Tottenham must sack Igor Tudor now to save themselves from relegation

Forget tactics and the greasiness of the Metropolitano's turf, Igor Tudor failed on a human level in Spain's capital.

The interim manager opted for something new in the first leg of our Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético Madrid, but there was no systematic alteration. Instead, an advocated change between the posts was overseen, with 22-year-old Antonín Kinsky replacing the increasingly volatile Guglielmo Vicario in net.

Kinsky, a hero on his Spurs debut, has struggled for opportunities despite Vicario's wretched season, and the Czech's first appearance since October would staggeringly last just 17 minutes. Within that time, he'd conceded three and was at fault for two. A dreadful miskick, which allowed Julián Alvarez to tap home, proved to be the final straw.

"It happens very rarely. I have been coaching 15 years, and I never do this. It was necessary to do this, preserve the guy and the team. Incredible situation," Tudor explained post-match (via Chris Wheatley).

The manager's decision to remove the young Czech from the limelight so soon wasn't the issue. His lack of attention as the 22-year-old, who'd just endured the worst 15 minutes of his professional life and trudged off distraught, was.

Tottenham's gamble on an experienced Serie A firefighter simply hasn't worked. They must accept yet another mistake and move on from the 47-year-old as soon as possible, otherwise Spurs will be playing in the Championship next season.

Tottenham must sack Igor Tudor after fourth successive defeat

The hard-nosed Croatian has proven to be the wrong type of figurehead for this group of players. It's a broken squad, one that's feeling sorry for themselves and needs some TLC. Tudor hasn't earned a semblance of buy-in, with his high-risk approach out of possession only manifesting in a half-baked and exploitable form.

There are, of course, tactical concerns. Tottenham remain far too easy to play against, with Tudor's dogmatic ideals not suited to the players he has available.

While his experience of such situations in Italy meant there was at least some rationale behind appointing him as Thomas Frank's short-term successor, this inept board surely would have expected a far greater immediate impact. Instead, Tudor has only sunk Tottenham further into the mire. The defeats are only becoming more cartoonish and surreal, with Tuesday night's our sixth in succession.

A five-point buffer on the drop zone has rapidly become one, and we soon won't have any European excursions to fall back on for respite. Next week's second leg couldn't look less significant with a relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest in the offing. Tudor can't be in charge for that.

As was the case with Frank, there's nothing really to get behind. The players haven't folded completely, evidenced by their fight for the remaining 70 minutes in Madrid after the fever dream of an opening act. Still, there's a distinct absence of harmony between playing and coaching staff, with Djed Spence seemingly making a point of Tudor's cold nature by seeking a handshake from the blunt Croatian after his substitution on Tuesday night.

The issue for Tottenham is who could come in? They had to go left field to appoint Tudor. It's got to be a Spurs man, right? Is Ryan Mason, a two-time interim, capable of inspiring this group? Would Robbie Keane leave his current post in Hungary? Can Harry Redknapp get out of his I'm A Celebrity All-Stars contract? There's no obvious solution.

We're in the midst of a death spiral, folks. Perhaps Lincoln City away will be fun.