Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo admits his side’s 1-0 Europa Conference League play-off first leg loss at Pacos de Ferreira has impacted the feel-good factor at the club.
Spurs were on a high after a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in their Premier League opener on Sunday but they were brought back down to earth in Portugal as a completely new XI were downed by Lucas Silva’s goal on the stroke of half-time.
Although none of those players that started against City even travelled with the squad, Nuno says the mood has been dampened ahead of Sunday’s trip to his former club Wolves.
Full-time in Portugal. pic.twitter.com/Netrm406LO
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 19, 2021
He said: “Of course it impacts a lot. Nobody likes to lose a game or not play good. The feel-good factor disappears.
“This is football. It is up and down but they have to bounce back. This is what we are going to do.
“We are going to work tomorrow to prepare for the next one. The good part of football is that it gives you the chance immediately and we have a chance on Sunday.”
Spurs gave full debuts to Pierluigi Gollini, Cristian Romero and Bryan Gil while teenagers Dane Scarlett and Nile John were handed first senior starts, but it was a difficult night for all.
Established players Harry Winks, Matt Doherty, Ben Davies and Giovani Lo Celso were especially poor.
Nuno said of the performance: “Not good, not good. First half we lost too many passes – and the goal came from that, we were imbalanced. But not a good performance, honestly not a good performance.
“Of course, players coming back, players that require minutes, the decision was basically trying to give them minutes.
“We need players to get minutes in their legs and increase their levels of fitness. But of course things take some time, it was not so good.
“But individually some players put in good situations, did the things that we want to build on.
Nuno gives his verdict on tonight''s result. pic.twitter.com/rKcEEtzJH9
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 19, 2021
“But as a team we were not organised enough and did not play the ball fast enough to break a team that was really compact and did not allow many spaces.”
Nuno was again quizzed on Harry Kane’s status, with the England captain staying behind to train with those involved against City last weekend.
Nuno said: “He trained today. He trained with the group of players that stayed in England.
“He trained well and he is going to train tomorrow and when we return he will join all the players and work as a group and Harry in it.”