Tottenham Hotspur: Igor Tudor’s damning evaluation of Spurs analysed after dismal defeat to Fulham

In his first press convention as Tottenham Hotspur supervisor, Igor Tudor mentioned he was 100-per-cent assured that Spurs would keep away from relegation. Ten days later, the temper has modified. 

Again-to-back defeats in Tudor’s first two video games in cost in opposition to Fulham and Arsenal have compelled a change of tune from the Croatian boss.

“We lack when we attack. We are lacking the quality to score the goal. We are lacking in the middle to run. We are lacking behind to stay there and suffer and not concede the goal. An amazing situation, ” mentioned Tudor after Spurs’ newest misplaced to Fulham.

Barring defending, attacking and working – there’s little else you are able to do on a soccer pitch. Tudor’s evaluation paints a poor image.

Spurs’ new head coach – as soon as excited in regards to the problem earlier than him – has seen the true actuality of his staff after two video games. Listed below are the numbers which present it…

‘We lack once we assault’

Tottenham are on a run of 10 Premier League video games with out a victory and there’s a actual lack of successful feeling on the membership.

In truth, Spurs didn’t take the lead in any league match in February. The final time they led within the high flight was throughout a seven-minute spell at Burnley on January 24.

There’s a lack of fluency in assault, partly resulting from Spurs’ lack of ability to be constant the ball.

Throughout Spurs’ 10 matches because the flip of the 12 months, they rank backside within the Premier League for each being dispossessed on the ball and total losses of possession.

“Look at the patterns of play Fulham had,” mentioned former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood to Sky Sports activities. “They had people in the correct positions to open up the pitch.

“Gamers had been large, balancing off, strikers up entrance and gamers in help – it was the alternative of what Tottenham had.”

Since the turn of the year, only 35 per cent of Tottenham’s possession sequences reach the final third of the pitch – only the bottom two teams in Wolves and Burnley have a lower percentage.

Essentially, Spurs really struggle to get the ball close to goal, playing like a bottom-three team in the process. So no wonder they cannot get into the lead, let alone hold onto it.

‘We lack to not concede the goal’

“You place the gamers [on the pitch], however then you definitely lack defending, working and successful the duels. So what to do?”

In that sentence from his post-match complaints against Fulham, Tudor said his team lacked the ability to compete in the duels once they crossed the white line, leaving the coaching staff helpless.

“Soccer is a sport of working and duels,” he added. “I’ve a sensation that Fulham gamers all the time arrived earlier than. Even with the mind, they arrived earlier than us. We’re all the time late.”

In the first half, which saw Fulham race into a 2-0 lead, Spurs won just 40 per cent of the duels in the match. They were overrun by Marco Silva’s side – the story of their season.

Spurs rank backside within the Premier League for aerial duels gained – and because the flip of the 12 months have misplaced extra duels than some other staff.

However there may be additionally a self-inflicted nature to Tottenham’s defensive play. They’ve made a league-high 5 errors resulting in a purpose in 2026. On high of that, no Premier League staff has made extra errors resulting in a shot this calendar 12 months.

That has seen Spurs concede the very best expected-goals determine within the Premier League this 12 months, so the prospect of protecting clear sheets turns into a lot, a lot more durable.

‘We’re missing within the center to run’

Earlier than the weekend simply gone, Spurs had been outrun by every of their final 5 Premier League opponents.

At Fulham, Spurs lined extra floor than they’ve managed in any Premier League match this season – however that was nonetheless not sufficient for Tudor. “We are lacking in the middle to run,” he mentioned after the sport.

“It’s a load of nonsense about who runs more,” mentioned Sherwood to Sky. “It’s about when you run, how you run and when you stand still.”

That is maybe not a criticism of the Spurs staff – however of the scenario they discover themselves in. Tudor’s feedback about his staff’s lack of skill to run are usually not a shock given the best way he described Spurs’ poor bodily situation earlier within the week.

“Physically, I believe, we are not in an amazing situation,” he mentioned. “They have played lots of games in the last period without lots of players available and it made the physical condition of the team drop down.

“They’re fatigued. To press excessive it is advisable be match, however all of them, as a result of if one individual is just not in the correct form there’s a downside as a result of somebody is coming late. And the second factor, is that there’s the opposite purpose to guard.

“It is easy to run there but you need to run back, so if you run up and don’t run back it’s a problem.”

It will not get any simpler for Spurs bodily, given the Champions League returns subsequent week and the toll on the staff’s legs will rise.