Tottenham an 'absolute joke' after 'comical' performance at Hotspur Way | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur’s first half performances in their recent games at Newcastle United and Liverpool have been an “absolute joke”, journalist Dean Jones has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.

Spurs are under the interim management of Ryan Mason until the end of the season following the dismissals of Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini this term.

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Having pulled themselves back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in last Thursday’s home clash with Manchester United, Tottenham were looking to back that second half showing up with a positive performance at Liverpool on Sunday.

However, the Lilywhites found themselves trailing by three goals in the opening 15 minutes, in a near replication of their start at Newcastle the previous weekend.

Goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min before a stoppage time Richarlison equaliser looked to have earned Spurs a stunning point at Anfield, which had seemed unlikely given their first-half showing.

But Diogo Jota’s immediate response to the Brazilian’s header secured a 4-3 victory for the Reds, with Tottenham left licking their wounds, having earned just one point and conceded 12 goals in their last three fixtures.

Journalist Paul Brown has recently suggested to GIVEMESPORT that the Spurs squad could be “incredibly disillusioned,” having been criticised from all angles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And Jones believes that Tottenham started their game at Anfield with “a certain sense of fear.”

What has Jones said about Tottenham?

Speaking about Tottenham’s dreadful start to their meeting with Liverpool, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s almost comical, but it is self-doubt and a lack of confidence. It’s like anything in life. If you think something bad is going to happen, then it probably will.

“It felt like that Tottenham team started that game with a certain sense of fear of what might happen. If a team like Liverpool gets the chance to prey on such a weakness, then they will.

“To be fair to them, they did well not to completely crumble and to get back into the game. But this can't happen again. It’s an absolute joke.”

What next for Tottenham?

Results elsewhere mean that Tottenham ended the weekend in sixth place in the Premier League.

However, a challenge for Champions League football looks unlikely, with Manchester United and Newcastle United sitting nine and 11 points above the Lilywhites, respectively.

Mason is looking to get the north London outfit back to winning ways when they welcome Crystal Palace to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, before the following weekend’s trip to Aston Villa, which will have a significant say in which club secures a spot in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, chairman Daniel Levy will focus on appointing Tottenham’s next permanent manager, having been unable to lure any of his first-choice candidates to the club at the time of writing.