Bob Bradley wants quick Swansea response after Spurs mauling
Saturday 3 December 2016 23:40, UK
Bob Bradley admits Swansea need to up their game quickly after their 5-0 drubbing at Spurs left the Welsh side propping up the Premier League table.
A 39th minute Harry Kane penalty and Heung-Min Son's stunning first half stoppage time volley put the hosts firmly in command at the break.
Kane struck again early in the second half before Christian Eriksen added two more to seal Tottenham's biggest league win of the campaign.
But the result leaves Swansea bottom and Bradley knows there will have to be a big improvement in the coming weeks with a huge game coming up next Saturday at home to Sunderland.
"Last week [5-4 win v Palace] was a wild game with set-piece mistakes," Bradley said. "Today we were punished just in the run of the game based upon the tempo and the physicality.
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"In all ways you have to improve because to be successful in this next stretch of games we can't be a team that's giving away the goals we are at the moment."
"It's probably the team that has pressed us the most so now you see how we are able to respond to that.
"When you look closely that part wasn't as good as it needs to be. Not every match looks like that but you need to use that level as your target.
"For sure it shows us that both physically and technically under pressure we have work to do."
Bradley also questioned why Spurs had been awarded the penalty which set them on the way to victory after Dele Alli was adjudged the victim of a trip in the area by former Tottenham defender Kyle Naughton.
"I think it's the wrong decision. I don't think the referee is in a great position and I don't think there's contact," Bradley added. "That certainly changes the game because then we were behind and you have to take more chances and try to step a little higher at times. They are very good on the counter and that was certainly the case with the third goal.
"[The penalty] that changes things but we have to look at the whole picture, be honest and use it in the right way."
"Of course you want to see a better response. Son's (goal) came quickly.
"It was a good strike and then you've really dug a deep hole. We made a change at half-time to try and see whether we could impact the game in a different way and then number three also comes very quickly.
"When you add it all up it's something like three goals in nine or 10 minutes and that's impossible."
Despite feeling frustrated with the way his side fell behind, Bradley acknowledged Spurs had thoroughly deserved what in the end was an emphatic success.
"It was a tough day for us. Tottenham came out and pressed. Bradley added. "I think we were second best for most of the day and in terms of coming away with more plays, reacting faster and playing out of pressure we just weren't able to keep up. It's a day when we knew it was going to be difficult to take points.
"Tottenham are a strong team, especially at White Hart Lane, but we weren't good enough and now we have to be honest about that but also put our focus on this next stretch of games which is so important going into the early part of next year."
"It's a big disappointment today because again, you try to prepare a team to understand this is the type of game we are going to be in and everyone knows when you play Tottenham here, they press with real intensity and you have to be able to match that.
"Today pushed us to a level we weren't capable of but hopefully we can learn from that and as I keep saying, I think we've made some progress but now we have to show it in this next run of games."