Summary

  • Tottenham defender Micky Van de Ven says it's 'the biggest nonsense' that Spurs players aren't committed and looking to move out of the club

  • Speaking at their Champions League news conference alongside manager Igor Tudor, Van de Ven said reports are 'all made up'

  • Meanwhile, Tudor - who picked up his first point as Spurs boss at Liverpool on Sunday - says he is 'very confident' the club will stay in the Premier League - watch back on the 'Watch & Listen' tab

  • He also confirmed that Cristian Romero is available to face Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and provided updates on Joao Palhinha, Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall

  • Coming up: Watch Arne Slot's Liverpool news conference at 15:30 (GMT) and follow the latest as Eddie Howe speaks

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  1. get involved

    Get Involved - 'It's known Atletico have a problem pitch'published at 14:35 GMT

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    Spurs lost at Atletico in the same way Barcelona lost 4-0 the month before, it's well known they have a problem pitch. Tudor is getting unfair criticism. Is it really a shock decision when a manager drops a keeper who makes mistakes and doesn't inspire confidence?

    Mike

  2. Slipping had 'nothing to do with my boots'published at 14:33 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    A final word from Micky van de Ven on his slip in the first-leg defeat at Atletico Madrid: "I think you can't really do something about slipping. It just happened. I played with the same boots I always play with. So it has nothing to do with the boots.

    "That's what I normally do [thinking could I have done something differently]. And then you're like 'it's just a bit unlucky that it happened at this moment'.

    "I think a lot of guys slipped as well this game. So it was not something where I was like 'oh, this is something I can do something about'."

  3. 'This season has been tough for everyone'published at 14:29 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Micky Van de VenImage source, Getty Images

    More from Micky van de Ven on Tottenham's difficult season: "If you see how we ended last season, that's obviously a top thing, and then how you end up now this season, that's really tough for everyone in the club.

    "This is not a position anyone wants to be in. It's just a thing where we need to change around everyone together.

    "But it just has been a tough season overall. It's not finished yet [though], so we have some more games to come, and we're gonna see after the season ends, where we end up."

  4. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Who would replace rested players?'published at 14:28 GMT

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    It would be great if Spurs could rest some players, but given the injury list and some suspensions who would be rested and who could replace them?

    Al

    Perhaps if Van de Ven and Romero cared so much they'd stop getting sent off in games when the squad is already thin.

    Will

  5. 'It's been a tough period' - Van de Venpublished at 14:25 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Micky Van de VenImage source, Getty Images

    Spurs defender Micky van de Ven on dealing with criticism in the media and from fans: "It's obviously difficult, but when people start saying things about you that's never easy, but it's also like part of life, and it's something you have to deal with.

    "I just try to not read a lot of things and just stay off my phone the most and spend time with my family and friends.

    "As long as I'm back here, I'm just trying to do everything to change things around. And I think that's what was important. But obviously it has been, it's been a tough period."

  6. 'It's the most important we turn things around right now'published at 14:21 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Micky Van de VenImage source, Getty Images

    More from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven on the club's relegation battle: "For me, it's just the most important that I started, I keep playing like I do now, and I just want to stay fit and just turn things around.

    "Obviously, the last games from my side hasn't been the best, and I know that as well. And for me, it's just the most important that I keep showing to everyone, that I always give 100% for this club, and I will always do as long as I play.

    "It's the most important we turn things around right now. And if people say things, people say things, and obviously people are going to believe things, which are not true."

  7. 'The players really care'published at 14:16 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor on whether a weight has been lifted by the good result at Liverpool: "Of course, it is important when you give a good performance to confirm the good will, and to start to change things. The players really care, they want to do well.

    "It is not easy to start to move things, but this is one good game. If you are honest on the pitch, football will give you it back. Now we need to continue in this direction."

    Tudor has just finished his news conference, but left with a parting gift, saying he was "very confident" the team would stay up.

    Stick with us for all his quotes in full.

  8. 'It's all made up'published at 14:14 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Micky Van de VenImage source, Getty Images

    More from Spurs defender Micky van de Ven on reports that a player had discussed leaving the club so did not care in their plight: "The other day when we read that one guy told the rest of the team that he doesn't care because he's leaving anyway. It's like how does this come out? It's just made up. And the fans will believe it. It's just frustrating for us guys.

    "It brings so much more trouble as well, because fans are starting to believe this, but trust me, all the people involved on the pitch, the staff, the players, everyone, they care so much about the situation we're in right now, and we just want to turn things around.

    "If there are some reports saying the guys don't care anymore, it's frustrating for our guys."

  9. Postpublished at 14:13 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs defender Micky van de Ven has made a passionate defence of his own commitment to the team and their relegation battle.

    He says he apologised for the red card he picked up for a reckless tackle in their Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace.

    Full quotes to follow.

  10. 'Romero can play, Palhinha is a no'published at 14:10 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor on Atletico Madrid's form, following recent heavy defeats to Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano: "It is difficult but not impossible. We need to stay in the game, focus on our strengths. Everything is still to play for, believing we can do it is the important thing from the start."

    On team news: "Joao Palhinha is a no, Destiny [Udogie] and Lucas [Bergvall] will be on the bench, but not part of the game too much as they have just come back to us.

    "Cristian Romero is there, he can play. [The concussion for] Joao was worse, but Cristian can play."

    On Conor Gallagher: "We see today what we can do. He has asthma problems, maybe some virus, it is not a nice thing. We will see tomorrow if he is fit for the bench."

  11. 'It's the biggest nonsense'published at 14:09 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs defender Micky van de Ven on whether team-mates are talking about leaving the club: "I've seen things going by, it's not something I look at a lot, to be honest. It's reporters just saying something. So we're just like, how do you even come up with this? Like players are switched off or don't care about the situation. What's happening right now?

    "And the only thing I can say about it is it's not true. It will be strange if a player will be in a dressing room now and saying 'Oh, I'm gonna leave, either way or I don't focus about the situation'.

    "It doesn't affect me. And I think it's just nonsense. It's the biggest nonsense. Everybody's just focused on what's going ahead and what's in front of us."

  12. Team news - Palhinha, Romero, Gallagher, Udogie, Bergvallpublished at 14:07 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor gave some team news.

    Joao Palninha is out, but Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall will be on the bench tomorrow and Cristian Romero is available.

    Conor Gallagher has been ill and Tudor says he will see if the England midfielder is fit to make the bench.

  13. 'A game we should play to win'published at 14:05 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs interim manager Igor Tudor on whether the aim tomorrow is to reach the next round, or just to build confidence: "Both things, it is a game which we should play to pass [progress to next round].

    "Our first thing is to stay in the league, but tomorrow is a big challenge to show we can do good things, that they are not better than us."

  14. 'The biggest nonsense'published at 14:04 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Spurs defender Micky van de Ven started strong.

    He dismissed the idea that the Tottenham players were not committed.

    "It's the biggest nonsense," he said. "Everyone is focussed on what is in front of us."

    More to follow.

  15. Watch: Tudor & Van de Venpublished at 14:02 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    Tottenham manager Igor Tudor and Micky van de Ven have taken their seats.

    Watch along using the play icon.

    Tudor says their match against Atletico is big challenge and a chance at glory.

    Full quotes to follow.

  16. Is Tudor unlucky or incompetent?published at 14:00 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    While Igor Tudor has come in for major criticism having failed to win as Spurs manager so far, while the team slide closer to the bottom three, there is a case for the defence.

    His caretaker stint started against Premier League leaders Arsenal, which as far as hospital passes go is especially brutal.

    Defeat at Fulham followed, where Tudor was furious about what he saw as a foul by Raul Jimenez on Radu Dragusin in the build-up, and a loss at home to Crystal Palace where Spurs led - only for a Micky van de Ven-inspired implosion before the break.

    After the madness in Madrid, it seemed like Tudor had to go - but instead his Spurs produced a much-improved performance to earn a point against Liverpool.

    So is Tudor's luck starting to turn - or is he the source of the chaos?

  17. Postpublished at 13:59 GMT

    Igor Tudor can trump that Andrew - he lost his first four games as Tottenham's interim boss. Maybe this is an omen!

  18. get involved

    Get Involved - 2002 Newcastlepublished at 13:57 GMT

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    Not a game but a sequence of games. Newcastle in 2002 lost our first three group games then won the next three to qualify - no-one had done that before. Now THAT'S a comeback!

    Andrew, Whitley Bay

  19. Tudor's Spurs reign (so far) in quotespublished at 13:54 GMT

    Tottenham v Atletico Madrid (Wed, 20:00 GMT)

    Tottenham Hotspur

    "There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly," - after being appointed Spurs interim manager.

    "We were not good, lacked everything. Attacking and defending. There are problems here, big problems," - after Spurs' 2-1 loss to Fulham.

    "I didn't like the referee today, too much of a home team referee," - criticising ref Tom Bramall for not giving a foul in the build-up to Fulham's opener at Craven Cottage.

    "I will tell you now, maybe it will sound strange, but I believe more after this game than I believed before. I saw something," - after Spurs' 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace, where thousands of fans left early.

    "After you see what happened, it's the wrong decision. But it was the right decision before" - on picking goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky against Atletico Madrid - then subbing him after 17 minutes.

    "You can stay and cry or you can fight," - ahead of facing Liverpool, following their heavy defeat in Madrid.

    "You ask the coach about his position. You don't have any sense," - his spiky response in an interview with Sky Sports about whether he is the right man for Spurs.

    Igor TudorImage source, Getty Images
  20. get involved

    Get Involved - Spurs should focus on Premier League survivalpublished at 13:54 GMT

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    As a Spurs fan I think the perfect result for us would be a 2-0 win. We play well, boost our confidence but go out and can focus on Premier League survival without any more Champions League games. Sounds negative but it is where we find ourselves.

    Tom, Bradford