Charlie Nicholas has claimed that he cannot see Tottenham Hotspur getting all three points against Everton this evening and believes that problems are set to pile up for Jose Mourinho.
Tottenham’s 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United last Thursday all but ended the club’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Jose Mourinho was critical of his players’ lack of mental toughness after the defeat against the Blades (Football.London), and he will certainly be looking for a response when Spurs take to the field against the Toffees.
Nicholas believes that Spurs have issues right through the side and claims that the players do not seem to understand what is expected of them.
He told Sky Sports: “Tottenham should have had an equaliser at Sheffield United, but at the same time they were well beaten. I have said the same thing. Why have Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld resigned when Jose Mourinho doesn’t fancy them?
“What is the full-back situation? Serge Aurier is a liability but is strong going forwards. Mauricio Pochettino used to chop and change his full-backs most weeks. Ben Davies has been playing but struggles defensively, and he was taken off at Bramall Lane. Tanguy Ndombele was put on when it was an embarrassing scoreline too, so he looks out of favour.
“Harry Kane nicked a goal but is suffering at the minute. Lucas Moura is not the same threat and Heung-Min Son looked out of sorts too. It looks confused. Dele Alli cannot get in the team now either. Maybe the shape is too rigid.
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“Mourinho is picking the same team but they are making the same mistakes. The centre-backs are struggling and so are the protectors in midfield. Giovani Lo Celso looks good on the ball but is he defensively good? No. They are not understanding what is being asked of them.”
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been in good form since the restart, with two wins and a draw in three matches, and Nicholas believes they will get a point at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening.
He insisted that he feared for Mourinho’s future at Spurs if the team fails to show any improvement between now and the end of the season.
The Sky Sports pundit added: “The opposite has happened to Everton. It will be a struggle for Richarlison to make this one, but he has played beautifully for Carlo Ancelotti. Jordan Pickford got away with another one and one day he will get punished again.
“Defensively, Everton have improved but they are still not as good as what they should be. Michael Keane is getting back to some decent form but is still not consistent enough. On the other side, they are strong going forwards. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a handful, while Gylfi Sigurdsson is a decent footballer and a creative spark in midfield.
“If there was no trophy in the current season for Tottenham or a chance of making the top four, I imagined Jose would move on. All of a sudden they are in ninth place. If they don’t win, Mourinho is not going to be under pressure, but if he does not get the right response, he will say that it isn’t working for him or the team and potentially agree to go separate ways, and that is where Tottenham are stuck at the moment.
“He looks a lonely figure, and I do not see Tottenham winning here either. Everton improved massively and I see them nicking a point here in a score draw.”
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This certainly will not be an easy game for us as Everton have not only been a threat going forward but they have become defensively solid under Ancelotti. We will need to score first if we have any chance of taking all three points this evening.
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