Tottenham have been dragged into the relegation scrap and fans were left furious during the 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace on Thursday night
Tottenham have been dragged into the relegation scrap
Igor Tudor was recruited to make a difference. Tudor has certainly achieved that – though not in the manner the club had envisaged. They appear even more troubled now than when he assumed control.
Tottenham’s caretaker manager has suffered defeat in all three matches under his stewardship, edging the club nearer to the drop and already losing the faith of the supporters.
Fans departed in significant numbers at the interval, whilst those who remained voiced their displeasure as the team self-destructed before their eyes.
Tottenham went from leading 1-0 after 34 minutes to trailing 3-1 at the break following the dismissal of stand-in captain and star performer Micky van de Ven.
The perpetually upbeat stadium announcer Paul Coyte attempted to rally supporters at half-time: “This game is a long way from over.”
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Few appeared convinced. Little surprise, then, that frustrated supporters even directed their anger towards club analysts positioned in the stands. “Analyse that – we’re f***ing going down.”
The sentiment was difficult to dispute. Fans subsequently hurled abuse at executives in the directors’ box before the second period commenced, as the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile.
But at what stage do Tottenham acknowledge that the impact manager – who had triumphed in all his opening fixtures at his previous five clubs – must be replaced if Spurs are to preserve their top-flight status?
Tottenham sit just a point clear of the relegation places, whilst West Ham and Nottingham Forest are demonstrating considerably more resilience and resolve to escape danger. Spurs were abysmal, directionless and the players appeared as dejected as the fans.
It seems the squad have lost faith in the manager. They looked utterly exhausted. Tudor has attempted every solution and nothing has proved effective. On this occasion, Tudor made four alterations, even benching the club’s £34m January acquisition Conor Gallagher alongside Xavi Simons, Yves Bissouma, and Radu Dragusin.
Souza, Kevin Danso, Pape Sarr, and Mathys Tel were brought into the starting XI. Brazilian youngster Souza caught Daniel Munoz with a heavy challenge, forcing the defender off injured in what appeared a significant setback as Nathaniel Clyne entered as his replacement.
However, Palace were disciplined, having regained momentum under Oliver Glasner, and thought they’d scored when Ismaila Sarr’s effort deflected in off Pedro Porro, only for VAR to rule it out for the narrowest of offside calls.
That decision felt incredibly cruel. And four minutes later, Tottenham took the lead.
Archie Gray – amongst the few Spurs players to perform creditably – raced down the right flank, pulled the ball back for Dominic Solanke to finish clinically.
The stadium erupted. There was renewed optimism and Spurs supporters began to dream. But that optimism lasted merely four minutes.
Sarr burst into the Spurs penalty area, van de Ven almost instinctively hauled him down and referee Andy Madley showed no hesitation in brandishing a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and pointing to the spot. It mirrored Palace defender Maxence Lacroix’s dismissal at Manchester United on Sunday, with Sarr composedly converting from the spot to draw the visitors level after 40 minutes.
Palace snatched the lead in the opening minute of first half stoppage time. Mathys Tel’s careless pass surrendered possession, Evann Guessand performed impressively before Adam Wharton threaded through Jorgen Strand Larsen to find the net.
In the seventh minute of first half added time, matters deteriorated further. Wharton executed a delightful pass splitting Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha, allowing Sarr to dart through and clip the ball beyond Guglielmo Vicario.
To their credit, Spurs demonstrated genuine resilience in the second period as the ten men battled valiantly and refused to capitulate, but the damage had been done and recovery proved impossible.