From the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – Tottenham’s last hope of winning a trophy this season has been dashed.
Afterwards Lose 1-0 to AC Milan In the last 16 of the Champions League, Spurs now have to focus on a languishing Premier League campaign. They are currently fourth to their credit but keep finding new ways to open doors for their rivals.
On Antonio Conte’s return from gallbladder surgery, Tottenham looked predictable and unassuming. Once a well-oiled race car has rusted out, the engine has given up on it.
Whether the fans drive the team or the team ignites the fans, the chicken-and-blame game is as old as the game itself, but the disconnect was clear. ‘No one wants to be here’ a friend in the stands texted me before the match. Kick-off was delayed, with the iconic Champions League theme played at the wrong time.
Ben Davies – ‘Gentle’ to his biggest supporters Ben Davies – twice initially the subject of vocal fan wrath, once for allowing Junior Messias to drop him too easily, then for inadvertently kicking the ball with his right boot To dribble. Tension was immediately high, no one was safe.
even Conte – almost universally popular in the N17, has been seen in recent months as the leader of a rebellion against owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy – with his decisions being questioned and fans booing him, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ are’ echoed around parts of the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
His decision to substitute Dejan Kulusevski for Davison Sanchez – following the gutsy dismissal of Cristian Romero (drink) – felt very similar to the last action of predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo, whose reign ended with Steven Bergwijn inexplicably hooking Lucas Moura while also needing a goal.
The Spurs racked up a total of 0.46 xG (via FotMob) in a winless game, so it’s hard to say the supporters weren’t onto something.
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90 minutes informed of This week it is unlikely that Conte will be at Tottenham after the summer. Club legend Mauricio Pochettino is set to return. It’s the worst kept secret in football – it’s more likely Basil Fawlty and Del Boy will be at Spurs next season than their current head coach.
If Conte chooses last season (if it is his decision), he may still be able to repeat his heroics of last year, turn Tottenham into one of the Premier League’s most lethal forces and break into the top four. I can make my way.
But hardly ever such an opportunity is realized or there is no chance to wait till then. His future is clearly not at Spurs, and Tottenham cannot afford to be sleepwalking through seasons like this.
At full-time, sparse sections of an exiting crowd were chanting Pochettino’s name to that famous old Pilots song. Right now you are humming it in your head. Everyone knows where Spurs are going and there is no point in pretending anymore.