Wednesday 23 November 2016 12:26, UK
Danny Mills says Tottenham lack a Plan B going forward and has questioned their summer recruitment after they crashed out of the Champions League.
Mauricio Pochettino's side lost 2-1 in Monaco on Tuesday which leaves them in a straight shootout with CSKA Moscow for third spot in Group E and a Europa League place.
Spurs have scored just three goals in five Champions League fixtures this season, while Harry Kane missed seven weeks of the campaign through injury and Mills believes the striker's absence showed a lack of goalscoring threat throughout the squad.
"Pochettino's biggest problem is centre forward," Mills told Sky Sports News HQ. "[Vincent] Janssen has come in as a No 2 to Harry Kane, who is just coming back to full fitness. I think they lack a Plan B, a cutting edge up front, especially when Harry Kane is not there.
"They probably could have done with more pace in the wide areas, if you are going to play Harry Kane up front.
"Defensively they are very good, [Jan] Vertonghen and [Toby] Alderweireld are very good, great partnership at the back. But, ultimately, Harry Kane has been missing and I think they have struggled with that cutting edge.
"Keeping clean sheets is fine but you have got to have a real threat going forward and without Harry Kane they haven't really got that. I don't think their recruitment was as good as it should have been."
Mills thinks Tottenham may now struggle to finish in the Premier League's top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.
"I think it is a really big blow for them, especially to be completely out of it with a game to go, it has made it very difficult for them," he said.
"Are they going to get into the top four this season? We've seen with the strength in the Premier League that is going to be really hard.
"Europa League might be their way in but we've seen teams struggle to play well in the Premier League and in the Europa League. I'm really disappointed with Tottenham in the Champions League this season - it just hasn't happened for them."
Pochettino elected to rest Vertonghen and Kyle Walker for the trip to Monaco, instead starting with Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier and Steve Sidwell admits he struggled to understand that decision.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "I don't see the logic in it - look at their league form with their back four this year, the likes of [Danny] Rose and Walker, their tenacity in attacking play and how solid they have been as a back four in the league and he goes and rests them in a huge game like that."
Tottenham play Chelsea this weekend at Stamford Bridge, which means a return to the ground where their title hopes were ended last season and Sidwell believes they will need a strong performance against the Premier League leaders.
"It is a work in progress. Look at the squad he is assembling there - it is young and energetic. This will be a big learning curve for them, not just last night's defeat but what has gone on so far this season," Sidwell said.
"You look at last season and remember the 2-2 game at Stamford Bridge - there was a lot of fire in that performance. It was complete chalk and cheese to what happened in Monaco so they are going to have to repeat last year's performance to have any chance against a very in-form Chelsea side."
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