Former Tottenham defender Danny Rose was left struggling for words to sum up his old side’s abject defeat by AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Spurs slumped out of the competition 1-0 on aggregate after a miserable goalless draw in north London. The hosts managed just two shots on target in a poor showing which left Antonio Conte’s exit in the summer appearing inevitable.
Conte fielded an attack of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski but the trio were hugely ineffective against a deep-set Milan defence. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan kept out the best they could muster – Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s stinging effort and Kane’s low header – as Milan came close via Brahim Diaz and substitute Divock Origi.
Rose started the 2019 Champions League final for Spurs against Liverpool and struggled to sum up just how far his former club has fallen. Asked on Sky Sports News to describe the performance, he let out a big sigh and said: “Just plain. Lack of energy, flat, lack of ideas, just dull.”
He added: “It’s very surprising. Considering where they were pre-World Cup. I was a bit optimistic to see where they could finish. Now, to see where they are after the World Cup, it’s not surprising at all.
“This is probably the first game I’ve sat and watched properly and, if this is what’s being played week-in, week-out at the football club, then that’s not good at all.”
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Conte returned to the touchline after a stint away from the club in Italy recovering from gallbladder surgery. Despite making his long-awaited return, this game looked like the beginning of the end for the Italian, who is out of contract at the end of June.
"That is the third game in a row that we were not able to score,” he told BT Sport. “I think we can do much better offensively – and I speak about the whole team, not only those who play in the front half. We can do much better.
"But I can't say anything negative about the commitment of the players. They gave everything from the start to the end. We finished the game with 10 men.
“But if I have to see a positive situation, it is that we had a step forward. We played in the Europa Conference League last year and weren't able to get out of the group stages. Now we took a step forward but it is not enough and if we want to be competitive, we have to fight.
Tottenham have now lost three games in a row, with the FA Cup shock to Sheffield United followed by a 1-0 Premier League loss to Wolves. They host Nottingham Forest next on Saturday before a trip to strugglers Southampton.
