Football news - Stumbling Spurs still searching for a new identity under Jose Mourinho

There was an air of excitement and expectation ahead of kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and as the pre-match lightshow at the club’s spectacular home faded away a huge chant reverberated around the ground.

And that was as good as it got on the night for the Spurs fans.

What followed was a disjointed and disappointing display that leaves RB Leipzig in control of the Champions League last-16 tie going into the second leg.

Jose Mourinho responded with a series of headline-grabbing excuses: his key players are missing; too many players are struggling for fitness; the fixture-list is working against Spurs; and “it’s like going to fight with a gun without bullets”.

Is he right? Maybe, he has a point on all of the above.

But as yet it’s unclear whether this stuttering iteration of Spurs is down to Mourinho’s influence (which his detractors will have you believe) or due to the “painful transition” that his predecessor hinted at last summer.

Because this is a Spurs side lacking an identity.

At times against Leipzig it felt like Giovani Lo Celso was the only player capable of knitting it all together. And one player, no matter how much potential he might have, is not enough.

Endless wayward long balls and over-hit passes into the channels left Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn chasing shadows, while it was little wonder that Dele Alli seemed furious after coming off – he’d been feeding on scraps all evening.

The Tottenham who emerged under Mauricio Pochettino had a midfield that defined them; Christian Eriksen pulling the creative strings, Moussa Dembele running the game, and either Eric Dier or Victor Wanyama anchoring it.

All top teams have that sort of strong core. Even Liverpool, whose one clear weakness is a lack of creativity in those central areas, cannot be accused of lacking strength in the team’s core.

But Spurs’ midfield is a jumble of styles and abilities, with a number of players still finding their feet in the squad.

And the Jose Mourinho era at Spurs will be defined by how he develops this area going into future seasons.

However, in the short-term he must find a more workable solution.

The trio of Lo Celso, Harry Winks and Gedson Fernandes that started on Wednesday evening largely failed to unlock Leipzig on the break and also offered a level of protection for the defence that was flimsy at best.

Time and again the visitors were able to find space, particularly in the channels between each full-back and centre-back, and should have exploited that to a far greater extent than they managed.

Only a combination of poor finishing and an excellent display by the two Spurs centre-backs (particularly the impressive Davinson Sanchez) kept the tie alive on a night that still saw the hosts take a lead and an away goal back to Germany.

Nobody quite characterises this current Spurs side better than Winks. A midfielder of solid technique and temperament, he is rightly in the national team conversation and a worthy squad member of a top-four club. But would he be a starting player for any of the best teams in Europe? You won’t find many who would argue that.

For Tottenham to get back to their best they either need Winks to step up a level himself, or Mourinho must find a better solution. For as it stands this is a team that not only lacks its attacking weapons, but also lacks the means to create chances for the remaining forwards they do have.

Never mind lacking bullets, Mourinho turned up to a gun fight without a gun.