Tottenham boss Tudor claims relegation fight is ‘not real pressure’
Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor has insisted fighting against relegation is “not real pressure” compared to life-and-death struggles as he urges his players to take responsibility for their poor form.
Spurs sit just four points above the relegation zone ahead of a crucial Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace on Thursday.
The Croatian remains without a point since replacing Thomas Frank, having suffered consecutive defeats against rivals Arsenal and Fulham.
Despite the precarious league position, Tudor believes the squad must keep a sense of perspective regarding their struggles.
‘Doctors decide about life and death’
Tudor’s tenure began with a north London derby loss, followed by a performance at Craven Cottage that left the club looking nervously over their shoulders.
However, the Spurs boss rejected the notion that the footballing stakes were comparable to societal hardships.
“Everyone understands the situation. There is something wrong if you don’t understand,” said Tudor.
“My job is to put the pressure away but their job is to accept the pressure is there.”
“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.”
Questioning the mentality
The former Marseille coach did not hide his frustration following the limp performance against Fulham.
He rejected suggestions that his angry reaction would damage confidence, instead demanding a refusal to accept low standards.
“To not accept defeat as something normal. That’s the reason,” he explained when asked about his post-match demeanour.
“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.”
With crucial weeks ahead, Tudor conceded that tactical style is now secondary to the necessity of gathering points.
“In this moment, we need to recognise this and believe we have the quality to do it,” he added.
“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.”
