Arsenal legend, Paul Merson has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur only have a few top players in their current squad, while adding that they have no chance of reaching the top four.
Spurs had a chance to break into the Champions League places last week with a win over Newcastle after Chelsea lost to West Brom in the Premier League.
However, the Lilywhites blew yet another late lead and only managed to share a point with the Magpies despite a quickfire brace from Harry Kane.
It has been a tough month or so in North London after Tottenham were knocked out of the Europa League in embarrassing fashion by Dinamo Zagreb. This leaves the top four as the club’s only route back into Champions League football.
However, Merson claimed that he could not see Tottenham stringing five or six wins together from their final eight games, thus giving them no chance of making the top four.
He said (Sky Sports): “He’s calling out top players, but they are not all top players. Tottenham have a few top players, but that’s it.
“Football is decided on fine margins. Harry Kane goes through, gives the goalkeeper the eyes and hits the post.
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“If that goes in it’s game over and they might even score another goal before the end of the game and we are all talking about how amazing Spurs are and what a result it is to win at Newcastle.
“But, in the end, they draw 2-2 and that’s it really, you look at Spurs and you worry about them. I worry because if you are calling the players out like that, I don’t think it’s going to work out.
“The players are going to go the other way, which they shouldn’t because it’s a bit of a joke, but that’s part of it nowadays.
“When they open the game up, they look OK, but it’s hard. We know what it says on the tin with Jose Mourinho. That’s the way they play.
“Is it because they are good defensively? I don’t think they are good defensively. When I look at Spurs, I just think they rely too much on Harry Kane.”
On the top four, he added: “I don’t give them a chance of reaching the top four. I just can’t see them putting five or six wins together.
“They go to Newcastle, who are struggling like mad, and all of a sudden it has opened up for them. Chelsea have been beaten, Leicester have been beaten and Spurs had a chance to stamp their authority on the race for the top four.
“But they go to St James’ Park and it was never comfortable for them. I never sat watching the game thinking Spurs have definitely won this. It just wasn’t like that.
“That’s why I can’t see them stringing enough wins together. They do tend to shoot themselves in the foot. They’ve got that inconsistency about them.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, and Sergio Reguilon have all had incredible seasons. The likes of Gareth Bale and Hugo Lloris also deserve to be labelled top players, despite being on the wrong side of 30. Maybe Merson should analyse Arsenal’s top-four hopes instead…
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