Brighton 3–2 Tottenham Hotspurs: The Afterthought
“This is the worst defeat of my tenure.” These were the words from Ange Postecoglou after last night’s defeat against Brighton. Who can blame him? Spurs capitulated in the second half of the game. They looked so comfortable going into the break 2-0 up, and then they imploded in the second half. So, what went wrong for Spurs?
The Gung-ho Approach
Spurs came into the game against Brighton on the back of a five-game winning streak. While it would be unfair to pin the defeat on an all-out-attack strategy that has worked in the last five matches, it is what it is.
When Spurs needed to be a bit more reserved to protect the lead and all they needed was good game management, they did the exact opposite and let Brighton open them up like a hit knife through the butter.
Even after conceding a goal early in the second half, Spurs didn’t learn and ended up conceding their lead and then went behind in quick succession. Spurs were on the rope by then. The players had given up after falling behind, and their heads dropped because they did not expect Brighton to return from the dead.
The Midfield Conundrum
The Kulusevski, Maddison, and Bentacur combination looks really good when Spurs are attacking the opposition, but when it comes to holding the defensive shape, the trio are not holding up their end of the bargain, which was evident even against Arsenal.
This midfield will cause Spurs to crumble against quality teams. They will create chances, but they will also concede many chances with this trio. Spurs need balance in the midfield, but currently, they are offensively lopsided, and as said before, against quality teams, they will keep suffering.
Ange Postecoglou was Reactive AGAIN
This point has been brought up many times recently. Ange has been very slow to react to dire situations. He brought on Pape Sarr and Bissouma AFTER Spurs were already behind. What was the point in bringing them on after they had gone behind?
After conceding the first goal, Spurs needed Bissouma or Sarr to bring balance to the midfield and plug the gap. Playing two no.10s with a single-holding player is suicide against top sides. The game management is one of the key reasons Spurs lost the game.
Also, why give Mikey Moore just 5 minutes? What impact is he going to make in 5 minutes? He is a dynamic prospect, and if you want to give them a chance, then at least give them a fair crack. The Europa League is one thing. You can’t expect a 17-year-old to make an impact in just 5 minutes.
As much as the players gave up in the second half, Ange has to take a huge chunk of responsibility for the defeat against Brighton as well. His game management was dire, and his body language matched that of his players on the sidelines. If Spurs are to compete for the top four, Spurs and Ange will need to have a stronger belly than this.