da realbet： [ad_pod ]
da fazobetai： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.
Having taken the lead in the first half, Tottenham slipped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Snapshot
Mauricio Pochettino’s side came into the game having thrown away a two-goal lead against Olympiacos in the Champions League in mid-week.
So when Harry Kane gave the visitors the perfect start, surely the north Londoners had sufficiently learned their lessons from Greece?
Maybe not. Leicester grew increasingly stronger after the break and turned the game on its head thanks to goals from Ricardo Pereira and James Maddison.
Spurs could have gone 2-0 up had VAR not ruled out a strike from Serge Aurier but instead, the Lilywhites wilted under the pressure and they threw it all away. How did that come about? Well, Victor Wanyama’s introduction certainly had something to do with it.
Off the bench
The Kenya international had been close to sealing a £12m move to Belgian side Club Brugge during the summer transfer window but failed to see it get completed before the deadline.
The 28-year-old hadn’t played a single minute of competitive action for Spurs this season, so Pochettino’s decision to bring him on in such a close game was certainly eyebrow-raising.
Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
The former Southampton man replaced the energetic Moussa Sissoko in the 68th minute and whilst the latter appeared to be playing on the edge, he brought a real tenacity to Spurs. Wanyama, on the other hand, looked distinctly pedestrian, seemingly running through mud.
The holding midfielder struggled to catch up to the pace of the game, making no tackles, interceptions or clearances in his disappointing cameo.
James Maddison was a real live-wire for Leicester registering four key passes and two dribbles, and it was imperative Spurs kept a lid on him. Instead, Wanyama lost the England U21 international just minutes before the end and saw him rifle home the winner from more than 20 yards.
Having seen his side choke against Olympiacos just days before, Pochettino’s rationale behind wanting to bring in extra defensive protection seemed logical enough. But surely not someone who the club were happy to let go and hadn’t played at all this season?
The Argentine took a major gamble in throwing him in at the deep end and Wanyama duly sunk. From looking on course to getting a hard-fought three points, Spurs chucked it all away. Pochettino’s second-half decision played a huge part in that outcome.