Igor Tudor admits Tottenham role is biggest challenge of his career as Croatian bids to drag Spurs to safety

Tudor was in the dugout for the first time as Spurs were thumped once again by their north London rivals. A painful debut defeat at home to rivals Arsenal extended Tottenham's winless league run to nine matches and made it only two wins from their last 18 in the division. The decision to appoint Tudor has not been without its critics, as the club find themselves in a state of flux following the departure of Thomas Frank. The former Juventus boss admitted the role was harder than expected, but believes work on the training ground can turn around the club's fortunes before Sunday's trip across London to Fulham.

Asked if this was his biggest rescue job, Tudor said: "Probably, if I see, if I recognise the difficulties there are, probably, yes. It's even a bigger challenge, even a bigger motivation to do this and we do it."

Despite the grim outlook, Tudor remained defiant, stating: "Probably yes. Yes, very tough, but it's what I said before, I don't change my opinion, it is how it is, so, daily work, focus, raising in all things we need to do, physical condition, mental confidence, performance and waiting for the players to come back. We need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good and it will be good."

Spurs currently sit in 16th place, only four points clear of the drop zone with 11 games remaining. Spurs' Premier League future at stake after a horror run of form over the winter months left the London club flirting with an unthinkable relegation to the Championship. Tudor is determined to block out any external distractions to ensure his squad remains focused on the fight for survival.

"We need to be focused on us, what we can do, less thinking about others, that's always good and it will be good," Tudor said.

Despite their domestic struggles, Spurs will discover their Champions League opponents for the round of 16 on Friday. However, Tudor promised to waste no energy on potential glamour ties with continental heavyweights Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray due to the club's precarious position in the league table. The interim boss is keeping his blinkers on until safety is mathematically secured.

"I don't think too much about the draw. If you ask me whether I expect the draw tomorrow, it won't change for me nothing," Tudor added.

His priority remains clear: getting points on the board in the domestic top flight. The Croatian coach will be boosted by the return of defender Kevin Danso and full-back Pedro Porro for Sunday's crucial fixture at Craven Cottage, providing much-needed depth to a struggling backline. 

The returning duo could line-up alongside Micky van de Ven, who has faced criticism this week after a clip on social-media implied the Dutch centre-back had ignored the instructions of Tudor to push up during the loss to Arsenal. 

Tudor reiterated his commitment to an aggressive style of play, even if the current squad is struggling to adapt.

"We want to go up because we want to have this style where we press high, but in this moment it's too much for them, so that's why I was a little frustrated on that, but this is part of it," he concluded.