Igor Tudor’s nightmarish expedition in Spain leaves him with big questions to answer. (Image: Getty)
Igor Tudor’s disastrous reign as Tottenham manager ended at a record low as the relegation-threatened team scored five goals away to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Tudor replaced goalkeeper 16 minutes into the match and the La Liga side led 4-0 after just 22 minutes.
Antonin Kinski missed two of Atlético’s first three goals, failing both times to give Marcos Llorente and Julián Álvarez the easiest goals of their lives. Micky van de Ven slipped into the opponent’s goal, and as soon as Guglielmo Vicario came off the bench, he too picked up the ball from behind the goal.
Tottenham reduced their arrears with a goal from Pedro Polo, but things went from bad to worse for the capital club, with Alvarez scoring a lightning-fast counterattack in the second half to make it 5-1. Atlético’s own mistake allowed Dominic Solanke to score with a superb finish, leaving Tottenham with a draw heading into next week’s second leg.
Now, let’s be clear about one thing: this is by no means entirely his fault. Thrown into one of the most competitive environments in European football for his Champions League debut, the young goalkeeper immediately hid in the middle of nowhere. But in the end, you can’t make two such barks within 16 minutes and walk away in less than that.
He improved the score slightly by scoring a goal and was also responsible for putting a few crosses into Atlético’s penalty area. But he ended up being part of a defense that shipped five.
There’s been a lot of talk about the level at which Spurs should be playing, but too often that’s part of the problem.
He’s the best player in a group of horribly bad Spurs defenders.
Unsatisfied with his clownish red card against Crystal Palace last week, the Dutchman almost got another red card for a similarly foolish tackle. Not to mention his role in Atlético’s second game. Is it overrated?
He joined the team as a left wing-back, but did not play an active role throughout the game.
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Antonin Kinski went straight through the tunnel after diving. (Image: Getty)
They have some good moments with the ball, but too often they are bullied by hungrier, faster midfield opponents.
Regardless of how Spurs end the season, the versatile youngster should call his agent to find a new club for next season. He deserves better recognition.
Surely he should be a candidate for worst player of the season? This turned out to be a disastrous loan spell for the striker, who was understandably hooked at half-time. No one knows where his future lies, but it certainly won’t be in a Tottenham shirt.
In truth, he should have scored with a header from 12 yards out, just before Atlético broke through the opposition and made it 5-1 just 12 seconds later.
It was only when I was writing this review that I realized he played 45 minutes. Definition of anonymous.
His first touch after replacing Kinski was a brilliant close-range save, but Spurs are lucky at the moment that the rebound was converted. He couldn’t do much as a fifth man, but he was certainly better than the player he replaced.
At half-time it seemed inconceivable that a Spurs player would score 7/10. The striker was just one of the half-time substitutes who made a huge difference at the forefront of the attack. He scored a great goal.
It was not the return to Madrid he had hoped for after leaving Atlético in January.
He fell due to a collision of heads and finished the match off the pitch.
