NORMAN GILLER'S SPURS ODYSSEY BLOG No 549
Submitted by Norman Giller

So as we surely say farewell to Igor Tudor after his brief, fruitless, catastrophic stint in the Spurs hot seat, we wait for the directors to use their pin to find the next manager to try to haul Tottenham out of their downward spiral towards relegation.

Yesterday's humiliating 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest sent everybody with Spurs affiliations into deep despair. I cannot remember feeling this low since Tottenham last went down back in the Keith Burkinshaw days of the 1970s.

Spurs then came straight back up, but not without lots of frights on the way under the driving captaincy of Steve Perryman.

After that pitiful, punchless performance against Forest, would you honestly have faith in their ability to make a quick return to the Premier League? Do they care enough to scrap, scrape and strive for the sake of the club badge?

If it was left to me, I would have no hesitation in putting Harry Redknapp back in charge for the last crucial weeks of the season. I can be accused of bias because Aitch has been a pal since he first got into the West Ham team as a busy, buzzing right winger in the 1960s. I love the bloke.

Throughout his managerial career, including the stop-over at Spurs, he has always brought a relaxed yet defiant mood, the sort that is desperately needed at this moment by a spineless Spurs side in search of inspired leadership.

But we have a Levy-less board of directors who seem as rudderless as the team, and goodness knows who they will next put in charge after the weird appointment of Tudor (who, of course, has our sincere sympathy following the news of his father's death that prevented him following after-match duties).

My Spurs Odyssey colleague Declan Mulcahy gives his tortured view of Tottenham's surrender HERE, and like me he cannot see where the next point is coming from as Tottenham search for their first Premier League victory of 2026.

We face a mountain-climb of a run-in against Sunderland (a), Brighton (h), Wolves (a), Aston Villa (a), Leeds United (h), Chelsea (a) and, finally, Everton at home on Sunday May 24.

There is an international break and a whole three weeks before the next challenge at the Riverside Stadium, where Sunderland are on a high after yesterday's North-East derby victory over bitter rivals Newcastle.

I am going to take the same break while I put the finishing touch to my book recalling the 1966 World Cup triumph against West Germany, with an introduction by hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst.

Now that was a game worth writing about, unlike yesterday's dismal dirge. Nurse, my tablets please.

COYS

Here we go with the 30th week of our quiz that tests your knowledge of Tottenham players and the club's history ...

Which former Spurs striker scored 68 goals in 146 games for his country, and with which English club did he make his Football League debut in 1997-1998? Ps: Please, let me know if you'll be interested in purchasing my 1966 World Cup book at a cut price. Hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst provides the fee-free introduction - and there's lots about Greavsie!

Please email your answer to me at soqleague@gmail.com and make the subject heading Quiz Week 30. Deadline: midnight this Saturday. I will do my best to respond to all who take part.

The rules are the same as in the previous 11 seasons. I ask a two-pronged question with three points at stake - two for identifying the player and one for the supplementary question. In the closing weeks of the competition I break the logjam of all-knowing Spurs-history experts with a real stinker of a tie-breaking poser that is based on opinion rather than fact. This is when I lose what few friends I have.

This season's main prize will be a framed certificate announcing the winner as SOQL champion 2026, plus three signed books to be revealed at a later date.

Last week I asked: Who is the England Under-21 star whose father and uncles played for Scotland, and which number shirt did he wear at Anfield yesterday?

Answer: Archie Gray/14.

See you back here on Monday April 13.

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