Peter Crouch has delivered a damning verdict on Tottenham Hotspur's recent struggles, describing last season's appointment of Igor Tudor as a "disastrous" decision that compounded years of poor management at the club.

Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season, finishing 17th in the Premier League for the second consecutive campaign. Without a cup run to offset their league woes — unlike the previous year, when they claimed the UEFA Europa League — the scale of the club's decline was laid bare.

Tudor appointment 'made no sense'

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Crouch, who spent time at Spurs during his playing career, was unsparing in his assessment of the Tudor era. "The Igor Tudor reign was disastrous," he said. "No-one saw that appointment coming and it didn't ever start making any more sense."

Crouch argued that the decision to bring in Tudor was not an isolated mistake but part of a deeper structural problem at the club. "There's been serious mismanagement for a while now," he told FourFourTwo, adding that recruitment had also fallen well short of what a club of Tottenham's stature demands. "They haven't bought well enough," he said.

De Zerbi era offers fresh hope

New head coach Roberto De Zerbi has, however, given Crouch reason for optimism. "Roberto De Zerbi has been amazing at Spurs," the former striker said, suggesting the appointment represents the kind of quality decision-making the club has lacked in recent years.

Tottenham have backed De Zerbi heavily in the transfer market, spending more than £300 million in the closing stages of the summer window. Arrivals include Savio, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes, signalling a clear intent to compete at the top end of the Premier League once more.

The new season began poorly, with a 3-0 defeat to Brentford on the opening weekend, but Crouch urged patience and ambition in equal measure. "A club of that size can't be trying to stay up by a couple of points," he said, underlining the enormous task De Zerbi faces in restoring Tottenham to the level their supporters expect.

"I hope to see Spurs back to their best this season," Crouch concluded.