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Igor Tudor has delivered a blunt verdict on his Tottenham side after their latest defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League.
It was far from the perfect start for Tottenham Hotspur’s new boss, Igor Tudor, who was appointed a few days ago following the sacking of Thomas Frank earlier in the week.
Tudor’s first game was against Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal who visited Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the 199th north London derby, and it was the Gunners who emerged victorious.
A tightly contested first half saw Tottenham head into the break at 1-1 after Randal Kolo Muani quickly cancelled out Eberechi Eze’s opener.
However, Arsenal stepped it up after the interval, with Eze adding his second and a Viktor Gyokeres brace sealing a 4-1 win for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Tottenham boss Igor Tudor delivers damning verdict after Arsenal defeat
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Tottenham interim manager acknowledged the gulf between the sides and admitted the visitors were superior on the day.
He began by reflecting on the challenge his players faced and Arsenal’s physical and mental edge, before then stating that this Spurs side is a team with problems.
He said: “Difficult start against a team who is now in this moment.
“A different level of physical state of mind, so congratulations to them. They were much better and they deserve this win. I got the spirit which we wanted to do things, but it was not enough. It is nice to understand where we are in this moment.”
The Croatian then addressed the work required on the training ground and the issues within the squad, insisting improvement must come through hard graft. He added: “It showed me on Tuesday that we need to work hard and work hard and seriously.
“Now in this moment, the team is full of problems. The only key is to work on the training day by day and be humble. We need to be more aggressive – we need to be more compact. These are the keys.
“You understand the gap with the mental sharpness of one team and other teams. This is a thing we need to change. I saw players available to do this, but we need more time to do this.
“Thinking about relegation does not bring you anything to anybody.”
Tottenham relegation fears grow despite Igor Tudor’s defiance
It is difficult to ask these players, or anyone associated with Tottenham, not to think about a relegation scrap as Spurs are being dragged closer with each passing week.
Before a ball was kicked this matchweek, the gap between Tottenham and the relegation zone was five points, but West Ham United’s draw with Bournemouth cut it to four.
Tudor has stated he is 100 per cent certain Tottenham will avoid relegation this season, yet on current evidence, the task looks tougher than it first appeared.
Spurs are back on the road in the Premier League next with a trip to Fulham and it will be a tough task for them as Marco Silva’s men come into that encounter off the back of a 3-1 win over Sunderland.
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