Scored one, missed four

SPURS 3 CSKA MOSCOW 1


A far better performance from Spurs against another poor side. Christian Eriksen was playing forward a lot more, he was playing the chips over the defence that I have previously written about. It is the one thing that is frustrating about him and we need to see him making those type of passes more often. he has to attempt to play these balls instead of taking the easy option and playing sideways. He should have scored in the first half but with just the goalkeeper to beat, he shot at the centre of the goal making it an easy save for their keeper.

Dele Alli scored one and missed four sitters quite frankly. We talk about the club needing to learn to be more clinical and Dele Alli in front of goal summed that up. We had to wait late for the third goal, but we should have scored three at least in the first half. That would have taken all the pressure off of us. If we want to win trophies then we have to learn to take these chances. Against better teams you don't get that many chances. Playing well and considering yourself unlucky wins nothing.

A bugbear of mine is the speed of passing and we put that right against Swansea and in this game. We played with a tempo and with a lot more one touch football. Our former midfielder Jermain Jenas felt we played with more tempo and with a sharpness of passing we have been missing. He also felt we were playing the ball forward a lot more, which we were and this all made a difference to our play. We looked a far better team doing it.

That all stems from a mental approach, gone was the slow lazy, there is plenty of time approach to one where we were looking to score goals. We need to play with the same mental approach at Manchester United on Sunday.

Trying to work out why Tottenham are playing a stronger team now they're out of the Champions League than when they were in it.