Gallery: Player Ratings – Tottenham 0-1 West Ham

Dele – 4

Image 9 of 12

The wait goes on for Dele to find his own particular mojo. On the ball, he hovers waiting for the picture of brilliant possibilities to emerge – it doesn’t quite come into focus and the attack falters at his feet. He had a brief renaissance at the start of the second half but then, through on goal, didn’t shoot (when it seemed the natural option). Arrogance flickered last week; I wonder how much he needs to know he’s on top of the world to be the kind of player he can be.

Match Summary

A lot of our precious china toppled over and smashed there: the new ground hundred per cent records of wins and shut-outs for a start.

How did that happen? Well, the smell of hot dry metal on metal burned throughout as Spurs never meshed the gears. A passionate stadium can become a burden as confidence seeps from players who can’t seem to find locate the right decisions in the right moments.

Pochettino had spoken of his fear of over-confidence but that wasn’t it and nor quite was complacency except in as much as everyone thought Eriksen would score again in the dying of the game.

We miss Kane in all sorts of obvious ways but today it was clear we missed his movement. He doesn’t just wait for the ball, he breaks the lines, he comes for it, turns and is suddenly the extra man running at a defence.

We wanted a win today to free the team up for the performance of their lives on Tuesday. Perhaps a shake up could have an opposite but equally beneficial effect.