It’s been a season full of twists, turns, and tough moments for Tottenham—and Monday night just added another frustrating chapter.
Despite still being safe from relegation, their latest performance left pundits and fans alike scratching their heads.
And leading the criticism? None other than Jamie Carragher, who didn’t mince his words when reacting to Spurs’ shaky showing against Nottingham Forest.
Spurs Fall Behind Early and Struggle to Recover
Tottenham’s night went downhill almost as soon as the match began.
Within just 16 minutes, they found themselves 2-0 down at home thanks to quick goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood.
Although Richarlison managed to claw one back later in the game, it wasn’t enough to change the outcome—or to distract from what Carragher called “academy-level defending.”
With their 18th league defeat of the season, Tottenham continue to flounder in 16th place in the Premier League.
While they’re not in danger of relegation, the quality of their football—particularly at the back—has been a major talking point.
Carragher Says Spurs Are “Naive” at the Back
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher tore into Tottenham’s defensive structure—or lack thereof.
“Spurs are just so naive,” he said. “They look like an academy team sometimes in how they defend.”
His co-pundit for the night, Lens manager Will Still, joined in on the critique.
He pointed to defender Micky Van de Ven’s lapse during Chris Wood’s goal, noting that Van de Ven gave the Forest striker too much space after initially making contact.
“You can’t give Chris Wood that kind of time and space,” Still emphasized.
Goalkeeper Vicario Also in the Firing Line
Carragher didn’t stop with the back line. He also took aim at Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who he feels has become a liability in the box.
“They know it’s a weakness,” Carragher said of Tottenham’s opponents.
“The goalkeeper’s not great when the ball comes into the box.
He wasn’t great on the first one, and he wasn’t great on this one either.”
It’s yet another concern for manager Ange Postecoglou, who has already faced plenty of scrutiny this season.
Carragher Questions Postecoglou’s Tactical Priorities
One of Carragher’s biggest concerns isn’t just the individual mistakes—it’s the mentality coming from the dugout.
He questioned whether Postecoglou is focusing too much on what his team does with the ball and not enough on how they play without it.
“You listen to him after games, and he keeps saying the same things,” Carragher said.
“He says they played well but made a couple of mistakes. But that’s the job—fix the mistakes.”
Referencing last week’s 4-2 defeat to Wolves, Carragher added, “He said they played well that day too.
That would worry me if I was a Spurs supporter. Football’s not just about possession. If you’re conceding four goals, you didn’t play well—end of.”
Defensive Fragility Continues to Undermine Any Progress
Carragher summed it up bluntly: “If you played well, it means you did well both with and without the ball. That doesn’t happen with Tottenham.”
He pointed out that the warning signs were there even before Monday’s match kicked off, yet within 16 minutes, they were already two goals behind.
The inability to fix these consistent defensive issues, Carragher implied, could be a major red flag about the club’s direction under Postecoglou.
A Glimmer of Hope in Europe?
Despite their domestic struggles, Spurs do have a silver lining: a shot at European silverware.
They’re still alive in the Europa League and are set to face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals.
But if they want to go all the way, they’ll need to fix their backline fast.
Because as Carragher and Still made clear—top teams will exploit the gaps, and Tottenham are making it far too easy for them.