Tottenham need to fix gaps at the back urgently: Neil Humphreys
Mourinho's men won't be able to reach top four with such a messy defence
Listen very carefully. That's the distant giggling of Mauricio Pochettino.
His harsh sacking now looks like a generous blessing.
Spurs' defence causes more headaches than a New Year hangover.
Even the most miserly of managers may not be able to stop the endless giveaways at the back.
Another defensive blunder, another cheap goal and another defeat on the road ensured a miserable New Year for Tottenham, as they lost 1-0 at Southampton yesterday.
SOUTHAMPTON | TOTTENHAM |
1 | 0 |
(Danny Ings 17) |
Spurs' race for the top four will never be won as long as they keep stopping to hand out freebies to grateful opponents.
Jose Mourinho had earlier pointed out that Christmas was over. No more gifts.
After losing against Chelsea and dropping points at Norwich, Spurs have been throwing out presents like a neurotic Santa unable to accept that the time for giving is done.
Mourinho has insisted he will change the style of play if the porous defence doesn't improve.
He needed 17 minutes to be convinced to return to the drawing board.
Southampton had already targeted Ryan Sessegnon, the 19-year-old rookie at left-back, with the hosts attacking through their right flank.
There was a time when Tottenham's fullbacks were the envy of the English Premier League.
There was also a time when flared trousers were fashionable. Life moves on.
Sessegnon and Serge Aurier seldom instilled confidence so Spurs didn't need Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen demonstrating feet of clay.
In the 17th minute, an arrowed pass drifted towards the centre-backs. Both treated the ball as if it were a potential date in a bar, with neither man willing to make the first move.
Both dithered.
Instead, Danny Ings slipped between Tottenham's skittles, flicked the ball over Alderweireld's head with his right foot before finding the bottom corner with his left.
A sublime strike, certainly, but aided and abetted by statuesque defending.
The irony wasn't lost on gleeful Saints supporters.
Taunting the coach in the away dugout, they sang: "You're just a s*** Pochettino."
That's unfair, obviously, but the manager once famous for building formidable defences has inherited a basket case of a back four from a manager previously revered for his swashbuckling counter-attacking.
Curiously, Mourinho seems determined to use his EPL lifeline at Tottenham to prove that he is more than a conservative cliche, persevering with Christian Eriksen, revitalising Dele Alli and picking speedy youngsters like Sessegnon.
BACK TO BASICS
But a bright future probably lies in a dour past. Mourinho needs an urgent return to basics.
His dodgy defence must be settled first.
Media speculation obsesses over Eriksen and even Harry Kane, but Tottenham's priorities are a couple of a fullbacks and a centre-back.
With or without Eriksen, goals will come, especially when Son Heung Min returns from suspension. But Spurs will continue to hand out the penalty-box gifts that their manager loathes.
Mourinho has arguably averted the crisis that was looming under Pochettino's tired reign. Before the trip to Southampton, Mourinho had won five in eight games, a slight improvement on his predecessor.
But as the second half progressed at St Mary's, the lines across his forehead seemed to burrow deeper. As he simmered in silence, he examined the options on his bench. It didn't take long. He didn't have any.
Mourinho must be tempted to poke his head through the transfer window in search of a different kind of gift - the kind that doesn't involve Alderweireld falling over in his own box.
The Portuguese coach always loved altering a game's complexion from the touchline, but he struggled to rouse his lethargic players. Tanguy Ndombele's first-half injury didn't help, but Spurs' lack of urgency left Kane isolated.
Tottenham's greatest asset continues to toil with mediocre service.
The most miserable of nights ended with him over-reaching to tap in a goal in the 73rd minute. His strike was ruled out - he was offside by an armpit.
He pulled a hamstring and was substituted.
Kane deserves better. If he doesn't get it in 2020, his head could be turned.
But restless strikers are the least of Mourinho's concerns right now.
As long as his charitable defenders continue to give away those silly gifts, Tottenham can forget about the top four.
YESTERDAY’S OTHER RESULTS
Burnley 1 Aston Villa 2, Watford 2 Wolves 1
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