SPURS’ PROS... & CONS

IF we’re going back over things I’ve said in this column, then Tottenham are living up to my words.

They did everything right at home to Manchester City.

Frustrated them, made chances, and defended with real grit and passion.

But a week later, assistant boss Cristian Stellini was apologising for the weak mentality of his players, who crumbled at Leicester.

And to be honest, they weren’t that much better in Italy against AC Milan.

Why? Well you can point to the fact that Antonio Conte (above) isn’t back from his gallbladder surgery yet.

But that overlooks the fact that inconsistency was there long before he took time off.

It comes back to the way they play. Spurs have the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son who would grace the best sides in the world. But are the current tactics getting the best out of them?

You know I was saying that players need to feel happy in their workplace.

Well, I honestly wonder if that’s the case with those two. When you’re a supreme attacking talent but the team isn’t, what are you thinking?

I know sometimes in my own career I wondered why I never had a team built around my strengths. I was never really the focus of the teams I played in, despite scoring a load of goals.

Maybe they need a bit of a rethink. Kane has proved himself the best English striker of his generation, one of the best of all time.

So use that, and play to those strengths.

I’ve already said Kane may leave. And that could simply be to feel happier, to feel more comfortable in his surroundings . . . because I’m not entirely sure Conte’s tactics really suit him, or Spurs and the way they’ve historically played.