Spursy - The Problem with Tottenham Hotspur
'Spursy' - a certain fragility in the team that consistently fails to live up to expectations and crumble within sight of victory. In the aftermath of Tottenham conceding the bragging rights to their fierce rivals for the first time since 2018, it seems almost obligatory to delve into the problems which have emerged within the Lilywhites over the past few months and how The Special One was outfoxed by Mikel Arteta last Sunday.
Paul Merson labelled Arsenal's performance as an 'Arteta masterstroke', but it is fair to say that Spurs bottled it, again. The timing of this highly anticipated fixture seemed to be rather proleptic from Arsenal's perspective. They had dropped two points against a resilient Burnley before facing a 4000-mile round trip against their European nemesis, Olympiakos, less than three days before kick-off. Whilst the Gunners endured an arduous task against the Greek giants, Spurs cruised to a routine victory at home to Dinamo Zagreb.
That's not all. All the facts and figures leaned towards Tottenham breaking their dire run of results at the Emirates. Spurs had won 5 on the bounce, their best winning run this season, heading into the clash. Perhaps the salient point is that Mourinho had only ever lost once in the hands of Arsenal. But this proved to be inconsequential in the end, for failing to capitalise on situations seems endemic in Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
Erik Lamela's outrageous Rabona in the first half was a mere distraction that ameliorated a diabolical showing from Mourinho's men – it was their only shot of the half. The highlights of Kane hitting the post and Sanchez's effort being cleared off the line more than flatter Spurs' showing; they were second best for the vast majority of the game and were deservedly put to the sword. This negative mentality has been a common theme this season. Mourinho has curtailed the effectiveness of this evidently talented Tottenham side (their attacking outlet, at least) and has enraged many of the fans with his overly 'anti-football tactics. Spurs rank 11th on the xG chart this season and 10th in the possession stats, with much of their play seeming to be lumping the ball forward to either Kane or Son. When the latter pulled up with a hamstring problem just 15 minutes in, it foreshadowed an uphill battle that they would have to stomach. By the finish, it was a mountainous trek.
A foolish sending off by Erik Lamela epitomised what truly was a dismal performance by Spurs for the majority of the game. Not only did it somewhat overshadow his moment of innovation, but it also highlighted the tactical naivety and lunacy from Mourinho's point of view. Lamela brings the hotspur to Tottenham. His uncanny impetuosity making his lengthy stay in North London proves to be rather frustrating. His riling tactics were conspicuous to the average fan, so why couldn't Mourinho see them? A sly nudge on Xhaka followed by a sneaky trip on David Luiz merely set the tone of what his role would be after his untimely substitution. But Mourinho had already played his cards. Dele Alli was introduced just after the hour mark, Spurs' last available change. No more than 10 minutes later, Lamela was penalised for a reckless lunge on Thomas Partey before an impulsive elbow to the face of Kieran Tierney and saw red. If a fan's naked eye is not deemed to be substantial evidence, the stat that the Argentine is issued a booking every 85 minutes this season (more than anyone else with more than 500 minutes of game time) provides concrete proof that Mourinho quite simply does not know his own team.
Last week on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Rob Green stated that a team must keep the 'relationship within the defence steady'; otherwise, it could cause 'turmoil'. In light of the claim that Mourinho does not know his best team, Tottenham has registered 17 (SEVENTEEN) different combinations in their defensive set-up in the Premier League this season – more than any other club. No one can deny that Mourinho's accolades make him one of the most glamorous and successful managers of our generation. Still, his financial freedom has certainly aided this impressive journey. A stalwart combination of Lucio and Samuel in his Inter Milan days or Terry and Carvalho at Chelsea – there were leaders in those sides who commanded the backline. Fast forward to today, Mourinho is tasked with teaching Eric Dier and Matt Doherty basic schoolboy defending. There is a discernible disparity in quality between this underachieving Tottenham side and the Portuguese's previous giants; Spurs seem to be devoid of hunger and completely bereft of ideas, vastly juxtaposing Mikel Arteta's yearning youngsters in the derby. Jamie Redknapp alluded to the fact that 'Spurs play out from the back, but I don't think they have any idea how to play out from the back.' There is a serious defensive issue within the team that hasn't been resolved since their title push back in 2017.
The gulf in quality between Emile Smith-Rowe and Kieran Tierney's attacking presence against Gareth Bale and Matt Doherty was borderline cringe-worthy as the game progressed. Bale, who had set the league alight with his recent performances, appeared to revert to his typical lacklustre ways, which left his right-back exposed on numerous occasions. Arsenal's first goal was purely a reminder of the damage they could cause on that side, evidently an area of severe weakness from a Tottenham perspective. It highlighted the immense amount of work (or money, for that matter) that needs to be invested. The less said about Doherty's defensive acumen, the better...
The contrast between Pochettino's side, which we have admired for so many years and Mourinho's team of loose cannons is astounding. Not only from a performance perspective but also for the fans. The Special One is failing to achieve in North London, and the supporters are progressively beginning to lose patience. After the unjustifiable showing yesterday, Mourinho sardonically commented about referees not having to do a post-match interview - quite typical of his incessantly mocking character. 'No post-match interviews for referees? That's a pity. Some people never change, eh?
So, where do Tottenham go from here? Unbeknownst to many, they still have a cup final to look forward to next month and have one foot firmly in the Europa League's quarter-finals. With their hopes of securing qualification for the Champions League proving to be increasingly in jeopardy, I am certain that I speak on behalf of the majority of Spurs fans when I say that trophies absolutely have to be the priority, as there 13 year wait for silverware goes marching on...
Written by Olly Howard
I am currently studying English Language and English Literature as an undergraduate and am planning to study Sports Journalism at university. I am an avid watcher of all sports and a big Tottenham Hotspur fan