The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground has become noticeably more intense since Igor Tudor took the reins, but it was a single, guarded remark during his most recent press conference that truly set the fan base alight.
As the team prepares for a critical away fixture against Fulham, Tudor faced questions about the club’s persistent injury crisis. Rather than offering the usual platitudes about bad luck, the Croatian coach provided a response that was as mysterious as it was telling.
When asked why he believes the squad suffers from so many recurring fitness issues year after year, the former Juventus defender refused to point fingers openly, stating simply that he has his own thoughts and opinions but intends to keep them to himself for now.
This level of secrecy has sparked a wave of speculation among supporters. Tudor is a man who has managed at high-pressure clubs like Lazio and Udinese, and he is not known for biting his tongue without reason. By suggesting that there is a specific cause for the medical woes perhaps related to past training intensities, recruitment medicals, or internal recovery protocols he has signaled that he sees a deeper problem within the infrastructure.
For a manager who arrived expecting to fight for European spots only to find just thirteen fit outfield players in his first week, the frustration is palpable. He admitted that the challenge at Spurs is significantly more difficult than he had anticipated when he signed his contract earlier this year.
The injury list remains a primary obstacle to any tactical progress Tudor hopes to make. Key players like Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski remain sidelined, leaving the team lacking both defensive pace and creative spark. Udogie is currently battling a hamstring tear, an injury that often requires a delicate balance of rest and specific strengthening to prevent future relapses.
The situation with Kulusevski is even more complex. The Swedish international has been out since undergoing surgery for a patella injury sustained nearly a year ago. While Tudor knows the player well from their time together in Italy and praised his character and talent, he could offer no guarantees that the winger would even feature before the current season ends.
He noted that the recovery process is being evaluated on a weekly basis, emphasizing that bringing a player back in poor physical condition is often worse than not bringing them back at all.
Despite these hurdles, there have been minor victories for the medical department. Both Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso have returned to full training this week, providing a massive boost to a backline that has looked disorganized in recent outings.
The return of specialist defenders is especially vital because it allows other players to return to their natural habitats. For instance, Joao Palhinha has been forced to fill in as a makeshift center-back lately. While Tudor praised the Portuguese midfielder as a “big leader” and an exceptional human being for sacrificing his own comfort for the team, it is clear that Palhinha is far more effective as a midfield anchor.
Tudor explained that he had shifted to a back four in previous games specifically to mask the weaknesses caused by the lack of fit personnel, but his long-term vision clearly involves a more settled and specialized lineup.
The road ahead for Tottenham is undeniably steep. Tudor is essentially trying to perform open-heart surgery on a team while they are still running a marathon. His focus on “daily work” and improving the squad’s physical condition suggests he believes the previous standards were not up to par for the demands of his high-intensity style.
As the team travels to Craven Cottage, the eyes of the football world will be on Tudor’s tactical choices, but the fans will still be whispering about that cryptic comment. If Tudor truly knows why the club keeps breaking its best players, the supporters are desperate for him to fix it before the season slips away entirely.
