Tottenham shot themselves in the foot again as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United on Sunday at St James’ Park.
Ange Postecoglou has been here many times before, his team created enough chances to win three or four games, yet they come out of it with zero points.
Frank Lampard was critical of Tottenham‘s finishing and how it was their issue that they didn’t score rather than very good Newcastle defending.
One man he singled out was captain Son Heung-min and his performance as that number nine for Spurs, with Dominic Solanke injured.
Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for Newcastle, but for the rest of the game, the home team were under severe pressure, especially in the second half.
It eventually resulted in Dan Burn firing the ball into his own net and it felt like there was only going to be one winner after that.
But Alexander Isak scored again against Spurs following a devastating counter-attack, with Spurs fans understandably frustrated with their team.
Lampard pin-pointed the type of finishes the Spurs players were attempting and also the movement of their players which was proving to be an issue.
The former Chelsea midfielder highlighted Son’s ‘strange’ movement during the game and how he should have been in the six-yard box to tap home a Brennan Johnson cross.
But instead, he was just inside the opposition area waiting for a cut-back, with Tottenham’s new boy Wilson Odobert also missing a big chance at the far post, as he told Match of the Day 2.
Tottenham’s lack of finishing
“They could definitely say that,” said Lampard about the defenders saying to the attackers ‘you lot could have scored more’.
“If you are talking about risk and reward. And style of play, then Tottenham do stay true to themselves. We know how they want to play. One of the effective things they do is get lots of players forward in and around the box, with their fullbacks and Porro joining in all the time. We saw it was an afternoon of a lot of opportunities and they spurned, for whatever reason. Whether it be the execution, the finish or the decision-making.
“This one here (Odobert chance at the far post after Brennan Johnson cross). I think it’s decision-making, in terms of, you have to head that. When that ball drops down there, it’s really hard to stay on top of the ball with your knee, which he ends up doing. You have to head that. It’s a big, big massive chance.
“After that, it was a moment of getting a lot of numbers forward. For whatever reason, not getting the right finish. Newcastle, yes, a lot of bodies behind the ball, but this wasn’t so much good Newcastle defending. I think it was Tottenham not making most of the chances. This is a strange movement from Son (as Johnson is going to cross the ball from the right flank). When he is the one striker and number nine in the box. It might be because he’s not an out-an-out striker. He goes for the cut-back when he should be getting into the six-yard box, so it’s an afternoon of those things and it not going right for them.”
Dominic Solanke return
Solanke showed positive signs on his Tottenham debut, but he has been sidelined since and he needs to return as soon as possible.
Spurs just need that focal figure up front, which would then allow Son to operate on the left flank, in a position where he can get the best out of himself.
READ MORE: Sebastien Bassong says Ange Postecoglou has the ‘perfect’ player at Tottenham
It’s the small matter of the north London derby after the international break and if Solanke is fit, then there is no better game to score your first goal.
Raheem Sterling could also make his Arsenal debut, so there are a lot of potential stories to be written here and headlines to be made.
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