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Spurs need to create "hostile environment for away teams" | Brian Kerr

Spurs' 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday may have come as a surprise to many but Brian Ker...



Soccer

Spurs need to create "hostile environment for away teams" | Brian Kerr

Spurs' 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday may have come as a surprise to many but Brian Kerr felt the team from Tyneside were more than deserving of the win.

Speaking to Nathan Murphy from Off The Ball after the game, Kerr said it was a disappointing performance from Spurs.

"Spurs had 80 per cent possession, four times as many passes as Newscastle but they couldn't break them down.

"They had a half-chance from [Heung-min] Son in the first half from a narrow angle. Other than that, they had one chance for Harry Kane late on in the second half and he missed kicked it.

"That was really it, they should have had a penalty mind you but Newscastle probably created three or four good chances," he said.

Kerr said their biggest problem was trying to break down Newcastle's defence and he felt they didn't have that creative spark.

Newcastle United's Joelinton (left) and Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen battle for the ball during the Premier League match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.

A new ground

"Spurs are missing a few players, they still haven't got [Dele] Alli into the picture and Ndombele is out and [Ryan] Sessegnon hasn't played a part yet.

"Christian Eriksen didn't start and I think Pochettino has been preparing the Spurs fans for life without Eriksen.

"You might wonder why not play him from the start? But there is obviously a lot going on in the background," the former Ireland under-18 manager said.

With the redevelopment of White Hart Lane this year, it almost feels like a new ground. Kerr thinks that away teams do not have any fear when they play there.

"They've got to establish it as a hostile environment for away teams and it wasn't like that today.

"It's expensive to come in here and maybe some of the more hostile individual supporters are getting priced out.

"They've got to end up at a point that at both ends of the ground it's very difficult for teams to play," Kerr said.

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Brian Kerr Newscastle United Premier League Tottneham Hotspurs