Spurs pondering Igor Tudors position amid battle to stay in top flight
Tottenham, a fixture in Englands elite division for almost 50 years, suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to strugglers Nottingham Forest on their own turf on Sunday.
Prior to kick off, thousands of supporters lined the roads of north London to rally behind the struggling side, evoking memories of a championship celebration.
The vibrant energy filled the shiny arena as Tottenham controlled much of the opening 45 minutes.
However, Igor Jesus struck for the away side just before the interval, and Spurs fell apart in the second half, shipping two more goals while fans headed for the exits.
This setback extended Tottenhams barren Premier League streak to 13 outings, positioning them 17th, a single point and spot ahead of drop threatened West Ham.
As the ninth richest team globally per Delloittes recent list, their plight stands out as particularly stark.
The dismal outcome intensified scrutiny on ex Juventus manager Tudor, who has dropped points in five of seven outings across competitions since taking over from Thomas Frank.
Officials face a pivotal choice over the international pause. Persist with the current setup or make a change to avert a humiliating drop, the first since 1977?
Tottenham have gathered only 30 points from 31 top flight fixtures this term. Factoring in the three point victory system, it matches their poorest haul at this juncture, tied with 1914 15.
This dire scenario contrasts sharply with last seasons Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou, who departed despite guiding them to 17th in the league.
Tudor missed post game press commitments on Sunday due to a family loss, leaving assistant Bruno Saltor to handle the awkward questions.
The well travelled ex Croatia star Tudor arrived last month tasked with rescuing the campaign, yet he has failed to halt the decline.
Defiant Saltor expressed full belief in avoidance of the abyss, citing the recent 1-1 stalemate at Liverpool and a weekday victory over Atletico Madrid in Champions League action, even with an overall deficit.
Every minor aspect seems to be working against us at present, he remarked. We must reverse that trend, and thats what fuels my optimism.
Toxic atmosphere
Yet former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy deemed it unfeasible for Tudor to remain, predicting the so called Big Six outfit will act decisively.
Its tough for the squad to perform in such a demoralised and poisonous setting, he shared with the BBC.
The sole remedies are securing victories, which elude them, or swapping the head coach, as supporters demand.
Retaining him means enduring five fruitless league matches. A fresh appointment could yield a triumph, sparking a swift turnaround. Its a gamble worth pursuing, and I reckon they will.
Ex Spurs keeper Paul Robinson viewed the solid 1-1 versus Liverpool as masking deeper issues.
It proved the poorest outcome possible, since a draw offered no benefit and preserved his role, he noted.
Tottenham drew some solace from West Hams loss at Aston Villa on Sunday, though they cant bank on favours from the Irons, who have displayed encouraging form lately.
The Lilywhites next outing comes on April 12th, a challenging away day at Sunderland.
In the meantime, leaders must resolve a call that shapes the teams short term destiny.