“We did not have that ambition,” said Jose Mourinho. And by “we” he meant his players, not him.
The Portuguese was speaking after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wolves extended Tottenham's winless run to four games, a period that has taken them from top towards mid-table.
Mourinho may see himself as a byword for ambition, a serial trophy winner who drew predictions Spurs could become champions for the first time in 60 years. Others detect a crippling lack of ambition in Tottenham’s tactics which, even as Mourinho implies his charges were to blame, reflects on him.
Spurs’ last shot on target at Molineux came in the 21st minute. They have only mustered 22 second-half efforts in their last seven matches. They have conceded late goals in three of the last four, adding to the case that their negativity is self-defeating as it invites pressure that eventually tells.
It prompts the question if pragmatism becomes unpragmatic, if a team with Tottenham’s firepower would be better let off their leash or, at least, showing the extra intent Mourinho suggested he wanted to see at Molineux.
Spurs face Fulham on Wednesday even as a sharp rise in Covid cases overnight further threatened to disrupt the fixtures. Rewind to September and this fixture would have seemed a candidate for a 5-2 scoreline. Now, with Scott Parker’s side only breached twice in four games, it looks a potential 1-1 or 0-0.
All of which feels remarkable, given the potent alliance Harry Kane and Son Heung-min formed. The England captain has still been involved in more goals than anyone else this season. Yet he and Son have had arguably their two quietest games of the campaign in the last two, against Leicester and Wolves, and Spurs have been muted.
They seem guilty of assuming their deadly double act would deliver and delegating too much responsibility for scoring and creating to them.
They have been the only two out-and-out attackers named in the last two matches; while Giovani Lo Celso started on the right against Leicester, he was injured four minutes after Mourinho substituted Tanguy Ndombele, the most progressive of his midfielders. There was no third forward against Wolves, so Mourinho could accommodate two left-backs, with Ben Davies in a back three and Sergio Reguilon as a wing-back, in a ploy to nullify a past tormentor, Adama Traore.
Yet even when there has been a trio up front, it has been imbalanced. Mourinho’s favoured third man has been Steven Bergwijn, whom he has turned into an industrious auxiliary full-back, but who has neither a Premier League goal nor an assist this season.
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Wolves v Spurs player ratings
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WOLVES RATINGS: Rui Patricio - 4, Should have done better for the opener and wasn’t tested too many times after that. EPA -
Nelson Semedo - 6, Got forward well at times and threatened to create something. Booked for a foul on Tanguy Ndombele. AFP -
Conor Coady - 7, Picked up an injury after 20 minutes but didn’t allow it to impact what was a pretty solid performance. Booked when he fouled Ndombele after making a mistake. EPA -
Romain Saiss - 8, Looked confident in his defensive play and popped up to score the equaliser. EPA -
Fernando Marcal - 5, Had a mixture of impressive moments and others that were very sloppy. Booked for a foul on Ndombele. Getty -
Joao Moutinho - 5, Had a fair amount of the ball but didn’t manage to do too much with it. His passing in the early stages seemed a bit off. EPA -
Ruben Neves - 6, Was neat on the ball throughout and kept things ticking along nicely. Tested Hugo Lloris from range. Getty -
Adama Traore - 6, Threatened with his dribbling but often lacked the required end product. EPA -
Daniel Podence - 6, Was busy and had some decent chances but couldn’t truly test Lloris. Booked for dissent. PA -
Pedro Neto - 8, Looked very bright and deserved the assist he got for the equaliser with a good corner delivery. AFP -
Fabio Silva - 5, Had a tough task against the Tottenham Hotspur backline but had some promising moments. Tried to get a penalty a fair few times but the referee was having none of it. Lacked conviction in his finishing. EPA -
SUBS: Rayan Ait Nouri (Marcal 75’) – N/R, Did well against Matt Doherty after coming on. Reuters -
Owen Otasowie (Moutinho 84’) – N/R, Looked very composed in the middle of the pitch and defended well. EPA -
Vitinha (Podence 91’) – N/R, Got his appearance fee and a point. Happy days. Getty -
TOTTENHAM RATINGS: Hugo Lloris - 6, Was brave to deny Silva. Didn’t really have a chance of preventing Saiss’ goal. AFP -
Davinson Sanchez – 6, Put in a fairly solid performance in his first Premier League game since the 3-3 draw against West Ham. EPA -
Eric Dier - 7, Looks so comfortable in the centre of Jose Mourinho’s back three and dealt with Silva well. Reuters -
Ben Davies - 7, Assisted the opener and was convincing in most of his defensive work but allowed Saiss to get in front of him for the equaliser. PA -
Matt Doherty - 5, Was easy to forget that Doherty was on the pitch until the latter stages as he returned to his old stomping ground. EPA -
Harry Winks - 6, Did the basics well in his first league start since September but didn’t do anything to really catch the eye. Booked for a cynical foul on Traore. AP -
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 7, Held his midfield position well and helped to protect Spurs’ defence. Reuters -
Sergio Reguilon - 6, Got forward very well but often lacked the required end product whenever chances arose for him. Getty -
Tanguy Ndombele - 8, Scored after 57 seconds and continued to threaten the Wolves defence throughout his time on the pitch. EPA -
Heung-min Son - 6, Was marshalled by the Wolves defence well and looked very quiet by his standards. AP -
Harry Kane - 6, Was far from his best and didn’t really create that much for himself or his teammates. EPA -
SUBS: Steven Bergwijn (Reguilon 63’) - 6, Showed plenty of energy and willingness after coming off the bench. Getty -
Moussa Sissoko (Ndombele 70’) – N/R, Was a more defensive option than his compatriot and the move didn’t work. Reuters -
Erik Lamela (Son 83’) – N/R, Tried to make something happen but didn’t manage it. Reuters
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But Lucas Moura, with one goal and no assists, is little more productive. If the role on the right seemed reserved for Gareth Bale, injuries and Mourinho’s reluctance to start him have ensured otherwise.
Mourinho’s fondness for the most risk-averse option is apparent in midfield. Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have formed a defensively excellent axis; their deficiency lies in offering anything more creative. Kane had compensated, dropping deeper to act as the playmaker and forever releasing the surging Son.
Yet that plan is feeling one-dimensional when only Kane, Son and Ndombele, with two, have more than one goal and only Kane, Son and Reguilon, with two, have more than one assist.
The exiled Dele Alli used to contribute in both departments; when fit, the gifted Lo Celso should. Ndombele has brought excitement and improvement but Mourinho’s safety-first substitution of the Frenchman handed Wolves the initiative at Molineux.
Spurs’ season has had a soundtrack of comments that negative football will only be tolerated by supporters with grander expectations as long as they were winning. And until the last four games, they were winning. Recently, they have not been.
More ambition is required, but principally from Mourinho.
