sport news Problems facing Pochettino on the pitch as Tottenham prepare for new stadium

With just four days to go until Tottenham open their new £1billion stadium against Crystal Palace, the rest of the season is looking ominous.

Poor form has seen them plummet in the Premier League table, and Mauricio Pochettino's side sit just a point ahead of sixth place.

Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the problems facing Tottenham - from Harry Kane's poor form to a tough-looking run-in between now and the end of the season... 

Tottenham are just days away from the first match in their new stadium, against Crystal Palace

Tottenham are just days away from the first match in their new stadium, against Crystal Palace

Mauricio Pochettino has a host of problems to deal with, including a difficult run of matches

Mauricio Pochettino has a host of problems to deal with, including a difficult run of matches

Harry Kane's return

The England captain's reinstatement to the starting XI should, of course, have been 100 per cent positive for Tottenham. Kane has scored three times since shaking off his ankle ligament injury, but that hardly matters when his team can't buy a win.

Since he returned, Spurs have lost to Burnley, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool, while drawing against Arsenal in his other Premier League game. That's one point from a possible 15. Hardly title-winning form.

Kane needs to take this team by the scruff of the neck and turn their season around, or risk dropping out of the Champions League places - a monumentally disastrous scenario given they have just moved into their new billion-pound home. 

Harry Kane is back from injury, but Spurs have picked up one point from 15 over last few weeks

Harry Kane is back from injury, but Spurs have picked up one point from 15 over last few weeks

What's happened to Son? 

On the subject of Spurs' front-line, Son Heung-min is another player that hasn't dealt well with Kane's return to fitness. He has changed from main man to a bit-part substitute role, which will have done nothing to boost his confidence.

Before Kane's return, he netted four in four, but is now without a goal in his last six appearances. Against Liverpool on Sunday, he came on for the last 25 minutes but only managed to touch the ball six times.

To put that into perspective, Liverpool's Divock Origi - a 77th-minute substitute - managed 11 touches in his time on the pitch. There is no doubting Son's incredible ability, but his form right now is worrying at a vital time in the season. 

Son Heung-min (pictured) is without a goal in six games following the return of Harry Kane

Kane's return has coincided with Son's poor form on the pitch

Son Heung-min (left) is without a goal in six games following the return of star man Harry Kane

Blundering Hugo Lloris

Speaking on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday night, Jermaine Jenas said the following of Hugo Lloris: 'He should be at the peak of his powers right now. But if anything he looks more nervous now than he did when he turned up at the club.'

It was his poor handling that lost Spurs the game against Liverpool on Sunday, and too many times this season he has failed in his duties. There have been high-profile errors in the Champions League against Barcelona and PSV, and the Spurs defence seem to be lacking in confidence of their goalkeeper.

Incredibly, only Everton's Jordan Pickford has had more errors leading to goals in the Premier League since 2016-17 than Lloris. With a tough few games to come this season, there is a genuine argument for dropping the French No 1 and replacing him with Paulo Gazzaniga.

Hugo Lloris has suffered a series of high-profile errors, including late on against Liverpool

Hugo Lloris has suffered a series of high-profile errors, including late on against Liverpool

Failing full backs 

Three years ago, Tottenham had the best full-back duo in the Premier League. Kyle Walker at right back and Danny Rose at left back seemed the perfect combination, but nowadays their defenders leave a lot to be desired. 

Kieran Trippier is enduring a poor campaign and was recently described by Graeme Souness as 'not a good defender'. Ben Davies is not good enough to push Spurs higher, Serge Aurier has proved himself to be a liability and Kyle Walker-Peters, although a talented youngster, is too lightweight. 

Rose, meanwhile, has been inconsistent at best, and much of the team's defensive struggles are due to

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