“DIFFICULT, difficult,” was Mauricio Pochettino’s assessment in his post-match press conference. He used the word 13 times in just over two minutes. A visit to Burnley had been difficult for Tottenham, difficult even for the seemingly unstoppable Harry Kane.

As it turned out, the unstoppable force had met its match in the immovable object that was the Burnley defence.

The man who has been the talk of the Premier League for months now, and even stole the show on his England debut a week ago, was reduced to a bit-part role drifting around up front, hoping a chance would come his way.

Burnley made it their business to ensure that it never did.

There were ironic cheers from the Clarets fans when Kane’s only real contribution of note, a surge towards the box midway through the first half, ended with a dragged shot well wide from 25 yards.

The 21-year-old briefly sparked into life to set Paulinho away in the second half.

But he could only look on in horror as his Brazilian team-mate opted the sort of extravagant outside of the boot finish that even Roberto Carlos would have thought twice about, only to scuff the ball embarrassingly towards the corner flag.

“It’s just like watching Brazil,” fans chanted. They probably had the Brazil of the World Cup semi final in mind.

Without the full force of the Harry Kane hurricane, Pochettino’s men had been rendered toothless by a Clarets side who are renowned for never making it easy against even the biggest of Premier League stars.

If they could irk Jose Mourinho, they were not about to cave in to Kane and co either.

Puzzlingly Spurs’ other England star from the international break, Andros Townsend, was used only as a substitute for the final seven minutes - with Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela preferred.

Little wonder Greg Dyke wants new quota regulations to give English players greater opportunities.

Burnley did not set up for a draw, and indeed had the best chance to win it through Danny Ings, but they were the happier of the two sides at full time.

In good spirits, Sean Dyche gladly accepted a couple of Creme eggs from a member of the press contingent, an Easter gift he said he would pass on to his family.

On the morning of the game Dyche was linked with a move to Derby County in the summer if Steve McClaren joins Newcastle – regardless of which the division the Rams are in.

Dyche, though, will still hope to be a Premier League manager with Burnley by then.

A game of few chances yesterday did not appeal hugely to television viewers – Michael Owen tweeted that he had ‘not seen as bad a game as this in a long time’, while former Tottenham chairman Lord Sugar urged his side to ‘wake up’.

But they were not being allowed to.

In a word, as Pochettino repeatedly pointed out, playing Burnley can be difficult. Even with Harry Kane up front.