Jamie O’Hara has piled further pressure on Igor Tudor ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Crystal Palace, warning that another defeat could have serious consequences.
Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace bring matchweek 29 to a close when they meet on Thursday evening.
Both sides will be chasing three points, yet there is no doubt the greater pressure rests on Spurs, who are hovering dangerously close to the relegation places.
That pressure will intensify further if relegation rivals West Ham United and Nottingham Forest secure positive results before Tottenham take to the pitch.
West Ham are set to face Fulham at Craven Cottage, while Forest are up against title-chasing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Tottenham boss Igor Tudor faces sack warning from Jamie O’Hara before Palace fixture
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara has now claimed Igor Tudor is already at risk of the sack if he loses to Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Tudor replaced Thomas Frank until the end of the season, but has lost his first two matches against Arsenal and Fulham.
With Spurs sitting four points above the relegation zone, a defeat to Palace could see them slip to 17th should Nottingham Forest upset Manchester City.
Speaking on Sky Sports Fan Club about Tudor’s start and his approach, O’Hara said: “I have not seen any evidence they have gotten better.
“They have got Crystal Palace at home on Thursday. If they lose that game, I can see them getting rid of him. He has come in all guns blazing. You have been here five minutes. What you do not need right now is a manager coming in and digging everyone out.
“You need someone coming in to breed some confidence and life out of these players. You have come in to get results. At the moment, you are doing all these interviews… it is risky business.
“I would get rid of him [if he loses to Palace]. He is an interim manager and he has lost the first three games. It is a farce, but Tottenham is a farce.”
Spurs pressure grows amid injury crisis and relegation battle
Tudor’s past credentials are what earned him the role in the Tottenham dugout, having previously shown an ability to steady sinking ships in the second half of campaigns.
However, the situation at Spurs is markedly different from what he has faced before.
Tottenham are dealing with an injury crisis and remain without several key players, while competing in arguably the most demanding league in Europe, a challenge made greater by Tudor’s lack of Premier League experience.
If the gap to West Ham is reduced to one point by the end of this gameweek, the pressure on the Croatian will inevitably increase.