Rooney tips Spurs blunder: Keane over Tudor was the smarter shout
Wayne Rooney hasn’t minced his words. In the wake of Tottenham’s 4-1 derby humbling by Arsenal, the former England captain reckons Spurs have gambled on the wrong man. After parting ways with Thomas Frank earlier this month following that damaging loss to Newcastle, the club turned to Igor Tudor as an interim fix. Rooney’s view? They’d have been wiser putting the keys in Robbie Keane’s hands.
Rooney backs Keane over Tudor
Speaking on his BBC show, Rooney acknowledged Tudor’s track record in Italy, where he’s stepped into tricky situations and steadied ships. But he warned that the Premier League is a different beast entirely. Rooney’s bottom line: Spurs passed on a better fit in club hero Robbie Keane, a two-time title-winning coach who understands the tempo, pressure and politics of English football.
Keane, of course, wasn’t just a terrace favourite at Tottenham; he’s built up a burgeoning reputation in the dugout and, crucially, understands the club’s DNA. The snag? While Spurs were hunting for a short-term firefighter, Keane was eyeing something more substantial than a stop-gap deal.
Why Keane ticked the boxes
As reported in the days after Frank’s dismissal, the leading names for a permanent gig were Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi and Keane. The Irishman was keen, but only if the project came with longer-term backing rather than a few months’ work. From Rooney’s vantage point, that’s exactly why Tottenham should have leaned in—Premier League survival demands conviction, not half-measures.
Rooney also suggested that while Tudor has earned plaudits abroad, navigating a survival fight here requires instant fluency in the league’s pace and chaos. It’s one thing to tidy up in Serie A; it’s another to walk into a North London cauldron and make sense of it all with the clock ticking.
Fixtures that could define the run-in
That derby defeat leaves Spurs just four points above the drop zone. The next five are pivotal. Two come at home, where they’ll host out-of-sorts Crystal Palace and fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest—both must-not-miss chances to bank points. Away days at Fulham, Liverpool and Sunderland round out a stretch that will test Tudor’s mettle and the squad’s nerve.
West Ham, one of the main rivals in this dogfight, face a rougher patch: trips to Liverpool, Aston Villa and Fulham, with Manchester City and Wolves visiting the London Stadium. On paper, that’s a punishing run that could drag them deeper into trouble.
Forest, perched just outside the bottom three, won’t have it easy either. They travel to Spurs, Brighton and Manchester City, and welcome Fulham and Aston Villa to the City Ground. If Tottenham take care of business at home, the table could look far healthier in a fortnight.
So, is Keane the man when Tudor moves on?
That’s the question rattling around N17. If Tudor steadies the ship, he’ll earn respect. But should Spurs still be flirting with danger when the interim stint is up, expect Keane’s name to roar back into contention. The fans would buy in, the squad would have a clear identity, and the club would finally draw a line under the uncertainty.
For those peeking at the odds and the run-in permutations, the smart money will hinge on those two home fixtures—six points there changes everything. Fancy a flutter? Check the latest markets via the best betting sites and keep a close eye on how Spurs respond to that Arsenal bruiser.
Verdict: Tudor’s got a job on his hands and precious little time. Rooney’s call for Keane wasn’t sentimental—it was pragmatic. In a league where momentum is king, Tottenham needed a galvaniser who speaks Premier League fluently. We’re about to find out if they backed the right horse.
