Nuno reserves don’t live up to top billing
AS the dust settled on a miserable night in Arnhem, Ben Davies — the tottenham captain for the evening — fronted up to the television cameras.
he bemoaned the state of the pitch and several refereeing decisions. emblazoned across the breast of his jacket were the words ‘1st team’.
It was a glint of irony at the end of a rather depressing evening. You suspect neither Davies nor the rest of manager Nuno espirito Santo’s second string will see the funny side. earlier this week, Nuno had baulked at the suggestion that the europa Conference League was a mere after-thought.
the Portuguese rejected the notion that he now has two teams — one for the bustle of the Premier League, and one for these journeys into the backwaters of european football.
None of the XI who started last weekend’s 3-2 win at Newcastle made the trip. None of the XI who started last night did much to suggest the first string deserve to be dislodged.
to think Nuno insisted there was no risk attached to leaving harry Kane and Co at home.
By the end, the stands of the GelreDome were bouncing — this was a famous win that Vitesse will savour for some time. A deserved one, too, sealed 12 minutes from time courtesy of Maximilian Wittek’s volley from 18 yards.
For Spurs, this could prove a mere bump in the road on their way out of Group G and all will be forgiven, no doubt, should they triumph at West ham on Sunday. But the meek manner in which his reserves stumbled last night must concern Nuno, surely?
‘It was a tough match against a good team and we competed well,’ Nuno insisted. ‘We have three games to go; two games at home and I truly believe we can solve the group.’
On the showing of his second string, he added: ‘this is what we want, we can build on the fitness of the players.’ Make no mistake, this tottenham side — which featured nine internationals — was more than good enough to beat their Dutch opponents.
For Vitesse, best known previously on these shores as the finishing school for Chelsea youngsters, this was a rare shot at a major european scalp.
For Spurs, by extension, it served as a deafening reminder of how far they have fallen since their last trip to holland.
Nuno’s selection said as much. two-and-a-half years on from his Champions League semi-final heroics against Ajax, Lucas Moura did not even leave London.
Pierluigi Gollini was needed to thwart Nikolai Frederiksen early on, and Jacob Rasmussen flicked a near-post header narrowly wide.
Sandwiched between those halfchances came a decent penalty shout when Bryan Gil slid in to challenge Wittek.
Nothing doing, much to the anger of the home support. For a while, that proved about the extent of their angst as, at the other end, Spurs provided little cause for concern.
Still, though, pity teenage forward Dane Scarlett. handed the unenviable task of deputising for Kane, he was afforded few crumbs of service.
Nuno did not leave all his rockets in england. tottenham emerged for the second half with new purpose and Gil curled a shot on to the bar.
Alas, it proved a false dawn. By the hour mark, dysfunction had settled back into Nuno’s side and the noise was turned up a notch. the home crowd sniffed an upset as the visitors continued to cough up possession in dangerous areas. eventually, the excellent eli Dasa clipped a cross to the edge of the box, where Wittek was waiting.
his first-time effort appeared to flick off Davinson Sanchez before flashing into the net. Cue more noise, more pandemonium in the stands. And for Nuno, more difficult questions to ponder.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Gollini 6; Tanganga 5, Sanchez 5, Rodon 5, Davies 5; Lo Celso 5.5, Winks 5; Gil 5.5, Alli 4, Bergwijn 4; Scarlett 5 (Markanday 75min, 6). Booked: Bergwijn, Sanchez, Scarlett, Winks. Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 5. Referee: Harm Osmers (Ger) 6. Attendance: 23,931.