Tottenham Hotspur failed to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League after they fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
Let’s take a look at the three things we learned from the game:
Guglielmo Vicario must be replaced
It is absolutely devastating when a team loses games, but losing a football match because of individual error stings a lot more.
That was the story for Tottenham Hotspur today, as errors were ultimately Spurs’ downfall and, as has been the case for most of his Tottenham career, Guglielmo Vicario was at the crime scene.
In this league fixture, he was responsible for two of Nottingham Forest’s goals, with the Italian goalkeeper having a clear picture of his surroundings yet still opting to play a dangerous pass into Archie Gray, who was quickly pressed and dispossessed, leading directly to Forest’s opener.
The second goal was another costly moment, as Vicario completely lost his bearings when dealing with a cross from Callum Hudson-Odoi, allowing the ball to find its way into the Spurs’ net far too easily.
It is the basics he seems to get wrong at different moments throughout the course of a season. There has been talk of interest from Inter Milan in Vicario, alongside rumours that Spurs are considering a new goalkeeper.
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The 29-year-old simply is not good enough for this level, given the amateurish mistakes he makes. Perhaps it is time to move him on or, at the very least, give Kinsky a proper run.
Thomas Frank gets Tottenham midfield balance wrong
Tottenham were outplayed, and if you were a stranger watching this game, you would think it was Spurs who were fighting to stay up in the division.
At this rate, if things do not change quickly, they could find themselves dragged into exactly that sort of conversation, with Nottingham Forest outplaying and outclassing Tottenham in every department, especially in midfield, where the game was effectively decided.
Thomas Frank definitely got his selection wrong in that area, as neither Simons, Archie Gray, nor Rodrigo Bentancur could cope with the physicality, aggression and intensity of the Forest midfielders, who dominated the central zones from start to finish.
If you cannot control the midfield, you struggle to win football matches, and that was the story for Tottenham this afternoon, plain and simple.
Mohammed Kudus had his worst game yet in a Tottenham shirt
Spurs’ attack was absolutely blunt and toothless, and perhaps that was because one of the main creative outlets on the pitch endured a miserable afternoon.
Mohammed Kudus was poor and struggled to have any real impact on the game, with his decision-making shambolic, his dribbling lacking sharpness and his delivery from corners well below the required standard, making it a genuinely tough watch.
The winger needs to learn when to release the ball, as he has a habit of holding onto it for too long, which only makes life easier for opposition defenders who are more than happy to crowd him out.
Pressure mounts on Thomas Frank with Liverpool next for Spurs
Tottenham’s form this season is not too dissimilar from last term, where a handful of good performances raised hopes before a damaging run quickly followed.
That pattern is already playing out again, as Frank’s side looked to have turned a corner with back-to-back wins, only for inconsistency and glaring structural problems to resurface almost immediately.
The pressure is now firmly on the Dane, and with Liverpool up next, the task could hardly be tougher, as Arne Slot’s side have had their hiccups this season but appear to have found their rhythm, which is worrying news for Tottenham, given that another defeat next weekend will only intensify the scrutiny.
Lack of creativity is a huge concern
The forwards were poor, with Muani looking like he was up against men and Richarlison struggling similarly, and when attackers barely get a sniff, it becomes clear that enough chances simply are not being created.
It would be easy to point the finger solely at the players on the pitch, but Spurs’ problems go beyond personnel, with the manager not getting it right in terms of formations and combinations.
Today, there was no space for Tottenham to operate between the lines, yet Sean Dyche’s men were able to carve out chances from a variety of situations, highlighting the contrast in organisation and clarity.
Frank needs to solve this creativity issue quickly because Spurs cannot rely on set pieces, and with just one shot on target across the entire game, the substitutions only deepened the frustration, as Palhinha and Ben Davies were introduced when the side was already two goals down.
How are you meant to create chances with Palhinha and Davies?