Tottenham Hotspur face Nottingham Forest in North London this afternoon, with such a fixture having a huge bearing on the club’s long-term future in the Premier League.
Igor Tudor’s men currently sit outside the relegation zone by a solitary point, with last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool maintaining the gap ahead of West Ham United.
However, they face a Reds side this afternoon who are just outside the drop zone on goal difference, potentially making for a huge six-pointer at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham Hotspur interim manager Igor Tudor-2
Vitor Pereira’s side come into the meeting after reaching the Europa League quarter-final, which could hand them a significant boost ahead of the vital clash.
If Tudor is to secure all three points for the first time as Lilywhites boss and pull clear of any relegation threat, he must ensure that one player is nowhere near the starting eleven.
Why Kinsky should be nowhere near the starting XI v Forest
The Atletico Madrid clash away from home last week was a real eye-opener for Tudor and who he can trust during his temporary spell in charge of Spurs.
The Croatian decided to utilise Antonin Kinsky between the sticks against the LaLiga outfit, but it was a decision that backfired - as seen by his lack of quality.
Tottenham goalkeepers Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky
He made a mistake in two of the three goals within the first 15 minutes of the encounter, subsequently being replaced by the manager for regular number one Guglielmo Vicario.
The Italian has since started the last two matches against Liverpool and the return leg against Diego Simeone’s side - but his selection could well be in doubt this afternoon.
It was confirmed in Friday’s pre-match press conference that Vicario is set to undergo surgery on a hernia injury, but he still could feature against the Reds in North London.
Regardless of the injury situation, Spurs can’t afford any more key mistakes, with Tudor desperately needing to utilise the Italian over Kinsky later on this afternoon.
Spurs flop should join Kinksy on the bench vs Forest
A combination of injuries and a lack of form in the Premier League has led the Lilywhites to their currently lowly standing - for the second time in as many seasons.
Tudor has been brought into the club to fix such issues, but he’s so far been unable to deliver - as seen by his tally of just one win in his first six outings across all competitions.
igor-tudor-tottenham-premier-league
However, as previously mentioned, the injury list has prevented the temporary boss from having the desired impact, but his selections have also raised questions within the fanbase.
From four-back formations to three-back systems, he’s tried various different tactics, but none of which are yet to have the desired effect in North London.
He’s selected centre-back Radu Dragusin in four of his six matches at the helm, with the Romanian international falling way short of expectations in every game he’s featured in.
The 24-year-old, who joined from Genoa back in 2024, has only made 46 appearances for the Lilywhites, with an ACL injury massively hating his progress.
Tottenham's Radu Dragusin
However, his return to action has seen Tudor throwing him in at the deep end, a decision that has massively backfired - as seen by his recent form in the first-team.
Dragusin started the clash against Atletico on Wednesday night, but was unable to deliver - with his underlying stats demonstrating his struggle against the Spanish outfit.
He featured for 66 minutes before being replaced, with Tudor evidently also not a fan of his performance despite his side securing a needed victory.
Radu Dragusin - stats against Atletico
Statistics
Minutes played
Touches
Pass accuracy
Possession lost
Ground duels lost
Tackles won
Aerials won
Interceptions made
The centre-back lost 100% of the ground duels he entered, whilst also failing to win a single tackle - often being dominated by the opposition in North London.
He also won just 50% of the aerial battles he entered, whilst also making just one interception, further reaffirming the struggles he endured without the ball.
Radu Dragusin for Tottenham
In possession, Dragusin was just as disappointing, subsequently completing just 69% of the passes he attempted, whilst losing possession on 16 separate occasions.
He also failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted, whilst misplacing every single long ball he made - with his showing in North London certainly one to forget.
The return of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will no doubt push the Romanian international further down the pecking order, with Dragusin needing to be nowhere near the starting eleven.
If Spurs are to claim three vital points in today’s vital clash, Tudor must make some bold decisions and keeping the defender out of his side is one he desperately needs to make.
A game of such magnitude simply leaves no room for error, with Dragusin and Kinsky two players who have shown they’re not at the level required for such a fixture.
Gray-Spurs-Atleti Related
[Bigger star than Gray: Spurs are brewing "one of England's best talents"](https://www.footballfancast.com/forget-gray-spurs-are-brewing-one-of-englands-best-williams-barnett/ "Bigger star than Gray: Spurs are brewing "one of England's best talents"")
Wednesday night belonged to Archie Gray, but he's not the only exciting young talent at Spurs.