Tottenham Hotspur fell to a woeful 1-0 defeat in the Netherlands this evening as Vitesse Arnhem ran them off the pitch in the Europa Conference League.
Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:
Not good enough – One simple fact remains true, the Spurs second string side is not good enough. I do not blame Nuno at all for this evening. He named a team that should have been good enough to get the job done. The experienced players on the pitch were shocking and are only cementing their position further and further away from the first-team.
Off the top spot – Tottenham have now been knocked off the top spot in Group G as Rennes defeated Mura this evening. Spurs may now need to go on a run of three wins from three to top the group, which is very important in the Conference League.
Squad rotation – It’s important to note that these are players who rarely play together, they are lacking match fitness and match sharpness. This is why European ties in the Conference and Europa League are often very messy. However, Nuno placed his trust in them to at least put in some effort and knock on the door of the first team. Many let him down.
Lo Celso and Tanganga – I would say the only two outfield players who really made a case for a spot in the starting XI against West Ham at the weekend were Japhet Tanganga and Giovani Lo Celso. The Argentine was Tottenham’s only consistent creative spark and Tanganga was by far the best defender with his no-nonsense and aggressive style.
No rest for Kane and Son – If we learned one thing from tonight, it’s that Kane and Son won’t be given a rest again. The unfortunate truth is that Tottenham need them to bail them out of trouble off the bench in fixtures like these. The fringe squad is not good enough to get the job done, they have shown that on a consistent basis.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
