Tottenham Hotspur face Nottingham Forest in North London this afternoon, such a game has a huge impact on the club’s long-term future in the Premier League.
Igor Tudor’s men currently sit outside the relegation zone by one point, last weekend they drew 1-1 at Liverpool and kept the gap ahead of West Ham United.
However, they will face a Reds side this afternoon who are outside the relegation zone, who are likely to make it six points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Vitor Pereira’s side come into the meeting after reaching the quarterfinals of the Europa League, which could give them a big boost ahead of the crucial game.
If Tudor is to secure all three points for the first time in charge of the Lilywhites and rule out any relegation threat, he must ensure that one player is missing from the starting eleven.
Why Kinsky shouldn’t be away from the starting XI v Forest
The clash with Atletico Madrid away from home last week was a real opener for Tudor and he can be trusted in his interim Spurs charge.
The Croatian decided to use Antonin Kinsky between the sticks against the LaLiga outfit, but it was a decision that backfired – as evidenced by his lack of quality.
He made a mistake on two of the three goals in the first 15 minutes of the match, and was replaced by his manager Guglielmo Vicario.
The Italian has started the last two games against Liverpool and the return leg against Diego Simeone’s side – but his selection could be in doubt this afternoon.
It was confirmed in Friday’s pre-match press conference that Vicario will undergo surgery on the hernia, but could still play against the Reds in North London.
Despite the injury situation, Spurs will not be able to afford any more key mistakes, as Tudor desperately need to use the Italian over Kinsky later this afternoon.
The Spurs flop should join Kinksy on the bench vs Forest
A combination of injuries and a lack of form in the Premier League has led to the Lilywhites’ current relegation – for the second time in as many seasons.
Tudor was brought to the club to fix these issues, but so far he has been unable to deliver – as seen by his tally of one win in his first six outings in all competitions.
However, as mentioned earlier, the list of injuries prevented the interim manager from having the desired impact, but his selection also raised questions within the fans.
From full-back to three-back systems, he has tried a number of different tactics, but none of them have had the desired effect in North London.
He has selected defender Radu Dragusin in four of his six games in charge of the title, and the Romanian player has failed to meet expectations in all the games he has played.
The 24-year-old, who joined from Genoa in 2024, has made just 46 appearances for the Lilywhites, with an ACL injury severely hampering his progress.
However, his return to action saw Tudor drop him at the end, a decision that backfired greatly – as evidenced by his recent first-team form.
Dragusin started against Atletico on Wednesday night, but was unable to do so – with his stats showing his struggles against the Spanish outfit.
He played 66 minutes before being substituted, and Tudor was clearly not a fan of his performance despite his side’s victory.
|
Radu Dragusin – statistics against Atletico |
|
|---|---|
|
Mathematics |
Mathematics |
|
Minutes played |
66 |
|
To touch |
40 |
|
Pass accuracy |
69% |
|
The property is lost |
16 |
|
Low Duels are lost |
100% |
|
Knockdown won |
0 |
|
Aerials won |
50% |
|
Ideas made |
1 |
The centre-back has lost 100% of the games he has played on the pitch, while failing to win a single one – often dominated by opposition in North London.
He also won just 50% of his aerial battles, with just one interception, confirming his struggles off the ball.
In charge, Dragusin was also disappointed, completing only 69% of the passes he attempted, while losing 16 different times.
He also failed to complete the dribbles he tried, when he misplaced each long ball he made – with his performance in North London he must forget.
The return of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will undoubtedly push the Romanian international further down, as Dragusin doesn’t want him anywhere near the eleventh.
If Spurs are to claim the crucial three points in tonight’s crucial clash, Tudor must make bold decisions and keep the defender out of his sights.
A game of such magnitude simply leaves room for error, with Dragusin and Kinsky two players who have shown that they are not at the level required for such a game.
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