Pundit slates Tottenham stars as ‘worrying’ details emerge – ‘there’s a real problem’
Noel Whelan has claimed Tottenham Hotspur’s record of conceding first this season will be “worrying” for manager Antonio Conte.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, suggested Spurs have a “real problem” – with a lack of “concentration” likely causing the pattern.
Tottenham have now conceded the first goal in nine of their last 12 matches after Tuesday’s (1 November) last-gasp 2-1 win over Marseille in the Champions League.
Speaking in the build-up to the game (31 October) and quoted by football.london, Spurs assistant coach Cristian Stellini revealed the squad have been working on a “perfect solution” to the problem for the last two weeks.
Conte’s side fought back to win at the Stade Velodrome just days after overturning a 2-0 deficit away at Bournemouth (29 October).
Tottenham advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League as group winners, and sit third in the Premier League after 13 games.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Ewan Kingsbury: “That’s a stat that would worry any team.
“The first goal is pivotal in any game. You don’t want to be chasing a game, whether you’re at home or away.
“When you go a goal down the momentum shifts and you have to be concentrated and well-drilled just to try and get back into the game.
“They’re giving themselves an uphill climb in every game, and that will be worrying for Conte.
“I think it’s down to concentration, and they’ll be working on that – there’s no doubt about it.
“If it happens once, it’s bad luck. Nine times out of 12, there’s a real problem which needs addressing.”
In other news, Tottenham expert slams Lucas Moura as BBC images emerge – “I hate seeing this”.