Tottenham need to bench this attacker after abysmal performance at Chelsea

Tottenham have given Lucas Moura numerous attempts to lead their attacking line, but it’s just not something the Brazilian attacker can handle.

Lucas Moura doesn’t deserve all of the blame for Tottenham’s attacking woes at Chelsea on Saturday, but he certainly didn’t do anything to trouble the Blues’ defence. It’s time for Jose Mourinho to put the Brazilian attacker on the bench for an extended period of time.

In fairness to Lucas, he’s not a striker. He’s been forced to play out of position after injuries to both Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s been atrocious in their absence. His inept display at Stamford Bridge should be the last straw for Mourinho.

Other than one decent strike on goal in the early going, Lucas did nothing to help his team. His inability to control the ball with anything resembling a quality first touch prevents Tottenham from gaining any sort of foothold in possession. Time and time again at Chelsea, the ball hit Lucas’ feet only to fly away from him at a startling pace.

Lucas also seems completely uninterested in the idea of spinning off an opposing defender to run through on goal. That’s the logical solution for a player who can’t find a way to hold the ball at his feet. At the very least, using his pace to trouble opposing defenders might give him a little more room to control the ball with his wayward touches.

Lucas’ inability to do anything to trouble opposing centre backs makes him useless for Spurs at the moment. It’s not as if his defensive work rate helps to make up for his lack of attacking contributions. He’s a passenger of the worst kind for Mourinho at the moment. A long spell on the bench might do him a world of good.

The natural question for Spurs is what they should do instead of trotting Lucas out as a starting striker match after match. The good news is that Steven Bergwijn does look capable of playing up top in a pinch. He shouldn’t lead the line alone, but he can be productive playing alongside another forward.

Perhaps giving Dele Alli an opportunity to play next to Bergwijn could rejuvenate the Tottenham front line. There’s also the possibility that Mourinho might reconsider his stance on throwing starlet Troy Parrott into the fire. He might only be 18-years-old, but he is an actual centre forward.

No matter what, Tottenham must nail Lucas to the bench. He’s been woeful as of late. If they want to get their attack going, they must look at other options.