Tottenham Hotspur’s recent struggles continued into the FA Cup this weekend after they had to salvage a draw against lower league opposition in the third round.
Jose Mourinho named a full-strength side to face Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium, but the two teams will battle it out again in due course after a 1-1 stalemate.
Spurs needed second-half heroics from Lucas Moura, who headed home the crucial equaliser just after the hour mark, some ten minutes after home forward Ashley Fletcher opened the scoring with an excellent slotted finish past Paulo Gazzaniga.
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They were without top goalscorer and vice-captain Harry Kane, and it is something Mourinho may well need to get used to for the foreseeable future after the England striker suffered a tear to his left hamstring, which is expected to keep him out until March at the earliest.
This comes as a devastating blow to Tottenham’s season as they currently sit outside the top four and are staring down the barrel at an exit from the only remaining competition they could conceivably triumph in.
In Kane’s absence, the three-time Premier League winner named Heung-Min Son upfront alongside Moura in a 3-5-2 system.
The move barely paid off as the pair were wasteful and rather toothless in the attack against the Championship outfit.
Per SofaScore, Spurs only managed four of their 14 shots on target with two of those coming from the Brazilian, one of which was his headed finish.
Academy prospect Troy Parrott wasn’t even called upon when the visitors were chasing the match, which may speak volumes on Mourinho’s trust towards the young Irishman.
Son and Moura aren’t out-and-out strikers, and they certainly aren’t in the same mould of Kane who wins over double the number of aerial duels per game than the duo, meaning Parrott is their only other proper striking option.
No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?
Based on this showing alone, it only highlights just how badly Daniel Levy needs to invest in the playing squad this month.
Spurs can’t afford their season to succumb to a mere battle for a place in the top six, which is barely assured with the likes of Wolves, Sheffield United and even Crystal Palace hot on their heels.
It’s now just one win in five matches in all competitions.
The north Londoners have been linked to Paco Alacer this week, and while it remains to be seen if he’s the answer, one thing that is clear is Mourinho needs another striker so that Spurs can cope in the absence of the lethal 17-goal Kane.
And in other news, several fans have been discussing the potential departure of Christian Eriksen this month…