Igor Tudor was honest in accepting the big problems at Tottenham after the North London derby defeat.
Tottenham Hotspur were left stranded 16th in the Premier League table after tasting a chastening 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the North London derby. The result left them just four points clear of the relegation zone.
The game against Arsenal was Igor Tudor’s first as Tottenham’s interim head coach, and he missed the opportunity to become an instant hero within the White Hart Lane faithful. It was always going to be a tall order for Spurs to beat the Gunners, given where both teams lie, the state of their squads and confidence levels.
As soon as Igor Tudor was announced as Thomas Frank’s temporary replacement, he spoke about lifting the spirit and confidence levels of the squad. The Croatian tactician delivered a clear warning that underperforming stars won’t escape accountability in the club’s potential fight against relegation. However, he faced a brutal introduction in English football against table-toppers Arsenal.
Chris Sutton points out massive Igor Tudor U-turn after North London derby loss
After Sunday’s game, Igor Tudor was direct in his assessment and highlighted the problems engulfing Spurs. He also slammed the squad’s physical and fitness levels.
On that, BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton noticed the big U-turn that Tudor had made after the defeat to Arsenal.
“What is really astonishing with Igor Tudor is, his first press conference, he was so positive, 100 per cent certain they’re going to stay up,” Chris Sutton said on the BBC Sport podcast.
“It’s taken him one game for the doom and gloom to set in.”
Tudor confident Tottenham will stay up
The game against Arsenal perhaps showed Tudor the magnitude of the challenge on his shoulders at Spurs. The harrowing loss certainly did no favours to the Tottenham players and their confidence levels, but Tudor remained strong-willed that the Lilywhites will be a Premier League club at the end of the season.
The 47-year-old is now the captain of the ship, at least until the end of the season, and his post-match comments should offer hope to the fans. After a difficult day in the office and with the threat of relegation looming large, he publicly backed his squad to fulfil the objective for the remainder of the season.
Whether the Croatian’s honest words will be enough to change the mood inside the dressing room and spark a response against Fulham on Sunday remains to be seen.
