“What were they thinking, so disgusting from them”- Glenn Hoddle blasts two Tottenham Stars who single handedly caused Arsenal defeat
Glenn Hoddle didn’t hold back in his criticism of two Tottenham Hotspur players after their 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
Arsenal came into the North London Derby missing key players like Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, while Tottenham had the likes of Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven returning to their starting lineup. Despite the home side missing the influential Yves Bissouma, this was seen as a golden opportunity for Spurs to secure a rare victory over their rivals.
While Tottenham dominated possession with over 60% of the ball, their lackluster performance in the final third ultimately cost them. The stats may have suggested control, but in reality, their inability to make decisive plays near the goal was glaring.
A familiar problem from last season returned to haunt Ange Postecoglou’s men, as they once again struggled to defend set-pieces. Gabriel Magalhães scored the decisive goal for Arsenal from a corner, adding to Spurs’ ongoing woes defending such situations.
Hoddle specifically called out Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for his unconvincing handling of Arsenal’s in-swinging corners. The former Spurs manager expressed frustration that, despite Arsenal scoring two out of their three goals from corners in last season’s derby, the issue still persists a year later.
According to Hoddle, Vicario’s hesitation and lack of assertiveness were major factors in Tottenham’s downfall. He pointed out that Vicario consistently retreats when facing such crosses, failing to dominate the six-yard box. This allowed Gabriel a free header, something Hoddle described as unacceptable in “any era of football.”
Vicario wasn’t the only player to face criticism. Cristian Romero, a central figure in Spurs’ defense, was also at fault for allowing Gabriel to score unmarked inside the six-yard box. Hoddle highlighted how Romero’s lapse in concentration was costly, emphasizing that no defender should ever allow an opponent a free header from such close range.
“The goalkeeper has a real weakness here,” Hoddle said. “Other clubs have noticed it. When an in-swinging ball comes into that six-yard area, it’s like he doesn’t want to come for it. There are too many bodies, and his instinct is to retreat. He’s got to detach himself from the chaos and be decisive. He should be punching some of those balls clear, but he just doesn’t. You can see it happened repeatedly because opponents know they can exploit him. He’s a great shot-stopper, but he has to be more physical in those moments, or the team will keep conceding.”
Hoddle went on to criticize Romero’s role in the goal. “If the goalkeeper is hesitant, then the defense needs to be alert. But Romero just switched off completely. You can’t allow a free header inside the six-yard box from a corner. It doesn’t matter what era of football we’re in; that’s inexcusable.”
Tottenham’s start to the season has been far from ideal. They suffered a defeat to Newcastle before the international break and dropped points against newly-promoted Leicester City on the opening day of the Premier League. With European football soon on the horizon, the pressure on Ange Postecoglou and his players is mounting.
Postecoglou remains steadfast in his approach, insisting that his playing style won’t change despite these setbacks. He believes that success will come eventually, having delivered results throughout his managerial career. However, the challenge at Tottenham is different. While he faced significant pressure to win at Celtic, where success is almost expected, Spurs have long been a club starved of silverware.
The road ahead is set to test Tottenham’s resolve, and with high-profile matches approaching, the need to fix defensive frailties—particularly from set-pieces—will be critical if they are to compete for honors this season.