Igor Tudor 'decided his own fate' at 'rudderless' Tottenham Hotspur in 'surreal' UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid

Igor Tudor 'decided his own fate' at 'rudderless' Tottenham Hotspur in 'surreal' UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid - Steve McManaman

Tottenham Hotspur are a "rudderless ship" and have become "even more dire" since the appointment of Igor Tudor as interim head coach, TNT Sports expert Steve McManaman said. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder felt the Spurs boss - who replaced Thomas Frank on a deal until the end of the season - "decided his own fate" during Tuesday's "surreal" 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid.

TNT Sports expert Steve McManaman said Igor Tudor "decided his own fate" as Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach after their 5-2 UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Spurs were 4-0 down inside 22 minutes after a catastrophic opening period which saw goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky - making his Champions League debut for Spurs - withdrawn after two major errors.

Tudor did not acknowledge Kinsky as he walked down the tunnel, which was heavily criticised by both McManaman and Joe Hart in the TNT Sports studio.

And alongside other changes to his line-up, which saw Dominic Solanke, Palhinha and Xavi Simons benched, McManaman was left questioning the Spurs head coach's decision-making process.

"It wasn't just the performance tonight, it was everything on the periphery," McManaman said. "The peripheral nonsense on the goalkeepers, how he chose his team, his set-up.

"At half-time he's gone back to bringing on [Dominic] Solanke, who you thought should have played, Conor Gallagher, Xavi Simons, [Joao] Palhinha, who would've been ideal for tonight.

"He's almost decided his own fate, really tonight. Every decision he's made he's gone against at half-time. It was a surreal performance."

While Pedro Porro reduced the deficit in the first half, Julian Alvarez restored Atletico's four-goal lead shortly after the break when he broke free on the counter-attack.

Substitute Solanke netted on 76 minutes to ensure his side would trail by three goals heading into next week's second leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Defeat at the Metropolitano meant Tudor has lost all four of his matches in charge since replacing Thomas Frank on a deal until the end of the season.

Just a point above the Premier League relegation zone and their Champions League status now in major jeopardy, McManaman said the "unusual appointment" of Tudor is straying far from its intended results.

"He was brought in for an immediate bounce," McManaman said. "An immediate reaction, because that is what his career as a manager is all about.

"He goes into clubs, gets an immediate reaction, gets results, then six months later may leave the club.

"It was an unusual appointment. I don't think even the ardent Tottenham fan could see Igor Tudor being parachuted in to save them."

The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder added: "They look lost, a lot of the players. They're trying their heart out, they don't want to be in a relegation battle, they know what Tottenham is all about, what the stadium is like, they know what financial impact it will have if they get relegated, because it will be in a lot of their contracts.

"They know what it's all about. But with the injury problems they have, and they've had more tonight, it just seems to be piling on one after the other after the other.

"Now they have to go to Anfield [in the league] at the weekend, and three central defenders were off and Palhinha went off today. Tonight, forget about the result, just the overall optics of the game, it's actually made things a lot, lot worse.

"The manager has behaved in a different light. They just need to keep on fighting and responding.

"It's very difficult when you're playing out of position, and you've got someone inside you out of position as well. No one seems to know where they should be, where they should defend.

"You wonder whether anybody's doing their homework. The back three just did not work today, they got caught time after time after time. It just makes you think even more, 'What on earth is going on?' This is not just team selection, that's the worrying thing about it."

Per Opta, Spurs have now lost six matches in a row in all competitions for the first time in their history.

Was that the craziest first 30 minutes in Champions League history?

'This is embarrassing!' - Spurs keeper Kinsky subbed after 16 minutes

McManaman said that looking from afar, the club is lacking structure and clear leadership. He feels that on the pitch "there's no plan" from Tudor.

The former Liverpool star added: "All we can see is what goes on on the pitch, and it looks very chaotic. His choice of players, he seems to change it around a lot. He doesn't stick to playing the best players in their positions and being strong. In times of trouble, we get back, condensed, defend. There's no plan.

"When I look at them now, it's like a rudderless ship. I don't know who is the chief exec, I don't know who's the sporting director, if they have one. I just know they catapulted Igor Tudor in to stop the rot and it's not happening at all."

McManaman was also unimpressed by Tudor saying in his post-match interview with TNT Sports that "not is not the moment for big explanations."

The TNT Sports expert argued it is Tudor's job to "front up" and "come out with some positivity."

He added: "You would have thought the Champions League is a bit of respite from the Premier League. You'd think it'd be a breath of fresh air and he hasn't helped himself today. He should be there fronting up, unfortunately he's the one who needs to front up.

"He was brought in because they were in a dire position, the fact he's made them more dire is on him."

McManaman also criticised the lack of acknowledgement for goalkeeper Kinsky upon his withdrawal on 16 minutes, saying "the optics look terrible" and that the Spurs boss did "not do anything to help" the 22-year-old.

"He's been at Tottenham for a year," McManaman said. "Yes, he's on Premier League, Champions League wages. He's a young boy learning his trade still. We all understand what happened in the game and the mistakes he made.

"But it wasn't about that. It was about being a figure, being somebody to say, 'You know what, don't worry about it.' It was just a small thing he needed to do, the manager. I have no problem with the substitution, Vicario should have played.

"I've got no problem with him bringing him off. But then go over, say to him, 'Don't worry, I'm sorry, I'm with you, we'll deal with it later.' It takes five seconds. The optics look terrible. You're not doing anything to help that kid at all."

Spurs return to action away to Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday before the return leg against Atletico on Wednesday, March 18 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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