Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur head coach said in Thursday's press conference ahead of the Premier League match at Fulham
Igor Tudor delivered a few updates at his press conference on Thursday ahead of Tottenham's Premier League trip to Fulham this weekend.
The interim Spurs boss needs his team to bounce back after last weekend's north London derby defeat to Arsenal, which broke his run of winning his first game at each of his previous five clubs. Now Tudor's side are set to travel across the capital on Sunday for another derby at Craven Cottage
With Tottenham languishing in 16th in the table and just four points off the drop zone the Lilywhites need to find a way to get back on track and grab points. Tudor has defenders Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso back in training and gave an update on some of the club's long-term injury absentees in Dejan Kulusevski and Destiny Udogie.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to the Croatian. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at Hotspur Way.
Any injury updates? Are Porro and Danso available?
Yeah, yeah, that's right [Porro and Danso are available]. No other issues, small problem for Micky with his small toe. But he's okay, he will be in [the squad].What did you learn from the Arsenal game?
Nothing much to tell. We already comment after the game what kind of game it was, what the moments was in this moment, that moment. So, not much to speak even in this moment, which is a very particular moment. Less we speak (about the game) better it is. So, it's all focused on the daily work in the training, to climb up on the table, you know. To work on performance, to work on all things. So, less we speak better it is.
Is the job as hard as you expected or a bit more difficult?
Probably yes, probably yes [more difficult]. I agree with you.
I know you're not here to have fun, but it's a tough job you have?
Yes, very tough, but it's what I said before, I don't change my opinion, it is how it is. So, daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back. So, we need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good and it will be good.
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Are Champions League games, games that you maybe wish you didn't have? How will you approach the Champions League?
I don't think too much about the draw. If you ask me whether I expect the draw tomorrow, it won't change for me nothing. In the moment we are, we can also discuss about what you said, but in other ways, it's a difficult competition to play, everyone wants to play.
So, the problem is the lack of numbers of players, the amount of players we have in the team, that is the problem. Because if you need to play every three days with 10, 12, 13 and then you get, you know, that's the problem. Not that we play in the Champions League or not.
Also, it's not about only spending physical energy but also mental energy, every game for us in the league, it's a final. So, it's not an ideal situation, but it's how it is.
What sort of battle do you expect to get from Fulham?
Yeah, yeah. A very good team with a coach who is there for a long period. So, a very recognisable team. The way they do things, a very serious team. It's always difficult to beat them, so it will be tough. But, as I said before, we need to be focused on us and what to do because we need to make better our performance in both ways.
Might you experiment with the formation?
I don't know. I don't know because we are going to see when they (Porro and Danso) are back, how they are back, what are the other players. So, this is work to recognise what this team can do. You know, because when you start to work, you start, but then it's a game to show you how is the real situation of the team.
You know, in a physical condition, because it's fantastic to go to press up and that's when I speak about style. That's also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball. But then, if you have too much problems (at the) back, you need to think about the style. Is it the right style? Is it the right way, you can call it how you want.
So, I need to be smart to understand deeper the moment and the way how to take the points. Even not looking to the style now at this moment. The style needs to be in the second moment, because now it's a question of life and death. If I can say that in that way, sportingly. You can use that term.Do you think changing habits is more psychological? And if so, how as a manager do you change mentality?
Both things. I believe that the mentality changes by training. By doing the right things there and then to have enough training sessions that you can transmit this thing to your team that on Sunday this can be seen from the fans on the stadium. So, that's the key. Hard work in other ways, there is no other possibility.
Tottenham are a team that haven't been used to winning since the turn of the year, how do you turn that around? Is it all now about results rather than performance?
Yeah, I agree with you. Now, yes. Now, there is not too much time to think about performance or style, as I said before. As I said, because of this, all this put together, I don't want to repeat myself but it's the question with which every game needs to be prepared in that way. How we can take these points one way or the other way. Just that needs to be got. Unfortunately, it's, for me, very clear.
I'm also not that kind of a coach who doesn't want to cure, let's say, style. Let's say how we perform, what we do, but now, at this moment, it's not possible to think about these things.
Your predecessor didn't like to use the word 'relegation' when asked about it. Have you used that word to your players? Have you said, if we're not careful, we might get relegated?
No, I never used it, but not because it's something to scary, or it's a danger word, or we won't sleep. It's about that we need to refocus on ourselves. I also see the same way I speak with my players. To be focused on ourselves, on the training. That's the only thing we can change. So there is nothing to think about. The future, or the points, even. The points come as a consequence of the training and the game. That's the focus. That's the main and only focus we need to have.
You go into clubs, turn them around and rescue them, in a sense, is this the biggest of those jobs you've had, because of the size of Tottenham and financial implications?
Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It's even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it. But I agree with you.
You've got some players back but who are the next ones back, is Destiny Udogie close and how is Dejan Kulusevski doing?
It's a weekly basis. When they come, they come. We need to be focused. On the way, also, how they come back into the team. Also, the main important thing is, in time, they are recovering to put them in good condition so when they come back, they are in good shape. Otherwise, it's a problem. But we are working. This is an important part of our job.
You know Dejan from Juventus, have you spoken to him about how difficult the past year has been for him?
Yes. I know him from there. Fantastic player, fantastic guy. Difficult moment. He's had really big problems, as you know, here. But he's positive. And also the doctors are positive. So we'll see, next week, how it's going.
Another person you know well, Antonio Conte, have you spoken to him about Tottenham before or since you joined?
No, no, no. I didn't have time and he's also working so we didn't speak.
What did you make of his time at Tottenham and how it ended and the way he spoke at his final press conference?
Yeah? No, I don't remember. I don't remember mine let alone his press conferences.
On Kulusevski, it sounds like you might have him back this season?
We hope so. In this moment, I don’t know.
Do the players know the situation they are in and that you need them to fight dirty?
The last part you say? What?
Do you have to win ugly rather than play beautiful football?
Ah, OK, I think, yes. We are working in that direction. In Italy they use the term you know have the mentality of a small team. We use in Italy that is the key, to always have motivation when you play big teams, so that’s the start of course and we work a lot on that. The are aware, of course they are aware.
Have you been given any explanation as to why Tottenham have so many injuries?
I have my thoughts, I have opinions here, but I keep them to myself.
You used Joao Palhinha as a centre-back in a back three, could you go to a back four? Did you consider that for Arsenal and could you consider it for Fulham?
We will see. We will see what our options are.
You don’t have many players, but you do have Solanke, Kolo Muani, Richarlison, Tel, are you trying to work out how to fit as many of them as possible because goals will be key?
Yeah, that's the main job to do, also how you can have enough offensive players but not suffer in the back. How many offensive players can you afford to not concede too much? It's a particular moment also for understanding. Some coming from injuries, or you don't know, some player has some problems, so sometimes it's not easy to make choices, but you watch, with your staff and you choose. That’s the job you’re paid.
There is a clip after the Arsenal game of Micky van de Ven and you are giving instructions and there is captions saying he has ignored you, but if you watch it, you can see he is not…
Yeah, [the press officer] show me now so it’s a video from one fan yeah? So, I usually need to comment on the fan's video? I saw that, but it was not an instruction to Micky, it was an instruction to the team to go up. It was about the team coming up and what we were speaking before. We want to go up because we want to have this style where we press high, but in this moment it’s too much for them, so that’s why I was a little frustrated on that, but this is part of it.
A lot of fans would not have seen the clip but seen the headline and now they are thinking Micky van de Ven is not committed and disrespecting you?
No, no. If you watch carefully now, you see that I don't speak with him because after that one advice, I said to him, come closer and he came closer. In that moment, I stood there like this, it was all for the defence to go up. We didn't even speak about this me and Micky because there was nothing to speak about. He’s a fantastic guy, a very good professional and he would never do these things.
Joao Palhinha returns to one of his former clubs. You played him in defence last weekend, but more comfortable in midfield? How much are you considering where to play him and also he is a big leader isn’t he?
Yes, big leader and important for the dressing room all these skills – not just as a player, but as a human being. Yeah, he played there and it’s not his natural position. He did something else for the team in this particular moment and I know he did his best for that/ We put a line of four for these last game to protect other weakness we maybe have in these moments against teams. You always need to do some adjustments you believe in moments are best for the team. In this particular moment some of us need to play in a role that’s not his best position.
