Home » Article » European Nightmares: What Is Going Wrong For Tottenham?

European Nightmares: What Is Going Wrong For Tottenham?

A 2-2 draw on Thursday night against KAA Gent was not enough to spare Tottenham Hotspur’s blushes as they crashed out of UEFA Europa League, losing out 3-2 on aggregate. The defeat brought curtains to a disappointing European campaign for the North Londoners, that saw them exit the UEFA Champions League as early as the group stages.

Goals from Christian Eriksen and Victor Wanyama weren’t enough at the Wembley Stadium as the Belgian side, who were coming into the game with a 1-0 lead in the tie, matched Tottenham’s efforts in terms of goals scored and made way into the final 16 of the competition.

Just two wins from eight games in Europe, including two draws and four losses gives a better perspective of how poor Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been in the continental competitions. Contrary to these displays, they have been performing very well in the Premier League, where they sit third in the table and look certain for another term in the Champions League next season.

Another interesting fact that sheds some light on Tottenham’s failings in Europe this season is that they have conceded 6 goals in four games at the Wembley, their home for European fixtures, compared to only 5 goals in 12 league matches at the White Hart Lane.

So, what exactly has gone wrong for Tottenham in Europe? What has brought their European dreams crashing down?

While the youthful exuberance of their squad has been one of their strongest qualities this term, it wouldn’t be completely wrong to say that it has been a prime reason for their downfall in Europe. Very few players in the Tottenham squad can claim to possess any sort of experience in European competitions and it was clearly visible on Thursday night, with Spurs lacking a real leader on the field as they chased the tie. Dele Alli’s horrendous challenge on Brecht Dejaegere was rightly chastised with a sending off, giving an insight into the player’s temperament on such a big night.

It could be argued that Tottenham showed great vigour in the early stages of the second half and managed to get back into the game through Wanyama’s goal and with the scoreline at 2-1, they were in with a great opportunity to go through. But as time went by, you could see the tension rising among the players and there was growing restlessness and desperation, which the visitors capitalized on, eventually with a counter-attack, with Jeremy Perbet’s goal acting as the final nail in the coffin for Pochettino and his team.

With the Lilywhites chasing the game for most of the night, they were always going to be exposed on the counter, but they weren’t helped by the fact that they were one member less and that too their most dynamic player in attack. Alli let his teammates down on one of the most important occasions for the club this season and this is where experience usually comes into play. If there was someone senior on the pitch, with experience in such situations, he would have been able to ease the nerves of the youngsters and the appalling tackle could have been avoided.

And another key reason for Tottenham coming up short on Thursday could be the absence of first-choice left-back Danny Rose. The Englishman has been absolutely magnificent this term for the North Londoners and his presence was certainly missed by them in the Europa League tie. His effectiveness going forward is one of the key aspects of the way Pochettino’s team plays. In his absence, the disappointing Ben Davies did not provide much while going forward.

Tottenham have disappointed in Europe and they need to assess themselves.
Tottenham have disappointed in Europe and they need to assess themselves.

It is no secret that Vincent Janssen has struggled big time to get going in England, following his summer move from AZ Alkmaar. The Dutch striker has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season for Spurs after arriving with much promise. And while Pochettino continues to back him to come good for the team publicly, the fact that he chose to bring on midfielder Harry Winks in the 75th minute ahead of Janssen, with Tottenham needing a goal to go through, shows that the manager doesn’t trust the Dutchman.

So, it will not be far off the mark in saying that Tottenham’s recruitment policy is partly to be blamed for their struggles in Europe. Wanyama may have been an instant hit, but Janssen has been a major let-down. Georges-Kevin N’Koudou is a promising player but he isn’t up to the quality to continuously feature in the first-team and the deadline day signing of Moussa Sissoko hasn’t been anything short of a blunder. In their bid to add youth and enterprise to the squad, Pochettino and Tottenham may have missed a beat by not going for an experienced head in the market.

There is no question over the abundance of talent that is in the ranks at the White Hart Lane. But a lack of experience in European competitions, combined with key players missing, and a flawed transfer policy last summer, has brought about Tottenham’s downfall on the continental stage.

While they may be left distraught over the exit, they can look at the positives and concentrate on chasing the Premier League leaders Chelsea over the coming months and seal their involvement in Champions League for the next season as well. The pain will be there, among the players and the fans, but the experience will only help them rectify their mistakes and will hold them in good stead for the upcoming seasons.

Comments are closed.