Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has identified a clear weakness that he feels is holding back Tottenham Hotspur in comparison to their Premier League rivals such as Liverpool.
The two clubs ended last season worlds apart in the league as Liverpool finished second with 97 points and Spurs picked up 71 points to claim fourth spot.
But when it came to Europe, Mauricio Pochettino's men fought tooth and nail to make the final of the Champions League, only to lose to Liverpool 2-0 in Madrid.
It was expected that Spurs would kick on this season and close the gap in the league between the two sides and compete once again in Europe.
However, that has not transpired on either front as Spurs sit in ninth with just eleven points from eight matches, while they followed up a disappointing draw at Olympiakos with a 7-2 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
But what is the issue? Whilst the obvious one is an unsettled squad due to departure links aplenty, Richards explained on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Monday Night Club that Spurs have too many players in similar positions.
The former England defender feels that this is leading to a lack of consistency not seen at a side such as Liverpool, who have won eight consecutive league matches to start the campaign.
"I think Spurs have got too many players in similar positions. They have (Erik) Lamela, Son (Heung-min), (Christian) Eriksen and (Tanguy) Ndombele and (Harry) Winks," Richards explained on BBC Radio 5 Live's The Monday Night Club.
"They have got Lucas Moura who scores a hat-trick and then doesn't play. It seems like they are struggling to fit everyone in. They throw players in one week and not the next.
"You look at Liverpool and they have consistency. Barring some of the midfield and a centre-back, be it (Joel) Matip or (Joe) Gomez, everyone knows their jobs and what they have got to do."
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