Tudor: Threat of relegation ‘not real pressure’

Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor has claimed that the threat of relegation is not real pressure and urged his players to take responsibility heading into crucial weeks of the season.

Tudor has watched his side lose both games since replacing Thomas Frank. A North London derby defeat to Arsenal was followed by another poor performance against Fulham which has left Spurs just four points from the drop zone.

It adds more pressure on Thursday’s game against Crystal Palace, but the Croatian claimed that his players had to step up after a poor run of form.

“Everyone understands the situation. There is something wrong if you don’t understand. My job is to put the pressure away but their job is to accept the pressure is there,” he said in his pre-match press conference.

“So the pressure is everywhere, but you need to love this job. There’s real pressure out there. People need to make money for their families or are working in jobs like doctors who are doing operations and they decide about life and death. That’s the real pressure.

“You need to be ready to accept this and stand up. Take responsibility. Have the courage to confront these things. This is the best way to do it, the only way to do it.

“I hope we have, and I’m sure because I saw in the training, the players to step up, take responsibility and make us start putting in, first of all good performances, and after also win points.”

Tudor didn’t hide his anger following the performance at Craven Cottage, which has led to some criticism from those who believe he needs to build up the players’ confidence. However, he believes it is important the players don’t accept low standards.

“To not accept defeat as something normal. That’s the reason,” Tudor explained when asked about why he reacted the way he did post-Fulham.

“It’s about mentality. When you play with your friends, you can have the mentality of ‘OK, we go to play tennis and
then we lose.’ Or, you can be different.”

“In this moment, we need to recognise this and believe we have the quality to do it.

“After the games you need to be angry and disappointed. You don’t need to be the guy who comes in and says everything is perfect, smile and nothing happens.”

Style no longer matters – it’s all about the points

Tudor also conceded that it no longer matters how Spurs play, so long as they pick up crucial points during the run-in.

Much fanfare was made over Frank’s style of play prior to his sacking, but Tudor says that no one can afford to think about that given their current predicament.

“It’s all about three points. I said before the last game. When you are in this moment, it’s all about three points.

“When you start the season and you choose the players, you choose the style you play, you have two months to work on that totally different moment, then you can think about how good you can be.

“After the last 10 games, it’s a totally different state of mind.”

O’Hara: Tudor should be sacked if he loses to Palace

Despite only having two games in charge, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes that a third straight defeat could already spell the end for Tudor’s temporary spell in charge of the club.

“I haven’t seen any evidence they have got better,” O’Hara said on Sky Sports Fan Club.

“They’ve got Crystal Palace at home on Thursday. If they lose that game, I can see them getting rid of him. He’s come in all guns blazing. You’ve been here five minutes. What you don’t need right now is a manager coming in and digging everyone out.

“You need someone coming in to breed some confidence and life out of these players. You’ve come in to get results. At the moment, you’re doing all these interviews…it’s risky business.

“I’d get rid of him [if he loses to Palace]. He’s an interim manager and he’s lost the first three games. It’s a farce, but Tottenham is a farce.”

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