Leon Osman has told the Premier League Review Show, which was broadcast on Optus Sport, that Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele didn’t take enough responsibility in the North London derby at the weekend.
Tottenham were beaten 2-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and their performance has been heavily criticised.
Spurs failed to show the attacking intent which has made them such a force over recent weeks.
Jose Mourinho has faced question marks over the way that he set up his team.
However, Osman felt that Tottenham’s players also let the manager down.
He suggested that Hojbjerg and Ndombele were far too negative with their passing when on the ball.
And they lacked the willingness to actually receive possession throughout the game.
Osman selected numerous clips where Hojbjerg and Ndombele could be seen telling their teammates to pass to others, rather than showing for the ball themselves.
And the pundit said: “This happened time and time again. Both of those two players [Hojbjerg and Ndombele] pointing for somebody else to receive the ball and take a pass.
“Arsenal didn’t have to work hard defensively or to win the ball back, either.”
Hojbjerg and Ndombele have actually been a fairly effective partnership for Tottenham in the midfield, when played together.
However, their display against Arsenal leaves question marks over whether they will continue to be selected alongside each other in the future, especially with Giovani Lo Celso set to return soon.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
