Cristian Stellini has said that he was pleased with the effort Lucas Moura put in on his return to the starting eleven against Sheffield United on Wednesday.
Tottenham spurned a golden opportunity to make it to the final eight of the FA Cup as they delivered a lacklustre display at Bramall Lane.
The Blades emerged 1-0 winners, with Iliman Ndiaye’s 79th-minute strike proving the difference between the two sides.
Spurs made several changes to the starting eleven, with the likes of Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Pape Matar Sarr, Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic and Davinson Sanchez coming into the team.
It was Moura’s third start of the season in what has been an injury-hit campaign for the Brazilian and he struggled to impact the game despite a few positive dribbles into the final third, until he was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski on 73 minutes.
However, Stellini insisted that he had no issues with the effort levels of the winger or any of his teammates.
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Tottenham’s assistant first-team coach told Football.London: “We need Lucas like all the players.
“We thought this was the right moment to use Lucas from the start. His effort was good.
“The effort from our team every time is good and we can’t be disappointed about this.
“It’s about the energy and the mentality and how we are focused on the win during the game.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It is ridiculous for fans to take their frustration out on Moura, who was making his first start in several months. He was always going to look short of match fitness and sharpness.
The blame should be laid at the feet of Stellini and Conte for their team selection.
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