Igor Tudor at Tottenham: “It is impossible for him to stay” – what’s next for Tottenham?

Fans lined the Tottenham Highway to welcome the Spurs team.

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

The bus drove through a cloud of blue and white smoke surrounded by thousands of fans as it crawled into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The protests were postponed in recognition of the scale of the match, which will have seismic implications for Tottenham’s season.

Goals from Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsmann, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were shown on the big screens before the match before Cristian Romero delivered a message: “We will fight for everything, together.”

Just under 90 minutes later, fans stormed out of the stadium after Taiwo Awonyi scored Forest’s third goal.

They went from exposition to meaningless. Tottenham is in big trouble.

The players responded to the fans for 45 minutes. Igor Jesus hit his crossbar, Richarlison pressed and attacked and Matthijs Tille produced one of his best performances.

However, Igor Jesus’ header in first-half stoppage time – followed by Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike – added to Spurs’ relegation woes.

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

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

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

Awoniyi’s late third goal sparked an exodus – some fans had already begun to leave 20 minutes before the end of the game – and those who remained booed the team.

The solidarity seen off the pitch has evaporated, and Spurs fans are united only in worry about the future.

“From a Tottenham point of view, there was a great fighting spirit in the first half, encouraged by the cheering fans who wanted to support their team,” former Tottenham 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, and that didn’t last.

“In the second half, they were weak tactically, they were devoid of ideas, the coach changed players two or three times, and there was no sign today that they were able to get out of this mess.”

Xavi Simons’ relegation to the bench has baffled veteran Spurs viewers, after his best performance and brace in the win over Atletico on Wednesday.

Till was lively and hit the crossbar straight after Igor Jesus’ opener but faded in the second half as Forest’s defense – expertly led by Nikola Milenkovic – held off everything.

Forest had their hosts waiting on the pitch nearly four minutes before the start of the second half, with Spurs wishing they had stayed in the dressing room.

“I don’t see a structure,” Robinson said. “Game plan or style of play. I don’t see a tactical idea.

“They seem devoid of ideas, and a manager looking for something hasn’t found it yet, and doesn’t have time to find it.”