Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood has questioned how Antonio Conte has set his side up this season following their latest defeat.
Spurs were once again guilty of starting slow over the weekend against Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side found themselves 2-0 up at half-time and ultimately left Spurs with too much work in the second half.
Starting matches slowly has been a developing trend at Spurs as of late.
Sherwood has pointed the finger at Conte as he believes this is how he is setting his side up.
He told Premier League productions: “They made a good effort to try and get it back, but it’s Liverpool, they dug in and showed their qualities today in how they could defend their goal.
“I am disappointed in the way they start. I am not sure, we never really asked the question to him, perhaps he doesn’t allow us to ask the question of ‘why do they start so slow?’ ‘Why are they giving teams headstarts?’.
“It’s two things. He’s either setting them up in a negative fashion to play very pragmatic from the start, that’s my view.
“Otherwise, which I don’t think he will tolerate, the players aren’t listening to him. It’s one or the other. If he’s telling them, and they don’t do it, then you are telling them again. Surely they can’t repeat it time and time again.”
Conte’s side do remain in the top four, but they have lost ground on the sides around them. They currently sit three points above Man Utd, but they have played an extra game.
Spurs only managed three shots in the first half against Liverpool. They did pick things up after the break, but ultimately left themselves with too much to do.
Speaking after the defeat, Conte believed that their second-half performance warranted a result for his side.
The manager explained: “I go to my house satisfied for the performance and the chances we created. Honestly, we are managing with many injuries, half and half.
“It is good to have this type of performance because we know we have to fight until the end to do well but it’s a pity tonight.
“I repeat about the performance, I am really happy for what I have seen.
“Our fans despite the defeat, they have to enjoy the game for the will, the desire, for how we played the game.
“We had the possibility to put pressure onto Liverpool and we did. We tried to press and then a long ball comes in and we concede the second goal.
“We did well with the game plan that we prepared but now we are talking about a bad defeat.
“I don’t know if it’s positive to win badly or to lose playing well but we lost the game.”
Spurs are back in action in midweek against Nottingham Forest in the cup before a test against Leeds in the Premier League.
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