Monaco vs Tottenham a few quick thoughts
Dan Tracey
November 23, 2016
1,557 Views
- Well where do you start?
- After having time to digest the action last night and seeing countless jokes on social media it’s probably now time to give my view on the game
- I think I’ll review this game in isolation then opposed to Tottenham’s Champions League campaign as a whole
- That will be an article to follow in due course
- But to matters in Monte Carlo
- Was that the worst that Tottenham have played all season? If not then it was very close
- No to be honest considering we’ve only lost in cup competitions that does have to be the worst
- It could have started brightly when Heung-min Son was played through and had a one on one opportunity
- But to the frustration of many he walked the ball straight into the path of Monaco’s keeper Subasic
- It’s fair to say that Son’s purple patch of form is long since over
- The South Korean winger has a torrid time last night but he certainly be the only one to have an off night in a Spurs shirt
- After Son wasted that opportunity, Monaco had one of countless forays into the box and they would be awarded a penalty after Eric Dier’s clumsy tackle gave the Referee no other option but to point to the spot
- Rafael Falcao stepped up and the outlook didn’t look promising but the Colombian’s penalty was poor by his own standards and it allowed Hugo Lloris to make a relatively comfortable save
- But that was probably as good as got for Spurs as they were simply not at the races last night
- The back four were run ragged and the backup centre half pairing of Eric Dier and Kevin Wimmer in particular were kept busy as the countless crosses were launched into the box
- But questions do have to be asked as to why both Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen were both tested for a key clash
- Yes I know we have Chelsea on Saturday but it has got to the point where we are resting players in the Champions League to try and get back into the Champions League
- Kieran Trippier may be useful as a backup in the Europa League but not at this level and it showed last night
- Time and time again he was outclassed as Monaco got endless joy on the right hand side
- It was a lop sided formation with Danny Rose playing as a wing back but the problem this created was that it made the midfield so narrow
- Harry Kane was so isolated up front in that first 45 minutes but the only saving grace was that we went into the break goalless
- At that point you would have expected Mauricio Pochettino to fire up his side as qualification was now back in the North London outfits hands
- Well whatever he said didnt work as within three minutes of the restart Monaco were in front
- Once again it was Spurs giving Monaco the freedom of a substandard pitch and this time Dijibril Sidibe wasn’t going to waste a golden opportunity to put the hosts ahead
- But just four minutes later there was a moment of salvation
- Dele Ali was felled in the box and Tottenham were awarded a spot kick of their own
- Harry Kane stepped up and just about slotted home via hands the of Subasic
- Spurs back in the game could they now build from this
- The answer was an emphatic no
- 38 seconds
- Just 38 seconds later Monaco were once again ahead
- Kieran Trippier has to take the blame for this one
- The former Burnley man was woefully exposed and Monaco forward Lemar fired past Lloris from a tight angle
- A level of defending which was absolutely criminal
- Tottenham back in the thick of it and then deflated just as quick
- And Spurs then had Hugo Lloris for keeping them in the game a strong of saves and one world class one in particular kept the away side just about in proceedings
- Saves like that make you think that he deserves a move to a bigger club
- He is too talented to play behind that shambles of a defence
- But that said Tottenham neither looked like not deserved a second
- And they didn’t get the goal that would have at least keep it alive to the final group game
- Spurs crash out of the competition with a whimper
- Now it is back to Wembley for a literal Europa League play off against CSKA Moscow
- If it was up to me I would play the kids and bomb out of Europe altogether
- But knowing our luck we will win with a reserve line-up and be reduced to Thursdasy night purgatory
- Now we have to shake off the embarrassment as it’s Chelsea away on Saturday
- Once again it looks set to be Dier and Winner at the back with also Danny Rose suspended
- If we can come away from Stamford Bridge with the unbeaten record intact then it will be a miracle
- But no matter where we finish I think this Europeaan capitulation is going to define our whole season
- After all that effort to get here it’s been an absolute waste
- Still Saturday is the main focus now
- We either bounce back or Chelsea hammer is because we are low on confidence
- Fingers crossed it isn’t the latter
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