Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas believes his old side have an issue with taking responsibility in possession.
Spurs moved up to fifth in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against Wolves yesterday (Sunday), with Jan Vertonghen netting in injury time to help Jose Mourinho's side claim all three points at Molineux.
But Jenas felt there were still plenty of things for his old side to work on, having pinpointed a key issue that he said could have cost them against Nuno Espirito Santo's side.
“I just don’t feel like the midfield functions very well in terms of dictating the tempo and maintaining possession, and particularly at places like Wolves, you need to be able to do that," Jenas said, speaking on BBC programme Match of the Day 2.
“I felt like they were too negative, always playing the ball backwards.
"They are playing the ball across the back four and then it goes to Eric Dier, do you want to turn and play a forward pass? No not interested, he goes back.
“In the end from a great position high up the pitch, they go back all the way to [Paulo] Gazzaniga.
“These are things I think in central midfield that they need to work on, he has to turn there Eric Dier. If he is not being told, he needs to be, because if he turns he gets his ball into Dele Alli and they get on the attack.
"But instead, they put their own central midfielders in trouble, and in turn he puts Serge Aurier in trouble, and in turn he gives the ball away.
"It was a recurring thing and I think it went a long way into why they didn’t dictate the play. You have your best players in Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, Dele Alli and Heung-min Son, and all you should be thinking is getting the ball into them.
“But [Moussa] Sissoko was guilty of it as well. They don’t want to take responsibility. Why am I giving the ball to Davinson Sanchez there as a central midfielder? All of this is lifting the crowd, and the Wolves players. I don't feel like they trust them. Sissoko should be getting the ball and driving through the middle of the park.
“I don’t think the trust is there. They end up going long, but Wolves got it back time after time and it was wave after wave of attack, and actually, Wolves should have won it."
But he said it was not just the fault of the midfielders, adding that he felt that it is something the defenders and midfielders must work on ahead of Spurs' clash with London rivals Chelsea next Sunday.
“I feel like whenever I have watched or played with really good midfield players, defenders are like, 'here you have it, I trust you, you have it'," said Jenas.
"I feel like there is this cat and mouse thing going on between the centre halves and the midfielders where they are waiting too long, and on top of that, midfielders are getting into bad positions.
"They should be getting the ball, turning and getting the ball to their best players at the top of the pitch."
