Tottenham’s new manager Igor Tudor will be in charge of his first Premier League game when they take on rivals Arsenal in a north London derby.
Tottenham manager Igor Tudor during his first press conference (Image: Tottenham Hotspur FC)
Igor Tudor admits that he has never heard the phrase “sparcy”. And there’s no doubt that doesn’t suit his mentality as he prepares for his latest Red Adair coaching assignment.
This is Tottenham’s first match against their formidable rivals. But he sees it as an opportunity. Incredibly, this is Tudor’s seventh mid-season job in an attempt to get the club into Europe or save them from relegation.
Tudor, 47, has never made a mistake and insisted he will remain at Tottenham “100 per cent”, insisting he will ensure Tottenham have enough quality, enough heart and the right mindset.
That’s why the word “sparcy” (a catchphrase for football bottling) had never entered his vocabulary. “Sparcy? No, I’ve never heard of that,” he said.
“It’s about here and here (pointing to the head and heart). It’s not about the legs. It’s about the head, it’s about the brain, it’s about the heart. That’s the problem.”
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Tudor played 55 times for Croatia, finishing third in the 1998 World Cup, and was named Croatian Player of the Year in 2001, as well as winning the Serie A title with Juventus.
He stands at 6 feet 4 inches and is an intimidating and imposing figure with an intimidating gaze. He speaks good but blunt English with a strong Italian accent from his time as player-coach.
This is clearly not the kind of manager who would willingly suffer fools. Although he often prefers to play with a back three, it would be a mistake to characterize him as a defensive coach.
However, Tudor’s first game strategy may depend on which players are available on Sunday due to the club’s serious injury list.
But you suspect there were some home truths, some tough discussions with the team, a little shock therapy from a coach known as a master of difficult tasks. Tottenham are five points above the drop zone with 12 games remaining.
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Tudor has a great chance to start his tenure at Tottenham (Image: Getty)
“I’ve seen some interesting things so far. When I say mental health is the most important thing, it’s fundamental. Let’s put it that way. Having these things is fundamental,” Tudor said.
“But you have to add other things too, or it won’t be enough. So let’s start with this. Then we’ll move on and add something more. It’s not easy, but all good things in life are not easy. If someone wants to be more than something, it’s never easy.”
“Now is the time for each player to respond and throw themselves into the challenge of becoming something more.”
Tudor insisted he had no intention of staying in the job long term. He’s only focused on the here and now. He admits it’s a “strange job” because he doesn’t have time to do anything other than work.
Mr Tudor, who is currently staying in a hotel, said: “This is a question I don’t need to answer. I didn’t come here to visit this city. I came here to find a job at a very difficult time for this club.”
“Like all coaches, we work every day. Every day. We focus on our work and work on it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even when we go to restaurants or museums, we’re thinking, ‘How can we make our team play better?’ It’s a strange job.”
Thomas Frank troubled Spurs players by talking about the Gunners, but Tudor made sure he didn’t fall into the same trap (Image: Getty Images)
Tudor’s predecessor Thomas Frank is said to have annoyed Spurs players by constantly talking about how good Arsenal were during his reign. The caretaker manager then quickly changed the subject from Mikel Arteta’s side.
And while he was adamant Spurs would win the drop, he also insisted he couldn’t even afford to think about the risks.
Asked if he could stay awake, Tudor said, “100 percent. 100 percent. But I never think about that. When I coach, I never look at the table. It might sound weird, but I get it, I’m going to play there. I don’t look.”
“Of course you think about everything. We’re 24/7, so we think about everything. The question is: what can happen and what can’t happen. But the main goal is process.”
“I’m not going to talk about Arsenal. Big respect to Arteta for building a great team. One of the best teams in the world with the style of play and the great mentality of the team, with 11 players behind the ball and pressing from the back.”
“So this is a big challenge for us. Maybe not the greatest challenge at the moment, but you never know in football. That’s all we can talk about in a bar, but we want to do everything right for them and it’s all about how we prepare for this game.”
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