Nuno Espirito Santo said Tottenham Hotspur must add a ruthless streak to their game after the Premier League giants missed a number of chances during the 3-1 victory over MK Dons on Wednesday, while speaking to Spurs TV.
The former Wolves boss is still rearranging the furniture in his new North London office, having only been appointed one month ago, but his impact on this Spurs side is clear to see.
A team which looked devoid of character, confidence and creativity last season – the fun sucked out of them by the footballing dementor that is Jose Mourinho – Tottenham already look to have rediscovered some of the attributes that made them everyone’s second team during the Mauricio Pochettino heyday.
Their performance against MK Dons was a joy to watch at times, Dele Alli, Steven Bergwijn, Heung-Min Son and the exceptional Lucas Moura dovetailing beautifully in the final third.
Son continued his impressive pre-season form with a well-taken opener following a slide-rule Lucas through-ball, before setting up Alli for a goal against the club where he started his career.
In the final ten minutes, Lucas got the goal his performance deserved, capitalising on a defensive mix-up from an MK Dons side who often ran into trouble when trying to play out from the back.
Where do Nuno’s Tottenham need to improve?
“It’s been good, hard work. They did well, they worked very hard, well-organised and there were some good movements, the way they moved the ball, the speed and the possession was good,” Nuno said after the game.
“We are preparing, we are building and there are good things, things to correct. I think we must trust the talent that we have, give them the ability to express themselves.”
Tottenham scored just three times from 17 shots on goal, however, and that is something Nuno is looking to improve with a fortnight to go before the new Premier League season gets underway.
“If you have a chance you have to take it,” he added. “We had more (chances). That character of putting the ball in the net is necessary because if you can score more goals, the better you feel, the more confident you become.
“Every chance we make, you have to put it in (the net).”
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