Igor Tudor is preparing to taste his first away game as a Premier League manager ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to face Fulham at Craven Cottage.
His first game in charge of the club ended in a sobering defeat to North London rivals Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to a 4-1 win.
Speaking after the game, Tudor claimed he saw too many ‘bad habits’ from his Tottenham players, which was seen as a sign that he could be tempted to ring in the changes in subsequent names.
And now, the Croatian boss has dropped a hint on his Tottenham team selection as they prepare to face Fulham on Sunday.
Tudor prefers points on the board over playing style
Against Arsenal, everything went wrong for Tottenham as two goals apiece from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres sealed an emphatic win for the Premier League leaders.
Tudor lined up with a 3-5-2 formation, with Joao Palhinha and Radu Dragusin partnering Micky van de Ven at the back.
And despite holding the Gunners to a 1-1 draw at half-time, things quickly went south as three Tottenham stars were among the five worst-rated Premier League players of the weekend.
That said, things are starting to look slightly better. Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso have returned to training and could feature against Fulham.
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When asked if the pair’s return could force him into a formation change, Tudor appeared to suggest that Tottenham’s primary focus will be to get points on the board and not to adopt an eye-catching brand of football.
He said in his pre-match press conference: “I don’t know. I don’t know because we are going to see when they (Porro and Danso) are back, how they are back, and what the other players are. So, this is work to recognise what this team can do.
“You know, because when you start to work, you start, but then it’s a game to show you what the real situation of the team.
“You know, in a physical condition, because it’s fantastic to go to press up and that’s when I speak about style. That’s also one part of the style, how you want to be without the ball.”
All about Premier League safety now
Earlier this week, Tudor admitted that the Tottenham job could be harder than he imagined.
He appeared to double down on his claim, adding that it’s currently a matter of ‘life and death’ in terms of Premier League safety.
He continued: “But then, if you have too many problems (at the) back, you need to think about the style. Is it the right style? Is it the right way? You can call it what you want.
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“So, I need to be smart to understand the moment and how to take the points. Even without looking at the style now at this moment. The style needs to be in the second moment, because now it’s a question of life and death.”
Tottenham are just four points above the relegation zone and need to get points on the board to avoid a tense end to the season.
And with teams below them showing signs of life in recent weeks, they have their work cut out for them as they remain the only Premier League side yet to secure a win in 2026.
