Tottenham ‘Actively’ Considering Humiliating U-Turn Ahead of Liverpool Trip

Relegation remains an enormous concern for Spurs heading into crunch time.

Igor Tudor’s Tottenham post is under threat. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be actively looking for potential alternatives to interim manager Igor Tudor, whose short-term contract is at risk of being ripped up after Sunday’s trip to Liverpool.

Tudor was appointed at Spurs on Feb. 14 as the club looked to climb away from the relegation zone, but his arrival has had the opposite impact on a squad already devoid of confidence. As they prepare for a trip to Anfield, Spurs are just one point outside the drop zone.

Spurs have fallen to Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace since Tudor’s arrival, while a humiliating 5–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 means the interim boss has lost each of his four games in charge.

The Athletic note Tudor’s future at Spurs is far from safe as club officials are already looking at potential replacements for the former Juventus boss if it becomes clear he is not capable of steering the club out of danger.

A departure at this stage would make Tudor’s reign one of the shortest in Premier League history.

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Chaos Dominates During Tudor’s Short Tenure

Tudor is under immense pressure. | Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press/Getty Images

Tudor spoke well during his Spurs unveiling, creating a sense of optimism among a fanbase which has quickly been sent crashing down to earth in the weeks that followed.

Poor results have not helped endear Tudor to either the fans or the players, but things took an ugly turn in the Champions League on Tuesday when Spurs traveled to Madrid to take on Atlético.

In truth, few fans expected anything from that game—many did not even care as they focus on the battle against relegation—but Tudor may well have sparked a revolt with his management of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was substituted after just 17 minutes after two errors directly leading to goals.

A failure to even acknowledge Kinsky, 23 years old and making just his third appearance of the season, as he trudged off the field left fans, rivals and neutrals stunned as Tudor’s brief Spurs tenure descended to a new low.

Sunday’s trip to Liverpool may well decide the fate of Tudor, who stands to be without as many as 13 players due to injury or suspension.

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Who Could Replace Tudor at Tottenham?

Tottenham’s list of alternatives is increasingly thin. | Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

At this stage of the season and with the threat of relegation still very much alive, Tottenham would likely only be able to replace Tudor with another interim manager, tasked with avoiding the drop by any means necessary.

Specialists in this situation, such as Sean Dyche and Sam Allardyce, have been put forwards. While hardly glamorous appointments, their knowledge of the task at hand could be increasingly intriguing for Spurs.

Former caretaker Ryan Mason, popular during his playing days with Spurs, is available after departing West Bromwich Albion. The 34-year-old would be an enormous risk, however, having never experienced anything close to this during his young career.

Some have called for Ange Postecoglou to be offered a shock return. The Australian tactician was sacked last summer after his Europa League victory was deemed insufficient after a disastrous domestic campaign, but he was incredibly popular among both fans and players and would undoubtedly boost morale around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Whether he would have any interest in returning, however, is a different story.

Glamour targets like Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are highly unlikely to be convinced to sign on under these circumstances, forcing Spurs to adjust their expectations. There are still plenty of big names currently out of work but, once again, whether they would be open to the task at hand is unclear.

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