Mauricio Pochettino said his Tottenham Hotspur players had to show “more hunger” and a “different image” as he lamented the defensive lapses that triggered the 2-1 Champions League defeat by Monaco at Wembley. The manager was furious at both of the concessions, which left his team 2-0 down after 31 minutes and with too much to do, and he suggested that they had been caused by a lack of aggression, intensity and focus.
Tottenham came to control the second half but when Harry Kane missed a clear chance on 79 minutes, the writing was on the wall. Heung-min Son had also been guilty of spurning a golden opportunity in the early running.
“We cannot concede how we did and we need to be more aggressive when we have the chances to score,” Pochettino said. “We showed a lack of passion because we cannot concede these goals. This is how we spoke in the changing room.
“It was difficult to accept, not only the first goal but the second, as well. At 2-0 it was really difficult. We were better than Monaco but they were more effective at both ends. To win, we need to show more and be more aggressive. I talk about passion and it’s about feeling more. We need to improve and learn. We need to work and to show more hunger. We need to show a different image.”
Leonardo Jardim, the Monaco manager, said that he and his players had drawn on their 3-1 Champions League win at Arsenal in February 2015, which was “in a similar packed stadium”. Jardim said: “Tactically, the fact that Wembley is a larger pitch than White Hart Lane might have affected Tottenham negatively, because they like to press. On a bigger pitch, it is harder to close players down.”
