Tottenham: Views On Where It’s Gone Wrong This Season

Tottenham have slipped to 11th in the Premier League following their home defeat against Newcastle United. Where has it gone wrong for Spurs this season?

We all knew that it was going to take time for Mauricio Pochettino to turn Tottenham around and produce a team which could play in the style that he envisaged. While Spurs opened the season with two league victories, since then it has been a struggle in terms of results and the style of play the team has produced.

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In only one game have Spurs managed to put together an impressive performance and that was against Queen’s Park Rangers. Since that success, Spurs have only managed one win in the league – against Southampton.

The display at Sunderland was praised but defensive frailties let them down and what should have been three points became only one.

Spurs have again struggled against top teams – Liverpool being the first to raise questions and while they battled hard for a deserved point at Arsenal, Manchester City proved too much for them defensively.

While those last results were not unexpected, the defeat by Newcastle following on from the home loss to West Bromwich Albion who, like Newcastle, had started the season poorly, leaves Tottenham in mid-table. Which way will the season develop in the coming weeks?

• Tottenham are 3 points behind 5th-placed Arsenal which sounds positive but more worryingly they are only 3 points ahead of Sunderland in 18th place.

Where Has It Gone Wrong this Season?

Tottenham opted to spent lightly during the summer and rely on the summer of 2013 signings coming good under Pochettino. It, however, has become clear that the squad at Spurs has too many players of a similar standard and they are unable to produce the level of performance required for Premier League football on a consistent and regular basis.

Views On Where It’s Gone Wrong

Tottenham “Mentality”

Speaking after the defeat by Newcastle, which was Spurs’ third home defeat of the season, Mauricio Pochettino pointed the finger of blame on the “Tottenham mentality”. BBC Sport reported the Head Coach’s comments,

"It’s not tactical or physical it’s our mentality…..We need to be more strong and to have more focus….I think it was difficult to manage in our head. Our heads had gone and we started to take rash decisions on the pitch."

We all know what he means – Spurs have often contrived to “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory” or struggled to beat weaker, relegation threatened teams – it’s always been in the club’s DNA.

Mauricio Pochettino

Some fans are questioning Pochettino’s part in the current situation. On Twitter, Paul O Keefe (@pokeefe1) gave his view of the defeat by Newcastle and the manager’s refusal to change tactics. He commented,

"Thought we did ok first half. 2nd was an abomination. Fear if Poch continues to refuse to tweak his tactics he’ll struggle. Players don’t suit his style, until you have players that do you must adapt. Poch has one way of playing. Home, away, opponents irrelevant."

This was a subject that Danny Murphy picked up on in commentary during the match. He wanted to see Pochettino make changes sooner than when he did so as to give the team more width and urgency. When the changes did come, it was too late and had no influence on the game.

e-Spurs (@e_spurs) tweeted with a similar view,

Tottenham v Newcastle [Photo: Jav The_DoC_66]

The Players

The players also need to take responsibility for the poor start to the season. Richard Savva (@savva_savva) tweeted his concerns about the players and manager.

"The players are poor. However pochs tactics and negativity are down to him. His lack of imagination and unwillingness to experiment a worry."

David Blayney (@blayneyblanet) tweeted,

Oxspur (@elmartino_thfc) points the finger of blame at the players, tweeting,

Daniel Levy

John (@john_ramiah) tweeted, to remind the Tottenham Chairman that Spurs are a big club.

What are the Prospects for rest of the Season?

Fans are not overly optimistic about what lies ahead this season. Jon Wood (@JonDubbya) knows what’s missing from the Spurs team and is concerned. He tweeted,

Callum Haymes (@CallumHaymes) commented,

What do you think?

Where has it gone wrong this season?

Let us know in the Comment Box or on Twitter or Facebook.