Pathetic, awful, disinterested, disconnected, confusing, panicking with lack of any cooperation between players. That is how I'd describe anti-football Tottenham Hotspur played in first half of game against Burnley. That's how most of fans saw that display too. Fortunately things changed a bit (to just bellow average) in second half when only in form player from this squad Lo Celso came in.
This anti-football was "good game" for unfortunately still in charge coach Jose Mourinho and his player Dele Alli. "I am out of strikers", "I have a lot of injured players", "Those players are not mine we need to improve seriously in summer" are some of excuses of this arrogant ostrich with head pounded deep into the sand. "It was good game" instead of publicly admit it was just not good enough anti-football and looking into reasons for it. Dele Alli looked so self satisfied like he dribbled 4 Burnley players and scored goal like Maradona, while in reality he just scored goal from penalty spot and made a lot of bad passes.
I'll try to point out some problems in Tottenham performance here.
Defending Process
First problem is to narrow, confusing and panicking defending. How else would you describe "Save who is alive" defending we saw in most of first half ? Wide backs are going to narrow leaving plenty of space for other side on wings. Once ball come into 5m central defenders start panicking clearances which often lead to clearings on around 16m from goal. Midfielders didn't track their players which collect those balls all alone on 16m with plenty of space and time for shoot. Fortunately Burnley players were not to clinical and didn't shot to well. It could be very ugly if they could shot in corners of goal like Bayern players. It was like open shooting arena, like shooting training for home side if you know what I mean. One of shots like that Ugo Lloris deflected badly in front of him and it was goal conceded as early as 12th minute. Five defenders and goal conceded in first 15 minute. Awesome! Well done lads! Congratulations!
Bulid of play
Believe or not Spurs made 1 (ONE !!) shot into Burnley goal in entire first half and that shot was easy pear-apple for collecting for goal keeper. I wouldn't even count that as shot. Why is that ? If you want to shot on goal you need to come somewhere near the goal with ball and for that you need to build some play and to make some action. Tottenham failed miserable in this discipline. How many times we saw back 5 not knowing what to do with the ball ? Wide backs passing back to central defenders showing them to pass on other side far away from them. I'd call this type of play "My worry transfer to otherone". When ball comes to other side same process again with sending ball on other and so on until someone got tired of this and pass long ball jumping over midfield. Midfielders were always covered by Burnley players. They didn't try to uncover themselves for passing. They just didn't move enough. No one of them wanted to take any bigger responsibility. Long balls ended usually in losing air duels and losing possession. Few times when ball somehow came to Dele Alli his first touch lead to easy losing ball.
Other aspect is lack of cooperation between players like they are furious on each other and can't watch each other. I don't know if you looked Manchester United, City or some other serious club and what they do when they go in attack ? When attack goes over left side left back and maybe even one other player is going there to help player on that position making balance in number of players involved on that side of pitch. Well there's nothing like that here. Here Lamela and Bergwijn are left all alone against 2 players and of course they can't do anything else but return ball backwards. At same time no one come into the box in attempt to receive possible incoming cross. Once wide backs go in attack oh look a miracle no Bergwijn or Lamela to help them. They hide behind defenders at that time! LoL! What can come next after that is non controlled cross into the box toward no one.
Lo Celso
Lo Celso, only player ready to take any responsibility in this squad came in in second half and things suddenly changed in better way. Ball started to come more often on other side and it looked more like football, but just not good enough football without creating many chances. Lucas also showed that he is much better when he comes into play from bench. He did few good right time passes, but what happens after was that Verthongen and Dele Alli crush on each other with Verthongen trying to shot and got blocked. Couldn't he let Dele Alli ball and run in space on left side for possible pass which would lead to big chance ? Yes he could, but he didn't. Goal scored by Dele Alli after penalty on Lamela and few Lo Celso's shots were only real dangers for Burnley.
On other side Sanchez started to make very stupid moves, almost made penalty for home side for no reason, was sloppy in passing etc... One of his stupid classics when majority of fans ask themselves what's happening with his brain ? Lloris saved one big chance for Burnley in second half. He also almost injured himself after catching one cross inside the box which makes me think that man god injured every time when he dives.
Conclusion
Returning of Kane and Son would not solve these issues. Kane was fit in previous part of season and playing looked just like this. If he is fit now, he wouldn't receive any service and his team mates wouldn't make any chance for him to score goal. It's no wonder his future in Spurs is under big question mark. Coach and players should establish little bigger standards for calling game "good". Game can be called good when you create much more chances than other side this was just anti-football entire first half and better but still not good enough in second half. Manchester City is playing good games!
Coach should find way to motivate players to move better on the pitch, to take more responsibility and to cooperate in better way. Fans who traveled so long to watch this pathetic display deserved better that this. They have every reason to be afraid from following Leipzig game. With this coach I doubt they'll see anything much better that this anti-football. About summer big rebuilding of squad I'm afraid all board will get in return for invested money would be some smoken pipes (like A. Sanchez), same display with complaints "City and United spent more I didn't have enough money to rebuild" :)
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