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Igor Tudor has lost all four games in charge of Tottenham and could well be fired if his side is beaten again by Liverpool, with relegation a real concern

Tottenham interim boss Igor Tudor is under increasing pressure ahead of the trip to Liverpool, with Spurs already sounding out potential replacements.

Tudor's appointment, on a deal until the end of the season, has been nothing short of disastrous with Tottenham in real danger at the bottom of the Premier League. Spurs have lost all four games under Tudor and sit just a point above the relegation zone, with West Ham closing in after the draw with Manchester City.

There was speculation that the Croatian would be fired after the Champions League shambles against Atletico Madrid but he will take charge at Anfield on Sunday.

However, he has a fight on his hands to win over the Tottenham board with another change reportedly already being considered in a desperate attempt to avoid relegation.

According to talkSPORT, as many as eight options are being considered by Spurs either on short-term deals until the end of the season, or with one eye on next term.

Former Everton boss Sean Dyche has been mooted but that could prove a tricky deal following his firing by Nottingham Forest earlier in the campaign.

There would be difficulties in appointing former boss Mauricio Pochettino too. He is believed to be open to a return to north London but is preparing for the World Cup with hosts USA this summer.

Meanwhile, former players Ryan Mason and Robbie Keane could emerge as options but the latter is currently in charge of Ferencvaros and would like a long-term deal. Ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is another permanent target.

Despite the mounting pressure, Tudor maintains he is the right man for the job and doesn't believe a replacement would be able to address the problems.

"When people want a new coach, it's a new hope. People always want new hope that things will change but the reality is totally different. The reality is not that," he told Sky Sports.

"In this world where everyone has an opinion, you can never win. But as coaches we have to focus on what we can change. We need to stay calm and believe in ourselves."

"I don't feel good because we don't have results," Tudor said. "The problems are bigger than I was thinking. It is what it is and we need to accept that. We need to see it as a challenge and not cry."

Igor Tudor faces a major selection crisis as Tottenham travel to Anfield on Sunday, with at least 12 players unavailable for the Premier League clash against Liverpool

Igor Tudor faces the daunting prospect of securing an improbable result at Liverpool whilst being deprived of at least 12 Tottenham players for Sunday's Anfield encounter.

Tudor revealed on Friday afternoon during his pre-match press briefing that Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha would be unavailable on Merseyside, as both are now undergoing concussion protocols following a collision in the dying moments of Spurs ' 5-2 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid.

The interim Spurs manager understands his position is under threat following four consecutive defeats since his arrival in north London, with no discernible improvement in form or displays since he succeeded Thomas Frank last month.

Troubles continue to mount at Tottenham, and alongside the concussed Romero and Palhinha, Tudor will also be without Yves Bissouma due to a muscular issue, has Micky van de Ven serving a suspension, and Conor Gallagher battling a fever.

The latter is anticipated to be fit in time, but should he fail to recover, Spurs will have 13 absentees.

The Spurs manager suggested to football.london that at Anfield, Archie Gray would be deployed in yet another unfamiliar role under his stewardship. This indicates the 20 year old will operate on the right side of a back three, having already featured at left-back, right wing-back and in midfield for the Croatian.

This would see Pedro Porro and Djed Spence operating as the full-backs against Liverpool. Tudor also confirmed that Guglielmo Vicario will be returning to the goal.

If Gray is in the defence, then it leaves only Pape Matar Sarr and possibly Gallagher as the remaining fit central midfielders.

Both Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have found the back of the net in recent matches and merit a starting position over Randal Kolo Muani, who continues to struggle to make his mark in the Premier League.

This leaves Xavi Simons and Mathys Tel to fill the other attacking role, either in a front three or behind the two strikers.

Liverpool hosts Tottenham this weekend in the Premier League, with Alan Shearer predicting that things could get "messy" for Igor Tudor's struggling side at Anfield

Alan Shearer thinks things could get "messy" for Tottenham against Liverpool this weekend, with most pundits agreed on a comfortable win for the Reds at Anfield.

Chasing a spot in the Champions League next season, Liverpool hosts a Spurs side hovering above the relegation zone with both sides in need of the points following below-par campaigns. Arne Slot's men need to finish inside the top five places, while Igor Tudor could be fired four games into his Tottenham career if he loses heavily on Sunday.

"I have no confidence whatsoever in Spurs," Shearer told Betfair. "Anything could happen at Anfield. It could be messy. If Liverpool score early, then Spurs could capitulate.

"The size of the game for Tottenham — I know Liverpool have got a huge game against Galatasaray which they have to get through and win — but the magnitude of this for Tottenham is incredible. I have no belief or confidence that they'll go there and win."

Wayne Rooney is thinking along similar lines. He suggested that Liverpool could score six goals, while Paul Merson and Chris Sutton are predicting victories for the Reds coupled with clean sheets.

"It's just a matter of by how many goals Liverpool can win by," Merson wrote for Sportskeeda. "How long is Igor Tudor going to be around? My question is, who wants the Spurs job at the moment?

"Tottenham will wait it out. They will get the Liverpool game out of the way before making a decision on Tudor. No one expects Spurs to win this game.

"I won't be surprised if they sack Tudor on Sunday. Time is running out and at some point they must make a change, so why not at the earliest? If Tottenham lose at Anfield, I will be shocked if Tudor is still in charge of the team for next weekend's massive relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest.

"I'm expecting Arne Slot to go with his best team for this game. I expect Liverpool to turn it around against Galatasaray in the second leg next week. But let's admit it, they have a better chance of finishing inside the top five rather than winning the Champions League."

Merson went for a 3-0 win for Liverpool, while Sutton decided on a 2-0 victory for Slot's team.

"How on earth can anyone back Spurs to get anything at the moment?" Sutton wrote in his BBC Sport column. "Igor Tudor is making me look like I was a competent manager when I was in charge of Lincoln.

"There just seems to be so many things wrong at Spurs. They sacked Thomas Frank, thinking they were going to get this short-term fix from Tudor, but they have got a guy who has had a short-term shocker.

"Liverpool are far from convincing either, mind you. It's not impossible that Spurs scramble a win here because Arne Slot's side were lousy in Turkey on Tuesday."

Tottenham have been handed yet more blows ahead of facing Liverpool at Anfield, with Igor Tudor under immense pressure as his side slides further into relegation territory

Crisis-hit Tottenham will travel to Anfield on Sunday to face defending champion Liverpool in the Premier League whilst potentially missing as many as 13 first-team players.

Forwards Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus were already unavailable alongside midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall, as well as defenders Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie.

Another defender, Micky van de Ven, will also be absent from the game. He is serving a suspension following his red card in the 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace, which left Tottenham merely one point above the Premier League relegation zone and in genuine danger of dropping down for the first time since the English top flight was rebranded in 1992.

To compound matters further, captain and center-back Cristian Romero and midfielder Joao Palhinha are also ruled out after they collided heads towards the end of the 5-2 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Embattled Spurs manager Igor Tudor confirmed at his press conference on Friday that the crucial duo, who are believed to be undergoing concussion protocols, would be unavailable to face Liverpool.

However, the injury crisis doesn't stop there. Yves Bissouma is also considered doubtful and whilst fellow midfielder Conor Gallagher is anticipated to feature, he has been feeling under the weather.

"No Romero and Palhinha out," Tudor confirmed. "Micky [van de Ven] is out. Yves Bissouma has a problem and Conor [Gallagher] has a fever but we hope he will be okay.

"Always something happens. It's very rare and I've never seen this in my career."

Spurs have suffered defeat in their previous six fixtures across all competitions, including the opening four under Tudor's stewardship.

Amid growing pressure for the Croatian's dismissal, he acknowledged: "Tough, for sure. Not just because of last game, but because of the period and the past.

"Not easy situation, not an easy moment and from other side a big challenge to change things. Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation.

"So, you can stay and cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can say I can change something. This is the message I want to start and what I told to the players.

"Everyone speaking, everyone has opinions and the life is always how you see it. The bottle is always half empty or half full. Here there is nothing full, there is a lot of empty things but difficult moments don't last forever.

"It will pass and I believe the players who will take this as a challenge, as an opportunity will stand up with the courage to change things, after this period they will become better people and better players.

"So, in tough moments it's always about that, it's always about us. In the last period, a lot of things about what is the club, the problems, no-one can do nothing and this like victim-ism, like we were victims.

"I said this morning to the players totally opposition things. We are the team and we are the staff.

"It's all about us. All the bull----, all the other things are bull---- and sorry to use this word, but it's on us."

Tottenham travels to Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend for what is likely to be a tricky game for the struggling North London club

A Tottenham-supporting presenter has said that they would prefer the North London club to forfeit this weekend's game against Liverpool to avoid another humiliating defeat.

After finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, Spurs have endured a nightmarish campaign, and now find themselves in 17th place in the standings.

The difference between this season and last, though, is that there is a genuine chance that Tottenham could be relegated.

Last season's bottom three were clearly the three worst teams in the division, and Tottenham finished 13 points above the relegation zone.

Currently Igor Tudor's men are just one point ahead of the teams in 17th and 18th position — Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

Spurs are yet to win a league game in 2026, and a trip to Anfield is an unenviable task at the best of times, so Spurs fan Abbi Summers, who appears on talkSPORT 's Spurs podcast, said that she doesn't even want the game to go ahead.

“I honestly mean this wholeheartedly - I would happily forfeit this game," Summers said. "I'd take the 3-0. Just give them the three points.

"Realistically, firstly, it saves us the travel. It saves any injuries or any other suspensions.”

“If you know you're going to get beat, which we are, right? Knowing us, we probably will end up being embarrassed.

“[Mohamed] Salah has had a poor season. [Cody] Gakpo has had a poor season - they'll probably both score a hat-trick. So it could be like 6-1 or something like that.

“My thing is, take the 3-0. Take it, move on, keep it moving.”

As well as their diabolical league form, Spurs are also coming off the back of a humiliating defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday.

They were 4-0 down after just 22 minutes, and interim head coach Tudor has been widely panned for his role in the eventual 5-2 defeat.

Tudor sprung a surprise in goal as he dropped Guglielmo Vicario for Antonin Kinsky in goal, only to replace Kinsky after 17 minutes with Tottenham trailing 3-0.

Kinsky was supported by several teammates as well as members of the coaching staff as he left the field, but he was ignored by Tudor, who has presided over four successive defeats since he was appointed as a temporary replacement for Thomas Frank in February.

Wayne Rooney doesn't have much hope of Tottenham getting anything from its trip to Anfield this weekend, with Liverpool in need of the points in the Champions League race

Liverpool has been roundly backed to beat Tottenham comfortably this weekend, despite Arne Slot's side struggling for form of late. The Reds lost earlier this week to Galatasaray.

But with the race for the Champions League spots hotting up, this is a chance to make up ground on at least one of Manchester United and Aston Villa, who face each other at Old Trafford immediately before kick off at Anfield.

Tottenham will be without several key men through injury, while Micky van de Ven is suspended. Slot will deliver an update on Alisson Becker during a press conference later this morning.

Roy Keane and Ian Wright predicted a 3-1 win for Liverpool, with the latter claiming it "could get bad" for Spurs at Anfield. Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, meanwhile, went with a 5-1 home win.

"I think six," Rooney said. With Neville going for 4-1, they split the difference while making the predictions on the Stick To Football podcast, which is sponsored by Sky Bet.

As things stand, Liverpool is three points behind Manchester United and Aston Villa and level with Chelsea. Each of those teams has nine games left to play.

"I think the key for Arne Slot staying on at Liverpool next season is securing Champions League football," Alan Shearer told Betfair last week.

"I think with Liverpool, with what they've spent, their biggest disappointment is not challenging for the league. That ship sailed for them three or four months ago.

"I guess if they don't make the top five, then you would, without doubt, question whether Arne Slot would be in the job.

"A club of that size, how much they've spent after winning the league and not finishing in the top five, yeah, I guess he would be under pressure in terms of his job."

After taking on Tottenham, Liverpool finishes the period before the March international break with the second leg against Galatasaray and then a trip to Brighton.

Liverpool.com says: By the time the Reds kick off, they will know how the other Champions League contenders have got on. Regardless of other results, they simply have to beat Spurs.

Igor Tudor has had a nightmare so far at Tottenham and while Spurs will pick up points at some point, Liverpool cannot afford for it to be at Anfield. It is a chance that it can't miss.

Tottenham Hotspur face the prospect of being without 11 first-team players for their Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield after their 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid

If it was a disappointing evening for Liverpool in the Champions League, then it was an absolute nightmare for Tottenham Hotspur, who are set to visit Anfield this Sunday in the Premier League.

Despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in Turkey in their round of 16 first-leg tie, Liverpool remains favorites to advance to the quarter-finals. However, for Tottenham, their journey in Europe's elite club competition appears all but over following a crushing 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in Spain.

The loss marks Spurs' sixth consecutive defeat across all competitions and, as if that wasn't troubling enough, they now face the daunting prospect of being without 11 key players for their upcoming clash with the Reds.

Tottenham's woes are compounded by an injury crisis, with attackers Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus already sidelined, along with midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall and defenders Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie.

Adding to their troubles, another defender, Micky van de Ven, will also be absent for the Liverpool match due to suspension, following his dismissal in Tottenham's 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. This leaves Spurs teetering just one point above the Premier League relegation zone, facing the very real threat of relegation for the first time since the English top flight was rebranded in 1992.

Adding to the woes, team captain and centre-back Cristian Romero and midfielder Joao Palhinha are also uncertain for the upcoming match.

The pair suffered head injuries during the defeat to Atletico, leaving new manager Igor Tudor, who has yet to secure a win in his first four games at the helm of Tottenham, unable to confirm their availability due to FA concussion protocols.

He stated: "I don't know. We will see. I don't know. Also, an example of the moment. It is incredible. It is incredible. We finished the game and we see the two players and there is Micky (Van de Ven), who is out with a red card.

"Sometimes it is difficult to explain. It looks like everything is against us. Incredible things."

Another conundrum for Tudor is deciding on the starting goalkeeper for the clash against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, following his ill-fated decision to bench first-choice Guglielmo Vicario in favour of Antonin Kinsky in the Atletico Madrid match.

Kinsky was pulled off just 17 minutes into the game after letting in four goals, two of which were direct results of his mistakes.

Tudor commented: "In my 15 years coaching, I never do that. It was necessary to preserve the guy, to preserve the team.

"Incredible situation, nothing to comment, you will see. It was, before the game, the right choice to do in the moment like we are.

"Pressure on Vicario, another competition, Toni is a very good goalkeeper. So, it was, for me, the right decision. I explained to Toni, also speaking after, that he is the right guy and a good goalkeeper. Unfortunately, it happened in this big game these mistakes.

"He was sorry. He made an excuse for the team. The team is with him. Me too. I was speaking with him, he understands the moment.

"He understands why he (had to) go out. So, as I said before, he is a very good goalkeeper. We are all together. It is not about one player, so, it has happened."

Tudor's choice to withdraw Kinsky and introduce Vicario attracted widespread condemnation from former shot-stoppers, notably Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel, who remarked on CBS' Champions League broadcast: "He substitutes him, that is going to have ramifications for the rest of his career. He's absolutely killed his career."

On BBC commentary, ex-Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson labelled Tudor's substitution of Kinsky as "confidence-destroying" and observed: "I have never seen that on a football pitch."

On TNT Sports, another former England number one, Joe Hart, expressed: "My heart is absolutely broken for him (Kinsky). He had a horrible 14 minutes, that slip and the third goal. I don't know what to say. I am just heartbroken for the lad. This Tottenham team is all over the place."

Former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, currently plying his trade in Serie A with Fiorentina, voiced his support for X, stating: "No-one who hasn't been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again."

Tottenham fell apart in the first half against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, with Antonin Kinsky drawing comparisons to former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius

Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was substituted after 15 minutes in the Champions League, with immediate comparisons being made to former Liverpool shot-stopper Loris Karius.

Kinsky was brought into the starting XI to replace Guglielmo Vicario but slipped to allow Marcos Llorente to open the scoring. Antoine Griezmann then beat him when Liverpool-linked Micky van de Ven slipped, before the goalkeeper made a calamitous error for Atletico Madrid to go three goals up.

At that point, with Kinsky flailing, Igor Tudor decided enough was enough. He decided to go back to Vicario, bringing the Italian off the bench. Five minutes later, Robin Le Normand made it 4-0.

Karius, of course, suffered a dreadful night in the Champions League final in 2018, a game from which he never really recovered.

And on TNT Sports' coverage of the game in the UK, the commentary team made the immediate comparison between Karius and Kinsky, who will surely struggle to come back from such humiliation at Tottenham.

He looked distraught going down the tunnel once he had been substituted. This was his Champions League debut with the 22-year-old Czech star quickly crumbling on the big stage.

"I've been trying to make sense of it," Joe Hart said. "My heart is absolutely broken for him [Kinsky].

"He had a horrible 14 minutes, that slip and the third goal. I don't know what to say. I am just heartbroken for the lad. This Tottenham team is all over the place."

Some Atletico fans actually gave Kinsky some applause in sympathy as he exited the field.

"I have never seen that on a football pitch. What a huge call from the manager Igor Tudor," Paul Robinson added.

"Yes, the goalkeeper was at fault but that is confidence destroying for Antonín Kinsky. They have got to show some fight.

"Tottenham have got to go for this. Professional and personal pride is at stake here. You can blame anyone else, but you cross that white line as a player and it is up to you to stand up."

Alisson Becker is being linked with a surprise return to Italy, with Juventus said to be looking at the Liverpool goalkeeper and other options from the Premier League

Alisson Becker could be eyed up for a return to Italy in the summer, with the Liverpool goalkeeper the subject of transfer interest from Juventus.

The Brazil international has of course established himself as the Reds’ number one since making the move to Anfield from Roma in 2018, although he may well be approaching the end of his spell on Merseyside.

Alisson’s contract expires at the end of the season, although Liverpool has the option to extend it by a further year. The Reds though already look to be planning ahead, with Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili having arrived from Valencia last summer after a deal was agreed the previous year.

Although Liverpool is expected to take up the option on Alisson’s contract, reports in Italy are suggesting he is being targeted for a move to Juventus in the summer.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims that the Turin club is looking to the Premier League for for a new goalkeeper, with current No.1 Michele Di Gregorio coming under pressure for his position after recent mistakes.

Alisson is therefore one of the options said to have been targeted, although Juve is also suggested to be looking at Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario.

AC Milan’s Mike Maignan had also been considered before he signed a new contract at the San Siro. Juventus’ plans could hinge on it qualifying for next season’s Champions League, which it is far from assured of.

Alisson has already addressed his future, having suggested last summer that he expects Liverpool to trigger the option to keep him for a further year, while revealing his plans to return to Brazil and boyhood club Internacional at some point.

"I've never been able to plan long term. Obviously now I have one year left on my contract and another year of club option, which they will probably exercize," Alisson said.

"It's a decisive moment in my career, with a World Cup coming up. I want to be very focused, I don't want anything external to get in the way of that."

Explaining his plans to return home, Alisson added: "I talk to athletes who have made this move to return, some have had good experiences, others not.

"Each one will have their own experience, but I want to return, especially to Inter. I don't know when it will happen, but I still want to do it at a high level. That's what I have planned."

Darwin Nunez could return to the Premier League this summer after being frozen out at Al-Hilal, with Tottenham and Newcastle among clubs interested in the ex-Liverpool striker

Darwin Nunez could be in for a surprising return to the Premier League this summer, just a year after departing Liverpool for Al-Hilal.

The Uruguayan forward made the switch from Anfield to the Saudi Pro League team last August, but his inaugural season with the club has been anything but smooth sailing. With a tally of nine goals and five assists from 24 appearances across all competitions, it would seem at first glance that the 26-year-old has flourished in the Middle East.

However, following the recent arrival of Karim Benzema, Nunez's future at Al-Hilal has been thrown into doubt. Due to a stringent foreign player quota and Benzema's registration, Nunez is now ineligible to play Pro League or Cup soccer for his current team.

This will be a significant setback for the striker, who would have been aiming to stake his claim for a spot in his national team for this summer's World Cup in North America.

According to TEAMtalk, Nunez is now contemplating his future at the club due to his harsh exclusion from the squad, with sources suggesting that several European clubs have expressed interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

Intermediaries have been in talks with a number of English clubs in particular, with Tottenham and Newcastle reportedly showing interest in a potential move for Nunez when the transfer window reopens.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are also believed to be long-standing admirers of the player. However, a potential hurdle in acquiring Nunez's services could be his salary in Saudi Arabia. It's unlikely a European team would match it.

That being said, it's also reported that Nunez would be prepared to take a pay cut for the right club ahead of the 2026-27 season. This comes as Newcastle have been lacking in attacking prowess this season, despite splashing out on Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa following Alexander Isak's transfer to Liverpool.

In other news, Spurs find themselves in a relegation scrap, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and just five points above the relegation zone after Sunday's 4-1 defeat in the London Derby.

Liverpool, on the other hand, hasn't been without its own problems in the forward line this season. While Hugo Ekitike has shone in his debut season at Anfield, netting 15 goals and providing four assists across all competitions, Isak's stint has been less successful.

The Swedish forward managed a mere three goals and an assist before he sustained a fractured leg in December, necessitating surgery. Consequently, he now faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines, with a return not expected until April at the earliest.

Isak's injury has somewhat dented Liverpool's aspirations of securing Champions League soccer for the 2026-27 season.

Currently, the Reds are sixth in the Premier League table with 11 matches left to play, sitting on 45 points alongside fourth-placed Chelsea and Manchester United in fifth.

Next up for Arne Slot's players is a home match against West Ham on Saturday, February 28.