Everything Arsenal fans can expect from Igor Tudor’s Tottenham in North London derby next week
Igor Tudor is set to be appointed as Tottenham’s interim manager and will take charge for the first time in next week’s North London derby.
The Lilywhites sacked Thomas Frank earlier this week following a 2-1 loss at home to Newcastle United, which marked an eighth consecutive Premier League game without victory.
And according to David Ornstein, Tottenham have now reached a verbal agreement to appoint Tudor until the end of the season.
There is no option to make the Croatian a permanent appointment, but he has been identified as an experienced manager to guide the North London club away from trouble.
Decision-makers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are reportedly weighing up a move to bring Mauricio Pochettino back to the club after the World Cup this summer.
Who is Igor Tudor and how do his teams play?
Tudor’s most recent job came at Juventus, where he was in charge for 24 matches and seven months before he was dismissed.
The Serie A giants had gone eight games across all competitions without a win, and did not score a single goal in the Croatian’s final four games in charge.
The 47-year-old’s last big role had been with Marseille, where he led his side to a third-placed finish before resigning due to internal issues.
| Igor Tudor | Juventus |
| Wins | 10 |
| Draws | 8 |
| Losses | 6 |
| Scored | 39 |
| Conceded | 29 |
Tudor’s sides usually set up in a three-five-two formation, with three centre-backs and two wing-backs.
His midfield three is flat, with Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli and Teun Koopmeiners often the trio tasked with dropping to receive the ball and play forward during his time at Juventus.
This leaves a two-striker partnership going forward, which was comprised of Dusan Vlahovic and Jonathan David.
Tudor wants his teams to play on the front foot, with aggressive man-to-man pressing and an extremely high line.
The Croatian had been figured out by the end of his time at Juventus, however, and his team were creating very little.
How can Arsenal hurt Tudor’s Tottenham?
For Arsenal, two games still remain before next Sunday’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But for Tudor, there will be 11 days in which the new Tottenham boss can drill his tactics into his new players.
Of course, there is the dreaded new manager bounce that Arsenal will have to contend with as well.
But Mikel Arteta will be relaxed about his team’s ability to hurt a new-look Tottenham. Tudor will likely ask his team to feed off the crowd and press intensely from the off.
Arsenal have struggled against such intensity in the past, but they are also well capable of playing through it. With the pace of Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka, that high line could cause issues for the home side.
Additionally, there is the issue of the players Tudor has available. Tottenham are down to the bare bones, and this may be an occasion in which the new manager is forced to experiment.
But Arsenal should be wary, for the new manager bounce has proved deadly time and time again.
For more on Tudor’s appointment at Spurs, read what the experts are saying on Tottenham News.