Jermaine Jenas has criticised out-of-form Tottenham for having “no identity” but says he hopes Jose Mourinho “gets what he wants” in the summer.
At the weekend, Spurs fell to a third consecutive loss against Wolves following defeats to RB Leipzig and Chelsea. Mourinho’s men have lost every game since losing Son Heung-min to injury and must now bounce back against Norwich City in the FA Cup on Wednesday.
The Londoners looked particularly disjointed on Sunday, scoring twice through Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier but conceding poor goals as a result of some calamitous defending.
And Jenas, who made over 200 appearances for Tottenham, has given a damning assessment of his former club’s current on-pitch situation.
“Tottenham are continuously playing in systems it looks like they don’t understand,” Jenas wrote in his column for BBC Sport. “There is no identity as to what they are as a football club right now or what they want to be.
“I cannot remember the last time Tottenham played well. They have been getting results but I cannot see a system being put in place. Are they a team that is going to go long? Are they a team that will pass between the lines? Are they a team that plays out from the back? Are they a team that bases their game on possession? Are they a team that bases their game on playing out wide? I just don’t know what they are.
“It is a big worry. Tottenham are the worst team of those chasing that top-four position – I don’t see how they make the Champions League at this rate.
“There is no doubt that not having Harry Kane and Son Heung-min will have an impact on your team. I am probably being very critical when you have lost your two best players but I am critical because it has been going on a long time now.”
Mourinho managed to bring in Bergwijn and Gedson Fernandes in the January transfer window, but it’s clear the Spurs squad needs plenty more surgery in the summer.
That’s also the view of Jenas, who hopes Mourinho is given funds ahead of next season so that he can turn Tottenham into a team competing at the top level.
Jenas added: “In my eyes, Jose is not a manager who challenges for the top four. You get him in to win a title or the league. The club have to look at themselves and ask what is the point of bringing Jose in if they are not going to give him the artillery he needs to go and get the job done.
“I would hope come the summer he is given everything that he needs. He obviously cannot go and buy everybody but the club needs to bend far more than it did for Pochettino – they should have given him what he deserved.
“If that conversation happened and Jose doesn’t get what he wants, I only see this ending in tears.”
Spurs are just two points off fifth-placed Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification, but defeat against Burnley on Saturday could have a big impact on whether Mourinho’s side are playing in Europe’s elite competition next term.
I must admit to liking JJ’s general football assessments and his one on Spurs is bang on.
I was not over the moon with the choice of Jose as coach but was prepared to give him a fair crack of the whip.
3 months into his tenure it is blatantly obvious that the man is clueless and will take us down.His treatment of Parrott is a disgrace(not playing him is one thing but putting him on in 91st min can only destroy the lads confidence and humiliate him).
Lose to Norwich on Wednesday which is very much on the cards and our season is over.
Over to you Mr Levy to sort it all out.