Jamie O’Hara sees Spurs surviving the relegation battle come the end of the season.
Jamie O’Hara has never been a man burdened by consistency. Throughout this season, he has oscillated between passionate defender of the faith and despairing critic who cannot quite bring himself to abandon a club he loves despite every possible reason to do so. He called the Tottenham squad out for lacking the stomach for a relegation fight in February.
O’Hara has screamed himself hoarse on talkSPORT all year defending Tottenham’s quality in moments that, in hindsight, were somewhat premature. He called relegation an impossibility in August, laughed at the mere suggestion, then watched the season deteriorate to the point where that laughter curdled into something considerably less comfortable.
Now, with four games remaining and Spurs sitting 18th on 34 points, two behind West Ham, O’Hara via Sky Sports has produced his boldest prediction yet.
“I have changed my mind,”
“I have looked at the fixtures properly; West Ham are going to get four points, and Spurs are going to get six points. We are going to beat Leeds and Everton, and we are going to stay up on goal difference.”
O’Hara’s projection requires Tottenham to beat Leeds at home and Everton on the final day whilst losing to Aston Villa and Chelsea. That delivers six points from a possible twelve. West Ham, in his scenario, beat Brentford, lose to Arsenal and Newcastle, then beat Leeds on the final day. That produces four points from a possible twelve. The terminal point is Tottenham surviving on goal difference, a scenario that feels simultaneously plausible and deeply terrifying.
Oh, him again!
The fixtures comparison matters here. West Ham face Everton, Brentford, Arsenal, Newcastle, and Leeds. Of those, Arsenal and Newcastle represent genuine hazards. Everton and Brentford, whilst not straightforward, are winnable. Arsenal are distracted by Champions League obligations. These are not comfortable assumptions, but they are not entirely fanciful either.
Tottenham’s remaining schedule is Chelsea away, Leeds at home, and Everton at home. Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge, is effectively a foregone conclusion. Spurs have not won at Chelsea with any consistency in recent years, and a Blues side with mid-table security and limited motivation remains a difficult proposition. Leeds at home represents the genuine game changer, a direct confrontation between two clubs whose circumstances have diverged dramatically over the course of this campaign. Daniel Farke’s side currently sit on 40 points without any losses in their last five games.
Everton at home on the final day is the sort of fixture that should, in theory, deliver. David Moyes’ side are fighting their own battles and arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with their own motivations. History, however, suggests Spurs cannot assume anything on the final day of a season in which they have specialised in precisely the wrong kind of surprise. O’Hara’s declaration that Spurs are back is unconvincing, yet it is the only one worth making.