Sloppy Spurs on slide
Worrying for Poch as Perbet strikes
MAURICIO Pochettino admitted last night Tottenham are going through a slump after their European woes continued.
Spurs have managed just a Harry Kane penalty in four games – having scored 12 in the four before that.
And it does not get any better against Continental teams after this surprise first-leg defeat by unfancied Ghent.
It has left them with a big challenge in the second leg at Wembley next Thursday if they want to make the last 16.
Pochettino sent out a strong side in Belgium but his players flopped in a woeful showing that followed on from their Champions League exit at the group stages.
Apart from a Kane shot against the outside of a post in the 49th minute, Spurs created little.
“Good and bad things happen,” said Pochettino. “We’ve started a bad period. I hope on Sunday we break that negative run.”
The Tottenham manager was referring to the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Fulham, in which he has hinted he will send out a weakened team.
Kane will not figure against the Championship club after picking a knock on his knee and Pochettino said: “We need to refresh the team and we’ll do that.”
Spurs were undone by a 59th-minute goal by striker Jeremy Perbet after they were exposed down their right flank when they switched to a 3-5-2 formation in the second half. Nana Asare released Danijel Milicevic who picked out Perbet. The striker’s first effort was blocked by Ben Davies but he stroked home the rebound. It should have got worse in the 76th minute when Toby Alderweireld gifted possession to Kalifa Coulibaly, who set up an unmarked Milicevic, only for Hugo Lloris to push the shot on to a post. Spurs’ lack of penetration led to Dele Alli threatening to lose his cool. He appeared to dive on the edge of the box when challenged by Anderson Esiti and was later booked for dissent.
He also looked furious when substitute Christian Eriksen ignored his run and shot over and he completed his miserable night with a rant at French referee Benoit Bastien after the final whistle.
“When you lose the game you’re frustrated and you feel all the decisions had gone against you,” said Pochettino. “It looks like the decisions went against us, but it’s normal.
“It wasn’t our best performance although I cannot complain about our attitude. It was good, we fought and tried to win the game.”
England defender Eric Dier agreed it was a night to forget for Spurs but backed them to go through in the return.
“We didn’t create enough chances to win,” he said. “In the first half, they were the better side but after half-time we looked like we were turning it round until the goal.
“It stopped us in our tracks and we could not get going again. They sat back and we could not get the away goal.
“When you go a goal down, you want to give everything to get back into the game.
“Maybe we were erratic at times and could have been a bit calmer and waited for our chance. That is something for us to work on.
“I don’t see why we cannot turn it around. We just have to show a bit more quality. At Wembley we will be better.”