Jose Mourinho has claimed he would be very frustrated if he was one of the team's attacking players due to the number of goals Tottenham are conceding at present.
The Lilywhites have only kept one clean sheet in his ten games in charge so far and that record shows no signs of improving given the chances they are giving away.
Spurs did look all over the place at the back in their last game at Norwich City and they were extremely lucky to go in 1-0 down at the break due to a contentious VAR call as Teemu Pukki found the bottom corner.
While the team have plenty of attacking options to turn games around if they are losing, it's not something they want to be doing week in, week out as they bid to get back in the top four.
As frustrating as it also is for Mourinho to see his side concede regularly, he has hailed his players for their never-say-die attitude in games since he took on the job midway through November.
"Four matches away, we won two, we drew one and we lost one. Is that better than before? Yes. Is it perfect? No," he told reporters when asked about the team's form on the road.
"If we came to Norwich and we cannot create and Norwich dominate us, we have to defend well, we resist, we draw 0-0, maybe you have to admit a positive result.
"The problem is the way we concede the goals and the way we play.
"We go to United and the goal is a bad goal to concede. We react, we equalise, we go to half-time at 1-1, the second half starts, we concede a ridiculous goal, that is the problem. We play so well, we create so much.
"In the beginning we were conceding lots of goals on corner, we stopped that. We conceded the other day against Brighton from a free-kick but there are things in football that are very difficult to control and when I am small and you are taller than me 15cm there are things in football that are impossible.
"The only solution is when you select players and you make squads you select a majority of tall players to cope with the physicality of top football, either in the Premier League or in European competitions.
"But we have to improve, we concede too many goals and it is very frustrating.
"If I was one of my attacking players I would be very frustrated that behind we are not able to stop it. So it is frustrating, but it is also a great feeling to know that the team never gives up, it is also a great feeling to know that even in the most difficult circumstances we go and we go and we go.
"I want to praise that fantastic spirit. People who accumulate 180 minutes in two games were fantastic and the other people that are not playing too much and came from injuries, Lamela, Ndombele, I also want to praise them."
