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‘I think that could be the problem’: Ryan Sessegnon has theory over why Tottenham are starting games so slowly
Ryan Sessegnon spoke to after yesterday’s defeat and has offered a theory over why Tottenham Hotspur are starting games so slowly.
Spurs fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Liverpool yesterday after yet another uninspiring first-half display.
Mohamed Salah’s brace proved to be enough for Jurgen Klopp’s side to take all three points back to Merseyside, despite a spirited second-half performance from Spurs.
Harry Kane’s brilliant finish got Antonio Conte’s men right back in the contest in the 70th minute, but they paid the price for a slow start.
Now, Sessegnon says Tottenham aren’t playing with ‘freedom’ at this moment in time.
Sessegnon on Tottenham starting games slowly
asked Sessegnon if Spurs are overthinking at the moment.
The wing-back responded: “Yeah, sometimes. I think that could be the problem as well – we are overthinking a few things sometimes.
“Maybe we’re not playing with much freedom at the moment, sometimes. But I think it’s just one of them spells we’re going through at the moment but we’re together and that’s not going to change. We have to just keep pushing through this period.”
Fjørtoft followed up Sessegnon’s answer and asked: “Tell the fans what you mean about the ‘freedom’. Well you don’t think you have that freedom?”
“No, not at all. But I feel like there’s a structure in the way that we are playing and that’s the way we’re playing at the moment in terms of sitting deep,” Sessegnon answered.
“Pressing when we have to press, we can’t press all the silly times, we have to go as units. Against a good team like Liverpool, there’s going to be times we have to sit in and dig deep because they’re going to have the ball at times. That’s what happened today.
“The spirit was there in the second-half, we didn’t get the point or the win but there’s some positives in the second-half to take into the next game. But again, we are disappointed.”
Tottenham have now conceded the first goal in their last six games in all competitions.
Conte’s men did manage to produce brilliant comeback wins against Bournemouth and Marseille over the past week, but just couldn’t find an equaliser against Liverpool.
It’s certainly an issue that Conte will need to address as Spurs seem unable to impose themselves at the beginning of games right now.
They’ve played some brilliant football in the second-half in each of their last three games but Conte’s men need to start games with a similar intensity.