ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 08: Hugo Lloris of Tottenham during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 8, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Tottenham face off against a revamped Stoke City in their first game back from the international break on Saturday.
The occasion could be exceptional for reason’s behind Mark Hughes’ latest improvements to Stoke. Though Tottenham have earned five points from a possible nine to start the season, the performances have been underwhelming at best.
An international break allowed Mauricio Pochettino and his players to take stock of their situation and presumably arrive at Stoke’s Bet365 ground ready to make a belated statement.
Pochettino will need to make due without three or four of his preferred XI as they struggle through injury, fitness or suspension. Still, Tottenham’s depth — recently bulked in the summer transfer window — should allow for the club to power through.
It’s too early in the season to place too much emphasis on this visit to Stoke. One gets the impression, however, that this Spurs team need am emphatic win to get them back on track mentally.
Last season’s 4-1 win over Manchester City in mid-September sparked a run that ultimately took Tottenham to third place in the Premier League. Stoke’s not Manchester City, of course, but multiple goals and a clean sheet here could do wonders.
Let’s see how Spurs well go about earning such a result.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 13: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur controls the ball from Gareth Barry of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park on August 13, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Tottenham’s formation
Somehow Spurs have manged to spend most of the minutes they’ve had on the pitch so far this season playing in an untested, unfamiliar two striker system.
In fairness, that system was only resorted to in fairly unique situations — and it hasn’t always been a failure. When Tottenham were a goal down against Everton, Pochettino brought on Vincent Janssen to pair with Harry Kane. Minutes later, Tottenham found the equalizer, and dominated the game thereafter.
It was clear that Dele Alli needed a rest and was given one the next week against Crystal Palace. The experiment looked shakier, but ultimately Spurs got away with a win.
Finally, Kyle Walker’s early removal against Liverpool prompted Pochettino to give the two striker system one more go. It did not work out particularly well.
Against Stoke City, Pochettino has a chance to get back on message. Alli will most likely start behind Kane, thus returning Spurs to the fluid 4-2-3-1 formation that was so successful last season. Against a Stoke team who struggled in defense over the last two games — and who suffered a 4-0 defeat against Spurs last season — a return to traditional methods could be Tottenham’s best bet.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 08: Georges-Kevin N’Koudou during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 8, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Sissoko & N’Koudou
Érik Lamela’s late return from international duty appears likely to mean that Moussa Sissoko is given his first start in Tottenham colors.
The £30 million man will nominally play in the same role as Lamela, though his penchant for a more direct style of play will mean that even if Spurs play in their typical shape, things could look very different.
Sissoko’s disciplined enough defensively, but it’s unlikely he’s going to be quite as committed to the high press as Lamela. Instead, he will aggressively run down his line and find the gaps between Stoke’s Geoff Cameron and Erik Pieters. Spurs have been desperate for a player like Sissoko this season, and his presence in the starting XI will make for an interesting day all on its own.
Georges-Kévin N’Koudou, another player brought in on deadline day last week, could make a cameo appearance late in the game as well. The Frenchman also provides a bit more verticality to Spurs, as well as being a true wide player who can stretch Stoke’s backline thin. Seeing both him and Sissoko on the same pitch would be a sight to behold — a true Plan B just as Pochettino wanted.
ENFIELD,UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 6: Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur poses after signing a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground on September 6, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Christian Eriksen and a week off
Pochettino himself claimed that Christian Eriksen’s middling-to-poor performance over the first few weeks of the season was at least partly down to his ongoing contract negotiations.
If that’s true, then the Danish playmaker should be back in form against Stoke City after signing a renewal that will keep him at the club until 2020.
That would be a welcome relief for a team that’s struggled to find any consistency in front of goal. Spurs’ three goals so far have come from unlikely sources: the first when goal-shy Lamela redirected a rare Walker cross, the second a Victor Wanyama header off a corner and the third off of a darting run from Danny Rose.
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Eriksen’s “return” should mean that the ball gets to the most dangerous Tottenham players at the most dangerous points on the pitch. Kane’s second consecutive poor start will be helped by Eriksen, as will a relatively calm two weeks spent with England.
That’s not to say Kane or any other player who got called up to their countries rested. Of course they trained and played, but a break from Tottenham and the pressures of a slow start could be a psychological relief. With a return to more familiar tactics and fresh incentive to find some form, the Spurs of September might be a far cry from the Tottenham of August.
ENFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 08: Hugo Lloris of Tottenham during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur training centre on September 8, 2016 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
Hugo Lloris Travels
The word is that Spurs captain Hugo Lloris will, at the very least, travel with the team on Saturday.
That could very well mean that he starts once again in goal for the first time since he was forced off barely a third of the way through the opening match of the season. That would undoubtedly be a boost to Spurs’ chances — Lloris is arguably one of the best players on the team — but it might be unnecessary.
Consider the form Michel Vorm’s been in since coming on for Lloris against Everton. Though a few had their doubts, Vorm’s proven to be a worthy backup. His reflexes were impeccable against Liverpool, and he’s shown a range of motion and an eye for distribution that rivals Lloris.
If Pochettino wanted to be absolutely sure Lloris was in top condition once again, he should be comfortable in relying on Vorm once again. Especially with a Champions League match against Monaco on Wednesday, Lloris should only return if he’s completely fit.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates his sides first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at White Hart Lane on August 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Wanyama’s Last Dance?
This match marks the last occasion where Spurs will be obliged to play without Mousa Dembélé. It is the last of the Belgian’s six-match ban, meaning he will again be available for selection.
Dembélé would likely have played in the midweek Champions League match regardless, but this Stoke match is still important in a couple ways.
Spurs have visibly suffered without their midfield dynamo. His combination of relentless pressing and dribbling forward in attack is the key to unlocking the potential of this Spurs side. Pochettino will not hesitate to bring him back into the side and keep him there for as long as he can play.
Naturally, this likely means that Wanyama drops to the bench. The Kenyan’s featured in the “Dembélé” role since the start of the season, but with the player back Wanyama becomes something more like Eric Dier’s understudy.
Even if he wasn’t able to exactly replicate Dembélé’s contributions, Wanyama proved himself to be a good fit for this Spurs system. He was, if anything, Dier’s superior in defense, and against Palace looked a genuine threat going forward.
Unfortunately for him, that was not the role he was bought to play. He will likely rotate with both Dier and Dembélé for the remainder of the season.
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