Tottenham Hotspur Need the Patience for Possession on Offense

While Tottenham Hotspur have demonstrated the patience of a saint in a defense first approach to football, without a similar offensive philosophy, Spurs are sunk.

Tottenham Hotspur have worked hard to improve as a defensive unit since José Mourinho arrived at N17. Despite shipping four goal in the last two games, Spurs are the third best overall team in terms of goals allowed. However, the patience necessary for such focused defending is not being demonstrated with ball and the result is wasted possessions. For Tottenham to get back to their winning ways, Spurs need to find the patience to pass through teams.

Spurs Spoiled by the Break

The truth is Tottenham have been a victim of their own offensive success and have seemingly forgotten how to grind out goals. Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son were scoring at will to start the season and much of it was created with fast-paced movements from Spurs.

Tottenham have not scored 25 goals this season – fifth most in League – by knocking the ball around 25 times and scoring. Rather Spurs have had quick strikes and beautiful moments of football, where as few as one or as many as five passes may be strung together to lead to a goal.

Spurs were so good at scoring goals with just a few passes early in the season they have kind of forgotten how difficult it is to score when a team is in position. When you are striking at a team off a counterattack, best case scenario you are attacking in greater numbers, worst case scenario the defense is out of shape.

Attacking a team racing back who are out of formation and likely numbers down is a recipe for a goal. It is a great recipe and one that has worked a ton for Tottenham this season. However, sometimes the ingredients available are different thus you need to make something new. For a team that knows how to dominate the ball, it sure seems like they have forgotten how.

Tottenham Forcing it too Much

Since Tottenham have been so good at finding those seems and creating scoring opportunities, seemingly out of nothing, Spurs have been over reliant on such football. Sure, it is much easier to make five passes and score, but you are going to score more consistently by putting together team moves that shift the defense and create the same opportunities in the half-field as you do in the open field.

The ability to put together passing moves starts with completing the first few passes and sometimes going nowhere. Too often in the last two matches Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld – among others – have been trying to force the ball up the field between the lines. While these passes can work, they work much better if you have moved the defense first.

What made those passes even worse in the loss to Leicester City on Sunday was a lack of movement to accompany them. There were times in the first half, before the game was flipped by the penalty kick, where Toby and Eric just had four players standing there staring at them. Whereas we normally have Harry Kane dropping deep coming to the ball, yesterday there was a line between Kane and the ball most of the first half and it did not move.

Lo Celso, Sissoko, Ndombele, and Son all were basically just standing in a line for much of the half when Spurs had the ball, with Kane beyond them. No one was really checking in to get a pass, they were just waiting for someone to make a play. When that is what the defenders see, it is no wonder they are trying to force bad balls between players and long balls over the top.

Tottenham Takeaway

The good news is all is not lost for Tottenham on the season. With a little tinkering and practice Spurs can get the movement necessary up top, to help create the passing lanes to make things happen. Movement is one area where Dele Alli excels and if we are to see more of Gareth Bale with Lo Celso potentially injured, he is going to have to find some movement too.

Earlier this season it was the movement of Harry Kane and then players off him that led to great success. Over the next two weeks, Tottenham will face a different schedule and can hopefully get back to that success and dominate matches with the ball. To do that they need movement, passing, and of course the patience to make it work.