Igor Tudor refused to confirm whether he would be in charge of Spurs for their next match after a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace deepened fears of relegation to the Championship.
The Croatian was in a spiky mood following a result that leaves Spurs just a point clear of the relegation zone with nine matches of the season remaining.
Interim boss Tudor was involved in a tense exchange with a TV reporter over the ‘pressure’ on his team before bizarrely claiming his side were on the right track, despite suffering a third straight defeat since he replaced Thomas Frank.
In his post-match press conference, the 47-year-old was asked whether he would take charge of another Spurs game. ‘No comment,’ came the stern response.
He also refused to entertain questions regarding his future. ‘I don’t think in that direction, I have a job to do, that’s all,’ he added.
TNT Sports reporter Liam MacDevitt had asked Tudor whether Micky van de Ven’s first-half red card was a result of the pressure on his players as they battle the drop.
Tottenham’s 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace leaves them just a point clear of the relegation zone
‘We need to stop speaking about pressure,’ said Tudor. ‘This is not a topic to speak about.’
MacDevitt then asked: ‘Do you not feel like there is pressure? One point above relegation… I know you knew the job was going to be difficult but does that not come with pressure?’
Tudor, clearly in no mood to give an answer, responded: ‘I won’t speak any more about pressure.’
Spurs are next in Premier League action at Liverpool a week on Sunday, where they will bid to end a run of 11 matches without a win and boost their hopes of avoiding the ignominy of dropping into the second tier.
Before the trip to Anfield, Spurs face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Spain on Tuesday.
The hosts went ahead against Palace through Dominic Solanke but conceded three in 20 minutes after Van de Ven’s red card before half time and although they did stabilise in the second half they could not prevent a fifth straight league defeat.
But Tudor came out fighting, claiming he was encouraged by some aspects of the second half and throwing down the challenge to his players.
‘It sounds strange, but I believe more after this game than I believed before,’ said the interim boss. ‘I saw something. Some energy, some passion. I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction I want it to go and needs to go and who is in the boat can stay. Otherwise, they can leave the boat.
‘So when the other players will come back and choosing the right players I am sure we will have a good team and the victories will come. It is not easy to accept the moment where we are now but it is how it is.
‘It’s about believing and growing. There are still nine games to play.’
Tudor claimed the game turned on one moment when, with Spurs 1-0 up, Van de Ven was sent off for pulling back Ismaila Sarr when he was through on goal. Sarr converted the resulting penalty and scored Palace’s third after Jorgen Strand Larsen put them in front.
‘It was two different games,’ said the Spurs interim boss. ‘It was a different game after the red card. In the second half we tried, I saw interesting things but we’re very disappointed like the fans.’
Some Spurs supporters were filing out before half time. Those who remained booed the team off at half time and at the end.
Tudor said: ‘I understand the fans, it’s a normal thing that happens in football. They are disappointed. They wanted more. We are aware of that. We also wanted to give them more. Unfortunately, this is the moment that we pay everything. One red card changed everything.’
Spurs are 16th, a point ahead of Nottingham Forest in 17th and West Ham in 18th. Tudor’s side will be in the relegation zone next weekend if results go against them, with the Hammers at home to Manchester City and Forest hosting Fulham.
