How ‘outstanding’ Martin Ho has turned Tottenham Women into Champions League qualification outsiders
Martin Ho is doing an exceptional job at Tottenham after taking charge of the confidence-sapped Women’s Super League team.
Last season, Tottenham Women finished second from bottom in the WSL and ended the campaign with a 10-game winless streak. That ended up costing head coach Robert Vilahamn his job.
Fast forward to the present, and Ho has led Tottenham to fifth in the league, level on points with Champions League holders Arsenal and just four points adrift of defending WSL champions Chelsea.
Over the summer, Spurs made just two signings: 20-year-old Japan international Toko Koga and 21-year-old Norway forward Cathinka Tandberg.
With Ho’s influence, the 13 players who reached the FA Cup final in 2024 have been galvanised this term, as the club begins to dream again.
Ho is receiving plenty of adulation this season, and rightly so. They are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, got to the last eight of the League Cup, and are unlikely European qualification challengers.
But how has Ho gone about this transformation at the north London team?
She said, “We’re probably fitter than we’ve ever been. We’re moving a lot more freely and just playing much better football and actually finding that belief within [ourselves] to be able to do the job that is asked.”
Tottenham have bright future under Martin Ho
In late December, Ho said he needed to “lift” the players’ confidence but there was a lot of “talent” at his disposal.
He added, “I just needed to give them processes to enable them to work and a framework to perform.”
Tottenham captain Bethany England previously told GOAL’s Lead Women’s Football Writer Amee Ruszkai that Ho improved their fitness levels and implemented a style of play they were comfortable with.
Tottenham signed five extra players in January to add extra depth, but what else has Ho done for the women’s team?
Ruszkai exclusively told Tottenham News: “Ho’s been outstanding. The way the players speak about his impact is telling, and it’s not just all empty words – you can see that in the performances and the results.
“He’s a young manager with a young team, and it all bodes so well for the future, especially given how quickly Spurs have come on this year alone, in terms of their identity, improved consistency, and higher level of performance, including against that big four.”
On the goals front, summer signing Tandberg has fired in six, captain England has contributed five, as has midfielder Olivia Holdt.
Last season, they scored 26 goals and shipped 44 in 22 games. This term, they have already matched that previous goal tally and have let in 24 goals in 16 matches. So, can they get Europe?
Can Tottenham crash the so-called ‘big four’?
Tottenham have a much smaller budget to the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal but have managed to be this season’s surprise package.
But as Ruszkai points out, their record against the big four is dreadful. A return of two wins, five draws, and a whopping 42 defeats makes for sorry reading.
Moreover, they will lose Australia’s Clare Hunt and Japan’s Koga and Maika Hamano at the Asia Cup, which runs from 1-21 March.
She added: “I think it will be hard [to finish higher than fifth]. They’ve got three of the top four left to play, so it is in their hands, but they’ve struggled to get results against those teams, even if performances have notably improved in those fixtures this season.
“Spurs don’t have the depth those above them have either, and they’re about to be hit hard by some key departures to the Asian Cup. I don’t think they need to finish in that top four for this to be seen as a successful season, though.
“I’ve been really impressed with the consistency Spurs have shown against teams outside that ‘big four’ this season and it would be good to see them maintain that through to the end of the campaign.
“That’s such an important thing to have in order to finish in the upper echelons of this table and it can be overlooked, as people will focus more on any eye-catching results against the bigger sides, but it’s the foundation for mounting a challenge for the top four places.”
Ho was reportedly highly-rated as Marc Skinner’s assistant at United and impressed with Brann Women between 2023-25. But his most impressive work is arguably at Tottenham. And to think, he is only 35. With him at the helm, Spurs may be going places.
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