Liverpool Echo

Tottenham Hotspur head to Anfied on Sunday to take on defending champions Liverpool in the Premier League with pressure growing on their manager Igor Tudor

Igor Tudor's tenure at Tottenham is a "car crash" that needs to be brought to an end, according to former England defender Gary Neville.

Tudor's position is under intense scrutiny after four straight losses and in the aftermath of Tuesday's debacle against Atletico Madrid, where the Spurs boss selected reserve keeper Antonin Kinsky only to substitute him after 17 minutes with his side 3-0 down.

Tottenham went on to lose 5-2, all but ending their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals, and, speaking to The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, Neville said of the treatment of Kinsky: "I thought it was brutal. I thought the whole thing of the last few weeks and then that, the whole thing is just a car crash, a shambles.

"The problem I had was Tudor's interview. I think he's got to come in there and say, 'Look, I got this wrong, I should have left (Guglielmo) Vicario in net', but he didn't, he doubled down."

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Tudor was only appointed four weeks ago following the sacking of Thomas Frank but Neville believes Spurs, who head to Liverpool on Sunday (4.30pm kick-off), must act again immediately to have any hope of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

"If you're going to make another change, that for me needs to be today or tomorrow, because you don't wait," the ex-Manchester United defender added.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright agreed that Tudor is not the right man for the role, saying: "You don't want to see anybody get sacked but, when you see somebody who's blatantly out of their depth, it's uncomfortable.

"For him to make that decision, for that poor goalkeeper, for him to go into a game like that at a club like that to start, I don't know what he's seen in training. For me, Vicario is the number one, he plays in that game.

"You do that in another game for him because now, look at this guy Kinsky. That's the biggest nightmare since the Liverpool goalkeeper."

Wright was referring to Loris Karius' horror show in the 2018 Champions League final, and Tudor's treatment of Kinsky drew mixed reviews.

The Croatian did not acknowledge the 22-year-old after hauling him off, but Roy Keane described the outcry as an overreaction, with the ex-Manchester United midfielder saying saying: "He's made a couple of mistakes, huge mistakes."

Former Everton and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney added: "He's tried to protect him but it looks horrendous. I think the biggest issue was starting him. I've no problem with him taking him off.

"Should he hug him? If I got brought off after 20 minutes, I wouldn't want a hug off my manager. He can speak to him after the game."

Ex-Tottenham and Liverpool striker Robbie Keane, who is currently in charge at Hungarian side Ferencvaros, was cited as a possible replacement along with former Everton boss Sean Dyche, who recently lost his job at Nottingham Forest.

Rooney reserved his strongest criticism for the Spurs squad, saying: "Those players need to look at themselves because I think they've been an absolute disgrace. The performances, the attitude, the lack of desire, the lack of fight, lack of anything in them.

"I think they need someone to go in and absolutely batter them. They need some fear put into them."

To jump to a conclusion after one game day is such a small sample size, not the smartest thing to do. Maybe after next week it is a different conclusion. In general it is not smart not to have a winter break. In Europe now, you face top teams. So to merely jump to conclusions, lack of winter break, PL not as a high a level as we think, they are not the right conclusion to make. Let's judge after next week and then maybe it is still too early to say. If you are in CL last 16, all teams are very good and strong. Four out of five away from home, margins were quite small from what I saw, Arsenal margins were small and maybe it's weirdly but I didn't see 3-0 coming for Man City v Real Madrid. PSG v Chelsea, people told me Chelsea were involved in that game, so jumping to conclusions after one game usually not what I wanted to do."

I see his form as 2 weeks ago, he played a good to decent game v Gala but also received a yellow card in an environment where we conceded a lot of soft free-kicks and yellow cards and the other team were really smart in addressing that. So it was too much of a risk to leave him on for a second yellow because he is always aggressive in his duels and some teams can be really smart if a player is on a yellow to create an atmosphere where he can get a second. So we had Robertson so we didn't risk it. I am trying to take things into account with the decisions I make, Milos didn't play badly. But he had a problem on a yellow with a referee who gave a lot of free-kicks to Gala."

I believe that a good individual performances comes from a team performance. We were on it first 15 mins and then there was a moment that changed the momentum of the game, conceding a set piece, not for the first time, that is not what we are accepting. We don't think everything should be much worse than it was before but we didn't play our best game of the season. I also saw for an away leg in Europe we were able to generate enough chances to score a goal. More than another team might do away in CL, but we have struggled with converted the chances we have and we have a bad cocktail of conceding chances and goals. If we cannot repair that every game will be difficult. But I have confidence we have quality players and the next 2 games are at home.

I am really looking forward to playing twice at home now with the support from the fans that can make a massive difference.

What I want is that I am able that every single player gets the maximum out of everything until the end of the season. That is the aim for me and the players, I am sure. It's the only way to get the maximum of what is in it for us. Sometimes we need a bit of luck, like the last-16 last year, penalties, so close to beating PSG adn they went on to win it. So the margins are small and we have to fight for them to make them bigger and bigger every day."

We don't know what is going to happen between now and the end of the season. We could win two trophies, you just don't know. I'm not in agreement that this guy should be under pressure.

When you see stats like that, please just realise what we have enjoyed. We have won a trophy. If we'd have been in the position in the second season and finished maybe fifth [last season] everybody would have said: 'Yeah, give Arne Slot a bit of a go'.

He has done well. I'm not saying it's been perfect this year, I'm not trying to wax lyrical that we have had some great performances and it's been good. No, it's been difficult.

I was not expecting anything different from this, from what's happened. It's both things, the players that have left, the players that have come in. God bless him, what happened to Diogo Jota you can't quantify that enough; players, feelings, mates, young men."Thompson added: “So all the things that have gone on have been difficult, it has been quite traumatic. I'm thinking where we are, I do think we'll finish in the Champions League [places].

I'll predict something now: I don't care what happens, we will win the league next year. Because I think once this is all settled down, this team will win the league

It's a bold claim maybe but once all these players have settled and all the injuries are back... what Arne Slot has done, I think he's done very well. To get that amount of wins [in 100 games] is quite astonishing.

Liverpool take on troubled Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday, and the visitors could be missing as many as 11 players

Tottenham Hotspur could be without as many as 11 players for Sunday's visit to Liverpool, with the man dubbed "the obvious choice" for a summer move to the Reds amongst them.

Struggling Spurs will arrive at Anfield having lost their last six matches in all competitions and in real danger of becoming the highest profile relegated side in Premier League history.

Interim boss Igor Tudor has overseen a dismal four matches in charge thus far, losing all of them, and on Tuesday he attracted criticism for substituting goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky just 17 minutes into a 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid after he was at fault for two of the first three goals.

Micky van de Ven had slipped for Atletico's second goal, scored by Antoine Griezmann, and the Dutch defender won't play at Anfield this weekend as he serves a one match ban for his red card in Spurs' last Premier League match, a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood believes that Van de Ven should be eyed by Liverpool for a summer move, with the Reds expected to be in the market for a centre-back with Ibrahima Konate's contract expiring this summer and Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez only having one year left on their deals come the end of the seaon.

“Micky van de Ven is the obvious choice for Liverpool this summer in that left centre-back position," Sherwood told BOYLE Sports and Footy Accumulators’ podcast, No Tippy Tappy Football.

"There’s not many other options for Liverpool; there’s Jarrad Branthwaite, but there’s no way he’s joining from Everton, so I think that opens the door for Micky to become a Liverpool player, and I think he’d do really well for them.

“He’s got all the attributes to become a top player, but he needs someone like Virgil van Dijk next to him. I think that proven, experienced players by his side would make him feel more comfortable and improve his leadership skills, because I don’t think he’s the leader everyone thinks he is just yet.

“It’s a learning curve for Micky, and he could really benefit from the experience of winners around him, but I still think he’d be a good fit for Liverpool.”

As well as the suspended Van de Ven, Spurs could also be without Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha after the pair clashed heads in Madrid, while Destiny Udogie is another serious doubt with a hamstring injury.

Long-term injury absentees Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are all out.

Liverpool need to stage a comeback of old in order to turn their fortunes around this season

With every Liverpool loss, Arne Slot's position as manager appears increasingly precarious. The Dutchman watched his team succumb to a 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase encounter.

It marks the second occasion this campaign the reigning Premier League champions have been beaten by the Turkish side and, given it represents the 14th loss of the season across all competitions, frustration is mounting on Merseyside.

With a vital fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday looming, we examine Jamie Carragher's assessment on dismissing Slot as well as an update confirmed by the north London club before their journey to Anfield.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Arne Slot's wake-up call

Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Galatasaray on Tuesday represented the Reds' 14th defeat of the campaign across all competitions. It was a result and display that left Jamie Carragher - and Liverpool supporters - completely exasperated about the club's dramatic decline this season following their title-winning campaign

The former Reds defender was fulfilling his CBS Sports commitments while watching events unfold in Turkey as Carragher cautioned Slot that he risks being sacked at the end of the season if he's unable to reverse his team's fortunes.

"I think the performances from Liverpool this season are a big worry for the manager," Carragher said. "I think I said on this show in the group stage he's got to do something, he's got to change something.

"He's tried everything really, in lots of different ways, but nothing seems to be able to work and it's just at no stage this season have I ever felt Liverpool were in control of a football match. It's either end-to-end basketball, so he wanted to stop that and change that, and then it becomes slow and boring and predictable.

"Do I think another manager could come in straight away, or any manager, say you give him that squad? I don't think it dramatically changes. I really do think the makeup of the squad, how it's been put together, the lack of options in certain areas, is a big problem as well. So it's not just all about the manager but as we know, managers carry the can."

Tottenham update confirmed

While Liverpool are enduring a difficult season, it pales in comparison to Tottenham who find themselves in an unlikely relegation battle despite splashing out £223million in the past two transfer windows.

The north London team are next up for the Reds at Anfield on Sunday, with the visitors expected to be managed by Igor Tudor despite losing his initial four matches at the helm.

Currently on a six-match losing streak across all competitions - the first time in the club's lengthy 144-year history they've experienced such a run - the Croatian boss is already under severe pressure.

However, in a subtle indication of Tottenham's plans regarding who will be at the helm this weekend, Tudor will conduct the club's pre-match press conference at Hotspur Way training ground on Friday afternoon to discuss the crucial match. With their last five league games ending in defeat, securing their first domestic win since December will be a significant challenge.

Liverpool face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday afternoon and the north London side have no shortage of issues heading into the Premier League clash

Tottenham could be without 11 players for their pivotal Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday. Spurs are in free fall with interim manager Igor Tudor having lost his four opening matches, and the Croatian is only seeing his injury list continue to pose problems.

The Lilywhites endured a first-half collapse against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League as they fell to a 5-2 defeat, but also saw their domestic problems multiply. Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero were down for several minutes after a sickening clash of heads that left Tudor's side down to nine men at the end of the game.

Palhinha was taken off with a concussion, while Romero initially continued but had to withdraw soon after. Speaking following the game, Tudor said he didn't know if they would be out moving forwards.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

"It looks like everything is against us," he said. "Incredible things."

Spurs have plenty of other problems to contend with too. The 16th-placed side will be without Micky van de Ven, who has been linked to Liverpool, following his red card against Crystal Palace.

There is also no shortage of long-term injuries in north London. Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have not played for the club this season.

Kulusevski is on his way back from a patella injury suffered last May, while Maddison injured his ACL during pre-season. Neither is guaranteed to feature before the end of this term.

Wilson Odobert is also rehabilitating from an ACL injury and is not expected back until next season, while the club's options on the wing are further limited with Mohammed Kudus out due to a thigh injury. He is expected back in April.

Rodrigo Bentancur is out with a thigh injury for an unknown period, and young midfield star Lucas Bergvall underwent an operation after picking up an ankle injury.

Similarly, veteran defender Ben Davies has undergone surgery on his ankle and will not be back for another month.

Destiny Udogie could be in contention to return from his hamstring injury, but did not appear in Tottenham's Champions League squad to face Atletico.

While the visitors are in desperate need of three points, Liverpool will also be looking to return to winning ways. The Reds will be required to bounce back quickly from a disappointing loss to Galatasaray to keep in Champions League contention as they currently sit in sixth.

Igor Tudor is huge under pressure after Tottenham were beaten 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Tuesday night

Igor Tudor is set to take charge of Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League game at Liverpool on Sunday. Tudor’s position as Tottenham boss is under intense pressure after another awful night for the Croatian in the Champions League.

However, he looks set to take charge of Sunday’s game at Anfield after Spurs confirmed on Wednesday that Tudor will speak to the media on Friday afternoon. Tudor will hold his pre-match Liverpool press conference at 1.30pm on Friday, in the biggest indication yet that he looks set to avoid the sack for now.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust called for 'emergency action' after a chaotic 5-2 loss at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night. More records tumbled for Spurs on an extraordinary night at the Wanda Metropolitano, where goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was withdrawn after 17 minutes due to two terrible errors.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Defeat made Tudor the first Tottenham boss to lose his first four games in charge, while the club have lost six games in a row for the first time in their history. But speaking after the game, he vowed: "I need to keep working. Not speaking too much, stay focused on the things we can do.

“It's unbelievably difficult to explain all these things, the first time in my career that I saw these things, 15 years. I'm focused on the problems and the players also. We need to stay positive."

Before he added: "It's not about me. We need to stay calm. Less talking. Better less talking. Now is not the moment to try and give a big explanation."

Spurs are currently 16th in the Premier League table, while Liverpool head into Sunday’s game looking to return to winning ways after being beaten 1-0 by Galatasaray on Wednesday night.

“I think we started the game really well, even better than three months ago," said Reds boss Arne Slot post-match.

“We were having three or four great moments, with, of course, the biggest moment when Florian [Wirtz], I didn't see it back, but it came across as almost an open goal where he could finish that ball.

“We weren't able to score. Like last time, when we had our chances they five seconds later got their first attack, led to a corner.

You have to give credit for the way when they get a chance they play as if it is the last chance of their lives.

“That is definitely something we can learn from them because we sometimes get our chances and it comes across as if we think we get 10 more.

“So we were 1-0 down and it's already a difficult place to go if you're 0-0, but if you are one goal down, it makes it even harder for us, for everyone who's on the pitch, except for their own players. Yeah, a 1-0 loss.”

Tottenham Hotspur's 5-2 Champions League loss at Atletico Madrid was damaging in more ways than one ahead of their Premier League trip to Liverpool

If it was a bad night for Liverpool in the Champions League, then it was a horrendous one for Tottenham Hotspur, their visitors to Anfield on Sunday in the Premier League.

Liverpool will still be favourites to progress to the quarter-finals despite losing their round of 16 first-leg tie to Galatasaray 1-0 in Turkey. But for Tottenham, their time in European football's top club competition looks almost certainly over after they were thrashed 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in Spain.

It was freefalling Spurs' sixth straight defeat in all competitions and if that wasn't bad enough, they are facing the prospect of now being without 11 first-team players for the showdown with the Reds this weekend.

Tottenham are not being helped by an injury crisis and they already have attackers Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski andMohammed Kudus sidelined along with midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur andLucas Bergvall and defenders Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Another defender, Micky van de Ven, will also miss the Liverpool match. He is suspended after being sent off in Tottenham's 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace, which left Spurs just one point above the Premier League relegation places and in very real danger of going down for the first time since the English top flight was rebranded in 1992.

And to make matters worse, captain and centre-back Cristian Romero and midfielder Joao Palhinha are also doubtful for the encounter.

They clashed heads toward the end of the loss to Atletico and new manager Igor Tudor, who has now lost his opening four games in charge of Tottenham, admitted afterwards he could not confirm whether they would be allowed to play under FA concussion protocols.

He said: "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 question Tudor will have to answer is who starts in goal against defending Premier League champions Liverpool after his decision to drop first-choice Guglielmo Vicario for Antonin Kinsky backfired spectacularly against Atletico Madrid.

The 22-year-old was substituted after just 17 minutes after conceding four goals, two of which came from his direct errors.

Tudor said: “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 decision to haul Kinsky off and bring on Vicario was roundly criticised by former goalkeepers - particularly Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, who said on CBS’ coverage of the Champions League tie: “He substitutes him, that is going to have ramifications for the rest of his career. He’s absolutely killed his career.”

Commentating for the BBC, former ex-Tottenham No.1 Paul Robinson described Tudor’s decision to substitute Kinsky as “confidence-destroying” and added: “I have never seen that on a football pitch.”

Speaking on TNT Sports, another former England goalkeeper, 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.”

Ex-Manchester United keeper David De Gea, now in Serie A with Fiorentina, offered his support on X when he said: “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.”

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson was the subject on January transfer window interest from Tottenham Hotspur as he entered the final six months of his contract

Andy Robertson says the decision to shun January interest from Tottenham Hotspur and stay with Liverpool was his - insisting that talks over his future will remain private until a resolution is found.

Robertson was a surprise target for Spurs late in the transfer window and Liverpool were happy to listen to what their long-serving left-back wanted before an injury to Joe Gomez, at Bournemouth on January 24, depleted an already stretched defensive department further.

The call was taken for the Scotland skipper to stay on Merseyside and speaking after Friday's 3-1 win over Wolves in the FA Cup, he stated that the choice was his to make as he opened up on what the future may hold for him as he prepares to turn 32 next month.

Robertson, who has been at the Reds since 2017, is entering the final months of his Anfield contract and hinted that he is open to extending his stay at the club even further.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

"There was obviously interest there - there were discussions had with both sets of clubs," the former Hull City defender confirmed. "But the decision was that I wanted to stay. We stayed at Liverpool and that was the decision made.

"I was never not committed. I've been committed to Liverpool for the last eight and a half or nine years now and I'll be committed until I'm no longer needed. That's always been my mindset. This club has given me everything and I've given this club everything.

"It's been a fantastic relationship so hopefully that continues and obviously January happened, but it is now gone. Now we move forward and like I said, my focus never came off trying to help the lads on the pitch and in training.

"Whatever was happening behind the scenes happened, and all I can say is that I kept focusing on football.

"I've always said that [the talks] will stay between me and the club. I don't think it will get played out in public. It is not one of them. I have got an amazing relationship with Richard Hughes and with Mike Gordon and Michael Edwards.

"I've had a good relationship with these people and these people brought me to the football club. They have helped make me who I am, so in that respect, we've had a fantastic relationship. I think out of respect to them, and they have respected me, then the conversations will be in-house.

"When a decision is made, and we're getting to the point where I only have three months left on my contract, it will be announced to you guys."

Robertson, who scored the opening goal on Friday before supplying Mohamed Salah for the second at Molineux, rejected suggestions the rest of the campaign will be about him ensuring he 'goes out on a high' after nearly a decade of decorated service.

He added: "That is not really in my thought process. My thought process is I want to win trophies at Liverpool. That has always been my focus. Every season, I want to win trophies, whether that is an FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Champions League, the Premier League.

"I always want to win trophies because the club demands it and the fans demand it. That has never changed. All of our focus is on trying to make this season as successful as possible. It's not gone the way that we wanted in the league - that is clear.

"We're out of the Carabao Cup, so we have got two chances. If we have more performances like we did tonight, then we have a chance. If we play like Tuesday then we have no chance. So we need to try and find that consistency.

"Hopefully at the end of the season we can all have a smile on our faces and that is obviously what we are working towards."

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has been linked with a summer switch to Liverpool, but former Reds defender Glen Johnson isn't so sure it should happen

Under-fire Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has risked putting potential suitors Liverpool off signing him in the summer, according to ex-Reds full-back Glen Johnson.

Centre-back Van de Ven, a Dutch international team-mate of Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Jeremie Frimpong, was sent off in Tottenham's 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Thursday, and as a result will miss Spurs' trip to Anfield in the Premier League next weekend.

Spurs could enter that game in the relegation zone follow a dire run of form which has seen them slide down the table and led to the sacking of Thomas Frank as manager last month.

Former Brentford boss Frank has been replaced by ex-Marseille, Lazio and Juventus boss Igor Tudor on an interim bases, but the Croatian has lost all three of his matches in charge to heighten relegation fears in north London.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

Tudor's first match in charge against Arsenal saw Van de Ven seemingly ignoring his instructions to push up the pitch, with that incident coming a few weeks after the defender was seen snubbing Frank as he left the field following a defeat to Chelsea.

Former Reds right-back Johnson says such behaviour won't endear Van de Ven to potential new clubs should he leave Spurs in the summer.

"Managers need to know that ability alone isn't enough," Johnson told BOYLE Sports.

"Players need to be willing to do what their teammates, the manager, and the team require in games. It's not nice to see someone publicly disagreeing with in-house decisions like Micky van de Ven did.

"Disagreeing in the dressing room or on the training ground is fine, as you want the best for everyone. But to do it publicly is off-putting. It gives the impression that a player is better than the rest. And maybe he is, but that's not the point. You don't want to see that.

Johnson also questioned Van de Ven's suitability for a move to the likes of Liverpool or Manchester United, pointing to Tottenham's form this season as evidence.

"Van de Ven at Liverpool or Manchester United? There'd probably be a lot of (Tottenham) players that people would want to look at, but the ones they are looking at are still the players who are in this team and in a relegation battle.

"So there would be a couple of gems you could get on the cheap, for sure. But, as I say, if they were that good, they wouldn't be in this position."

In this week's Royal Blue column, Joe Thomas writes that the roles played by the Everton fanbase and captain Seamus Coleman were hugely significant in the club's survival fights and that Tottenham Hotspur may need to find similar inspirations to save their top flight status

The car crash Tottenham Hotspur are hurtling into is one Everton supporters know all too well. A talented squad, wracked by injury and undermined by instability off-the-pitch, is buckling under the pressure on it and, all of a sudden, the momentum is only taking the team in one direction.

That the club might be ‘too big’ or the team ‘too good’ to go down are arguments that will not hold much water in the coming weeks. Spurs will have to save themselves if they are to avoid a final day reckoning when Everton visit north London for what could be a game of epic consequences.

The Blues, of course, have had too many of those in recent years - twice the battle for survival required wins in the final week of the season. Thank goodness those days are over.

Everton made it through those dark moments due to several factors. Whether Tottenham can get out of their mess may now be down to whether they can emulate them.

A good place to start would be to acknowledge the situation is still salvageable. Spurs are still above the relegation places and with nine games to go they have time on their side.

It was at this stage in 2022 when the Blues suffered the damaging 3-2 loss at Burnley that consigned them to a relegation dogfight with nine matches to go. The turning point in that battle did not come until May 1, when a 1-0 win over Chelsea, inspired by the first of the coach welcomes that would help so much in the weeks and years to come and Jordan Pickford’s heroics from Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger, sealed the win that changed the course of that season.

The following year, under Sean Dyche, the improbable thrashing of Brighton & Hove Albion on the south coast came one week later - on May 8. That changed Everton’s destiny and moved the club’s fate into its own hands. So there is time for Tottenham to regather and find a way to ultimately finish above at least one of Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

Key in both of those run-ins for Everton was the support of the fans. The cameras picked up Spurs supporters streaming out en masse at half-time as they trailed 3-1 to Crystal Palace on Thursday night. Those fans have every right to question why their club has ended up in this mess and protests over the running of Spurs are being planned around upcoming games. In both 2022 and 2023 there was serious, legitimate discontent over how the Blues were being run. What the Blues fanbase, often managed by the 1878s, did so well was separate the frustration with those in the boardroom from their desire to support their players and essentially run parallel campaigns.

The ability to split their energy so successfully was crucial. Those player welcomes against Chelsea and Crystal Palace and the crowds outside Finch Farm when the squad left the training ground for Leicester City the weekend after the Chelsea win were huge. They were the three wins that saved Everton.

The atmosphere generated inside stadiums up and down the country was phenomenal, with the celebrations over the win at Leicester going viral and taking grip of US sports coverage. If Spurs supporters can find a way to provide scrutiny of the club hierarchy without diminishing the support levels for their players when they are on the pitch, particularly in their wonderful new stadium, they will have a strong chance of survival.

What the Bluesalso had through this period was a talisman who was able to pull together the players and the supporters in a way that fuelled and encouraged each side. Countless managers have spoken of the value of club captain Seamus Coleman at Everton and his influence in the relegation fights under Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche was integral.

Coleman has often spoken of living in Liverpool and the insight that provides him as he comes across Blues every day. His blood runs Royal Blue and Moyes’ insistence that he should have a future at the club whether or not he continues his playing career beyond the summer is just one strand of evidence in the overwhelming case that can be made to argue that he ‘gets Everton’.

The Irishman found ways to pull the dressing room and the stands together. Even when he was unable to help on the pitch through injury he was a galvanising figure - remember him fist-pumping the away end at Leicester as he was being stretchered off with a serious knee injury in that six-pointer in May 2023?

What Tottenham need now is a figure who can inspire that unity, one who the supporters and the players can get behind. That is even more important given the instability in the dugout, with interim manager Igor Tudor under intense pressure.

Dominic Solanke, who gave Spurs the lead against Palace, appeared to understand the gravity of the situation after the game as he said: "We obviously need to realise the position that we are in. We know it's been so difficult this season with the injuries, but we can't change that now. Us players on the pitch need to take responsibility and ultimately change it as soon as possible.”

One important factor both sides do have in common is Brazilian forward Richarlison. He played through injury to help save Everton under Lampard, his match-winner in that defining victory over Chelsea sparking his iconic flare celebration.

The 28-year-old is a player who knows what it takes to get over the line in a mess like this and that experience should be drawn upon.