Nuno on why Spurs have not been able to maintain intensity for 90 minutes

Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted that Tottenham are still a work in progress and there are still a lot of aspects that the team needs to improve on.

While Tottenham have had more than one promising halves of football this season, they have rarely been able to maintain a high standard through the ninety minutes.

During the 1-0 loss to West Ham last week, Nuno’s men gave a very good account of themselves in the first half as they controlled the game and fashioned some decent chances.

However, they were not able to take their opportunities and struggled to break down the Hammers in the second half, especially after the home side took the lead and failed to register a shot on goal.

It was a similar story against Chelsea last month, with the North Londoners being unfortunate to head into the interval without a lead but they were not able to press with the same intensity in the second half as Thomas Tuchel’s men blew them away.

Nuno admitted that the team needs to improve their decision-making in the final third and that they have to gel better as a unit.

When asked why there is a lack of intensity or consistency over the course of the 90 minutes, the Spurs boss said (via Football.London): “Some of those aspects were due to our lack of mobility. We couldn’t find the spaces, we had crosses with the final touch, we had four good crosses.

“A lot of it goes to the credit of your opponent, West Ham were very good and well organised. They didn’t leave gaps, spaces. At the same time, we didn’t produce, but we didn’t concede situations to West Ham. We lost the game on a set-piece.

“We have to improve on productivity in the final third, mobility. We have to gel, we have to combine. We have to recognise when a teammate is in a better position to give the pass. We have a lot of aspects, Ian [Abraham – talkSPORT reporter]. A lot of aspects. A lot of aspects.”

Spurs Web Opinion

The biggest complaint from Spurs fans this season has not been the results themselves but the lack of a clear direction of travel. However, that has been rectified in part over recent weeks, with Nuno settling on a fixed 4-2-3-1 system and his preferred starting eleven. Hopefully, that will soon start translating into results.

Related Topics