Spurs’ Need Meaningful Rotation and Soon

There are some cold, hard facts about Spurs’ season so far that should make Pochettino’s team selection over the next month both stressful and vitally important.

Dele Alli is suspended for Thursday’s Europa League clash, which is probably for the better considering the fact that Pochettino himself admits that the player has been fighting through injuries in recent weeks.

The bigger issue here though is the players that aren’t suspended. As we’ve discussed before here, Pochettino has been relying on a definite spine running through the center of Spurs’ team for much of the season. All have been given a chance to rest, but they need more of it if Spurs are to continue their title push and also move on in the Europa League.

Consider the following:

Toby Alderweireld has played 3,420 minutes in all competitions this season for Spurs per Transfermarkt, whereas last season with Southampton he only managed 2,279 minutes for the entire season.

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Eric Dier’s role has increased dramatically since converting into a midfielder, and it shows in his minutes. He’s thus far notched 3,475 minutes on the pitch for Spurs so far this season, while last season he only ever managed 2,930 for the full run.

Compared to those two, Harry Kane has had it relatively light. He’s only up to 3,204 minutes this season, though that is still getting very close to the 3,608 minutes he accumulated at Spurs last term.

In sum: Spurs are relying on a set of players who are slowly being run into the ground, and there is plenty more football left to play this season.

How does Pochettino begin to remedy this situation? It isn’t as if he can simply give these players a few weeks off right in the middle of a title push. Or can he?

There is some obvious sources of relief. Jan Vertonghen should return to fitness by the end of March or the beginning of April. The Belgian’s return will allow him to rest Alderweireld as Kevin Wimmer continues on in the centre-back role.

Clinton Njie began light training again on Wednesday. The Cameroonian’s return will give Spurs even more options up front should Kane get a much deserved rest. Either he or Heung-min Son or Nacer Chadli could operate from the centre-forward role if called upon.

While Alderweireld and Kane have had disproportionate influences on Spurs’ quality over the course of the season so far, an argument could be made that Dier has been the fulcrum atop which the team’s quality has pivoted. The 22-year-old’s role in defensive midfield is argubaly the biggest upgrade to this Spurs team this season over last, and it’s not as simple to bring in Nabil Bentaleb or Mousa Dembélé to take over.

The first leg against Fiorentina in the Europa League Round of 32 proved the importance of Dier to an alarming degree. Ryan Mason and Tom Carroll were not able to replicate precisely what Dier brings to the table and Spurs consequently looked exposed for the first time in a long while in defense.

Next: How Tottenham Can Beat Dortmund

All that being said, the consequences of giving Bentaleb or Mason or Dembélé more chances in Dier’s role are far less than having Dier succumb to injury or exhaustion. These upcoming matches against Borussia Dortmund are a good opportunity for Pochettino to let Dier sit out and get a decent rest, even if it means that Alderweireld won’t get any relief from the man that typically subs for him at centre-back.

A combination of savvy rotation and the right players returning from injury at the right time should allow Pochettino to give his Spurs team’s spine the right balance to sustain their good form into the close of the season.