Tottenham supporters would have been correct to listen to that inner voice warning of what was to come prior to kickoff in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg.
I wanted to think positively and optimistically when I first saw Antonio Conte‘s starting 11.
Instead, I found myself consumed by apprehension, fearful of the dread that lay ahead. Usually excited and full of anticipation, I was unable to shake the feeling of worry and morose concern. And I’m pretty sure I wasn’t alone in harbouring those irrepressible thoughts.
Here are the three reasons why Tottenham was in a perilous position prior to a ball being kicked.
3. No Eric Dier, nobody to marshal the backline
One can only infer that Eric Dier was affected by Covid-19. It’s the only explanation as to why he didn’t start, and wasn’t on the bench, the first leg of a semi-final that was begging for his presence. We all witnessed first hand that without Dier, and absentee Cristian Romero, there is no marshal in Tottenham’s rearguard.
Davinson Sanchez, even before kickoff, has proven he is unable to confidently lead Tottenham’s defence from the most important central role. And so the car wreck of a first half transpired, with the Colombian back to his former unaware self. Dragged out of position more easily than coaxing a shopaholic with their favourite handbag, Sanchez was unable to provide the stability Tottenham so badly required.
Not only dragged out of position, Sanchez also had fits trying to cope with Romelu Lukaku, who has just come back into Chelsea’s team and still hasn’t found top gear. If you didn’t already know it, the 2-0 loss showed just how important Dier is to Spurs. I’m not saying Tottenham would have won with Dier in the team, but at least he would have offered a stabilizing force in an otherwise unstable, shaky environment.
It was also a clear sign of how far Joe Rodon has dropped down the pecking order. Conte must have no faith in the Welshman whatsoever, because this was a match begging for his participation.
2. Matt Doherty playing on the left side
This requires almost no explanation. The Irishman has endured more than his fair share of difficulties when he plays in his natural, comfortable right-sided role. He has played on the left side at Tottenham before, albeit briefly, but that didn’t go so well either.
Doherty’s left foot is about as bad as a professional footballer’s left foot can be. He is so utterly right-foot dominant that anyone defending him has no illusions of where the Irishman is headed.
And that’s toward the centre of the pitch. He is ill-equipped to take defenders on at the best of times with his dominant foot, so asking him to do it on his peg leg is as cruel as it is laughable. One would presume Sergio Reguilon, like Dier, was impacted by Covid-19, as he was also left completely off the team sheet.
It offered sobering insight, with Ryan Sessegnon also out due to injury, as to the palpable lack of options Conte has at his disposal, and will hopefully impress upon Daniel Levy the urgency of bringing in suitable replacements.
1. Outnumbered and overran in midfield
Thomas Tuchel went with three in the centre of the park (Mount, Saul and Jorginho), whereas Conte stuck to his customary defensive partnership of Pierre Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp. Usually being outnumbered in midfield isn’t so catastrophic.
However, in conjunction with having Royal and Doherty out wide, both of whom had howlers, it made for a frightening first half. Spurs duo were dominated in midfield. Chasing shadows and doing an abundance of unnecessary, at times pointless, running, both Hojbjerg and Skipp were put in a thankless and impossible situation. And it all stems from who patrols the wide left and right flanks.
It wouldn’t have mattered who Conte decided to go with as the midfield pair, such was the nature of the insurmountable advantage the Blues had in the middle of the park.