Tottenham analysis: Old problems — and some new ones — give Spurs a headache

Dan Kilpatrick @Dan_KP17 September 2018

Tottenham suffered back-to-back League defeats for the first time since 2015-16 with an error-strewn performance against Liverpool on Saturday.

Spurs were their own worst enemies at Wembley, conceding sloppy and predictable goals to Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino, before Erik Lamela’s late consolation.

Autumn slumps are nothing new for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. They won once in 10 games from mid-October two seasons ago and struggled for results and rhythm this time last year.

This season, their bad spell is threatening to come early and the manager has work to do ahead of a run of six games in 19 days — starting with Tuesday’s Champions League opener at Inter Milan — to ensure the last two results are a blip.

In Pictures | Tottenham vs Liverpool | 15/09/2018

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Ahead of Monday's flight to Italy, there is plenty for Pochettino to ponder, including the condition of his players and their struggles at both ends of the pitch.

Fatigue

REUTERS

Harry Kane was again forced to defend himself against accusations of physical and mental fatigue following another toothless performance against Liverpool, but the issue goes beyond the England captain. Kane, after all, has statistically made his best start to a season, which is more than can be said for Eric Dier — so poor against Liverpool — or Christian Eriksen, who needs to convert his Denmark form to domestic football.

It is no coincidence that Spurs’ brightest performers on Saturday — along with Toby Alderweireld — were Lucas Moura, Harry Winks and substitute Lamela, who all had free summers, while the club’s nine World Cup semi-finalists are struggling through the gears after missing pre-season. Heung-Min Son, meanwhile, made a late cameo after returning from a gruelling run of eight internationals in 26 days with South Korea.

Pochettino pays as much attention to his players’ conditioning as any manager, but he has admitted that this season will be an impossible balancing act, given his stars’ summer exertions. Frustratingly for the Argentine, he predicted the poor performances against Watford and Liverpool but was powerless to prevent them, suggesting the problems go beyond his tactics.

Squad depth

EPA

The answer to fatigue is rotation but Pochettino is a reluctant tinkerman. Regardless, he will have to call on his fringe players in the games ahead, which will only raise tired questions about squad depth and quality.

If the plus side of Spurs’ unprecedented summer in the transfer market — when they did not buy or sell a single player — is continuity, the downside is a thin squad, including a number of players who are not fully trusted by the manager. Fernando Llorente, Moussa Sissoko and Georges-Kevin Nkoudou can all expect to start games in the next three weeks, despite being available for transfer this summer, while Pochettino has already reintegrated Alderweireld and Danny Rose, who were expected to be sold.

That said, Spurs’ squad should be stronger than last season now that Serge Aurier, Juan Foyth and Llorente have a full year and a Pochettino pre-season under their belts. Just look at the difference in January signing Lucas, again Spurs’ brightest player on Saturday.

Set-pieces

Getty Images

For Pochettino, surely the most galling aspect of Saturday’s defeat was another goal conceded from a set-piece and he has work to do in the days ahead to fix another familiar problem.

Last season, Spurs conceded 12 times from set-pieces — a third of the 36 League goals they shipped — and, against Watford, it happened twice in quick succession. Liverpool made the breakthrough with a calamitous goal from Wijnaldum after Michel Vorm flapped at a James Milner corner that should never have been given away.

This season, five of the six goals they have conceded have been from headers, suggesting something rotten in the state of their defending. It must be resolved quickly, particularly with Brighton awaiting next weekend.

Lack of creativity

Eriksen admits it is "disappointing" to have seen more stadium delays.
Getty Images

At the other end, Spurs created almost nothing from open play for the second game running, admittedly against a Liverpool defence that finally seems to have embraced the basics of defending.

Spurs’ lack of ideas was summed-up midway through the first half, when Jan Vertonghen ridiculously tried to lob Alisson from 40 yards. They only improved with the late introductions of Lamela and Son, and a switch to a more familiar formation.

There is a lack of pep in the side, exacerbated against Liverpool by Dele Alli’s absence through injury, and Spurs desperately need Eriksen to find his rhythm quickly.

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