Igor Tudor plays his job with Liverpool! » The manager radically changes the team + What is happening with Drăgușin
Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Saturday, March 14, 2026, 11:38 / Updated Saturday, March 14, 2026 11:41
Radu Drăgușin would return to Tottenham's starting formula, after two matches on the sidelines. The Romanian international is announced as a starter at Spurs in the match against Liverpool, in which manager Igor Tudor would also change the system, switching to three stoppers.
After the worst debut of a manager in the history of Tottenham, with four consecutive failures, Igor Tudor is seriously threatened with the dismissal if he loses again on Sunday night, at Anfield.
The correction received on Tuesday at the “Metropolitano”, in the round of 16 of the Champions League, but especially the manner in which it occurred in front of Atletico Madrid (2-5), with three blunders of laughable stunts committed by the goalkeeper Kinsky and Van de Ven, made that Spurs bosses may even be considering a new managerial change, although the Croatian is only a month old since replacing Thomas Frank.
Van de Ven is suspended, Romero hit his head with Aletico!
The clash with the reigning Premier League champions will be approached by the Croatian technician as probably his last chance, given that Tottenham are just one point above the relegation zone with nine games to play.
Micky van de Ven's reckless entry on David Hancko / Photo: Facebook
It is expected that Tudor will rotate the starters again, taking into account the squad problems and the form shown by its players. The English press announces at least four changes in the team that will start the duel with Liverpool.
Because, once again, the Europa League holders cannot count on the pair in the center of defence. Cristian Romero will be absent tomorrow, due to the blow to the head suffered at the end of the game with Atletico (the Premier League protocol obliges him), after he had just recovered from another injury and served his four stage suspension.
7matches Radu Drăgușin has this season at Tottenham. The Romanian stopper played 424 minutes after recovering from knee surgery
Micky van de Ven is in the same situation, except that the Dutchman is suspended following the elimination from the derby against Crystal Palace. So that, basically, Tudor doesn't really have a choice and doesn't want to resort to improvisations in the game on “Anfiled”.
Radu Drăgușin, on his third tenure with Tudor at Tottenham. Good rehearsal for the WC 2026 play-off against Turkey
The Croatian manager would ditch the three-stopper system and opt for a 4-2-3-1 with Liverpool. After he sat out two games, the first due to a blow to the head and the second because Tudor kept him on the bench, Radu Drăgușin should be the starter alongside Kevin Danso in the center of the London defence, with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence on the flanks.
Igor Tudor used him as a full-back on the “tricolor” in the first two matches, at 1-4 with Arsenal and 1-2 with Fulham. On Sunday, it would be the third match Drăgușin played from the beginning under the command of the former coach of Juventus.
Radu Drăgușin, defending here against Harry Wilson in Fulham – Tottenham / Photo: Imago Images
An excellent news also received by the selector Mircea Lucescu before the play-off for qualification to the WC 2026, on March 26, with Turkey.
Tottenham will come with three more novelties compared to the formula with Atletico: Vicario returns in goal, and Xavi Simons and Solanke will start in the offensive zone.
Spurs have an entire squad unavailable: Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Bergvall, Bissouma. Davies, Kudus, Kulusevski, Maddison, Odobert and Palhinha.
