Tottenham's 5 worst Premier League seasons - ranked | OneFootball

Just when you think it can't get any worse for Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou, it does.

A 2-1 home defeat to a bad, bad Leicester team represented yet another nadir in what's been an excruciating 2024/25 campaign for the Lilywhites. A mountain of injuries means Spurs are down to their bare bones, with those currently available in no position to execute the idealistic principles of their manager twice a week.

The club insists that they're sticking by Postecoglou and will continue to back him, yet their inactivity in the winter transfer market suggests they instead fancy hanging him out to dry. The Greek-Australian coach is far from blameless, but aid is necessary and he simply hasn't got any this month.

Tottenham's demise means the idea of relegation is suddenly no laughing matter. Instead of competing with the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea for a Champions League spot, Spurs are hoping Ipswich and Wolves drop points so they can remain in the division.

Their current points-per-game rate paints the bleakest of pictures, with Spurs on pace for a final points haul shy of 40 (39.7).

Tottenham's worst Premier League seasons

5. 2007/08 (46 points)

The Juande Ramos era did at least warrant silverware / Alex Livesey/GettyImages

Martin Jol remains a fondly remembered figure in N17, with the Dutch coach helping Spurs escape the murky depths of the Jacques Santini era and veer towards the top of the Premier League table.They'd come close on a couple of occasions to securing their first taste of Champions League football with Jol at the helm, but he was let go three years into the job and replaced by Juande Ramos in October 2007.Ramos arrived with a lofty reputation, but the manner of Jol's departure left a bitter taste and supporters struggled to take to the Spaniard. Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane continued to work their magic up top, but their league campaign was indifferent as they finished the 2007/08 season in 11th with 46 points. Their League Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley remains the club's most recent piece of major silverware.

Tottenham finished tenth in 1996/97 despite their measly points tally / Sportsphoto/Allstar/GettyImages

There was no saving grace for Gerry Francis' side in 1996/97, with Spurs struggling to muster any cup runs of note amid a forgettable league season. Francis had done a decent job in north London, but his third season at the helm was one of distinct regression. After barely missing out on a UEFA Cup berth in the two previous campaigns, Spurs sunk to tenth having amassed 46 points.They feasted on the poor and rarely showed up against some of the division's stronger outfits, with a 7-1 defeat away at Newcastle United in late December representing the campaign's low point. Spurs never won more than two league games on the bounce, and Teddy Sheringham led the club's scoring charts with just eight goals in all competitions.

This was a nightmare season for the Lilywhites / ODD ANDERSEN/GettyImages

Tottenham's current woes aren't helped by the fact that north London rivals Arsenal are pretty good. Fortunately, the Gunners aren't 2003/04 levels of good.2003/04 has to rank among the bleakest in Spurs' modern history given that their 14th-place finish in the Premier League came while Arsenal were embarking on an unprecedented Invincibles campaign. That would've been bad enough, but allowing Arsene Wenger's supreme outfit to win the league title at White Hart Lane was the ultimate kick in the teeth. Spurs' 2-2 draw in the North London Derby came amid an eight-game winless run, but they did at least end the season with back-to-back wins over Blackburn and Wolves, helping them up to 45 points.

2. 1997/98 (44 points)

Spurs brought Jurgen Klinsmann back in a bid to save their season / Shaun Botterill/GettyImages

After overseeing a regressive 1996/97 season, the writing was on the wall for Francis after Spurs started the following campaign with 14 points from as many games. Francis resigned after a 4-0 defeat at Anfield, with White Hart Lane attendances dropping to as low as 25,000 for 1-0 home losses to Leeds and Crystal Palace in November. Their woeful start to the campaign rendered them a relegation contender, but the return of cult hero Jurgen Klinsmann after Christian Gross replaced Francis offered the Lilywhites hope. The German superstar was on the decline and hints of the magic from three seasons prior had dissipated, but Klinsmann nonetheless ended 1997/98 as Tottenham's leading scorer in the Premier League with nine goals.A steady run to end the season meant they beat the drop with some ease, but their 44-point haul remains Spurs' lowest in a 38-game season.

Ossie Ardiles (C) guided Tottenham through a tumultuous 1993/94 campaign / Getty Images/GettyImages

We've had to do some points-per-game adjusting here, because Tottenham's 1993/94 campaign has to be recognised as their worst in Premier League history.Spurs ended the 42-game season with 45 points - 1.07 points-per-game average which works out to 40.7 over 38 games. The adored Ossie Ardiles took the reins after Terry Venables controversially received his marching orders, and a sense of excitement prevailed over White Hart Lane as the former Argentine midfielder promised to instil a glorious brand of football capable of returning the Lilywhites to the promised land. Spurs did score more than a goal a game, on average, but they tended to ship more. Ardiles wasn't helped by Teddy Sheringham's injury woes, and it took a 2-0 win at Oldham Athletic on the penultimate week of the season to ensure they remained in the top flight. The Argentine played a key role in bringing Klinsmann to the club ahead of the following season, but Ardiles never managed in England again after leaving Spurs in October 1994.