Peter Crouch hits out at ‘nightmare’ Tottenham display after big loss to Newcastle - 'Put them to the sword'

Peter Crouch criticised Tottenham’s fight and defensive fragility on TNT Sports after Newcastle dismantled them 4-0 in their heaviest defeat of the season.

Almost a year to the day after Spurs were humbled 6-1 at St James’ Park, Ange Postecoglou’s side conceded their opening two goals just 95 seconds apart as Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon started the romp.

Isak grabbed his second shortly after the break before Fabian Schar completed the rout with a fine header.

Newcastle enjoyed just 27% possession but out-shot their visitors and showed clinical edge to capitalise on the visitors’ mistakes that Spurs themselves sorely lacked as they drop to fifth in the Premier League on goal difference.

Individual errors were particularly costly for Postecoglou’s side as Micky van de Ven was beaten three times in the lead-up to goals while an errant Pedro Porro pass set up the second score and Crouch - who played 73 times for Spurs - didn’t hold back in his post-game analysis on TNT Sports and discovery+.

“Spurs just didn’t react, Newcastle were first in every department today and they were clinical, they really really put this Spurs team to the sword,” Crouch said.

“They were second-best all over the pitch, just individual errors. What Porro was doing for the second goal? Van de Ven had an absolute nightmare and I think you’re relying on them as your two centre-halves when you’re playing with the full-backs inverted like they do, they just weren’t at the races at all.

“Second half they had possession of the ball but I don’t think they created anywhere near enough and Newcastle were better in every single department.”

Crouch played for Spurs’ youth team but never graduated to the senior side as a youngster before returning to White Hart Lane later in his career and netting 12 goals in two seasons.

While Spurs remain 10 points ahead of the sixth-place Magpies, it is still unconfirmed whether the fifth-place-finishing Premier League team will qualify for the UEFA Champions League with extra spots going to the two best-performing leagues on the continent this season.

Thanks to Manchester United and ironically Newcastle’s group-stage exits, Spurs will need a helping hand from West Ham and Arsenal in particular as they face German teams in the quarter-finals, but Postecoglou’s side themselves don’t play again for 15 days until they face the Gunners.

Rio Ferdinand echoed Crouch’s post-game comments TNT Sports and added the long gap to that North London derby will be especially tough for players like Van de Ven who struggled at St James’ Park.

He explained: “It’s now how you react, we’ve all been there where we’ve had a moment where you haven’t performed, but he’s got some massive fixtures coming up, there’s no better place to put himself back up.”

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