What to expect from Tottenham pre-season match against Team K-League

By Aaron Coe | Jul 13, 2022

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean striker Son Heung-Min (L) celebrates with Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane (R) after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 7, 2022. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Spanish striker Bryan Gil runs with the ball during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 26, 2021. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Besides a warm reception and a terrific crowd, there are a few more things we should expect to see from Antonio Conte and Tottenham, starting with lots of Spurs.

Expect to see a lot of players play for Tottenham

At his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Conte was asked about what to expect from him on Wednesday, and the Italian gaffer was quite clear, stating that everyone would play for about 45 minutes so that everyone can play.

Of course, with 28 players on the trip, including four goalkeepers, not everyone will play, although we should expect to see a lot of rotation.

Likely Conte will start one team for the first half and then swap that group out for another for the second half. Additionally, some younger players like Harvey White may rotate. With Dejan Kulusevski and Ivan Perisic unlikely to play, we could see all 22 field players available make an appearance.

Look for new player combinations and connections

By the end of last season, Spurs’ lineup picked itself, as the options became limited due to injuries and a lack of trust for some players. This means that the coaching staff already knows when it comes to seeing how players like Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre Hojberg play together.

However, how well Oliver Skipp and Bentancur would connect or Yves Bissouma and Hojbjerg would mesh are unknown. There is no better time than in the pre-season to see what a Skipp and Bentancur or Skipp and Bissouma or Bentancur and Bissouma midfield would look like.

If we see Bentancur next to Hojbjerg, it would be very disappointing, given that it is a known entity. Likewise, with Deki out, it would be more advantageous to see Richarlison on the right or even Troy Parrott than Lucas Moura. Not because Moura is not adequate, rather, Moura playing right forward is a known quality; Parrot and Richarlison in that role are not.

Whether it is Japhet Tanganga at centre-centre-half or Bryan Gil at right forward, expect to see some players in positions we may not be as accustomed to, which is what pre-season is all about.

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