Alan Shearer Exclusive: Harry Redknapp could be Spurs' best bet to replace Igor Tudor | OneFootball

Tudor's Spurs are complete mess and I feel sorry for Kinsky

I know it's been a mess for a while, but Tudor was brought in to Tottenham to calm things down and bring a bit of stability, but it seems as if it's getting worse. It seems like a fractured dressing room and the players are not responding to him. They've got Liverpool away this weekend too, goodness me, there is a real live chance that Spurs could be relegated.

When you look at the dressing room, even taking away the performances, look at what happened the other night with players going to protect the young goalkeeper. The manager is entitled to make a decision, but that decision was on him.

He felt he'd seen enough in the young goalkeeper to put him in ahead of Vicario,  and Vicario has been poor as well, but he felt putting the youngster in was the right thing to do. So that's on him. I mean, it wasn't a nice thing to do.

You have to feel sorry for the goalkeeper. We all make mistakes, but to make it of that magnitude and in that size of game when things are already going poorly, it's such a tough situation for him. And then for the manager to make the decision to bring him off after 16 minutes, when it was his decision to put him in in the first place, it had to be on Tudor.

It just looks a complete and utter mess at Spurs at the minute. And it seems to be getting worse because there does seem to be a fractured dressing room, and when that happens, you're in big trouble.

Defeat to Liverpool could be the end for Tudor

The next two months could be the biggest months in Spurs' history. My guess is if they get beaten at Anfield at the weekend, that might be an excuse for them to get rid of Tudor. I don't know, though, I'm guessing.

But looking at Spurs and looking at what's going on, you can't realistically see them going to Anfield and getting anything. Then they've got Forest, and then there's an international break.

I know they've got Atletico Madrid in between that, but my guess is that that tie is done, and they might even have to accept they're out before that game and look forward to Forest rather than try and claw back that result.

So if they get beaten this weekend, my guess is they might be looking for a new manager. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they're already speaking to one.

Spurs' rut is not all on Tudor

When you come in as manager on a short term contract, as Tudor has at Spurs, there's a reason why you're in there. I was the fourth manager of the 2008/09 season for Newcastle when I got appointed in April and had eight games left. You're not in there because things have been great and the dressing room's rosy, you're in there because the club's been in an absolute mess for a while.

So it's not all on Tudor, and it's a very difficult ship to turn around. Others also have to take responsibility for what's going on. It's not all the players' fault, although people say they're maybe too good to go down. I looked at Tottenham when they played Newcastle four or five weeks ago and I thought, no, they're not too good to go down.

I'm not sure "motivate" is the right word when you're talking about what a manager needs to do in Tudor's situation. You're just in a huge, huge rut. Trying to get out of that rut is the most difficult thing because confidence is at an all time low. Belief is at an all time low. Pressure is at an all time high. That's what you've got to try and turn around.

Tudor was brought in to do that, but it seems to me that he's gone with the hard line approach. You can see his demeanour and his words in press conferences, rather than going back to basics and trying to at least give the players a little bit of confidence.

They've been battered all season, both on and off the pitch. It's really, really difficult when you walk into that situation, and you don't need to get it again from your manager.

Spurs players won't have liked Tudor treatment of Kinsky

Tudor needs to protect his players. They listen to everything the manager says. And they also look at how a manager treats a player, because one day that could be you.

The way he went about it and totally blanked the young goalkeeper when he came off the other night,  I think other players definitely look at that and think: "That could be me."

At least go and acknowledge the goalkeeper. He's made two huge errors in front of the world. It's the biggest humiliation anyway, bringing him off after 16 or 17 minutes, but then to absolutely blank him totally? Other players look at that, and there's no way they respond to that.

Spurs hierarchy could go for someone who knows the club

The hierarchy at Spurs will be hammered if they make another change. Because of how fractured and messy it is, I think what they would do is go for someone who knows the club, whether that's an ex-player or an ex-manager. They would go down that line to try and get some harmony.

Spurs have probably sounded out one or two managers already. If they haven't, then they should, because if Spurs lose to Liverpool on Sunday, I would expect a change of manager.

So it could be an interesting weekend for Harry Redknapp who already has a big few days with his horse running in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

I wouldn't give anyone advice going into Spurs

I wouldn't give anyone advice. It didn't exactly go well for me, did it? I would just wish them the best of luck because they're walking into a very, very difficult situation. But we also have to remember that someone else is still in the job right now.

Newcastle were best English team in Champions League

The performances of the English clubs in the Champions League this week were really disappointing. I did think Newcastle had the best performance. They were really unlucky. The others can come away and probably say they didn't deserve anything. Maybe Arsenal did ok, but the others - Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea - have had a really poor week and it's surprising. They looked tired.

Man City may put their defeat down to the changes they made to their team. They went in with a completely different system again and got what they deserved. The result could have been even worse for them in Madrid. It's been a really disappointing week for the English teams, other than Newcastle.

Superb Newcastle have something to build on in Barcelona

I said it before the game and nothing's changed: Newcastle need to take something over to Barcelona. I know they've got the draw, but they should have won. I did think when we scored that was enough. We went searching for a second one, which I'm not sure was a great idea.

I understand it because of the euphoria all around the ground, but sometimes you're better off protecting what you've got. In the end, we gave a ball away in a forward position, they went up the other end, got the penalty and scored. But yeah, it seems strange, Newcastle at home to Barcelona, saying it feels disappointing to come away with a 1-1 draw.

After their performance, there were some big performances there. Lewis Hall never gave Yamal a kick. I know he got his penalty, but Tonali, Joelinton, I thought they were all absolutely superb. Even without Anthony Gordon, who was sick before the game, I thought Newcastle were superb.

Newcastle must defend well and hit Barca on break

Newcastle need to defend well at the Nou Camp. They're going to suffer in terms of possession, and that's the key thing. Barcelona have played 11 times in their new stadium already and won 11. So that's going to be a tough thing.

They're going to have to defend as well as they did, even better, I guess, in the return leg. And then when they do get the chance, they're going to have to hit them on the break. Barcelona do give you chances. If you play against their defensive system right with that high line, you will get in.

Newcastle got in behind a lot of times and they will get chances again in the second-leg. It's just how many they can keep out at the other end, because I don't think it'll be a clean sheet. They've given themselves a chance. It could have been a lot better, and their performance should give them a lot of encouragement, but I do think it will be very different at the Nou Camp.

City's changes against Real Madrid surprised me

I was very surprised to see Pep Guardiola make many changes for City and go with such an attacking line-up. I guess he felt he could go there and beat Real Madrid because they haven't been great recently. I've seen Real Madrid a couple of times. But given their history in this competition, this is probably when they come alive.

This is when it really matters for Real Madrid. They certainly showed that last night and they absolutely punished City. They missed a penalty; it could have been four, and it would have been all over. At 3-0, it's not over. I've been to games before where three goals have been turned over. It's all about the first goal next week. If Real Madrid get the first goal, it's over. If City get it, then it's game on.

Rumours of Pep's exit are not going away

There's been a lot of rumours, and Pep always seems to deny it, but the rumours are not going away. We're guessing. But I would say they're still in the final of one cup competition, and they're in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.

They've still got Arsenal to play at home. They're seven points behind, but they have got a game in hand. Even if next week doesn't go to plan, they've still got the chance for it to be a really big season. But they are up against it in the league.

Every game matters at this time of the season, every error that you make can cost you. There was a huge error from City when they played Forest at home, drawing 2-2, especially with where Forest are in the league.

And they've got another tough one this weekend against West Ham away. West Ham have really found some form at the business end of the season.

Now read Mike Norman's Premier League Matchday 30 Preview