Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea: Jose Mourinho's side 'devoid of ambition and lacking in ideas'

Jose Mourinho has lost back-to-back home league games for the first time in his career

Jose Mourinho conducted his post-match inquest after Tottenham's third successive Premier League defeat with the club's motto emblazoned in lights around their vast stadium.

"To Dare Is To Do" is the time-honoured Spurs call to arms - but there was not much daring or doing as Mourinho's side lost 1-0 to Chelsea, completing a hat-trick of successive league losses for the first time since November 2012 under Andre Villas-Boas.

The Spurs manager may produce Carlos Vinicius' late miss as primary evidence in his case for suggesting his team should have got something, but, in reality, he paid the price for a grim, attritional, negative approach which instantly handed Chelsea the initiative.

He and his team got what that deserved: nothing.

It earned Mourinho an unwanted career first - never before had he lost consecutive home league games as a manager.

And it left him with an ominous recent record of only three wins from the past 12 league games, the same sequence that saw his hugely popular predecessor Mauricio Pochettino sacked. While no-one is suggesting crisis point has been reached, these are troubled times for Mourinho.

In a triple blow to their Premier League aspirations, Liverpool outclassed Spurs on their own patch, Brighton fully deserved their win at the Amex and no-one could question for a second that Chelsea, under new manager Thomas Tuchel, were more positive and progressive on Thursday.

Spurs, from the first whistle, were devoid of ambition, lacking in ideas and for the first 45 minutes barely seemed to have a positive thought in their heads.

And while the absence of a world-class forward like Harry Kane would damage any team, a desperately negative strategy ensured this setback was exacerbated. Son Heung-min, lacking support and supply, was reduced to a desperate shot late on - but surely the absence of one player, no matter the quality, should not have such a catastrophic impact on their attacking potential?

The first half in particular was an eyesore of a performance on their own ground. Instead of setting the pace and coming out on the front foot, Spurs' gameplan was bewilderingly dull.

It will set off the old arguments about Mourinho adopting the cloak of conservatism at key moments. He would struggle to mount a counter argument here.

And while no manager would ever say they would welcome the absence of supporters in these times of behind-closed-doors games, it would have been very interesting to hear how this tactical approach would have been received had it been carried out in the presence of 60,000 fans.

The smart money would have been on mutiny. It is hard to imagine Tottenham supporters, had they been here, standing for this negative approach in patient silence. In fact, they probably would not have stood for it at all.

Mourinho has guided Spurs to the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City and they travel to Everton in the FA Cup fifth round later this month. He needs better results and better performances fast if those who had their doubts about his appointment are not to raise their voices more loudly.

It should also be said that it is foolish to write off a manager of Mourinho's capabilities and track record. And we should not forget that Spurs were top of the Premier League after their 2-0 win against north London rivals Arsenal on 6 December.

Things can change quickly - most of the leading clubs have had some kind of crisis point this season, including current leaders Manchester City - and Mourinho must hope he can now shift momentum just as dramatically in the other direction.

Tottenham fans might accept poor results - they have suffered enough of them over the years - but they may not accept a gameplan lacking any shred of imagination or attacking intent as we saw for so much of this game quite as easily.

Gareth Bale (left) was an unused substitute against Chelsea

And what of Gareth Bale?

When Mourinho needed an injection of ideas and attacking threat in the second half, he turned to Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura rather than the man whose loan spell from Real Madrid, greeted with such fanfare and celebration, is now in danger of becoming a long anti-climax.

It is sobering indeed that a Spurs manager and team so clearly requiring a spark of inspiration saw no need to call Bale - someone who has inhabited world-class company for so long, but who has looked a very pale shadow of his former self since returning to the Premier League.

Asked by a television reporter why Bale did not come on, Mourinho replied: "Good question. You do not deserve to know the answer."

When asked about the Wales forward in his press conference a little later, the Portuguese gave himself lengthy thinking time before responding: "I am doing my best. He is doing his best. Everybody is doing their best."

This best, judging by Bale's lack of gainful employment on the pitch, is clearly not good enough at the moment.

Mourinho needs to stop the slide swiftly and, after what we saw here, West Bromwich Albion boss Sam Allardyce might just relish the notion of causing further upset when they pitch up at Tottenham on Sunday, even in the Baggies' current parlous state.

In contrast, a renewed mood of optimism will be sweeping around Chelsea after Tuchel continued his unbeaten start with a second win in three league games, still without conceding a goal.

The German urged on his players constantly, never shy of showing his emotions amid animated body language. Chelsea looked confident, organised, revitalised and this was the sort of important victory any manager needs when starting out at a new club.

Mourinho, meanwhile, is left struggling with questions to answer and some vital games on the horizon - for himself and Spurs. He needs to win those games to release the pressure valve.

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