Even when given some of the greatest managers and winners in football history, Spurs will still be Spursy. Tottenham have again dropped a golden chance to get back into the Champions League places as they lost 2-0 to Aston Villa, leaving them 2 points adrift of 4th.
It’s incredible how in the nearly 150-year history (141 years to be exact) of Tottenham Hotspur, the club has consistently been inconsistent in the biggest and most important moments. Aside from a few FA Cup wins 100 years ago, and two League Titles win approximately 60 years ago, the club has failed to achieve anything of note despite its current day status as one of the “Traditional Top-6” teams.
Now, I’m not trying to sound like a Spurs hater nor am I trying to demean the fans of the club, but I can’t understand why they have put up with more than a half century of failure and classic collapses. There’s something seriously wrong with the DNA of the club as even when the management and hierarchy brings in world class managers, such as Maricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, and Antonio Conte, the team still underperforms on the field.
Whether it’s blowing a title race against Leicester City in 2015 (remember, that was only Leicester’s 2 year in the Premier League since getting promoted), blowing the Champions League Final in 2018 with a shallow performance after one of the greatest comebacks in the Semi-Finals, firing Jose Mourinho (a man who has won 27 trophies) a few days before the 2021 EFL Cup Final to Man City, coming up short in numerous Top-4 races against teams like West Ham and Leicester, or losing Dynamo Zagreb in a weak Europa League draw in 2021, Spurs always finds a way to fail.
And the game today was no different.
Again, despite having players like Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son, Ivan Perisic, Hugo Lloris, Yves Bissouma, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, etc., 60% of the ball, nearly 600 passes (574) with an 85% passing accuracy, and 5 corners, Spurs were only able to generate 2 shots on goal in 90 minutes against the 12th place Aston Villa.
How is that possible?
Yes, I know Harry Kane had a chance cleared off the line in the first half, but how can a team that is trying to secure a second straight season in the Champions League only able to register 2 shots on target with players like Kane and Son up front? And, you know what, I doubt that Kane chance would have happened if Emi Martinez, Villa’s usual #1 goalkeeper, was starting today as Robin Olsen strangely came flying out of his net that set up the chance.
The whole Tottenham attack has to be blown up in the summer as they’ve constantly shriveled up and cowered when the spotlight of pressure finds them. Either Kane or Son has to be sold to help facilitate a functional, multi-dimensional attack as the past 8 years of one-dimensional, “hope Kane or Son can produce something special” hasn’t worked.
I feel bad for Antonio Conte (not really) when he says after the game that Spurs lack creative talent up front as it’s true…when you separate the attack and midfield in such an extreme way that Conte does. The 4-3-3 with this team has not and never will work as the Tottenham midfield does not have the talent to work as a cohesive 3-man unit, leaving the offense to either get phased out of the game or having to come back into the midfield to pick up the ball.
Obviously, both of those scenarios are awful as they lead to one inevitable ending: the attack isn’t in a position to score.
Nevertheless, the one part of that team where Conte should be complaining about is that defense.
How inept can a “Top-4” defense be week in and week out before these players are called out for what they really are? Bottom tier/Championship level players.
True to fashion, Hugo Lloris bobbled a 40ish yard Douglas Luiz shot off his fans and right into the path of Ollie Watkins, who cleverly turned and set up Emiliano Buendia for an easy tap-in to put Villa up 1-0. That guy is always having a howler mistake in the worst possible moments, though I will also put some of the blame on his central defenders.
Do Clement Lenglet, Christian Romero, and Ben Davis realize that their job is to CLEAR THE BALL and STAY ALERT whenever Villa is attacking? Evidently not as Lenglet allowed Watkins to bully him off the ball and set up Buendia’s goal. Great job, Clemet, I’m sure Barcelona fans are bursting out of their seats to have you come back.
Sadly, for Spurs fans, the pain only got worse as after a Kane turnover in the middle of the field, 4 Spurs defenders were caught ball watching and allowed Douglas Luiz to sneak in past them uncontested and tuck home Villa’s 2nd and clinching goal with under 15 minutes to go.
It was honestly a facepalm moment for everyone involved, and especially so for Antonio Conte as he’s now under severe pressure from the Spurs fans and hierarchy given the overwhelming boos after the final whistle. I forgot how toxic it was getting at Spurs given the month-long World Cup break, but the show is now on full display.
And it looks like we are getting into the final act as Conte has now come out and said that Spurs fans are putting too much pressure and expectations on what he can achieve with this team. I’d give the Italian another 6 months at most before Daniel Levy, the Spurs players, and the Spurs fans finally drive him to the brink of insanity, and he resigns.
As for Villa, they’ve now won against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea under Unai Emery. This team isn’t going to be competing for a European spot this season, but if some of Villa’s injured players (ex: Jacob Ramsey, Diego Carlos) can comeback before the end of the season, then I don’t see why they can’t secure a Top-10 finish.
Then, the sky is the limit for this Villa team next season as a midtable, Top-6 kind of club is where Unai Emery does his best work. The future is bright in Birmingham…unlike the White side of North London.
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