Matt Le Tissier accused Tottenham of lacking bite as they crashed to an opening day defeat at Middlesbrough.
Berbatov's class came too late for Spurs, says Le Tiss
Middlesbrough 2-1 Tottenham
Soccer Saturday analysis
Matt Le Tissier accused Tottenham of lacking bite as they crashed to an opening day defeat at Middlesbrough.
David Wheater tapped in a deserved opener for the home side on 71 minutes before Mido came off the bench to score against his former club at The Riverside.
Robert Huth's late own goal proved to be mere consolation for Tottenham and Le Tissier pointed to the failings of their midfielders who failed to provide enough service to lone striker Darren Bent.
"They looked a little bit lightweight up front," Le Tissier said on
Soccer Saturday.
"They had some nice passing, but Darren Bent didn't really get into the game at all.
"They had five across the middle with Bent up front and Geovanni trying to support him as quickly as he could.
"Bent didn't get the service and for all of Spurs' pretty passing in midfield there was no real killer passes for him to make the most of.
"Aaron Lennon flattered to deceive on the right-hand side, David Bentley was poor today and Luka Modric didn't really get in the game at all; it looked like a little bit too much for him and he might take a bit of time to adjust to the pace of the game over here.
"They're probably missing a little bit of bite in the midfield."
Target
Dimitar Berbatov, a reported target for Manchester United, was left on the bench by Spurs boss Juande Ramos, but Le Tissier feels his second-half appearance demonstrated why he has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
"Berbatov and Bale came on as substitutes and I'm surprised Ramos didn't start with those two because they looked very useful," Le Tissier continued.
"They didn't create much in the first half, but when Berbatov came on his touch was fantastic and he was setting up attacks by dropping off the Middlesbrough back four.
"He looks like a different class and if I was Alex Ferguson I'd probably cough up the money right now."
Inexperience
Meanwhile, Le Tissier was impressed by Boro but warned that Gareth Southgate's young defence might be exposed by other Premier League sides.
"Tottenham were favourites for the game before kick-off, but Middlesbrough played really well in patches and kept the ball well in the first half.
"Tuncay looked like a million dollars, breaking up Spurs' attacks and then launching himself into attack and creating a couple of good chances for Afonso Alves, who also looked sharp.
"When they took the lead it was deserved because David Wheater had a goal in the first half which should have stood.
"The second goal probably flattered them a little bit, but Mido looked really fit when he came on. He's taken a bit of stick in the past for being a little bit on the podgy side - I'm like a pot calling a kettle black there - but he looked as fit as a flea.
"Scoring against his old club was obviously a great bonus for him and the game was all over by the time Huth scored his own goal.
"There was a lot of promising things there for Gareth, but they could struggle a little bit against teams that have got a little bit more teeth up front."
