OPINION: IAN WRIGHT’S VERDICT: TOTTENHAM PLAYERS HAVE ALREADY QUIT ON THEIR NEW MANAGER TUDOR
Igor Tudor breaks the silence! Get the truth on the Van de Ven "blanking" rumours and Tottenham's fight to survive the 2026 season today.
Tottenham boss Igor Tudor has had to shoot down claims that Micky van de Ven ignored him during their North London Derby loss to Arsenal. Tudor’s first game in charge couldn’t have gone much worse. Arsenal ran away with a 4-1 win, leaving Spurs fans even more frustrated.
Tudor came in to steady things after the club sacked Thomas Frank, but Spurs are still stuck near the bottom. They’re sitting 16th, just four points clear of West Ham in 18th, and their form has been brutal.
It’s nine straight league games without a win for Spurs, and with West Ham suddenly picking up points, Tottenham looks like they’re getting pulled even deeper into the relegation mess. On top of all that, people are starting to question whether Tudor is really the guy to turn things around.
During Sunday’s game, a lot of viewers thought Van de Ven flat-out ignored his manager when Tudor tried to give him instructions. Ian Wright, never one to hold back, said on The Overlap podcast that it looked like the players had already checked out. Gary Neville and Roy Keane weren’t quite as convinced, but Wright doubled down.
“I saw Tudor try to speak to Van de Ven; he just blanked him, totally blanked him,” Wright said. “That tells me they’ve checked out already.”
“You think so?!” Keane shot back. “They did that with Thomas Frank too, when he tried to walk around the pitch.” Neville called Wright’s take "harsh", but Wright wasn’t backing off.
“This guy’s new; he wants Van de Ven to come over, and Van de Ven just stands there staring at him,” Wright added. “You see that, and you just know it’s not a good look.”
With Fulham up next, Tudor was peppered with questions about any supposed rift at his press conference on Thursday. He put the rumours to bed: “If you watch closely, I didn’t speak to him. After the game, I told him to come closer, and he did. We didn’t even talk about it because nothing happened. He’s a fantastic professional, a fantastic guy. He’d never do something like that.”
When reporters asked what he learned from the Arsenal loss, Tudor didn’t offer much. “Nothing much to say. We already talked about the game and those moments right after. Not much more to add, especially now. The less we talk, the better. Right now, we’re just working hard every day, trying to climb up the table and improve. That’s all that matters.”
TACTICAL PIVOT: WHY ANTONIO CONTE IS DESPERATE TO BRING JOAO GOMES TO NAPOLI
Napoli want Joao Gomes: Discover why Antonio Conte is pushing for the Wolves star and the latest on the West Midlands derby today.
Napoli are already pushing hard to land a Wolves star this summer. Antonio Conte’s team keeps reaching out to super agent Jorge Mendes, trying to get a deal done, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Friday’s West Midlands derby doesn’t look like much of a contest. Aston Villa, flying high in third place with 51 points from 27 games and chasing a Champions League spot, head to Molineux to face a Wolves side stuck at the bottom, with just one win all season.
Rob Edwards’ squad limped into the match after a narrow 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace. Things aren’t looking up. Ladislav Krejci is suspended, Hwang Hee-chan is still out with a calf injury, and the stats are rough. Only Burnley has conceded more goals, and Wolves barely score half a goal per game.
Villa fully expect to win this one. Emery’s group has the third-best away record in the league and has swept aside every team in the bottom five so far this season. Their quality should be too much for a Wolves team fighting to stay afloat. Villa know they need these three points, too, with Chelsea and Man United coming up next.
Wolves, meanwhile, are already planning for the summer. They’re reportedly chasing Charleroi midfielder Yacine Titraoui, but the real story is Joao Gomes. It’s looking more likely he’s on his way out.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel and quoted by Calcio Napoli 24, says Napoli’s brass are in constant talks with Mendes about bringing Gomes to Serie A. Napoli, sitting third in Italy and aiming for back-to-back titles, wants to strengthen their midfield for next season. Gomes is right at the top of their list.
“Napoli remains in constant contact with Jorge Mendes regarding Joao Gomes, the Brazilian midfielder from Wolves,” Romano said. “Napoli aren’t alone; there’s a lot of competition, and they haven’t secured the player yet. It’ll come down to the coach, the price, and a few other things. But Gomes is the name at the top for Napoli.”
Gomes has played 24 Premier League games this season, and, honestly, he’s been one of the few bright spots in a miserable campaign for Wolves. His energy, tenacity, and calm in midfield stand out. If Wolves go down, holding onto him is almost impossible.
With a hungry club like Napoli circling and Mendes steering negotiations, Gomes’ future at Wolves hangs in the balance.
ROAD TO RECOVERY: WHEN NORDI MUKIELE AND BRIAN BROBBEY RETURN FOR SUNDERLAND
Sunderland injury update: Read about Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey’s absence and Bertrand Traoré’s timely return to training.
Sunderland have a packed week ahead, but they’ll be missing some important players along the way.
Régis Le Bris says both Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey are out after picking up knocks during the 3-1 loss to Fulham. Mukiele’s dealing with a calf problem, and Brobbey’s got a groin issue. Neither injury is serious, but both guys will miss a few games. The schedule isn’t doing Sunderland any favours either: Bournemouth, Leeds United, and then either Port Vale or Bristol City, all in eight days.
Le Bris hopes to have Mukiele and Brobbey back when they take on Newcastle United next month, but it depends on how quickly they recover. Dennis Cirkin is also set to miss this stretch as he works back from a minor hamstring injury.
“With Nordi and Brian, it shouldn’t be too long,” Le Bris said. “We’re looking at something like two to four weeks, depending on how they respond. Dennis and Reinildo are both improving. We miss them, but they’re on the way back. Dennis could be back in about ten days, but it really depends on how he gets through the last stage of rehab.”
Romaine Mundle and Jocelin Ta Bi look set for longer spells out, as the club decides if they’ll need surgery. Mundle has a hamstring issue, and Ta Bi’s ankle is still causing trouble. Ta Bi actually arrived at Sunderland carrying that ankle injury and then got unlucky with a fresh knock against Fulham. If surgery is the answer, both players could be sidelined for quite a while.
“It’s a tough one for Romaine,” Le Bris said. “He could be out for a few weeks, maybe a month, maybe longer. We’re still waiting on some tests, but honestly, it doesn’t look great right now. We’re not even sure if it’s the same injury as before, but the early signs aren’t positive.
“Jocelin’s in a similar spot, though his injury’s different. He might need surgery, too. It’s too soon to say, but if that’s the case, he’ll also be out for weeks or longer. It’s just bad luck, really, a small kick, but it hit right where he’s most vulnerable.
“Still, he’s fitting in well with the squad, so I’m not worried about him mentally. He’s a little shy since he’s new, but he’s already making connections. He’s picking up English; his French is great, so he’s settling in fine.”
On the bright side, Bertrand Traoré is back in full training and could make the squad for Bournemouth. “Bertrand’s training again, so that’s good news for us.”
As for Bournemouth, they have their own problems. Andoni Iraola is worried about Lewis Cook, who missed their last match with a hamstring issue. “He felt something in training,” Iraola said. “We haven’t done the MRI yet, but it doesn’t seem too bad. Still, there’s definitely something there.”
Both Justin Kluivert and Ben Gannon-Doak are already out long-term, so Bournemouth aren’t exactly at full strength either.
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