Tottenham created their own chaos in the 2-5 defeat to Atletico Madrid. The shock was not only in the score, but also in the way Spurs collapsed. Those were 4 goals conceded stemming from personal mistakes and the image of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky being substituted after only 17 minutes of play.
It was a forgettable evening for Kinsky, but the person under much greater pressure was coach Igor Tudor. In less than a month of leading Tottenham, the Croatian coach is facing the risk of ending his short term in London soon. If his reputation is still in Serie A, then in the Premier League, everything seems to be collapsing rapidly.
The decision to put Kinsky in the starting lineup in a big match was counterproductive. 3 goals conceded and two serious mistakes put the 22-year-old goalkeeper in a difficult situation. When he left the field silently, many teammates such as Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso or Pedro Porro came to comfort him. In contrast, Tudor had almost no reaction, which caused him to be criticized for lacking protection for a young player.
Many former goalkeepers such as Joe Hart, Paul Robinson or Peter Schmeichel also spoke out criticizing Tudor's handling of situations. According to them, the goalkeeper position has specific pressures and needs support from the coaching staff, especially in difficult times.
Skepticism about the appointment of Tudor as interim coach became even clearer. After 4 matches leading, Tottenham lost all 4, conceded 14 goals and Tudor continuously made controversial tactical decisions. Experiments such as pulling Pedro Porro into the center of the defense or arranging midfielders to play in the opposite positions were not effective.
Not only tactical issues, the relationship between Tudor and the players is also questioned. In the recent match, Djed Spence even had to return to shake hands with the coach after being substituted, as a way to express dissatisfaction with his behavior.
The series of poor results is pushing Tottenham into a dangerous situation. Spurs are currently experiencing the longest winless streak in the league in nearly half a century and have lost 6 consecutive matches in all competitions - for the first time in club history.
Of course, Tudor is not the only one responsible. Individual mistakes of the players, decisions from the board of directors and instability in the squad all contribute to creating the current crisis. However, in the position of head coach, Tudor is still the person under the greatest pressure.
In the context of Tottenham preparing to face Liverpool and still having the second leg match with Atletico Madrid, the club's leadership is forced to make a quick decision. Spurs need a coach capable of stabilizing the dressing room and helping the team stay in the Premier League.
After the defeat in Madrid, perhaps the clearest thing is that Tudor has never really suited the role that Tottenham needs at this time.
