Igor Tudor Tells Tottenham Players to Ignore ‘B——-’ Ahead of Liverpool Clash

• Igor Tudor urged Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players to stop acting like “victims” after a difficult run of results.
• Spurs have lost four consecutive matches since Tudor took charge, including a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
• Captain Cristian Romero and João Palhinha will miss Sunday’s trip to Liverpool F.C..

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor has told his players to ignore outside criticism and stop acting like “victims” as he attempts to rally the squad ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool.

Pressure has increased on Tudor after Spurs suffered a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. The result made it four consecutive losses since he took charge, the worst start to a managerial spell in the club’s history.

Tottenham’s defeat in Madrid followed a chaotic opening 15 minutes in which goalkeeper Antonín Kinský made two costly errors that led to goals for the hosts. Tudor substituted the 22-year-old after 17 minutes, with Guglielmo Vicario coming on in his place.

The Croatian coach said his focus now is on changing the mindset within the squad.

“Not an easy situation, not an easy moment and from the other side a big challenge to change things,” Tudor said.

“Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation. You can stay and cry or you can fight.

“You can be the victim or you can say I can change something. This is the message I want to start and what I told to the players.”

Tudor also urged the team to ignore criticism surrounding the club’s problems.

“Everyone speaking, everyone has opinions and life is always how you see it,” he said.

“In the last period a lot of things about what is the club, the problems, no one can do nothing and this like victimism, 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. All the b——-, all the other things are b——- and sorry to use this word, but it’s on us.”

Tottenham travel to Anfield with several key players unavailable. Tudor confirmed that captain Cristian Romero and midfielder João Palhinha will miss the match while following concussion protocols.

Defender Micky van de Ven is suspended and midfielder Yves Bissouma has also been ruled out, adding to the club’s injury problems.

Despite his difficult debut performance, Tudor backed Kinský and said the young goalkeeper had responded well in training.

“He came back the day after and was very good in training,” Tudor said.

“He has the strength and quality. In front of him is a very good career.”