How does Igor Tudor survive at Tottenham?

A woeful defeat by relegation rivals Nottingham Forest leaves Spurs above the Premier League's bottom three by a point.

Tottenham's near half a century stay in the top flight is under growing threat.

Victorious Nottingham Forest are on their fourth manager of the season with Vitor Pereira but Spurs may have to appoint their third to survive.

Tudor has lost five of his seven games after being appointed in February after Thomas Frank was sacked, having been hired in part for his positive short-term record at previous clubs.

If he does depart, Tottenham will have to decide whether to appoint another interim head coach or a permanent candidate with seven games left.

The former Juventus boss did not undertake the usual post-match duties having been informed of a family bereavement.

Sean Dyche, Ryan Mason and Harry Redknapp are among the names mentioned as possible replacements.

Spurs' owners Enic have no intention of intervening, with the onus on chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange to decide the club's direction.

It leaves Tottenham executives facing the decision of sacking a manager they only appointed just over a month ago, which may also raise internal questions on why Tudor was given the job in the first place.

After sacking Ange Postecoglou and Frank in the past year, Spurs have another huge decision to make.

Tudor has earned just one point from his five league games - including a 4-1 thumping by Arsenal - as well as being dumped out of the Champions League following the chaotic first leg at Atletico Madrid.

Tottenham have won just 30 points from 31 Premier League games this season - their joint-lowest return after 31 games of a league campaign, along with 1914-15.

They are winless in their past 13 league matches (D5 L8), which equals the second longest winless league run in their history dating back to 1912, with the record standing at 16 in 1934-35.

They must avoid setting a new record if they are going to survive, with relegation rivals West Ham's 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa the sliver of hope needed on a wretched afternoon.

"I think it's impossible for him to stay. I really do," ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy told Match of the Day.

"I think it's really difficult for the players to play in an environment that's so deflated and toxic.

"The only way you can change that is either winning games which they're not doing, or change a manager - what the fans want.

"If they keep him in charge - it's five league games without a win. A new guy comes in, gets one win, all of sudden, it can turn quickly. I think it's a risk worth taking and I think they'll take it.

"The players don't really look like they're at it. They've had a couple of decent performances this week and maybe people thought that the corner had been turned, but confidence was low again after they conceded.

"He made two changes at half-time and that didn't make them any better. If anything, they got worse as the second half went on."

Bruno Saltor took Tudor's news conference and believes Tudor and his coaching staff will get time, with three weeks until they travel to Sunderland after the international break.

"Yeah, of course, we feel the support of everyone at the club and we're just focusing on how we can help the players," he said.

"What gives me belief? The last two games, against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid and the first half today. We should've been at least 1-0 up. Right now every small detail is going against us. It is about turning it around and that's what gives us confidence."

Fans lined the Tottenham High Road to welcome the Spurs team.

Supporters scaled railings and sat on the top of bus shelters as their struggling side arrived to face relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.

The coach drove through a haze of blue and white smoke surrounded by thousands of fans as it crawled to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Protests had been shelved in recognition of the magnitude of the game, one which would have seismic repercussions on Spurs' season.

Goals from Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsmann, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were played on the big screens pre-game before Cristian Romero delivered a message: "We'll fight for everything, all together."

Just under 90 minutes later fans streamed out of the stadium after Taiwo Awoniyi scored Forest's third.

They went from a parade to pointless. Tottenham are in deep trouble.

The players responded to the fans for 45 minutes. Igor Jesus hit his own bar, Richarlison pressed and harried and Mathys Tel produced one of his better displays.

Yet Igor Jesus' header in first-half stoppage time - followed by Morgan Gibbs-White's strike - increased Spurs' relegation woes.

Gibbs-White, of course had to have a say in the game after his aborted move to north London last summer.

Spurs thought they had their man as they looked to trigger a £60m release clause, only for the deal to collapse and Forest to threaten legal action.

It was a prelude to the chaos and calamity that was to come this season.

Awoniyi's late third sparked an exodus - some fans had already started leaving with 20 minutes left - and those who remained booed the team off.

The togetherness seen outside the stadium had evaporated, with Spurs fans only united in concern about the future.

"From Tottenham's point of view, there was a lot of fighting spirit in the first half, encouraged by a jubilant crowd who wanted to support their team," former Spurs and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"But, when you go to support your team like that you have to give something back, which didn't last.

"In the second half they were tactically weak, they were devoid of ideas, and the manager changed the personnel two or three times, and there was nothing there today to suggest that they can get out of that mess."

Xavi Simons' relegation to the bench baffled seasoned Spurs viewers, following his best performance and two goals in Wednesday's win over Atletico.

Tel was lively and hit the bar immediately after Igor Jesus' opener but faded in the second half with Forest's defence - expertly marshalled by Nikola Milenkovic - repelling everything.

Forest made their hosts wait on the pitch almost four minutes before emerging for the second half, Tottenham will have wished they had stayed in the dressing room.

"I don't see a structure," said Robinson. "A gameplan, or a way of playing. I don't see a tactical idea.

"They look devoid of ideas, and a manager who is looking for something that he is yet to find, and no time to find it."