Hoddle has opened up about his attempt to return to the dugout to save his beloved club from the drop. Following a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in late March, a result that left the club teetering on the brink of disaster, Hoddle and Ardiles reached out to the hierarchy to offer their services.
The defeat to Forest proved to be the final straw for Tudor, who was dismissed after winning just once in seven games. With the club facing the genuine prospect of a first relegation in 49 years, Hoddle felt that an injection of "Spurs DNA" was required to galvanise a fractured dressing room and an increasingly frustrated fanbase.
Speaking on The Jeff Stelling Show, Hoddle explained the logic behind the offer and his desire to bring stability to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"They never came to us. We did, Ossie (Ardiles) and myself, after the Forest game, we felt there was a real problem there," Hoddle revealed. "Ossie and I made it clear that we would go in there if they wanted us to go in there with probably a younger legend (as coach) as well. It needed some love, like it needed some people to go in there and unite the fans, with the owners, with the team and that is why we said we would do it."
Despite the emotional pull of a Hoddle-Ardiles return, the Tottenham board instead opted for the tactical acumen of former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi. Hoddle, who has followed the club since he was a child, insists there is no bitterness regarding the decision to go in a different direction with the Italian head coach.
"They said they were looking elsewhere, so that was fine by me," Hoddle admitted. "I don’t care who, I’m a Spurs man through and through since eight years of age, so as long as they’ve got the right man in. De Zerbi has gone in and everyone’s got to unite and get together, but they’ve got a real task on their hands haven’t they? I just want them to stay up, whether I was involved or I wasn’t."
While De Zerbi secured a vital first victory against Wolves last Saturday, the task ahead remains monumental. Tottenham currently sit 18th in the Premier League table, two points adrift of safety, and their survival hopes have been hampered by a growing injury list that threatens to derail their campaign entirely. The club has confirmed that star man Xavi Simons has been ruled out until at least October with a serious knee injury, while Dominic Solanke is a major doubt for the final four matches due to a hamstring strain.