. The Rockies will start LHP Tyler Matzek (1-0, 2.57) in thei

Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Monaco means Mauricio Pochettino’s men can no longer progress in the Champions League. It’s the continuation of a worrying run of form for Spurs, writes Adam Bate… Pochettino argued that you can only smile after Tottenham bounced back from a lacklustre first-half to earn a point at Arsenal earlier this month. Their fans added laughter to the smiles after turning another derby around against West Ham at the weekend. But Tuesdays defeat to Monaco showed theres also a serious side to Tottenhams travails.Of course, this is no crisis club. Spurs are the only team in the Premier League who remain unbeaten in the competition. But nor could the 2-1 defeat in the principality, one that confirmed the team will not be progressing to the Champions League knockout stages, be regarded as a shock result either. Spurs are struggling not soaring this season. Tottenham crash out Tottenhams 2-1 defeat at Monaco ends their hopes of Champions League progress. Saturdays scarcely deserved win was their first in eight. The fluency that so marked their title tilt in the spring is long gone and explanations are offered as regularly as the fixtures pile up. Its the challenge of the Champions League. Its the Wembley home games. Its injuries to key players like Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld. Its new players needing time to settle.All of these things should be seen as reasons rather excuses. Chelsea and Liverpool are enjoying far greater preparation time. Pochettino can show videos to his players but the opportunity to drill them relentlessly on the training ground has been lost. The problem is we dont have time to train too much, he admits. The priority is to rest and recover. Tottenhams players are struggling to regain their fluency this term Wembley has been a factor in their Champions League disappointment. The problem is home games, as simple as that, said Hugo Lloris this week. Its very clear.The ease with which Monaco cut through Spurs on Tuesday challenged that theory but nevertheless, had they so much as drawn their two Wembley games, theyd be on course for the last 16.The disruptive impact of losing both Kane and Alderweireld can hardly be overstated either, particularly when neither man missed a Premier League game last season.Replacements Kevin Wimmer and Vincent Janssen have offered nowhere near the same quality - but could that ever really have been expected of back-up figures given the abilities of the missing men? The confidence, belief and fluency just seems to have drained out of them. Paul Walsh, Sky Sports And yet, still there are issues that nag away. While Pochettinos reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in the game has been too hard earned to be easily lost, it must be acknowledged that mistakes have been made too.The coach is striving to get the balance right in rotating his squad but its difficult to be persuaded that he is getting it spot on.With Alderweireld missing, Jan Vertonghens inclusion surely became of paramount importance against a Monaco side that had scored 28 goals in their previous eight matches. Not since Alderweirelds arrival had Spurs gone into either a Premier League or a Champions League fixture without one of the two Belgians in the starting line-up. Harry Kane did equalise from the spot but Monaco soon retook the lead Instead, the experienced Vertonghen was left on the bench as Wimmer and Eric Dier were paired at the back. Alongside him among the substitutes was Kyle Walker as Pochettino opted to go into the game with only Danny Rose of his first-choice back four. It was a gamble befitting the Monte Carlo surroundings and it did not pay off.Dier, looking as uncomfortable in defence as hed appeared assured in midfield, was guilty of a wild swing at the ball in conceding the first-half penalty that was saved by the brilliant Lloris.Wimmers woes, meanwhile, show no sign of coming to an end - unable to intercept crosses as might be expected of a man of his height let alone track runners at pace. Hugo Lloris made nine saves against Monaco - the joint-most by a goalkeeper in this seasons Champions League. But its not all about individual errors. Tactically too, Spurs have issues that need to be addressed.The lack of width in the team is supposed to be resolved in an attacking sense by the forays of the full-backs, but against Monaco both Rose and Kieran Trippier found themselves badly exposed defensively by the absence of meaningful cover ahead of them.This was a key factor in Monacos match-winning goal. Straight from the kick-off, right-back Djibril Sidibe was able to overlap untracked leaving Rose in a two-on-one situation and unable to cut out the cross. On the other side of the pitch, left-winger Thomas Lemar had the freedom to pick his spot with no sign of any support for Trippier. Highlights of Tottenhams 3-2 Premier League win over West Ham Perhaps Pochettino does not feel he has the players to do things any differently right now. Certainly, wide options Moussa Sissoko and Georges-Kevin NKoudou have shown little so far to suggest they should be entrusted with such roles. And the Argentine at least seems well aware of the need for his Spurs project to evolve more than two years into the job.Hes spoken of the need to be flexible and to play in different ways in different games recently, backing that up by going with three at the back against Arsenal. But his admission that he cannot rotate the way wed like to rotate the players suggest that his selections are being governed by issues of fitness rather than tactical preference. Sky Sports Black Friday sale Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price! Weve had a difficult period over the last month for different reasons, he said ahead of a result that leaves Spurs facing the prospect of the Europa League once more.We need to be clever. We need to assess every player because we have some problems, we need to be clinical in how we pick the starting 11 because we have a lot of games ahead.The next of those games is at Chelsea on Saturday. Its a return to the ground where Pochettinos players unravelled along with their title hopes in May. Theyll need to be cleverer this time. Given the form of the two teams, they might also need some more of their derby fortune if theyre to find a way to be smiling when they leave Stamford Bridge.Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4! Also See: Tottenham crash out As it happened Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys . As the Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened their main training camp Sunday, Kuale is one of the newcomers brought in to bolster a sagging defence that ranked overall where the Bombers finished 2013, in the CFL cellar with a league high 585 points against. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Hal Steinbrenner says Alex Rodriguez is "a great player" and "obviously an asset," but the New York Yankees managing general partner wouldnt discuss the third basemans possible return to the team following a season-long suspension. http://www.cheapbruinsjerseys.com/ . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun. Cheap Bruins Jerseys Authentic . Sources tell TSN that union executives travelled to select CFL cities Monday to open dialogue with players and answer questions. After the tentative deal was reached Saturday night, several players posted messages of frustration and disappointment on social media - and that carried over into Sunday on both the web and the field. Cheap Adidas Bruins Jerseys .com) - Thursday marks the official debut of a new dirt racing surface at Meydan Racecourse.SAN FRANCISCO -- Justin Morneau hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 8-7 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep with another comeback victory. Morneaus pinch-hit highlighted a four-run rally for the Rockies, who scored in the ninth in each of the first two games of the series for the win. Troy Tulowitzki had three hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs for the Rockies, who won extended their season-high winning streak to five games. Madison Bumgarner pitched seven innings and homered in the fifth inning for the Giants, who have lost six of seven and were swept at home for the first time. Matt Belisle (2-2) pitched an inning for Colorado. Juan Gutierrez (1-2) allowed four runs on three hits for the Giants. LaTroy Hawkins pitched the ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances. Tulowitzki singled to open the eighth and scored on Drew Stubbs one-out triple. Michael McKenry beat out an infield single to score Stubbs and Charlie Culberson walked. D.J. LeMahieu then hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who bobbled the ball before getting the force at second. Ehire Adrianza also had trouble controlling the ball and his relay throw to first was late, setting up Morneaus hit. The no-decision denied Bumgarner a chance to move into a tie for the NL wins lead with nine. He allowed four runs on six hits, walking four and striking out nine. Bumgarner had allowed a combined four runs in his previous 29 innings. Rockies starter Juan Nicasio gave up three runs on four hits over two-plus innings. He walked four and struck out two. Nicasio could not finish four innings in his second straight start, facing two hitters in the third before giving way to Franklin Morales. Hes allowed 25 runs on 35 hits over his lasst 15 2-3 innings, a 14.dddddddddddd36 ERA. Nicasio walked Tyler Colvin and Crawford to open the second inning and Adrianza singled to put the Giants ahead. Bumgarner bunted and was safe when Nicasio threw the ball wide. Crawford scored on the play. Hunter Pence also drove in a run. Tulowitzkis 18th home run of the season, a two-shot into the left field bleachers in the third, cut into the lead but the Giants answered when Hector Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth. Sanchez hit for Buster Posey, who left the game as a precautionary measure after taking a foul ball off his mask. Sanchezs previous 23 RBIs all came in Giants victories. Tulowitzki, the NL batting average leader, is hitting left-handers at a .441 clip (26 for 59) this season. Brandon Barnes RBI groundout in the fifth was matched by Colvins RBI single in the sixth to make it 7-3 for the Giants. Pinch-hitter Josh Rutledge added an RBI double against Bumgarner in the seventh to cut it to 7-4. NOTES: Giants OF Angel Pagan was scratched from the starting lineup with lower back tightness. . The Giants will start RHP Matt Cain (1-4, 3.84) against the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday. He is 8-10 with a 2.71 ERA in 22 career interleague games. . The Rockies will start LHP Tyler Matzek (1-0, 2.57) in their series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday. Hell be making his second career start. . Rockies Wilin Rosario made his first start at first base. . Nicasio threw a season-high 38 pitches in the second inning . RHP Santiago Casilla is expected to be activated by the Giants in time for their series in Chicago. . Giants RHP Tim Lincecum turned 30. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected from the game with two outs in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes. 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