lead to draw with Southampton, Conte exploded, and just eight days later, he left the club by mutual consent. This was sign number two.

Then came the reign of Ange Postecoglou, who it seemed would reveal something new about the club every week. Having initially held the club in a title race in his first season, the Aussie became an instant fan favourite and, for the most part, sustained the support of the fans even through a dire second season in which Tottenham limped to a 17th-place finish.

Their gamble to keep the underperforming coach eventually earned the club a huge payout, as in winning the 2024/25 Europa League, the club ended a near 20-year wait for silverware, with Postecoglou worshipped as nigh-on a deity in the week that followed the trophy lift.

However, remarkably, then-majority owner Daniel Levy decided that firing Postecoglou was the best way forward, despite doing what countless illustrious names before him had failed to do: win something. This was sign number three and the most damning of them all.

What Did They Say About Tottenham?

Though they may be long gone now, the three managers above had plenty to say about the white side of North London.

Mourinho, as ever, entertained in his press conferences during his stint at Spurs and, of the three, targeted the ownership and subsequent problems at the club the least. However, in the years following his spell, he has made it very clear that he was not a fan of the way Levy led the club and was positively outraged at the decision to sack him days before a cup final.

Speaking during his time at Roma. Mourinho ascertained that he maintained a close relationship with all of his previous clubs … apart from Tottenham. His exact words: “I hope Tottenham fans don’t get me wrong, but the only club in my career where I still don't have a deep feeling for is Tottenham.”

Probably because the stadium was empty during COVID time. Probably because Mr Levy didn’t let me win a final and win a trophy. So with Roma, one day it will be hard but we will be connected forever, like I am with all my previous clubs – apart from Mr Levy’s club.”

Conte’s outburst at Southampton was significantly more targeted at the way the club was run. Pulling no punches after consistently failing to be backed in the transfer market, the fiery Italian said: “Tottenham’s story is this - 20 years there is this owner and they never won something. Why?”

📅 Remember when Antonio Conte lashed out at the Tottenham Board 😡

"20 years and they never won something" pic.twitter.com/1pCTjnMgBx

— Samuel🇳🇬 (@essien250) February 23, 2026

“The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here? Until now I tried to hide the situation (lack of backing) but now because, I repeat, I don’t want to see what I have seen today because this is unacceptable and also unacceptable for our fans.”

“In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.”

As for Postecoglou, we could include excerpts from every single interview he ever conducted as Spurs manager. However, one particular instance, towards the end of his first season in charge, stands out. Asked about the project he was trying to build at the club, the straight-talking Australian replied with an unexpected answer.

“I think the last 48 hours have revealed to me that the foundations are fairly fragile, mate. The last 48 hours has revealed a fair bit to me, and that’s alright; that just means I’ve got to go back to the drawing board with some things.” When asked more specifically on where the issues lay, he answered shortly, “Outside, inside, everywhere".

Ange Postecoglou when asked about what he’s building at Tottenham:

“The last 48 hours to me have revealed the foundations are pretty fragile” 😳

He is absolutely furious 😡

🔗 https://t.co/gku2aHNt5M pic.twitter.com/9sxBY5ivHP

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) May 14, 2024

His daunting words would be promptly fulfilled the next season, as he was dismissed, having barely avoided a relegation battle and with a Europa League winners' medal around his neck.

Were They Right?

Going off where Tottenham find themselves right now, it is very hard to say that they were wrong – Conte in particular has been validated, with the continuous lack of investment into positions the club actually need finally starting to hurt them.

The loss of Harry Kane and, more recently, Heung-Min Son has severely altered Tottenham’s ability to punish opponents up front, while at the back, they haven’t been able to replace the steady duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen since they left the club.

However, the lack of investment isn’t just a surface-level issue – it is a problem that stems from countless consecutive dysfunctional relationships between management and the board which, over the course of time, have corrupted the trust between the two to such an extent that when a new coach arrives, the board is already unwilling to bend to his request.

This is the source of the issues for Spurs – if there is poor communication between the club's hierarchy and the man charged with leading the team, how can one possibly meet the expectations of the other? The lack of communication creates a divide, a resultant lack of resources, and eventually, the dismissal of a manager.

Until last season, Spurs had generally got away with it, the quality in their team saving them from poor finishes in the league and maintaining a generally competitive standard. However, ever since their key players left and failed to be replaced, the club has been in a very preventable downward spiral, one which, if they are not careful, could see them drop down to the Championship.

If they do taste relegation, the financial hit and loss of the majority of their players will hit hard – so hard that the odds are they won’t bounce straight back up.

🚨🗣️ 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Crystal Palace fans to Tottenham fans: "Say hello to Millwall!" pic.twitter.com/JiWH1TvMc9

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) March 5, 2026

The Lewis family, majority owners after Levy’s departure, are potentially nine games away from ruining their prize asset, and the worst part is that, given the transfer window is closed, they can do nothing to save their side, instead being forced to watch through parted fingers from the stands.

Perhaps the warnings of their former managers were ignored precisely because they were some of the game's biggest characters, individuals whose general flamboyance and unusual approach could be seen as overdramatic, making the situation at Spurs look worse than it actually was. Well, no one is thinking that now.

If they do survive, big changes need to come in the summer, or they will find themselves in this situation all over again. If they go down, it could be the start of Spurs' worst era in their history.