Three ways Nuno’s Tottenham Hotspur is different from Mourinho’s Spurs

The official season for Tottenham Hotspur is only five matches old, likely only about 10% of the matches they will play, yet there are some obvious differences from last season.

Tottenham Hotspur had a good run last season but ultimately ran into a wall the team could not climb finishing a disappointing 7th in the league. Although the big rebuild is underway, the team is not vastly different from the one Mourinho ran out last year but some minor changes should provide more staying power for the Spurs. Here are three ways this Tottenham team is different from last year’s.

Spurs first objective is a positional organization

By the end of last season, it seemed Tottenham was often only one pass away from total collapse defensively. WIth fullbacks playing high up the pitch and defensive midfielders being used to cover the space, the team was often off-balance positionally.

The incredibly athletic ability of both Moussa Sissoko and Pierre Højbjerg made the system work early in the season. However, as the season wore on and those two players wore out, there was not adequate cover for the roles as defined and Tottenham limped to the finish line.

This season, both the formation and the roles are different leaving the team much more organized to handle adversity on the pitch.

Fullbacks and defensive midfielders are playing their part for Tottenham

Two big changes have led to stability and organization for the team. The first is keeping the fullbacks at fullback. This does not mean they do not push up the pitch but in terms of normal positioning, especially without the ball, their starting point is much closer to the center halves.

This more compact defense formation leaves the defenders in space less often and chasing free runners less often. This was particularly true against Wolves, where despite his pacey runs Adama Traore was rarely running free.

Secondly, the move to the 4-3-3, with a true defensive midfielder in the middle of the park has helped. Instead of hoping one of the two defensive mids is home and not covering for a fullback, there has consistently been a midfielder sitting in front of the back four all season long. Oliver Skipp has done well in the league in this role, allowing Højbjerg more freedom, which benefits the team.

This improved positional organization has provided the Spurs with a solid base and is a big part of their unbeaten start where they are yet to concede in the league. Besides this improved organization, read on for two more ways Tottenham is already different this year.