Tottenham are reportedly considering what would be a brutal Igor Tudor call ahead of their showdown with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Thursday.
Spurs battling relegation after disastrous Premier League season
Tudor arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February as the club's second manager of a catastrophic campaign, handed the interim reins after Thomas Frank was shown the door following just eight months in the job.
The Croatian was brought in to provide an immediate shot in the arm and arrest a slide that had seen Spurs go 10 Premier League games without a win in 2026. It has not gone to plan so far.
Tudor arrived at N17 with a fearsome reputation as a firefighter who has rescued previous campaigns of multiple Serie A clubs, including Lazio and Juventus.
However, under the tactician, things have got worse rather than better.
A 4-1 thumping at Arsenal was as embarrassing as it sounds, and a 2-1 defeat to Fulham did nothing to suggest the new man had any kind of answers.
The performances have been listless, the defending alarming, and the goals have dried up at exactly the wrong end of the season.
Spurs currently sit just four points above the relegation zone with games running out. A club that won the Europa League less than a year ago under Ange Postecoglou are now in a genuine fight for their top-flight survival.
The contrast is staggering.
The problems run deeper, with Fabio Paratici, who returned from a lengthy FIFA ban in October only to leave for Fiorentina in February, barely having time to make an impact before walking out the door.
Reports suggest Tottenham are eyeing up Dougie Freedman and Chelsea's Paul Winstanley as replacements for Paratici, and the new co-sporting director will have a big say on their next permanent manager.
Against all of this backdrop and real turmoil in north London, Thursday's home clash with Crystal Palace has taken on enormous significance — and not just in terms of the table.
Tottenham considering brutal Igor Tudor decision ahead of Crystal Palace
According to a report from Match Day Central on X, formerly Twitter, Tudor's position may depend entirely on what happens against Palace.
The club's board are apparently alarmed by the performances since his appointment and that patience is wearing thin at a rapid rate.
Tudor was installed with the clear expectation that he would turn results around quickly. That has not happened.
A win on Thursday, the report suggests, could buy him more time. Anything short of three points, and the club may decide that another change is necessary — even with the chaos that would inevitably bring.
It would be an extraordinary situation even by Spurs' recent standards. Sacking a third manager in 12 months with just 10 games to go, while simultaneously battling relegation and hunting for a permanent appointment, would be the kind of chaos that the club cannot afford — financially or by reputation.
Palace are no pushovers either.
Oliver Glasner's side have won three of their last six games in all competitions and gave Man United a good game last time out, so they'll arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with some confidence.