Historically, Spurs are known for fighting for league titles and Champions League spots. This season, they find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum, facing relegation to the 2^nd tier of English football.

Note: In soccer, leagues operate with a promotion-relegation system, where the bottom 3-4 teams are relegated, and the top 3-4 are promoted. This is different than a lot of other sports.

The idea of Spurs going down was nothing more than a joke amongst football fans, because despite being bad, everyone figured they would find themselves mid-table by the end of the season, purely based on the talent of their big-money players. But now, we are in April with 6 games left to be played, and Tottenham are actually in the relegation zone; in other words, if the season were to end today, Spurs would be going down.

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A nightmare season for the cockerels

Photo: skysports.com

Heading into the 25-26 season, Tottenham had made some big transitional moves for the future. They began the summer window by firing head coach Ange Postecoglou, which was somewhat controversial, given they had just won a European trophy a week prior. They then appointed ex-Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Postecoglou’s successor. They immediately engaged in talks with some big-name players on the market: Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simmons, and Mathys Tel. In total, Spurs spent 210 million in the summer window. After such a decisive and convincing transfer window, the talk around Spurs was that they had enough quality to compete for a top-8 finish in the league (which earns you a spot in a European competition). At the time, Frank was a hot new commodity who helped Brentford overachieve in the league. They were signing popular players who were either in their prime, or about to hit it, what was not to like?

Tottenham lived up to the hype in August and September. They started by winning 3 of their first 4 games, including a 2-0 win against Man City. After 7 games, they sat at the top of the league – 4 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. This would be the end of their hot streak, and the nosedive began. Since those first 7 games, the Spurs have won 3 more, and their last win was in December 2025.

Here’s the kicker: They are on their third head coach this season – third.

What’s gone wrong?

Photo: independent.co.uk

It’s hard to trace the falloff we have never seen before to a single cause, but it is likely a combination of several factors. The first one is that Frank never truly got his playstyle and system to resonate with the players. Still, they were able to start hot due to a football phenomenon called a “new manager bounce,” which is when players give everything they have to try and impress the new coach. Another factor that has likely played into this total disaster class is that Tottenham’s scouting department either did a poor job of recognizing or accounting for players’ personalities. Of course, as onlookers, we do not get to see the players’ personalities behind the scenes, but it is plausible to believe that they signed players who play for themselves rather than the team.

Will they survive?

At this point, anything can happen. The fanbase is embarrassed and can’t get behind the team; the players are embarrassed, while some may be downing tools and angling for a move away from the club if they go down. The club is spiraling, and being relegated would have major impacts on its financial outlook, and it would lose many of its players to other clubs. Despite staring down the barrel of a historical downfall, they have a chance to stay up thanks to the sheer technical quality of their players compared to other relegation clubs. They are 2 points from safety, and 7 points from a possible 18 in their remaining fixtures would likely be enough to keep them up. It is not going to be easy, but I believe that talent will be just enough.

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The NFL draft is one of the few things NFL fans look forward to during the league’s long off-season; it is arguably the biggest event of the off-season. Fans are either licking their wounds after a heartbreaking playoff loss or excited for their team to bring in some new faces after missing the playoffs entirely.

This year’s draft class was considered a weaker class than usual, which meant that it would be unpredictable – the thought amongst teams was that if you liked a player, you had to find a way to get him, because there wasn’t a ton of talent to pick from. These thoughts were proven right, as we witnessed the second-highest number of trades (41) in a draft since 1990.

Here is a review of this year’s draft surprises and successes.

SURPRISE – Round 1 Pick 13: LA Rams select QB Ty Simpson (Alabama)

Photo: msn.com.

The LA Rams come off a 2025 season where they were top dogs for most of the year, though ultimately bowing out in the NFC championship game. And after a strong off-season in which they completely revamped their secondary (which was the only positional hole on their roster), they went into the first round with the luxury of drafting the best player available. Instead of adding a Tier 1 caliber pass catcher and giving future Hall of Fame QB Matt Stafford another weapon, they opted for his future replacement instead. That was problem #1 with this selection. Problem #2 was that they took a guy whose jury is still out on whether he can succeed in the NFL; in his one season as a starter, Simpson started great but was dreadful for the entire second half of the year. Whether or not Simpson turns out to be a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, this pick was terrible in the eyes of many, including head coach Sean McVay, who was visibly upset with GM Les Snead’s decision.

The bottom line: You don’t draft for the future when you have a roster strong enough to win a Super Bowl now.

Winners – New York’s draft classes (The Giants + the Jets)

Illustration: jchscaldron.com.

In the NFL, New York isn’t a city associated with winning in recent history. Since 2011, the Jets and Giants have 1 playoff win between them. Though the two franchises haven’t been good at much of anything in over a decade, they both deserve credit for their successful draft classes.

The Jets

The Jets took advantage of their plethora of top 100 picks by plugging several holes on their roster. With the second overall pick, they selected pass rush specialist David Bailey, who will provide them with immediate impact at defensive edge. With their remaining two first-round picks, they selected dynamic pass-catching tight end Kenyon Sadiq (pick 16) and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr, who offers flexibility in terms of his role on offense (pick 30). With their last two premium picks, the Jets filled a need at cornerback by selecting a feisty defender in DeAngelo Ponds. If not for his lack of size, Ponds would no doubt have been the second-best Corner in the draft. At pick 103, the Jets plugged another need at Defensive tackle, selecting imposing, run-stuffing lineman Darrell Jackson Jr.

The Giants

The Giants ran to the podium with their first pick of the draft, as Linebacker/Edge Arvell Reese fell into their lap at #5. Reese is seen as a top 3 talent in this year’s draft, while also playing a premium position. At pick #10, the Giants opted to protect their rising-star QB, Jaxson Dart, selecting offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. At the top of the second round, they selected cornerback Colton Hood out of Tennessee, who is good value at that spot, thereby strengthening the weak point of their defense. With their last premium draft pick, head coach John Harbaugh decided to get his quarterback a 50/50 jump-ball specialist, selecting Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields; Fields is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds.

SURPRISE – CB Jermod McCoy falling to the 4^th round

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Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy’s 2024 tape was exceptional. If he were being evaluated based on his 2024 season, he would have been a top 10 pick in the draft. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in January of 2025, along with new injury concerns, caused him to slide all the way to the 4^th round. We witnessed a similar ordeal last year, when Cornerback Will Johnson – a 1^st round talent – slid to the second round. While the situations were similar, McCoy is undoubtedly much more talented than Johnson. The new injury concerns that came out after the draft sounded pretty serious, and explained the long slide to the 4^th round; McCoy has a “bone plug” in the ACL he tore last year, and though he doesn’t need to have surgery immediately, there is a fear that the surgery to remove the piece of bone would knock McCoy out for at least a year.

A “bone plug” is used to repair ACL injuries. A surgeon takes a piece of bone and cartilage from a non-weight-bearing part of the knee and uses it to create a smooth joint surface.

Winners – Shedeur Sanders (Browns)

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Whether by choice or by a lack of draftable quarterbacks, the Cleveland Browns look to be sticking with Shedeur Sanders as their quarterback for the 2027 NFL season. Sanders was not dazzling at all in his rookie year, though he did show progression throughout the season, giving the front office and fanbase something to chew on. As the likely starter for the upcoming season, Sanders is a draft-day winner. With their first 3 picks, the Browns went all offense; drafting offensive tackle Spencer Fano at pick 9, before selecting receivers with back-to-back picks by taking KC Concepion (pick 24) and Denzel Boston (pick 39). These three selections have given Sanders two things: more time to throw, and more reliable players to throw to.

The average soccer match features more than 20 fouls, a handful of yellow cards, and the occasional sending-off (red card). To casual sports fans, differentiating between a caution and a card-worthy offense is likely pretty difficult. After this article, this won’t be an issue; here is an “idiot’s” guide to fouls and cards.

FOULS

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On average, the referee will blow his whistle every 5 minutes to signal a stoppage in play due to a foul. When a foul occurs, two things happen: First, the referee blows his whistle, signaling foul play. Second, he (the referee) may have a quick word with the culprit; usually, he will remind the player to keep a cool head and warn him that further foul play could earn him a card. Things such as shirt-tugging, mistimed tackles, and impeding a player’s movement are all forms of foul play and will earn a player a stern talking-to (these actions can also be yellow and red card offenses, and I will explain how this can be the case later on).

Note: Fouls are most common at the start of games, as the referee needs to establish control. Sending the message to both teams that foul play will not be tolerated.

Yellow Card

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As I previously hinted, yellow card offenses are not so different from regular fouls; the difference lies in the intent and context of the situation. If a referee deems a *challenge as reckless, or that the player does not show clear intent to play the ball, or that there is any other disingenuous intent, that player has earned himself a **booking. For example, if a player flies into a tackle at high speed, severely mistiming it and clattering into the opponent, the referee has good reason to deem the challenge reckless and issue a yellow card as punishment. A second example is when a player grabs an opponent’s shirt to hold them and prevent them from maintaining possession of the ball; this kind of infraction is called a “tactical foul”. A tactical foul usually occurs when a team is being counter-attacked and outnumbered in defense. In this situation, a player from the defending team will intentionally grab or trip up an opponent to stop play; the goal isn’t to win the ball, but to stop the attack.

In short, a yellow card offense will live up to one of the two criteria: Either it was a reckless decision, or the play made no real or honest attempt to play the ball.

Note: A yellow card means the player is now walking on thin ice, as another yellow will earn him a sending off. Yellow + Yellow = Red.

Note: A player can also receive a yellow card for taking their jersey off after scoring a goal.

*A challenge is a footballing term that essentially means “tackle”.

**Every referee has a little booklet in their front chest pocket, which, among other things, is used to note down players who have been disciplined. So, to be “booked” means earning yourself a yellow or red card.

Red Card

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In the game of football, there is no more game-changing event than when a player is sent off. Unlike in other sports, where you can replace the dismissed player, a red card in football means that the receiving team must play a man down for the remainder of the match. This man’s disadvantage forces teams to change their game plan; if a midfielder or defender is sent off, teams must take off an attacker to plug the hole in defense, and they can’t afford to take risks. A man-down causes the affected side to play an ultra-defensive style of football, in which all 10 players are compact and behind the ball (think of their defensive shape as a bus parked in front of the goal.

A Red Card is reserved only for when the referee deems that a player has used excessive force, endangered the safety of an opponent, or denied the opponent a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The most common situations where the card is brandished are when a player severely mistimes a slide tackle from behind or goes into a tackle with his studs up, targeting the ankle or upper leg.

Summary

Next time you are watching a game of football (soccer), here is what you should think about when the referee whistles for foul play: Was the tackle reckless? Was there a genuine attempt to play the ball? Was it a dangerous challenge? If any of the answers to these questions are yes, you can be confident in knowing that the player earned himself a card – and whether the referee brandished one or not – you made the right call.

The Bodo/Glimt side. Photo via football-italia.net.

Bodo/Glimt are a Norwegian 1^st division side who are a bubbling topic of discussion at the moment. Glimt, a town of 55 thousand, and whose stadium’s capacity is a mere 8,270, has shocked the world in the Champions League this season by beating top clubs Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and now Inter Milan (twice).

Glimt’s name has evolved over history. In the mid-1900s, they changed their name due to confusion with a different club in Norway; first using a hyphen, then opting for a forward slash to avoid confusion on betting slips and in newspapers.

The idea and context of the Champions League

The idea of the Champions League is to host an international competition in which the top teams from the world’s best leagues compete against one another to see who truly is the best team on the planet. Usually, all the focus is on the big names, which is fair because the gap between Premier League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and Bundesliga teams and the rest of the world is so big. Essentially, though the competition comprises teams from 16 different domestic leagues, about half of the leagues never see one of their teams make any noise. – Year after year, the competition is dominated by familiar faces.

Now, let’s rewind and review how the Norwegian side’s campaign has gone:

On the brink of elimination

After match week 5 of the round-robin, Glimt were given a 99.7% chance of elimination. At that point, they were winless, drawing to Slavia and Spurs, and then losing to Galatasaray, Monaco, and Juventus in consecutive matches. They were never a thought in anyone’s mind to begin with, and with Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, and Atletico Madrid ahead, you almost felt bad for the club and their fans.

For context, Dortmund is a household name in the footballing world; they have a Champions League title and 5 Bundesliga titles. Manchester City has been one of the best clubs in the world in the past decade, winning 19 titles since the 2015-16 season. Atletico Madrid is also recognized as one of the best clubs in the world and finished 3^rd in LaLiga last season.

What Glimt then went on to do was truly incredible. Let alone the statistical possibilities of a playoff qualification, beating three of Europe’s biggest names was a joke in and of itself. Against Dortmund, the Norwegian side drew. Here is the Cinderella story: Glimt held a 3-0 lead in the 58^th minute against the best team in the world, Man City – the game finished 3-1, Bodo, with the Norwegians controlling just 34% possession. Then, against Athleti, Glimt fought back from 1- 0 down to beat the Spanish giants 2-1. With that win, the Norwegian’s found a way into the next phase of the Champions League, defying all the statistical odds.

Source: footballtoday.com

Knockout round matchup vs Inter Milan

You’d think that after playing Man City and Atlético Madrid, the side would be set for an easier matchup – this wasn’t the case; they had to play the runners-up from the 23-24 season: Inter Milan. The knockout phase is comprised of 2-legged affairs, giving both teams the chance to play at home. After two games, the goal difference is aggregated, and whoever has scored more moves on. Glimt played the first leg at home and continued their run with a gritty, convincing 3-1 win. Being upset in the manner they were, Inter were rattled, and didn’t turn it around in the second leg, as the Norwegian club beat them again 2-1.

Reference Point: Bodo/Glimt’s total wage bill comes to 153 thousand pounds per week – Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez makes 277 thousand pounds a week.

Where do Bodo/Glimt go from here?

With all of Norway on their back, Glimt will inevitably be the David fighting Goliath in any matchup they end up with, though there are some favorable outcomes. As they are in the round of 16, the side will face either Portuguese side Sporting CP or an old foe: Manchester City. Glimt will be hoping they aren’t matched up against City for a second time. They have already exceeded expectations, and all the pressure is on whoever they end up playing. This bodes very well for Bodo and could help them going forward.