LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Craig Mercer/CameraSport via Getty Images)
To call Wednesday night’s Champions League result a shock might be overstating things a bit, but Tottenham — and specifically Mauricio Pochettino — were expecting something better than a 2-1 loss.
Defying expectations, Pochettino named a full-strength starting XI for the match against Monaco. Though at first they appeared to be the minnows of Group E, Pochettino plainly saw Leonardo Jardim’s team for what they really were: defensive stalwarts with the means to be a real threat.
There’s still room to criticize how exactly Pochettino used his preferred starting XI. He could have, for instance, perhaps used Mousa Dembélé from the start in the center of the pitch, or avoided using Christian Eriksen in an area that he knew would be congested.
Tactical underestimating aside, there’s reason enough here to point of the performances of various players as cause for this disappointing loss. Hubris is the easiest way to describe the way Tottenham’s stars carried themselves in the match’s opening stages, though honestly it’s not even clear if an appropriately cautious side would have beaten this exceptional Monaco on Wednesday.
They weren’t all disappointments. Many players made the right moves, shot the right shots and generally looked the same as they did in the 4-0 mauling of Stoke City on the weekend — and they still couldn’t get through. That’s a testament to Monaco’s strengths as much as any deficiency in Tottenham’s regulars.
Let’s go through the lineup and see who did what, and how perhaps they could have been
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Bernardo Silva of AS Monaco battles with Ben Davies of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Defense
Hugo Lloris – 3.5 / 5
Monaco scored with both of their shots on goal, neither of which could rightly be considered Lloris’ fault. Bernardo Silva’s first was borderline marvelous, while Thomas Lemar’s was improbably angled and near unstoppable from the range it was shot.
Ben Davies – 2.5 / 5
That goal of Lemar’s would not have been possible had Davies not kindly headed the ball directly in front of the Frenchman. Perhaps that was more unlucky than unskillful, but elsewhere on the pitch Davies appeared overmatched and unable influence play in Tottenham’s favor on either end of the pitch.
Jan Vertonghen – 3.5 / 5
Radamel Falcao doesn’t deserve the reputation he picked up while on duty with Chelsea and Manchester United. The Colombian might be aging out of relevance, but he remains a smart player who knows how to hold up play and bring in his teammates around him. Vertonghen did what he could to keep that influence at a minimum.
Toby Alderweireld – 4 / 5
In Alderweireld, Tottenham have a bit of everything. They have an exceptional mobile centre-back. They have an auxiliary full-back when in position. And they have a deadly target for set pieces, as evidenced by Alderweireld’s goal just before halftime. It might not have meant much in the end, but it was the kind of boost Tottenham needed.
Kyle Walker – 3 / 5
Like Davies on the other end, Walker didn’t exactly exude his usual authority in defense. Silva and Djibril Sibide combined on Tottenham’s defensive right to become a genuine disruption. Crosses like the one that led to Lemar’s goal are, thankfully, a rarity from Walker’s flank.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Danijel Subasic of AS Monaco saves from Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Midfield
Christian Eriksen – 2.5 / 5
As much as the Dane might complain about his best position being in the classic number 10 role, matches like this one prove just the opposite. Eriksen thrives in space and tends to get bogged down without it, as Monaco found when they packed the area in front of their own goal. Switching him to his customary left flank did little to improve Tottenham’s chances.
Overall, Eriksen’s stats made it most clear: he recorded just 28 accurate passes at a success rate of 68%. Those are hardly playmaker numbers.
Dele Alli – 3 / 5
Alli’s thrived in the center of the pitch in earlier encounters this season, but against Monaco he was wasted so far away from goal. Pochettino would have done better to started Dembélé in that role beside Dier, with Alli farther up the pitch. That might not have been any kind of guarantee, as the such a switch in the second half suggested, but it could not have hurt.
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Eric Dier – 3 / 5
Monaco weren’t particularly adventurous from an attacking standpoint, but Dier was kept busy in assisting Tottenham’s press. Such play requires a metronomic passer like Dier, but also a good amount of vigilance to protect against the counter. Dier did both as well as expected.
Mousa Dembélé – 3.5 / 5
The Belgian’s season debut at halftime proved his worth to this Tottenham team. Immediately Pochettino’s side became more fluid in midfield, controlling the ball higher up the pitch and getting into more advantageous positions. It stings to imagine how much better Tottenham would have looked had Dembélé started.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur reacts to missing an opportunity during the UEFA Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and AS Monaco FC at Wembley Stadium on September 14, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Attack
Heung-min Son – 2.5 / 5
Son received the ball in open space in Monaco’s area after a successfully Harry Kane break away and failed to convert. That that is Son’s biggest contribution in his one half of play says it all.
Érik Lamela – 2.5 / 5
If there’s any team that understands the dangers of a team losing the ball high up the pitch, it’s Tottenham. Which makes it especially ridiculous that Lamela would so easily concede possession ahead of Silva’s opening goal. That he didn’t contribute much in attack only makes it harder to defend Lamela’s efforts on the day.
Harry Kane – 3.5 / 5
Given the context, this was actually a fairly encouraging performance from Kane. He dropped deep and helped with breaking through Monaco’s lines. Tottenham’s two best chances came when Kane surged forward on the right hand side and set up his teammates’ ultimately failed shots. If he can turn in similar performances going forward, he and Tottenham both will be just fine.
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