Tudor Spurs Criticism: Tottenham Face Winless Run Before Crystal Palace

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Tottenham prepare to host Crystal Palace on Thursday with pressure rising on Igor Tudor and the squad. Spurs sit just one point above the Premier League relegation places after West Ham beat Fulham and Nottingham Forest drew with Manchester City, and the head coach insists the focus now is simple: results, not style.

Tudor has been clear that Tottenham cannot worry about aesthetics during this run. "It's all about three points. I said that before the last game. When you are in this moment, it's all about three points, Tudor said. When you start the season and you choose the players, you choose the style you play, you have two months to work on that totally different moment, then you can think about how good you can be. For the last 10 games, it's a totally different state of mind."

The Croatian has adopted a demanding approach in the dressing room and has not apologised for it. Tudor delivered blunt assessments after both matches in charge, and believes strong words are necessary. He said the group had a short build-up for Crystal Palace but felt encouraged by how the players responded in training sessions.

After the 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Sunday, Tudor stated that "the club have big problems". One week earlier, a 4-1 loss against rivals Arsenal in Tudor’s first game led to another stern message, when the head coach said "Spurs must become serious and shed their bad habits."

Tudor repeated that he would not soften his stance before Crystal Palace. "Of course it was a little bit disappointing, but that's how we should feel. We need to be angry and disappointed. I won't be the guy who says everything is perfect, smiles and acts like nothing has happened. Also, it's about me personally sending a message to everyone that I do not accept the situationbut we move on. We had a good but short period to prepare for this next game, and I have seen the guys react really well."

Tottenham’s league form had already dipped before Tudor arrived, and the slide has continued. Spurs have gone 10 Premier League games without a victory, recording four draws and six defeats. It is only the second time the club have suffered a winless run this long in the competition.

The previous sequence came between January and March 1994, under Ossie Ardiles. Tudor has overseen just the last two fixtures in this stretch, after replacing Thomas Frank. The former Juventus coach is only the second Tottenham manager to lose a first two Premier League matches, after Martin Jol started with three defeats in 2004.

Frank’s brief spell brought criticism over Tottenham’s attack, with performances viewed as flat and predictable. Tudor said in his first press conference that he preferred a dynamic, positive approach with the ball. However, with relegation danger growing since then, Tudor has stressed that performances are secondary to the need for points.

According to the Opta supercomputer, Spurs still have just an 8.2% chance of relegation despite the poor sequence. The numbers suggest survival remains likely, yet Tudor has warned against complacency as the club tries to halt the slide and collect a first league win under the new head coach.

The importance of the Crystal Palace fixture is clear for Tottenham and Igor Tudor, with form, confidence and league position all under scrutiny. While long-term playing style and identity remain part of Tudor’s vision, the immediate task is to secure stability, avoid deeper trouble near the bottom, and finally end this extended winless league run.