Former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly has slammed the side for their lack of leadership shown in defending goals against Ipswich Town.
Spurs were poor in the first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they failed to open up the relegation-threatened side.
Instead, it was the visitors who took the lead as a cross was flicked on at the front post, finding Sammie Szmodics in space to bicycle kick it into the back of the net.
While Ange Postecoglou looked for a reaction, he got the total opposite as Tottenham looked calamitous at the back.
After a scramble in the box, Liam Delap managed to bundle the ball over the line to double the lead for the Tractor Boys.
It left the side with plenty of work to do as they looked to battle back yet again from conceding first.
Tottenham slammed for poor leadership against Ipswich Town
If there’s one thing Tottenham have lacked this season, it’s the ability to defend well at the back to keep their opposition out.
While Spurs are amongst the best scorers in the division, the tactics of Postecoglou puts them in a position where they are vulnerable at the back.
Set-pieces have been a particular issue, while former defender Stephen Kelly has questioned the leadership in the big moments.
After the Lilywhites conceded the opening goal, Kelly said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Tottenham have conceded a poor goal. Someone needs to have a chat and say step it up, there has to be accountability for a goal like that.
“When it goes up there is no reaction, someone has to take charge of that situation. There should be a leader in there.”
It leaves plenty left for the Tottenham manager to ponder, not just in the game itself but also during the international break over how he can improve the consistency in the side.
Do Tottenham have enough leaders in the team?
One thing that the head coach may ponder is whether he has enough leaders willing to step up in those big moments within the team.
There are occasional flashes of it, with Cristian Romero and Pedro Porro at the back doing so but perhaps not often enough.
In the midfield, there are questions over whether the players are willing to put themselves about to stop problems on the counter.
In reality, though, there are a lot of young players in the squad who need to become leaders in their own right.
They can only do so by going through those tough moments with their chest puffed out and head held high and that’s where Tottenham need to get to.
By being in those difficult times currently, Tottenham need those youngsters to show flashes of leadership to become the next leaders in the squad.
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