There is a perfectly reasonable argument that Jayden Bogle should have been sent off against Tottenham during the 1-0 defeat to Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.

His first-half challenge on Mathys Tel was a nasty one, and Spurs could feel aggrieved that the Leeds defender stayed on the pitch.

But here is the unpopular opinion: Tottenham cannot use that decision as an excuse for what followed.

Even if Bogle had been shown a red card, there was no guarantee Spurs would have gone on to win. And after watching that second half at Elland Road, it is difficult to argue that they deserved anything from the game.

Tottenham were poor after the break. The intensity disappeared, the quality on the ball dropped and Leeds looked the side far more likely to make something happen.

Spurs struggled to keep possession, failed to impose themselves in midfield and offered very little threat going forward.

That was not down to the referee. It was down to Tottenham.

As I explained in my three reasons why Tottenham lost at Leeds, the problems went beyond one contentious refereeing call. Spurs wasted promising first-half situations, failed to control the midfield and then produced a desperately flat performance after half-time.

The player ratings from the defeat tell a similar story. Antonin Kinsky was outstanding, Rodrigo Bentancur made a positive impact from the bench, but far too many players fell below the level required.

The Bogle decision deserves scrutiny, and Spurs supporters are entitled to be frustrated by it. But focusing on the referee risks letting the players off the hook.

Tottenham were not robbed of a result. They were given 90 minutes to perform and did not do enough. The second half was nowhere near good enough, and the players and Roberto De Zerbi need to own that.