Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Premier League midfielder with both Liverpool and Newcastle, Didi Hamann has given his thoughts the problems at Tottenham this season and whether they could see themselves relegated in the coming weeks, assessed whether Nick Woltemade could leave Newcastle in the summer and if Eddie Howe is under pressure.
Hamann , also gave his perspective on Filipe Luis and if he could return to former club Chelsea or Atletico Madrid as a coach in the future and if Cole Palmer can make England's World Cup squad.
Tottenham
Will Spurs Be Relegated?
The disappointing thing is that it's the second year that Spurs have been in this position. Last year, they finished 16th or 17th, with the only saving grace being that it was probably three of the worst teams in the Premier League. They had a healthy cushion with a few games to go. Now I think it's only four or five points. Can they go down? Of course, they can go down, because if West Ham and Forest find some form, they might be 18th. They can go down, of course. Will they go down? I don't think so, because I just think they should have enough to get the points they need.
They've got a new manager now, in Igor Tudor , a manager I quite like. I think he's very stern, and maybe what they need. Can they get past Atletico ? Yes, I've been to the Dortmund game, and they played ever so well. They only had one senior player on the bench.
Dortmund still had a chance of finishing in the top eight, and they controlled them for 90 minutes. They were brilliant, I've got to say. So they showed in their game what they are capable of. Maybe it's a bit easier in a knockout competition because when you play in the league, when you battle relegation, you play for survival, and the pressure is different. They've got some young players in the side. Maybe they're not equipped to deal with that, because obviously when the season started, everybody thought they'd finish in the top six, top seven, maybe in the top four.
Now we're in the bottom, and you play for your existence, you play for your contract, you play for a lot of people in the offices who work for the club, because if you were to go down, probably loads of people will lose their jobs, and it's a different kind of pressure. Atletico Madrid , even though obviously they had a bit of a scare yesterday in the return leg against Barcelona , I didn't like the look of them. I thought with Julian Alvarez, now they've got something extra, but they leak a lot of goals. So I'll probably make it a 50-50 game.
I won't be at all surprised if Spurs were to go through. But obviously, if they want to go even further in the competition, they have to improve dramatically. They're similar to Liverpool ; they've got some fantastic players, but haven't got a team.
Newcastle
Nick Woltemade To Leave?
I couldn't believe the developments in the last few weeks and months regarding Nick Woltemade. There was a story in one of the German papers that he hasn't settled in the Northeast, which I personally think is a paradise for a footballer, because if you've got a bit of success, they treat you as a hero. He had a great start and was adored by the faithful, adored by the fans. It's a really strange development, and the only thing I can think of is that he hasn't settled or he wants to come back home. I have no idea.
It's obviously a very strange situation because if you had told me this after six or eight weeks, where he scored a few goals, I would have said he's going places, and he'll be one who might be there for a few years, who is loved and adored by the people. To have the turnaround now in a short space of time is really remarkable. What you hear and what you see probably makes me think that there might be a summer exit, which is obviously not a good situation for the club because they paid an awful lot of money.
Now the player wants out. Do you force him to stay here? Is that a good solution? And who's going to pay the money for him now? So, yeah, I think it's a really tricky situation for both of them, for both parties, but especially for the club.
Eddie Howe
Obviously, Eddie Howe is well-liked by the people there, but you've got to get results. I think if you look at the wage bill, I think they're well in the top half. So obviously, it's disappointing where they are in the league at the moment. The league position doesn't reflect where the squad should be. I know they had a lot of injuries, but so had other teams. I think he's another one who's probably for the first time, he's been there a few years now, first time he's come under pressure.
What will happen in the summer? I think a lot will depend on the last three or four months, whether they get through to another round, whether they get to the last eight in the Champions League , and how they finish the Premier League , because the way it's going at the moment is hugely disappointing. Similar to Liverpool , you want to see progress. It's not there at the moment.
Chelsea
Next In Line Filipe Luis?
Filipe Luis is a hero in Madrid for what he's done there. I think in Brazil , they started the season not too well, and I think that was one of the reasons he had to leave his post. But yes, with Diego Simeone, I think the signs are coming to an end in the summer. I think it's probably more than a rumour because, similar to Xabi Alonso at Liverpool , he's a player who's done an awful lot for Atletico Madrid .
I think it's probably a good way to keep the fans on side because Atletico have been a bit underwhelming, I've got to say, in the last few years after reaching those two finals in the Champions League. So, I think Felipe Luis will be a good replacement, yes.
Will Palmer Make World Cup?
Cole Palmer’s place is at risk because, as we have seen with Jude Bellingham and other players, names do matter to Thomas Tuchel . You've got Morgan Rogers from Villa , who's having a very good season.
So, you know, it's up to him if he finds form, if he finds fitness. I think he will go. But if he's injured, if he misses games, then I don't think it's a foregone conclusion to see him in the squad. He's a hugely talented player, but you've got to be consistent. You've got to show it on a regular basis. At the moment, he doesn't do that for various reasons. If we learned one thing with Tuchel , it's that he's not too bothered about names. He's taking the 26 who give him the best chance to win the World Cup , and Palmer is no exception there.
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