Tottenham fans have been arguing for more of the Tottenham way, however, with the fourth-most goals in the league this season, it is not the offense letting the Spurs down. Yet again when Tottenham needed their best defensively, the team continues to let us down with poor play. There is no doubting Tottenham is their own worst enemy as demonstrated against Leeds in the 3-1 loss.
Tottenham lacking defensive fundamental
If we are being honest with ourselves and our club, it is quite obvious Tottenham lacks the basic fundamentals of defensive football. The job of a defender is actually rather simple, keep the ball out of your net.
The two most basic ways to do this are to keep the ball out of dangerous positions and to make sure there is always someone between an offensive player and the goal. In other words, defenders should be able to clear the ball and mark a man, something Tottenham simply does not know how to do.
Clearing dangerous balls is job 1 defensively
One thing that Jan Vertonghen never did for Tottenham Hotspur was turning away from a cross coming into the box. Instead, as a man possessed, Vertoghen would stretch himself and throw his body at the ball to get it away from danger. A corner against a set defense is much less dangerous than a loss cross in the box.
With the current crop of Tottenham defenders clearing dangerous balls are not something they do. Yesterday, on the first goal, was not the first time we have seen Eric Dier literally turn to allow a ball through, rather than stick out his leg and block it.
Almost like a basketball player trying to box out his man to create a driving lane, Dier inexplicably turned to face the goal on the cross and let the ball skid through. Maybe Sergio Reguilón should have been more prepared to clear but a good center-half does not let the ball through in the first place. At this point, this kind of play has happened too many times to count this season.
Defenders should head the ball high and wide
If you look at the way Tottenham heads the ‘clear’ whether it is Eric Dier yesterday or Davinson Sanchez earlier in the season, neither seem to understand how to clear the ball. You are taught from the youngest of ages defensively that you head the ball out high and wide. If the ball is high and wide it is least likely to create danger for the defense.
Again and again, this season, whether winning a punt at midfield or trying to clear the ball from a corner our defenders head the ball down and central. This is just flat out wrong. It was exactly this bad football that led to the second goal for leads yesterday.
Maybe, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg or Sergio Reguilón should have beaten Stuart Dallas to the hospital header Eric Dier left in the middle of the pitch but it really should have never happened. Had Dier simply headed the ball wide it would have gone out for a throw-in and the defense could get set.
Even if he would have simply headed the ball high and central it would have given both Højbjerg and Reguilón more time to recover. The bottom line is that at no point is a defender taught to clear a ball by heading it down and centrally, as that is the most dangerous place you can put the ball, as Tottenham was once again taught.
Tottenham do not mark men
It is bad enough Tottenham cannot clear the ball but they compound matters by continually not marking men on defense. I am not saying Spurs need to be man-to-man all over the pitch like Leeds but again at the youngest of ages, defenders are taught to find a man and mark them in the box.
On the second goal, after the DIer turnover, Tottenham managed to get seven defenders into the box, plus Hugo Lloris. Yet of those seven men only 1 got goalside of a player – Dele Alli – and only 1 tried to attack the ball and prevent a cross – Giovani Lo Celso. Five other field players – all four defenders plus Højbjerg stood and watched the play happen.
On the first goal, Højbjerg was in the box, checked three times seeing Sergio Reguilón had two men, and never once took even two steps back to help him defend. That kind of inept play in the box is inexcusable. Højbjerg is supposed to be a leader on this team and he does not even know the basics of getting goalside of an attacker in the box?
Leeds third goal was just embarrassing for Spurs
The third goal was probably the worst of the bunch as it showed a team that simply lacked the will and determination to make a play. While the first two goals both included a slew of poor fundamentals, the third goal was just poor effort.
The play started with Lucas Moura completely out of position in the middle of the box walking to get back. Seeing this as the ball went wide, Serge Aurier pressed, which was a mistake. Before Aurier could even start to apply real pressure the ball was passed by him and his man was running past him and the Spurs were beaten.
No one really got back to help Eric Dier and Lloris on the play. Yes, Dier should have been more alert to get the offside call but that is no reason for no one to help. Tanguy Ndombele was just substituted on and he got beaten down the pitch. Erik Lamela was just substituted on and he only got to midfield. As everyone was jogging back only a terrible mistake by Leeds was going to let Spurs off the hook. Of course, that never happened and that was the match and likely the season for Tottenham.
All season long Spurs have been their own worst enemy and it was again the case against Leeds. Tottenham needs a coach to get back to basics and teach badly missing fundamentals AND a complete overhaul. Unfortunately, we are likely to get neither this summer.