Sandro Tonali makes Leeds United admission in Tottenham defeat verdict and declares Whites must
Tottenham midfielder Sandro Tonali on the 1-0 defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road.
Spurs star Sandro Tonali has made a frank Leeds United admission in his Tottenham defeat verdict and highlighted a requirement for any teams facing the Whites at Elland Road.
Tonali’s side went into Saturday’s Premier League clash at Leeds having won their last three games and Roberto De Zerbi’s men caused problems in a first half that ultimately ended goalless.
Leeds, though, were then much improved after the break and Daniel Farke’s Whites bagged what proved the only goal of the game in the 79th minute as substitute Noah Okafor jumped off the bench to slam home a clinical finish that sealed a 1-0 victory for the hosts.
Spurs had 62 per cent of possession in the contest as a whole and just as many shots on target as Leeds but Tonali admitted his men generally found it tough going against Leeds in a very different experience to their last four games.
The £100m midfielder also said visiting teams must show all of their personality when facing Leeds at Elland Road as he saluted United’s high press.
"I think it was tough,” admitted Tonali to Spurs Play.
"We knew everything, this week we trained a lot to play this game and it was tough from the start.
"We played a little bit slow, we did a lot of mistakes on the ball and I think we conceded a few chances.
"In the last four games it was different apart from ten minutes against Coventry and the second half against Man United, all the four games were really positive for us.
"But today was different. In the first half we created a little bit more.
"In the second half we worked slowly every time until the goal, until 1-0 but we have to improve now.
"We have time to rest, we have time to think everything about this game and we have time to restart after the international break."
“They press really high, especially here in this stadium”
Presented with the fact that Leeds were very difficult when getting on top of you and difficult to play against, Tonali said: “Yeah they press really high, especially here in this stadium.
"I think sometimes when you find this team you have to show all your personality, you have to play with the ball much better, you have to improve everything, not just with the ball but without the ball as well.
"I think the ten minutes in the middle of the second half was really really tough, probably my worst, for me it was difficult, for the team it was difficult, everything, the press, we conceded a few chances and we created probably nothing in these ten minutes. Now we have to rest. We played a little bit slow, we didn't play bad but have to improve.
"If we have a different game we have to change everything and we have to play our football always."