Igor Tudor’s start at Tottenham is not promising.
Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim manager, Igor Tudor, faced a tough beginning after replacing Thomas Frank. His first match was against rival Arsenal, highlighting the gap between the two teams in the standings. Tudor noted that both clubs are in “totally different worlds” mentally and physically.
This was not just a loss; Arsenal dominated Tottenham, with Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres each scoring twice, worsening the situation for the home team. The defeat raised concerns about the club’s potential relegation.
Former scout doubts Tudor can keep Tottenham in the Premier League
Tudor has often employed a back-three formation in his coaching career and used it against Arsenal. Joao Palhinha, Radu Dragusin, and Micky van de Ven made up the defense, while Archie Gray and Djed Spence played as wing-backs.
Initially, Tottenham showed some promise, creating issues for Arsenal. However, as the game progressed, Arsenal took control and demonstrated their superior skill, overwhelming Tudor’s squad in the second half.
Former Spurs scout Mick Brown criticized Tudor’s changes, suggesting the team’s performance did not improve. He felt the players lacked the determination to prove Tudor is the right fit to meet their goals for the rest of the season.
“I didn’t see significant changes in Tottenham’s style,” Brown told Football Insider.
“He used a back five, which we haven’t seen much recently, and they started the game with a lot of energy.
“Maybe the changes were due to injuries affecting the team significantly.
“Arsenal seemed shaky at first, and Spurs had a chance at 1-1, but they couldn’t capitalize on it.
“As the game went on, you could see Spurs dropping back; the players didn’t show the same spirit by the end.
“There’s a misconception that they are ‘too good to go down’; that’s not true.
“They need to be cautious since teams below them have been performing better. I don’t see where the next win will come from for this Tottenham team.
“The new manager hasn’t been there long, but they didn’t show much against Arsenal to indicate a turnaround is coming.”
Challenges ahead
Spurs have 11 matches left in the Premier League and need to gather points quickly to avoid falling into the relegation zone. They struggled to compete against Arsenal, but improvements are necessary in their upcoming games.
Tudor, who only finalized his coaching staff last week, must find a way to unlock the team’s attacking players. To address the issues facing the team, he may need to take bold steps, even if that means changing his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation. However, it’s still early to evaluate his impact, given that he has only overseen one match.
Next, Spurs face a trip to Fulham, and it will be interesting to see if Tudor sticks with his lineup or makes changes.