Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to face Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and will be vying for a better result after their dismal loss to north London rivals Arsenal last week.
Spurs, who are currently 16th with 29 points, have not won a single of their last five games and are in need of three points to push them further away from relegation, a word which team boss Igor Tudor has avoided using with his players, saying the only focus should be ‘on ourselves’.
Fulham have won two out of their last five, and have gathered 37 points to sit them just inside the top 10.
Tudor spoke to the media ahead of his side’s vital clash, describing Sunday’s opponents as ‘a very good team with a coach who is there for a long, long period.’
He said:
“[Regarding Fulham] very recognisable team in the way how they do things, very serious team, always difficult to beat them, so it will be tough.
“We need to be focused on us, what to do, because we need to make better our performance.
“On the training, that's the only thing we can change, so there is nothing to think about the future or the points even.
“The points come as a consequence of the training and the game, so that's the focus, that's the main and only focus we need to have.
“In Italy, they use the terms, have a mentality of a small team.
“So that's the key always – with the humble, with the willing, with the wish to have always motivation, like you play against a bigger team, so that's the start, of course.
“Then we work a lot of that… They [the players] are aware of everything [the situation they are in], of course.”
In terms of who could be playing this weekend and possible formations, Tudor was asked if his tactics could change amid a possible return for Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro.
On this, he said:
“We're going to see when they're back, how they're back, what are the other players, so this is work in the work to recognise what this team can do.
“That's also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball, but then if you have too many problems back, then you need to think about the style – it’s the right style, it's the right way, you can call it how you want.
“So, I need to be smart to understand deeper the moment and the way how to take the points, even not looking to the style now in this moment.
“Style needs to be in the second moment, because now it's a question of life and death… sportingly.”