With just two fixtures of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2014/15 Premier League campaign remaining, the Spurs players got accused of being on the beach already following a humiliating 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Stoke City at the weekend.
This has led our Lilywhites supporting regulars in the Football Transfer Tavern to assess just how many marks out of ten Mauricio Pochettino should be awarded for his debut season in charge of the North Londoners.
One thing is for sure; Pochettino likes to play an attractive expansive style and he deserves huge credit for the scintilating form in which Harry Kane has shown over the course of the campaign but that said, Tottenham are still displaying similar deficiencies as experienced under previous ill-fated reigns.
In the final standings last season, Tottenham accumulated 69 points in a sixth-placed finish under the stewardship of now Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood.
Fast forward 12 months and Spurs cannot better that tally, even with two wins from their final two fixtures against Hull City and Everton so there is plenty more room to improve for Pochettino next season.
With Spurs very much a work in progress and having to watch Arsenal yet again steam on ahead of them in the league standings, here are what we believe to be the worst five moments of Tottenham’s 2014/15 season.
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Click on Mauricio Pochettino to reveal what we think are the worst 5 moments of Tottenham’s season.
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01/03/2015 – No repeat of 2008 at Wembley
First things first; Tottenham have a colourful history in cup competitions and paid total respect to the Capital One Cup in 2014/15, so much so that they made the final against London rivals Chelsea on March 1st.
Ultimately ending up in disappointment for Spurs who had beaten Chelsea in the same game seven years earlier courtesy of a Jonathan Woodgate winner, there was a certain inevitability about the Blues’ triumph, such has been their professionalism in a remarkable campaign.
At the final whistle there could be no complaints about the result as Spurs fans had to watch their favourite rival John Terry register against them, in combination with a Kyle Walker own goal to seal a comfortable 2-0 victory that proved Mourinho’s first trophy triumph back in England.
More positively however, looking back on Spurs’ 2014/15 Capital One Cup campaign, the Nottingham Forest tie at home was the game in which Ryan Mason arrived as a Tottenham first team regular. It’s fair to say, he hasn’t looked back since.
24/01/2015 – Sent packing by a then struggling Leicester City
Given their current hot vein of form, it’s more difficult to remember Leicester City struggling as they did for a large part of the season following a bright start under Nigel Pearson.
The Foxes – now odds on to remain in the top flight – arrived at White Hart Lane back in January knowing that Premier League survival was their main aim with a cup run perhaps better saved for another season but on a dramatic day whereby both Manchester City and Chelsea exited at the fourth round stage, Tottenham joined them.
Going ahead on 19 minutes through an Andros Townsend penalty, Leicester lured their hosts into a full sense of security striking two late goals through Leonardo Ulloa (83rd minute) and Jeffrey Schlupp (92nd minute) to pile on the misery for Pochettino.
With Spurs fans knowing they can’t win the Premier League, they fully expect their side to make the most out of the cup competitions. This was a bitterly disappointing day for everyone connected with the club and who knows; with City and Chelsea dropping out, Tottenham could have advanced to the latter stages more easily.
15/03/2015 – The absolute no show at Old Trafford
For Spurs fans this was bad and for every other neutral in the country, it was appalling.
This Super Sunday showing was not super in any sense, unless you were a Manchester United fan of course but in a 3-0 drubbing, Tottenham simply didn’t show up in a game that was baffling for spectactors and pundits alike.
With Marouane Fellaini opening the scoring in the 9th minute, Spurs simply collapsed and had no answer at Old Trafford. To make matters worse, Tottenham fans had to watch a former hero in Michael Carrick plunder the second before Wayne Rooney made sure of the points before half-time with his 34th minute strike.
After the game, Mauricio Pochettino had no real explanation for a defeat at a venue that Spurs had actually won at a season earlier in 2013/14.
09/05/2015 – The absolute no show at the Britannia
What 3-0 drubbing was worse Spurs fans? The aforementioned defeat at Old Trafford or this one; your most recent loss at Stoke City last weekend?
Our resident Spurs fans in the tavern are saying the latter – just because it’s Stoke City of all teams!
In a game that had Sir Alan Sugar reaching for his iPad to tweet in disgust following the full-time whistle, this drubbing has led to many pundits claiming that Tottenham are already on the beach after witnessing their Champions League qualification hopes disappear a few weeks ago.
Some sceptics are even claiming that Tottenham are trying their utmost to avoid Europa League qualification courtesy of their last two defeats against Manchester City and Stoke.
In truth, it is widely acknowledged that Spurs would probably fair far better without having to travel long distances in midweek, playing on a Thursday-Sunday rotation in the earlier part of next season.
All of that said, in a forgettable day in the Potteries, Spurs fans’ public enemy number one Charlie Adam opened the scoring on 21 minutes before Steven N’Zonzi and Mame Biram Diouf made sure of the points.
Vlad Chiriches also got himself sent off to help matters and Tottenham fans know defensive reinforcements in this area are vital with Federico Fazio, Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen proving the other options. Oh and Younes Kaboul, remember him?
10/02/2015 – Last gasp defeat to Balotelli of all people
Here’s an unwanted stat for Tottenham fans; Spurs are the only team to have afforded Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli a goal in the Premier League this 2014/15 season.
On a midweek night in February in a game that really ebbed and flowed, Tottenham ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline with Balotelli enjoying his only true moment of glory all season courtesy of his 83rd minute winner at Anfield.
At this stage of the season, Spurs were showing some true fight having beaten North London foes Arsenal just a couple of days earlier and actually fought back in this game twice.
Lazar Markovic opened the scoring on 15 minutes only for Harry Kane (who else!) levelling up on 26 minutes. Steven Gerrard then put the Reds 2-1 up on 53 minutes before Moussa Dembele again pegged the Merseysiders back on 61 minutes.
Then it was enter stage right for Balotelli who emerged from the bench to register an unlikely winner with just seven minutes to play.
A tough one to take for Spurs supporters whose optimism following the Arsenal victory was so quickly severely punctured once again.
