Igor Tudor tells Spurs to ditch excuses and "fight" as injuries pile up ahead of Liverpool trip

Tottenham interim boss Igor Tudor has delivered a blunt message to his squad: stop acting like victims and start responding like competitors.

With Spurs’ slump deepening, Tudor pushed back hard on narratives that the club is somehow doomed by fate, dismissing talk of “black magic” and other external explanations as distractions. Instead, he challenged his players to embrace accountability and resilience, making it clear that self-pity won’t change results. The comments come as pressure mounts on the Croatian following a winless start to his interim spell, having lost his opening four matches in charge, as reported by The Guardian.

Tottenham’s immediate task does not get any easier: a Premier League visit to Liverpool on Sunday, a fixture that demands clarity of purpose even in ideal circumstances. Spurs, however, head into the weekend facing a growing personnel crisis that has left Tudor juggling both selection and morale.

Injuries and absences complicate Tudor’s rebuild

The squad’s availability picture worsened in midweek after a chaotic Champions League night in Madrid. Spurs were beaten 5-2 by Atlético Madrid, and the match also brought fresh medical concerns. Centre-back Cristian Romero and midfielder João Palhinha are both going through concussion protocols after a clash of heads, while Yves Bissouma has been added to the injury list with a muscle issue, according to The Guardian.

In total, Tudor is reportedly without 12 players for the Liverpool trip, a damaging number for any side, but particularly one trying to stabilise after a sequence of defeats. It also leaves the interim coach with limited flexibility: fewer options to change games, fewer leaders to steady the team, and less capacity to manage workloads across competitions.

Tudor’s message: mentality first, circumstances second

While Tottenham’s injury list offers obvious context for recent results, Tudor’s stance is that context cannot become a crutch. His “cry or fight” framing is aimed at shifting the dressing room’s emotional temperature—away from grievance and toward urgency.

He also acknowledged that not every player is coping with the moment, an admission that points to a deeper challenge than tactics alone. For Tudor, the priority appears to be re-establishing basic competitive behaviours—focus, intensity, and personal responsibility—before anything else can take root.

Key Takeaways

• Tudor has challenged Spurs’ players to stop “victim” thinking and take responsibility for results.
• Tottenham’s squad is stretched with 12 players reportedly unavailable ahead of Liverpool.
• Fresh injuries hit in Madrid as Romero and Palhinha enter concussion protocols and Bissouma suffers a muscle problem.
• The Liverpool trip is a major test of both tactical organisation and mentality under mounting pressure.