Before the Champions League Round of 16 battle against Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur supporters were ecstatic to see young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky getting his first opportunity between the sticks in ages, having just watched another Guglielmo Vicario disasterclass. But nothing could prepare them for what was about to unfold.
It is wild looking back on how promising Kinsky started his career at Tottenham to now seeing what happened against Atleti. In mere minutes, Tottenham surrendered three goals, with Kinsky being the central figure in each error, sending Spurs spiraling into a deficit they could never recover from.
Kinsky, make no bones about it, was terrible. He looked completely shaken after the first mistake, and it was clear that this was not going to be his night. Spurs manager Igor Tudor, who finally gave Kinsky the chance he was waiting for, hooked him off after just 17 minutes.
Igor Tudor fed Antonin Kinsky to the wolves
Legendary Premier League goalkeeper David de Gea tweeted out public support for Kinsky, reminding everyone that the goalkeeper position is extremely tough - and unforgiving. And on the Champions League broadcast, another former Premier League icon between the sticks, Joe Hart, tore into Tudor for not only subbing Kinsky out, but visibly ignoring him as Kinsky walked off the pitch.
Tudor's abrasive attitude initially appeared to be a breath of fresh air, but his total mishandling of the Kinsky situation will ultimatey be his undoing. Because Tudor could have picked literally any other time to get his rusty, young goalkeeper into the action than rather a high pressure road trip to Atletico Madrid, one of the best Champions League clubs of the last 15 years.
Instead, he threw Kinsky out to the wolves and watched them tear him apart before embarrassing him and cold shouldering him in front of the world. This is the kind of lack of man management skills or long term care that you get from hiring a desperation manager with no track record of success in world football - a man who has never lasted more than one season at any club he has been with.
Tottenham's Tudor appointment thus feels like the club's overall strategy, including with transfer deadline day signing Randal Kolo Muani - sign mercenaries they have heard of and hope that these people with no regard for Spurs will do well.
Tudor's mistake was not giving Kinsky the chance. Every Tottenham fan wanted it and knew that Guglielmo Vicario was no longer the answer. And Spurs would not have won this game with Vicario in goal anyway, as Vicario has made these same exact mistakes time and time again this season.
No, the problem was Tudor picking THIS game to give Kinsky his first start in ages, then shattering his confidence. Kinsky has been ruined by Spurs and should want out of this dysfunction as soon as possible to spare his own career. He is a talented player with a bright future ahead of him, but the actions of the club towards him this season are unacceptable. Kinsky must have realized at this moment that he cannot succeed at a club that treats him this way, and barring a huge turn of events, he will want out of this mess to save himself.
Spurs, to save their season, need to get rid of Tudor as soon as possible. Not only is Tudor just as incompetent, if not worse, than Thomas Frank with even worse results, but he is not a likable character and cares even less about the long term futures of his players. He was perfectly willing to screw over Kinsky to save himself, and his body language is more unforgivable than any snubbed handshake or scream at the fans by Pedro Porro or Micky van de Ven. Tudor was a grown man behaving like a child playing FIFA.