Tottenham Hotspur suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
Spurs were definitely the underdogs going into the game, but PSG not having a full pre-season gave the Europa League winners some hope.
Thomas Frank got his tactics spot on against the French champions, and Tottenham were completely the better team for the first 70 minutes of the game.
However, two late goals from PSG took the game to a penalty shootout, and Luis Enrique’s side emerged victorious.
One Spurs player has come under a lot of criticism now.
Jamie O’Hara says Tottenham have made a ‘terrible’ signing in Mathys Tel
Mathys Tel joined Tottenham on loan in the winter transfer window this year.
The Frenchman was viewed by many as a big talent, and his time at Bayern Munich convinced those at Spurs that he would be a great signing.
Tel’s loan spell wasn’t as successful as everybody hoped, but Tottenham still signed him on a permanent deal for £30 million (BBC).
The 20-year-old came on as a substitute for the final 11 minutes of the game, and he was nowhere near his best. Unfortunately for him, he missed his penalty in the shootout too.
Jamie O’Hara was frustrated to see Spurs lose the game after being 2-0 up, and he had a go at Tel for his performance on Wednesday night.
He said on talkSPORT: “The penalty was a ridiculous penalty. He sat the keeper down, he saw him go down and still put it wide.
“Listen, I’m not going to sit here and really hammer Tel because he’s missed a penalty. We’ve all missed a penalty. I’ve missed a penalty. But, I agree, it’s a terrible signing. I don’t think he’s good enough. But, we’ve signed him, so we’ve got to deal with him.”
O’Hara repeated himself later in the show by saying: “Mathys Tel isn’t good enough. Sorry, he isn’t good enough!”
Tottenham need to sign another attacker
Tel is still just 20 years old, so the criticism is a bit harsh.
The Frenchman is a very talented player, and he has the potential to become a big star for Tottenham in the coming years.
However, with Son Heung-min gone, Tottenham need another attacker this summer – someone who is more experienced and can hit the ground running.
That will not just help Spurs, but it will also take some pressure off Tel’s shoulders too. He will then have the time to develop and fulfil his potential.