Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino: 'Sometimes you deserve more than you get, and tonight we are disappointed'

Published: 13 January, 2016
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Premier League
SPURS 0, LEICESTER CITY 1

A LATE Robert Huth strike left Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino lamenting missed chances as Tottenham’s top-four charge took a heavy blow this evening at White Hart Lane.

The veteran Leicester defender broke the stalemate on 83 minutes via a looping header, giving his club a vital victory in a showdown between the clubs in third and fourth place.

Speaking after the game, Pochettino said his players had deserved more.

“The team gave their all,” he said. “But sometimes it is down to little details. Sometimes you deserve more than you get, and tonight we are disappointed.

“It was a little mistake at the end, and this was a game where the Leicester goalkeeper was the man of the match.”

Pochettino added that he would ensure his players learned from the defeat.

He said: “We played very well, in the first half particularly. We dominated the game and created chances, but we needed to score and it just did not happen for us. It may be hard for supporters but we can get something positive from this. 

“We are a young team and you can learn from situations like this.”

In an entertaining first half it was a tale of two goalkeepers giving a masterclass in shot-stopping.

On seven minutes, an Erik Lamela cross found Toby Alderweireld lurking at the back post and his firm header downwards was athletically tipped over the bar by a scrambling Kasper Schmeichel.

On 27, Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater hit a powerful volley which Hugo Lloris did well to get to. Moments later, it was Schmeichel’s turn once more to show quick reactions as a Christian Eriksen curler from 25 yards looked like it would break the deadlock.

Spurs had dominated, and continued to do so in the second half. Lamela skewed a shot wide on 56, and then Harry Kane saw his effort riochet off Schmeichel and on to the bar. With 15 minutes left, Dele Alli powered through three challenges and made himself space to send another shot goalwards – only to see Schmeichel again manage to paw it away.

And then came the sucker punch. A rare Leicester foray forward earned a corner, and unmarked City centre-back Huth steered a header home from around 12 yards out. It leaves Spurs in fourth – and lamenting a good chance to make ground on those above lost.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

IT has been blindingly obvious that Spurs suffer from not having a striker on the bench. Forget giving Harry Kane a rest – it would be nice to be able to make tactical changes up top when they need a Plan B. 

When Pochettino wants to re-jig things, he can only really bring on like-for-like midfielders. How much does the team crave the depth of forwards the supporters enjoyed when there was the choice of Defoe, Keane and Berbatov, for example. 

To be able to bring on a target man and play 4-4-2 with 20 minutes to go would be lovely. Whisper it – even poor old Bobby Soldado would be a decent enough option in games like this. No more excuses – it is mid-January. Daniel Levy has two weeks to secure a forwards signature. Go!

SPURS: Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Kane, Lamela, Dier (Onomah, 89) Alli, Eriksen (Dembele, 70), Carroll (Son, 81), Davies.
Subs: Vorm, Rose, Son, Trippier, Dembele, Onomah, Wimmer.