As a West Ham fan, I find myself in the very odd and unwelcome position of constantly glancing over at Tottenham Hotspur in an effort to assess our own survival chances. Sure, it’s best just to concentrate on ourselves as I’m constantly reminded, but it’s difficult not to cast a curious eye towards North London.
Right now, Spurs appear to have given themselves something of a lifeline by [sacking the hapless Igor Tudor](https://www.claretandhugh.info/fabrizio-romano-announces-west-ham-blow-as-spurs-eye-top-coach-for-relegation-scrap/), and it’s hard not to think our relegation rivals could benefit from that decision.
But that’s where the uncertainty really kicks in.
There’s a part of me that believes the appointment of someone like Sean Dyche could spell real trouble for West Ham. I don’t think Dyche is an exceptional manager, but he might be exactly what Tottenham need — someone capable of organising a fragile defence and grinding out the results required to stay up.
Spurs Advantage Could Hurt West Ham
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Whoever they bring in, Spurs have a slight advantage over West Ham in that they don’t play again for another two weeks. That gives any incoming manager — whether it’s Dyche, Roberto De Zerbi or even a short-term fix like Ryan Mason — valuable time on the training pitch.
West Ham, meanwhile, face [Leeds United](https://www.claretandhugh.info/leeds-united-bio/) in the FA Cup on Easter Sunday, which has probably come at a decent time for us. But there’s also the concern that Spurs currently have fewer distractions, especially after being knocked out of Europe by Atlético Madrid.
Maybe it’s just the paranoia that comes with being a West Ham fan in a relegation battle. The truth is, I’d probably be worried about whoever Tottenham appoint, given the precarious state of our own position.
That said, whoever takes charge in North London will have to hit the ground running. A trip to Sunderland on 12 April looms large, and failure to win there could see the new manager’s tenure begin with the kind of pressure that quickly spirals.
Club
Fixture 1
Fixture 2
Fixture 3
Fixture 4
Fixture 5
Fixture 6
Fixture 7
**West Ham United**
West Ham vs Wolves
Crystal Palace vs West Ham
West Ham vs Everton
Brentford vs West Ham
West Ham vs Arsenal
Newcastle vs West Ham
West Ham vs Leeds
**Leeds United**
Man U vs Leeds
Leeds vs Wolves
Bournemouth vs Leeds
Leeds vs Burnley
Tottenham vs Leeds
Leeds vs Brighton
West Ham vs Leeds
**Tottenham Hotspur**
Sunderland vs Tottenham
Tottenham vs Brighton
Wolves vs Tottenham
Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Tottenham vs Leeds
Chelsea vs Tottenham
Tottenham vs Everton
**Nottingham Forest**
Forest vs Aston Villa
Forest vs Burnley
Sunderland vs Forest
Chelsea vs Forest
Forest vs Newcastle
Man United vs Forest
Forest vs Bournemouth