You build a football team from the back, and right now, this is inarguably the root of all our problems. Mourinho’s mentality is that you defend as a team and so the responsibility falls not just to the back four but everyone. Under the Portuguese, we’ve frequently seen attacking players putting in that extra effort for the cause.
In truth, Tottenham’s backline has been in a slow state of decay since Kyle Walker left. The once feisty Danny Rose is now aged and exiled. Jan Vertonghen pensioned off and the newer recruits have failed to shine. Eric Dier’s new-found role as a centre back has failed to sparkle.
Last night, not one of the back-line had a good game – against a Fulham side that has been stumbling about in the relegation zone all season.
Under José there is a familiar pattern of going ahead in the first half, then coming out for the second and then Spurs slipping into neutral, waiting for a response, opposed to finishing the other lot off. The only exceptions to this of course is when we play incredibly poor sides, such as Austria’s 7th best side.
If you look through the SofaScore cards for the Fulham game, its wall-to-wall errors and misplaced passes. I really cannot emphasize enough how important the quality of the opposition when making these evaluations and Fulham really aren’t any good. If Spurs’ defence loses possession 49 times against a side in the relegation zone, how on earth you can keep a straight face whilst suggesting that we’re in for this, or that is beyond me. ‘Team in 8th’ pinches a 1-0 own goal win away to team in 17th’ is the truth.
What is José saying to them at half-time? Probably something along the lines of ‘don’t screw-up’. In the final analysis, this side is just about fit to play Martin Jol-ball, and serve up scorelines such as 5-4, and 7-3, and sadly those sides never win anything.