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Tottenham: Should Mourinho Invert the Wingers or Not?

By Aaron Coe

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur talks to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United following the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on October 04, 2020 in Manchester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur talks to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United following the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on October 04, 2020 in Manchester, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Winger Heung-Min Son
Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker Son Heung-Min (C) shoots to scores his team’s second goal past Manchester United’s Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on October 4, 2020. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) /

Tottenham and Inverted Wingers

The simple solution is likely to stick with the status quo and play with inverted wingers. Both players have spent most of the last couple seasons with Son on the left and Bale on the right. While Bale was not an option at N17, these are still the two positions the players are most accustomed too, with Bale working from the right side of the pitch at Madrid and Son the left at Tottenham.

Beyond playing on these respective sides for the last few seasons, the real threat of the inverted winger is the ability to cut into the center of the pitch and attack the goal with the players’ stronger foot. We have seen Son and Harry Kane too, get the ball near the left corner of the penalty area and work the ball back inside to their right foot with the option of going near or far post with the shot.

The idea of seeing Gareth Bale pick up the ball near the right edge of the box and cut in to blast a left-footed missile is not something Tottenham fans have seen since Andros Townsend left several years ago. Townsend had his moments and has a great left foot, but it is not in the same class as Bale, meaning Spurs fans should be in for a treat.

Whether it is Son cutting inside to tee up his right foot or Bale cutting inside to tee up his left foot, the threat to cut in and score is very real and provides a terrific argument for playing Bale on the right and Son on the left.