Tottenham: Tudor, heartbroken in a month and a half

Appointed Tottenham manager on 14 February, Igor Tudor was sacked by the club a month and a half later. In that time, the Croatian manager racked up five defeats in seven matches.

Do love stories usually end badly? The one between Igor Tudor and Tottenham lasted barely 44 days. Appointed to the Spurs bench on 14 February, Valentine’s Day, the Croatian manager was officially sacked by the club’s board on Sunday 29 March.

The relationship was brief, but the split comes as no surprise. For several weeks, the break-up had seemed inevitable: the two had never really seemed compatible.

Just one win in seven matches

The former Marseille manager didn’t just join a struggling team; he took the reins of a club in freefall. His aloof and rigid temperament only served to heighten tensions. According to the English press, the players took little pleasure in his “unpleasant” and “aggressive” attitude: a partner who was too demanding for a dressing room already in a fragile state. A more conciliatory coach would have been needed to restore the smiles and give Spurs a new lease of life.

The team never really bought into their manager’s approach, and the results reflected this lack of chemistry: just one win in seven matches. The defeats came thick and fast, like irreparable rifts, against Arsenal (1-4), Fulham (1-2) and Crystal Palace (1-3) in the league, then against Atlético Madrid (2-5) in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. There was a brief resurgence against Liverpool (1-1), then a glimmer of hope in the return leg against Atlético (3-2). But the flame was finally extinguished with a relapse against Nottingham Forest (0-3).

Tottenham in a precarious position

His time at the helm of the team will not be remembered as a pleasant one. Not for the players, then, nor for the journalists, faced with his irritated air when confronted with certain questions and his glare, nor for the supporters, baffled by the radical changes to his tactical plans. And even less so for Tudor himself, who learnt of his father’s death just after the final whistle of his last match on the bench.

Tudor no doubt thought he was seizing a rare opportunity by taking the Tottenham job. In the end, he leaves behind a brief and uninspiring spell, with everyone moving on quickly. The London club won’t be on its own for long, as someone will surely be needed to help it secure its place in the top flight, where it currently sits in 17th place, just one point clear of the relegation zone. Will Sean Dyche be that white knight? His name is being mentioned. At present, the English side is not necessarily looking for a lasting romance, but simply a happy ending.