Can Tottenham’s Defensive Midfield Crisis Be Fixed?
By Ryan Wrenn
What is Mauricio Pochettino to do with two experienced, talented defensive midfielders at Tottenham?
The word “crisis” gets thrown around in English football, and it feels hyperbolic to describe this current situation at Tottenham as such. But we’re doing it anyway.
Pochettino won’t be looking forward to choosing his teams once the Premier League resumes after the international break.
On the one hand, he’s got Eric Dier. The 22-year-old began his career as a utility defender, only to ascend the ranks last season to become Tottenham’s starting defensive midfielder.
It was a surprising development, especially considering just how effective it was. Tottenham ended last season tied for the best defensive record in the league thanks in no small part to Dier’s tireless work in midfield.
In a way, Dier’s success ensured that he stood a greater chance of losing his spot this season. Pochettino recognized how vital a proper defensive midfielder was in Tottenham’s set-up, and set about quickly securing Dier’s backup when the summer transfer window opened.
That player ended up being Victor Wanyama, whom Pochettino worked with previously as Southampton. No one quite expected the Kenyan to challenge Dier directly, but his Premier League experience made him the ideal back up when and if it was necessary to bring him on.
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Mousa Dembélé’s suspension gave Wanyama early starts with Tottenham. It wasn’t a role he was brought into play — Dembélé’s contributions are more attacking than the Kenyan is used to — but he impressed all the same.
When Dier was unable to play in his normal position either due to injury or standing in elsewhere on the pitch, Wanyama stepped in as the sole defensive midfielder. The transition has been seamless. Over the last four matches in the Premier League and Champions League, Wanyama’s star rose considerably within the club.
It wasn’t just that he proved up to the standards set by Dier last season. In some ways, he even surpassed them.
The contrast between the two players is often meaningless. The defensive midfielder role isn’t typically open to interpretation, after all. Track down the ball as it passes through your area, cut off counters and cover for the full-backs’ runs forward. That’s no small job, but it’s not as multifaceted as roles elsewhere on the pitch.
Wanyama’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday should come as a shot across Dier’s bow however. While his teammates spent the bulk of their time — especially in the first half — aggressively forcing turnovers, Wanyama chased down City’s attempts to muster attacks time and time again.
It wasn’t exactly Dier’s rangey zone defending. Rather, it was a brand of man-marking not often seen in Pochettino’s teams. It was perfectly tailored to combat City’s specific threats, and worked wonderfully. Wanyama won’t be called upon to perform in such a role in every match, but his talents in doing so increases his value significantly.
Thankfully for each player and Pochettino’s nerves, there are plenty of matches on Tottenham’s calendar. Both Dier and Wanyama will have plenty of minutes by the season’s end.
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Pride might become a factor however. When Wanyama gets called up to the starting XI for bigger matches — especially against teams who might not be inclined to sit back against Tottenham — it’s conceivable that Dier feels literally and figuratively sidelined.
The big test will be who steps up to play in the crucial Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. On current form it would be silly not to pick Wanyama over Dier, but how does Pochettino go about soothing the latter? He’ll get the surrounding Premier League matches away at West Brom and Bournemouth, but is that consolation enough?