Matt Doherty does not hesitate when asked to recall the time things sunk to their lowest. It was March 2021: Spurs were travelling to Aston Villa on the back of a defeat to Arsenal and a humiliation for the ages at Dinamo Zagreb.
Although he was not involved in the latter, Doherty knew he had not performed well at the Emirates, but it still came as a surprise to find himself José Mourinho’s fall guy next time out. He was in the 21-strong travelling party but the ignominy hit hardest when, with the youngsters Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett named as substitutes, he was forced to stay in the car park.
