Igor Tudor will be making his managerial debut for Tottenham vs. Arsenal in the high-stakes North London derby.
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in deep trouble. They are 16th in the Premier League, have parted ways with Thomas Frank and appointed Igor Tudor as their interim head coach.
Spurs wanted a swift managerial appointment after Thomas Frank’s sacking, and after evaluating several options, feel Igor Tudor is the right man to fulfil their first and foremost objective of retaining the top-flight status. Tudor has a big responsibility on his hands in his first-ever managerial adventure in England, with the Croat’s first game in charge of Tottenham coming at home against arch-rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
There has been a lot of reactions to Tottenham’s hiring of Tudor as the interim head coach until the end of the season. Reputable journalist Alasdair Gold has given a mixed take on the 47-year-old arriving in N17, while ESPN FC pundit Don Hutchinson feels it is a “left-field” appointment.
William Troost-Ekong feels facing Arsenal is “perfect” for Igor Tudor to start his Tottenham career
Al-Ahli defender William Troost-Ekong feels facing Arsenal is the “perfect” first game as Spurs boss for Tudor. The Nigerian international, who twice played under Tudor at Udinese, backed his former boss to be a success in the Premier League as he can get the squad “running through brick walls” for him.
“We had him two times at Udinese,” William Troost-Ekong said on the talkSPORT show.
“He’s a manager who likes to play 3-5-2, or a variation of it, of course, attacking football, a high back line, tries to press high, can be quite direct.
“He’s definitely a personality, so if they need someone to shake up the place and get it going, then he’s definitely the right person for it. The North London Derby is the perfect game to start. He’s definitely also someone who’s not intimidated by anything like that. So, a big personality, and he’s going to get everyone trying to run through a brick wall.
“He was very focused on instilling confidence back in the team. He came in at moments when we weren’t doing too well, so for Spurs, he will work a lot with the back line. There was a lot of tactical work that we did, switching it up to 3-5-2, so that will be the first thing, and also the high pressing and more exciting football.
“The fans need something to get out of their seats again [and] he’s definitely the person for that. You will probably see a lot of goals, but there could be some conceded as well, because of that quite high-risk high line. That will probably be his biggest difference, I would say, getting everyone to run forward as much as they can.”
Tudor would have hoped for a relatively easier first game
The North London derby is the most important game in Tottenham’s calendar, and after being smashed 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season, this instalment holds an even greater importance. Not only because it is going to be Tudor’s debut in the Spurs dugout, but also this serves our boys a great opportunity to throw a spanner in Arsenal’s quest for the title.
A nomadic managerial career so far, Tudor must get right down to work. While the occasion of the derby is going to be spectacular and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful will be up for the challenge, the Croatian tactician would have hoped for a relatively easier fixture than facing Arsenal in his very first game as Spurs boss.
A win over Arsenal would be electric and galvanise the squad, but defeat in the derby would raise further questions in the minds of the fans about the 47-year-old’s credentials. Only time will tell.