Tottenham

TOTTENHAM stumbled to another humiliating defeat on Tuesday night, when they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte faces critical decisions on four players after his side fell to a shock defeat at Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening. With the Italian outspoken about his concerns, Express Sport analyses four players who could be on the brink: With the Italian's three-back formation placing plenty of emphasis on wing-backs to fly forward and back, the 23-year-old could encounter the same problem as Sessegnon and Doherty, in that only the best is good enough.

Antonio Conte named a first-choice starting XI for the trip to Middlesbrough but they sat back, had less possession and ultimately paid the price.

Typical Tottenham, Middlesbrough thoroughly deserved to be in the quarter-finals.' The 24-year-old midfielder put pen to paper on a four-year contract but he's, understandably, still adjusting to the demands of Premier League football. 'They were the better team from start to finish. Will Conte consider a change in system for the visit of Everton next week? It's a case of two steps forward, one step back at the north London club. 'What a night for Middlesbrough and their fans, he (Wilder) was up for it, the players were up for it, it's a shame the Tottenham players weren't up for it. Antonio Conte's Tottenham troubles: Struggling to break teams down, an over-reliance on Kane and Son, while arrivals are still bedding in... It is a label that the north London club have tried to shake off and Pochettino took a huge step in doing that by guiding them to the 2019 Champions League final. He played half an hour in the 3-2 defeat by Southampton and the full 90 in the 2-0 loss at home to Wolves. More and more he finds himself dropping deeper to get on the ball - another example that midfield creativity is in short supply - and his passing ability is second to none. Chris Wilder's men proved they were no pushovers when they dumped United out of the competition in the previous round and Spurs were unable to assert themselves in the north east. - Spurs have a huge task on their hands to finish in the top four down in seventh

As Middlesbrough was outplaying Tottenham Hotspur in another poor performance, Spurs were repeating past mistakes and again paying the price.

The idea that Spurs sat in a 5-4-1 for most of the game against both Burnley and Middlesbrough is the most frustrating part for me as a fan. As a fan, I’d rather Spurs go for it and lose every game 4-3 than hiding and dropping matches 1-0. Against teams, Spurs should overmatch it is a recipe for defeat. Adherence to a defence-first philosophy, which both current gaffer Antonio Conte and former coach Jose Mourinho possess, has cost Spurs greatly over the last couple of seasons. For Mourinho, most can recall the blown lead at West Ham as the turning point in his tenure. While the constant pressing and pushing overwhelmed many a team, a thinning squad needed a plan B which Pochettino never developed.