Tottenham must use ‘total humiliation’ as ‘motivation’ in Newcastle clash – Expert
Tottenham News is delighted to welcome John Wenham of Lilywhite Rose as our exclusive columnist. Each week, he’ll be giving his expert insight on the biggest talking points at Spurs…
John Wenham is hopeful that the “humiliation” and “complete embarrassment” from last year’s defeats against Newcastle can act as motivation when Tottenham host the Magpies on Sunday 10 December.
Eddie Howe’s side did the double over Spurs last season, beating them 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before thrashing them 6-1 at St James’ Park toward the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
It was a shocking performance from Tottenham which saw them 5-0 down by the 20th minute on what proved to be one of the most humiliating days in the club’s modern history.
With this in mind, Wenham is hopeful that the Spurs players will find that little bit of extra motivation to exact revenge on Newcastle when the two teams meet, although he recognises that it will still be a tough task.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Wenham said: “At the start of this season there wasn’t a game I was looking forward to more than Newcastle at home.
“I was hoping we would be playing them with our first team because those two defeats last year inflicted mental damage on me as a supporter.
“Especially the 6-1 at St James’ Park, it was just a total humiliation that I hadn’t seen from Tottenham since the 90s and early 2000s, that level of complete embarrassment and a performance where the club had to refund the fans.
“I was therefore desperate for us to be able to play Newcastle with our full first team this season and to beat them connivingly, which I believe we would do with our first team, I’m very confident of that.
“I think we’re significantly better than Newcastle with our strongest first team, but now once again, they’re going to get the opportunity to play us when we’re weak and without key players.
“With that in mind, it’ll probably be a really difficult game, but I hope enough players in that squad remember what happened last year and can use that as motivation to beat Newcastle.”
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