Seventeen minutes of pure chaos in Madrid could have sealed the fate of Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor.
Have you ever seen something exactly like this? Spurs lost 3-0 against Atlético within 15 minutes. Two fatal errors by goalkeeper Antonin Kinski saw him withdrawn from the match before a quarter of the match had been played on his Champions League debut.
The Lilywhites may have had a bit of a comeback thanks to the performances of Pedro Polo and Dominic Solanke, but they still lost 5-2, putting Tudor under more pressure.
The Croat was brought in to steady the ship after Thomas Frank’s turbulent reign, but now things are even worse. Spurs are heading for an exit from Europe, but what’s even more worrying is that they look like favorites to be relegated from the Premier League.
So could there be any new changes in the dugout?
Who will replace Igor Tudor at Spurs?
When Tottenham’s leaders decided to sign the Croat on an interim basis, they did so knowing that many of their first-choice options were unavailable. So they decided to play short term.
Tudors Spurs have reigned supreme | |
|---|---|
game | 4 |
victory | 0 |
draw | 0 |
defeat | 4 |
Number of points scored | 5 |
Number of goals conceded | 14 |
Mauricio Pochettino, widely considered the frontrunner for the vacant seat, won’t be going anywhere until he leads the United States in their home World Cup this summer.
Talks are underway for former Brighton and Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi, but he is reportedly not interested in taking up another role until this summer. He’s a smart guy in that respect.
So who has the job now? Well, that could be former Spurs striker Robbie Keane.
According to TEAMtalk, Tudor is expected to be fired after going four games without a win. They point out that Keane is the club’s “preferred” option to move on from their current turmoil.
Asked about the matter, TEAMtalk correspondent Graham Bailey said: “The club’s leaders are currently in talks and had previously decided that Tudor would play until after the second leg of Atlético… but it was decided that Tudor would not play until after the second leg of Atlético. Tottenham’s leadership is in regular contact with the Lewis family, but ENIC’s majority shareholder Daniel Levy remains kept informed and aware of the situation.”
“At the moment, the club continues to work on potential replacements for Igor Tudor. The management are aware that the team has not responded to Tudor as expected. “We have also spoken to Robbie Keane, who is also a top target at Crystal Palace and has been linked with a move to Celtic in the summer.”
Why Robbie Keene is perfect for this job
Honestly, the manager walking into the Spurs dugout right now would be a complete lunatic. Do you really want relegation on your CV at one of the Premier League’s most established clubs?
On the contrary, this could be your chance to make yourself a hero and build something special.
Introducing a third manager to the campaign is not ideal, but we feel a change needs to be made. Under Tudor, Spurs would be relegated. something needs to happen.
Well, at Keane they could appoint their own Michael Carrick, or dare I say, their own Mikel Arteta. This means former players will return to save the club.
Carrick did wonders as Manchester United’s caretaker manager, removing the rubble of the disastrous Ruben Amorim era and laying the foundations for a brighter era. United currently sit third in the Premier League, but have only lost once during his tenure.
Arteta’s comeback story at Arsenal has become even more special. The Gunners have not won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, but the Spaniard has ensured that Spurs’ noisy neighbors have competed for the title in each of the past four seasons.
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It may be a bit of a stretch to suggest that Keane will put Tottenham in a position to win the league, but he does have experience winning trophies in recent years.
Like Carrick and Arteta, he is on the rise, winning the Israeli league with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the Hungarian top-flight title with Ferencvaros, establishing himself as one of the brightest young managers.
In Hungary, Keene’s stock price rose significantly. While he played a back four under Maccabi, he favored a 3-5-2 formation under Ferencvaros, showing a level of tactical versatility not seen under Ange Postecoglou or Frank.
That said, there’s something Angebor-like about the Irishman’s philosophy. Back in 2021, the Spurs icon outlined his coaching philosophy and preferred tactics.
“I’m very aggressive with the ball. I’ve always played in very good football teams and, as you know, I played for Tottenham for eight years. Tottenham are a football team. They have a certain way of playing. Playing off at the back and quickly getting through the lines. That’s my big characteristic.”
That should be music to supporters’ ears. He knows how Spurs work, which could be crucial in their quest to stay in the division.
The former Republic of Ireland international further elaborated on how he wants his team to play in 2024, saying: “The way I played was to play as far back as I could, but don’t be silly. I told the centre-halves if you keep passing, I’m going to take you out, because they were just passing for the sake of passing.”
“I always tell defenders to pass with purpose. If you see six players or eight free, pass to them as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s 1-0, 2-0, 0-0. Pass as quickly as possible. I don’t care if you have 65% possession or 55%, as long as you’re doing it with the aim of getting the ball through the line quickly.”
Clearly, the Spurs hero is very switched on, and given that sense of urgency and the demands of that level, it’s no surprise that he’s already won two league titles in his early days as manager.
Of course, Tottenham are not in a position to win trophies at the moment, but like Carrick and Arteta at United and Arsenal, Keane will undoubtedly raise the bar and, importantly, as a man who knows the club, he will instantly boost the morale of the squad and fan base.
He completed one pass all night: Spurs flop looks completed just like Kinski
Tottenham Hotspur have reached a new low after a crazy first half in Madrid.
