The Igor Tudor experiment has failed. Zero points through three matches is just not acceptable, and nothing is any better than it was with Thomas Frank. While the Champions League was neither his nor the club’s priority, another horrific showing on Tuesday fully cemented that his hiring was doomed from the start and was not going to provide any relief.
There are only nine matches left to save the season, and suddenly just a single point separates Spurs and 18th place. It is unlikely that any manager
in charge is going to get this club to beat Liverpool, but this contest does provide a chance to execute yet another sacking. Maybe Tudor gets another week with an international break coming up soon, but this weekend could easily be his end.
Match Details
Date: Sunday, March 15
Time: 12:30 pm ET, 4:30 pm UK
Location: Anfield, Liverpool
TV: Peacock/NBCSN (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
Table: Liverpool (t-5th, 48 pts), Spurs (t-16th, 29 pts)
December brought Tottenham’s fourth-straight loss to Liverpool in the league, with the defeat in the League Cup Semis last year still in mind as well. It was 0-0 at halftime despite a Xavi Simons red card, but the visitors scored twice in the first 20 minutes before Richarlison pulled one back late. That defeat was better than the 6-3 and 5-1 losses last year at least?
Two Things to Watch
Focus
It might not seem to matter, as Spurs have been feeling the pressure in the league for quite some time with no positive results to show for it, but there is a stark difference in prioritization in this one. With the gap essentially gone above the relegation spots, maybe the players will finally wake up and realize that this is a very real possibility if the ship is not turned around immediately.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is well out of the Premier League race but has a good chance at finishing top five. That likely turns the attention to the Champions League (with work needed to be done next week against Galatasaray) and the FA Cup (a date with City in the Quarters awaits next month). There is no need to punt Sunday’s contest, but this is not the biggest event left on the fixture list.
This difference between the sides in mentality and prioritization is unlikely to swing the balance enough, but Tottenham could use any sort of help it can get. Liverpool did just lose to Wolves a week and a half ago, and this side is clearly flawed. Still, Spurs rarely even sneak a point out of this fixture, so all of this feels a little funny to write.
Whose fault is it anyway?
With multiple managers having failed now, the fate of this club returns to the players. Though the injury list remains as long as the available selections, and Micky van de Ven swaps spots with Cristian Romero on the suspension list, the remaining players simply must perform at a higher level, full stop. It is inexcusable to witness terrible performance after terrible performance, but here we are.
It would seem reasonable to expect younger options like Archie Gray and Souza, but even Simons, Pape Sarr, and Mathys Tel, be the ones to really exert themselves and put their best foot forward. This is their clearest chance for playing time, and if their veteran colleagues will not demonstrate excellence, any manager in charge is going to value their youthful exuberance.
This alone is not enough to earn sufficient points, though, so some of the heavy hitters will need to quickly find their form. With Randal Kolo Muani clearly not the answer and Dominic Solanke hot and cold, Richarlison is a good candidate to be the missing piece. He will certainly take things personally against Liverpool, and just maybe this is the match that springboards both him and Spurs into safer heights.
