{"id":536592,"date":"2026-03-21T11:17:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/536592\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T11:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T11:17:10","slug":"igor-tudor-pleased-spurs-are-sleeping-less-as-mental-focus-sharpens-for-run-in-tottenham-hotspur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/536592\/","title":{"rendered":"Igor Tudor pleased Spurs are \u2018sleeping less\u2019 as mental focus sharpens for run-in | Tottenham Hotspur"},"content":{"rendered":"

Igor Tudor believes Tottenham are \u201csleeping less\u201d 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 Atl\u00e9tico Madrid<\/a> hint at the first shoots of recovery.<\/p>\n

Tudor\u2019s 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 \u201cmental sharpness\u201d, arriving at a crucial moment before Sunday\u2019s pivotal meeting with Nottingham Forest. \u201cThat was the key,\u201d Tudor said. \u201cWe are sleeping less on the pitch. That\u2019s the main thing. We react before, so for me this is crucial. Now we react earlier. On what happened on the pitch.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not always, \u2018what happened?\u2019 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\u2019s why we are better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tudor said data shows his players are now in the \u201ctop four or five of all season for high-intensity runs\u201d. Opta data reveals the players are winning the ball higher up the pitch more often and applying more high-intensity pressure \u2013 leading to more successful attacks \u2013 in Tudor\u2019s four Premier League games compared to his predecessor Thomas Frank\u2019s 26.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe squad is like one living thing, modulating the energy day by day, training by training, game by game,\u201d said the 47-year-old. \u201cThe changes that happen are a result of the process. Sometimes you do better at one thing or another thing. It\u2019s 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\u2019s all about that. Sometimes you need even more time. For sure, that\u2019s an important thing. Now, it\u2019s just to keep on. Don\u2019t allow this to disappear. Keep them strong and continue in the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The match against Forest will test Tottenham\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Tottenham went out of the Champions League but did beat Atl\u00e9tico Madrid in the second leg, Xavi Simons scoring twice. Photograph: Marc Atkins\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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: \u201cShow up. Sing up. Stay up. Save our Tottenham. Play our part. Back the players. Our club needs us more than ever.\u201d An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 are expected.<\/p>\n

Tudor said that he felt \u201ca beautiful sensation, a feeling of togetherness with the fans\u201d after his first win as head coach. \u201cI enjoyed feeling that we are doing good on the pitch, but together with them, together with the fans. That was really nice, rare,\u201d he said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u201ctimed to have as minimal an impact on our season as possible\u201d. That could see Antonin Kinsky playing for the first time since he was substituted 17 minutes into the Champions League first-leg defeat against Atl\u00e9tico having made several errors and conceded three goals.<\/p>\n

Antonin Kinsky could play for Spurs again after Guglielmo Vicario has surgery. Photograph: Anthony Hanc\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

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. \u201cMaddison is already doing interesting things with the ball,\u201d Tudor said. \u201cSprinting as well. I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201cWe hope the medical staff will make us some nice surprises in the next weeks which would be very important,\u201d Tudor said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Igor Tudor believes Tottenham are \u201csleeping less\u201d during games after spotting signs that his players are finally producing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536593,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[403,99],"class_list":["post-536592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soccer","tag-soccer","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536592\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}