Igor Tudor: Tottenham boss says ‘no time for excuses’ ahead of Arsenal opener | Soccer News

Tottenham boss Igor Tudor insists there is “no time to make excuses” and has vowed not to play for draws as he bids to move the club away from relegation trouble.

Tudor has been appointed Spurs head coach on a deal until the end of the season.

The Croatian replaced Thomas Frank, who was sacked after an eight-game winless run that left Spurs 16th in the Premier League table and just five points above the relegation zone.

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In his first interview since his appointment on Saturday, Tudor wants to inject “confidence” and “courage” into the underperforming side.

I told Spursplay: “The first priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments.

“First of all, the team must gain some self-confidence, gain some courage, but also in the same way the concrete things in the field.

“I come here knowing that the situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses.

“What I said from the first day here (is) each of us, each of the players has to give something more, something extra, because the position of the club at this moment is not (one) that anyone can accept. Every supporter of Tottenham cannot accept the situation. We are aware of it, but it is not enough just to be aware of it.”

‘I’ve never seen a coach play for a draw’

The former Juventus boss faces a daunting first game in charge as Spurs take on rivals and Premier League leaders Arsenal live on Sunday. Sky Sports.

But Tudor is only aiming for victory in this weekend’s North London derby.

“Big week, important games,” he said. “This derby is a fantastic game to play. We want to play this game in a way that our fans will love.

“I’m going to give everything we have in the right way, bravely but in the same way intelligent and smart to achieve what we want, and that is the victory.”

He later added: “And about win or draw, the truth is I never saw the coach who said he could play for a draw. It’s not possible.

“So offensive football, yes, but smart, that’s the key.”

Tudor: I need to find the best system in the midst of absenteeism crisis

Tudor has preferred three backs and wings throughout his managerial career, but the 47-year-old admitted Spurs’ large absentee list will force him to find “the best system”.

He said: “I like to be positive. I like to play attacking football. That’s my first goal. I like to score goals, but in the same way you have to give organization in defense, give the clear structure of what you want to play.

“The situation is not easy because we have a lot of injured players, so we first have to find the best system that fits the players available at this moment, so a very specific moment.

“Maybe it may sound strange, but I believe the thing we have to be focused on is the training. So the training from today, that is the key, because as I always like to say, Sunday and the game is a result of the training.

“The coach must show the way, where is the path we want to go, how we want to go, and the players must accept it.”

‘Style is more important than system’

Tudor has recently made a big impact at Lazio and Juventus and produced an immediate upturn in form midway through the season at the Serie A clubs.

The former Juve defender will be hoping to make a similar impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to ease fears of a first relegation to the second tier since 1977.

He said: “If you can run 115 kilometers as a team, it’s better than 105. It doesn’t mean you have one extra player, so there’s nothing strange about choosing that direction.

“It’s always about motivated players who understand this thing about running, about the physical aspect of football, which is sometimes not easy, but without quality – you can’t do anything.

“So technical skills, intelligence, to see, to recognize the situations on the pitch are always above everything, so you have to find a mix about things.”

He added: “I believe in style – style is more important than the system. It’s a very specific moment, so every club has its details, it’s first of all as a culture of the club, what kind of football they like, so it’s always important to think about that.

“But in the same way, not to forget who I am, what I want the team to achieve, but to think, ‘this player can do it’, so I have to be with my staff, very intelligent, to find the best possible way to get out in a very short time.”