Interim Tottenham Hotspur manager Igor Tudor insists his players now have “a lot of confidence” ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest after the spirited Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Spurs fought to a 3-2 win in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday night thanks to a brace from Xavi Simons and an early header from Randal Kolo Muani, and while the result was only enough for a 7-5 aggregate loss, it did seal their first win under their interim boss.
Tudor’s side will not qualify for European competition but this is the sort of result that can spur them on for the rest of the season, with the Lilywhites having secured their first Premier League points under the Croatian with last week’s draw to Liverpool.
And Tudor himself was quick to acknowledge the belief within the Tottenham squad after full-time, explaining that his team are now going in a “good direction” after two positive results.
“The sensations are mixed because you don’t like to not pass [into the next round] but it was a very good performance after quite a long period," Tudor said. “This commitment behind, there was quality in front, a lot of running, a lot of good things.”
The interim manager added that he believed the fans “were proud of the team”, adding that the players “hope this can continue on Sunday”.
“We need them for the game,” explained Tudor, referencing the weekend’s Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. Both sides are under threat of relegation ahead of Sunday afternoon, with Spurs beginning the weekend in 16th, level on points with Forest and only one ahead of 18th-placed West Ham.
“We need to make this performance continue away,” explained Tudor. “We need to refresh and choose the right players but there is a lot of confidence after these two games,” added the 47-year-old.
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