da bwin： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da dobrowin： Charlie Eccleshare, of The Athletic, has suggested that things are stagnating at Tottenham Hotspur after their 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.
What did he say?
There was plenty of frustration among Spurs supporters following the draw against the Blades, a result that means they have still won just three Premier League games this season.
In a Q&A after the 90 minutes’ conclusion, one fan asked Eccleshare whether he felt this Spurs team has given up, to which he replied: “I don’t think they’ve consciously given up. I just think some of them are a bit tired of getting the same old instructions and doing the same old things. It’s been five years for most of them with very little change.”
A stagnating side
Spurs didn’t make a single signing last season, and while it didn’t impact the team immediately, as they reached the Champions League final, it could be making a difference now.
They have also not been helped by the fortunes of their latest recruits, with Tanguy Ndombele making 7 Premier League starts but being taken off in 6 of those, Giovani Lo Celso only making his full league debut against Sheffield United and Ryan Sessegnon getting just 16 minutes of football so far.
Eni Aluko has previously written for The Guardian that stagnation was inevitable with the club’s transfer policy: “They say the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing while expecting different results, and there is some truth in that, but in football it is also true that you cannot keep doing the same thing while expecting the same results.
“Every member of Tottenham’s starting XI for the Champions League final was in the squad who came so close to a league title two years earlier and although Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have arrived the team are largely unchanged.
“Going into this season the same people were expecting the same players under the same manager to reach the same levels or even improve on them. It was never likely to happen.”
While it can be said that Sheffield United were resolute, the statistics of Spurs’ draw against the Blades point towards a team that is running out of ideas: despite having 60.9% of possession, they only had 1 more shot on target, as well as the same number of dribbles and corners as their opponent.
The indication is that Spurs are in need of a series freshening of their playing squad if things are to improve.