'Black magic and other bullsh*t' - Igor Tudor demands Tottenham stop acting like 'victims' in battle against relegation

Tottenham head into this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures only one point clear of the drop zone, and they could kick off Sunday's match away at Liverpool inside the bottom three if Nottingham Forest and West Ham United both pick up wins.

For a third season running, Spurs have been weakened by a considerable number of injuries to key players, and though Tudor has repeatedly stressed he has never known a crisis like the one he has inherited in north London, has called on his squad to 'change something' in their fight against relegation.

When asked at a press conference how 'tough' this week has been following Spurs' 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Tudor replied: "Tough, for sure. Not just because of last game, but because of the period and the past. Not easy situation, not an easy moment and from other side a big challenge to change things. Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation. So, you can stay and cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can say I can change something. This is the message I want to start and what I told to the players.

"Everyone speaking, everyone has opinions and the life is always how you see it. The bottle is always half empty or half full. Here there is nothing full, there is a lot of empty things but difficult moments don't last forever. It will pass and I believe the players who will take this as a challenge, as an opportunity will stand up with the courage to change things, after this period they will become better people and better players.

"So, in tough moments it's always about that, it's always about us. In the last period, a lot of things about what is the club, the problems, no one can do nothing and this like victim-ism, like we were victims. I said this morning to the players totally opposition things. We are the team and we are the staff. It's all about us. All the bullsh*t, all the other things are bullsh*t, and sorry to use this word, but it's on us."

Tudor was pressed on if this approach was working, to which he answered: "You know, I do every day this work. Psychology work. It is important also to give the courage to the team-mates. Some of them they cannot manage, for sure. Somewhere you arrive and you can help them. My goal is to find if I can help to do 18 players out of 20, 15? I don't know how much. Sometimes you cannot do anything, but most of the time you can do even small changes. Small help, you know, you can do it, but also it's what I always like to say to the players - don't be a victim. Don't think it's not about me. You know that can be the problem more than all these things about Tottenham and club, you know, like magic on the club, like bad black magic and this other bullsh*t, you know. So this is about what I want to send a message."

Tudor also confirmed that Spurs will be without Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha for Sunday's trip to Anfield. The duo were withdrawn in the final seconds of Tuesday's defeat to Atletico following a clash of heads and both are being monitored in line with concussion protocols. He also revealed Yves Bissouma is out and Conor Gallagher has been struck down with illness in recent days.

"They [Romero and Palhinha] are out. Micky [van de Ven] is also out [through suspension], Bissouma is out, for the muscles. Conor has some fever but probably will be in. So, we have again a lot of problems to make first XI. This is how it is in this club. this happen all the time. We start to build something, then happens something, or a red card, or last game, or three or four injuries," Tudor continued.

"This is very rare that happens in my career. I never see these situations. Every game, missing two players. The next game and a red card. It's very rare, very unusual, but we need to accept this. And try to change the things you can change. On these things you cannot do nothing."

Tottenham haven't won away at Liverpool since May 2011, when Rafael van der Vaart and Luka Modric were on target in a 2-0 win for Harry Redknapp's side. Redknapp has been sensationally tipped to return to Spurs, while the 79-year-old himself has admitted he would be open to returning to the dugout despite not managing professionally since 2017.