With Sunday’s embarrassing defeat at home to Ipswich Town, we saw an already well documented trend continue to worsen – Spurs losing the final game before an international break.
This is the fifth time in a row it has happened. In October, Spurs blew a 2-0 lead at half-time away to Brighton and Hove Albion. In September, they lost at Newcastle United, despite dominating the game and the territory.
Dating back to March, Spurs lost 3-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage before the final international break of the 23/24 season. Going even further back, they lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers around this time last year. So, what is the issue in these games – and is it purely a coincidence?
One of the reasons mentioned has been playing in the Europa League three days before. Ahead of the game against Ipswich, Spurs were playing all the way over in Turkey less than 78 hours before the game. Before the game at Brighton, Spurs had played in Hungary three days before.
However, there was no European football before the games against Wolves, Fulham and Newcastle, which suggests that is the not the reason. Additionally, in both European games before Brighton and Ipswich – Ange played heavily rotated sides, so fatigue shouldn’t really be much of an issue.
Four of the five games (Wolves, Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton) have been on the road, which we all know has been a huge issue. Yet, the reason that is a huge issue is still yet to be truly figured out either.
In any case, Spurs then had a home game against a team that had not won a Premier League game all season, so either way, the issues lay further down than playing away from home. Some have suggested that the players are already locked into the break, and are ready to go away with their countries.
Cristian Romero is a player who in particular has been accused of caring more about Argentina than Tottenham Hotspur. In reality, he is a very passionate and patriotic player, like a lot of South Americans are.
Whatever the issue is, it has to end soon. Sunday was a seriously humiliating day, and most damning of at all, not even that unsurprising. A lot would even say predictable. We had seen it happen two weeks prior against Crystal Palace. Still, at home, and against a newly promoted side, they somehow managed to outdo the embarrassing Palace defeat within just two weeks. Dr Tottenham.