Tottenham Hotspur’s search for a major trophy continues, as they were eliminated from the Champions League due to a tame 1-0 aggregate defeat to AC Milan.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Poor Performance in the Champions League
Despite winning the League Cup in 2008, Tottenham have failed to add another trophy to their collection. Moreover, they exited the FA Cup at the fifth-round stage to Championship side Sheffield United earlier in the month. They are currently 18 points behind their north London rivals, Arsenal, who sit at the top of the Premier League table. With only 12 top-flight matches remaining, another trophy-less season seems to be on the horizon for the north London side.
Manager Antonio Conte’s Comments
After the home draw against Milan in which Spurs managed just two shots on target, Antonio Conte admitted his side had to improve in attack. The north Londoners have failed to score in three successive games in all competitions, and the manager said: “The game was in the balance but if you ask me if we were really dangerous… no. We can do much better offensively – I speak about the whole team.” Conte also highlighted Spurs’ injury list – they are without Hugo Lloris, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Ryan Sessegnon – as well as the fact that his side are no longer competing in the third tier of European competition as mitigating factors for their disappointing exit. Conte has 12 games left before his contract expires and while Spurs will not win a trophy this season, they are firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Tottenham’s Poor Performance against AC Milan
In their game against AC Milan, Tottenham needed to win by two or more goals to progress to the quarter-finals, but ended the game with zero big chances created and an expected goals total of just 0.46. That final comment may raise eyebrows with Spurs supporters given how little fight their side displayed against Milan. Spurs are now facing the decision of whether to stick or twist with Antonio Conte.
Conte’s Possible Departure
Conte’s recent absence from the touchline as he recovered from surgery wouldn’t have helped, although Tottenham were still delivering inconsistent performances during that time before it all unravelled against AC Milan. If Spurs swing the axe now, their new head coach will have time to assess the squad ahead of the summer and a full pre-season. But there is a top-four place up for grabs, and a Conte departure could cause more harm than good. The question arises as to who could Spurs get in at such short notice to lead their push for Champions League qualification. Mauricio Pochettino is available, but Spurs are yet to make any decisions.
Romero’s Red Card
Tottenham’s Cristian Romero’s bad habit for making tackles he doesn’t need to commit to cost them dearly in their match against Milan. Romero was never going to win the bouncing ball in front of the quicker Hernandez, who touched it beyond Romero before going down under the weight of his full-blooded challenge. Romero’s aggressiveness is one of his key strengths – he is capable of bullying attackers out of a game – but in allowing that aggression to spill over to unacceptable levels, he let his side down in their biggest game of the season.
Harry Kane’s Future
Former Spurs defender Danny Rose admitted Harry Kane, the club’s record goalscorer, “deserves so much more” than he has achieved during his time in north London. For all his individual honours, Kane has never won a team trophy, and his former team-mate Rose told: “I haven’t spoken to him for a while, so I am only speculating, but for me, it’s obvious where his mindset would be right now and for the remaining