Sunday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium as Tottenham Hotspur looked to take three points from Arsenal certainly didn’t go to plan.
Losing 4-2 on the day, Spurs could have few complaints and fans were quick to point to a number of perceived errors by manager Mauricio Pochettino. The decision not to start Toby Alderweireld and continue with Juan Foyth given the magnitude of the game was one, the timing of the substitutes was another but it’s pointless listing them all.
Post-game Poch leapt to the defence of our young Argentine as he was questioned by the media and although his defence did lead to some eyebrows, plenty of fans on social media believed it was the right way to act publically as simply put, Poch himself should be carrying the can for the loss.
“How many players on halfway line miss the pass? A lot. And then it is 50 metres to arrive to the goal. Because he is young it is easy to blame him, it is easy. But for me, Juan was one of the best players on the pitch. If we put this pass that wasn’t good in that action out of the 90 minutes, by far was the best. By far.”
Source: Evening Standard.
Big game big call big consequences I've no doubt the players must have been surprised at the exclusion of Alderweirld plus subs didn't happen quick enough the fault lies with the manager yesterday unfortunately
— Kenneth #COYS (@starcoughlan) December 3, 2018
I don't blame the player, I blame the manager for exposing him. He will wreck the lads confidence if he keeps on making mistakes every game. It was a shocking decision not to start Toby.
— Lee Roy (@LRC_1978) December 3, 2018
Should be a politician the way he can talk flannel. Far too late with subs as usual but most of the time he gets it right so ????????♂️ just a bad day at the office
— Simon Bashford (@bashy_1986) December 3, 2018
Poch, I love you, but with lines like this you could run for president
— ???????????????????????? (@mrmarcusroberts) December 3, 2018
He definitely wasn't one of the best players on the pitch! Poch took a gamble didn't pay off, should of started with Toby #COYS
— DP Taylor (@Dptaylor17) December 3, 2018
With Jan Vertonghen having such a bad game as well that wouldn’t have helped Foyth, so there’s absolutely no reason to hang him out to dry here as we all know at his age he will make mistakes as he learns – you have to accept and expect that.