Madrid horror show must end reign of dismal Tudor

In the city that hosts Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, Tottenham produced their own surrealist masterpiece to convey a horrific occasion.

- RICHARD JOLLY SENIOR FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT

The shock was not that they lost 5-2 to Atletico Madrid - indeed, there was a relative respectability to the scoreline, given what it could have been - but the manner of it, the four goals gifted to Diego Simeone’s side in absurd fashion, the sight of a traumatised goalkeeper being substituted in the 17th minute.

It is sadly safe to say Antonin Kinsky’s memories of Madrid will not revolve around the Plaza Mayor. And yet, awful as his evening was, his manager came out of it still worse.

A previous Tudor, Mary I, was Queen of Spain. For Igor Tudor, this felt confirmation that a brief and bloody reign in charge of Tottenham will soon be curtailed. His reputation may survive in Italy, but not in England. Kinsky faces a battle to rebuild his career; Tudor’s is surely beyond repair in the Premier League.

Tudor threw Kinsky into the biggest game of his career. Three goals and two awful blunders later came the public humiliation and the silent treatment. These Tottenham players have been accused of lacking character but at least they showed compassion in their treatment of Kinsky. Tudor displayed none, blanking him as he went off, whereas a trio - Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro - had commiserated with the 22-year-old and three more - Joao Palhinha, Dominic Solanke and Conor Gallagher - immediately headed to the dressing room.

What Tudor may have deemed a cold pragmatism was interpreted as a lack of leadership, a callous treatment of a youngster chosen by a floundering manager.