Igor Tudor's Downfall at Spurs: A Recipe for Disaster from the Start with Tactical Blunders and Premier League Missteps

THE faces of Tottenham’s chiefs have been left redder than the Arsenal home kit by Igor Tudor’s disastrous, 44-day interim appointment.

in what the club described as a mutually-agreed exit, less than two months after taking over from axed .

Igor Tudor was announced to be leaving Spurs on SundayCredit: AP

The reason his nightmare tenure was not cut short in the immediate aftermath of last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to was out of respect for his tragic personal circumstances.

Tudor after that Forest loss, which had left many in football believing that Spurs really could go down this season.

He headed straight home to Croatia, where the funeral was held on Wednesday in Split, with no expectation of returning to Spurs’ training ground.

Tottenham delayed the announcement of his departure a further week due to sensitivity.

But the hierarchy were in no doubt the 47-year-old had to go – and in so doing, admitted a huge mistake on their part.

It is highly embarrassing for key decision-makers, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and director of football Johan Lange.

Both of whom must now be left with serious questions to answer from their own bosses, the Lewis family.

The pair were already under fire from many fans for axing winner in the summer – even if former chairman led the charge on that call – and even more for allowing Frank to limp on as long as they did.

Tudor went without a league win in five matches since joining the clubCredit: Getty

The logic behind plucking Tudor from obscurity in the first place was his track record of “regularly delivering improvements following mid-season appointments”, as Spurs’ statement put it when announcing his arrival.

That had been the case at , and Udinese.

The reasoning made sense barring one crucial element: that none of Tudor’s reversals of fortune, in fact none of his managerial or playing experience at all, had come in the Premier League.

That absence of knowledge seemed to rear its head quite quickly as the former Juve centre-back chopped and changed his formation and tactics almost as much as his messaging to the media.

Tudor had the luxury of two clear weeks with no midweek game – something Frank rarely had – before his first two matches.

He worked his players relentlessly, deeming them not fit enough post Frank, even at this late stage of the season where fuel tanks are running low.

Yet his team were blown away by 4-1 at home in his opening match and then fell 2-1 at in his second.

The latter defeat saw him eviscerate his players in the post-match press conference, commenting the team “lacked everything” in all departments.

Yet after the most catastrophic of his league defeats – before the Forest one, of course – which was a 3-1 home loss to , he bizarrely claimed he had “more belief in his team than ever”.

Spurs endured a nightmare spell under Tudor, capped off by a 3-0 loss to Nottingham ForestCredit: Getty Spurs face a bid for survival whoever takes over from Tudor

Perhaps it was mind-games, an attempt to raise rock-bottom confidence in his squad.

But it convinced no one, especially players in the squad who did not resonate with his blunt personality, even if others did appreciate his directness at times.

More than anything his continual tactical tweaks, which looked increasingly desperate and inappropriately experimental given Spurs’ perilous position, left players frustrated.

A stay of execution for Tudor was given after his to in the , where he after two howlers and his team 3-0 down.

But a surprise draw against Liverpool and a win in the return last-16 tie against Atletico under no pressure was quickly followed up by the Forest calamity, and that was that.

Tudor left before his trusted No2 Ivan Javorcic ever arrived at Spurs, with a work permit holding up his own move, in another concerning example of poor-planning from the club.

Bruno Saltor had to be brought in as a result and it is the former Brighton stalwart who will oversee training in these coming days while we wait for the new man to come in.

Tudor had been brought in with a hat-trick of goals: “To improve performances, deliver results and move Spurs up the Premier League table”.

He failed on all accounts and leaves them just a point above the drop zone, which they will likely have fallen into by their next game away at Sunderland on April 12, given 18th-placed host basement-boys Wolves two days before.

So what next? We have been promised Spurs’ latest managerial masterplan in the coming days.

Mauricio Pochettino is a fan-favourite choice for the role, but his role as USA boss makes that trickyCredit: Getty Roberto de Zerbi is another name linked to the role, if Spurs can attract himCredit: AFP

If they go interim again, as could well be the case while they wait for to be freed up from commitments after the World Cup, they will have the same authority issues as they had with Tudor.

That is, if the players know the guy in the dugout is only holding the fort, it undermines his credibility, even in as dire a situation as they find themselves.

Go permanent and that presumably rules out Poch’s romantic return.

But it also remains doubtful if fellow big target – whose possible hiring some fan groups have protested against, owing to his public support of at Marseille – is even interested to come in now.

The obvious candidates, from the outside at least, for caretaker are , who has done it before and worked with the players last term when on Ange Postecoglou’s staff, and club legend .

But one source told SunSport not to rule out, remarkably, Spurs going again for an interim with no Prem experience, despite Tudor’s failure.

Director of football Lange is known for his faith in data, so who is to say a left-field choice may not top his spreadsheet of viable candidates again?

Lange and CEO Venkatesham know they simply must get this next appointment right.

Because if they do not and Spurs go down they will face a supporter s***storm the likes of which we have never seen – not even in the days of Levy.

In the meantime, pity poor , who only joined the Spurs madhouse 75 days ago and is already set for his third manager.