Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has been widely regarded as one of the best managers in England, having led the North London club to a third-place finish last season with 70 points, their highest league position and points tally ever in the Premier League. Given how fluent they were at certain stages of the campaign, one can register a case of ‘What If’, following their astonishing capitulation in the final four games of the league, which in turn cleared the coast for Leicester City to stamp their credentials as champions.
There still remains a positive vibe about his young side, comprising of five England internationals and several experienced foreigners though. After all, a brand of football highlighted by direct yet skilful attacking play is desired by fans of a host of top-flight clubs, considering how difficult it is to nullify. It is perfectly complemented by the presence of assertive full-backs like Kyle Walker and Danny Rose and a formidable centre-back partnership, maintained by Belgian duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. Youngsters Eric Dier and Dele Alli have grown leaps and bounds since moving to White Hart Lane and have been tipped as the fulcrum of not just the club, but the England national team’s endeavours too. Erik Lamela and Moussa Dembele have revived their careers under Pochettino and made themselves indispensable, despite the latter serving a lengthy ban stretching back to the penultimate game last season. Up front, Harry Kane may have started his new campaign slowly but is still considered to be one of England’s finest in the striking department. All of this, coupled with the arrivals of Victor Wanyama, Vincent Janssen, Moussa Sissoko and Kevin N’Koudou ensures Tottenham will seek to right the wrongs that jeopardized their title challenge last season. In any case, Champions League football was the reward for their efforts and that shall be viewed as a stepping stone for the years to come.
It is imperative they work on their existing shortcomings now, though. That said, here are a few issues Pochettino ought to address this season:
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Integrating Harry Kane and Vincent Janssen effectively:
While Kane has shown he is capable of leading the line, following two seasons of sheer brilliance for his boyhood club, many felt Tottenham were over-reliant on the 23-year-old and were forced to play him extensively. This may have culminated in a major burnout as Kane looked tired and ineffective in the Euros for England. The absence of a second out-and-out striker worked against his situation too and that may have twisted Pochettino’s hand into signing a strike partner for Kane.
Janssen was the Eredivisie’s top scorer last season with 27 goals for AZ Alkmaar and possesses plenty of pace and power to hurt defences. One of the manager’s biggest tasks this season is to amalgamate the two strikers as effectively as he possibly can. Janssen is yet to start a game for his new club although his work rate and desire to get on to the end of each pass threaded his way is exemplary. That, in turn, may rack Pochettino’s brains in terms of accommodating the Dutchman alongside his star striker this season.
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Playing with more width:
It has been observed that the likes of Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela tend to drift inwards when in attack, thereby leaving full-backs Walker and Rose with both defensive and attacking responsibilities on their respective flanks. While the Englishmen are capable of handling both tasks, sustaining them throughout the game is difficult and that calls for Pochettino to deploy natural wingers on either side of the pitch.
His philosophy also dictates that playing with extended width on the surface helps stretch the opposition’s backline and creates pockets of space for strikers and central attacking midfielders to exploit. This can be aided by new signing Kevin N’Koudou. The France U-21 winger plied his trade at Marseille before moving to North London and will be viewed as an impact player for the time-being. Should the youngster impress quickly, Pochettino might consider integrating him into the starting eleven sooner than later.
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Improving his side’s mental strength:
In the wake of last season’s horror show in the final four games, the manager will have to work on bolstering his players’ fortitude both physically and mentally. If Pochettino and Tottenham Hotspur aspire to win silverware anytime soon, they will be required to dig deep and carve out results in difficult situations. After all, that is the trademark of champions, as exemplified by Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United teams and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2005 and 2006. It is a tall order, considering the current Tottenham side is very young and devoid of those experiences but it remains a distinct possibility.
