Date published: Thursday 9th March 2023 10:19 – Joe Williams
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Rio Ferdinand has labelled Tottenham “embarrassing” after they were knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan on Wednesday night.
Ten-man Spurs could only muster two shots on target as Milan comfortably held on for the goalless draw they needed to progress to the quarter-finals.
It capped off a nightmare seven days for Tottenham with defeat in the FA Cup to Sheffield United followed by a loss to Wolves on Saturday which has dented their hopes of finishing in the top four.
And Ferdinand was disappointed in the manner they went out of the Champions League with no real “urgency” to get a crucial goal.
“From a Spurs point of view, you have to say embarrassing,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport after the match. “No spark, no urgency, lacklustre at times. Dour, drab, I don’t know how many more words I can find to describe the performance today.
“We asked at half-time and before the game for these players to out there and give these fans something to get behind them, which you need in these knockout phases in these big games, and they’ve done nothing.
“There was no fight and no spirit in that team and they’ll be going back into that changing room and thinking we all could have done more, individually, but as a team as well. The manager will have expected much from that as well.”
Ferdinand added: “These games you don’t even need to give team talks, the stature of these games and what’s at stake, you go out there and you give it you all, you perform, so the last thing you want as any player at any is where you feel you could have done more, and that’s how they’ll be leaving this stadium.”
Former Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton has criticised Tottenham defender Cristian Romero for getting sent off in the 77th minute as Spurs had to attempt to get a goal with their backs against the wall.
Sutton told BBC Radio Five Live: “Touching on Romero though, what an idiot. He’s absolutely killed his team this evening. He always plays on the edge, the fact that he just has to show a bit of nous and a bit of discipline, he was so impetuous in wanting to get to the ball.
“He knows he’s on a yellow card and he knew that he was going to be sent off if he made a late challenge. That was stupid, the game was up then and after that all Spurs had was long balls up to Kane and Richarlison.”
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