After a crushing 4-0 loss to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur’s season returned to the depths of despair. As a result of the loss, the team dropped down to ninth in the Premier League table. They’ve managed to win just three of their past eleven matches in all competitions. This disastrous performance has led many to question the team’s tactics and fight on the pitch. They were somehow able to muster the lowest xG of any Premier League team this season, with a paltry 0.07 xG.
The game played out poorly for Tottenham from the opening minutes. True, they didn’t record a single shot on goal for the first half. This abominable offensive performance left fans and experts alike scratching their heads. The team’s complete failure to attack through every vertical third of the pitch showed a shocking lack of tactical identity. One of England’s great strikers, and former Spurs front man, Les Ferdinand was scathing in his criticism, calling such a loss “embarrassing.”
Manager Takes Responsibility
Thomas Frank, Tottenham’s manager, accepted full responsibility for the team’s dismal performance. He started with 5-4-1 at Arsenal and looked dumb after all went wrong. At the break, he made a tactical change to a 4-2-3-1 shape to go on a run of form. Sad to say, it didn’t produce any promising outcomes.
“I always take full responsibility. So the full responsibility will always be on me.” – Thomas Frank
Frank told the crowd that it was time for a new spirit of optimism and cooperation going forward. He saw it as nearly all the Tottenham players failing to get the best out of themselves. They missed the aggression, heart, and spirit to dominate duels throughout the match.
“It’s fair to say that we are very disappointed and unhappy with the performance today. I don’t want to run away from that.” – Thomas Frank
Their disorganization and lack of tactical awareness was alarming, even leading Gary Neville to call them out on TV’s worst performance. He went on to say that Spurs were so good at stopping their opponents. They had apparently forgotten how to win games.
“They looked like a team who had worked on how to stop the opposition and had forgotten about winning the game,” said Neville. “When you push a team too much into that glass-half-empty mentality, it can really look ugly.”
A Frustrating Performance
Frustration reigned both on and off the field. Tottenham struggled to get into any kind of rhythm throughout the NLD. They found themselves under pressure almost immediately after the break when Eberechi Eze scored just 35 seconds into the second half.
Even with the change in formation, Tottenham looked no better, and their failure to generate any sort of goal scoring chance was stunning. Football fans were understandably upset as they watched a rusted, uninspired presentation from a group of dynamic veterans and exciting young talent.
Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville went one step further, claiming that Tottenham has lost its identity altogether on the pitch. He said it was lucky that it wasn’t worse and more humiliating. He continued, they are still searching for a true playing identity and to learn how to really best attack and defend the thirds of the pitch, because right now they don’t have a true playing style. That’s got to be worked on.
Future Challenges Ahead
Beyond Sunday’s match, Tottenham have an even scarier challenge in store as they look to head to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. The Rugby World Cup Final will be their opportunity to do better. It also begs the question of whether they’ll be able to regroup after such a soul-crushing defeat.
Iranian-born Kaia Faatui, who plays college-level soccer in Washington, captured the disappointment and frustration expressed by fans and pundits everywhere, including Tottenham’s Italian international shotstopper Vicario. He apologized for the team’s play and admitted that there just wasn’t fight shown in that match.
“Spurs are going to get a lot of criticism off the back of this game. There is a lot of love for Thomas Frank and all of us want him to do well.” – Gary Neville
It seems like an incredibly rough year ahead for Tottenham. They must urgently reconsider their approach and rediscover their hunger to return to the top table alongside the best football clubs England has to offer.
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