Tudor must bench the new Davinson Sanchez at Spurs

Igor Tudor has favoured a three-man defence in the past. In this, Tottenham Hotspur could be moving back to an Antonio Conte-esque playing style.

Conte didn’t leave many fond memories down N17, but Tudor presents himself as a more adaptable and front-footed manager, someone who will adapt to the situation as it demands.

Frank oversaw innumerable poor performances at Tottenham, despite only managing 38 matches in all competitions, winning only seven of 26 Premier League matches.

There’s no question that the Danish coach was culpable for many of the issues. As the manager, he carried that burden. However, several of his star players let him down, with Cristian Romero hardly leading by example and now likely to be sold this summer.

The latest on Cristian Romero’s future

The truth is that Tottenham need a reset, and that may mean that a number of defenders need to move on. Poor recruitment has played a big part in the plummet that has not been curbed.

Tudor has a reputation as a fix-it manager, with only four of his 11 career appointments coming at the start of a campaign. He could be the solution to jump-start the team ahead of these crucial final months, and perhaps he’ll bring Romero back to the fore too.

However, it may well be that the Argentina international will leave the club this summer, no matter Tottenham’s late-season form. After the draw against Manchester City earlier this month, the 27-year-old appeared to label the board as “disgraceful” for their failure to address enough issues in the January transfer market.

As captain, he has displayed a rebellious streak that echoes fan concerns while running counter to the role he has been designated at the top of the squad tree.

Inevitably, rumours of his eventual exit have surfaced, with journalist Gaston Edul confirming several weeks ago that there have been “several enquiries from La Liga” as clubs start to circle. Sadly, it doesn’t seem too likely that Romero would put up strong resistance to a bid from one of Spain’s heavyweights.

Defence has been an issue for the Lilywhites for some time now. Long gone are the days of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, an unflinching Belgian bulwark in front of Hugo Lloris’ goal.

There have been some stinkers in the intervening years, with Vlad Chiricheș and Davinson Sanchez at the bottom of that barrel, but Romero, for all his hot-headedness, is nowhere near that level.

Romero is one of the most talented centre-backs in Europe, and while Spurs would love him to stay, there is actually another defender in north London who’s becoming the latest member of that undesirable group.

Tudor must ditch Spurs’ new Davinson Sanchez

No, it’s not Micky van de Ven. The Netherlands international has been one of the brighter sparks in recent years, arguably the most popular player down N17 right now.

But the same can’t be said for Radu Dragusin, whose fortunes haven’t been helped by a knee injury suffered against Elfsborg in the Europa League one year ago.

Dragusin’s return to fitness has come at a good time for Tottenham, with Romero sidelined due to suspension after illness, but he’s not exactly proving himself reliable in the backline, and if he doesn’t enjoy a sharp upswing in the coming matches, Tudor will drop him for the greater good of the system.

Take the draw to Manchester City, for example. Dragusin was at the epicentre of the Londoners’ struggle throughout the first half, skewing a clearance toward the enemy in the build-up to Antoine Semenyo’s opener. That said, he relished the physical battle against Erling Haaland.

But against Newcastle United, the match that ended Frank’s stay, he needlessly conceded a free-kick that led to Malick Thiaw’s opener in first-half stoppage time, also lacking the robust mobility that Romero and Van de Ven showcase each week.

He’s not been disastrous, but perhaps a large chunk of that is Dragusin’s extended spell on the sidelines. In any case, he’s very much fallen into the same category as Sanchez, should he fail to turn this around, with the one-time Spurs star having arrived from Ajax in a club-record £42m deal in 2017, making 207 appearances for the English outfit but finding himself pegged back by so many mistakes and stumbles throughout the years.

Presenter Jamie O’Hara even called the Colombian “one of the worst players” he had seen in Spurs’ backline, particularly poor on a nightmarish 3-3 home draw against West Ham United in October 2020, lacking composure and consistency throughout his Spurs career.

In that, Dragusin is echoing the centre-back before him, especially when you consider that he arrived as the club from Serie A side Genoa in a £27m deal in January 2024, Bayern Munich beaten in the race for one of Europe’s most talented young defenders.

Across five Premier League fixtures this season, Dragusin has made one direct defensive error and has only won 25% of his ground duels, a shocking statistic that illustrates the risks that come with starting the Romanian right now.

He’s failed to scrape off the rust from many months of inactivity, and while a lack of options could see Dragusin play more football over the business months of the season, Tudor may need to identify a different way forward, perhaps steering away from his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation and fielding Romero and Van de Ven in a partnership, with Kevin Danso and Dragusin benched.

Given that a return to Serie A was on the cards in January, prevented by sporting director Johan Lange due to an injury overload at the club, there is every chance that Dragusin may leave for a fresh challenge at the end of the season.

Should that be the case, Tudor would be wise to cast him aside and promote the players who do have a future at Tottenham.