Tudor comes out fighting despite injury problems worseningpublished at 17:24 GMT 13 March
17:24 GMT 13 March
Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Igor Tudor has come out fighting at Tottenham's training ground.
The Croat is facing the sack after four defeats from his four matches in charge but he isn't feeling sorry for himself and has urged his players to follow suit.
He has told his players not to think the world is against them - nor to believe that they are somehow cursed by "black magic".
"Don't act like the victim" was the overriding message.
But that is easier said than done, of course, particularly considering their extensive injury list that has worsened now with Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha to miss the game with concussion.
That, coupled with the absence of Micky van de Ven through suspension, means Tottenham are likely to have Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin at the heart of their defence at Liverpool on Sunday.
So if the Tottenham players are feeling down in the dumps, then it is understandable.
Regardless, Tudor isn't standing for it and has challenged his players to stand up and be counted in their fight against relegation.
'It was such a gamble' - Dennis on Tudor's positionpublished at 17:24 GMT 13 March
17:24 GMT 13 March
BBC Radio 5 Live's senior football reporter Ian Dennis says he is surprised Igor Tudor hasn't been replaced by Tottenham on the latest episode of The Commentators' View: "They are imploding. And I'll be honest with you, I'm surprised he's still in the job. I know a number of Tottenham supporters, and for a long time they've been saying, 'oh, we're in a relegation dogfight'. And I thought, 'oh, no, they'll be all right. They'll be all right'.
"I think the alarm bells now are ringing for everybody for what's going on there."
"I would question their decision-making as to now, can they get the next appointment right? Because it was such a gamble for Tudor to come in. And I actually thought, 'ooh, that's very, very bold'.
"It hasn't clearly worked. And the longer they leave it, they place Tottenham's place in the top flight more at risk, more jeopardy."
Tudor on team news, Kinsky and players choosing to 'cry or fight'published at 17:23 GMT 13 March
17:23 GMT 13 March
Sean Byrne BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Tottenham boss Igor Tudor has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield (kick-off 16:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news and whether Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero can play after clashing heads in midweek: "No, no. They are out. Micky [van de Ven] is also out. [Yves] Bissouma is out with a muscle [injury]. Conor [Gallagher] has some fever, but probably will be in."
He adds there is a "chance" that Palhinha and Romero will be available for the second leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Destiny Udogie will "for sure" be back for their game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, 22 March.
On goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who he substituted after 17 minutes in the 5-2 loss in Madrid: "He came back the day after and was very good and positive in training. Nothing else. This is probably the first and last time that this happened in my life and the life of a lot of people."
On the situation the club find themselves in: "Tough, for sure. Not just because of the last game but because of the period. Not an easy situation, not easy moment. Big challenge to change things. Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation."
More on this: "You can cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can change something. This is the message I communicated to the players. The bottle is either half empty or half full. Nothing is full here, there are a lot of empty things. Difficult moments don't last forever. I believe the players who take this as an opportunity, who stand up with the courage to change these things, will become better people and players afterwards. It is about all of us."
On Archie Gray: "He needs to change his position every game he plays. Four games here, four different positions. He is an amazing player but that means something is wrong. Beautiful guy, beautiful player. He has my big respect."
On if he is the best man for the job: "It is not a topic I am thinking about."
'A lot of humiliation when you have only been in charge four games'published at 12:09 GMT 13 March
12:09 GMT 13 March
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Igor Tudor's decision to substitute Antonin Kinsky early against Atletico Madrid was "disgraceful" and he "should have resigned after the match", says European football expert Julien Laurens.
Discussing the incident and Tudor's time in charge so far on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, Laurens said: "Adds insult to injury [not seeing him off the pitch]. I think it was disgraceful what he did. And it was [Cristian] Romero who told Tudor to take him off, it wasn't even Tudor's decision.
"I'm so disappointed with Tudor since he has arrived - it has been mistake after mistake. He should have resigned after the match. It was another humiliation, like Arsenal, like Crystal Palace. It is a lot of humiliation when you have only been in charge four games.
"I know it is only until the end of the season, but he is on course to be one the worst managers we have ever seen in the Premier League."
Italian football writer James Horncastle shared a similar view, adding: "I've followed his [Tudor's] career in Italy and I've never seen him take action like that - so drastic. Something that is not only damaging to Kinsky but also him. It will be the decision he is most associated with in his Tottenham career.
"It is very hard to expect him to turn it around at Tottenham now. But that is the big surprise for me. Even though he hasn't had Premier League experience, he has had experience of these kinds of situations. To see him flounder and make mistakes nearly every game has been very disappointing."
However, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague felt the ex-Juventus manager was right in his decision.
"When two mistakes happen in quick succession, sportspeople can go through analysis paralysis, which means the goalkeeper in this case stops acting automatically and he begins to over think and then another mistake can happen," he said.
"If Tudor saw this then he has got to get him out."
'There won't be a shortage of talking points' as Tudor faces mediapublished at 09:24 GMT 13 March
09:24 GMT 13 March
Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Another week from hell for Tottenham and Igor Tudor.
You'd forgive the Croat for, at the very least, wondering if taking this job was worth it.
A 100% loss record since taking over from the sacked Thomas Frank has the Spurs board fearing it might have made a grave error of judgement in appointing Tudor in the first place.
Added to that, as BBC Sport reported on Tuesday, a growing disconnect between the manager and the Tottenham squad has left the club in what appears a state of crisis.
That's before we even mention the narrative regarding Tudor's treatment of Antonin Kinsky, who was subbed off after just 17 minutes of his Champions League debut on Tuesday.
That said, unless a drastic turn of events occurs over the next 48 hours, Tudor will remain in charge for Sunday's Premier League game at Liverpool.
Tudor faces the media to preview that trip to Anfield later on Friday. There won't be a shortage of talking points.
Come back to this page later on Friday for all the key lines from Tudor.
But Dyche would be reluctant to take the job and would want a commitment beyond the end of the season, with ex-Spurs players Robbie Keane and Ryan Mason potential options. (Talksport), external
Season ticket renewal period extendedpublished at 14:19 GMT 12 March
14:19 GMT 12 March
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Tottenham Hotspur have announced that season ticket holders will have more time to decide whether or not they want to renew.
The window, which opened on Thursday, was due to close on 26 May, external, two days after the conclusion of Spurs' 2025-2026 Premier League campaign.
Spurs sit 18th in the Premier League table and, one point above the relegation zone, are at risk of dropping into the second tier.
In recognition of the uncertainty around Spurs' league status, the club have pushed back the deadline by two weeks to 7 June, "to ensure fans have full clarity on next season before renewing".
A club statement added: "Everyone at the club remains absolutely steadfast in our collective commitment to improving our Premier League position and finish the current season as strongly as possible."
Why Spurs are struggling defensivelypublished at 14:19 GMT 12 March
14:19 GMT 12 March
Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent
Media caption,
For a man-to-man press to work well, it has to be done in a co-ordinated, aggressive manner. If any player is late to apply pressure, the opposition player has time and space on the ball, essentially giving them a man advantage.
Under Thomas Frank, Spurs' defensive approach was more passive, often defending in a more rigid defensive block.
But as they lost to Arsenal in his first game in charge, Igor Tudor was seen urging Micky van de Ven to step upfield. The Dutch centre-back and his team-mates were reluctant to do so at times – a potential hangover from Frank's style of defending.
Spurs' 5-3-2 shape lacks coverage in the wide areas with the wing-backs the only constants here.
The logic behind the 5-3-2 is that attacks through the middle of the pitch are more dangerous, so the three midfielders and two attackers are tasked with blocking this area.
When Spurs pressed from this central shape, Atletico Madrid, Fulham and Crystal Palace smartly placed players in wide and deep areas, increasing the distance Tottenham's players had to run to apply pressure.
This gave them time on the ball but also stretched Spurs' shape, out of possession, opening up gaps to exploit up-field.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Palace were able to find time and space on the ball in deep areas, with Spurs taking longer to press their wide defenders
In the build-up to their second goal on Tuesday, Atletico were able to find a free man positioned deep on the right side of defence.
With Mathys Tel unable to apply pressure quickly enough, a long ball was played in behind to Marcus Llorente, running off the back of his marker.
Van de Ven slipped, which allowed Antoine Griezmann to eventually score, but the goal was created by exploiting Spurs' man-marking vulnerabilities.
Image caption,
Atletico's attackers were able to run in-behind off the back of the Spurs defenders as they stepped up to mark them. Marc Pubill had the time to play a long pass into that space.
A humbling 24 hours for Premier Leaguepublished at 09:24 GMT 12 March
09:24 GMT 12 March
Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha thinks both his former club and Chelsea face too much of an uphill battle to progress in the Champions League.
Both face three-goal deficits going into home legs, with Onuoha stating: "While they will have the belief they can do it, I think the margins are far too big. So while the game is still on for all the English sides, the margin of error is tiny for some of them now."
Their defeats come during a week in which English sides have struggled in Europe, with no wins recorded across six ties.
BBC Sport's Phil McNulty said we have seen "24 hours in which the Premier League's self-styled reputation as the best in the world suffered heavy damage".
"The Premier League's power was supposedly emphasised by having six teams in the last 16 following the league stage, but this was something of a cold shower hosed on talk of its supremacy," McNulty wrote.
All six English teams have now been given a lower predicted chance of reaching the last eight by Opta than before the last-16 first legs.
Arsenal remain favourites to progress, while Liverpool stay second favourites despite trailing by a goal after the first leg.
'Tudor's lost the changing room' - Warnockpublished at 08:48 GMT 12 March
08:48 GMT 12 March
Champions League Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock believes Tottenham manager Igor Tudor has "lost the changing room" after their 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the last 16.
Media caption,
You can watch full highlights of Tottenham Hotspurs' defeat by Atletico Madrid below.
Where might Spurs look for a new manager?published at 08:47 GMT 12 March
08:47 GMT 12 March
Image source, Getty Images
Where might Tottenham look if they did decide to place man-management at the top of their search priorities?
Former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason previously stepped up as the club's interim head coach in both 2021 and 2023, overseeing 13 games in the Premier League, before being appointed as assistant coach to Ange Postecoglou.
Mason ended his seven-year coaching career at Spurs last summer to take over at West Brom, but he was sacked by the Championship club in January.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, speaking on Sky Sports, external, said he could do a short-term stint as the club's head coach to help guide them out of trouble.
Another former Spurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was said to be a candidate to permanently replace Thomas Frank, but his contract with the United States men's national team does not expire until after this summer's World Cup.
One former Spurs manager who appears to have ruled himself out of contention is 79-year-old Harry Redknapp.
"I won't [take the job] - I don't expect to get a call," Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live. "My focus this week is enjoying myself at Cheltenham."
Spurs may choose to look further afield - but their current options, within the search parameters as they were a month ago, appear limited.
In addition to a track record of having an immediate impact, Spurs sought someone with top level managerial experience who plays attacking football.
When Spurs initially began their search to replace Thomas Frank, himself dismissed after less then eight months in charge, former Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi, former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic and ex-RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose were among the other potential short-term options.
Ex-Brighton boss De Zerbi left his role as manager of Marseille by mutual consent after just under two years in charge, three days before Spurs confirmed their appointment of Tudor.
Terzic has been out of work since asking Dortmund "to terminate his contract with immediate effect" in June 2024, after leading the club to the Champions League final.
Rose was sacked by Leipzig in March 2025, having won 72 of his 127 matches in charge and lifted the German Cup in 2023.
Within the Premier League, Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva are among the names who will be available this summer - but would any be prepared to leave their respective clubs earlier to help Spurs' cause?
FA Cup-winning manager Glasner has confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace this summer, but his immediate future was understood to be in doubt in February amid a poor run of results.
Gossip: Spurs will allow Kinsky loanpublished at 07:41 GMT 12 March
07:41 GMT 12 March
Tottenham Hotspur will allow goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, 22, to leave the club on loan this summer to rebuild his confidence after the Czech Republic international was withdrawn after just 17 minutes against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. (Telegraph - subscription required).
Watch Champions League highlights and analysispublished at 07:37 GMT 12 March
07:37 GMT 12 March
Gabby Logan presents highlights of the first-leg ties from the Champions League round of 16. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle are the six Premier League clubs in action alongside 15-time winners Real Madrid, current holders Paris Saint-Germain and surprise package Bodo/Glimt
Supporters' Trust calls for 'emergency action' after chaotic night in Europepublished at 19:16 GMT 11 March
19:16 GMT 11 March
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Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has called for "emergency action" and for match tickets to be refunded after Spurs' 5-2 loss at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Tottenham boss Igor Tudor is under pressure after becoming the first Spurs boss to lose his first four games in charge of the club.
He is also facing criticism for withdrawing young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes following two errors that led to goals.
Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust called the night "a total disgrace".
"From the January transfer window to the management appointments, the lack of leadership and the total absence of anyone with a Spurs pedigree informing these decisions," read the THST statement.
"Where is the Daring to Do? Where are the Echoes of Glory?
"Emergency action is needed as right now we are sleepwalking off the edge of a cliff.
"Being a Spurs fan has never been so difficult but supporters will not sit by and watch the club continue to decline.
"At the very least those in Madrid should have their match tickets refunded. But all we really care about is that the club make us proud.
"We are here to support the team and be the 12th man. But we all deserve so much more."
He explained: "He's gone from three at the back to four at the back, then back to three again, with players playing out of position. I've scratched my head at some of the decisions he's made since he came in.
"He hasn't given the players a lift at all. He's a firefighter who has a can of petrol in his hand at the moment - he's adding fuel to the fire rather than restoring confidence to the players.
"Hopefully he can turn it around but, if he doesn't, I think Spurs might roll the dice again. There's an international break after their game against Nottingham Forest, which would be a good opportunity for a new manager to come in and have a look at things."
Tudor decision for executives not ownerspublished at 19:15 GMT 11 March
19:15 GMT 11 March
Tottenham Hotspur owner Enic does not plan to take the decision on Igor Tudor's future out of the hands of the club's executive team despite the manager's poor start.
In addition to concerns over results, sources are indicating that there is a growing disconnect between members of the squad and Tudor, with a number of players left unconvinced that the coach can lead the team to safety.
Tudor's decision not to approach goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky to offer his support after he was substituted 17 minutes into the loss at Atletico has also not gone down well with members of the squad.
Sources have indicated to BBC Sport that the club's owners are not, and have never been, involved in the day to day running of the club, even during Daniel Levy's era, allowing those on the ground to make decisions, and will leave any call about Tudor to the Spurs executives.
It is understood that the decision to sack Frank in February was taken by Venkatesham and Lange before being ratified by the ownership.
'Can't blame Kinsky for drowning without knowing how to swim'published at 17:49 GMT 11 March
17:49 GMT 11 March
Bardi Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Many people go on holiday to escape the mundane. They set off in search of sun to lift their spirits or a change of scenery to provide inspiration. You pack your bags and leave your troubles behind for a few days.
But this is Tottenham. That's not how things work in these parts. Spurs landed in Madrid and walked straight into a hotel jam-packed with the failings, curses, and ineptitude that have haunted their season so far.
Never has a Champions League knockout tie experienced such a slapstick opening 45 minutes. Tottenham slipped, gaffed, and tumbled their way to a 4-0 deficit. Antonin Kinsky will bear much of the blame, but you can't blame a person for drowning when they are chucked into the deep end without knowing how to swim.
He wasn't the only one all at sea. Across the pitch, Tottenham were falling over themselves to gift Atletico Madrid the easiest of nights. It was only after Spurs hit rock bottom at 4-0 that they finally stood up and offered some resistance. Yet somehow, no matter how farcical those first 45 minutes were, it was still some of the best football Spurs have mustered this calendar year - a grim marker of how far we've fallen. An hour's worth of competence now feels like progress.
This season, the Champions League has offered us a bit of a retreat from the disasters of the Premier League. We cruised through the group stage with the occasional touch of swagger and competence, but it seems unlikely we'll enjoy this tranquility for much longer. The real business of survival now takes center stage. But with a boardroom bereft of ideas, a manager bereft of charisma, and a squad bereft of confidence, what chance do we have?
Spurs need a miracle to save not only their Champions League status, but their Premier League one as well.
Image source, Getty Images
