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

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 29: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham face Arsenal in the presesaon
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal gets past Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp of Tottenham Hotspur Hotspur during the Pre-season friendly between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 08, 2021, in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Spurs players seem to know the plan

Although we have not seen the free-flowing attack that was featured in the pre-season, it has not been from a lack of cohesion among the players. One of the major complaints of the time under Mourinho was the lack of identifiable patterns of play.

This season, even in this small sample size, you can see clear patterns of play, which are leading to the progression of football.

Partially down to the better positioning, the players seem to have a better sense of where each other are going to be on the pitch and what they are going to do with the ball.  There are clear passing moves occurring, which include players running off the ball.

Outside of the long balls from Harry Kane last season, much of the third man running off the ball – which was a hallmark of the team’s success under Mauricio Pochettino – was gone. This season under Santo, we are again seeing that movement from the players to create space for themselves and for each other.

Given the team does not have that one maestro, like a Christian Eriksen or Kevin De Bruyne, pulling the strings, the movement and understanding with each other will have to overcome that lack of a singular playmaker.

The idea of multiple people making runs and plays for the team is actually possible thanks to the third big change this season.