At a glance:
- O’Hara tips Tottenham for UCL berth next season
- Roberto De Zerbi’s impact hailed
- Tottenham still in the relegation battle
With just three Premier League games to go, Tottenham now have their destiny in their own hands in the relegation battle.
While the situation looked bleak two weeks ago, successive wins against Wolves and Aston Villa have come as a welcome boost for Roberto De Zerbi.
In recent weeks, Jamie O’Hara has been vocal about Tottenham’s struggles and the relegation battle has clearly driven him nuts, as seen from his posts on social media.
And now, the former Lilywhites midfielder claims they can secure UEFA Champions League football next season.
Tottenham tipped for European football
Tottenham won the UEFA Europa League last season and took part in the Champions League this season, finishing the group phase in the top eight to secure an automatic place in the Round of 16.
They were eventually knocked out by Atletico Madrid under Igor Tudor and will certainly not have Europe next season.
Read More: Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi branded an ‘a**hole’ in astonishing criticism
In fact, their spot in the Premier League is still in jeopardy with just three games to go.
That said, O’Hara believes he has already seen enough from De Zerbi to conclude that Tottenham will be in the running for a top-four finish next season, provided they avoid relegation this time around.
“Now, we got the manager,” began O’Hara on Sky Sports.
“Next season, if we stay up, with Roberto De Zerbi, we’ll be dangerous next season. I think we can get UEFA Champions League football.
“Next season, we’ll get European football. Listen, I’m saying all this, but let’s first stay up. Forget all that chat; we’ve got to stay up.
“This manager is top drawer and he’ll get it right. I’ve already seen enough.”
Tottenham can take a leaf out of Manchester United playbook
Last season, Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.
And their start to the 2025-26 season wasn’t pretty either as Ruben Amorim was relieved of his duties after the turn of the year.
Read More: Tottenham leading race for midfielder despite ‘multi-million-dollar bidding war’
However, under Michael Carrick, the Red Devils have performed admirably, sealing their spot in next season’s Champions League campaign with a fantastic 3-2 win against Liverpool.
And while that doesn’t look likely now for Tottenham – considering they are still fighting for relegation – there is no reason they can’t take a leaf out of Manchester United’s playbook.
If they manage to avoid the drop, they will not have European football next season. And that will allow them to put all their eggs in the Premier League basket to finish as high as possible in the table, which could be a silver lining for De Zerbi and co.
O’Hara’s claims may be a bit premature at this stage, but they certainly aren’t beyond the realms of possibility.
