Tottenham delivered a listless performance in Sunday’s 1-0 loss vs. Newcastle. Read on to discover which Spurs deserve the most blame.
There are very few positives, if any, to take from Tottenham’s loss to Newcastle this weekend. Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff have a ton of work to do before Spurs travel to Arsenal for their fourth match of the campaign.
As you might expect, this will be a pretty dire piece to read if you are a Tottenham supporter. There is plenty of blame to go around for this inexcusable defeat. Continue reading to fully delve into the postmortem of Sunday’s defeat.
Harry Kane-3
This represents one of the worst player ratings we’ve ever given out. Kane was simply dreadful in this match. It’s hard to point to a single positive thing he did for his club.
If that seems harsh, think back to all of the potential chances he fluffed against the Newcastle defence. The English striker was also invisible when trying to press the Toon on the other end of the pitch. This was one of Kane’s worst performances in a Spurs shirt.
Erik Lamela-5
Lamela got a lot of stick on social media after the match, but he at least provided his team with some energy on the afternoon. Unfortunately for the Argentine, his lack of quality in the final third relegated him to a very mediocre performance.
The good news for Lamela haters is that he should be headed to the substitute’s bench soon. He looks to be the odd man out when Dele Alli returns to full fitness.
Lucas Moura-5
Moura played with more energy than Kane, but he botched just as many chances. His shocking miss on the volley in the second half likely cost Spurs a point in this match.
The Brazilian’s uneven performance continues a strange trend for him personally. He struggles mightily as a starter but is sensational as a substitute. Look for him to return to Pochettino’s bench sooner, rather than later.
Heung-Min Son-7
If any member of the Spurs attack deserves consideration for Man of the Match, it would be the talented Korean. He forced a really good save in the first half and consistently troubled Newcastle down both flanks.
In the end, Son was a bit unlucky not to score. He was Tottenham’s best attacker on the day by a shocking margin.
Harry Winks-4
It was a really bad day for players named Harry. Winks was a complete and utter passenger for long stretches against Newcastle’s very average midfield.
Simply sitting in the middle of the pitch and facilitating ball movement from side-to-side isn’t good enough for a player in Tottenham’s starting XI. Winks should be relegated to the bench next weekend at Arsenal.
Moussa Sissoko-5.5
Sissoko gets a little bit of credit for playing multiple positions in this match. He started off in the double-pivot alongside Winks but finished the match at right back. The Frenchman did play with a fair amount of energy against his old club.
On the slip side, Sissoko continues to struggle to provide Spurs with any sort of consistent end product. Last season may be the most Pochettino ever gets out of the Premier League veteran.