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An unlikely suggestion for a struggling Tottenham Hotspur

By Justin Cober-Lake

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 13: Antonio Conte, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 13, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 13: Antonio Conte, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 13, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Hotspur has endured a rough week, with several weaknesses on display.

They were lacklustre, made many mental and technical errors, and struggled to advance the ball out of the back for the second game in a row.

On Sunday, Tottenham had a problem we hadn’t seen under Antonio Conte: they played with a lack of energy.

Davinson Sanchez, in particular, is in disarray. Spurs have given up several goals recently in which no one stepped to the ball to take away either a shot or a vital pass, with Davinson too often being pulled out of position.

These concerns can be addressed, fortunately, and Conte’s emphasis on conditioning and intensity, as long as the team doesn’t get worn out, should consistently help.

After the past couple of games, we can connect a few dots to see how Tottenham can develop going forward.

First, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s tackling and assertiveness remain essential to the team’s success.
He didn’t look good against Southampton, but as fans continue to complain about his flat offensive contributions, they’ve neglected to praise his gritty work in other areas.

He no longer leads the team in tackles (Emerson Royal does). Still, his willingness to assert his presence near the ball provides a necessary disruption and helps maintain a high energy level for the team.

In all its struggles, the team hasn’t always found a way to put its best 11 on the field at once. Conte has tried a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-3 with some success, but an odd experiment might pay off.

Spurs have needed a right-wing-back for some time, and they might be able to fix a few problems with a positional adjustment. The team could go back to a 3-5-2 with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son up top.

With the Hjobjerg/Skipp/Bentancur trio in the middle, they could add Sergio Reguilon on the left and – here comes the twist – move Lucas Moura to the right wingback (Dejan Kulusevski could fill that role, too). That arrangement gets more quality on the field than they’ve recently had, and it will help break the high press that teams are likely to throw at them for the rest of the season.

Playing out of the back has become Spurs’ problem. Having Moura deeper (and on the field instead of struggling players) could help relieve pressure, partly by giving a better, more comprehensive option (Spurs defenders were committed to booting the ball to the middle of the field directly at opponents this weekend).

Spurs’ backline needs some work, but getting Eric Dier back will immediately improve matteers. He and Cristian Romero will make for a strong spine in the team. While the third defender might make fans a little uneasy, the whole system should work better with some reorganization.

Next. Conte undefeated when midfielder starts. dark

With a more aggressive and assertive starting XI, Spurs can do something crucial to breaking the high press, increasing their defensive level of pressure up the pitch.

Conte’s lineup against Wolverhampton on Sunday was intriguing, as he picked a roster designed to advance the ball. With the players he currently has, approaching the game with more intent to provide constant disruption might go better, which can be done without sacrificing offensive creativity.