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Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped for the drop by a former Italy star who made headlines for a controversial moment in World Cup history

Former Italy centre-back Marco Materazzi has praised Igor Tudor but tipped Tottenham Hotspur for relegation.

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League, just a point above West Ham in the drop zone after Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest as Vitor Pereira's side leapfrogged the Lilywhites in the table. Tottenham interim boss Tudor is dealing with bigger things than football right now after being informed after the game that his father Mario had passed away.

It is a delicate situation at the club and football.london reported this week that there is a growing belief among some inside Spurs that a mutual parting of the ways with Tudor is the likeliest scenario with the 47-year-old then able to focus on family matters, and the north London club on the huge pressures of what lies ahead.

Former Inter Milan centre-back Materazzi, who hit the headlines for being headbutted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, believes Tudor was always going to face a tough time and that anyone would struggle to turn around Tottenham's direction this season.

"Igor Tudor did a good job at Juventus but the Premier League and Italian football are totally different. It’s not easy, especially when you are in a bad moment in a season, and right now Tottenham Hotspur are not on top," said the 52-year-old Italian.

"I don't know what is going on in the locker room at Tottenham. I don't know what has happened. Whether they are happy about Tudor or not, when you are in a bad position you have to be a unit, and then you have to run hard because Tottenham should be one of the best teams in the Premier League."

He added to Hajper: "It's not easy to change a club’s history. Tudor is trying but I don't know if he can do it. He has time to finish his job and it's a good experience because the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.

"I hope they can stay up but it’s not easy because the teams behind them in the league are running harder than Tottenham right now."

It's time to check in on Tottenham's large group of loan players as many of them enjoy success away from the north London club

It's a difficult time right now at Tottenham Hotspur but many of their young players out on loan are at least enjoying a successful time away from the nest.

Spurs currently have 18 players out on loan and earning plenty of praise across the Football League as well as across Scotland, Germany, Italy and South America with the club's Head of Loans and Pathways Andy Scoulding keeping a close eye on all them and their various situations.

With a new manager expected to take charge at Tottenham this summer, many of the players will be looking to push themselves into the mix to get as chance while others are simply looking to develop or put themselves in the shop window.

Here's how every single one of Tottenham's big loan army got on across the world this week.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Mikey Moore continues to catch the eye at Rangers as he scored in their 4-1 win at Ibrox against Aberdeen on Saturday.

The 18-year-old netted the second goal of the game three minutes into the second half when he finished off a counter attack with a composed curling shot that sailed in off the inside of the right-hand post.

Moore has now racked up 40 appearances this season, scoring six goals and laying on three assists and admits he would love to return to Glasgow next season if the opportunity presented itself.

"I feel the love from the fans in the stadium and I think they've taken to me really well," he said at the weekend. "For a loan player, I think they've been unbelievable with me, especially with the way we started and the way I started personally.

"For them to still back me and sing my name, it's been something special, so I'm grateful."

On his future, he added: "I've loved every single second I've been here, the club is special and special to me now. I'm just going to enjoy the next seven games and obviously I need to speak to people back home and you never know what can happen.

"I don't know if there's been much club-to-club contact yet but I know that people spoke to me and the people around me, so conversations are happening. I'm going to speak to people and just try and find the best solution for me.

"But this has been unbelievable and if it's right for me next year, then I'd love to stay here, but we have to see what's going on."

Rangers boss Danny Rohl agrees with the Glaswegian side's fans that Moore should return.

"I think conversations are always there, but we know when Mikey performed like this, you can see Mikey enjoys playing for Rangers," he said. "The fans love him, I like him, he’s a key player. I think there’s a lot of good things where we could go again together, but we know he’s still not our player, let’s work in the next couple of weeks in all those directions. But the most important thing is that we bring good results in the next seven games."

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Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Luka Vuskovic is another player who has been enjoying a great loan move as he continues to impress in the Bundesliga at Hamburg.

The 19-year-old centre-back, who will go with Croatia to the World Cup this summer, got another 90 minutes under his belt as Hamburg collapsed from 2-0 up with 17 minutes to go to a 3-2 defeat at second-placed Borussia Dortmund. The teenager tried to stop Dortmund's second from crossing the line to no avail in a game in which the hosts were awarded three penalties, scoring two of them as they netted three times in 11 minutes in the final stages of the game.

Vuskovic still got praise after the game for his own individual performance and was labelled the 'master of the air' by the local Hamburg media

The Croatian has made 26 appearances and played 2,370 minutes so far for the Bundesliga outfit and has attracted links from big clubs aplenty, including Bayern Munich. However, with a contract until 2030 at Tottenham he is likely to become a regular starter for Spurs next season if they remain in the Premier League.

Alfie Devine (Preston North End)

Alfie Devine had a night to remember with two superb finishes in their 3-1 victory against Stoke City on Friday night.

The 21-year-old midfielder has been praised plenty during his season at the Championship side and for his first goal he showed a touch of pace to race most of the pitch to fire into the far corner with the goalkeeper unable to keep it out. His second goal, Preston's third, brought a composed chip over the advancing keeper.

“Alfie's a good, good player,” Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire. “A good lad. I don't think we've seen the best of him. As good as he plays, I think there's more to come - he needs pushing. But I think with that as well, we have to understand it’s the most amount of minutes he's played in this league.

“It's tough... you're a young boy, you have peaks and troughs. Where we need to get him is that consistency of performance because he's got the ability, he's got the brain, he's got the talent to affect games positively, every single time he's on the pitch.”

Devine has made 38 league appearances, including eight goals and two assists from midfield with another two appearances in the Carabao Cup, plus an assist, and a substitute appearance in the FA Cup to make it 2,685 minutes in total so far this season.

Preston hold an option-to-buy for the player thought to be around £4.5million. Their club record signing though cost £2million and Devine would still have to accept the move even if they did stump up the cash. While the midfielder has enjoyed his time at the Championship club, he will have a line of suitors in the summer and a new Spurs manager to try to impress so will have decisions to make.

"Yeah, definitely," Devine told Sky Sports of still wanting to make it at Spurs. "When you're at a club, I think your dream is always to play for them. Every single time I go back that is something I strive to do and that is my ambition. But, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

“So, if that means another loan or whatever, it just depends what comes with it. I think it's probably the same as the rest of the boys coming in on loan. You have to find your way to get rhythm going in playing and training and then see where that takes you."

Ashley Phillips (Stoke City)

Ashley Phillips could only watch Devine dazzle in Friday night's game at Deepdale in the Championship.

The 20-year-old centre-back got a 5.5 in Stoke-on-Trent Live's player ratings with the write-up: "A willing defender but too much for him to do on his own but also struggled with Osmajic."

Phillips has made 38 appearances this season for Stoke with a whopping 3,1,64 minutes to his name.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Kota Takai's injury woes have not subsided since joining Borussia Monchengladbach.

The 21-year-old Japan international has made just six appearances after months out when he first joined Spurs and now he has a muscle strain which has forced him out of the past month or so of action at the Bundesliga club.

The centre-back's loan club had been keen to extend his stay in Germany, according to the local media last month, but whether his injury issues change that remains to be seen.

Dane Scarlett (Hibernian)

Dane Scarlett is yet to score his first goal for Hibernian but he continues to get minutes for the Scottish Premiership side.

The 21-year-old striker came off the bench for the final 23 minutes of the 0-0 draw at Motherwell for fifth-placed Hibs.

Scarlett has made eight appearances now up north of the border with one assist and 354 minutes to his name.

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon has missed the past month with a grade 1-2 hip flexor strain in his right thigh so has been unable to play a part in Fiorentina's climb up the table.

The Israel international had become a regular starter with two goals in his 11 matches for the Italian side as a regular fixture on either wing.

However, the 26-year-old winger suffered the injury in the Conference League win against Jagiellonia and is yet to return.

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz is struggling for goals in Argentina, without one in his past nine league matches with Rosario Central.

He did score in the second game of the season and one in the cup so has two from his 11 appearances so far in the new campaign back home. On Monday he played the full 90 minutes as they lost 2-0 at Independiente Rivadavia.

The 22-year-old is expected to head to Bahia at the end of the season after Tottenham agreed a deal with the Brazilian side to sell Veliz once his current loan at Rosario ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

Will Lankshear & Jamie Donley (Oxford United)

Jamie Donley and Will Lankshear both got on the pitch as Oxford lost 2-0 at Southampton on Saturday in the Championship.

Lankshear started and played for 77 minutes, having managed two goals and an assist in his previous three matches, while Donley came off the bench in the final 20 minutes as he continues his return to sharpness after missing the start of his time at Oxford with injury.

Donley is now on international duty with Northern Ireland, hoping to add to his six caps and one goal for the country.

Yang Min-hyeok (Coventry)

Yang Min-hyeok has not been in a Coventry matchday squad for more than a month, having to watch on for eight Championship matches.

The 19-year-old winger had made 16 appearances for Portsmouth, scoring three goals and laying on one assist, before switching to Frank Lampard's table-toppers.

However, it hasn't worked out all for the South Korean with only one start for Coventry so far in his first experience of FA Cup football last month and three Championship appearances totalling 29 minutes of football.

Speaking to Coventry Live last month, Lampard said of Yang: "We’re competing to try and do well this season. I have to make decisions with what I see. And that’s not to disrespect Mini. If I feel like it’s Mini’s time to come in, he’ll come in, absolutely. That goes with all the players.

"I don’t have a preference of loan or players that are ours, as such, because at the minute we want to win. I can’t add those kind of emotions into it. I have to try to pick the best 11 and the best bench, and at the moment we don’t have any injuries."

Oliver Irow & George Abbott (Mansfield)

George Abbott got his first 90 minutes under his belt since October in a season fragmented by injury as he played his part in the midfield as Mansfield registered a 4-1 home win against Northampton in League One.

Oliver Irow came off the bench in the final 12 minutes of the match to help Mansfield take their unbeaten league streak to six matches.

Yusuf Akhamrich (Bristol Rovers)

Yusuf Akhamrich came off the bench at the break to grab an assist for Bristol Rovers in their 2-1 victory in League Two at Gillingham.

The 20-year-old winger has thrived in his first senior loan with four goals and two assists in 13 league matches for Rovers. It has topped off a season in which he was on the bench twice in the Champions League this season for Spurs and once in the Premier League.

The Bristol Post's Will Murray handed Akhamrich a seven in his player ratings from Saturday with the glowing review: "I love watching Yusuf Akhamrich play football. He's effortless on the ball and glides past players with ease when he's on form. He completed three successful dribbles after coming on in the second half and was unlucky on a couple of occasions not to get an assist after beating his man on the right wing. Defensively, Akhamrich also worked hard, which was on display in added time when he ran back to win the ball and get a foul to relieve some late pressure."

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall continued his goalscoring efforts in League Two as he netted in back-to-back games against first Accrington and then Cheltenham.

The 20-year-old midfielder came off the bench to score in the 5-2 victory at home on Saturday and he has now registered seven goals and two assists across 1,758 minutes in 35 appearances since heading out of Tottenham on his first loan.

Alfie Dorrington (Salford City)

Alfie Dorrington had to watch on from the bench in League Two as Salford City lost 1-0 at Cambridge United on Saturday.

The 20-year-old centre-back has had to make do with a bench role in the past month but has racked up nine appearances so far for City after switching from Aberdeen during the winter window.

Damola Ajayi (Bromley)

Damola Ajayi has been getting minutes again from the bench in recent weeks and came on for the final half hour of Bromley's 1-0 win at home against Colchester United on Saturday.

The 20-year-old winger has managed 25 appearances across his spells at Bromley and Doncaster Rovers in a season of development.

Aaron Maguire (Hampton & Richmond Borough)

Aaron Maguire played every minute of his first three matches for National League South side Hampton & Richmond Borough but has not been in the matchday squads since last month. The 21-year-old goalkeeper was enjoying his first experience of senior football with the non-league outfit.

The Tottenham Hotspur star has missed the entire season so far after undergoing complicated knee surgery just under a year ago

Sweden boss Graham Potter has confirmed that injured Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski is currently in Spain and will link up with the national team to speak to them ahead of their next match.

Kulusevski has endured a tough time since requiring patella surgery last May after suffering a knee injury against Crystal Palace. It was initially thought to be a minor problem but then after the surgery the midfielder was expected to return early in the current season. That then got pushed back towards the end of last year with then Spurs boss Thomas Frank saying he would definitely be back before the end of the season.

As the Dane's tenure came towards its end, Frank again admitted he was unsure if the 25-year-old would play during this campaign. Last week Igor Tudor told football.london that there had been no progress with the Swede who needs be able to move without feeling pain or discomfort after a complicated knee injury that Frank had said was 'historic' in how rare it was.

Sweden boss Potter admitted last week at his press conference after Kulusevski was forced to miss out on another squad: "Dejan is making progress but not as quickly as we would have liked."

Kulusevski's knee specialist has been previously reported to be based in Barcelona and now Potter has said that the Spurs man will come out to meet his national squad, which includes Lucas Bergvall, in Valencia to speak to the group ahead of Sweden's World Cup play-off against Ukraine.

"Dejan is in Spain so I think he will come here and meet us. It will be nice to see him. At the stage he is in his rehab, it is okay for him," Potter told Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet.

"For others it is more difficult because they are at a stage in their rehab where it means it is more difficult to be on the pitch. But Dejan will come by and it will be fantastic."

USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino has provided a potential hint about his future as the Tottenham Hotspur managerial situation remains uncertain

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has admitted "I miss the football scene in England" as he flirts with the idea of managing in the Premier League once again.

A potential return to north London has been mooted from this summer after Pochettino enjoyed five successful years as Spurs boss before his exit in 2019, which saw him guide the club to the Champions League final.

Since his departure, Pochettino has had spells managing Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, and he is now the head coach of the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) ahead of this summer’s home World Cup for the country, with Canada and Mexico also hosts.

There continues to be speculation around the managerial situation at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Igor Tudor’s future at the club far from certain.

Tottenham sit 17th place in the Premier League table and just one point above the relegation zone after their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The result could well result in Tottenham making another change, but whether that would be another interim until the summer remains to be seen, given the speculation that Pochettino could be a contender for the job after the World Cup.

Pochettino has, though, admitted he still has a fondness for the Premier League, having last held a job in England in 2024 when he left Chelsea.

“I miss the football scene in England. I love the country, its culture, the football culture,” Pochettino told L’Equipe.

“For anyone with a competitive spirit who wants to measure themselves against others and test their limits, it's the ideal place. Here, you have to give your best constantly.”

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Pochettino also opened up on previous links of a potential return to Tottenham, particularly in 2021 when the 54-year-old says he was contacted by Spurs over a possible reunion during his time at PSG.

“Not just Tottenham, other very big clubs too,” Pochettino said. “When that six-month season ended [in 2021], there was a bit of... Well, with this whole COVID situation, the situation at the club created instability. In every area.

“There was a period of change, uncomfortable situations, situations that... didn't give the impression that it was possible to work in a stable environment, like the one we have today.

“I enjoyed my experience at PSG. But I had other options, which I shared with the club, but they chose not to listen to any of them.”

Tottenham have just seven Premier League matches remaining to retain their top-flight status, starting with an away trip to Sunderland on Sunday, April 12.

Tottenham Hotspur sit one point above the relegation zone and are in a precarious position in the Premier League after a rollercoaster season

Tottenham could be considering employing a third manager this season as they sit dangerously close to the relegation zone.

A 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest has left them just one point away from the Premier League drop. Igor Tudor has only been in interim charge for seven games, but has struggled to drag them away from danger.

The Croatian has won just one game so far and has watched his Spurs side continue to look uninspired in domestic competition.

The club's hierarchy may be considering a change in management during the March international break in order to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Here, football.london has outlined five contenders for the Spurs job and what they've said about the potential to take charge in north London.

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Glenn Hoddle

Glenn Hoddle has admitted he would be open to managing his boyhood club if things don't improve. When asked if he would head back to north London, Hoddle told the Could it be Magic FA Cup podcast that the club were a "massive part" of his life throughout his career and beyond.

The former Tottenham midfielder said: "I think I would, actually. Particularly with Tottenham, as that’s my club. I’ve supported them since I was eight years of age. So they were a massive part of my life."

Admitting issues during his previous managerial stint at Spurs, Hoddle added: "I managed them probably at the wrong time, I’ve got to say, politically and financially.

"[There] wasn’t the money there. Certainly, it wasn’t what they told me I was going into."

Tim Sherwood

Tim Sherwood has also thrown his hat into the ring and insists he "can do the job." Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Aston Villa boss said: "It was an honour for me to manage that football club and it would be an honour for me to manage them again.

"I can do the job. I have proved that I can do the job. What they can't do is make a mistake with this appointment."

Highlighting his confidence before Tudor's appointment, Sherwood added: "I'm 50/1, so there's no chance really ... But maybe it's not sexy enough, I might have too much of a personality for that hierarchy.

"If you look at what I did when I went in there, I did the job. I did the job I was asked to do and won more games than losses. My home record was excellent as well.

"I played on the front foot. Forget how you're going to play in this situation, they need to win, no matter how you play, you need to win.

"They need to take the shackles off this group of players, get some confidence and make sure they're prepared for a relegation battle.

"When I look through that squad, I'd probably hand my hat on five of them to have a fight down there, they're not ready for a fight at the moment when you look from the outside."

Harry Redknapp

Managerial hero Harry Redknapp is also keen to give the Spurs squad a lift ahead of their potential battle with relegation. Speaking at the Cheltenham Festival where he watched one of his horses in the Gold Cup, the ex-West Ham boss believes that the club's hierarchy are aware of his interest.

Redknapp told Sky Sports: "They know where I am if they need me. They need somebody to go in there and give them a lift and make them believe in themselves.

"They're bang in trouble, I must be truthful. It's going to be tight at the bottom, isn't it?"

In an interview with talkSPORT earlier this week, the 79-year-old revealed he had discussed the situation with former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who told him he would have given Redknapp the reins until the summer.

"I got a phone call last week from Daniel, funnily enough," Redknapp said. "I think I spoke to him once since I left all that time ago. I was in the car last week and suddenly my phone goes – it's Daniel Levy.

"I was on the phone to him for about half an hour. He said to me: 'If I was there now, and I'm not just saying it, I would bring you back until the end of the season, Harry'. That would have been interesting."

Gus Poyet

Gus Poyet is another former Spurs star who would be willing to take on the reins in north London. The 58-year-old was last in charge of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, spending a year there before stepping down at the end of last season.

When asked if he would say yes to his ex-club if they came knocking, Poyet told talkSPORT: "I can’t say no, and I have to trust my ability, I have no doubt. But listen, me, I like when the clubs, they support the coach. I like it."

The ex-midfielder has had stints at a number of clubs including Brighton, Sunderland and Real Betis.

Roberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi hasn't come out and said directly that he would take on the Spurs job. However, the former Marseille coach is said to be open to the position in the summer at least - but only if they retain their Premier League status.

De Zerbi is reported to have held private talks with Spurs and is viewed as a frontrunner for the summer vacancy alongside Mauricio Pochettino, as per The Telegraph.

The Italian could consider coming in earlier at the club in order to make sure Spurs stay in the top flight. Given that De Zerbi is currently without a club - having left Marseille in February - he could be tempted to come in before the season's end.

The Tottenham Hotspur injury list has got another name on it after one of the first team players pulled out of their international duty

Mathys Tel has become the latest name on Tottenham's long injury list after withdrawing from France U21 duty.

The 20-year-old has been a bright spark during a difficult spell for Spurs, but was forced off 67 minutes into Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. The Frenchman appeared to be holding his groin before leaving the pitch and was replaced by his compatriot Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs assistant coach Bruno Saltor said after the game of Tel: "Now, it's still assessing and seeing if he can go with the national team."

The attacker had to be assessed by the France physios ahead of the U21s' European Championship qualifiers against Luxembourg and Iceland and Tel has now withdrawn from the squad, with the France Football Federation naming it as a thigh injury. Lens forward Rayan Fofana has been given his first call-up to replace the Tottenham man.

Tottenham have a break in their season with three weeks between the Forest match and the trip to Sunderland on April 12, which gives Tel longer to recover.

He will return to Hotspur Way where a large number of players are working on their injury recoveries. Guglielmo Vicario underwent his hernia surgery on Monday with the hope of being back in action within the next month.

With Tottenham on the hunt for a permanent manager, Jurgen Klopp's name has been mentioned

Jurgen Klopp could be set for a sensational return to management months after Tottenham were urged to hire the former Liverpool boss. Since January 2025, Klopp has been serving as Red Bull's Head of Global Football, overseeing operations across its network of clubs, including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls, among others.

The German has previously insisted he was finished with management, but has recently left the door ajar. Amid speculation linking him with Real Madrid, Klopp dismissed the rumours, saying: "That is all nonsense. They didn't even call - not once. They didn't even call my agent."

However, he added: "As for the future, I'm not quite finished as a coach yet. So who knows what might come up in the next few years. But there are absolutely no plans in that regard."

Klopp has been linked with a sensational return to Liverpool throughout the season. But former Spurs owner, Lord Alan Sugar, would like to see him in north London. In December, he said: "With the massive fortune of the Lewis family [who own Spurs], it would be a win-win situation if they hired Jurgen Klopp in January. Loads of money for players and a great manager. Who agrees?"

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At the time, then-manager Thomas Frank was under pressure after a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest left Spurs 11th in the table. Three months on, the situation has worsened dramatically: Tottenham now sit 17th following another 3-0 loss to Forest.

That result - a sixth defeat in seven league games - has left interim boss Igor Tudor fighting to keep his job. Appointed in February after Frank's departure, Tudor has managed just one win in seven matches - a chaotic 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, which ultimately proved meaningless as Spurs lost the tie 7-5 on aggregate.

Tottenham are now in very real danger of losing their Premier League status in what would arguably be the biggest top-flight relegation shock since Manchester United went down in 1974.

When domestic action resumes after the international break, Spurs take on Sunderland - a match that could prove decisive for Tudor's future. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Spurs are already expected to search for a permanent manager this summer - but the appointment may have to be moved if Tudor leaves before then.

Names such as Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi have been linked. However, the looming threat of relegation could complicate any potential appointment.

Despite Sugar's suggestion, Klopp has effectively ruled out managing another English team. After leaving Liverpool in 2024, he explained: "If you ask me, 'Will you ever work as a manager again?' I would say now no.

"What I know definitely - I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent. That's not possible."

Klopp enjoyed a trophy-laden nine-year spell on Merseyside, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020. Despite lifting just one league title, his side consistently operated at an elite level, surpassing 90 points in three separate seasons - only to be denied twice by Pep Guardiola's dominant Manchester City team.

Alan Sugar purchased his boyhood club, Tottenham, in 1991 amid significant financial turmoil. While his investment helped stabilise the club off the pitch, success on it proved far more elusive.

During his near-decade-long tenure as chairman, Spurs lifted just a single piece of silverware - the 1999 League Cup. Their highest league finish in that period was seventh, and they ended in 10th place or lower on seven occasions.

Tottenham must decide what comes next in the dugout as they approach their final seven matches of the Premier League season

Tottenham appear to be heading towards a fourth head coach in less than a year at a delicate time for the club on and off the pitch.

Spurs currently sit within a three-week hiatus in their season due to the international break and the following FA Cup weekend, with the north London side out of all cup competitions. In the Premier League they sit in 17th place, just a point above West Ham in the final relegation spot with the danger of the drop a very real possibility.

Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest was a big one in the relegation battle as Vitor Pereira's side leapfrogged the Lilywhites in the table.

Spurs interim boss Igor Tudor has bigger things on his mind than football right now after being informed after the game that his father Mario had passed away. The Croatian's assistant coach Bruno Saltor stepped in to take the media duties after the defeat to Forest.

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It is a delicate situation and Tottenham will want to be sensitive towards what Tudor is going through. football.london understands there is a growing belief among some inside the club that a mutual parting of the ways with Tudor is the likeliest scenario with the 47-year-old then able to focus on family matters, and Spurs on the huge pressures of what lies ahead.

Any next move must be made with sensitivity and also timing. There is some time to work with due to this unusual elongated break in the season. A new coach, if appointed in the next week, would have a clear seven to 10 days to work with most of the squad after the international break and ahead of the next game at Sunderland on April 12.

Here are the potential managerial scenarios that the north London club's CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange will have had to think about as they decide on the fourth person to step into the dugout in the past nine months and Plan C for this troubled season.

A club man

Much of the criticism of Tudor's appointment, despite his previous football firefighting experience in Serie A, came because of his inexperience in Premier League terms.

For the Tottenham supporters, many expected someone to be put in place who had more of a knowledge of the inner workings of the club. Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank's assistant coach Matt Wells would have been a strong candidate had he not left for his first managerial role across the Atlantic where he has won three of his opening five MLS matches with the previously struggling Colorado Rapids.

There is Ryan Mason, who was working with much of this Tottenham squad just nine months ago under Postecoglou before leaving for an ill-fated spell at West Brom, who only got worse after his departure with a long winless run until a couple of recent victories. The 34-year-old has been in this situation twice before in caretaker stints at Spurs so knows how to step in at short notice.

There are also more experienced former Spurs coaches and managers around in Chris Hughton and Harry Redknapp, while Ferencvaros boss Robbie Keane has been linked with the job but is believed to prefer to be a permanent candidate.

Another foreign coach

Spurs could also repeat the gamble of appointing yet another foreign head coach with little to no Premier League experience.

The unfortunately named Adolf 'Adi' Hutter is on the market after leaving Monaco in October last year having struggled to maintain his early momentum at the Ligue 1 club. The 56-year-old demands an aggressive style of football which has been compared over the years to that of Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Ralf Rangnick. Eric Dier played under Hutter at Monaco and compared his style to that he had found at Bayern.

There are also the other interim options when Tudor was appointed of Marco Rose or Edin Terzic and whether Tottenham take a second glance after deciding that the Croatian was the better bet last time around.

To appoint another coach with zero Premier League experience would be a huge gamble and the club would have to believe that someone like Hutter would have the experience and playing style to turn around the confidence of this team at a crucial time.

A safe Premier League pair of hands

There's only one obvious name in this category right now and that's the former Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche.

Some Tottenham fans would hate the idea as Dyche-ball is not exactly what one would perceive to be the style of football associated with the north London club, while others might see it as a needs-must scenario. That's assuming Dyche himself would want the interim job and also what entanglements exist with Forest after his exit from there.

There's also a line of thought that Dyche's style of coaching and football would not be that far removed from Tudor's which has seen little change in fortunes at this point.

A permanent hire

Another option is to go all out on a potential long-term appointment and push that forward despite it then ruling out the wider managerial market in the summer.

That would rule out the most popular fans' choice of Mauricio Pochettino, who has the World Cup to focus on preparing for with the USA. It would surely be too difficult to combine the two roles in the weeks ahead and give the required focus to both.

Pochettino this week confirmed reports back in the day that Spurs had contacted him in 2021 to leave PSG and re-join the north London club, only for the French side to turn down all approaches, and Tottenham appointed Nuno Espirito Santo instead. The Argentine has also been linked with the Real Madrid job this summer.

Andoni Iraola will still have hopes of getting Bournemouth into European football as the Cherries sit just seven points off fifth spot, which is likely to get Champions League qualification this season. The Basque coach has also been linked with the Athletic Club job this summer.

One available candidate is Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian left Marseille but is believed to be waiting until the summer to see what all of his options are. Could Spurs convince him now with a big financial offer and a relegation release clause? De Zerbi would bring the Premier League experience and the playing style along with the fire required - even if that sometimes proves his downfall in the long-term - but Spurs are a tough sell right now in their current state.

The wildcard

This seems the least likely option right now but there is an out of work manager who knows Tottenham and these players inside out and is one of the best motivators in the game - Ange Postecoglou.

The 60-year-old proved last season that when focusing a small squad on one competition that he can get results and these players would run through a brick wall for him.

It's not quite how he or anyone envisioned season three going but there's a big logic to his temporary return, if he were up for it, and he would be able to hit the ground running.

Such a move is more commonplace in Italy and Spain where managers return to their clubs, often because it's cheaper as they were already on gardening leave.

The problem in this scenario would be that Tottenham's hierarchy would need to go cap in hand to Postecoglou to ask for his help while also paying out more money to him on top of the compensation they had to shell out for sacking him. It just doesn't seem feasible despite the logic behind it.

It's time for a brand new episode of Talking Tottenham with our Spurs correspondents Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor as they discuss the Premier League club

Tottenham have three weeks to decide what comes next in their season and how they approach the final seven matches of the Premier League season.

Spurs' woeful 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon leaves them 17th in the table and the north London side could find themselves in the relegation zone by the time they next step on to a pitch on April 12 at Sunderland if West Ham beat Wolves at the London Stadium two days earlier.

It is unclear what the future holds for Igor Tudor, without a Premier League win to his name yet, and the Croatian received the terrible blow after Sunday's defeat that his father Mario had died.

Tottenham are believed to be putting contingency plans into place in case there is to be a change in the dugout for the remainder of the season with interim and permanent candidates being looked at for now and the summer, depending on the club's league status.

Our Spurs reporters Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor discussed the potential avenues that the north London club could go down if Tudor were step down or be replaced in the coming fortnight in the latest episode of their podcast Talking Tottenham.

Ryan offered the solution of a dramatic temporary return until the end of the season for Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked last summer after leading the Lilywhites to the Europa League trophy last season and replaced with Thomas Frank, who lasted only half the ensuing campaign.

The 60-year-old Postecoglou is currently out of work after his ill-fated foray at Forest who have gone through more managers than Spurs this season at this stage. Alasdair agreed on the motivational ability of the Greek-born Australian for the seven games ahead but pointed out that it would require a lot of backtracking and pride-swallowing for the Tottenham hierarchy after sacking Postecoglou and paying out compensation to him.

Not everyone at the north London club will be heading off around the world during this coming fortnight on international duty

More Tottenham players than you would expect will be working away at Hotspur Way during this international break.

Spurs face three weeks without a fixture as the weekend after this current fortnight-long break is dominated by FA Cup ties and the north London club are no longer in that competition. That means Tottenham's next Premier League game after Sunday's disappointing defeat to Nottingham Forest will not arrive until April 12 and the trip to Sunderland.

In the mean time the following players in the first team will head out on international duty: Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven (Netherlands), Cristian Romero (Argentina), Dominic Solanke and Djed Spence (England), Pedro Porro (Spain), Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal), Radu Dragusin (Romania), Kevin Danso (Austria), Lucas Bergvall (Sweden), Randal Kolo Muani (France), Mathys Tel (France U21s) and Archie Gray (England U21s).

Both Tel and Gray took big knocks in the defeat to Forest, with the former forced off, so whether both end up remaining away with their respective U21s squads remain to be seen.

Then there is Guglielmo Vicario, who underwent his hernia surgery on Monday with the hope of being back in action within the next month.

Stepping up into the final stages of their rehabilitation before joining team training at Hotspur Way will be Mohammed Kudus, Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison, while Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert, who was on crutches at Sunday's game, are all working on their recoveries.

That leaves seven other fit and available first team players who have not been called up for international duty and will be working on getting as fit as possible for the final seven matches of the Premier League season to help keep Tottenham up and, for some of them, potentially earn a spot in their counties' World Cup squads. They are Destiny Udogie, Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha, Richarlison, Souza, Antonin Kinsky and Brandon Austin.

The players will get some time off in the days ahead but will then continue to work on their fitness and train with U21 players filling out sessions.

Then the full first team squad will have 10 days or so after the international break concludes to train and prepare for that match at Sunderland with hopefully some returning faces from injury among them and no further issues from international duty.