Tottenham might be flying in the Conference League, but Jason Pettigrove looks at why things are going wrong in the Premier league.
The chickens (or should that be cockerels) have very definitely come home to roost at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham’s performance in the north London derby had no redeeming features whatsoever. It was abject from start to finish.
Just a few weeks after Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sat proudly atop the Premier League, their world has imploded.
The reality of where Spurs are at now can be traced right back to Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure.
Daniel Levy, for all the good intentions that he has as custodian of the club, appears to dig his heels in on certain matters, and they’ve proven to be the wrong decisions time and again.
Towards the end of Pochettino’s tenure, the Argentinian was clear as to which players needed to leave the club in order for the team to evolve.
As is his wont, Levy refused to sanction the sales which, ultimately, led to the best manager Tottenham have had in years leaving the club.
Jose Mourinho was never going to work, and now the players work under the auspices of a man who wasn’t even fourth choice for the role.
The first North London derby of the season.
Most wins: Arsenal (83)
Most appearances: David O'Leary (35)
Top scorer: Harry Kane (11)#NLD pic.twitter.com/QbMOCPylOx— BetVictor (@BetVictor) September 26, 2021
Nuno appears to be a nice guy at least. Studious. Serious. Methodical.
However, there was a reason why he wasn’t in the top few choices as the next man to take the reins.
No one expected the honeymoon to end quite so quickly mind, and now the man who had taken Wolves as far as he could is facing a dressing room mutiny.
Not just because of results either, but because of internal murmurings regarding the way he speaks to and communicates with players.
Was that ghastly attempt at putting in some effort at the Emirates Stadium tantamount to his charges already throwing in the towel? Helping the manager on his way quick time?
It’s certainly food for thought given just how poor the visitors were in every department.
Full-Time Arsenal beat Tottenham 3-1 and now sit above them in the Premier League!
It might have been a different game if Kane would have netted this!#ARSTOT #NLD #PLpic.twitter.com/FWxaxHYMYz
— BetVictor (@BetVictor) September 26, 2021
So what now?
If Harry Kane can find his scoring boots again, that may take some of the pressure off, albeit the front man looks like he’s just going through the motions at the moment.
Another poor Levy decision in keeping an unhappy player, and therefore not giving Nuno the chance to spend upwards of £100m in the transfer market? Undoubtedly.
Of course, the donkey work can’t all rest on his shoulders.
The entire squad need to mobilise behind their manager, batten down the hatches and adopt that siege mentality that was one of the more positive hallmarks of the Mourinho era.
A bit of backbone is required now. It doesn’t matter how games are won, they just have to be won.
The season is still in its infancy of course, and that is about the only saving grace Spurs have right now.
Any more performances like the one at Arsenal, however, will sound the death knell for this team and its manager.
If Harry Kane can find his scoring boots again, that may take some of the pressure off, albeit the front man looks like he’s just going through the motions at the moment.
Jason Pettigrove
