Tottenham Hotspur were guilty of another woeful display at home which virtually ended any hopes of Champions League football next season.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was left to rue another poor performance after the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend, stating it was “not realistic” to think his side could now qualify for the Champions League this season.
Villa displayed all the energy Tottenham should have, many of the current Spurs squad are passengers, serving out their time until they leave at the end of the season. Emmanuel Adebayor, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Paulinho and Roberto Soldado will all be shown the door, while Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen may be considering showing themselves the door. That's too many players with no vested interest in the club's long-term survival.
The White Hart Lane crowd were also guilty of being very subdued. One dejected Spurs supporter Michelle Maidment told me, “The fans, no support! I'm thinking about never going again. And I love going. Very disappointed with the atmosphere!”
Not for the first time, Spurs find themselves in a peculiar predicament of their own making as their season once again fades into obscurity. There is now the threat of the Europa League, the tournament no team wants to play in but in which Spurs almost always do. The excitement of playing Thursday night fixtures in half-full stadium's against mediocre opposition only to get knocked out in the first or second knockout round. No one wants to go on a run of poor form for their remaining games of the season, but the reward for playing well is odds-on to be a punishment that no one wants.
Source: DSG
