Furious Mauricio Pochettino accused his Tottenham players of lacking hunger after their defensive shambles against Monaco and claimed he would have subbed them ALL if he could.
First-half goals from Bernardo Silva and substitute Thomas Lemar – within the first 32 minutes – at Spurs’ temporary home Wembley left the Londoners bottom of their Champions League group.
Pochettino refused to blame the move to the national stadium after the 2-1 defeat and said: “That’s too good an excuse. We need to work, to show more hunger. We need to show a different image.
“We fought a lot last season to be here and your feeling is ‘Why not do more?’”
Pochettino added: “If this was basketball, I would have taken them all off.”
The match took place in front of a record-breaking crowd of 85,011 – the highest-ever home attendance for an English club.
Toby Alderweireld headed Spurs back into it on the stroke of half-time but Dele Alli and Harry Kane blew late chances to snatch an equaliser.
Pochettino added: “It was a game that we started well. Then we conceded a goal, and you cannot concede at this level – the Champions League or the Premier League – when you play for Tottenham.
“It is difficult to accept.
“The second goal was the same.
“When you concede like this you can speak about many things but 2-0 down was very difficult.
“We created. I think we were better than Monaco. But to win you need to show more and create more.”
Spurs now travel to CSKA Moscow — who drew 2-2 at Bayer Leverkusen in the group’s other match —for their next match, on September 27.
(Daily Mirror)
