Tottenham Prepares for North London Derby Under Interim Coach Igor Tudor
Tottenham Hotspur has appointed Igor Tudor as their interim head coach until the end of the 2025/26 season, and he conducted his first training session on Monday.
Tudor’s debut match will be the challenging North London derby against Arsenal at home this Sunday. TalkSPORT analyst Ally McCoist suggests that Tudor may face a tough initiation at Spurs, but the 47-year-old understands the demands of the role he has taken on.
With a new manager, players often get a fresh start, and this will also apply to those at Tottenham. One player eager to impress Tudor early is Xavi Simons.
Xavi Simons Trains Extra Hours at Tottenham Before Derby
According to Alex Crook, TalkSPORT’s chief correspondent, Xavi Simons has chosen to skip a holiday to stay at the training ground and prepare for the North London derby against Arsenal.
After Frank’s dismissal, the squad was given five days off, but the Dutch midfielder decided to put in extra training sessions. Spurs had no match last weekend due to their FA Cup exit against Aston Villa, making this a good opportunity for players to recharge before returning for the long season ahead.
However, Simons felt that extra training was a better use of his time, especially after a challenging season. The 22-year-old, who joined from RB Leipzig last summer, has not met the high expectations, scoring just one goal and providing four assists in 20 Premier League matches.
Recently, though, the Netherlands international has started to show his potential. With key players like James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Mohammed Kudus unavailable, Simons has become a crucial creative force for the struggling Spurs team. It’s vital for him to adapt quickly to Tudor’s system.
It will be interesting to see how Tudor maximizes Simons’ abilities through the remainder of the season. Overall, Tudor will likely appreciate Simons’ decision to focus on improving his skills during this important time.