Igor Tudor pinpoints the ‘only goal’ Tottenham have now after seeing the ‘passion’ and ‘will’ in Arsenal defeat

Igor Tudor talks about the way forward for Tottenham after humiliating North London Derby defeat to Arsenal.

Igor Tudor offered a glimpse into his post-match dressing room address after the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal, revealing that despite his frustration with the result, he found enough in his players’ attitude to avoid losing his temper entirely.

The interim head coach made clear that his anger was not directed at effort or intent. What he saw from his players was passion and a genuine desire to execute what had been prepared on the training ground.

The problem was not willingness. It was capability, and Tudor was honest enough to separate the two. Tudor said (h/t Football London):

“I saw the passion. I saw the will. So I was not angry because they wanted to do, but then they were not able to do in this moment the things. They wanted to do all what we prepared so I said that is good, but we need to understand which moment we are now because we are not able to do. Why we are not able to do is the question we resolve.”

It is a fine but important distinction. A manager who sees players not trying has a different problem to one who sees players trying and falling short. Tudor appears to believe the effort is there and that the gap between intent and execution is one that can be closed with time, work, and honesty.

Tudor calls for Spurs to “stay humble.”

His message for the days ahead was simple and deliberately unglamorous. Everyone in on Tuesday. Stay humble. Become a team, a squad, a hard-working unit. No grand promises, no tactical revolution. Just the fundamentals. The Croatian added:

“Stay humble, that is the key of each of us, and trying to become a team, a squad, a hard-working team. That is the only goal we have now in this moment.”