Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
POCH TAKES RAP FOR SPURS MILAN MESS
It’s an udder disaster as Spurs stunned by late fightback to make it three defeats in a row
ANGRY Mauricio Pochettino launched a fierce defence of his players after his Champions League gamble blew up in his face.
The Spurs boss left Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier in London – only to see Inter come from behind with two goals in the dying minutes to hand his side a third successive defeat.
However, Pochettino hit back: “Why disrespect the players that aren’t on the pitch? You can blame me and say, ‘Gaffer,
MAURO ICARDI proved to be the train that Mauricio Pochettino’s cow could not see coming.
The Tottenham boss, his players and the club’s fans could only watch through their fingers at the moment of impact, the Argentine smashing home a fine volley from the edge of the box with just five minutes left.
With the confidence boost of a badly-needed three points – even a draw – at stake, the north Londoners tried desperately not to freeze in the dying minutes.
Matias Vecino (right), however, landed another big blow with a header past Michel Vorm in the second minute of injury time.
The good times are back for Inter with the 2010 champions off to a flyer on their first return to the elite competition for six years.
But Spurs are in trouble. Bereft of form and confidence, they threw this away after working so hard to put themselves within touching distance of victory.
There can no longer be a debate about the need for Harry Kane to be rested. Pochettino has to bite the bullet and find a way to cope without his
England captain for a couple of weeks. Can it really be that hard?
Kane missed a first-half chance he’d have stuck away with his eyes closed when his battery was at full power.
Spurs’ defenders have also lost their way with just one clean sheet now in their last six matches. Fair play to Pochettino for trying to take the heat out of his decision to axe Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier with that odd cow and train analogy.
It looked to have enabled the men who came in – Davinson Sanchez and Serge Aurier – to operate under pressure against an Inter side that had won just once in their opening four matches.
But in the end the gamble blew up in Pochettino’s face. His defence were never comfortable and, in the first half, Jan Vertonghen argued with Eric Dier and the woeful Ben Davies as they struggled to cope with the Inter press.
Christian Eriksen was one of the few Spurs players to emerge with any credit. Shortly before the break, the Denmark midfielder floated a superb ball over defender Stefan de Vrij to leave Kane in so much space he could have applied for planning permission. The striker rounded the keeper but couldn’t find the killer touch.
Eriksen (above) bailed him out on 53 minutes with a strike from outside the box, deflected over keeper Samir Handanovic by Miranda.
Spurs looked to have it in the bag. But with five minutes left, Icardi smashed in a volley from the edge of the box following Kwadwo Asamoah’s cross.
Pochettino threw on Danny Rose to at least preserve the point. Spurs couldn’t even do that. From a corner, two minutes later, Vecino headed in.
If ever Pochettino needed to use his powers of mootivation it is now. He will need something special to pick his players up after this.