Tottenham are rendering classic tactical descriptions obsolete
By Ryan Wrenn
When it did come, the change was in another easily identifiable formation: the 3-4-2-1. Since it became the norm in December, Tottenham have more often than not barreled over opponents using that shape.
Injuries and the demands of rotation inevitably forced changes that made the 3-4-2-1 less practical however. And, it appears, in that moment Pochettino hit upon something that seems obvious in hindsight.
Through both chance and design, Pochettino is blessed with an exceptionally flexible squad. Several players can play multiple positions, some even thriving in multiple roles. Why not ask those players to do so over the course of a single match?
We’re talking here specifically about Eric Dier and, to an only slightly lesser extent, Christian Eriksen. The pair came to Spurs as a defender and an attacker, respectively, yet Pochettino finds uses for them somewhere in between.
Dier famously made the switch to defensive midfield last season with spectacular results. This season, however, he’s largely been displaced by Victor Wanyama, and now occupies the right side of the back three whenever Spurs play the 3-4-2-1.
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Eriksen also showed some versatility last season when he was occasionally asked to link up play from a deeper position than might register on the surface of the 4-2-3-1. Now one half of the playmaker duo behind Kane in the 3-4-2-1, Eriksen is able to thread through opposition lines with ease.
Beginning with the match against Arsenal two weeks ago, though, Pochettino asked this seeming only loosely affiliated pair to help form a vertical line through the formation.
In so doing, Pochettino found a way for Spurs to play both the 4-2-3-1 formation and the 3-4-2-1 more or less simultaneously. The shape would largely be dependent on the situation of the ball — in possession or out, mostly — as well as the position of certain players.
If Kieran Trippier got caught too far forward, for instance, Dier would drop from midfield into a centre-back/right-back role, thereby covering a space that often gets neglected in the wing-back’s forward runs.
In response, Eriksen would himself drop deeper into central midfield, alongside Wanyama. This allowed for even more cover as well as offering a convenient outlet when possession was retrieved.
Such a dynamic system lacks a concise descriptor. It’s not fair to call it a flexible 4-2-3-1 or a flexible 3-4-2-1, because that’s not telling the full story. Especially when it came to playing against United, with Anthony Martial patrolling Spurs’ defensive right, Dier’s role and Eriksen’s compensation for it were key to keeping Jose Mourinho’s men at bay.
Similarly, in possession, having Dier available to help recycle the ball forward with Eriksen farther up in attack also brought to bear all the offensive advantages of the 3-4-2-1.
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It’s unclear how well any of this would work without specifically Dier and Eriksen in the side. They are both exceptional — and unique — players, so it’s unfair to enter in what Pochettino has made possible here into any kind of tactical playbook.
Still, it’s a testament to Pochettino’s remarkable imagination that he would even attempt such a think, and further testament to his squad’s considerable skill that they could make his dreams reality.