Tottenham's siege mentality and reluctance to free Harry Kane and Son Heung-min is costing them points
![It was a familiar story at Wolves for Tottenham It was a familiar story at Wolves for Tottenham](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/Wolverhampton-Wanderers-v-Tottenham-Hotspur---Prem-e268ddbc4b407c3c4ab4170a14a177a0.jpg)
Perhaps we shouldn't be too harsh.
Perhaps it makes sense to acknowledge how Wolves was the last game in a particularly gruelling fixture list for Tottenham which has included league matches against Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester.
Perhaps we should mention that League Cup and Europa League commitments were also thrown in there, creating a ridiculously busy schedule which has seen Spurs play 26 matches already this season.
But for all the congestion and fixture pile-up, Sunday night was grim. In movie terms, it was a tough watch. And not in a gritty, Oscar-nominated sense. It was Prometheus bad.
If you've seen that weird Alien prequel, you'll know it actually has a pretty solid first act. There are a bunch of roided up and hairless bald men, which naturally piques your interest.
In the same fashion, Tottenham got off to the perfect start at Wolves, Tanguy Ndombele catching Rui Patricio off guard with a long range strike straight down the middle to give the visitors the lead.
But then, just like Prometheus, everything went down hill. There might not have been any alien babies being extracted from a human abdomen, but the 1-1 draw was still a similarly garish watch. Garish and frustrating.
It's an odd one. The partnership between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min has been one of the stories of the season, especially at the start of the campaign when the pair combined frequently as Spurs racked up 15 Premier League goals in their first five games.
Spurs scored 15 PL goals in their first five games this season. They've since scored 11 in ten.
— Jude Summerfield (@judesummerfield) December 27, 2020
Mourinho's still rattled by that West Ham game but he shouldn't be, look at Son+Kane, Ndombele today, they've got the players to play fast football and outscore opponents regularly
But following the 3-3 West Ham draw, there has been a clear emphasis on defensive stability ahead of attacking flair, which is now starting to cost Jose Mourinho points.
They've scored 11 goals in ten league games since, never netting more than twice in a match during that spell. The shackles are well and truly locked to Kane and Son's ankles, and with neither in particularly show-stopping form right now, Tottenham's overly defensive approach means they're spurning any opportunity for the pair to play themselves back into form.
While they possessed threat during the first half, Spurs retreated further and further into their shell in the second period, inviting wave after wave of Wolves attacks. It was blindingly obvious what would eventually happen, and the resistance was finally and unsurprisingly broken when Romain Saiss got across the sluggish Ben Davies to nod in the equaliser from a corner.
Of course, another goal conceded from a set piece.
It was a chance to cut the gap on leaders Liverpool to four points, but the overly negative outlook saw them spurn that opportunity presently so neatly by Sam Allardyce and West Brom.
Son and Kane are clearly Tottenham's two best players, and Ndombele also gave another timely reminder after a few lukewarm showings of how he can quicken attacks and get his side on the front foot.
Tottenham have the players for quick, expansive football. We've already seen it in the big wins over Southampton and Manchester United this season. But instead of playing to their strengths, Spurs are instead challenging opposition attacks to come and break them down.
Second half shots on target, last six PL matches (Villa and Newcastle, 5). https://t.co/Vk2ULQj1o0 pic.twitter.com/xcqNnVeVqR
— Jonny Blain (@jonoblain) December 27, 2020
That would be fine if the centre backs were John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, or Sergio Ramos and Pepe. But they aren't. On Sunday, it was Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Ben Davies. All fine players, but hardly the clean sheet enthusiasts Mourinho has coached before.
That overly scary run of fixtures is over for Spurs now. From those seven games, they picked up nine points. It could have been worse, but it also could have been a lot better.
Now, Tottenham have a run of fixtures that will see them have large amounts of possession each game. The onus will be on Mourinho's side to break teams down, rather than the shoe being on the other foot.
If Kane and Son continue to be ignored, Spurs will lose ground on those around them. Somewhat luckily, West Brom's draw at Anfield means the gap to Liverpool remains only six points, but chances to gain on the current champions will not come all too frequently.
For a team boasting two of the best forwards in the league, 11 goals in ten league games isn't enough. Spurs can outscore most opponents, but their best players need to be catered to for that to happen.
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