Igor Tudor has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur are moving in the right direction despite a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace that deepened their relegation fears. The loss was Tottenham's third in three matches under their interim manager, leaving them just one point above the bottom three.
Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank last month, acknowledged the toxic atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but said he remains confident of steering the club to safety. “Unfortunately this is the moment that we pay everything,” he said. “One red card changes everything. I will tell you now, maybe it will sound strange, but I believe more after this game than I believed before.”
The Croatian referred to a "boat" that is going in the direction he wants, adding that players must stay on board or leave. “I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I want to go, and needs to go, and who is in the boat can stay. Otherwise they can leave the boat,” he said.
Tottenham had taken the lead through Dominic Solanke before Micky van de Ven was sent off. Van de Ven will miss next weekend's trip to Liverpool. Crystal Palace moved ten points clear of the relegation zone thanks to a double from Ismaïla Sarr and a finish from Jørgen Strand Larsen.
Tudor refused to discuss his own future and called for unity. “I don't want to speak about the club,” he said. “I want to be positive. I cannot tell the guys nothing after this game. They gave everything. We need to stay together now. Still nine games to play.”
