Jose Mourinho is right about Tottenham’s attack
Tottenham didn’t manage a single shot on goal in their ugly draw at Bournemouth, but Jose Mourinho knows that wasn’t the fault of his attacking players.
Tottenham supporters are understandably dismayed at the club’s inability to score goals at the moment. That doesn’t mean the blame should fall at the feet of Spurs’ talented attacking players. Jose Mourinho correctly understands that summer reinforcements are not required to strengthen his team’s offensive options.
In a bit of surprise, the Portuguese manager plainly told the press that he doesn’t want to “replace” any of his attacking players this summer on Friday. Not many managers would have the nerve to make that sort of statement after witnessing their club fail to tally a single shot on goal against inferior opposition. That’s precisely what happened to Tottenham just says before Mourinho’s declaration.
It’s obvious that Harry Kane isn’t going anywhere this summer. The odds are also stacked against Son Heung-Min or Steven Bergwijn leaving Spurs anytime soon. Players like Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura may depart for the right price, but it’s clear that Mourinho isn’t determined to offload any of his attacking players anytime soon.
It’s important to note that Mourinho’s satisfaction does not extend to other areas of the pitch. In particular, he must rebuild the Spurs midfield this summer. That is the group that is primarily responsible for the club’s inept attack at the moment.
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Plenty of Spurs supporters would point at the sale of Christian Eriksen as the root of those issues. Admittedly, Tottenham lack a creative No. 10 to unlock defenses that sit deep at the moment. Keeping Eriksen would not have been the answer though. His despondent displays late in his tenure with Spurs made it clear he was not going to be happy staying in North London.
Instead, the proper criticism with the club’s transfer decisions in the midfield should go back a few months before Eriksen’s sale. Tottenham had a golden opportunity to purchase Bruno Fernandes in the summer but failed to agree to terms with Sporting before the summer window slammed shut. His play at Manchester United has made it crystal clear how influential he could have been for Tottenham.
Instead, Spurs chose to spend sizable sums of money on both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso. Each has endured his share of struggles since arriving in the Premier League. Lo Celso finally seems to have hit his stride playing deeper in Mourinho’s midfield when he’s fit enough to feature. The same cannot be said for Ndombele.
He arrived at Tottenham with the greater reputation but his performances have been an absolute enigma for Spurs. In theory, his ability and willingness to carry the ball forward from the midfield should be a huge asset for the club when they’re struggling. Unfortunately, Mourinho’s utter lack of trust in the Frenchman keeps him on the bench for long stretches of time. It’s easy to envision a scenario where Tottenham cut their losses on Ndombele this summer.
He isn’t the only player responsible for the club’s midfield malaise though. Moussa Sissoko plays big minutes under Mourinho but his lack of skill on the ball is astounding for a player with his amount of international experience. Age is also starting to become an issue for the powerful Frenchman. Quietly, Spurs would be happy to move him on this summer if a suitable bid comes in.
It’s more difficult to evaluate what Harry Winks might mean to Mourinho’s side in the near future. In theory, he helps keep the ball ticking in the midfield with his tempo and work rate. In reality, he struggles to pass the ball forward with any real effectiveness. It may be in the club’s interest to relegate Winks to a squad player next season.
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The ugly truth for Tottenham’s offensive ineptitude is that they cannot properly progress the ball through their midfield at the moment. That’s going to require an expensive overhaul over the next several transfer windows. The club don’t have a quality No. 10 or defensive midfielder at the moment. Mourinho must rebuild Spurs in the middle of the pitch if he’s ever going to bring trophies to a fan base that’s desperate for success.