Tottenham players laugh amid 0-2 loss, sparking mental issue concerns

Although the team is losing at home, smiles bloomed on their faces. 'Vice captain' James Maddison (29) and Brennan Johnson (24, both from Tottenham Hotspur) appeared not to grasp the mood.

Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-2 to Nottingham Forest in the 33rd round of the 2024-2025 Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 22nd.

With this defeat, Tottenham has managed only 1 win (2 draws and 4 losses) in their last 7 league matches. Holding at 37 points (11 wins, 4 draws, 18 losses), Tottenham has slipped to 16th place. Although Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton have already confirmed their relegation, the possibility of dropping to 17th place still exists. The gap between Tottenham and 17th place West Ham United (36 points) is only 1 point.

On the other hand, Nottingham climbed to 3rd place with 60 points, surpassing Newcastle United (59 points). If this continues, a UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification for the first time in 44 years since 1981 is possible. This would also be the first time in the history since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992.

Nottingham is making history alongside the manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who was dismissed from Tottenham four years ago. Nuno was appointed to Tottenham in the summer of 2021 but was sacked immediately in November after a poor performance. However, he has been leading Nottingham on a remarkable surge with solid defense and efficient counterattacks.

Tottenham stumbled from the start. They conceded the opening goal just 5 minutes into the match. During a corner kick, the ball was connected powerfully by Elliott Anderson, deflecting off Rodrigo Bentancur before hitting Guglielmo Vicario's hands and going into the net.

Buoyed by their momentum, Nottingham continued to push forward. In the 10th minute of the first half, tall striker Chris Wood scored, receiving a sharp early cross from Anderson. However, Wood's shoulder was declared offside by a narrow margin.

Wood ultimately shook the Tottenham net. In the 16th minute of the first half, after a short free-kick, Anthony Elanga curved a cross in from the left. Wood rose high to finish with a header, making it 2-0. Sighs and boos erupted from the stands occupied by Tottenham's home fans.

However, the Tottenham squad was complacent. They smiled broadly, completely lacking a sense of crisis. In the 32nd minute of the first half, when they were trailing 0-2, the camera captured Tottenham bench players warming up. Contrary to expectations, Maddison and Johnson were laughing and joking with each other. They only became self-conscious of the camera and wiped the smiles off their faces afterward.

On social media, there were criticisms about Maddison and Johnson laughing. Rory Talks Football, known for being an Arsenal fan, noted, "Tottenham has a mental issue. Maddison and Johnson are behind 0-2 at home just 16 minutes in, yet they are laughing and joking. It’s not a good look."

What’s even more shocking is that Maddison is the vice captain tasked with keeping the team together. He is part of the team leadership alongside captain Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero. Yet, in a moment of crisis, he was laughing with Johnson. No matter how off the pitch it was, it was behavior that could provoke the fans.

Tottenham has often made fans frown during matches this season, including disputes over kick-takers. In the recent match against Southampton, Johnson obtained a penalty but was seen relinquishing it to Mathis Taylor in an attempt for a hat-trick.

The Tottenham players' dispute over kick-takers during the match was not just in the Southampton game. Particularly, right-back Pedro Porro has clashed with Maddison multiple times over taking free kicks. With central midfielder Yves Bissouma also getting involved, it was up to captain Son Heung-min to step in to calm the situation. The Tottenham squad is not providing adequate support to Son Heung-min in various situations.

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