Igor Tudor believes Tottenham are “sleeping less” during games after spotting signs that his players are finally producing what is required to avoid relegation. After four straight defeats to start his tenure, a draw against Liverpool last Sunday and a midweek win over Atlético Madrid hint at the first shoots of recovery.
Tudor’s initial assessment was that the Spurs squad lacked the fitness required for his intense style. But in recent matches the interim head coach has noticed an improvement in their “mental sharpness”, arriving at a crucial moment before Sunday’s pivotal meeting with Nottingham Forest. “That was the key,” Tudor said. “We are sleeping less on the pitch. That’s the main thing. We react before, so for me this is crucial. Now we react earlier. On what happened on the pitch.
“We are not always, ‘what happened?’ And then we react after. Now we react before things happen. Not in the way how I would like but much better. This mental sharpness, awareness of dangerous situations, this is coming up and that’s why we are better.”
Tudor said data shows his players are now in the “top four or five of all season for high-intensity runs”. Opta data reveals the players are winning the ball higher up the pitch more often and applying more high-intensity pressure – leading to more successful attacks – in Tudor’s four Premier League games compared to his predecessor Thomas Frank’s 26.
“The squad is like one living thing, modulating the energy day by day, training by training, game by game,” said the 47-year-old. “The changes that happen are a result of the process. Sometimes you do better at one thing or another thing. It’s always about the level of problems there are to resolve, so you try to do your best and if you are good and the problems are not too big then you see the consequences. It’s all about that. Sometimes you need even more time. For sure, that’s an important thing. Now, it’s just to keep on. Don’t allow this to disappear. Keep them strong and continue in the same way.”
The match against Forest will test Tottenham’s progress in what could prove a defining moment in the battle to stay up. Despite recent improvements, they remain the only side without a Premier League victory in 2026 in a 12-game winless run that is their worst of the Premier League era. Spurs are 16th with 30 points, one place and one point above their weekend opponents.
Fan groups are mobilising on social media, urging supporters to set aside their discontent and arrive early to roar the team coach into the stadium. A widely shared flyer declares: “Show up. Sing up. Stay up. Save our Tottenham. Play our part. Back the players. Our club needs us more than ever.” An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 are expected.
Tudor said that he felt “a beautiful sensation, a feeling of togetherness with the fans” after his first win as head coach. “I enjoyed feeling that we are doing good on the pitch, but together with them, together with the fans. That was really nice, rare,” he said. “We need to continue all together this, if we can say, small positive moment after two games where we can recognise small but important things for the squad.”
Guglielmo Vicario is available for the game but the goalkeeper will then undergo hernia surgery, ruling him out for around a month. With Spurs having three weeks off after the Forest game, he may only miss the trip to Sunderland. The club said in a statement the surgery had been “timed to have as minimal an impact on our season as possible”. That could see Antonin Kinsky playing for the first time since he was substituted 17 minutes into the Champions League first-leg defeat against Atlético having made several errors and conceded three goals.
In a major boost, James Maddison could still feature in the run-in. The midfielder has been out for almost 10 months with a knee injury and had been considered unlikely to return this season. “Maddison is already doing interesting things with the ball,” Tudor said. “Sprinting as well. I saw him.”
Spurs have been ravaged by injuries, but Tudor is hopeful other key players are close to returning. Mohammed Kudus, out since the start of January with a thigh injury, is expected to begin training with the squad 10 days after the international break. Rodrigo Bentancur is also progressing well with a thigh problem. “We hope the medical staff will make us some nice surprises in the next weeks which would be very important,” Tudor said.
