Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted his players are not rubbish after they lost for the third consecutive game.
The north London club were beaten 2-1 by Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, to add to defeats to Watford and Liverpool in the Premier League.
Spurs travelled to Italy without Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier in the squad, something which was picked up post-match as a potential reason for the defeat.
But Pochettino was not happy with the suggestion, hitting out at reporters for focussing on players not involved in the match.
“Why disrespect the players that aren’t on the pitch? You can blame me and say ‘gaffer, you were so so rubbish in your selection of the starting XI,” he said (via the Mirror).
“But please don’t disrespect the players who were playing, because it’s my decision. Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld, we have 25 players. And you ask me with your question, that you can play only 11 and the other 13 or 14 players are rubbish? are s***?”
Spurs had looked comfortable against Inter, with Christian Eriksen giving them a well-deserved lead only for Mauro Icardi’s Goal-of-the-Week-winning volley and an injury-time winner from Matias Vecino to hand the Italian side all three points.
But Pochettino remained confident in his players’ abilities despite the defeat.
He added: “Until 86 or 87 minutes, we controlled the game. We created big chances to score, I think [Samir] Handanovic was fantastic in a few actions, and in Europe until you kill the game, it’s not over.
“Against Watford and against Liverpool , [Alderweireld and Trippier] were on the pitch. They are easy targets. It’s easy to talk about the players that aren’t here like Hugo [Lloris] or Dele Alli or [Moussa] Sissoko.
“It’s so easy, it’s so easy. I don’t know. Sorry, but I am so disappointed because I am a person that respects you a lot and the players.
“When my decision is to play with an eleven, you must respect my decision because I am the manager. You cannot disrespect.
“Please. To be a player is so difficult, and of course for me it is easier on the touchline. I don’t run. It is so painful to hear when some people are not here, and you judge in that way and you kill players who give their best. It’s so unfair.”
Tottenham’s troubles
The defeats to Watford, Liverpool and Inter Milan mean Spurs have lost three matches in a row for the first time under Pochettino.
Harry Kane's shots per 90 minutes in the Premier League:
2013/14: 5.0
2014/15: 3.9
2015/16: 4.2
2016/17: 3.9
2017/18: 5.4
2018/19: 2.4Where did they all go!? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/pUsJunOvI6
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 21, 2018
Partially, this has come down to Harry Kane’s struggles in front of goal with the English striker failing to make an impact in the matches.
Based on his past seasons with Spurs, Kane is taking, on average, fewer attempts on goal at just 2.4 per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season – three fewer than last year.
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