WILL SPURS END UP 6TH?
They were in a 3-horse title race, but now. . .
Much more of this and Tottenham might yet become the first Premier League team to finish sixth in a three-horse title race.
In the space of a fortnight, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have seen their title chances evaporate and their hopes of a top-four finish in jeopardy after taking only point from four games.
On this occasion, Tottenham contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and Pochettino delivered a stinging rebuke to his side.
Tottenham were excellent for an hour. They scored one wonderfully executed goal when the returning Dele Alli clipped a super pass for harry Kane to convert. Yet Kane spurned a succession of chances and Tottenham’s final pass was too often sloppy.
As Spurs passed up chances, Southampton manager Ralph hasenhuttl rolled the dice, changing the team shape and introducing Josh Sims and Shane Long at half- time and then Stuart Armstrong when Long was injured.
The home side played with greater intensity, equalising through Yan Valery before James Ward-Prowse scored a delightful free-kick for the second consecutive match after also netting at Old Trafford last weekend.
Instead of responding, Tottenham appeared overcome by doubts. Moussa Sissoko ought to have been sent off for headbutting Nathan Redmond and Pochettino’s team did not carve a chance of note after falling behind in the 81st minute.
Pochettino, watching on from the director’s box due to a touchline ban, did not hold back. he used words such as ‘arrogance’ and ‘complacency’ and then questioned the maturity and commitment of his players.
The manager said: ‘I am a little bit worried, the change was too much from the first half to the second half. It is only one reason, it’s mental. It’s about complacency. It’s about arrogance in a bad way.
‘We still have a lot of work to do. That showed that we are not mature enough. That showed that to be in the last level as a club you need more effort, more quality. Everything you need to increase if you want to be one of the best clubs in the world.’
captain hugo Lloris seemed similarly disturbed, criticising his peers for a lack of aggression and urging ‘something to change’.
Pochettino’s angst will only increase when he glances at his team’s fixture list.
As chelsea, Manchester united and Arsenal now scramble for third and fourth place, his team travel to Anfield next and must also visit Manchester city
Tottenham do not have another game until March 31 and fly out to Barcelona this week for a training camp which Pochettino must hope will resuscitate their season.
Ward-Prowse now has six goals in 10 games and he delivered this latest set-piece in front of England assistant manager Steve holland ahead of an expected international call-up this week.
hasenhuttl said: ‘ James didn’t have a good start with me. I saw in training a very good footballer but the work against the ball was not what I wanted. That is what I told him. Then I saw a guy working on his deficits. he learned quickly what I wanted.’