Tottenham Hotspur had to eat another slice of humble pie this past Premier League weekend, faltering 2-0 to Newcastle United. It was an all around disaster of a performance, and while Roberto De Zerbi and some fans want to sugar coat it by saying the team played well before the goals started and talk about the possession stats, for fans of this long suffering team and for fans who want to compete for titles again, they know that what matters the most is winning.
And Tottenham were terrible in that regard. They did not create real chances, they did not make the few chances they had count, and they totally wilted when Newcastle found their goals, failing to respond at all in an important Premier League game.
It was alarming to see how inept the left flank was for Tottenham. Although Mathys Tel had a grand preseason and looked like he could be on the cusp of a breakout despite the need for new winger signings, which have come from Manchester City and may still yield one more from Everton in Iliman Ndiaye, he was the worst player on the pitch against Newcastle. Every time he touched the ball, it turned to sawdust, with Tel committing more unforced errors than anyone else.
Tottenham can't set Mathys Tel up with Andy Robertson
It is one thing to make mistakes, but it is another thing to not do anything positive while making mistakes. And it is the total lack of any shots on target, chances created for teammates, or even fouls drawn or dribbles completed that really sealed Mathys Tel's Saturday as a disaster at the office.
But Tel was not the only problem on that side of the pitch. Tottenham Hotspur are paying Andy Robertson a big salary to be a leader for this team, solidify the defense, and help support the young players in front of him, like Tel.
Instead, Robbo was nearly as poor as Tel against the Magpies. He barely won the ball back for his team, and part of the reason why Tel slowed down the play and was so careless in possession was because the left back supporting him was equally disastrous.
Robertson did not offer any sort of attacking threat or overlap, and he also created no chances and completed no dribbles for his team. Tottenham can't play Robertson and Tel together at all, because even if there is a useful role for these two to play off the bench, Robertson starting behind Tel is a sure way for the young Frenchman to fail without having a robust player behind him in attacking support so he can cut inside and make a real difference. De Zerbi won't be making this mistake again.
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