Charlie Nicholas blasted the defence of Tottenham when delivering his verdict on the race to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season.
The Sky Sports pundit claimed that Spurs looked average and weak defensively so they had work to do if they didn’t want to end up being dragged further into race for the top-four.
Nicholas also critiqued Spurs’ attack which he believes looks vulnerable before pointing out that Mauricio Pochettino snubs the options of using Vincent Janssen as he doesn’t want him in the team.
“On the Spurs front, Kane is out till mid-march, but he is a quick healer. Dele Alli is a three-four week minimum potentially with his hamstring. Llorente is struggling and Pochettino doesn’t want Vincent Janssen in the team,” wrote Nicholas for Sky Sports.
“There is a limit to what Spurs have got. They look average and weak defensively. Whatever cushion they think they need may not be enough. The gap between them is not big enough and like I said they are vulnerable in attack and defence so they have got some work to do to escape getting dragged into that top-four race.”
OPINION
It’s hard to see what Nicholas is on about when it comes to him blasting Spurs, particularly when his criticism is focused on their defence. Spurs current defence is rock-solid as it stands and shown by their record in the league this season. The London club have conceded 23 goals in 23 matches which doesn’t put them among the most leakiest of defences in the division by some distances. While Manchester City and Liverpool, who both sit ahead of Spurs, have notably better records defensively, it’s still hard to believe that someone would label Spurs as average and weak. While some may fret about Spurs losing momentum this season when it comes to their bid for a top-four finish as they have been dealt an unfortunate hand with injuries, worth noting no one expected them to be sitting comfortably third at this stage. Several pundits questioned whether Spurs could cut it this season after signing no one in the summer, and they’ve already proved them wrong so Nicholas could be left with egg on his face for these remarks.