Tottenham players can either 'cry or fight' - Tudor

ByHarry Poole

BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham interim boss Igor Tudor says his players can either "cry or fight" as they seek to turn around their dire situation and avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Tudor, 47, has overseen four consecutive defeats - including three in the Premier League - in a dismal start since he succeeded Thomas Frank on 14 February.

The poor form has left Spurs just one point above the bottom three heading into Sunday's visit to Premier League holders Liverpool and facing the prospect of a first relegation from the top flight since 1977.

The club's season hit a new low during Tuesday's 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid, in which they fell 4-0 down inside 22 minutes.

"Not an easy situation, not an easy moment. [It's a] big challenge to change things," Tudor told the media on Friday.

"Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation. You can cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can change something. This is the message I communicated to the players.

"The bottle is either half empty or half full. Here there is nothing full, there are a lot of empty things.

"But difficult moments don't last forever. It will pass. I believe the players who take this as an opportunity, who stand up with the courage to change these things, will become better people and players afterwards."

Tudor was hired in part for his positive short-term record at previous clubs, including at Italian giants Juventus - but the Croat's appointment has not yet brought a change of fortune.

Spurs have lost their past six matches in all competitions and they have not won in the Premier League since 28 December.

Tottenham owner Enic said this week that it does not plan to take a decision on Tudor's immediate future out of the hands of the club's executive team.

"It is about all of us," Tudor said.

"In the last period, a lot of things were said about what is [wrong with] the club, the problems, [that] no one can do [anything] like we were victims.

"I said this morning to the players totally opposite things. We are the team and we are the staff. It's all about us."

On Wednesday, defender Micky Van de Ven described Spurs calamitous start in Madrid as a "doomsday scenario".

That start resulted in young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky being substituted off just 17 minutes into his Champions League debut for the club - a decision for which Tudor was criticised.

Asked if Kinsky will feature for Spurs again this season, Tudor said: "He will play for sure. He came back the day after and was very good and positive in training. Nothing else. This is probably the first and last time that this happened in my life, and the life of a lot of people.

"It is the same message that I had before. You can go out and be the victim. Everyone was sending messages of help and 'I am with you' and this is nice also.

"He will for sure in his career make other mistakes, but I think he has the strength and quality in front of him to have a very good career."

Tottenham must dust themselves down for Sunday's meeting with Liverpool at Anfield – a stadium where they have conceded 17 goals in their past four visits in all competitions.

Following Wednesday's return leg against Atletico Madrid, Spurs then face a crucial home game against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

The task of turning their form around has been made no easier by an extensive injury list featuring key players.

Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha are among 13 first-team players unavailable to face Liverpool, following their clash of heads in midweek, while Yves Bissouma is injured and Conor Gallagher is a doubt with fever.

Van de Ven is suspended after his red card against Crystal Palace, while the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur and Mohammed Kudus are long-term absentees.

"We have a lot of problems to make the first 11. This is how it is at this club. It happens all the time. We start to build something and then something happens like a red card in the last game or three or four injuries," said Tudor.

"It is very rare, I have never had this situation in my career. It is very unusual but you have to accept this and try and change the things we can change."

By

Senior football correspondent

Igor Tudor has come out fighting at Tottenham's training ground.

The Croat is facing the sack after four defeats from his four matches in charge but he isn't feeling sorry for himself and has urged his players to follow suit.

He's told his players not to think the world is against them – nor to believe that the they are somehow cursed by "black magic".

"Don't act like the victim," was the overriding message. But that is easier said than done, of course, particularly considering their extensive injury list that has worsened now with Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha to miss the game with concussion.

That, coupled with the absence of Micky van de Ven through suspension, means Tottenham are likely to have Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin at the heart of their defence at Liverpool on Sunday.

So if the Tottenham players are feeling down in the dumps, then it is understandable.

Regardless, Tudor isn't standing for it and has challenged his players to stand up and be counted in their fight against relegation.