Tottenham’s disastrous campaign took another turn for the worse on Monday as they were thrashed 6-1 by Newcastle. The capitulation was complete and Spurs fans were left feeling embarrassed and angry. With the team still fifth in the table, it is hard to believe they are still in the running for Champions League places. To arrest their freefall, Tottenham have appointed Ryan Mason as caretaker-manager for four games, in the hope of freshening things up. The other option would have been to appoint a permanent manager, with Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique being considered, but Mauricio Pochettino looks set to join Chelsea.
The players must also take responsibility for their poor performances. They have enough experience to take games by the scruff of the neck, yet they seem lost. Captain Hugo Lloris was baffled by the lack of fight against Newcastle and the attacking talent is strangely flat. Harry Kane is scoring regularly, but nobody else is. Heung-min Son has been below his best and Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski have not had much of a chance. It is unclear whether the squad need a rocket up the backside or an arm around the shoulder, but they must take collective responsibility.