Tottenham must build on slow but efficient start

There are few things more satisfying in football than heading to Wembley Stadium to watch your side play. Being swept away in a day of hope, nerves and ultimately one of victory or despair – not much can compare to it. With Tottenham, however, this was an entirely new experience.

Corporate sponsors have generally made cup finals less about pageantry and more about commercial gain. Rarely does a side receive even half of the tickets for a cup final anymore, presenting an atmosphere that can sometimes leave much to be desired. For Tottenham to receive the entire allocation felt like we were given the freedom of the national stadium.

Every Spurs fan and his dog had at least tried to secure a seat at Wembley, with ticket touts even making their way across to the borough of Brent.

Summer signing, Janssen, is still looking for his first goal in a Spurs jersey – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

I myself arrived two hours before kick-off, along with thousands of other excited Tottenham supporters. A sea of white is all that could describe the scenes in HA0, breath-taking at the very least. The official attendance was 85,011, a new club record, and in spite of the result, was a night that we won’t ever forget.

At the weekend; Mauricio Pochettino ringed the changes, with Moussa Sissoko earning his first start, whilst mainstays Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela were dropped to the bench.

It was a comfortable win in truth, but not for the first time this season, you’d have had to watch the game through the gaps in your fingers to enjoy it.

Sunderland came to White Hart Lane with an intention of playing without the ball, shown by starting three holding midfielders.

In truth, it’s an achievement that going up against that set up, Spurs even recorded a 1-0 win, but it represents a wider concern.

Under Pochettino, Tottenham have been notoriously slow starters. Taking five games in order to achieve victory last season is just one factor which cost us the title. This time around, although the wins have been marginal, the points are on the board.

In Europe, we need to fix up. That was painfully obvious versus AS Monaco. The Ligue 1 outfit, like Sunderland, had a clear game plan, and the quality in their ranks ensured they succeeded where David Moyes’ Black Cats failed.

Playing on a pitch as vast as Wembley’s compared to the narrow catacombs and corridors of the White Hart Lane turf in theory should have made defending a tougher job for Monaco, but in truth, Spurs’ attack was just a bit blunt.

South Korean international, Son, scored twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout over Stoke earlier this month – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside.

Eriksen, Son Heung-min and Dele Alli all struggled to break down the robust back four shielded by the brilliant Fabinho, and Lamela could only fathom a whipped effort shortly before the half-time whistle.

Harry Kane had a couple of opportunities to level proceedings, but fluffed his lines on every given occasion.

With Kane now expected to be out for at least a few weeks with an ankle injury, others must rise to the occasion in his absence, notable new signing Vincent Janssen.

The Dutch forward has impressed with his link-up play since his summer arrival from AZ Alkmaar, but has yet to find the back of the net in a competitive fixture. A decent run of games is now on his doorstep, and he must prove his worth.

After a difficult debut season, which concluded with wanting to head back to Germany, Son appears to have found his best form. Man of the Match performances against Stoke City and Sunderland off the back of an impressive end to the last campaign has put him back in the good books of manager Pochettino and the Spurs faithful.

Maintaining a position as a Champions League club is vital, and with the strength of the teams around us, Tottenham must start putting in the performances to ensure results remain.