It appears to have been a positive week for both Tottenham Hotspur and Igor Tudor, with the Lilywhites salvaging a valuable point away at Anfield before securing his first win for the Croatian manager against Atletico Madrid in midweek.
The north London side performed well when the pressure was off in both games and appeared to be enjoying their inferior position.
But Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest put them back in contention for the title, with Tudor being closely monitored for selection decisions and the hosts back to square one.
In fact, the 47-year-old opted not to start Xavi Simons despite the Dutchman’s impressive performance against Atleti, while also making some changes on the break that spoiled his plans too quickly.
Spurs’ Final 7 opponents | ||
|---|---|---|
date | Opposition | 24/25 results |
April 11th | sunderland (a) | Not applicable |
April 18th | Brighton (h) | 1-4 (large) |
April 25th | wolf (a) | 4-2(L) |
May 2nd | aston villa (a) | 2-0 (loss) |
May 9th | Leeds (h) | Not applicable |
May 17th | chelsea | 1-0 (loss) |
May 24th | everton (h) | 4-0 (win) |
Changes like this seem to be the hallmark of the director losing the plot and Spurs will once again need to act quickly if they are to salvage the season.
Latest updates on Spurs manager search and Tudor’s future
The sad news of Tudor’s father’s death on Sunday has understandably dampened enthusiasm over his future, and given the international break, Tottenham’s leaders are unlikely to rush into making a decision anytime soon.
Still, the former Juventus manager’s sacking is believed to be under discussion, and his one win in seven games as manager is not something that can be accurately evaluated.
With Spurs still only one point clear of the table, the situation is looking desperate and the club will certainly have some difficulty in naming a potential replacement.
As reported this week, free agent Roberto De Zerbi is interested in taking over this summer, but only if Spurs stay, with the Italian not thought to be keen on a mid-season move.
Fellow front-runner Mauricio Pochettino is also likely to be a target in the summer, and the Lilywhites will have to look elsewhere for a short-term solution, given that the Argentine is set to lead the United States to this summer’s World Cup.
Former caretaker manager Tim Sherwood has thrown his hat in the ring, with Harry Redknapp and Glenn Hoddle among the others being the subject of discussion, but if the Europa League winners are to make a change, they could take a more pragmatic but surprising route.
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There may be a sense that De Zerbi’s desire to join at the end of the season rather than now could turn out to be a blessing in disguise, as the former Marseille manager tends to add fuel to the fire.
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Indeed, the highly combustible manager parted ways with the Ligue 1 outfit earlier this year after a tumultuous period following last season’s defeat to Reims, refusing to train his players at one stage.
De Zerbi, who previously left Brighton & Hove Albion after falling out with owner Tony Bloom over the club’s transfer policy, is not the calm head Spurs desperately need at the moment.
With that in mind, with Sean Dyche still out of the job after leaving Forest last month, it might be time to bring in another ‘firefighter’ with actual Premier League managerial experience.
Reports in early March suggested that Spurs were indeed in talks to move Dyche on an interim basis, with the Englishman previously leading Everton to safety during his 10-year spell at Burnley, always defying adversity.
Even in his most recent post at the City Ground, which ended in sacking, the 54-year-old creditably steadied the ship after Ange Postecoglou’s short and ill-fated tenure, but his sacking came as something of a surprise.
Dyche’s 18 league games with Nottingham saw him win six and draw four, taking 22 points, suggesting he might have taken the safer route had he not been shown the door sooner.
His methods may not be appealing anyway, but the former Watford manager has made 350 appearances as a Premier League manager, preferring a 4-2-3-1 formation along the way, and has repeatedly shown that he can deliver results in the top flight.
Given that the likes of Hoddle, Redknapp and Sherwood have been out of action for long periods of time, and that De Zerbi has the ability to sink this team further, Dyche may be the most logical short-term solution for the remainder of the campaign.
In any case, after Sunday’s N17 debacle, this Tudor experiment can no longer continue and something has to change.
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