Tottenham versus Tottenham: Creating two starting lineups

Spurs’ engine room

The reality is Tottenham is trying to play with two central midfielders and then push the rest of the players up into attack. This would allow at least four players to always be more offensively inclined. This presumes a back four, while a true back three would help to push five players into attack as Spurs continue to sit with the double pivot.

There are lots of options for Jose Mourinho for his pivot, the most likely starting combination we saw in the victory over Ipswich in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Winks. Together the players provide a range of passing, tackling and tenacity that creates for a dynamic midfield that can both protect the back line and push the ball forward.

If Winks and Hojbjerg are the pivot for one Spurs XI, that means we have Moussa Sissoko and someone to man that pivot for the other XI. Presumably, either Tanguy Ndombele or Giovani Lo Celso would take on that role. However, unless new creative energy is brought into the team – Pizzi anyone? – Lo Celso is likely to be pushed further up the pitch and participate in the attack, versus sit back as a holding midfielder. So that leaves Sissoko and Ndombele, which could be dynamic or could be disastrous depending on the day for Moussa and the effort level for Tanguy.

If Jose was looking to be even more offensive on a given matchday I could see a straight three-man midfield as part of a 4-3-3 formation, which would give us PEH in the middle of the midfield three and allow for more attacking nous to get on the pitch with someone like Sessegnon or maybe Lo Celso to play on the outside of the three and support the wingers.

Tottenham have some familiar and big names to line-up in the midfield and depending on the formation can field a group that should be able to compete with almost anyone, if they play up to their level.