Tottenham Hotspur Links: Mauricio Pochettino Values Unity with Current Squad Over Any New Signings

Today is the final December edition of Tottenham Hotspur Links. It’s also a New Year’s Eve article at the same time!

This edition of Tottenham Hotspur Links will be different than every other version that has come before it. Why is that? Because the first three links are from one giant article. They’re just broken down into three different stories, because that’s what they were presented as anyways.

The first story looks at how Mauricio Pochettino values unity with his current squad over any new signing that might come in. Secondly, Spurs have backup strikers in Nacer Chadli, Clinton N’Jie and Son Heung-min. The third story, will see Mousa Dembélé miss at least three weeks with a groin injury. And finally, former England international and Liverpool player, Danny Murphy has a combined Liverpool-Spurs starting XI. Time to get to the links below.

RELATED: Tottenham Links: Redknapp Warns Spurs Not to Sign Berahino

• Mauricio Pochettino values unity with current squad over new signings
  • [via The Guardian]

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted at the possibility of no new signings coming to north London in January. As perplexing as that sounds, this was their same approach last January. Only two players signed with Spurs but would later join in the summer, Dele Alli and DeAndre Yedlin. The only major departures were Kyle Naughton and Aaron Lennon. Basically not much happened for Tottenham.

"“I am very happy with the squad we have,” Pochettino said. “We have a strong squad and in the place we are after 19 games, it means we are in a very good way and our decisions were good. Only if we can help and improve the team, maybe we can take some decisions but it has to be right and to be sure if we need some players to bring in they have to be the right profile.”“Maybe every day we have some chat, five minutes, 10 minutes,” Mauricio Pochettino said about speaking with Daniel Levy on a regular basis. “We have a very good relationship with all the departments of the club and we know we are ready to take the better decision for the team and the future of the club but that doesn’t mean we need to bring players in or not. The better decision is maybe to bring players in or not to bring players in.”"

• Harry Kane is the only striker Tottenham needs at the moment
  • [via The Guardian (same Guardian article from above)]

Nacer Chadli, Clinton N’Jie (when healthy) and Son Heung-min are capable strikers when needed. Are they better than Harry Kane as pure strikers? At this point in time, no. But they’re not supposed to. So then why does Mauricio Pochettino continue to tout all three midfielders as possible emergency strikers if and when Kane needs rest?

It’s because all three players can already play the position.

More from Hotspur HQ

• Storybook ending after difficult period for Tottenahm’s Richarlison
• Tottenham comeback showcased invaluable intangible Ange has cultivated
• Tottenham player ratings in 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United
• Tottenham projected starting 11 for Sheffield United
• Tottenham’s Richarlison says he’s going to seek psychological help

No new signing can hit the ground running and get fully acclimated into Pochettino’s high-press style of football. That’ll take a while — which is what the summer transfer window is for.

So instead of looking for strikers outside of the club, it’s best to promote from within. N’Jie and Son have been with the club since this past August. Chadli already has a year of experience in Pochettino’s offense.

It’s best to go with players who have had some time learning how Pochettino wants to run his offense rather than someone like Saido Berahino or Sandro Ramírez and expecting them to score goals instantly.

• Mousa Dembélé to miss up to three weeks with a groin injury
  • [via The Guardian (same Guardian article link from above)]

Injuries are never good, no matter what they are. But if you had a choice, anything that sounds minor is better. Even if it happens to be a groin injury and not another knock on your ankle. Your manhood will be in pain, but your ankle won’t. So that’s good right?

In any event, Mousa Dembélé is going to be sidelined for three weeks, but it might be best to hold him out longer. As he’s been getting nicked up numerous times since returning against Liverpool. Any other injury that Dembélé suffers might end up even more worse than it should. And that’s probably because he’s not fully fit just yet.

• Danny Murphy’s combined Liverpool-Tottenham starting XI
  • [via Football Insider]

According to former England international, Danny Murphy, he only sees three current Liverpool players on Jürgen Klopp’s squad who can make it into a combined starting eleven with Tottenham’s group.

“Liverpool, they need a turnaround of players and the reason I say this is somebody asked me how many Liverpool players would get into Tottenham’s first XI.”

“Here’s my quick answer to that – two, three maximum. And I can’t think of a year in my lifetime where I think that could have been said. And that’s a big turnaround.”

Those three players are Nathaniel Clyne, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson. In Murphy’s formation, he has chosen to go with a 4-3-3 lineup because it’s almost interchangeable with the midfield three — Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembélé. So this is what his combined starting eleven would like down below:

Christian Eriksen — Harry Kane — Philppe Coutinho

Jordan Henderson — Mousa Dembélé — Dele Alli

Danny Rose — Jan Vertonghen — Toby Alderweireld — Nathaniel Clyne

Hugo Lloris

Next: Tottenham Should Ring in New Year With a Win

“The keeper’s a no-brainer – even for a Liverpool supporter,” Danny Murphy said. “I personally would have [Jordan] Henderson instead of [Eric] Dier, only just. I know Dier’s been brilliant.”

“The only problem with Henderson is Dier’s a sitting midfielder, Henderson likes to get forward. What you could do is put Henderson and Dele Alli ahead of Dembélé and play [Mousa] Dembélé in the holding role. I couldn’t leave Dembélé or Alli out.”

“[Philippe] Coutinho definitely and finally – it wouldn’t bother me not putting him in in terms of [Kyle] Walker’s ability – would be [Nathaniel] Clyne. He probably just edges Walker but both are superb right-backs.”