Jamie O'Hara says 'Tottenham will go down' unless one problem is addressed urgently

Jamie O’Hara sees one very concerning sign with Tottenham Hotspur at the moment as the club attempts to steer clear of relegation.

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

The interim Spurs boss watched his side deliver two lacklustre displays against Arsenal and Fulham, and deservedly lost both London derbies.

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

Jamie O’Hara says Tottenham players do not have the stomach for a fight

O’Hara admitted that he expected a new-manager bounce after Tudor’s arrival, but instead was appalled by what he saw from the Spurs players over the last two games.

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

O’Hara told Sky Sports News’ Fan Club: “I 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.

“[It was the] complete opposite. It was miles away from where I thought it was. I know there’s 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’re good enough, whether we’ve got the players, the formation, but the basic defending, basic mentality of a football club.

“When you’re down at the bottom, when you’re fighting for results, Spurs haven’t 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’t believe what I was watching because, having been a player myself at Tottenham, one thing you do first and foremost is fight and don’t let people get the better of you.

“Arsenal got the better, and I know they’re a better team, but they’re getting better of you on the pitch in every way, running, defending, just everything about it. I couldn’t believe it. As a player who played in situations where you’re down in the dumps, first and foremost, 20 minutes, track runners. Don’t let your man get the better of you. Don’t let him run past you.

“And that is a mentality. That is not about ability. That’s not about talent. That is a mentality and a culture at a football club where players are like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do that. I pass him on.’ What do you mean, pass him on? It’s the first 15 minutes of the game.

O’Hara singles out Xavi Simons for not showing fight for Spurs

The former Tottenham midfielder asserted that some of the Lilywhites’ stars are simply not earning their right to play by matching the opponents’ work rate.

He singled out Xavi Simons for failing to track his runners, calling on the Dutchman to fight rather than try flicks and tricks.

O’Hara added: “I 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’re passing players on, you’re not tracking runners. It was embarrassing. Forget talent. Forget creativity.

“Xavi Simons, you are in a relegation fight. You’re in a fight. You’ve got to play like you’re in a relegation fight. None of these players are playing like they’re in a relegation fight. Passing on, tracking runners, not getting back, allowing shots on the edge of the box. Embarrassing.”

“They haven’t got the stomach for a fight. When you’re in it as a player, there’s a different set of skills when you’re down at the bottom of the table. But saying that, look at Arsenal, look at the pressing, their running, the way they’ll go after teams.

“Spurs don’t even want to run. They’re passing players on. That’s what matters. That’s what counts when you’re at the bottom. That’s how you get results. They’re not tracking runners. They’re not getting tight. They’re not dying on the pitch.

“You can’t have Newcastle running nearly six kilometres further than you. Arsenal, in the North London derby, when you’re fighting for everything, they’re running four-and-a-half kilometres further than you as a team.

“It’s 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’t want to fight. They want to pass players on. They want to make it easy.

“They want to turn up in the Champions League, and you’re 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, when you’re fighting for points, they haven’t got the stomach for it. That’s what I’ve noticed, and that’s what needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed quickly, because Spurs will go down.”

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