adminTOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas said his side need to be “ashamed” after a 6-0 defeat at Manchester City on Sunday. Spurs went behind after just 14 seconds and went on to suffer their heaviest league defeat since a 7-1 loss to Newcastle in December 1996. The loss also left Tottenham ninth in the Premier League table and eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
“We have to be ashamed of ourselves, and react to a defeat like this,” said Villas-Boas.
An error from keeper Hugo Lloris led to Jesus Navas’s opener within the first minute and an own goal from Sandro as well as a Sergio Aguero effort left Spurs trailing 3-0 at the break.
Tottenham struggled to contain City, with Aguero, Negredo and Navas each scoring in the second half as Villas-Boas’s side let in the same amount of goals as they had done in their previous 11 league games so far this season.
“It was a difficult start for us,” said Villas-Boas. “After that, everything you had in mind goes down the drain.
“There are not a lot of positives. We had a good spell of reaction after we suffered the early goals, but everything happened so quickly.
“Our only chance came in the first half. If it goes to 1-1 it is a different game.”
He added: “There is an immediate shock after 15 seconds.
“The concentration was not there, but the reaction of the players was positive. Everything went wrong for us, every opportunity was a goal and we paid a heavy price, too much for what we deserved.
“City were excellent, and we were extremely poor.”
Tottenham have just one point from their last three games and their next game is against Tromso in the Europa League on Thursday.
Villas-Boas said: “My responsibility is to lift the players, there is always another game coming. We have to give a response in the Europa League.”
Meanwhile, David Moyes believes Manchester United’s set-piece frailties have cost them four points already this season after Cardiff snatched a 2-2 draw against the defending champions on Sunday.
City’s South Korean substitute Kim Bo-Kyung headed a late leveller from Peter Whittingham’s injury-time free kick.
And it reminded Moyes of October’s 1-1 draw against Southampton at Old Trafford when Adam Lallana equalised in the 89th minute after United failed to defend Luke Shaw’s corner.
Moyes said: “I’m disappointed. It’s similar to Southampton where we had the game in our control with a minute to go and conceded from a set-piece. It’s cost us, ultimately.”
He then told the BBC: “We don’t defend it well enough and the boy Whittingham puts in a really good ball. We were close but it’s now happened in two games, Southampton and this game, where we have lost points in the last minute.”
If United, who had a reputation for scoring late goals under Sir Alex Ferguson, had hung on to win both games, they would be second in the Premier League table.
Instead they are sixth and Moyes added: “We’ve been on a pretty good run but that’s a blow because we can’t keep dropping points, two points in games when you’re where we are. We should have won it. I know we can play better but we should have won the game.”-BBC.
Online Reporter