‘Patience? Fan frustration is growing at Conte’s Spurs’

But for Spurs fans, the lack of ideas after a Harry Kane header put them back in the game only adds to the impression that the team-building project is falling short – despite the club still sitting in third place. 

Though without key players – Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Cristian Romero were all out injured – after the early-summer shopping spree, more could still have been expected.

Spurs started well, with Heung-Min Son letting off shots from outside the area, and then being denied by goalkeeper Nick Pope when he was through, one on one.

But their confidence faded, and after half an hour the visitors went ahead, with some controversy. Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris came out of his box to close down Callum Wilson, with whom he then collided. The striker put the ball over him into the net.

It looked like a foul might be given for the collision, but instead VAR was looking at a possible hand ball, and the goal was allowed. It could have gone either way. 

Lloris won’t want to see the second goal again either. His sloppy ball out was won by Sean Longstaff, who fed Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan is having an outstanding season and he broke into the box, passed Clément Lenglet, and put the ball under the keeper from a tight angle.

A thunderstorm at half-time brought torential rain, flooding parts of the streets around the stadium.

As the waters rose, the visitors started the second half well, but in the 54th minute Spurs found a lifeline, Harry Kane nodding home from a corner, and benefitting from inconclusive evidence in a VAR offside check.

The goal brought more purpose in Tottenham’s game, but no final product.

While clear-cut opportunities failed to come, Newcastle looked dangerous, in particular with Wilson almost redirecting Almiron’s shot.

Patience

After the game, Conte called for patience in light of injuries in the squad.

He told Sky Sports: “We are trying to improve the situation step-by-step, but you need time and patience. This has to be very clear for everybody because I want to be honest.

“With my experience, I will continue to say that we are doing well, but we need time, patience and having these kind of problems, to understand how to overcome them in the future.”

Conte will have been as frustrated by the result, but when a team featuring Kane, Son, Ivan Perisic and Lucas Moura ends a game seemingly bereft of ideas, fans are understandably short on patience.

Sloppiness

Cristian Romero has not been at his best in recent weeks, but he was sorely missed here. 

Hugo Lloris is prone to some calamitous games and this was one, but in front of him there were misplaced passes from all quarters.

A heavy back-pass by Eric Dier early on went past his keeper and nearly found the bottom corner.

Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff and Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur battle for the ball (Image: PA/Adam Davy)

Midfield

The three-man midfield started the game well – Yves Bissouma imposing himself as he did in his Brighton days, Rodrigo Bentancur composed and silky, and Oliver Skipp just happy to be back in the park kicking the ball around.

But it did not take long to cede control, and while Spurs edged possession, Newcastle levered the goals to dominate.  

Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar and Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Moura (Image: PA/Adam Davy)

Lucas Moura

The forgotten man of Spurs’s strikeforce – after a slow recovery from injury – came on for Skipp after 67 minutes.

As he always has, he gave it his all, harrying the opposition out of possession, and driving forward with the ball.

He may still have more of a role to play in making the season something resembling a success.

Son

The South Korean has blown hot and cold this season. He started the game here with an notable urgency, three letting off shots from outsie the box in the first 10 minutes.

But hindsight suggests that his failure to beat the keeper one on one early on, set the tone for the game.