For years, the ‘Spursy’ tag has dragged Tottenham Hotspur down. It’s not enough to merely lose a game or lose your rag, there also has to be an element of comedic misfortune too.
That hapless karma nearly resulted in relegation last season, and, until a month ago, seemed to still be cursing them this campaign. Even before this internet phenomenon took off, ‘Spursy’ was known as merely ‘being soft’. You know, the ‘lads, it’s Tottenham’ type of remarks.
Roberto De Zerbi, one of football’s most complex and combustible managers, has sought to build a team with more fire and fury, one to take on his own personality, though while still retaining the pleasing aesthetic his sides are known for.
In some ways, Spurs have indeed mastered that. In the first two-thirds of the pitch, they are often a delight to watch. The players know their roles and visibly have confidence in their coach’s philosophy. But this is not a complete team by any stretch and is clearly still a work in progress.
Saturday’s lunchtime loss at Leeds United was dirty in plenty of ways. A stop-start first half was only brought to life by two lengthy VAR checks, firstly for a potential handball against Mateus Fernandes in his own box and then for serious foul play by Jayden Bogle on Mathys Tel. On both occasions, the overlords at Stockley Park decided referee John Brookes did not need to see those flashpoints again.
A brooding Elland Road made it difficult for Tottenham to impose their usual control on a game in the second half, too. The visitors didn’t get a shot away after the break until the 68th minute, when Conor Gallagher narrowly flashed wide a fizzling strike from distance. Noah Okafor’s winning goal was a proper ‘it had been coming’ moment.
Spurs’ inefficiencies in defence and midfield were new. The last time they weren’t able to play a game the way they wanted to was the opening day, when Brentford tore them apart in a 3-0 drubbing.
That’s fine. You aren’t going to click every week. Football is like that. What’s more alarming is Tottenham still can’t build attacks sustainably and they remain one of the least threatening final-third teams in the Premier League.
De Zerbi started a front three of Tel, Mohammed Kudus and Omar Marmoush. None of them are particularly clinical, none of them play with much conviction. Why would a defence be worried about keeping them at arm’s length? Tottenham’s top scorer this season is centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, with a whopping two goals.
Dominic Solanke was summoned once Tel had to be substituted with injury on the stroke of half-time. Most of his contributions this season have come in his own box, making blocks on the line from corners (he added to this tally midway through the second half here, denying namesake Calvert-Lewin).
Tottenham ended the game registering a measly seven shots. Despite ceding over 60% possession, Leeds looked extremely comfortable throughout.
It brings into question the manner of Spurs’ three-game winning streak heading into the defeat in Yorkshire. Their first victory of the season, 3-1 against newly-promoted Coventry City, was fiercely competitive and ultimately decided by two screamers. As much as beating Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge was about the totality of the display and leaping over a mental hurdle, it was set up by the opposition goalkeeper punching it into his own net. Crystal Palace played with 10 men for about 80 minutes of their defeat in north London last week.
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The emerging pattern is that while Spurs and De Zerbi may be associated with trying to walk the ball in, this team cannot do that. It rejects such a ploy like a bad kidney transplant. Tottenham’s goals have usually been about a piece of individual brilliance, a set piece or the opponent becoming buffoonish.
History tells us this is more of a club problem than one to be levelled at the manager. Spurs looked similarly toothless under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, both of whom had wildly different approaches to each other and De Zerbi.
The need to dip back into the transfer market for more attacking players (potent ones, at least) is evident. The club probably should have recognised that before they splurged over £340m on a rebuild this summer.