Daily Mail

Things have changed at Tottenham Hotspur but it would appear they have also stayed exactly the same. New manager, same players and same bad habits. And that's the problem.

This was officially the most one-side game of the Premier League weekend. That may surprise some people given Chelsea were at home to Burnley and Manchester City were also playing in front of their own supporters.

But this was the weekend's 'shooting fish in a barrel' game by quite a distance and – given that Tottenham were at home in a North London derby – that is utterly damning.

When these teams met at the Emirates last November, the scoreline was the same. So, it transpires, was everything else. Back then, Arsenal had 57 per cent of the possession. Here, that figure was even higher at 61 per cent.

In November the shot tallies stood at 17-3 to Arsenal. This time it was 20-6. In terms of touches in the opposition penalty area, Arsenal won that one 27-4 at their own ground and by an astonishing 46-7 on this occasion.

So what we can deduce us that the gap between these teams remains enormous.

Arsenal – despite recent hiccups – continue to move forwards while their great rivals are stuck in reverse. New coach Igor Tudor was asked to replace Thomas Frank in a bid to improve this team. The truth is that there was absolutely no sign of it here. As Jamie Reknapp said on Sky afterwards: 'These teams looked as though they were playing in different divisions and by next season they may well be.'

SPURS REALLY CAN GO DOWN

Some of us have been in denial about this fact for some time. But no longer.

Spurs are a team without a league win this calendar year while those beneath them are showing signs of life. West Ham have finally started to thrive on the back of the coaching of Nuno Espirito Santo while Nottingham Forest were unfortunate to lose to Liverpool on Sunday and already look to have found some kind of forward momentum under new coach Vitor Pereira.

This is what Spurs need to find under Tudor but the problem ahead of next week's visit to Fulham and the home game with Crystal Palace that follows is that they remain beset by injuries.

With reserve goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky now reporting an injury, Tottenham are without a whole 1-11 of players and the weight of that is in danger of dragging them down in to the Championship. Given that last season's Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou suffered similarly from absentees, it's worth asking the question as to why Tottenham regularly seem to have these problems.

DO THEY HAVE THE STOMACH FOR THE FIGHT?

Worryingly for Tottenham fans, all the problems that afflicted Frank's tenure were on display against Arsenal.

Spurs were erratic and error prone across the back, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario continues to represent an accident waiting to happen, and in possession they carried absolutely no threat at all.

The goal that Spurs scored was really well taken by Randal Kolo Muani and was his first in the Premier League. It should do him some good. But the fact the chance was presented to him by Arsenal's Declan Rice, of all people, speaks volumes for how the game went.

Tottenham also look a very tired team and that is a worry with a quarter of the season left, especially given they have Champions League games to factor in.

Midfielder Joao Palhinha — an emergency central defender here — was blowing hard as Eberechi Eze flew by him in the second half, while Archie Gray had nothing left as he meekly lost his duel with Viktor Gyokeres for the fourth goal. As harsh as it sounds on young Gray — overworked and constantly being asked to play in different positions — that was a 'men against boys' moment and the handful of Spurs fans left in the stadium will have watched it from behind their hands.

Tudor threw some substitutes on in the second half, but Richarlison did what he often does and went looking for confrontations designed to show how much he cares, but that ultimately achieve nothing.

THE BASICS MUST BE BETTER

There are excuses everywhere for Tudor and his players, but at the same time there are some things that simply must be improved upon.

Tottenham started this game terribly and we have to ask why that is? If a team cannot come hard out of the blocks for a derby at home playing for a new coach then when exactly do we think that will happen? And if it isn't happening, then why not?

They could have been two goals down by the time the game was paused for five minutes to deal with a problem with the referee's radio. Already there had been potentially damaging mistakes by goalkeeper Vicario and forward Xavi Simons.

The pause in play gave the home team an opportunity to effectively start the game again, but there was absolutely no reset and when Eze put Arsenal ahead from 10 yards there were 10 Tottenham players within 10 yards of the ball. Eze was slightly fortunate that the ball fell for him, but ultimately he was unchallenged when he volleyed it home. Tudor (right) touched on this candidly when he said: 'These are good players with bad habits. They need to change. There has to be a mental switch.

'They need sharpness and courage to be in the game from the first moment. Otherwise we have a problem.' Quite.

GALLAGHER COULD BE CRUCIAL

One of the flaws in Tottenham's modern recruitment strategy has been their failure to buy enough oven-ready Premier League players. Too many have been bought for the future but the problem is the here and now.

Conor Gallagher's January arrival from Atletico Madrid was supposed to help with all that but so far his impact has been limited. During this game, the former Chelsea and England player looked a little bemused as though he was still struggling to readjust to the hectic nature of a Premier League game. This was the 26-year-old's sixth start and he must find his real self quickly.

They huffed, they puffed, and, for a while, they threatened. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium felt like a different place compared to the rest of this season on Sunday, but, after the hour mark, that was because of the wrong reasons. They had been beaten by Arsenal again.

But who put in a heroic performance in their best game for Arsenal? Which away defender's calmness shone through? And who went missing for the home side?

Before kick-off in Igor Tudor's first game in charge, the crowd was loud, the players were being backed and the atmosphere felt different. Thomas Frank was no more, and a win over Arsenal, which would have boosted their own survival hopes and dented their rival's title ambitions, would have been the perfect place to start. But it wasn't to be.

Tudor has one mission: keep Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. He will not be judged on this game - but he now has 11 games to make sure the four-point gap to the bottom three doesn't hit zero.

As for Arsenal, it's a game closer to glory. The clash with Manchester City on April 18 may ultimately be the title decider, but this may have been their most important result of the season so far, all things considered.

Daily Mail Sport's ISAAN KHAN was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to rate the players.

TOTTENHAM (3-5-2)

Guglielmo Vicario - 5.5

Wildly came out of his net on five minutes. Looked shaky but made some decent saves.

Archie Gray - 5.5

Continues to play whatever position is required. Brushed aside for Viktor Gyokeres’s second goal.

Joao Palhinha - 5.5

Kept getting bypassed by the opposition players and found exposed at the back.

Radu Dragusin - 5.5

A couple of good clearances close to goal line early on, but lacked when needed.

Micky van De Ven - 6

Strong in tackles. Had much to deal with, Arsenal having turned the screw in second half.

Djed Spence - 5

Promising signs early on — but then withered with much of the Gunners’s joy coming down the right.

Yves Bissouma - 5

Poor in in the build-up to Eberechi’s Eze’s second goal as he jogged back. Needed more effort.

Conor Gallagher - 5.5

Went missing in the midfield. Needed to bring more to the table in a game like this.

Pape Matar Sarr - 5.5

Saka bypassed him for Eze’s first goal. A lacklustre showing.

Randal Kolo Muani - 7

Made the most of his chances, scoring one and had a second effort ruled out. Spurs’ best player.

Xavi Simons - 5

Ineffective. Unable to make much happen when on the ball. Disappointing.

Manager

Igor Tudor - 5

A highly uninspiring start to his Spurs reign.

ARSENAL (4-3-3)

David Raya - 7.5

Confident in the air and distributed the ball well. Top save off his line on 84 minutes. Much needed after Wolves error.

Jurrien Timber - 7

Provided an assist for Gyokeres. Good connection with Bukayo Saka on the right flank.

William Saliba - 6.5

Ventured forward, making up much ground. Arguably could’ve been more alive in build-up to Spurs’s goal.

Gabriel - 6.5

Went down softly for Kolo Muani’s ruled out goal. Paired well as usual with Saliba.

Piero Hincapie - 7

Kept calm throughout. Neat through ball for Saka on 37 minutes nearly led to a goal.

Eberechi Eze - 8

Spurs’ big nemesis haunts them once again. Struck a hat-trick vs them in November — and now a brace. Wow.

Martin Zubimendi - 6.5

Often got the ball in deep areas. Could’ve played more forward passes.

Declan Rice - 6.5

A rare error allowed Randal Kolo Muani in to score. Not at his usual sky-high standards.

Bukayo Saka - 7.5

A constant nuisance. Set up Eze’s first goal and involved in his second. Lively throughout.

Viktor Gyokeres - 8.5

Heroic - his best game for Arsenal. Had a shot whistle wide on seven minutes, before later scoring a brace. He’s arrived.

Leandro Trossard - 5.5

A quiet display. Didn’t get on the ball much. When he did, Trossard failed to create.

Manager

Mikel Arteta - 7

Will be relieved to get back to winning ways in the league with a thumping scoreline.

Referee

Peter Bankes - 6.5

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Tottenham host Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League, with Oliver Holt and Isaan Khan reporting from the ground.

Tottenham Hotspur dresses beautifully. The suit is designer. The accoutrements are most pleasing on the eye. When visitors arrive at the club’s lavish, landscaped training ground on the northern outskirts of London, they are met by the sight of a putting green by the side of the driveway, manicured so neatly it would not be out of place at Augusta National.

In the academy building, everything is just so. It is faultlessly impressive. Upstairs, there are rows of modern offices. Some have trophies on the desks. A slogan on the wall says ‘Fuel Your Dreams’ or something similarly motivational. Outside, kids do keepy-uppies on pitches that stretch away to far Enfield horizons.

On Friday morning, as some of us are sitting in a semi-circle of chairs in one of these offices, talking to Johan Lange, the one remaining Spurs sporting director, a man appears on the other side of the oblong window set into the door and starts to dust it assiduously. Nothing is out of place.

It is to Spurs’ credit that they make Lange available. As the power of sporting directors increases and increases, it feels right that they should be answerable for their actions, in the same way that managers are. Lange is nice and Lange is careful and Lange talks in platitudes. ‘We are very ambitious to create a team that can play dominant football,’ he says.

Lange is probably also out of here in the summer. That is what everyone expects, anyway. His record is patchy. Recruitment has been alarmingly poor in some areas and many blame him. ‘When are you contracted until at Tottenham?’ someone asks him. Lange looks distinctly uncomfortable. He hesitates. ‘I need to get this correct on English employment law,’ he says.

It begins to feel a bit like the opening scene in Blue Velvet where red roses are framed by a white picket fence, a lollipop lady helps kids cross the road, a golden Labrador rides on a fire truck but the surface of a well-watered lawn conceals a chaos of seething, writhing, scurrying ants beneath.

That is what the modern Spurs looks like. On the outside, everything is wonderful. They have the best new stadium in Europe, a stadium that is a stunning monument to the unparalleled financial acumen of its former executive chairman, Daniel Levy, who was fired after 24 years at the helm last summer.

But the best new stadium in Europe houses one of the worst teams in the English top-flight, a team that sits 16th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone, a club that has just fired its manager, Thomas Frank, and appointed a peripatetic coach, Igor Tudor, as it prepares to face top of the table Arsenal in the North London derby.

The firing of Frank has not transformed the mood at the club. It has brought some temporary relief from the brickbats being thrown at him by a frustrated fan-base but it has not changed the fact that this still feels like a club in disarray. Beneath that beautiful suit lies a proud old institution wracked by uncertainty and confusion.

It is a club lacking direction. Levy was the fulcrum of everything. Without him, there is a vacuum of authority that has not been filled by the scions of the Lewis family, the majority owners of the club, who dismissed him. Instead of moving forward without him, there is a feeling that the club has become a rudderless ship.

Even though Vivienne Lewis, the daughter of billionaire Joe Lewis, 89, who heads the family, assumed a prominent public role after the dethroning of Levy, it is becoming increasingly apparent to those close to the situation that the dominant voice in the boardroom is now that of her son-in-law, Nick Beucher.

Beucher’s influence over football affairs at Spurs is a cause of some concern, given that he has no prior experience in the sport or knowledge of the English game. It is not even as if the Lewis family has an ownership role in teams in other sports as is the case with the owners of Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. They are novices, pure and simple.

In the past, Levy shielded them from scrutiny. He took all the flak when things went wrong. Which was often. Now that shield has gone. It has even emerged in recent days that none of Vivienne Lewis, her brother Charles Lewis, and Beucher have taken the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test and none of them are in the process of taking it.

That revelation, in turn, has led to renewed speculation that the Lewis family might be preparing to sell the club. They distanced themselves from that idea after the sacking of Levy but Tottenham’s continuing woes and prolonged flirtation with relegation may be weakening their resolve. If Spurs did go down, however, the £4bn they could ask for the club would diminish significantly.

At the same time, there has been a haemorrhaging of confidence in chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who was only appointed to the post 10 months ago, and whose Arsenal past has always counted against him with Spurs fans.

There is a feeling among many in the game that, without Levy, there is a naivety at the heart of the Spurs football operation and that that naivety was easy to discern in an underwhelming January transfer window and in the lack of succession planning that followed the firing of Frank.

The idea that the removal of Levy would suddenly lead to a transformation in Spurs’ transfer policy and wages structure has also been exploded. Some are even wondering now whether it was always the Lewis family that was the problem and that Levy was just doing their bidding.

Rather than the club repairing itself in the wake of Levy’s departure, rather than the shackles being taken off, it has felt more as if the club is falling apart. Last season, even though the club eventually finished 17th in the league, there was never a fear they would be relegated. This season, the fear is real.

The situation has been made foggier by the machinations in the hierarchy. Fabio Paratici was reappointed as a second sporting director alongside Lange in October last year once a ban for his part in the Plusvalenza financial scandal in Italian football during his time at Juventus had expired.

He was thought to have argued for Frank’s dismissal in November, once he became convinced that the Dane was the wrong fit for the job. He wanted to replace him with then Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi.

Venkatesham and Lange resisted that idea and last month, amid suggestions he had grown disillusioned by the post-Levy running of the club, it was announced that Paratici would leave to join Fiorentina. His departure has left a big gap in expertise and contacts at a club increasingly under the control of Beucher.

Doubt is everywhere now. Many are openly sceptical about the idea that Spurs have gambled on the short-term appointment of Tudor because they are confident that they will be able to land fan-favourite and former boss Mauricio Pochettino when his reign in charge of the USA men’s team comes to an end after this summer’s World Cup.

Tudor, a fine player but an under-achieving boss, represents a huge gamble in Spurs’ bid to escape relegation but Pochettino may not be the prize awaits even if they do retain their Premier League status.

One source with knowledge of the situation said there had not even been any informal contact between Pochettino and the club, let alone any hint of an agreement for him to take over in the summer.

For now, Tudor is the man entrusted with Spurs’ safety and their future. ‘If things go well,’ Lange said, as the cleaner dusted the window, ‘he could be here for a long time.’ It did not suggest there is an awful lot of long-term planning going on in the building.

A little later on Friday, Tudor addressed the media for the first time in the auditorium downstairs. He was impressive in a way that a man who is comfortable in his own skin is impressive and his manner and his style could not be more different to Frank’s. He has often been referred to, during his various coaching assignments as a ‘hard taskmaster’.

He places a great deal of value on physical fitness and on team bonding and there have been times recently when Spurs look in dire need of both. Tudor took the entire squad out for dinner at a Cypriot restaurant in Muswell Hill on Thursday evening.

He acknowledged in that introductory press conference that he had inherited an ‘emergency situation’ at Spurs. He also said that he preferred not to look at the league table when he was in a job. Plenty of Spurs fans would, no doubt, share that particular predilection.

They know, better than Tudor, that Spurs are in a fight for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League. They know that their club is in stasis. It is in the hands of a chief executive who has little authority, a sporting director who may be leaving in the summer, and an ownership family who know nothing about football and have sacked the man who protected them from scrutiny for so long.

Levy may have been deeply unpopular at Spurs. He was never willing, or able, to allow the club to make the financial commitment to attract the world’s best players for the world’s best fees and on the world’s best wages.

But without him, Spurs are a club adrift. Anything other than a win against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon at their magnificent stadium is likely to leave them even closer to the Armageddon of relegation.

However regularly they trim the borders of that putting green at the training ground, however furiously they clean those oblong windows in the office doors, it is not going to fix what ails a great club that is still sinking.

The north London Derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal is always one of the fiercest fixtures in English football - but Sunday's meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium carries enormous weight at both ends of the Premier League table.

Arsenal arrive knowing victory is essential to remain atop the table and maintain control of the title race. With Manchester City breathing down their necks, any slip-up could prove costly.

For Tottenham, the pressure is very different - but just as intense. Spurs need a win to create breathing room and avoid being dragged deeper into the relegation fight.

With the above in mind - let's take a look at the key markets on offer with Sky Bet for this pivotal match-up.

Firstly, regarding the head-to-head odds - it is Arsenal who are tipped to come away with the win, with Mikel Arteta's side priced at a short 1/2.

Conversely, Spurs are 5/1 underdogs to cause the upset at home, while a draw is valued at 16/5.

The Gunners boast a fantastic record against Tottenham in recent years, winning six of their last seven against their rivals, with the other fixture resulting in a draw.

Meanwhile, if you're after more detailed bets - there are four Price Boosts on offer courtesy of Sky Bet.

They include Xavi Simons to have 1+ shots on target at 13/10, Viktor Gyokeres to score 1+ goals at 13/8, Micky van de Ven to commit 3+ fouls at 7/1, and Arsenal to have 9+ shots on target at 9/1.

Simons has seven shots on target in his last eight games across all competitions, while Gyokeres has three goals in his last four Premier League matches.

Additionally, Van de Ven committed four fouls when the two sides met earlier in season.

Lastly, there are a number of Match Stat Specials that are generating plenty of interest in the betting lines - of which can be found below.

Match Stat Specials

Dominic Solanke & Bukayo Saka to have 2 or more shots on target each & to be fouled 2 or more times each

Each team to have 2 or more headed shots on target & each team to have 2 or more shots on target from outside the box

Bukayo Saka & Declan Rice to be fouled 4 or more times each

Gabriel Magalhaes, Dominic Solanke & Micky van de Ven to commit 10 or more fouls between them

Mikel Arteta to be shown a card & 25 or more match fouls

Any GK to be fouled

Declan Rice to commit 3 or more fouls or Declan Rice to make 3 or more tackles

Each team to commit 5 or more fouls in each half

Both GKs to make a save in each half

Conor Gallagher to commit 4 or more fouls or Declan Rice to commit 4 or more fouls

Arsenal to make 20 or more tackles (Happened in their last 2 Premier League games)

Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher & William Saliba to make 2 or more tackles each

Tottenham GK to make 6 or more saves or Arsenal GK to make 6 or more saves

Both GKs to make 10 or more saves between them

Tottenham GK to make 4 or more saves in the 1st half

Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher & Gabriel Magalhaes to have 4 or more shots on target between them

Both GKs to make a save in each half & each team to be offside in each half

Both GKs to make 2 or more saves each in each half

Tottenham GK to be fouled & to make 6 or more saves

Dominic Solanke & Bukayo Saka each to have a headed shot on target

Declan Rice, William Saliba & Micky van de Ven to be fouled 8 or more times between them

Both GKs to make 3 or more saves each in each half

Johan Lange has defended Tottenham's lack of activity in the final weeks of the winter transfer window and revealed interim boss Igor Tudor could get the role permanently.

Lange faced the UK media on Friday and explained why Spurs turned to Tudor despite a lack of Premier League experience.

Tudor is no stranger to a mid-season arrival and difficult position, but will be without at least 11 players for Sunday's visit of rivals Arsenal.

'We interviewed a few (interim) candidates. Igor impressed us very, very much in the interview,' Lange explained. 'If you come in here on the Monday and you are playing at the weekend, you need to build relationships with the players immediately.

'You need to come in to build relationships but of course assess the style of the club immediately. He has shown that with great success, not only once but a few times, to come into that.

'That is one of the reasons why we believe he is the best candidate here now but of course also with his reputation and what he's done in his career. Of course if things go well, he could be here for a long time.'

Spurs lost nine players through injury last month, but after Conor Gallagher signed in a £34.7million deal on January 14, only 19-year-old left back Souza joined the club's threadbare squad.

Sporting director Lange insisted: 'I personally believe the new European format changed the dynamic a little.

'You are playing two very competitive matches (in January), with the fact that not only us but a lot of teams have what they would say is too many injuries.

'(That) meant that in January very few players who could make a difference for us now or in the future was available and then it's back to the point even though the squad is too short, we still have players we are unable to register for the (Champions League) last 16.

'So, to bring in players that cannot help us now or we don't believe have potential for the future, that unfortunately for me doesn't make sense.'

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has twice already in 2026 expressed his frustration at the club's current situation on social-media.

'Romero is here, he is our captain, he is here on a long-term contract with the club,' Lange pointed out.

'I think we have been clear as a club that we have dealt with that internally and now it is about being together.'

Tottenham and Aston Villa are among the clubs monitoring Lyon attacking midfielder Pavel Sulc.

The 25-year-old has scored 13 goals in 29 appearances since joining from Viktoria Plzen in the summer.

He was on Villa's radar previously as well as other Premier League sides, but they wanted to see how he fared in a stronger competition first.

Lyon, however, now value Sulc at around £43million though there is hope that could be negotiated down.

Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have also checked on Sulc but the main threat to Villa and Spurs' interest is understood to come from Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish side have the allure to compete with Villa and Spurs plus the financial capacity.

Villa have been looking to strengthen in the position after picking up a number of injuries. They did try for Ruben Loftus-Cheek in January and are firmly in the mix for Fulham's Harry Wilson who is out of contract this summer though has also attracted attention from Everton.

Czech Republic international Sulc is three years younger than Wilson but would obviously command a greater fee.

Tottenham are looking to strengthen in a number of positions should they retain Premier League status. They are also among the clubs to have pitched for Bayern Munich midfield all-rounder Leon Goretzka who is free in the summer.

Tottenham's interim manager Igor Tudor looked to get his interregnum off on the right foot on Thursday evening by taking his squad out for a team bonding dinner.

The former Juventus head coach was appointed at Spurs on Friday afternoon, but faces a baptism of fire for his first competitive match, with the club welcoming loathed rivals Arsenal on Sunday for the north London derby.

But in a bid to raise morale following the departure of Thomas Frank, Tudor may have turned to more unorthodox methods to improve the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tudor - perhaps inadvertently - appeared to add a sprinkle of Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou's formula in the early stages of his time in north London, plumping for Greek-Cypriot restaurant Ousia in Muswell Hill for his first team meal.

Tottenham's players might have chosen between classic dishes such as chicken souvlaki, lamb kleftiko or beef moussaka as they toasted the start of Tudor's time in the dugout.

After dinner, the team posed for a picture, with the players beaming smiles a hint that with the departure of Frank, the darkening mood around the club might at least begin to lift.

Going into the north London derby, Spurs sit just five points above the relegation places, with Frank given his marching orders following another dismal defeat to Newcastle just under two weeks ago.

As well as overseeing a number of worrying losses, Frank is believed to have drawn his players' ire by over-relying on comparisons to Arsenal.

The Danish manager was said to be 'constantly' talking about their north London rivals, and even before and after playing at the Emirates earlier this season, Frank was said to be telling his players how impressive he thought the team were.

With Spurs' Premier League future potentially hanging in the balance, Tudor arrived under no illusion of a happy atmosphere, and cut a determined presence in his opening interview.

'The first priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments... first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also in the same way, the concrete things in the pitch,' he told the club's website.

'There is no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, each of the players need to give something, something more, something extra, because the position of the club in this moment is not that anybody can accept.'

'The situation is not easy because, as you know better than me, we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system that suits the players that are available at this moment.'

A Swedish politician has bizarrely likened his country's economy to Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur in a jaw-dropping speech delivered to parliament.

Mikael Damberg said Sweden have 'squandered opportunities' for their economy to prosper, despite having the perfect conditions to deliver success - much like Spurs, in the politician's view.

The north Londoners find themselves deep in a relegation battle this season, despite boasting a stunning new stadium and arguably the best training facilities in world football.

'I naturally think of Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs, it is one of England's most distinguished and rich clubs with an enormous stadium, dedicated and large supporter base - everything to be considered a 'top team'' he told the Swedish chamber.

'Despite this, Tottenham find themselves in crisis. They are fighting at the bottom of the table, just a few points above the relegation zone. Not because they lack resources or benefits, but because they have squandered opportunities.

'Due to making wrong decisions, general jerkiness and thinking in the short-term, they have lost their direction and stability.'

'The club have been given the name 'Spursy', [which is] when you have opportunities but get no results. Madame Speaker that is precisely how the Minister of Finance is handling the Swedish economy.

'Sweden has the power, ability and resources. We have the companies, workforce and innovation capabilities. Conditions exist for the Swedish economy to prosper.'

He added: 'The government risks making Sweden 'Spursy'. That won't do. Sweden cannot perform like Tottenham.'

Many Spurs fans would agree with Damberg's assessment of the club's predicament. The north Londoners are just five points clear of the drop zone after an alarming slump in results, seeing head coach Thomas Frank dismissed.

Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor has taken the reins until the end of the season, and faces a difficult opening game in charge - with Spurs hosting north London rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday.

Tudor said: 'The situation is not easy, because, as you know better than me, we have a lot of injured players, so we need first to find the best system, the suit for the players that are available in this moment.

'So, a very particular moment, maybe this can sound strange, but I believe that the thing that we need to be focused on is the training. So, the training from today, that's the key, because, as I always like to say, Sunday and the game is a consequence of the training.'

Aussie football legend Ange Postecoglou has admitted taking the manager position at Nottingham Forest was a mistake.

The long-time football manager had recently been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur before being hired as the main man at Nottingham Forest.

He was then told his services wouldn't be required just 39 days into the job after a horrid start.

Postecoglou has now explained he was struggling to accept the idea of being unemployed for the first time in 20 years.

'It was the first time in 20-odd years that I wasn't working. I was lost,' he told the Stick To Football podcast.

'In the off-season, I was so lost. Usually you would go away with your family, but there are transfers and pre-season ahead, so your mind is on that. I was lost.'

The 60-year-old was brought in at a torrid time for Nottingham Forest, with the club left reeling after the sudden resignation of then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

He's now admitted taking the job was the wrong decision.

'That was on me, the whole Forest thing,' Postecoglou said.

'That was a bad decision by me to go in there. But there is no point in me blaming it on not getting time or anything. I should never have gone in there.

'It was too soon after Tottenham, and I was taking over at a time where, obviously, I wanted to do things differently.

'They were kind of used to doing things in a certain way. I have to cop that — that was my mistake.'

The Aussie manager saw potential in the club, due to there being a number of star players in their Premier League squad.

'That was the only reason that sucked me in,' he said.

'They (Nottingham Forest) were also in Europe in the Europa League, and I wouldn't have minded another crack at that,' Postecoglou added.

The 60-year-old's last two clubs, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, are both sitting near the relegation zone on the current Premier League table.

Both teams have claimed victory on just seven occasions this season.