Newport County compiled a dossier assessing Tottenham ahead of their FA Cup clash on Saturday and it has now been revealed by The Sun.
The newspaper shared that the document highlighted what the League Two side believed to be Spurs’ weaknesses in order for Newport County to have the best chance of causing an upset.
The League Two side were nearly successful in their aim as they led 1-0 for much of the game, but a late goal by Harry Kane ensured the two sides would meet again in a FA Cup fourth round replay.
The dossier shared criticism of several players such as; stating that Michel Vorm did not come for crosses, Eric Dier was one-paced, Mousa Dembele committed needless fouls and that Dele Alli had a tendency to be selfish.
The report also labelled Erik Lamela as ineffective but it was Serge Aurier who was highlighted as Spurs’ potential weak lonk several times.
In the dossier, it suggested that the defender committed himself to challenges too early allowing attackers to have the beating of him, as well as being guilty of getting too tight to his opponent leading to him committing a foul.
The 25-year-old’s crosses were described as lacking quality and his partnership with Davinson Sanchez was called into question.
The report believed that Aurier and Sanchez struggled to communicate with each other, which led to space being left behind the pair for their opponents to exploit.
The right-back joined Spurs in the summer from Paris St Germain and has played 17 games across all competitions this season.
Newport County’s dossier was based on Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Southampton earlier in the month.
OPINION
The existence of this dossier makes for fascinating reading. It proves that Newport County deserved a result on Saturday, but it makes worrying reading for Spurs’ fans. This is because when reading the report it’s reveals the same issues that have been mentioned by many before. In fact, the report even considered Tottenham to be too reliant on Kane to score their goals, which seems to be suggested quite often. It’s also a concerning read because Newport County highlighted Vorm’s tendency not to come for crosses, which is exactly what they took advantage of to score their goal. If Spurs are so predictable and even League Two opposition can work out how to exploit their weaknesses, you dread to think how they will cope in the later stages of the Champions League this season.