Tottenham star Jan Vertonghen: It was painful missing out on chance to climb into top four

Jan Vertonghen admits the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle was 'painful'

 

JAN VERTONGHEN admits that missing out on the chance to climb into the top four for the first time the season on Sunday was "painful".

 

However, the Belgium international believes this year Spurs have the playing qualities and mental toughness to bounce back and snatch one of Champions League positions having so narrowly missed out in recent seasons.

He arrived at White Hart Lane in 2012 as one of the first signings made by Andre Villas Boas fully expecting to be playing in European football's elite stage sooner rather than later.

Despite going 14 games unbeaten since the opening day of the campaign, due the number draws in that period, Spurs had remained off the radar.

When Eric Dier gave the London side the lead just before half-time, Spurs looked set to leapfrog Manchester United, following their defeat to Bournemouth the previous day.

But two late Newcastle goals put the lid on such thoughts and instead Tottenham need to build their momentum all over again.

 

"Especially when you lose a game like this at home it is very painful" Vertonghen said. "I felt we were very strong and very confident. It is hard to lose these games.

"I don't really know what happened. We were trying to go for a second goal whereas Newcastle had the better chances. I think we were running forward, we tried to force something and gave Newcastle the space, with their pace, to create chances

"In the first half, we had to finish it. We didn't score that second goal and then Newcastle had the quality on the bench to turn things around and that is what they did."

The immediate suggestion was that the young exuberance which had carried Spurs through an exhausting Premier League and Europa League programme had finally run out of steam and had not been able to replace it with the native wit to be able to compensate.

Vertonghen, though, was not having any of it.

 

"In my opinion, it was nothing to do with experience against Newcastle," Vertonghen continued.  

"We were in that vibe and wanted to win and we started very well. I think we are an attacking team and we tried to move forward and you know you give chances away sometimes. Normally we can cope with it but not then."

So it is just a case of learning how to attack as well as defend.

"Everyone is beating each other and helping each other and we just have to win games," Vertonghen said. "It is hard because you know you have to win these games if you want to stay in the top four.

"It has been the story the last couple of seasons but there is a difference in this team. We feel like it is a on the way – in the last couple of years that was a bit different.

"Now we really feel it is an accident - a one-off."