Opinion: My 12 painful thoughts about that Tottenham defeat

Tottenham Hotspur embarrassed us like never before last night as they blew a 2-0 lead in the Europa League Round of 16 against Dinamo Zagreb, getting knocked out after extra-time.

Without any further ado, here are my 12 painful thoughts about the woeful defeat:

1. Mourinho was right when he said it is all about attitude. Spurs went there thinking they could walk into the quarters and, no matter who you are against, that kind of arrogance only ever gets you into trouble.
2. However, Mourinho is just as much to blame. He always says to the media, I told the players this and I warned them about that. I’m afraid either they don’t understand his instructions or they simply don’t care. Either way, that is just as much a coach issue as a player issue.
3. Harry Kane was walking around for the majority of the game. It looked as though the mindset was to jog about, grab a goal and go off early. In the end, that mentality meant he played 120 mins and still didn’t score. I would always rather a player at 100% than a better one at 50%.
4. Lucas Moura was the only person who started the game and actually tried to run at people, close them down, drive at the defence with the ball. Lamela was determined not to get sent off again and Dele was extremely hit and miss out there.
5. Serge Aurier has to take a huge amount of blame. Orsic was playing off the left and grabbed a hat-trick. Where was Aurier’s hunger and fight and desire? Where was his effort to displace Doherty as the first-choice RB again? Everything was so lazy. A new right-back is needed.
6. In fact, a number of fringe players have proved that they cannot be trusted in crunch moments. I appreciate what they have done and support them but Davies, Dier, Winks and Sissoko just aren’t hitting the levels they need to hit at a club like Tottenham.
7. We seem to be slipping into a pattern where we walk around and boot the ball randomly for 75 mins until we realise the game is almost over. Then we up it and put the pressure on. Why is that? The games in which we start fast, we often win convincingly.
8. That desire and fight from the first min should not need to be taught. If you don’t have it, you shouldn’t wear the shirt. Simple.
9. We have gone from the Champions League Final to getting knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League Round of 16 in the space of two years. Just let that sink in.
10. I know that a lot of people are calling for Mourinho’s head. However, on reflection, I can’t see Levy doing it. I think to sack Jose now would not only be costly financially but could also be the final nail in the Kane coffin. He must be thinking about his future, surely.
11. In the end, I don’t know where we go from here. I would love them to pick themselves up and push for that top four and League Cup. That would represent a great season. Yet you just can’t see either happening…
12. I think I want what many Spurs fans want. A HUGE rebuild in the summer. I’m talking ten sales to get rid of the deadwood – no hanging on because we can’t sell them for what we bought them for. Get them out for what you can and spend it on fresh, young players. Rebuild. Restart.

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