Igor Tudor left old players ‘shocked’ as proof he was never right for Tottenham job emerges

Tottenham Hotspur‘s decision to appoint Igor Tudor in their fight to avoid relegation has horribly backfired, but the warning signs were certainly there.

Tudor has been condemned to defeat in all three of his first matches in charge since replacing Thomas Frank, and speculation is building that he could be sacked.

The renowned ‘firefighter’ already looks to be in a battle to save his job, with a torrid streak leaving Spurs teetering just a point above the Premier League drop zone.

As a result, Tudor likely has just a matter of days to rally his players behind him and prevent the board from pulling the trigger.

But, judging from his past off-field behaviour, he was never a good fit for the job, and with crucial matches against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool up next, a change must be made.

Igor Tudor’s hardline approach criticised

There are eerie similarities between Tudor’s time at both Tottenham and Marseille.

The now 47-year-old was appointed by the Ligue 1 club in 2022 following a second-placed finish, but he looked to put his stamp on the squad by overhauling their style of play.

He ultimately led his side to third, sealing Champions League qualification, albeit after rubbing his players up the wrong way with his authoritative, hardline approach.

Tudor has clearly not learned from his past mistakes, having stuck with the same manner despite the fragile confidence and sheer pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs failed to heed Dimitri Payet’s warning, and they’re now paying for this costly oversight.

Speaking about working with Tudor in 2023, Payet told France Football: “We all got acquainted with someone who was coarse and blunt.

“In his manners and words, he was authoritative. We were all a bit shocked.”

Payet then added: “With a little hindsight, he was excessively harsh at first to mark his territory and implement some measures. Then, it was a bit better.”

Spurs instead needed a head coach able to galvanise their brittle squad and evoke unity – ironically, both hallmarks of Ange Postecoglou’s reign.

It’s not too late for Tottenham

Eyebrows were certainly raised after it was confirmed that Tudor would still be in charge against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

The Croat will hold the traditional pre-match press conference alongside an unknown player on Monday night, as well as an open training session earlier in the day.

Tottenham have made too many wrong decisions over the past decade or so, and sticking with Tudor despite his failure to prove he can keep them up would be another.

Dropping into the Championship is edging dangerously close, and Spurs’ hierarchy simply can’t countenance that. They must, therefore, be ruthless with the axe.

It isn’t too late to bring in a coach like Robbie Keane or Harry Redknapp, and both men would surely instil a fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude befitting of the situation.

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