Igor Tudor’s Tottenham Hotspur side are finally showing signs of life ahead of their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.
The Croatian replaced Thomas Frank as interim boss last month and lost his first four games in charge of the club.
However, Tottenham appeared to have turned a corner against Liverpool as they held the Premier League champions to a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
They followed it up with another spirited display in the UEFA Champions League despite getting knocked out on aggregate, beating Atletico Madrid at home.
And now, ahead of a must-win game against Forest that could have serious implications on the relegation battle, Tudor’s comments show just how much Tottenham have progressed in recent weeks when compared to what was the case under his predecessor.
Tottenham ‘sleeping less’ on the pitch
Granted, Tudor’s first three games in charge of the club were hard to watch for the Tottenham faithful. With key players injured and the squad seemingly sleepwalking into a relegation battle, they were in a bit of a free fall with no discernible style of play.
Read More: Igor Tudor reveals exactly when Mohammed Kudus will make injury return for Tottenham
However, they proved in the game against Liverpool that they haven’t thrown in the towel, coming from behind to secure a priceless point on their travels.
Under Frank, they were far too passive in attack and leaked goals for fun, winning just seven out of their 26 Premier League games with the Dane at the helm.
Speaking ahead of the game against Forest, Tudor feels Tottenham’s ‘mental sharpness’ has improved in recent weeks.
“We are sleeping less on the pitch. That’s the main thing. We react before, so for me this is crucial. Now we react earlier to what happened on the pitch.
“We are not always, ‘what happened?’ And then we react after. Now we react before things happen. Not in the way I would like, but much better.
“This mental sharpness, awareness of dangerous situations, this is coming up and that’s why we are better.”
Tudor’s Tottenham showing signs of life
Aside from their recent form, Tottenham’s injury situation has also improved in recent weeks, so things are looking up for them at the right time.
Read More: Will Guglielmo Vicario play for Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest after hernia setback?
Just over a week ago, they hadn’t won a game in 2026 and their slippery slide in the Premier League looked set to continue at Anfield, where they only had 13 fit, senior players to pick from.
However, the week that has followed has been good for the club, with the likes of Cristian Romero, Lucas Bergvall, Destiny Udogie, Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha returning to action.
To put it bluntly, the Frank era was short-lived, but it caused serious damage to the club’s reputation as there was no fight left in the squad when he left.
Tudor’s first few games were nothing to celebrate, but the Croatian seems to have breathed new life into the club in recent weeks, with the Tottenham players proving in their last two games that they are well and truly fighting for their manager.
Long may it continue.
