Football365

Igor Tudor has been tipped to be the next Premier League manager sacked as Spurs would have been better off with Harry Redknapp over a ‘lame duck’…

Also, the Jose Mourinho of ‘this generation’ is why neutrals want Manchester City to pip Arsenal to the Premier League title.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com…

Tudor is to do

At worst; a managerial change, a written-off season and the cycle starts again for the 427th time of the ENIC era. At best; all of the above but they also fluke their way to the Champions League final in the process, because that would absolutely defy any semblance of logic and that’s pretty much the hallmark of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

February came and, fair enough, it wasn’t getting any better. Fair enough, Thomas Frank was clearly out of his depth. The decision to give the unfortunate, Arsenal-worshipping Dane the old tin tack was the right decision in the end, even if it was too late to make any positive impact on 2025/6.

I’ve been happy to wait and see what the end of the season brings. On past trends, I’d expect to see an undignified and protracted, scattergun chase for managers who are either plainly out of Spurs’ league or too smart to drink from the poisoned chalice at this particularly batshit crazy point in their recent history (Alonso, Poch, Maresca, Xavi) before settling for someone available but entirely unsuited, like Amorin or Glasner, some time in late August. The full Alanis-baiting irony of that last suggestion would come when Crystal Palace appoint Thomas Frank to lead them to finish eight points and three places above Spurs in the 26/27 league standings, while Spurs bin off Glasner before the clocks even go back!

But that’s a problem for another day and so I’ve spent the last couple of days bantering with mates about who Spurs could bring in as an interim appointment until the end of the season. Would it be a “Club-DNA” hire (Robbie Keane, Jurgen Klinsmann or maybe even Redders – presumably with Nico Krancjar in tow) or someone who has made their name in the substitute teacher / relegation firefighter mould (Solskjaer, Big Sam, Sean Dyche) or perhaps someone who ticks both of those boxes (Tactics Tim or Ryan Mason)? I even Googled whether David Pleat was still knocking about (and I’m pleased to report he turned 81 last month, for anyone interested, though I think I’d have to accept his top flight coaching days might be behind him at this point).

And then Igor Tudor happened.

READ: Ten 2025/26 PL shocks that could still happen, include Arsenal failing to win title, Spurs relegation

A shiny penny awarded to anyone who can explain to me the logic in that move. Here comes the lengthy and cathartic missive.

Yadda yadda “reputation as a firefighter”. Whatever. How many of those reputation-forming managerial spells were proper relegation scraps? Most of his “successes” across his multitude of jobs in the last decade or so, involving getting a marginally underachieving club from mid-table to a slightly-more-respectable finish, or from fourth to fifth with very short-term boosts that provide no context for the form of the clubs above them. I’m clinging on to the couple of spells at Udinese for any hope that he has some sort of particular set of skills to Liam Neeson his way through the Spurs shitstorm that awaits him.

And do you know where those “rescue jobs” took place? That’s right: not England. Not to get too parochial about “our league”, but it’s stating the mind-blowingly obvious to anyone reading this website that football is culturally, tactically and stylistically very different in different countries. Tudor’s successes, such as they are, have either come in his native Croatia or Italy, where he spent the majority of his playing career. Early spells in Greece, Turkey and then latterly France ranged from disappointing to just-about-par-for-the-course. He has 12 games (if he lasts all of them) and absolutely no room for learning on the job. I f*****g hope he’s a quick study or the North London Derby is going to be a bloodbath.

I’m not saying that Spurs should be entitled to expect someone ‘better’ (and I’m old enough to remember Igor Tudor as a magnificent centre half for the Old Lady of Turin so I promise it’s nothing personal), I just can’t for the life of me fathom what he brings to a Premier League relegation battle in mid-February. I’d genuinely take any of the names I’ve mentioned above (including Redders, who I abused mercilessly on these pages throughout his tenure) at this point to mark a culture and mood shift big enough to avoid the unthinkable. Perversely, I think I’d be marginally happier if Tudor been announced either as the permanent manager or if he had been the big summer appointment after Spurs had secured safety. In that case, I’d have been happy to see him given the time that was needed to establish himself and his style. But that’s time that he simply doesn’t have now. Instead, they have a lame duck manager, who seems to have as much of a reputation for tetchiness with players, press and club hierarchy as he does for relegation-battles. Exactly what the club doesn’t need.

The club – the players in particular – need a boost; a change of vibe and a change of mood. The relationship with the fans is toxic. The club captain is at war with the boardroom. Strong characters and locker-room leaders have been sold and not replaced. And as a result, everyone seems to be playing with the handbrake on for fear of making a mistake and getting both barrels from the stands – a mindset that Frank really did nothing to help by small-timing his 8 months in charge. Thinking that Igor Tudor – he of zero premier league experience – is the man to fix this, isn’t the “roll of the dice” that Will Ford describes – this is throwing a dart at a dart board, blindfolded, while riding a horse and hoping you hit bullseye. Twice.

I want to be wrong, but the most worrying thing is that it’s such a bonkers appointment (and I can’t even bring myself to mention the Paratici nonsense), that it screams that the decision-makers don’t actually recognise how serious the threat of relegation really is. Not to go full Thomas Frank, but this is a side that finished 17th last season and has shown no signs in the league that it is equipped to do any better this year. Such a reckless managerial hire is professional negligence (were they blinded by the glow of the word “Juventus” on his CV?) and the decision suggests to me that the powers-that-be don’t recognise the seriousness of the issue. Either that or they genuinely believe West Ham will revert to being dogsh*t (currently fifth in the PL form table, aided by the recent visit of a certain Doctor) or Forest will be distracted by going deep enough into the Europa League that Spurs will once again be saved from relegation indignity by the inadequacies of three other Premier League teams. It’s shameful for a club with their resources.

This appointment has serious Jacques Santini vibes. In fact, I’ve not been this concerned with a managerial hire at WHL since Christian Gross and his London Underground ticket rocked up at a press conference. It’s all contactless on the tube now, so Tudor can’t even play that hand! I want to be wrong, but I think Spurs are sleepwalking into a relegation that could be catastrophic for the club. I reckon they need three wins to stay up. I look at the fixture list and I think they’re lucky if they can find two. If I were a gambling man, I’d back Tudor in the “next manager out” stakes because I genuinely see John Heitinger overseeing at least the last few games after Tudor’s spell turns to custard.

Please send reasons for optimism.

Special prize, though, for Matt Stead best line of 2026 “Quite fittingly for a club that has lost its entire head, Spurs have appointed a Tudor”. Well played, sir. Well played.

Chris Bridgeman, Kingston upon Thames

What club are you?

​I recently caught “Big Ange” claiming that Spurs were not a big club. Reading between the lines, it was clear that he was saying a “Big Club” needed to sign and keep big players, which means big salaries, and of course, recruit a “Big” Manager to handle all the egos, of which I am assuming he thought of himself as one!

If a club cannot achieve or sustain that sort of revenue, they have to look at a different model. Hire Coaches and players that are both unknown and potential gems. No one is bigger than the Club but all see it as a stepping stone. Assuming these “Middle Clubs” do not have unrealistic expectations, they are consistently successful within their “ceiling” and their fans are relatively content, e.g. Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford, etc.

The challenge for the “Cusp Clubs” is, are they prepared to pay the big bucks for those elite players? Would MUFC, Newcastle, Villa or Spurs be willing to pay nine-figure sums for and Anderson or Baleba? What elite Manager would go to Spurs or MUFC with some assurances of quality players to compete with the likes of Arsenal or City. If not, the fans need to manage their expectations. Fans of MUFC have just gone through this painful process and we would all be astonished if we made Europe, let alone 4th. I am not sure that Spurs fans fully realize that staying up may be one of their greatest achievements.

Adidasmufc (The next Coach/Manager of MUFC will tell you all you need to know about the aspirations of the club)

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The decline of the Premier League

Dear Ed,

I listened to a Mark Goldbridge podcast match review today, who I usually find really rather good and fair as a general rule. He was decrying the decreasing quality of the PL referencing stylistic changes, and time taken up by set pieces etc. It’s easy to say the league is poorer in quality than recent previous years, but I took a couple of his points and did some digging with OPTA looking back over roughly the last decade.

Goals per game are down significantly on two seasons ago and below the average of each of the last 8 seasons.

More 0-0’s at this stage of the season than in all of last season.

Fewer shots are being taken and unexpectedly lowest average number of shots on target on record.

Fewer passes per match this year, but increase in long balls per match.

Opportunities created from high-turnover pressing at a ten year low.

Set-piece dependency at 10 year high with 26% of the goals in the league this year coming from set-pieces rather than open play – up from 18% last year – a 44% increse!

Time the ball is in play at a ten year low at just under 55% of a 100min macth.

Eight managerial sackings (so far) point at systemic underperformance as much as lack of patience – the record is a frankly bonkers 14 from a few years ago, and figures of 10 are not unheard of, but 8 is more in total than the two previous seasons combined.

Finally, in terms of the top four and the rest – the top four have dropped further in terms of points won, than the teams in the middle have improved. There is an asymmetric decline. The table compression comes more from decline at the top than improvement from the chasers, the so called ‘strength of the league’. If you want to put it in terms of a 100 metre race, those in the middle of the pack have gotten only slightly faster, but those who take the medals have gotten noticeably slower. If the league had gotten stronger, the compression would be at the top, not the middle.

JB (I just want to see more goals from open play and better free flowing football)

Eze does it

Pep may have coached some of the flair out of Grealish, but he was still visible and effective in matches during a treble winning season. Legohead must be a magician, because he’s made Eze totally ineffective AND completely invisible.

RHT/TS x (Igor Tudor is going to shithouse a one nil win in the North London derby, thereby saving Spurs’ season, and providing genuine hilarity for everyone when City pip the Goons. Again)

‘Why do non-City fans want City to win?’

Yo Jimmy. What a pathetic message about ‘why do non city fans want City to win. They have a highly successful yet extremely unlikeable manager’. Extremely unlikeable? By who? You? Have you seen the absolute bellend sitting on your bench? Mikel is this generations Mourinho. A complete and utter sap who when his team gets knocked out fair and square in the champions league he tries telling the whole world they deserved to win the whole thing. Complains about every. single. decision that goes against them. There’s so many annoying and stupid stuff he’s said that he made ETH look amateurish. Then add on the fact you have little pricks like Gabriel, Timber, Havertz, Jesus, Martinelli who tries pushing an opponent off the pitch who is lying down with a season ending injury (maybe cos he thinks everyone is like him and always pretends he was fouled). nobody likes your lot because they’re arrogant, entitled and a bunch of knobs but it stems mostly from the manager and the fans. Arsenal used to be fun under Wenger. Now, I can’t fucking stand them. I’ll be rooting for your lot to bottle it.

To quote good ol’ Kevin ‘I’d love it, love it’ if they beat you

Alex (another Irishman in New York )

READ: 5 Man Utd signings that would be perfect for Michael Carrick if he gets the full-time job

JimmyB (Irish Gooner) writes ‘But what I cannot understand is why so many non City football fans would like City to win it’ (14/02/26). Let me offer an answer. It’s most likely to be Liverpool fans – alongside Spurs’ of course – who want to see Arsenal pipped by City (though certainly not United’s, but then again it’s Arsenal). Why? Because it means that Liverpool’s own recent achievements are not eclipsed and they remain, in their own happy minds, the people’s champions, true sporting victors, authentic footballing people. Past and future City premier league crowns will be forever buried under 115 asterisks, rendered almost meaningless. To watch them devour Arsenal’s lead is not to watch them succeed – the asterisks and all that – but to watch Arsenal fail.

Bock

Liverpool’s COVID title win

I’m a Liverpool fan and have been for 60 years.

I’ve seen Liverpool win many titles (Yes these did exist prior to the premier league)

It really annoys me when fans of other clubs give backhanded remarks about our first premier league win.

I’m looking at you Paul K, London: “Liverpool only broke their Premier League duck when stadiums were empty”.

When the lockdown happened Liverpool were TWENTY FIVE points ahead of Man City and only needed one win to secure the title.

Covid, lockdowns etc had absolutely no impact on our title win.

The only downside (football wise) was that the fans couldn’t celebrate when the league restarted.

Please stop trying to re-write history.

Neil LFC, USA

Alan Shearer’s VAR take

So, in the Villa Newcastle FA Cup match with no VAR, obvious decisions were called very badly incorrectly by the referees that WOULD’VE BEEN CORRECTED BY VAR, so the always insightful Alan Shearer concludes that it is VAR’s fault for making referees scared of making decisions!!

Amazing stuff.

Igor Tudor has been told “he can only fail” after taking interim charge of Tottenham as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Thomas Frank was sacked on Wednesday morning having only taken charge of the club in the summer after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle left Spurs just five points above the relegation zone.

He’s been replaced by Tudor, who has a reputation as a “fixer” for revitalising clubs in crisis after he helped Hellas Verona, Lazio and Udinese out of sticky situations, but his lack of Premier League experience and his most recent job at Juventus ending with an eight-game winless run has caused alarm among some Tottenham fans.

And Tim Sherwood, who was manager of Tottenham for 26 games in the 2013/14 season, wonders what the “upside” is for Tudor as he will get “no credit” for keeping Spurs in the Premier League.

“It’s going to be difficult, he has no knowledge of the Premier League. Apart from the money, what is the upside for him?” Sherwood said on Sky Sports.

“If he finishes 12th, he’s getting no credit. The downside is so catastrophic.

“Would you want your fingerprints all over Tottenham getting relegated from the Premier League?

“I go back to it — Thomas Frank would still be there if it wasn’t for the toxic nature of the fans. And I can totally understand the disgruntlement of the fans, because they’re not getting the results.”

Sherwood added: “I heard people say they’re sleepwalking into the Championship. I think they’ll have enough, even with the injuries, to get out of it — but he will get no credit for that.

‘The downside is so great… he can only fail. He’s getting no credit for keeping Tottenham in the league.”

Italian football commentator Patrick Kendrick has revealed what Tottenham fans can expect from the former Croatia international.

Kendrick told Sky Sports: “If you look back over Tudor’s recent career, he’s been quite happy stepping into these short-term roles. I think he sees himself as a bit of a firefighter.

“His typical formation is a 3-4-2-1. He doesn’t tend to play with too much width to begin with. It’s a very similar formation to what Ivan Juric used to have, the former Southampton manager.

“It was very successful with Verona, which was probably where he’s been the biggest success. He had a free-scoring team with two number 10s playing behind a lone striker, but the back three is pretty in vogue in Italy, and it’s looked at as a way of making sure you’re solid first and foremost.”

Tudor, who won a number of trophies with Juventus as a player, has only won the Croatian Cup with Hajduk Split as a manager and Kendrick expects the former centre-back will attempt to increase morale as his first objective.

Kendrick added: “His English is very good, it’s vastly superior to Antonio Conte, so I don’t think there’s going to be any issue with that.

“He’s got a lot of belief in his ability. He’s a very forthright character. He tends to speak his mind.

“Rather than looking at any sort of tactical revolution, I think he’s first and foremost going to be focusing on trying to get the players’ morale up.”

Top Tottenham manager target Mauricio Pochettino has ‘agreed’ to take over as Real Madrid head coach after the World Cup, according to reports.

Spurs confirmed on Friday the widespread reports which indicated that former Juventus boss Igor Tudor has taken over as interim head coach after Thomas Frank’s sacking at Tottenham on Wednesday.

Their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday evening was the final straw for the Tottenham hierarchy as they decided to change manager with a permanent appointment waiting until the summer.

The two names under consideration are reportedly USMNT boss Pochettino and former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who has just been sacked by French top-tier side Marseille.

Pochettino became a firm fan favourite in his five years at Tottenham with Spurs finishing as Premier League runners-up in 2016–17, while they also got to the final of the League Cup and Champions League during his tenure.

However, their hopes of luring the Argentinian seem to have taken a major blow as Spanish website Defensa Central claims that Pochettino has ‘agreed’ to replace Alvaro Arbeloa at Real Madrid if they promise to make three signings.

READ: How Tudor appointment at Tottenham could work but Spurs stars warned ‘Messi would not play’

The former Tottenham head coach is ‘willing to coach Real Madrid if certain conditions are met’ with ‘two centre-backs and a midfielder are on Pochettino’s ideal shopping list with the future of the club in mind’.

And those demands are likely to be granted as ‘this is actually similar to the club’s plan for the summer transfer window, because although they are satisfied with the current squad, they believe there are some areas for improvement.’

Despite this, the report insists that Pochettino is ‘the dark horse candidate for the Real Madrid job next year’ and that Los Blancos are ‘simply contacting these candidates and their representatives to gauge their interest’.

Pochettino won’t be taking over Tottenham or any other club until after the World Cup as he aims to take the USA national side to glory on home soil and Spurs interim boss Tudor has revealed his happiness at his temporary role.

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

* Romano reveals ‘main candidate’ to succeed Guardiola at Man City is ‘not advanced’ with Tottenham

* Ornstein: Tottenham rejected Chelsea, Aston Villa ‘calls’ for Spurs star; face summer ‘battle’ to keep

On his arrival, Tudor told the club’s website: “It is an honour to join this Club at an important moment.

“I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear. To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match.

“There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly.”

Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange said: “Igor brings clarity, intensity and experience of stepping into challenging moments and producing impact.

“Our objective is straightforward – to stabilise performances, maximise the quality within the squad and compete strongly in the Premier League and Champions League.”

Fabrizio Romano insists former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is the “main candidate” to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City and that there is “nothing advanced” with Tottenham.

Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday was the final straw for the Tottenham hierarchy as they sacked Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

The loss to the Magpies saw Tottenham extend their winless streak in the Premier League to eight matches with just one win their last 11 matches.

Widespread reports on Friday indicated that former Juventus manager Igor Tudor has been given the interim head coach position at Tottenham and Romano reiterated overnight that the Croatian will be joining the Premier League club.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Tottenham have decided to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, and that manager is Igor Tudor.

“Tudor has signed a five-month contract with no option to extend. The agreement is strictly until the end of the campaign.

READ: How Tudor appointment at Tottenham could work but Spurs stars warned ‘Messi would not play’

“He understands the situation clearly. Tottenham want a short-term solution before making a permanent appointment in the summer.”

There have been numerous managers linked in recent days with the permanent position, which Tottenham will wait until the summer to fill.

And Romano insists that Tottenham have narrowed their search down to USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino and former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Romano added: “For the long term, the two main names on Tottenham’s shortlist remain Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi.

“Pochettino is fully focused on the US national team and the upcoming World Cup, making any immediate move impossible.

“De Zerbi is aware of Tottenham’s interest, but he is assessing the broader European market and will carefully evaluate all projects before making a decision.

“From now until the end of the season, conversations will continue, but Tudor is only an interim solution.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

* Tottenham roll the dice on ‘fixer’ Igor Tudor as Paratici at the heart of Spursy manager circus

* Ornstein: Tottenham rejected Chelsea, Aston Villa ‘calls’ for Spurs star; face summer ‘battle’ to keep

Maresca was sacked earlier this season at Chelsea, who were performing below expectations, and replaced by Liam Rosenior after the Italian suffered a complete relationship breakdown with the club’s board.

The former Leicester City boss has been linked with the Tottenham job but Romano insists he will be in the running to become the Man City head coach in the summer, if Pep Guardiola leaves.

Romano continued: “There have been reports linking Enzo Maresca with Tottenham, but my understanding is different.

“Maresca remains the main candidate for Manchester City in the event that Pep Guardiola decides to leave.

“Pep is under contract until 2027, and nothing has been decided, but City are preparing for the future.

“At this stage, there is nothing advanced between Maresca and Tottenham.”

Tottenham turned down approaches for Lucas Bergvall in the January transfer window, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Spurs were one of the most active teams in the Premier League in the January transfer window with Conor Gallagher and Souza arriving in north London, while Brennan Johnson departed in a big deal to Crystal Palace.

There could have been more outgoings too in the winter with Ornstein now revealing that Sweden international Bergvall was the subject of interest from two Premier League clubs.

Ornstein wrote in The Athletic on Saturday that Tottenham ‘could face a battle to keep hold’ of Bergvall after ‘being forced to rebuff enquiries from rival teams in the winter transfer market’.

After going from Player of the Year under Ange Postecoglou last season, the 20-year-old has been used less under Thomas Frank, who was sacked on Wednesday and both Chelsea and Aston Villa had enquiries ‘rebuffed’ by Tottenham.

Ornstein adds in his report: ‘Both sides made direct contact with Spurs to establish whether a potential opportunity existed, but it was made clear they currently do not intend to consider his departure and the matter advanced no further.

READ: How Tudor appointment at Tottenham could work but Spurs stars warned ‘Messi would not play’

‘Villa’s check call followed Spurs pipping them to the signing of Conor Gallagher and Chelsea’s came around the time they were also evaluating a deal for Douglas Luiz, who ultimately joined Villa.’

Bergvall, who helped Tottenham win the Europa League last season, was once named by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as he hailed the young Swede as “unstoppable”.

Guardiola said: “The pace of this team? Pfft, it is difficult. Maybe Liverpool [are better], but Bergvall, every time he has the ball and run, unstoppable. Spence and Pedro Porro, Udogie, [Dejan] Kulusevski, Son [Heung-min], an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play.

“They play really good and they play without [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] Van de Ven, two of maybe the best central defenders in the league. The game, it was open second half because we didn’t close the first.”

MORE TOTTENHAM COVERAGE ON F365…

* How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

* Tottenham roll the dice on ‘fixer’ Igor Tudor as Paratici at the heart of Spursy manager circus

* Tottenham strike ‘agreement’ for new manager after ‘offer’ was made at Friday morning meeting

It remains to be seen how much playing time Bergvall gets under incoming interim head coach Igor Tudor with the Croatian reportedly agreeing to take over until the end of the season.

And Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has explained why he “fits the bill” in terms of what Tottenham are looking for in terms of an interim head coach.

Bridge said: “Spurs have been looking for an experienced head coach with a track record of going into clubs and making an immediate impact, and they see Tudor as someone who perfectly fits that bill.

“He was appointed at Juventus and Lazio in March in the last two seasons. He stabilised results in the short term. He guided Juve to fourth in Serie A to achieve Champions League qualification that earned him a two-year contract, but he was sacked just four months later after results deteriorated.

“He’s got this role based on what he’s done on a short-term basis at Lazio and Juve, and I can’t stress enough the importance of short term because it’s a huge few months ahead for Tottenham.

“On Pochettino, whether it happens in the summer, we don’t know yet. He’s got admirers at the club. He loves the club. The fans love him. We’ll wait and see if it happens in the summer.”

An Italian football expert has revealed some of the qualities that incoming Tottenham interim manager Igor Tudor could bring to Spurs.

Tottenham are yet to confirm his appointment but widespread reports have claimed that former Juventus head coach Tudor will take the job at Spurs until the end of the season.

Italian journalist Matteo Moretto was the first to report Tottenham talks with Tudor before his compatriot Gianluca Di Marzio was one of the first to claim that there is a ‘verbal ageement’ in place to take over.

The Athletic‘s David Ornstein and transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano later confirmed that Tudor is set to take on the role of interim head coach.

And Italian football commentator Patrick Kendrick has revealed what Tottenham fans can expect from the former Croatia international.

Kendrick told Sky Sports: “If you look back over Tudor’s recent career, he’s been quite happy stepping into these short-term roles. I think he sees himself as a bit of a firefighter.

READ: Tudor to Spurs a ‘huge gamble’ due to three concerns; Romano names two ‘main’ permanent targets

“His typical formation is a 3-4-2-1. He doesn’t tend to play with too much width to begin with. It’s a very similar formation to what Ivan Juric used to have, the former Southampton manager.

“It was very successful with Verona, which was probably where he’s been the biggest success. He had a free-scoring team with two number 10s playing behind a lone striker, but the back three is pretty in vogue in Italy, and it’s looked at as a way of making sure you’re solid first and foremost.”

Tudor, who won a number of trophies with Juventus as a player, has only won the Croatian Cup with Hajduk Split as a manager and Kendrick expects the former centre-back will attempt to increase morale as his first objective.

Kendrick added: “His English is very good, it’s vastly superior to Antonio Conte, so I don’t think there’s going to be any issue with that.

“He’s got a lot of belief in his ability. He’s a very forthright character. He tends to speak his mind.

“Rather than looking at any sort of tactical revolution, I think he’s first and foremost going to be focusing on trying to get the players’ morale up.”

READ: How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

Tudor did quite well in France with Marseille, finishing third in his only season in 2022/23 behind Paris Saint-Germain and Lens, with hard work a big part of his philosophy.

When asked about Tudor, Marseille-based football journalist George Boxall told BBC Sport: “His style is intense.

“The players do a hell of a lot of running. There’s lots of intensity, lots of pressing.

“He is a really strong personality and he could be a good appointment for Tottenham if they feel they need an electroshock.”

L’Equipe journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio added: “He asks his players to run a lot. In a previous interview he said ‘If you don’t run, you don’t play.

“In his one season in Marseille it was always the same way of playing – 3-5-2 – and it was great to watch.

“It was not easy because Marseille’s best player was Dimitri Payet, a very gifted player but not well-known for running, and he didn’t play.

“It was a joke in L’Equipe – if Igor Tudor had Lionel Messi in his squad, Messi would not play!”

Minonzio continued: “He did pretty well in Ligue 1. What I liked is that he doesn’t try to be liked. He is very direct, says what he thinks and doesn’t try to be attractive. There is no seduction.

“It is the same with the players. He keeps his distance and his obsession is to make training intense with a lot of running so they can be physically fit for the game.”

According to reports, former colleagues of Igor Tudor are ‘surprised’ that Tottenham Hotspur have appointed him to replace Thomas Frank.

Spurs have been searching for a manager to replace Frank since they parted company with their former boss on Wednesday morning.

Frank‘s exit followed Tottenham’s disappointing 2-1 home loss against Newcastle United, which leaves them only five points clear of the relegation zone.

The north London side have sleepwalked into a relegation battle and had to change something to prevent their desperate situation from getting worse in the coming weeks.

They have been linked with several potential replacements in recent days, with it clear that they were opting for an interim replacement to try to secure survival before they opt for a long-term solution in the summer.

And they have settled on Tudor to replace Frank, with it reported on Friday afternoon that an ‘agreement’ has been reached between the club and the head coach.

READ: How Igor Tudor’s seven rescue jobs have gone so far: from Adebayor hat-tricks to winning an actual trophy

Journalist Matteo Moretto was the first to report that there is an ‘agreement’ between Tudor and Spurs, with this subsequently confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.

Romano said on X: ‘BREAKING: Igor Tudor becomes new Tottenham interim coach until June 2026, as revealed earlier.

‘He’s accepted the job and ready to stay until end of the season. #THFC

‘Main candidates for permanent job in June: Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino.’

Remarkably, Spurs is Tudor’s 12th managerial job since first stepping into the role with Hajduk Split in 2013.

In March 2025, the 47-year-old replaced Thiago Motta at Juventus and earned a long-term contract after guiding them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A. However, he was sacked in November following an eight-game winless run.

And a report from The Telegraph‘s Matt Law has revealed that his move to Spurs has ‘surprised’ those who have previously worked with him who are ‘familiar with his work and style’.

They are said to have deemed this appointment a ‘huge gamble’ as Spurs have ‘rolled the dice’ as Tudor rarely lasts long at clubs, has ‘no Premier League experience’ and is ‘too loud/emotional’.

Despite this, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has explained why Tudor ‘fits the bill for what Spurs are looking for’.

He explained: “Spurs have been looking for an experienced head coach with a track record of going into clubs and making an immediate impact, and they see Tudor as someone who perfectly fits that bill.

“He was appointed at Juventus and Lazio in March in the last two seasons. He stabilised results in the short term. He guided Juve to fourth in Serie A to achieve Champions League qualification that earned him a two-year contract, but he was sacked just four months later after results deteriorated.

“He’s got this role based on what he’s done on a short-term basis at Lazio and Juve, and I can’t stress enough the importance of short term because it’s a huge few months ahead for Tottenham.

“On Pochettino, whether it happens in the summer, we don’t know yet. He’s got admirers at the club. He loves the club. The fans love him. We’ll wait and see if it happens in the summer.”

Spurs have taken a remarkable risk in appointing Igor Tudor, but his sustained record of rescuing clubs mid-season does show method in the apparent madness.

Quite fittingly for a club that has lost its entire head, Spurs have appointed a Tudor.

The Croatian has been picked as the man to take over from Thomas Frank before a more permanent arrangement is made in the summer – when Mauricio Pochettino should become available.

It is sensational work for Spurs to ignore the recommendation of Fabio Paratici for Tudor to replace Frank, then listen only when Paratici has left.

But expecting joined-up, coherent, strategic thinking from Spurs at any point in their history, never mind these halcyon days of 2026, is not in itself the most sensible thing to do.

Have they, however, actually stumbled upon a decent decision? When one of the leading alternatives pushed to the foreground is Tim Sherwood: yes.

And Tudor does have a decent track record of being parachuted into clubs during seasons and doing well.

It remains to be seen whether that qualifies him as the best candidate to be thrown headfirst into a circus with his first game being a derby against perhaps the best club in the country, needing to turn around a team five points from a potentially ruinous relegation with 12 league games left. But he has done well in similar circumstances before…

Hajduk Split – appointed April 29, 2013

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Hajduk “found ourselves in a position where qualifying for Europe is in jeopardy,” as president Marin Babic said when sacking coach Miso Krsticevic, sporting director Sergije Kresic and consultant Fredi Fiorentini just one day after a defeat at home to Rijeka.

Croatia assistant Tudor was drafted in and secured European qualification on goal difference despite overseeing a single victory in four league games.

His biggest impact was evident in the Croatian Cup, which he delivered with a pulsating 5-4 aggregate win over Lokomotiva.

That should be easy enough to replicate in the Champions League.

Galatasaray – appointed February 15, 2017

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There were no such distractions in Tudor’s next post; Galatasaray had already been eliminated from the Turkish Cup by the time he arrived, with their European ban for financial irregularities also upheld that season.

Jan Olde Riekerink was shown the door with Gala third in the Super Lig, five points behind leaders Besiktas.

It was a gap Tudor could not close. Galatasaray even slipped to fourth, ultimately holding onto a European qualification spot but suffering a particularly bruising 4-0 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in April.

Spurs legend Emmanuel Adebayor scored a hat-trick. It was a different time.

Then Tudor started the next season being beaten by Graham Potter’s Ostersund in Europa League qualifying. Oh mate.

Udinese – appointed April 24, 2018

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“There is important work to be done, so we can end this season the way the club deserves, then we can resume with new energy,” Tudor said when making his long-awaited return to Serie A, this time as a manager.

Udinese had already dispensed with Luigi Delneri and Massimo Oddo by the time Tudor came in on the back of an 11-game losing run in the league.

He did stem that tide with a 3-3 draw with Benevento, before Inter thrashed Tudor’s side 4-0.

But the season ended with wins over Verona and Bologna to pull Udinese clear of any relegation worries; had they lost those two games they would have gone down by a point.

Tudor and Udinese could not come to an agreement to extend the union beyond the end of the campaign, however, so he upped and left…

Udinese – appointed March 20, 2019

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…only to return within the year to save them again.

His summer replacement, Julio Velazquez, only made it to November, while Davide Nicola lasted a handful of months himself. So for the second consecutive season, Tudor embraced the role of Udinese’s third manager in one campaign.

This task seemed tougher: they were 16th, one point above the relegation zone after winning just three of their last 14 Serie A games.

But Tudor again turned things around, engineering wins in six-pointers against Genoa, Empoli, Frosinone, SPAL and Cagliari – while this time holding Inter to a goalless draw at home – to secure mid-table safety.

Who patrolled Tudor’s Udinese midfield at the time? Another Spurs icon in Sandro. It’s meant to be.

Hajduk Split – appointed January 2, 2020

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Tudor does not subscribe to the notion that you should never go back, doing the Splits twice for his hometown club.

It did not go especially well the second time around. There was certainly no trophy, with everything other than their league endeavours taken off the table long before Tudor came in.

But with him in charge Hajduk slipped from a distant second to an almost disastrous fifth, losing as often as they won in one of his few true interim failures.

Lazio – appointed March 18, 2024

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After the second-longest reign of his entire managerial career – 48 games – was ended by Marseille, Tudor spent close to a year out of work until he landed at Lazio.

He replaced Maurizio Sarri on an 18-month contract, guided them from ninth upon his appointment to European qualification by winning more than half his games, beat Juventus twice and was only narrowly knocked out of the Coppa Italia at the semi-final stage.

Then he quit less than three months into his stay, reportedly due to ‘tiredness’ with the club. He might not last the week at Spurs.

Juventus – appointed March 23, 2025

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Tudor again spent about a year in the shadows, aware that he just needed to wait for Juventus to sack enough managers so that he’d finally get his Knows The Club-based turn.

That finally came to pass last season, when Thiago Motta was terminated for elimination from every competition while only having The Old Lady in fifth, a point off Champions League qualification.

Tudor could dedicate the entirety of his focus to that cause and ultimately benefited for it, comfortably dragging Juventus over the line in the end.

It went hilariously wrong beyond that initial remit, with Tudor sacked by October for a run of eight winless games. But Spurs will concern themselves with what comes after this season when they know whether to prepare for the Premier League or the Championship.

Tudor has engendered enough new manager bounces to suggest they should just about be alright.

Tottenham have scoured the interim manager market and landed on someone with no Premier League experience whatsoever in Igor Tudor, who was sacked by Juventus in October after leading them on eight-game winless run. This could be really grim/very funny.

Spurs sacked Thomas Frank on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday evening left them just five points clear of the relegation zone after failing to win any of their last eight Premier League games, losing four of them.

Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino are thought to be Tottenham’s preferred permanent successors to Frank, but the former has decided to take a break from football after what looked like an exhausting end to his time at Marseille (as all endings appear to be for the eccentric Italian), while Pochettino will lead USMNT at the World Cup.

John Heitinga was in the frame to be promoted from assistant to caretaker boss, but Spurs have instead opted for Tudor in a bolt from the blue which has many of the necessary markers of disaster.

The 47-year-old has had a varied managerial career, including stints at Marseille, Galatasaray and several Serie A clubs among others, and Spurs will have been attracted to his reputation as a ‘fixer’, coming into clubs during the season and turning things around, having done that at Udinese (twice), Hellas Verona and Lazio.

But the eagle-eyed among you will notice a trend in those clubs, all in Serie A, and Tudor not only has no Premier League experience but has only ever managed two games against Premier League opposition – Tottenham ironically; both defeats while in charge of Marseille in 2022.

He’s known for intense, high-pressing, direct football, which may suit Spurs owing to their lack of ball-playing midfielders, and something of a no-nonsense attitude, both with players and club chiefs. He left both Marseille and Lazio after falling out with the hierarchy.

He absolutely could be the kick up the arse a floundering football club that’s completely lost its way needs, but the way things unravelled at Juventus in his most recent role should be a huge concern.

“Am I someone who resolves problems? I consider myself a coach,” Tudor said when announced as Juventus’ new manager just under a year ago. Probably an entertainer third.

“I started coaching young and I’ve been doing it for 10-15 years, I have gone around a lot, I can also be a bit particular because I make choices with my heart.”

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As will be the task at Spurs, he was charged with stabilising the Old Lady, and managed to lead them into the Champions League, and the same uptick in passion and tactical stability showed by the Serie A side in that last part of the season will see Tottenham cruise away from the relegation zone in what remains of the current campaign.

But the attack dried up after he was handed a long-term deal in the summer of 2025. The creativity was lacking and there was no clear evidence of tactical instruction in the final third. Sound familiar?

Another very Spurs(y) quirk to Tudor’s appointment is Fabio Paratici calling for him to replace Frank last month, Frank then outlasting Paratici – who left, sick of being ignored – before Frank was sacked and now Tudor hired. It’s exactly the sort of joined-up thinking we’ve come to expect from the Spurs powers that be and we’re thoroughly looking forward to Paratici’s return for a third spell.

It’s the sort of appointment that, if it comes off, will be hailed as a stroke of genius. But that’s also an appointment that indicates a not insignificant amount of risk. What if the ‘fixer’ can only fix Serie A clubs? What if the good, passionate bit comes to nothing and Spurs are left with a spiky operator who hates everything about the football club (Spurs have seen that before)?

Frank had to go, but Spurs fans will have hoped for his replacement to failsafe them against relegation. What’s actually happened is the board have thrown the dice. Again, this could be really grim/very funny.

Tottenham have struck a ‘verbal agreement’ for former Juventus head coach Igor Tudor to become their new manager, according to reports.

Spurs made decision to part company with Thomas Frank on Wednesday after their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday evening.

It was their eighth match in the Premier League without a victory and 16th-placed Tottenham could be in relegation trouble unless they start winning soon.

There have been rumours about potential interim managers and permanent head coaches but former CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Tottenham have made their decision to go with a caretaker until the end of the season.

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Spurs have decided to appoint an interim manager before proceeding with a permanent coach this summer.’

The transfer journalist later added that Tudor had been approached by Tottenham over the head coach role until the end of the season.

READ: Tottenham next manager: Shock new favourite emerges as De Zerbi hopes fade

Jacobs wrote: ‘Spurs have approached Igor Tudor to potentially take over until the end of the season, as @MatteMoretto first called. Spurs will put an interim in place ahead of making an appointment this summer.’

It came after Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio had claimed that Tottenham have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ on a deal until June.

Di Marzio wrote on X: ‘Verbal agreement reached between Tudor and Tottenham. The Croatian coach has accepted Spurs for a contract until June. Only the signature is missing.’

On his website, Di Marzio added more detail: ‘Tottenham are considering Igor Tudor as their new manager: the situation at the English club

‘Tottenham continue the casting process for their new manager and confirmation has arrived of Matteo Moretto’s morning rumours regarding Igor Tudor ‘s name as Frank ‘s successor.

‘A meeting was held this morning, and a contract offer lasting until June was made. Tudor, along with his agent Seric, is evaluating whether or not to accept. The consensus is that the offer is likely to be yes, despite the short-term nature of the contract. A final decision is expected in the next few hours.’

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Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou claimed on Thursday that Spurs are “not a big club” and that the whole club is “really curious”.

Postecoglou said on The Overlap: “You know, when you walk into Tottenham, what you see everywhere is ‘To dare is to do’. It’s everywhere. And yet their actions are almost the antithesis of that. It’s really curious in terms of understanding what they’re trying to build. What are they?

“There’s obviously been huge investment – they’ve built an unbelievable stadium, unbelievable training facilities. But when you look at the expenditure, particularly the wage structure, they’re not a big club. I saw that first-hand because when we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market for those players.

“They’re not a big club in terms of the wages they pay. The transfer fees might not be the biggest in the league, but they’re always there or thereabouts. However, there’s a cap on wages that won’t be broken.”