Tudor could bring back star player who ‘didn’t really want to be at Spurs’

Tottenham Hotspur are approaching the weekend and Igor Tudor welcomes Arsenal to N17, ready to win over their waning fan base on a high-profile opening day.

It was a trying period for the Lilywhites. Thomas Frank was sacked last week after a disastrous attempt to succeed Ange Postecoglou, who won last year’s Europa League, but was sacked by Daniel Levy in a final show of power.

Opinion is divided on this decision, but Spurs supporters agree that Frank’s performance is the worst. It is vital that sporting director Johan Lange and club CEO Vinay Venkatesham manage the situation skillfully, with West Ham United just five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

Tottenham will have their forward manager at the helm for the rest of the season, but who can see him actually rekindling his strength and leading a sustained return to form?

Spurs star Tudor could return

Last summer, Tottenham signed Xavi Simmons from RB Leipzig. The Dutch playmaker cost £52 million to sign and was keen on Chelsea early in the transfer window.

However, Frank’s stuttering system inhibited his creativity and caused him considerable difficulties. Bringing such a high-potential attacking midfielder forward will be one of Tudor’s priorities.

Randall Kolo Muani is another guy who could find his feet. Did you know that the struggling loanee had a short but productive spell at Juventus last season under the Croatian manager, scoring five goals in just 11 games?

On the right side, Pedro Polo has taken on an attacking role this season. Some of his defensive displays were disastrous. He has made five defensive mistakes this season. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a great creative talent.

If Tudor were to introduce the 3-4-2-1 formation that he has favored in his previous work, Polo might find himself in a better role as the addition of a centre-back would provide added safety and cover more grass at the back.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Spurs actually have the numbers on central defense. Or the quality to make it happen.

There is one man who can do that and emulate former icon Moussa Dembele and become a central figure in the Tudor system.

Tudor could bring back Spurs’ missing star

Dembele is one of Tottenham’s most loved players in recent memory, joining from Fulham in 2013 and despite initially struggling, he has become adept at the box-to-box midfield role and developed into a unique and irreplaceable part of the system.

A master controller, Dembele’s metronome-like grasp of central midfield was so impressive that his Belgian teammate Kevin De Bruyne once praised him as “the best in the world”.

A similar case could be made for Cristian Romero, a player with a skillset that most centre-backs can only dream of, but has been hampered by inconsistency.

As Diembele shined his shoes after a rocky start in north London, Tudor was able to train a stable system that produced Romero’s finer qualities and ultimately secured him the recognition he deserved as one of the best.

Tudor’s vision more closely aligns with Romero’s own outlook. Aggression is being embraced in this new world at Tottenham, but it is being used to promote front-foot football that makes better use of the Argentine international’s technical ability and aerial ability in the attacking half.

Romero, 27, may be showing some decline, but it’s important to remember that he’s still an elite centre-half and (figuratively) taller than Micky van de Ven. He’s short-tempered and passionate to a fault, but that doesn’t mean he’s genuine.

Tottenham fans of course know this, with Chris Waddle declaring to Football Fancast that he “really didn’t want to be at Spurs”, but his anger at the board and the team’s position suggests otherwise.

There’s a sinking feeling in the guts of Lilywhites fans that Romero is headed for the exit. Although he is certainly a controversial figure, the South American is one of the best players in the business, with journalist Roy Nemar hailing him as “one of the best defenders in the world”.

The captain has the potential to be a real talisman for Tottenham over the coming months and while rumors of a potential sale are concerning, Tudor could once again be happy with his place at Tottenham and could be the perfect force to bring him back to the front line.