Spurs must make most of waiting game after St James’ horror show
THEY say time is a great healer, and Tottenham hope that will ring true after their 4-0 battering at Newcastle on Saturday.
Spurs now have two weeks off until they host Arsenal in the north London derby on April 28 and there are plenty of issues for Ange Postecoglou to fix in the next 13 days.
His side were dreadful at St James’ Park and their worst performance of the season highlighted their flaws.
Centre-back Micky van de Ven has been a revelation this season, but he is so crucial to the way Postecoglou wants Spurs to play that when he has an off-day, like on Saturday, things can quickly fall apart.
Van de Ven and Cristian Romero are key to defending the huge spaces behind Postecoglou’s high line, and Spurs could not stop the ball over the top against Newcastle, who exposed weaknesses that Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool will surely target in the run-in.
Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie were regularly caught out of position, while Yves Bissouma was over-run in midfield. Spurs lack someone in that area to stop counter-attacks, and Newcastle had real joy on the break.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice will have been watching with interest — and Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover will be licking his lips after Fabian Schar headed home unmarked late on, after West Ham had joy against Spurs from a corner this month.
As the defence was exposed in the north-east, so, too, the attack fell flat. Heung-min Son and James Maddison’s decision-making was poor and their influence peripheral. Spurs had 73 per cent of possession but did little with it.
Indeed, the home side’s first goal came from Son and Maddison colliding in Newcastle’s box and losing the ball. Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak, by contrast, had a field day.
“It’s not the first time it has happened to us; it won’t be the last,” said Postecoglou (left) after a bad day. “It’s part of our growth. Sometimes that growth is painful.” Postecoglou is right to suggest growth is not linear, but recent performances are a concern.
Spurs lost 3-0 at Fulham last month, while Aston Villa’s win at Arsenal yesterday put them in the driving seat in the race for fourth and a nailed-on Champions League place.
Postecoglou’s side still have to play the three title challengers and they will need to improve drastically from their showing against Newcastle.
“We never really wrestled control at any stage and we weren’t brave on the ball — it was self-inflicted”, said Postecoglou, whose side have a fortnight to muster a response.