Igor Tudor is frustrated as Tottenham lose to Nottingham Forest. (Image: Getty)
Igor Tudor is starting to look like a man without ideas and Tottenham are paying the price.
This latest debacle, a humiliating 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, may be the clearest sign yet that the Spurs manager is losing control at the worst possible time.
There were signs of life for 44 minutes.
Tottenham were organized, competitive and, by recent standards, looked like a team with an actual plan. The home crowd responded, creating the atmosphere needed for the occasion. All were facing their sides ready to fight.
Then everything unraveled in an instant.
Igor Jesus’ header just before half-time was shocking. But what happened next was far more damaging.
His starting position had already raised eyebrows, with Micky van de Ven converted to left-back and Jed Spence slotted in on the right, with Pedro Polo further forward. This was unconventional and probably unnecessary, but it was at least half effective.
Still, at the first sign of trouble, Tudor broke it.
Van de Ven and Spence were sent off at half-time and were replaced by Destiny Oudogie and Lukas Bergvall. Polo stepped back. The system has changed. Also.
It was a gamble, but it backfired spectacularly.
Tottenham did not respond. they fell.
The structure and confidence built in the first half was gone and the game was effectively over when Morgan Gibbs-White doubled Forest’s lead.
This is becoming a worrying pattern.
Express sports on FB! Get all the best sports news and more on our Facebook page
Micky van de Ven is among the disappointed Tottenham players. (Image: Getty)
Tudor talks about intensity and control, but his decisions during games tell a different story. One of those managers who reacts rather than leads. Follow the game instead of shaping it.
Even when the Spurs are in the lead, one setback is enough to cause major changes. Systems are abandoned, players are shuffled, and any sense of identity is lost.
This kind of instability spread quickly and it now appears that Tottenham’s team no longer knows what to do.
We’ve seen it before too. Triple substitution against Fulham. Constant changes in tactics. Lack of consistency from one week to the next.
With seven games left, Tottenham are running out of time to save their season. The situation can still be salvaged, but only if the situation is clear from the touchline.
As of now, he is nowhere to be seen.
And unless something changes soon, Tudor will not only be under pressure, but will be running out of time.
