Tottenham used to play like Leeds, dream of return to effective style

Leeds put on an exemplary show yesterday, showcasing an incredibly effective high-intensity press that Tottenham used to employ under Mauricio Pochettino. 

Watching Leeds under tactical mastermind Marcelo Bielsa yesterday reminded me of the 2015 through 2018 Tottenham side. Bielsa’s side plays an enterprising, entertaining, high-octane brand of football Tottenham just a few years were renowned for.

Executing the high-intensity press regularly demands a disciplined squad with indefatigable fitness levels. Usually that requires a side of whippersnappers, a young core of players who, like the Terminator, run tirelessly and with unbridled fervour.

Though the entertaining style doesn’t come without pitfalls.

Leeds are definitely susceptible to the counter, often leaving sizeable voids in the centre of the park. The run-and-gun style is conducive to high-scoring matches and elevated TV ratings. It’s also a system, with the right personnel and manager, that garners consistently strong, often surprising, results.

Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld were main contributors when Pochettino’s Spurs effectively executed a similar system. Unfortunately that physically demanding brand is no longer feasible for an aging Spurs side. Many of Tottenham’s most influential players are either nearing 30 or on the wrong side of big three-oh.

Yesterday’s high-flying Leeds performance certainly brought back fond memories from a few years back. Spurs were overwhelmed by Leeds’ overpowering, relentless press. It caused structural failure for Tottenham’s defensive five, who as a collective were unable to cope with Leeds’ liveliness.

Maybe Daniel Levy should turn his attention to Bielsa in Tottenham’s pursuit of a new gaffer. Sure, his English is about as good as Serge Aurier‘s performance at Elland Road, but English can be learned relatively quickly.

Bielsa’s quasi gegenpress, on the other hand, cannot. Maybe it will take another genius Argentine to bring a morsel of Pochettino back to Tottenham.