Champions League reaction: Pressure builds on Tottenham boss Tudor after 'selfish' Kinsky move backfires

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Full focus has been on Tottenham this morning.

We have covered the main talking point of their 5-2 Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid - namely Igor Tudor's decision to substitute his goalkeeper after just 17 minutes.

We will be returning to Spurs shortly to assess what possible impact that fourth consecutive loss under Tudor could have on his temporary tenure as interim manager.

However, there were four Champions League matches played on Tuesday night, including two other games featuring Premier League clubs.

Let's quickly bring you up to speed with the latest on those games and tonight's fixtures...

'Staggered' by decision to substitute Kinsky

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

John Murray

BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like the first 23 minutes of what happened in the Metropolitano last night.

The feeling was it might not go well for Tottenham, but they'd be in touch for the second leg at home in London. The first 20 minutes or so they were completely blown away. It was mistake after slip after error after mistake. And Atletico Madrid just scored goals after goal after goal after goal, so that was one thing.

But to substitute the goalkeeper, 22-year-old Antonin Kinsky, which had been Igor Tudor's big call to play in the Champions League for Tottenham for the first time. And yes, he made two of the slips which led to two of the three goals scored at that time, but to substitute him off, I honestly can't remember seeing anything like that before.

He came running off the field. I saw two or three of his team-mates came over to him as he came off the field, and Tudor, his manager who made the call to play him, stood on the edge of the coaching area, and there was no interaction between the two at all.

We were staggered.

Why was Vicario dropped?

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

Paul Robinson referred to concerns over the form of Tottenham's number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as the trigger for Igor Tudor to start Antonin Kinsky ahead of him at Atletico Madrid - a decision that he accepted backfired.

Vicario had started the majority of Tottenham's domestic and European games so far this season, but was dropped by Tudor on Tuesday night following recent poor performances.

The Italian shot-stopper had started all three games under the club's new interim head coach.

However, Vicario conceded nine goals in those opening three fixtures, with defeats to Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace starting Tudor's reign.

It was for that reason the boss decided to switch things up in-between the sticks at the Estadio Metropolitano.

Speaking pre-match, Tudor was tight-lipped on his decision: “I chose today what I think is best for the team in this moment. This is the first XI for today. There is also the second game [in this tie], so there is space for everyone."

'Quite blatantly for self preservation'

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

Paul Robinson

Former Tottenham goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

He's [Igor Tudor] making decisions that he maybe thinks is going to one, keep him in a job, or two, keep Tottenham in the Premier League and performances are going to turn around.

It was a very selfish decision [to substitute Antonin Kinsky in the 17th minute] as a manager.

Actually, when you rewind the clock, I think he brought Kinsky in tonight because [Guglielmo] Vicario has been poor. Vicario has made errors that have led to goals and he has cost Tottenham points in the league, of late. I think he brought Kinsky in tonight thinking that if he does well I have got an excuse to keep him in now until the end of the season.

He reverted on that decision very, very early on in the game. I have never seen that in my playing career, in my broadcasting career, I have never seen a manager substitute a goalkeeper so obviously because of the mistakes that he made.

It's quite blatantly for self preservation by the manager because it was a decision that he thought was best for him and his team at the time, without consideration for the young goalkeeper.

Kinsky's touch map

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

Antonin Kinsky had just five touches during his 17 minutes on the pitch in Tottenham's 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

Two of those five touches were slips or miss-kicks that led to Atletico goals.

The Czech Republic international almost picked the ball out of the net more times than he had touches in open play after conceding three times before being replaced by Guglielmo Vicario.

So was Igor Tudor right to substitute him so early in the game? Click thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no...

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Right, we asked you for your thoughts on another low in what is fast becoming a sorry season for Tottenham.

With chance of progression in the Champions League looking slim, focus will quickly return to their battle against relegation from the top flight.

Spurs are 16th in the Premier League, just one point above the bottom three.

Igor Tudor was handed the task of steering the club away from trouble following the sacking of Thomas Frank, but, after four defeats in four games, Tottenham's position has gotten worse rather than better under his charge.

Questions are now being raised as to why the Croat was appointed until the end of the season and whether he will even last that long in his interim position.

Needless to say, you have have not held back with your opinions, coming up is a cross-section...

Spurs reduce deficit but face uphill task

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

For the record, Guglielmo Vicario conceded five minutes after replacing Antonin Kinsky as Atletico stormed into a 4-0 lead by the 22nd minute.

Thankfully for Tottenham, the goals did not continue to flow at the same rate for the rest of the match.

Spurs defender Pedro Porro reduced the deficit by half-time.

And while Atletico's former Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez made it 5-1 with his second goal of the game early in the second half, Tottenham striker Dominc Solanke scored 14 minutes from time to reduce the deficit to three goals.

Despite that, Tottenham now face an uphill task to turn it around in the second leg of this Champions League last-16 tie on 18 March.

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