Glenn Hoddle and Roy Keane explain reasons for Tottenham Hotspur's recent struggle

Tottenham Hotspur legend Glenn Hoddle believes the key players who signed new contracts at White Hart Lane have put "their foot off the pedal", which is why they are struggling in all competitions.

Since the start of the 2016/17 season, the north London club handed new deals to Kevin Wimmer, Eric Dier, Christian Eriksen, Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Danny Rose, Tom Carroll, Kyle Walker and Cameron Carter-Vickers. Dier, Eriksen, Alli, Rose and Walker are the key players in their side's starting lineup.

Mauricio Pochettino saw his side suffer a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League fixture at Wembley on 2 November. That defeat has left them without a win in the last six matches played in all competitions. Their last win was over Manchester City on 2 October before the international break.

"I think it's a positive thing that Tottenham have got a lot of these young players signed to new contracts. (But) since they've signed them they've put their foot off the pedal. I think it's something to do with it," Hoddle told BT Sport, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has pinpointed that Tottenham are lacking a "spark" in their squad. The Old Trafford legend also stressed that Pochettino's side are struggling in the absence of Harry Kane, who has been sidelined since Spurs' 1-0 win over Sunderland on 18 September.

"He's (Kane) a big loss to them but if you're going to compete in any competition you need to deal with setbacks, injuries, suspensions. Tottenham have lost spark at the moment, if they get Kane back it will be a big boost for them," Keane explained.

"They've earned a lot of plaudits over the last 12 to 18 months, expectation is a bit higher and they dont seem to be dealing with it well. They don't look like they have many goals in the team."