By Gerry Cox

Mauricio Pochettino’s cryptic comments about cows and rail-crossings on Monday were supposed to explain his belief that Tottenham’s players must learn from past experience, but on the evidence of this train crash of a result in Milan, they still need educating.

Spurs were in control of their first Champions League outing of the season, and Inter’s first for six years, once Christian Eriksen put them ahead shortly after half-time.

They had weathered an early Italian storm, silenced the San Siro crowd, and keeping possession against dispirited opponents, leading to a string of missed chances.

But a wonder goal out of nothing in the 85th minute from Mauro Icardi suddenly gave the Italians hope, and as Tottenham panicked and dropped deeper, Matias Vecino headed the winner for Inter in the second minute of stoppage time.

Home supporters erupted in delight at a result that looked so unlikely with 20 minutes to go, but it was a hammer blow for Pochettino and Tottenham, who have now lost three games in succession and look bereft of confidence or form.

The manager tried to put a brave face on it afterwards, saying he was pleased with the improved performance of his side after defeats by Watford and Liverpool.

But Pochettino showed the strain when he snapped back afterwards at one reporter who had questioned his decision to leave Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier in London despite the fact that both were fit.

“You disrespect the players that played today,” he said. “You can blame me and say ‘gaffer, you were so so rubbish in your selection of the starting 11’, but please don’t disrespect the players who were playing, because it’s my decision. We have 25 players.

“When my decision is to play with eleven, you must respect my decision because I am the manager. You cannot disrespect that.”

It was not quite a Jose Mourinho-esque rant, but it shows that all is not well at the club. Too many of Tottenham’s stars are failing to sparkle at the moment, not least Harry Kane, who had another night to forget.

Kane had a golden opportunity to put Spurs ahead in the 37th minute, but after taking the ball around keeper Samir Handanovic, stumbled and let the ball run out of play.

As Pochettino said afterwards: “I was speaking to my friend Javier Zanetti and he said if that he (Kane) had scored, it would have been a different game.”

Zanetti, the former Inter captain and a formidable defender, scored when Spurs last played at Inter in the Champions League, the infamous 2010 game when Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick after the Italians had raced into a 4-0 lead inside 35 minutes.

There was little danger of that happening last night with the current Inter side, who are feeling their way back slowly to the upper echelons of Italian and European football. Four points from their first four games in Serie A suggested a side that would struggle to disturb Spurs, and so it proved in the opening stages despite a flurry of energy and enthusiasm from the home side and their support.

Michel’s Vorm biggest scare of the opening hour came when team-mate Davinson Sanchez headed towards his own goal, and the Colombian then missed a chance at the opposite end heading wide from an Eriksen free-kick.

The Dane was below his best, but he did give Tottenham the lead in fortuitous circumstances eight minutes after the break. He ran in on goal to shoot from 20 yards, and when Handanovic parried the ball back out, Eriksen hit another volley which flew off the foot of defender Miranda before looping over the stranded goalkeeper.

Inter’s players looked deflated and Tottenham really should have put the game to bed. Heung Min Son put the ball in the net but Kane was flagged offside, Erik Lamela missed two good chances from close range, and substiute Lucas Moura shot wide after a blistering run.

Spurs were comfortably in control at this point, the crowd was subdued and Inter’s players looked beaten. But just when it looked over, Icardi produced a moment of sheer brilliance, meeting Kwadwo Asamoah’s cross with an exquisite volley from 20 yards that flew past Vorm.

Inter’s suddenly sensed a comeback and started pushing Spurs deeper and deeper. Sanchez had to head over his crossbar with danger lurking, and when Tottenham conceded another corner in stoppage time, Vecino was unmarked five yards from goal to thump a header past Vorm.

There was barely time to kick off before referee Clement Turpin blew the final whistle. As some of Tottenham’s players slumped to the turf, the Inter players celebrated with their supporters.

Luciano Spalletti’s team came back to the big time with a bang, but for Pochettino the misery goes on.

“It was so cruel,” he said.

“We need to improve in some situations. Again we conceded a goal from a set piece. When you are in a bad period you always have to do double effort to work harder than before and that is the only way to try to build a good momentum again for the team.”

INTER 4-2-3-1: Handanovic 7; Skrriniar 6, De Vrij 6, Miranda 6, Asamoah 6; Vecino 6, Brozoivic 7; Politano 7 (Balde 72), Nainggolan 7 (Valero 89), Perisic 6 (Candreva 64); Icardi 8 Subs not used Padelli, Ranocchia, D’Ambrosio, Berni.

TOTTENHAM 4-2-3-1: Vorm 6; Aurier 6, Sanchez 7, Vertonghen 6, Davies 6; Dier 6, Dembele 6; Eriksen 6, Lamela 5 (Winks 72), Son 6 (Lucas 64); Kane 5 (Rose 89) Subs not used Gazzaniga, Wanyama, Walker-Peters, Llorente.

Ref: Clement Turpin (France).