Conte Curse HAUNTS Spurs in St.James Park 

Hapless Tottenham concede FIVE times in 20 minutes

Gary Lineker joked that Tottenham was now “back on track” after their dismal recent run reached a new low with a humbling 6-1 loss to Newcastle.

Spurs needed a result against their top-four opponents on Sunday after losing to Bournemouth the previous week. They began the day three points behind Newcastle, who held the final Champions League spot.

Any aspirations of narrowing the distance were dashed by a disastrous start in which they conceded five goals in 20 anxious minutes. After less than two minutes, Jacob Murphy tapped home a Joelinton strike to put the game on track.

Four minutes later, the Brazilian extended Newcastle’s lead, before Murphy scored his second and Newcastle’s third mere seconds later.

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Former Tottenham striker Lineker quickly took to Twitter to mock the club’s current plight, writing: “Good to see that @SpursOfficial are back on track.”

Alexander Isak ghosted behind an absent Tottenham defense to stroke past Hugo Lloris before the 20-minute mark to make it three. And the Swede increased his tally moments later to make it five, threatening the Premier League’s record defeat.

Tottenham pulled one back after the break through Harry Kane, but Newcastle’s five-goal lead was restored when Callum Wilson scored 68 seconds after coming on.

The outcome and nature of Tottenham’s performance will add to Daniel Levy’s decision to sack Antonio Conte and appoint his ex-assistant Cristian Stellini in charge on an interim basis.

Conte was fired at the end of last month after a difficult period in which the Italian sacked his underperforming players. Rather than hire an external successor, the Spurs promoted Stellini with the expectation of finishing the season unbeaten.

That strategy has now dramatically backfired, leaving their ambitions of finishing in the top four in tatters and their season in serious jeopardy.

Stellini tried to reverse his team’s fortunes by switching to a back four for the first time this season but had to revert to form after the fifth goal, with Davinson Sanchez replacing the injured Pape Matar Sarr.

Stellini confessed before the game that defeats at St James’ Park would practically destroy their chances of returning to the Champions League. “The math gives us reason to believe that.” “Until that moment [when we can no longer make the top four], we will continue to believe, push, and play to achieve this goal,” he stated.

As for Newcastle, the result only heightens their chances of returning to Europe’s top competition for the first time in 20 years. And Toon legend Alan Shearer was quick to chime in himself, posting: “Boooommmmmm what a start this is. Big Joeeeeee”, before adding “THIS IS BLOODY GOOD”. Meanwhile, his Match of the Day colleague Lineker simply said: “Gonna stick my neck out: Can’t see Spurs winning this game.”

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was more analytical in his verdict on the game, picking out Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro, Eric Dier, and Hugo Lloris for their parts in the five-goal demolition job which ended the contest before it had really started.